Soros challanges case for war - 500 Beiträge pro Seite

[Joerver]

Milliardär und Philanthrop fordert die Bush Regierung auf die Wahrheut zu sagen über die Gründe für den Irakkrieg. Die Bevölkerung hätte ein Anrecht darauf. In einer ganzseitigen Anzeige in Meheren amerikanischen Tageszeitungen zählt er die Aussagen der Bush-Regierung zu den Gründen des Krieges auf und stellt sie den Fakten gegenüber.


Billionaire challenges case for war


07/26/03: NEW YORK (Reuters) - Billionaire philanthropist George Soros is running full-page ads in major U.S. newspapers challenging the honesty of the Bush administration`s case for waging war in Iraq.

The ads in The New York Times, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and the Houston Chronicle, are titled, "When the nation goes to war, the people deserve the truth."

A dozen statements made by President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of State Colin Powell and Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld making the case for war are reprinted and described as either exaggerated or false.

The statements centre on claims about Iraq having weapons of mass destruction and large quantities of poison gasses.

The Hungarian-born Soros, 72, emigrated to the United States from Britain in 1956 and built a fortune as a financier. He is founder of a network of philanthropic organisations active in more than 50 countries that focus on education, public health, human rights and economic reform.

The ads, estimated to cost about $185,000 (114,000 pounds), were co-sponsored by U.S. philanthropists Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman.

"Both George Soros and Lewis Cullman have been deeply concerned about the deception used to justify the war in Iraq," said Michael Vachon, a spokesman for Soros.

"They believe their fellow citizens should also be concerned and took out these ads to move them to action."

Bush has defended the case for war, saying he is confident that weapons of mass destruction will eventually be found in Iraq and that criticism of intelligence about Iraq`s military capabilities amounts to quibbling.

Public opinion on the issue is closely divided, according to a Quinnipiac University Poll released this week. It showed U.S. voters believed the administration did not intentionally exaggerate evidence that Iraq was developing nuclear weapons by 50 to 44 percent with a 3 percent

[Joerver]

Noch ein Antiamerikaner

[queries]

Hast für #1 eine Quelle?

[Joerver]

Die Quelle ist Reuters. Die Meldung habe ich kopiert von

http://informationclearinghouse.info/article4232.htm
Die Namen stehen auch unter der Anzeige.

[Nanobot]

Hatte Soros ein Büro im WTC?

[queries]

Geht es egentlich um die Wahrheit? Dann hätte man schon viel eher beginnen können!

Oder um die Wahl nächstes Jahr?

[Kwerdenker]

Herr Soros hat wohl ein finanzielles Problem

Als der Dollar nahe am Tiefpunkt war, hatte er medienwirksam
und kräftig auf weitere Verluste spekuliert.

Nun ist der Dollar wieder um gut 5% gestiegen.

Ein Schelm, wer hinter dieser Aktion einen Versuch vermutet, den Dollar zu schwächen.

KD

[Nanobot]

Wer ist wohl dass grössere Arschloch,Soros oder Bush?

[Sep]

Ich tippe Nanobot.

[Joerver]

nanobot: /nan´oh·bot/, n.
A robot of microscopic proportions, presumably built by means of nanotechnology. As yet, only used informally (and speculatively!). Also called a nanoagent.

[109]

http://www.wedeservethetruth.com/

[Joerver]

Soros pins his hopes on defeat for Bush

By JULIA MALONE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution


WASHINGTON -- Billionaire George Soros, probably the single biggest giver to Democratic causes, said Monday that Republican criticism of him could be very costly.

"It has got a rise out of me," he said, adding that his anger "will probably find expression" in additional donations to efforts to defeat President Bush.

How much, Soros wouldn`t say. He already has given $10 million to Americans Coming Together and $2.5 million to www.moveon.org, groups that are running anti-Bush campaigns.

Soros, recently ranked as the 28th richest man in America by Forbes magazine, said he will devote this year to unseating Bush.

