Qatar vorrebbe aderire alla Nato.

Giuseppe Sandro Mela.

2018-06-11.

Il Medio Oriente è uno scacchiere geopolitico davvero molto complesso.

Virtualmente, tutti gli stati che vi appartengono si odiano l’un l’altro di odi secolari, laddove alle lotte religiose ed etniche si sono aggiunte negli ultimi decenni anche quelli economici.

Poi, come se la cosa non fosse sufficiente, tutte le grandi potenze mondiali stanno versano a piene mani benzina sul fuoco.

Per finire, come se poi ce ne fosse stato tanto bisogno, il carattere degli arabi è spesso ambiguo, le loro posizioni sempre sfumate, e con grande facilità sanno tenere il piede non in due, ma anche in quattro scarpe. Con loro, nulla potrebbe mai dirsi definitivo.

Se è vero che usualmente mantengono le parole date, sarebbe altrettanto vero ammettere che cerchino in ogni modo di eluderne gli obblighi.

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«Il Qatar aspira a entrare nell’Alleanza atlantica»

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«Il vicepremier ha precisato che il Qatar è già preparato al dispiegamento di «qualsiasi unità della Nato» sul suo territorio»

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«Le dichiarazioni arrivano a un anno dal blocco economico lanciato dal cosiddetto Quartetto (Arabia Saudita, Emirati arabi, Bahrein, Egitto).»

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«Doha ha però sempre respinto le accuse di appoggiare «gruppi terroristici», come Hamas o Hezbollah»

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«L’Arabia Saudita ha di nuovo minacciato di invadere il piccolo regno se procederà all’acquisto del sistema anti-aereo russo S-400»

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«Il Qatar resta un alleato militare chiave degli Usa»

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«Vicino a Doha c’è la base americana di Al-Udeid, la più grande in Medio Oriente, con oltre cinquemila uomini schierati e decine di cacciabombardieri»

* * * * * * *

Ad oggi non sembrerebbe essere stata presentata domanda ufficiale di adesione del Qatar alla Nato. L’idea di richiedere l’ingresso nella Nato e, contemporaneamente, quella di voler comprare sistemi S-400, sembrerebbero essere davvero conflittuali.

Ragionando sulla base dei dati ufficiali disponibile, questa iniziativa sembrerebbe rientrare più in un captatio benevolentiae che di preliminare ad una proposta formale.

Di certo, un’adesione del genere rimescolerebbe tutte le carte in Medio Oriente in modo violento, causando anche ire furibonde di altre potenze.

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→ La Stampa. 2018-06-07. Il Qatar vuole entrare nella Nato

Il Qatar aspira a entrare nell’Alleanza atlantica. La rivelazione è stata fatta da vicepremier Khaled bin Mohammad Al-Attiyah alla rivista militare «Al-Talia»: l’ambizione a medio termine è «la piena adesione alla Nato». Il vicepremier ha precisato che il Qatar è già preparato al dispiegamento di «qualsiasi unità della Nato» sul suo territorio e che la collaborazione con i Paesi che fanno parte è «ai massimi livelli». 

Le dichiarazioni arrivano a un anno dal blocco economico lanciato dal cosiddetto Quartetto (Arabia Saudita, Emirati arabi, Bahrein, Egitto). Lo scontro all’interno degli alleati occidentali nel Golfo è nato dall’appoggio del Qatar ai Fratelli musulmani e dalle sue posizioni più concilianti con l’Iran, con il quale condivide il più grande giacimento di gas al mondo. 

Doha ha però sempre respinto le accuse di appoggiare «gruppi terroristici», come Hamas o Hezbollah. Il blocco non ha finora messo in ginocchio l’economia qatarina, che l’anno scorso è cresciuta dell’1,9 per cento, in leggero rallentamento rispetto al più 2,2 per cento del 2016. Ma le tensioni restano altissime. L’Arabia Saudita ha di nuovo minacciato di invadere il piccolo regno se procederà all’acquisto del sistema anti-aereo russo S-400. Mosca ha confermato che le trattative sono in corso. 

L’affare è però poco probabile. Il Qatar resta un alleato militare chiave degli Usa. Vicino a Doha c’è la base americana di Al-Udeid, la più grande in Medio Oriente, con oltre cinquemila uomini schierati e decine di cacciabombardieri. La Turchia, altro Paese della Nato, ha aperto a sua volta una base e dispiegato un battaglione meccanizzato. Ankara è in questo momento il più stretto partner di Doha ma Washington sta premendo sugli alleati del Golfo per una riconciliazione perché in questo momento il fronte anti-Iran è indebolito. Le dichiarazioni del vicepremier si inseriscono in questa battaglia diplomatica, con il Qatar che vuole dimostrare di essere l’alleato “più affidabile” dell’Occidente sul fronte mediorientale. 

Egitto. Mursi condannato per spionaggio. Il problema della democrazia.

Giuseppe Sandro Mela.

2017-09-21.

«An Egyptian court on Saturday sentenced ousted president Mohammed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood to 25 years in prison in a final ruling over a case accusing him of spying for Qatar»

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«Mursi, democratically elected after Egypt’s 2011 revolution, was overthrown in mid-2013 by then-general Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, now the president, following mass protests against his rule. He was immediately arrested»

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«Egypt’s Court of Cassation reduced Mursi’s sentence in the Qatar case to 25 years in its final ruling, from an original 40 years»

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Il problema posto trascende però quanto successo in Egitto.

Cerchiamo di esporlo con ordine, pur nella ristrettezza degli spazi di un articolo internet.

«Mohamed Morsi born 8 August 1951 is an Egyptian politician who served as the fifth President of Egypt, from 30 June 2012 to 3 July 2013, when General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi removed Morsi from office in the 2013 Egyptian coup d’état after the June 2013 Egyptian protests.

As president, Morsi issued a temporary constitutional declaration in late November that in effect granted him unlimited powers and the power to legislate without judicial oversight or review of his acts. The new constitution that was then hastily drawn up by the Islamist-dominated constitutional assembly, presented to the president, and scheduled for a referendum, before the Supreme Constitutional Court could rule on the constitutionality of the assembly, was described by independent press agencies not aligned with the regime as an “Islamist coup”. These issues, along with complaints of prosecutions of journalists and attacks on nonviolent demonstrators, led to the 2012 Egyptian protests. As part of a compromise, Morsi rescinded the decrees. In the referendum he held on the new constitution it was approved by approximately two thirds of voters. ….

He was unseated on 3 July by a military coup council ….

The Muslim Brotherhood protested against the military coup, but the pro-Morsi protests were crushed in the August 2013 Rabaa massacre in which at least 817 civilians were killed » [Fonte]

Ricapitoliamo i punti di interesse:

– Mr Mursi era stato eletto a suffragio universale alla Presidenza dell’Egitto;

– La nuova costituzione che aveva promulgato era stata approvata con un referendum popolare da circa i due terzi degli elettori.

– Questa costituzione “granted him unlimited powers and the power to legislate without judicial oversight or review of his acts ….  was then hastily drawn up by the Islamist-dominated constitutional assembly, presented to the president, and scheduled for a referendum, before the Supreme Constitutional Court could rule on the constitutionality of the assembly”.

– Rimosso e sottoposto a processo, è stato trovato colpevole di intelligenza con una potenza estera.

* * *

Si dovrebbe prendere atto di almeno quattro eventi:

1. Mr Mursi era stato eletto dal popolo sovrano a suffragio universale;

2. La nuova costituzione era stata approvata in sede referendaria dai due terzi dei votanti;

3. La nuova costituzione legalizzava al presidente un potere non controbilanciato dagli altri poteri dello stato;

4. La sua destituzione fu attuata con un pronunciamento anche sanguinoso, ritenuto essere “democratico” perché si opponeva ad una costituzione ritenuta non essere tale.