"I`m ready to put my money where my mouth is," said the Hungarian-born financier, who made his fortune in New York as a hedge-fund operator. His opposition to the Bush administration is based chiefly on the invasion of Iraq.

Soros declined to endorse any Democratic contender but said his views are closest to those of former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark and Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts.

"I`m keen for Dean," Soros said, dismissing a published report that he had doubts about the apparent front-runner.

He made the remarks at the Carnegie Center for International Peace to promote his new book, "The Bubble of American Supremacy," a searing analysis of the Bush administration`s foreign policy.

Soros said the president had "deliberately deceived the public" about his reasons for invading Iraq and said Bush had "used the war on terrorism as a pretext to pursue a dream of American supremacy."

He complained that he had been "demonized" by the "Bush propaganda machine." He especially objected to a Wall Street Journal editorial last month that criticized him for financing pro-marijuana voter initiatives and repeated a charge by Joseph Califano, secretary of health, education and welfare in the Carter administration, that Soros is "the Daddy Warbucks of drug legalization."

Soros, who favors medicinal use of marijuana, complained that critics skip over his donations of $700 million to assist the growth of democracy in Eastern Europe.

He also has come under fire from both Republicans and some campaign finance reformers for making big-dollar donations to political groups. They say Soros, who supported a new law banning unlimited so-called "soft money" donations to political parties, has violated the spirit of the statute by giving huge amounts to groups that are not technically affiliated with parties but have partisan leanings.

Soros countered Monday that he has fully disclosed his contributions.

"I think MoveOn is doing a very good job," he said of the liberal, Internet-based group that is collecting money to run ads critical of the White House. "It`s a very appropriate and exciting way of communication."

The group recently stirred a controversy by including two spots on its Web site comparing Bush to Adolf Hitler.

That was a mistake, Soros said, but he added that it was no reason for him to curtail his support.

Americans Coming Together, the other group he is supporting, plans to raise $95 million to run a get-out-the-vote campaign in key battleground states.









Find this article at:
http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news/0104/13soros.html

[DmComeBack]

Milliardär Soros spekuliert auf Abwahl des Präsidenten

Die „Bush-Blase“

Von Torsten Riecke, Handelsblatt

Für jemanden, der die Welt retten will, ist George Soros ein ziemlich unscheinbarer Mann. Mit seinem gräulich-gelockten Haar und seiner gefalteten Denkerstirn wirkt er eher wie ein Intellektueller als wie ein milliardenschwerer Börsenspekulant. Schon gar nicht vermutet man in dem 73-Jährigen einen politischen Kreuzritter, der den mächtigsten Mann der Welt vom Thron stoßen will.


NEW YORK. Genau das hat Soros sich jedoch zu seiner Lebensaufgabe gemacht: die Abwahl von US- Präsident George W. Bush. „Das ist eine Frage von Leben und Tod“, sagte er kürzlich in einem Interview.

Am Montag startete Soros eine neue Attacke auf Bush und dessen Politik. In Washington stellte er sein neues Buch „The Bubble of American Supremacy“ vor. Zu deutsch: der Investor hält die amerikanische Vormachtstellung in der Welt für einen Trugschluss – ähnlich wie die „New Economy“ die Schimäre der Anleger während der Spekulationsblase der 90er Jahre gewesen sei.

Die geplatzten Börsenträume haben ein Milliardenvermögen vernichtet, die Bush-Blase hat nach Soros das Zeug dazu, den Globus ins Verderben zu stürzen. „Amerika unter Bush ist eine Gefahr für die Welt“, sagt der Finanzjongleur. Und er legt nach: Wenn Bush von Freiheit und Demokratie rede, meine er immer nur die US-Variante. Wenn der US-Präsident die Welt vor die Wahl stelle, entweder für oder gegen Amerika zu stehen, erinnere ihn das an Nazi-Deutschland.

Soros sieht die Welt heute in einer Extremsituation, weit entfernt von einem stabilen Gleichgewicht. Dafür seien weniger die Terroranschläge des 11. September 2001 verantwortlich als vielmehr die aggressive Reaktion der Bush-Administration auf eben diese Attacken. Für Soros versucht der US-Präsident unter dem Deckmantel der Terrorbekämpfung die Welt zu dominieren.