* * *

Il nodo centrale è cosa si intenda, come si definisca, il termine abusato di “democrazia“.

Treccani fornisce questa definizione:

«Forma di governo che si basa sulla sovranità popolare e garantisce a ogni cittadino la partecipazione in piena uguaglianza all’esercizio del potere pubblico.»

Come tutte le definizioni in materia, anche questa risente dei concetti meta-giuridici ispiratori. In questa sede sarebbe sufficiente notare come la “partecipazione” sia un mezzo e non un fine. Cerchiamo di spiegarci meglio: Hitler entrò nel Bundestag a seguito di elezioni a suffragio universale, in cui tutti i cittadini erano pienamente eguali nell’esercizio del potere di voto. Ma ben difficilmente ciò che ne seguì potrebbe essere definito “democratico“. Sono i principi meta-giuridici che identificano il fine, indipendentemente dai mezzi usati per conseguirlo.

Di certo possiamo notare come questa definizione disgiunga il concetto di democrazia da quello di suffragio universale. Le grandi democrazie dell’ottocento fecero cose mirabili, quali la industrializzazione delle nazioni, la costruzione delle reti ferroviarie, l’erezione di argini ai fiumi, ed infine introdussero capillarmente l’energia elettrica: investimenti colossali di pubblico beneficio, eppure a quei tempi il voto era censuale. Forse il “pubblico beneficio” meglio avrebbe indicato il significato di democrazia, anche se la defizione dovrebbe essere ulteriormente chiarita.

Difficile quindi dare un giudizio sereno sulla costituzione varata da Mr Mursi. Non è infatti dogma di fede che potere legislativo, esecutivo e giudiziario debbano per forza di cosa essere indipendenti, sempre poi che lo possano essere. Anzi, quasi di norma, l’apparente indipendenza serve solo come scudo protettivo alla sudditanza sostanziale del potere giudiziario a quello politico, come è accaduto sotto l’Amministrazione Obama. In una nazione come gli Stati Uniti le alte cariche della giustizia sono a nomina presidenziale dietro parere favorevole del senato: la nomina è quindi politica, eppure ben difficilmente si potrebbe dire che gli Stati Uniti non siano una nazione democratica. In Germania i giudici sono di nomina governativa, tanto per rinfrescarci la memoria.

Problemi di vasta portata, sui quali sarebbe ben necessario un approfondimento più oggettivo il possibile.

Così come sarebbe altrettanto necessario un ripensamento globale sui concetti metagiuridici che improntano le giurisprudenze e le legislazioni. Il pluralismo etico genera mostri.

Da ultimo, ma non certo per ultimo, si dovrebbe anche ponderare il diritto usualmente riconosciuto al popolo di rivoltarsi contro gli abusi, anche con la forza.

Ripetiamo, problemi non da poco, ma da valutarsi con cura.

In conclusione: è impossibile dare una definizione soddisfacente di democrazia senza prima aver chiaramente stabilito un contesto metagiuridico oggettivo, non soggettivo. Di certo, se questo è ritenuto essere variabile e mutevole, il termine “democrazia” può assumere qualsiasi significato gli si voglia dare.

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→ Reuters. 2017-09-17. Egypt court sentences Mursi to 25 years in Qatar spy case

CAIRO (Reuters) – An Egyptian court on Saturday sentenced ousted president Mohammed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood to 25 years in prison in a final ruling over a case accusing him of spying for Qatar, judicial sources said.

Mursi, democratically elected after Egypt’s 2011 revolution, was overthrown in mid-2013 by then-general Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, now the president, following mass protests against his rule. He was immediately arrested.

Egypt’s Court of Cassation reduced Mursi’s sentence in the Qatar case to 25 years in its final ruling, from an original 40 years.

Mursi is already serving a 20-year sentence after being convicted for the killing of protesters during demonstrations in 2012.

Since toppling Mursi, Sisi has clamped down on dissent. Mass trials have been held for thousands of Muslim Brotherhood supporters, and hundreds have received death sentences or lengthy prison terms.

In 2014, Egypt charged Mursi and nine others with endangering national security by leaking state secrets and sensitive documents to Qatar. Egypt’s relations with Doha were already troubled by Qatar’s backing of Mursi.

Egypt is one of four Arab nations in a Saudi-led bloc that cut relations with the Gulf state on June 5, accusing it of backing militant groups and cooperating with their arch-foe Iran, allegations Doha denies.

Sanzioni. Esportazioni Iran verso il Qatar aumentate del 60%.

Giuseppe Sandro Mela.

2017-09-02.

«Lo scorso 23 giugno le autorità del Kuwait, che svolgono un ruolo di mediazione, hanno consegnato al Qatar una lista di 13 richieste presentate dai paesi del Golfo per porre fine alla crisi»

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«Tra le richieste, che dovevano essere soddisfatte da Doha entro 10 giorni (con scadenza il 3 luglio), vi erano la chiusura dell’emittente televisiva “al Jazeera” e la fine dei rapporti con l’Iran»

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«Una terza richiesta riguardava la chiusura della base militare turca in Qatar e la fine della cooperazione tra Ankara e Doha»

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«Lo scorso 5 giugno i quattro paesi arabi e del Golfo hanno annunciato la rottura dei rapporti diplomatici con Doha, ritirando i propri ambasciatori»

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«L’Iran ha incrementato di circa il 60 per cento le esportazioni di prodotti non petroliferi verso il Qatar nei primi cinque mesi del corrente anno persiano (dal 21 marzo al 21 agosto), rispetto allo stesso periodo di riferimento dell’anno precedente»

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Annunciare prese di posizioni drastiche, quali per esempio l’imposizione di sanzioni, ha un senso logico solo ed esclusivamente se si sia poi in grado di mantenere ciò che è stato annunciato.

Senza una netta preponderanza economica e finanziaria, le sanzioni altro non fanno che spingere lo stato sanzionato a rafforzare i propri legami politici, militari ed economici con quanti si siano dimostrati essere amici.

Questo discorso vale sia per le sanzioni poste dall’Unione Europea alla Russia, sia per quelle dei paesi del Golfo contro il Qatar. Si sono rivelate essere inutile, se non anche dannose.

Solo le vie diplomatiche producono frutti.

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→ Agenzia Nova. 2017-08-28. Iran-Qatar: esportazioni prodotti non petroliferi verso Doha in aumento del 60 per cento.

L’Iran ha incrementato di circa il 60 per cento le esportazioni di prodotti non petroliferi verso il Qatar nei primi cinque mesi del corrente anno persiano (dal 21 marzo al 21 agosto), rispetto allo stesso periodo di riferimento dell’anno precedente. Lo rivelano i dai dell’Agenzia delle dogane, secondo quanto riporta oggi l’agenzia stampa iraniana “Fars News”. L’Iran ha esportato verso il Qatar nel corso dei primi cinque mesi dell’anno persiano 737.500 tonnellate di merci del settore non petrolifero, pari ad un valore di 67,5 milioni di dollari. Le esportazioni verso il Qatar hanno registrato una crescita del 30,8 per cento e del 60,57 per cento rispettivamente in termini di volume e valore rispetto allo stesso periodo del precedente anno fiscale. Le imprese iraniane, specialmente quelle del settore alimentare, si sono impegnate ad espandere i legami con il Qatar in seguito alla crisi diplomatica fra Doha ed i paesi del Quartetto arabo (Arabia Saudita, Bahrein, Emirati Arabi Uniti ed Egitto) proclamata lo scorso 5 giugno. I dati dell’amministrazione doganale iraniana mostrano, inoltre, che nel mese di agosto sono stati esportati prodotti pari ad un valore di circa 24,6 milioni di dollari, mentre nel mese precedente la cifra si è aggirati sui 20 milioni di dollari circa.