Der Testfall für die US-Außenpolitik sei der Irak. Der schnelle militärische Erfolg der USA könne welt-weit den Trugschluss noch verstärken, Amerika habe das Recht und die Möglichkeit, seine politischen Ziele mit Gewalt durchzusetzen. Dieser sich selbst verstärkende Trend sei mit der Bildung von Spekulationsblasen an den Börsen vergleichbar. Zur Erinnerung: Soros ist ein Spezialist solcher Ungleichgewichtszustände und hat in derartigen Situationen sein Vermögen verdient. Bush und seine Wahlkampfhelfer könnten den Angriff von Soros als fixe Idee eines irregeleiteten Spekulanten ad acta legen. Doch Soros lässt sich nicht als Spinner abtun. Er ist mit seinem Milliardenvermögen einer der reichsten Männer der Welt und gilt als einer der erfolgreichsten Investoren aller Zeiten.

Er hat also das Geld und den Einfluss, seine Ziele zu erreichen. Und das macht ihn für Bush gefährlich. Als der Investor im vergangenen Jahr seine Attacke auf den Präsidenten startete, verband er das mit einer großzügigen Wahlkampfhilfe von mehr als 10 Mill. $ zur Abwahl Bushs. Dessen Republikaner reagierten umgehend: Zusammen mit der konservativen amerikanischen Presse werfen sie Soros vor, die demokratische Opposition mit unregulierten Wahlkampfspenden (soft money) für seine Zwecke zu „kaufen“. Den Investor ficht das nicht an. Er will die Welt retten. Statt einen Krieg gegen den Terror zu führen, sollten die USA nach Meinung von Soros eine kooperative Außenpolitik entwickeln, die die Ursachen des Terrorismus bekämpfe.


HANDELSBLATT, Dienstag, 13. Januar 2004, 11:04 Uhr

http://www.handelsblatt.com/hbiwwwangebot/fn/relhbi/sfn/buil…

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Wünsche Soros viel Erfolg!

[Joerver]

Soros Invests in His Democratic Passion
The billionaire`s Open Society Institute network is focusing on Central Asia now.
By David Holley
Times Staff Writer

July 5, 2004

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan — His democracy watchdog group had just been ordered out of neighboring Uzbekistan by an authoritarian president who seemed fearful the American billionaire might foment a revolt. But George Soros wasn`t pulling any punches.

"Unfortunately, the Uzbek government is very repressive," the controversial Hungarian-born philanthropist told reporters here in the Kyrgyz capital in April. "It has 7,000 people in prison for political offenses. At least one person has been boiled alive while in prison, so torture is a very serious problem."

For two decades, Soros has spent billions of his own money on an international network aimed at building civil society in authoritarian or onetime communist countries. In recent years, he has focused on the former Soviet states of Central Asia — places where governments may welcome his money but feel threatened by his commitment to democracy.

"When you`re dealing with repressive regimes, then you do need to strike a balance," Soros said in a recent telephone interview from New York. His fundamental strategy, he said with a chuckle, is to try to bring "such great benefits to the people that even a repressive regime finds it advantageous to accept your presence."

Soros is used to provoking strong emotions, especially now that he has plunged into U.S. politics, funding groups opposed to President Bush`s reelection. His work overseas has won him the admiration of pro-democracy activists and the suspicion of autocrats.

In the five post-Soviet "stans" of Central Asia — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan — Soros` Open Society Institute has focused on public health, legal and judicial reform, and education, spending about $20 million in 2003.

In some of these countries, Soros also supports independent media and efforts to encourage fair elections. And across the Caspian Sea, in the former Soviet state of Georgia, he played an important role in creating the conditions for a bloodless revolt that overthrew a long-serving president.