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→ Agenzia Nova. 2017-08-28. Iran-Qatar: fonti stampa, ambasciatore di Doha riprende sue funzioni a Teheran.

Lo scorso 23 giugno le autorità del Kuwait, che svolgono un ruolo di mediazione, hanno consegnato al Qatar una lista di 13 richieste presentate dai paesi del Golfo per porre fine alla crisi. Tra le richieste, che dovevano essere soddisfatte da Doha entro 10 giorni (con scadenza il 3 luglio), vi erano la chiusura dell’emittente televisiva “al Jazeera” e la fine dei rapporti con l’Iran. Una terza richiesta riguardava la chiusura della base militare turca in Qatar e la fine della cooperazione tra Ankara e Doha. Le autorità del Qatar avevano subito fatto sapere di ritenere “irragionevoli” e “ostili” alla sovranità nazionale le 13 richieste. La crisi che sta coinvolgendo il Qatar e gli altri paesi della regione potrebbe durare a lungo con gravi rischi, non solo sul piano diplomatico ed economico.

Qatar finanzierebbe gli estremisti in Catalogna. – Al Arabiya

Giuseppe Sandro Mela.

2018-08-30.

Chi mai se lo sarebbe potuto immaginare?

Ecco cosa riporta Al Arabiya.

«Qatar financed centers of Islamic worship and mosques in Spain, particularly in the province of Catalonia, where the terrorist attacks happened»

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«Doha supports the places of worship there through wealthy businessmen, which lead to the growth of the phenomenon of extremism in Spain»

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«The Barcelona attack, which was adopted by ISIS organization, recalls to mind earlier discussions related to the funding of mosques frequented by extremists in Europe and its relation to terrorist attacks that claimed innocent lives»

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«funds coming from abroad, especially from Doha to centers of worship in Spain in Catalonia, which became, according to the newspaper, a stronghold of extremism and terrorism»

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«Spain has more than 1,260 Islamic worship centers, of which 256 are in Catalonia alone, where the highest numbers of immigrants live»

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Mantenere 1,260 centri di aggregazione islamica non è spesa da poco e la loro concentrazione di 256 centri in Catalogna desterebbe qualche sospetto, tenendo conto che lì risiede solo il 7% dei due milioni e mezzo di islamici che vivono in Spagna.

D’altra parte la resa, ossia il numero di potenziali terroristi da utilizzare poi per attentati è scarna: alla fine si recluta solo un terrorista ogni centomila mussulmani contattati: non sono in molti quelli che nutrono ambizioni suicide e, soprattutto, dopo l’azione non sono più riutilizzabili.

Significativi i titoli dei media spagnoli.

Cataluña, nido del salafismo radical

«Más de ochenta de los cien centros de culto vinculados al yihadismo en España operan en esta comunidad. Empresarios de Qatar financian el adoctrinamiento en sus mezquitas, que aumentan año tras año»

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La expansión del salafismo en Cataluña

El 70% de los autores de ataques en Europa llegan de Marruecos

Podemos no contempla firmar el pacto antiyihadista

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Ufficialmente il Qatar dovrebbe essere wahhabita, quasi la stessa setta dell’Arabia Saudita.

La religione ufficiale del regno arabo saudita è l’Islam sunnita, nella sua versione giuridico-teologica del Wahhabismo neo-hanbalita.

Si noti però come l’articolista di Al Arabiya ben si guardi dal’entrare nell’aspetto della differenza religiosa tra Arabia Saudita e Qatar. Usa solo i termini di “extremism and terrorism“.

Molto più velenosi i titoli dei giornali spagnoli, scritti da un qualcuno ben addentro alle beghe religiose e dinastiche mediorientali.

«salafismo radical»

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«La salafiyya (in arabo: ﺳﻠﻔﻴـة‎), o salafismo, è una scuola di pensiero sunnita che prende il nome dal termine arabo salaf al-ṣaliḥīn (“i pii antenati”) che identifica le prime tre generazioni di musulmani (VII-VIII secolo): i Ṣaḥābi (i “Compagni” di Maometto), i Tābiʿūn (i “Seguaci”, la generazione successiva a quella del Profeta) e i Tābiʿ al-Tābiʿiyyīn (“Coloro che vengono dopo i seguaci”, la terza generazione), tutti considerati dai salafiti modelli esemplari di virtù religiosa.

Punti di riferimento nella storia dei movimenti salafiti sono tre autori e studiosi della Sunna a cui è comunemente attribuito il titolo onorifico di “Shaykh al-Islam”: Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal (780-855), Ibn Taymiyya (1263–1328) e Muḥammad b. ʿAbd al-Wahhāb (1703-1792) ….

Il termine salafismo …. rappresentava di fatto un sinonimo del Wahhabismo.» [Fonte]

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Qui arriviamo al nocciolo duro: sinonimo, ma non troppo.

«La famiglia Saʿūd e quella di ʿAbd al-Wahhāb, grazie a una precisa politica matrimoniale, hanno finito per imparentarsi più volte nel corso degli anni, e fino a oggi in Arabia Saudita il ministro degli Affari Religiosi è sempre un membro del famiglia Āl al-Shaykh (cioè un discendente di Muḥammad b. ʿAbd al-Wahhāb).» [Fonte]

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Già.

Il potere del Ministero per gli Affari Religiosi in Arabia Saudita è uno stato nello stato, è appannaggio di una Tribù alleata ma diversa da quella dei Saud.

Ma anche Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emiro del Qatar, ed Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani, primo ministro del Qatar dicono che avrebbero un’ascendenza imparentata con la Tribù Āl al-Shaykh. Sai che gioia per i Saud!

In conclusione.

Tra Arabia Saudita e Qatar si potrebbe dire che non scorra buon sangue.

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→ Al Arabiya. 2017-08-23. Spanish newspaper: Qatar financed extremism in Catalonia

A Spanish newspaper revealed that Qatar financed centers of Islamic worship and mosques in Spain, particularly in the province of Catalonia, where the terrorist attacks happened.

The newspaper said in its report that Doha supports the places of worship there through wealthy businessmen, which lead to the growth of the phenomenon of extremism in Spain.

The Barcelona attack, which was adopted by ISIS organization, recalls to mind earlier discussions related to the funding of mosques frequented by extremists in Europe and its relation to terrorist attacks that claimed innocent lives.

A report published in the Spanish newspaper “La Razón” exposed the funds coming from abroad, especially from Doha to centers of worship in Spain in Catalonia, which became, according to the newspaper, a stronghold of extremism and terrorism.

Islamic centers and mosques have been under Spanish security control for years since it started receiving funding from Qatar through wealthy businessmen, the report said.

The data indicate that seven percent of Muslims in Spain, estimated at two and a half million people are based in Catalonia.

Spain has more than 1,260 Islamic worship centers, of which 256 are in Catalonia alone, where the highest numbers of immigrants live.

Intesa San Paolo nei triboli per il prestito a Rosneft.

Giuseppe Sandro Mela.

2017-08-27.

Il problema dovrebbe essere noto.

Rosneft. Роснефть. Chi la possiede e chi la comanda.

Germania. L’ex-cancelliere Spd Schröder nel board della russa Rosneft.

Cina. Quanzhou. I Brics decidono cosa farsene dell’Occidente.

Erdogan. Turki in Germania non votate Frau Merkel.

Giovanni P. Dieselgate. Braccio di ferro Usa – Germania. L’Italia latita.

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Rosneft, Intesa Sanpaolo in prima fila. Maxi-prestito a Glencore e Qatar

«Il consorzio internazionale acquisisce il 19,5% del colosso energetico russo. Dal gruppo italiano fino a 5,2 miliardi. L’interesse dei gruppi internazionali.

Intesa Sanpaolo ha vinto la partita: supporta con un finanziamento fino a un massimo di 5,2 miliardi di euro il consorzio formato da Glencore, leader mondiale nell’attività di produzione e trading di materie prime, e dal Fondo sovrano del Qatar (Qia) per l’acquisizione del 19,5% del capitale di Rosneft. Valore complessivo dell’operazione 10,2 miliardi di euro.»

*

«Glencore couldn’t come up with its half of the Capital by the way, so a Russian Bank floated it a “bridge loan”, until the Italian Bank could approve the Glencore loan — in spite of the Sanctions on the “collateral”»

*

Bene. Banca Intesa San Paolo ha dovuto chiedere il permesso alla Banca Centrale per erogare il prestito alla Rosneft, che è colpita sia dalle sanzioni generiche sia da quelle specifiche ad personam. In poche parole: fare un prestito a quella società è uno dei peggiori reati configurabili all’interno dell’Unione Europea.

Ma omnia munda mundis, dice la Europa Unita: se il prestito fa bene alla Germania è cosa buona, giusta e salutare. Ma questo vale solo nell’Unione Europea.

Non è vero che siano due pesi e due misure: la presenza tedesca santificherebbe anche satanasso in persona. Ma gli altri cosa ne pensano. Quanto vale Frau Merkel?

*

Ma l’Eurozona è solo un decimo dell’economica mondiale. E l’Italia è un settimo dell’economia europea.

Fuori dall’Unione Europea c’è il mastino che morde.

«Italian bank Intesa Sanpaolo has encountered problems syndicating a loan to Glencore and Qatar’s wealth fund to finance their purchase of a stake in the Kremlin-controlled oil major Rosneft because of new U.S. sanctions against Russia»

*

«Four banking sources told Reuters that Western banks including from the United States and France have so far put on hold their participation in the syndication of the 5.2 billion euro ($6.13 billion) loan that Intesa provided last year»

*

«Intesa (ISP.MI) invited about 15 banks to join the loan when it opened the syndication in May»

*

«The banking sources said their compliance departments needed to understand the new sanctions»

*

«they are wary of damaging their relations with Saudi Arabia and the other three Gulf nations embroiled in the dispute.»

*

«the syndication was complicated by a political stand-off between Qatar and Saudi Arabia»

* * * * * * * *

Ricapitoliamo.

– Prendiamo atto che Banca Intesa San Paolo non è in grado di erogare un prestito di 5.2 miliardi di euro, cifra miserrima per una banca.

– Prendiamo atto che le altre banche a livello mondiale si siano rifiutata di partecipare in compagnia di Banca Intesa San Paolo in un’operazione illegale, perché viola le sanzioni contro la Russia.

– Prendiamo atto come due paesi relativamente piccoli, quali l’Arabia Saudita ed il Qatar, possano condizionare l’operato di una banca dell’Unione Europea, infischiandosene palesemente degli interessi tedeschi e di Frau Merkel.

– Prendiamo infine atto che a Mr Trump basta fare una leggina piccola piccola a Washington per bloccare l’Unione Europea.

*

A questo punto verrebbe da chiedersi: ma Frau Merkel chi mai crede di essere?

Nota.

Non si sa dove sia e cosa stia facendo il Governo italiano.

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→ Reuters. 2017-08-26. Exclusive: Russia sanctions disrupt Italian bank’s 5 billion euro loan deal

LONDON/MILAN (Reuters) – Italian bank Intesa Sanpaolo has encountered problems syndicating a loan to Glencore and Qatar’s wealth fund to finance their purchase of a stake in the Kremlin-controlled oil major Rosneft because of new U.S. sanctions against Russia.

Four banking sources told Reuters that Western banks including from the United States and France have so far put on hold their participation in the syndication of the 5.2 billion euro ($6.13 billion) loan that Intesa provided last year.

Intesa (ISP.MI) invited about 15 banks to join the loan when it opened the syndication in May. A loan of this size would normally take between four and six weeks to syndicate, though deals involving emerging markets can sometimes take a few weeks longer.

The banking sources said their compliance departments needed to understand the new sanctions.

They also said the syndication was complicated by a political stand-off between Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Banks are taking a more cautious approach to deals involving Qatar as they are wary of damaging their relations with Saudi Arabia and the other three Gulf nations embroiled in the dispute.

“The syndication is stuck because of new U.S. sanctions on Russia. The new sanctions are so wide-reaching that they will surely impact all similar deals involving Russian state firms,” said a London-based source with a large Western bank invited by Intesa to participate in the syndication.

Intesa, Italy’s largest retail bank, declined to comment. The banking sources did not want themselves or their banks to be named because they were not cleared to speak about the deal and because talks between Intesa and the banks about the syndication are confidential.

Cantieri Navali. L’Italia tira a Mr Macron e Frau Merkel un calcio nei denti.

Giuseppe Sandro Mela.

2017-08-13.

L’argomento è delicato quanto pruriginoso ed importante. Capendolo si comprendono i triboli tedeschi e soprattutto francesi, nonchè molte dinamiche interne la così detta Unione Europea.

La lettura dei link e degli allegati è indispensabile per comprendere l’articolo.

---

*

Per un certo quale lasso di tempo Mr Macron è diventato l’idolo di moda della sinistra liberal europea.

In Francia Mr Hollande era riuscito nell’improba fatica di disintegrare il partito socialista riducendolo dal 61% all’8%, ma a quel punto erano scese direttamente in campo la massoneria francese e la Banca Rothschild, presentando il proprio candidato alla Presidenza francese: Emmanuel Macron.

Grand Orient de France. 2017-04-13. Sept Obédiences maçonniques lancent un Appel Républicain pour les élections présidentielles – 13 avril 2017.

Quasi onnipotenti quando l’Occidente negli anni sessanta costituiva il 90% del pil mondiale, sempre potenti, ma decisamente ridimensionati, oggi che l’Occidente conta poco più del 40% del pil mondiale e, soprattutto, evidenzia una grossolana frattura tra Usa ed Europa di Mr Macron e Frau Merkel.

*

Macron sarebbe il candidato della Lobby Rothschild e di quella Gay.

Macron laughs off widespread rumours of sexual affair with French radio boss

Lettera aperta di Emmanuel Macron.

*

Francia. Voto presidenziali 2017 per Regione.

Macron denatura la Lione – Torino. Se poi la si finirà di costruire.

Macron & Merkel Masonry Ldt. Iniziano le grandi manovre.

L’enigma della bega Macron – Pierre de Villiers.

*

Macron. L’indice Ifop di popolarità è crollato di 10 punti.

Macron. I francesi si scoprono xenofobi e razzisti. Troppi immigrati incompatibili.

Macron nazionalizza la Stx di Saint-Nazaire. Alla faccia di EU e dell’Italia.

Macron. Affarucci in barba a sanzioni, ‘clima’ e diritti umani. Gli affari francesi sono sacri.

* * *

Il Qatar è il più grande esportatore di gas naturale liquefatto (LNG), e rifornisce di gas naturale tutta la penisola araba. Grande finanziatore del terrorismo islamico in Medio Oriente ed in Europa, è paese amico di chiunque gli permetta di fare buoni affari. Esiste, è forte e potente: sarebbe impossibile non tenerne conto.