During November parliamentary elections in Georgia, Soros supported exit polling that indicated an opposition party placed first, contrary to official results. The poll played a critical role in triggering mass protests over alleged vote-counting fraud. That led to the ouster of former President Eduard A. Shevardnadze and the election in January of President Mikheil Saakashvili, who led what has become known as the "Rose Revolution."

"I`m delighted by what happened in Georgia, and I take great pride in having contributed to it," Soros said in the telephone interview.

The developments in Georgia are believed to have played a key role in President Islam Karimov`s decision this spring to expel the Open Society Institute from Uzbekistan. In power since 1990, Karimov saw a possibility that the uprising against Shevardnadze could echo in his country.

"It was clear to everyone that if these events start happening in neighboring countries, sooner or later it will come to our door and the same thing will happen here, and that is something that made the authorities very nervous and apprehensive of the Soros Foundation," said Toshpulat Rahmatullaev of the National Press Center of Uzbekistan, a nongovernmental organization that provides training and services for journalists. National branches of the Open Society Institute are often called the Soros Foundation.

Karimov defended his expulsion order at a news conference in late April, charging: "Their main aim was to select those from among the Uzbek intelligentsia who tomorrow could serve as their supporting pole, so they could dupe them and set them against the constitutional order."

During his April visit to Kyrgyzstan, Soros met with President Askar A. Akayev, a former scholar with whom he seems to be on friendly terms. At his news conference then, Soros discussed what role his organization might play in presidential elections set for next year.

"My understanding is that Mr. Akayev does not want to stand for reelection," he said. "I am keen to ensure that there will be free and fair elections in the choice of his successor, because that will be a major step forward in this region where most presidents seek to remain in power all their life."

Medet Tiulegenov, executive director of the Soros Foundation-Kyrgyzstan, said that despite "rumors that Kyrgyzstan might get involved in what allegedly they think the foundation has done in Georgia," the events there and in Uzbekistan have not had much practical impact on his branch.

There has, however, been "some kind of apprehension, some suspicion, caution toward us," he added. "There are some who have been saying if we start certain projects, someone has to go and get approval from the authorities, discussing … whether we do not have some Trojan horse that is leading to that situation."

In Kazakhstan, the Soros Foundation runs the Kazakhstan Revenue Watch project to monitor the revenues the country receives from its large oil and gas exports. A project statement describes its aim as trying to ensure that revenues "are used to the benefit of the public — for example, to eliminate poverty, reform education, increase the quality of public health-care services, and to solve other social problems."

"The government in Kazakhstan is realistic enough to understand that what happened in Georgia wouldn`t happen in Kazakhstan. So we haven`t felt any pressure on us," said Dariusz Zietek, executive director of the foundation there.

Anger over falling living standards played a key role in the Georgia events, but the situation is reversed in Kazakhstan, Zietek said. "It`s a booming economy, receiving a lot of revenue from oil," he said. "The government is focusing more and more on social issues, on public health and education and on fighting poverty."

The Soros network does not have a branch in Turkmenistan, but it does support some groups and individuals there. The country is led by President Saparmurad A. Niyazov, who runs an isolated state focused on a cult of personality.

Turkmenistan requires registration of nongovernmental organizations and closely monitors their grant activities, but because the Soros network doesn`t have an office in the country, it cannot be so firmly controlled, said Erika Dailey, the Hungarian-based director of the Open Society Institute`s Turkmenistan project.

"It`s been sort of the unseen donor," she said. "It`s more difficult for the authorities to track what we do."

In the wake of Georgia`s "Rose Revolution," Turkmen authorities have shown greater suspicion toward those connected to the Open Society Institute. Security officials have told people to "be careful you`re not manipulated by OSI," Dailey said.

Soros said in the interview that he would be happy to see something like Georgia`s "Rose Revolution" in some Central Asian countries, but said he didn`t believe it was realistic to expect it. Because conditions are not the same, different approaches must be taken for different countries, he said.

"It is the avowed objective of the foundation to move toward a more open society," he said. "So if you could have a dramatic move in that direction, it would be something that would be very desirable to the people involved, and to me as a supporter of those people. However — and this is very important — I consider the situation in Georgia unique."

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