«United Arab Emirates — Qatar on Wednesday signed a €5 billion euro (U.S. $5.9 billion) deal to purchase seven naval vessels from Italy»

*

«despite a blockade from neighboring countries»

*

«Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani announced the defense deal at a joint news conference in Doha with Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano»

*

«Qatar, which is the world’s largest liquefied natural gas exporter, and other energy rich Gulf Arab states are among the world’s biggest spenders on military equipment»

*

«Qatar also hosts the hub for U.S.-led operations against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria»

* * * * * * *

La posizione del Qatar è quella tipica di ogni paese arabo: tiene il piede in un buon numero di scarpe nella concreta speranza di guadagnarci su qualcosa. Gli arabi sono persone pratiche. Gli Occidentali, specie europei, stentano a comprendere che l’islam è politica, non religione.

Se il Qatar ospita comandi e truppe americane impegnate nella lotta contro il terrorismo in Medio Oriente, nel contempo finanzia in modo sostanzioso i terroristi stessi. È lavoro che genera lavoro. Accettato dalla Realpolitk, è avversato dagli ideologi.

Se è vero che

Trump: Qatar must stop funding terrorism

è altrettanto vero che

Qatar agrees to combat terrorism financing under deal with U.S.

Ma sia Mr Trump sia Mr Tillerson sanno anche che:

Deutsche Bank. Il Qatar mira al 25%. HBJ.

Deutsche Bank. Asset azionario e terrorismo. I proprietari.

Washington. Altro scandalo in casa democratica. Deborah Wasserman Schultz.

Trump ed Arabia Saudita. Quando la Realpolitik vale 100 miliardi cash.

*

L’Unione Europea non intrattiene buoni rapporti con gli stati del Medio Oriente.

Can Merkel press Saudi authorities on women’s rights?

Saudi Arabia ‘wants no more German weapons’: report

Merkel. Una gran brutta figuraccia in Arabia Saudita.

Merkel. Dopo l’Arabia, adesso ci ha ritentato con Mr Putin.

*

In buona sostanza l’Europa, recependo le istanze di Frau Merkel, aveva posto come conditio sine qua non per fornire armamenti ai Paesi del Medio Oriente. LEuropa voleva anche la loro completa accettazione dei ‘valori‘ patrocinati dalla Bundeskanzlerin e del così detto ‘buon governo‘, così come esso è definito dai liberals. In parole povere, i tedeschi e l’Unione gradirebbero che gli arabi si convertissero all’lgbt, diventassero femministi, indicessero elezioni ed eleggessero governanti tedeschi oppure si dimettessero in massa e si facessero sostituire da femmine educate in Europa alla scuola liberal. Questa la loro risposta:

«We will not cause any more problems for the German government with new requests for weapons»

*

Mr Macron aveva mosso Cielo, terra ed inferi per avere questa commissione del Qatar per i cantieri Stx. Ma non ce la ha fatta. Non gliela hanno voluta dare. Adesso dovrebbe essere evidente che la potenza reale di Mr Macron e dei suoi mandanti è stata ampiamente sopravalutata.

E poi. Chi mai si potrebbe fidare di Mr Macron?

Nota sarcastica.

A nessuno è sfuggito come l’intero progetto sia finanziato da Deutsche Bank, in passato di proprietà tedesca. Così i sudditi di Frau Merkel avranno il privilegio di finanziare un progetto da cui la Bundeskanzlerin si è auto esclusa per difendere la propria Weltanschauung, trascinando Mr Macron con lei.

Confermare Mr Macron e Frau Merkel nelle loro rispettive fedi ideologiche è stato un capolavoro psicologico di Mr Tillerson, potentemente aiutato da Mr Putin. I superbi alla fine credono sia vero quanto dicono loro gli adulatori.

---

→ Defense News. 2017-08-02. Qatar and Italy sign a nearly $6B deal for naval vessels

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Qatar on Wednesday signed a €5 billion euro (U.S. $5.9 billion) deal to purchase seven naval vessels from Italy, a reminder of the small Gulf state’s purchasing power despite a blockade from neighboring countries.

Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani announced the defense deal at a joint news conference in Doha with Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano. They did not provide more details on the deal, saying only that it underscored the countries’ ongoing defense cooperation.

Qatar, which is the world’s largest liquefied natural gas exporter, and other energy rich Gulf Arab states are among the world’s biggest spenders on military equipment. The deals signed over the years with the U.S. and European allies have helped cement bilateral ties, but have also made the diplomatic fallout around Qatar all the more politically sensitive. Qatar also hosts the hub for U.S.-led operations against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.

The dispute erupted in early June when the four countries of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain cut diplomatic ties and transport links with Qatar. Saudi Arabia also sealed shut Qatar’s only land border, impacting a significant source of food imports, and barred it from using its airspace, which has forced Qatar’s flagship carrier to take longer routes over Iran.

The crisis has prompted a flurry of international visits and meetings to try and resolve the crisis.

Earlier this week, the quartet said they would be open to dialogue with Qatar if it accepts their demands to change its policies in the region first. They also insisted that Qatar comply with a sweeping list of 13 demands as well as six broader principles that center around cracking down on terrorism financing.

In remarks at the news conference Wednesday, Al Thani insisted that any talks respect Qatar’s sovereignty and said his country has never put forth conditions for dialogue. He also appeared to dismiss the quartet’s latest comments that Qatar comply with their demands.

---

→ Quwa. 2017-08-03. Qatar inks $5.9 billion U.S. naval warship deal with Italy’s Fincantieri

The Qatari government has inked a $5.9 billion U.S. deal with its Italian counterpart for four corvettes, an amphibious landing platform dock (LPD) and two offshore patrol vessels.

Qatar had negotiated the purchase in June 2016. Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri is the principal shipbuilder, but Qatar’s ships will also be equipped with electronics and armaments from Leonardo and MBDA, respectively. The latter two firms are to receive a $1.13 billion contract to fit the new ships. The complete naval program also includes 15 years of after-sale maintenance and support work.

Notes & Comments:

Like Qatar Emiri Army and Qatari Emiri Air Force, the Qatari Emiri Naval Forces (QENF)’s modernization-track is steered towards both qualitative improvements as well as capability and quantitative expansion. The QENF’s present fleet comprises of fast attack craft and patrol boats meant for guarding its littoral seas and policing its exclusive economic zone. However, its future fleet will not only augment its patrol force (through two new OPVs), the four corvettes will provide a vastly changed warfighting capability.

Qatar’s forthcoming corvettes will be multi-mission combatants capable of anti-ship warfare (AShW), anti-air warfare (AAW) and anti-submarine warfare (ASW). With a hull length of over 100 metres, Doha intends to configure the corvettes with (likely) a Leonardo KRONOS (Naval or Grand Naval) active electronically-scanned array (AESA) radar paired with the MBDA Aster 30 Block-1 long-range surface-to-air missile (SAM), which has a range of in-excess of 100 km. Qatar is also procuring MICA-VL short-range SAMs which offer a range of 20 km, potentially to augment the Aster 30s on the corvettes and/or to equip the OPVs. The AShW element will center on the 180 km-range Exocet MM40 Block-3 anti-ship missiles (AShM).

The LPD is expected to be a variant of the 9,000-ton LPD Fincantieri had built for the Algerian Navy, the Kalaat Beni-Abbes. The Kalaat Beni-Abbes has a crew of 160 and can ferry 400 soldiers, 15 main battle tanks or 30 light-armoured vehicles with three medium-weight utility helicopters on its flight deck. This LPD will provide Qatar with an expeditionary element that it can apply for humanitarian and disaster relief and coalition support missions.

Deutsche Bank. Asset azionario e terrorismo. I proprietari.

Giuseppe Sandro Mela.

2017-07-20.

«L’Occidente negli anni sessanta rendeva conto di più del 90% del pil mondiale, ma oggi arriva a stento a superare il 40%. Ed è anche fortemente diviso. Le forze che erano predominanti un tempo in Occidente, seguono il suo destino e quindi valgono sempre meno anche esse. Non che i Rothschild oppure i Rockefeller non contino più nulla: sono però severamente ridimensionati, relegati in secondo piano, rispetto al passato.»

*

HBJ, Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani

«He was the Prime Minister of Qatar from 3 April 2007 to 26 June 2013, and foreign minister from 11 January 1992 to 26 June 2013. … Jabr was a younger brother of Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, the founding father of the modern Qatar» [Fonte]

*

Negli ultimi anni Deutsche Bank è entrata nel novero delle banche chiacchierate e chiacchierabili.

Deutsche Bank. Il Qatar mira al 25%. HBJ

Deutsche Bank. Mai mettere i tedeschi spalle al muro.

Guerra civile americana. Liberals democratici e Deutsche Bank.

*

«Qatari and allied investors are considering bolstering Deutsche Bank with fresh capital by taking a stake of 25 percent in Germany’s biggest lender»

«In June 2014, HBJ acquired 80% of Heritage Oil, which was listed as a London exploration and production company»

*

«It was reported that HBJ bought Banque Internationale à Luxembourg and KBL European Private Bankers via Precision Capital, making one of the largest banking groups in Luxembourg»

*

«Now, investors from Qatar, who already own some 10 percent of Deutsche Bank, are considering taking control»

*

«A partner who explicitly supported Jain’s strategy of establishing the company as the last globally important European investment bank»

*

«HBJ cousins are considering propping up the bank with a fresh capital infusion and purchasing a blocking stake of 25 percent together with other investors».

*

«Qatari and allied investors are considering bolstering Deutsche Bank with fresh capital by taking a stake of 25 percent in Germany’s biggest lender»

* * * * * * *

«Nel mirino della Bce c’è la Deutsche Bank: tre dei suoi azionisti, uno cinese e due del Qatar, avrebbero ormai grande influenza sul colosso del credito tedesco e allarmano i supervisori di Francoforte. A rivelarlo è il quotidiano tedesco Sueddeutsche Zeitung, in un articolo dal titolo «Da dove vengono i soldi», pubblicato nell’edizione di lunedì. Il giornale riferisce che la cinese Hna, un agglomerato industriale della provincia del sud di Hainan, la cui proprietà «non è trasparente», ha aumentato in primavera la sua quota di partecipazione nella banca tedesca al 9,9% e che quote altrettanto alte sono detenute da due sceicchi della famiglia regnante del Qatar. Un Paese sospettato, come noto, di sostenere determinati gruppi terroristici, ricorda il giornale.» [Fonte]

*

Usualmente l’Ecb avvia accertamenti quando una persona fisica o giuridica passa il 10% dell’azionariato. Ma molti fanno osservare che il 9.9% non differisce poi molto dal 10%. Inoltre, diversi azionisti intimamente collegati possono alla fine condizionare ed anche pesantemente l’attività bancaria.

Alcune considerazioni.

– Deutsche Bank è una banca con sede in Germania, ma di fatto a governo straniero. Con tutte le conseguenze.

– Il Qatar è un paese molto chiacchierato: sono in molti a ritenerlo il collettore dei fondi destinati a fomentare la guerriglia nel Medio oriente. Che poi detti fondi siano stati raccolti tra una congerie di stati, alcuni dei quali insospettabili, è tutto un altro paio di maniche.

– Circa gli altri investitori, l’azionariato che li sottende e ben poco chiaro: bene fa quindi l’Ecb ad indagare.

– Ci si domanda soltanto per quale motivo Ecb si sia attivata soltanto adesso.

---

→ Reuters. 2017-07-16. ECB considers special assessment of Deutsche Bank shareholders: paper

FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Europe’s top banking regulator, the European Central Bank (ECB), is considering carrying out a special assessment of Deutsche Bank’s (DBKGn.DE) two largest shareholders, a German paper reported on Sunday, citing regulatory sources.

The ECB may launch so-called ownership control procedures to scrutinize both the Qatari royal family and China’s HNA (0521.HK), which each own just under 10 percent of the shares of Germany’s flagship lender, Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported in a prereleased version of its Monday edition.

The ECB and Deutsche Bank declined to comment.

The aim of a such an assessment is to establish whether an investor is trustworthy and financially sound, where the money used for the investment came from, and whether the investor engages in any criminal dealings such as money laundering or terrorist financing.

Normally it is only carried out if a shareholder holds more than 10 percent.

The ECB is, however, for the first time considering using a possible exemption to the rule, which it can activate if it establishes that both Qatar and HNA exert significant influence on the bank despite owning a stake of less than 10 percent, the paper said.

Qatar, which has been a Deutsche Bank shareholder since 2014, and HNA, which acquired its stake this year, have each been granted a Deutsche Bank board seat.

Due to the generally low number of shareholders showing up at annual general meetings the two investors can factually block important decisions.

“It looks like both will be treated as if they held more than 10 percent,” a source told the paper, which also reported that HNA’s investment in Deutsche Bank shares prompted the ECB’s move.

Last week, Germany became the first European Union country to tighten its rules on foreign corporate takeovers, following a series of Chinese deals giving access to Western technology and expertise.

---

→ Reuters. 2017-07-16.: ECB eyes review of Deutsche Bank shareholders source

FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Europe’s top banking regulator, the European Central Bank (ECB), is considering carrying out a review of Deutsche Bank’s (DBKGn.DE) two largest shareholders, a regulatory source said on Monday.

The ECB may launch so-called ownership-control procedures to scrutinize Qatar’s royal family and China’s HNA (0521.HK), which each owns just under 10 percent of Germany’s flagship lender.

“That the ECB is investigating or considering to investigate the shareholdings is indeed accurate,” said the person, speaking on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorised to speak publicly about a review that is ongoing.

News of the possible review was first reported by the Sueddeutsche Zeitung on Sunday.

The ECB, Deutsche Bank and HNA declined to comment. A spokesman for the office of Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr al-Thani in Qatar was not immediately available to comment.

The German finance ministry said it had taken notice of reports of the possible review but declined further comment.

The motivation for a review remains unclear. Generally such an assessment aims to establish whether an investor is trustworthy and financially sound, determine the source of investment funds and find out whether an investor engages in any criminal dealings such as money-laundering or terrorism financing.

“The approval process aims to ensure that only suitable shareholders enter the banking system in order to prevent any disruptions to the smooth functioning of the banking system,” the ECB’s website says.

Normally, the review takes place once a holding reaches 10 percent of shares or voting rights. But it may also take place if there is “significant influence over the management of the bank”, the ECB’s website says.

Both Qatar and HNA have been granted a seat on the Deutsche Bank board.

HNA, which has been on a global shopping spree in past years, began acquiring its Deutsche stake this year in multiple steps, saying the bank’s shares were “substantially undervalued and are an attractive investment”, according to an SEC filing.

The purchase was financed by UBS and the holding is in a special fund managed by the Austrian asset manager C-Quadrat. Quadrat chief Alexander Schuetz sits on the Deutsche Bank board.

A spokesman for C-Quadrat said the asset manager was unaware of any possible review by the ECB.

Qatar’s royal family built up its stake first in 2014 during a capital increase. Lawyer Stefan Simon represents Qatar on the board.

Qatar is under political and economic pressure, with neighbors including Saudi Arabia accusing it of terror financing and cosying up to Iran, a nation other Gulf Arab states have long viewed with suspicion.

Deutsche Bank sees the HNA and Qatari stakes as a vote of confidence that should encourage other investors, big and small.

In May, German regulator BaFin welcomed the HNA investment. “We believe it is fundamentally positive that capital is being invested in German banks. This of course includes foreign capital and of course Chinese capital,” BaFin President Felix Hufeld said at the time.

A negative outcome of a review could result in the ECB prohibiting the shareholder from exercising its voting rights.

The process underway does not indicate any wrongdoing, though it does come at an awkward time for Germany’s largest lender.

Deutsche Bank is grappling with a strategic turnaround, an uncertain global economy and the impact of Britain’s departure from the European Union.

In addition, the bank is recovering from multiple legal battles and has paid billions in fines and settlements for cases ranging from its role in marketing of U.S. mortgage-backed securities to a so-called “mirror trading” scheme that could be used for money laundering.

Now that light is at the end of the tunnel on the legal front, scrutiny of Deutsche Bank’s customers and investors is casting an additional shadow in the bank’s reputation.

Recently, some Democratic members of the U.S. Congress have renewed efforts to find possible links between banks such as Deutsche Bank, U.S. President Donald Trump and Russia, as they look for evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia in the 2016 U.S. election campaign.

Deutsche Bank is one of Trump’s largest lenders, according to regulatory filings, but the bank has declined Democrats’ demands to provide records of its client, citing privacy concerns. Trump and the Kremlin have denied any collusion in the election.

Deutsche Bank. Il Qatar mira al 25%. HBJ.

Giuseppe Sandro Mela.

2016-10-08.

 

Gli articoli allegati fanno parte integrante del testo. Senza averli letti con cura sarebbe impossibile capire questo articolo. Questa è la seconda parte. Qui la prima:

Deutsche Bank. Mai mettere i tedeschi spalle al muro. 2016-10-07

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Deutsche Bank è una banca nominalmente tedesca, ma nei fatti è una vera e propria multinazionale del credito. Non è una realtà solo tedesca, né solo europea.

Non saperla o volerla comprendere sotto questa ottica porterebbe invariabilmente a giudizi errati.

Non solo.

L’Occidente negli anni sessanta rendeva conto di più del 90% del pil mondiale, ma oggi arriva a stento a superare il 40%. Ed è anche fortemente diviso. Le forze che erano predominanti un tempo in Occidente, seguono il suo destino e quindi valgono sempre meno anche esse. Non che i Rothschild oppure i Rockefeller non contino più nulla: sono però severamente ridimensionati, relegati in secondo piano.

Non solo, ma una cosa era Mayer Amschel Rothschild, il banchiere del Langravio del Hesse-Kassel, ed una totalmente differente i suoi pronipoti: la teoria dell’evoluzione è chiaramente disconosciuta. Si sono involuti, non evoluti.

*

Il cuore del problema è questo:

«Qatari and allied investors are considering bolstering Deutsche Bank with fresh capital by taking a stake of 25 percent in Germany’s biggest lender»

Si rimane attoniti e stravolti dal fatto che la gente, anche alcuni abbastanza colti, non riescano a comprendere come siano mutati i tempi. Gli arabi del Qatar sono gli attori di questo dramma.

L’Occidente sta tramontando: si sta suicidando. Si sta estinguendo, e non solo fisicamente.

*

«In June 2014, HBJ acquired 80% of Heritage Oil, which was listed as a London exploration and production company»

*

«It was reported that HBJ bought Banque Internationale à Luxembourg and KBL European Private Bankers via Precision Capital, making one of the largest banking groups in Luxembourg»

*

«Now, investors from Qatar, who already own some 10 percent of Deutsche Bank, are considering taking control»

*

«A partner who explicitly supported Jain’s strategy of establishing the company as the last globally important European investment bank»

*

«HBJ cousins are considering propping up the bank with a fresh capital infusion and purchasing a blocking stake of 25 percent together with other investors».

*

«Qatari and allied investors are considering bolstering Deutsche Bank with fresh capital by taking a stake of 25 percent in Germany’s biggest lender»

* * * * * * *

Adesso la situazione dovrebbe essere alquanto più chiara e spiegare anche la violenta reazione tedesca.

Deutsche Bank. Mai mettere i tedeschi spalle al muro. 2016-10-07

Ma gli altri azionisti, cosa vorranno fare?

Il problema non è tanto la situazione finanziaria ed economica di Deutsche Bank, quanto piuttosto chi la controlla e la controllerà.

 «The key question as to the future of Deutsche Bank is what the sheikh wants to do with it»

---

→ Reuters. 2016-10-07. Qatar mulls raising stake in Deutsche Bank to 25 percent

Qatari and allied investors are considering bolstering Deutsche Bank with fresh capital by taking a stake of 25 percent in Germany’s biggest lender, Der Spiegel magazine reported on Friday.

Der Spiegel, without citing sources, said Qatar’s former Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani (HBJ) and Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani were weighing the move with the backing of sovereign wealth funds willing to become long-term investors.

Earlier, sources familiar with Qatari investment policy told Reuters the Qatari investors – who currently own just under 10 percent of Deutsche Bank – do not plan to sell their shares and could consider buying more if the embattled German bank decides to raise capital.

But two sources familiar with the situation said it was unlikely that they would acquire a stake as big as 25 percent.

The German bank’s U.S.-listed shares jumped 3.1 percent on the Spiegel report but retreated from session highs following the Reuters sources report and traded 1.1 percent higher by 1648 GMT (1248 EDT).

Deutsche Bank declined comment. Sheikh Hamad was not immediately available for comment.

Funds controlled by HBJ bought 6.1 percent of Deutsche in mid-2014 and increased their stake to just under 10 percent, including options, in July this year.

---

→ Spiegel. 2016-10-07. Qatari Investors Eyeing Control of Deutsche Bank

Strategic errors, massive fines and attacks by speculators have created a major crisis for Germany’s most important bank. Now, investors from Qatar, who already own some 10 percent of Deutsche Bank, are considering taking control.

*

It was Anshu Jain himself who arranged the deal in May 2014 with Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor al-Thani of Qatar. The two knew each other, of course – the former co-CEO of Deutsche Bank and the ex-Qatari prime minister, also known by his initials HBJ, who is one of the richest and most influential men in the Gulf region. HBJ had long been a valued Deutsche Bank customer before discreetly negotiating a deal with Jain that saw him invest 1.75 billion euros in the bank, making him one of the Frankfurt-based financial institution’s major shareholders.

Jain celebrated the coup, because it appeared that Deutsche Bank had gained a strong partner who could help pave the way to better times for the bank. A partner who explicitly supported Jain’s strategy of establishing the company as the last globally important European investment bank. The German government also favored the development.

But just two and a half years later, the bank is at the edge of the abyss. Jain was deposed from his position as a result of his role in the financial crisis and because of his limited success as co-CEO. His successor John Cryan, who has now been at the helm for 15 months, has also failed to come up with a coherent strategy, the bank’s capital is tight once again and distrust among shareholders and customers alike is growing.

On September 15, the Justice Department in the United States ordered the company to pay a $14 billion fine to settle accusations of fraud in Deutsche Bank’s packaging and sale of mortgage-backed securities in the free-wheeling days that led to the global financial crisis. Speculators and politicians have been in a state of near panic since the announcement, with open speculation about the possibility of a government bailout for the prestigious bank. An atmosphere of frustration and depression is currently prevailing inside the bank and Cryan is trying to combat it with messages of perseverance.

For a time, Deutsche Bank’s market value plummeted below 15 billion euros, down from 35 billion a year ago. Large-scale investor HBJ and his cousin – the former Emir of Qatar, Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, who he has since brought in as an investor as well — are believed to have lost more than a billion euros – on paper, at least. This summer, the two increased their holdings to just under 10 percent of the company, but Deutsche Bank’s market capital has since continued to slide.

Attractive Investment

And yet, it appears that the low share price is encouraging the sheikhs to invest even more now that it wouldn’t take more than a few billion for them to gain control of Deutsche Bank. Information obtained by SPIEGEL indicates that the al-Thani cousins are considering propping up the bank with a fresh capital infusion and purchasing a blocking stake of 25 percent together with other investors.

To do this, they could partner with sovereign wealth funds, some of which are apparently willing to invest in the company.

But the information obtained by SPIEGEL also suggests that HBJ and the former emir would only be willing to take that risk if they could have a strong say in business decisions at Deutsche Bank. They are said to be deeply frustrated over the fact that the bank has been unable to maneuver itself out of its defensive position. The Qataris are said to be increasingly unhappy with Cryan’s current management team and believe the company’s present course is dangerous. The problems can’t be fixed through cost saving measures alone, they believe, particularly with eroding revenues and profits could. This displeasure manifested itself through the appointment in July of attorney Stefan Simon to the supervisory board. He represents the Qataris’ interests inside the company.

If the Qataris continue increasing their holdings at Deutsche Bank, it’s likely they will also push for changes in executive management. Paul Achleitner’s role as chairman of the supervisory board may likewise be in danger, despite the demonstrative support showed him by HBJ this spring.

In terms of bank strategy, the sheikhs would like to see Deutsche play a greater role in global investment banking. Only in that segment, they believe, does the company still have the potential to earn big money, even today. The hope of the Gulf investors is that fresh capital could strengthen the bank and enable it to regain lost market share. It would be the very back-to-the-future strategy that Anshu Jain promised when he brought the Qataris on board as investors. They appear to regret Jain’s departure – it is reported that one of their advisors is one of the deposed Deutsche Bank co-heads former senior executives, Michele Faissola, who ran Deutsche Bank’s asset and wealth management division.

Whether HBJ and the former emir will in fact seek to take control of Deutsche Bank remains to be seen. The bank isn’t making any statements about the issue and the Qataris could not be reached for comment by the time this story went to press.

‘A German Institution in Name Only’

But the path would seem to be clear. Banking supervisors at the European Central Bank reportedly have no fundamental concerns about the scenario. And it is also unlikely that the German government would intervene to stop such a deal from happening. German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble has no objections to the Qataris making a larger investment in Deutsche Bank. “We have no problem with an investor like that,” a ministry source said. There is nothing to indicate the Gulf investors have any kind of hidden agenda, the ministry said, adding that, like any other strategic investor, they are simply trying to put their money where they can get a safe return on their investment.

In other words: The Finance Ministry’s position is: What’s good for the Qataris is also good for Germany.

Schäuble would likewise have no issue with the Qataris obtaining a blocking minority of 25 percent or more. In such instances, the government can intervene under the country’s foreign trade law, but Berlin doesn’t want to. One of Schäuble’s staff explained the reluctance to stop the investments by saying: “At this point, Deutsche Bank is a German institution in name only.” More than half of the company’s shares are held by foreigners, the staffer explained, and the company’s business model is a global one. “In that sense, any strategic investor can help create stability.”

Experts within the Finance Ministry expect that the beleaguered bank will also be interesting to other investors, like sovereign wealth funds in need of places to invest their surplus billions. But officials in Berlin believe they will hold back until Deutsche Bank’s legal dispute with the United States has finally been settled. The Qataris also appear to be delaying their first steps.

Berlin Doesn’t Want to Intervene

One of the reasons the German government is willing to embrace investors with open arms is due to speculation in recent weeks of a national bailout of Deutsche Bank. Of course the government would step in if Deutsche Bank threatened to become a problem for the entire financial system. But prior to federal parliamentary elections next year, nobody wants to be in the position of having to explain why taxpayer funds must be used to rescue Deutsche Bank.

That’s why outbursts like the one made last week by Economics Minister Sigmar Gabriel, who is also head of the center-left Social Democrats, are so popular. During a trip to Iran, be blustered, “I don’t know if I should laugh or be angry that a bank that made speculation its business model has now declared itself to be the victim of speculators.” His tirade was based on statements made by Cryan that hedge funds are attacking the bank, causing the recent stock price fall.

Gabriel isn’t wrong: Deutsche Bank is indeed suffering the long-term effects of its risky business policies and it still counts around 800 hedge funds among its customers.

But even if Gabriel, as the head of a center-left party, may enjoy bashing the bank, as economics minister it is in his interest to help to stabilize the last German financial institution of global importance.

In the American media, reporters have already begun drawing parallels between Deutsche Bank and the final, pre-crash months of Lehman Brothers. For much of 2008, it was a toy for speculators and distrust grew among investors to the point that the bank had to be dismantled.

An Exaggerated Comparison

The comparison, though, is far-fetched. The bank still has cash reserves of 215 billion euros and could very quickly make that money available. It also has much bigger capitol buffers than it did in 2008.

But the mechanisms of the world of finance haven’t changed since then. If investors, customers and employees lose their trust in a bank, the floor could fall out from beneath it. Speculators then begin attacking the weakest link – and even just fears of a collapse, however unrealistic that angst may be, can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

That explains why Deutsche Bank’s stock price went haywire last week when reports emerged that around a dozen hedge funds had withdrawn from the bank. In normal times, such withdrawals would hardly be noticed, the company’s stock price collapsed out of fear that those 12 hedge funds could be a harbinger of worse to come: flight by major customers.

This is making supervisory authorities, but particularly shareholders and bond holders in the bank nervous. Many view the fines being imposed for sins committed by the company in the US real estate market as the sparks that could cause Deutsche Bank to go up in flames. So far, the German government has shown reserve on the issue. The word in Berlin is that an intervention isn’t justified. Finance Ministry sources recall France having had a similar experience years ago. “It totally backfired and we don’t want a repeat of that.”

Market players expressed a sense of relief in recent days as it emerged that Deutsche Bank may be able to settle its dispute with the Justice Ministry for $5.4 billion. But the partial recovery of Deutsche Bank’s stock price can also in part be explained through the fact that hedge funds that had previously speculated on a further drop in the stock may have bought back stocks in order to cash in their profits or minimize losses.

The ultimate size of the fine Deutsche Bank will have to pay the Americans remains open. Bank CEO Cryan is currently in Washington seeking a settlement for the company. A deal with the US authorities would be positive news because it would eliminate the uncertainty over how high the fine will be.

Still, a $5.4 billion fine is significant and would consume almost the entire reserves the bank has earmarked for legal disputes. The bank had assigned only half that total to the subprime mortgage dispute with the US. The rest had been intended to cover the threat of billions in fines relating to dubious business practices in Russia.

Experts calculate that the bank could handle a fine even as high as $7 or $8 billion without falling below legally mandated capital thresholds. Shareholders and analysts nevertheless believe the company needs additional capital – not just to cover the fines, but also because the bank needs a thick buffer to secure the peace and quiet it needs to undertake difficult restructuring.

Desires for a Strong Shareholder

Influential investors are also demanding a clearer strategy. They want to know “what segments the bank wants to make money with in the future,” says one major shareholder, who adds that the company hasn’t provided any satisfactory answers to that question in past years.

Desires for a strong major shareholder to inject money, eliminate persistent doubts about the bank’s capitalization and push for a clear strategy are growing – and this despite the fact that every existing shareholder knows that an increase in capital would drastically water down the value of their own holdings in the company.

That’s the situation that is playing into the hands of Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor al-Thani. He’s one of the business world’s richest and most flamboyant personalities, with a fortune estimated at between $10 and $70 billion. His business partner, former emir Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, once said he may rule Qatar, but HBJ owns it.

And it’s not just Qatar that he owns, either – his holdings around the world include a luxury apartment at One Hyde Park in London, one of the world’s most expensive residential properties, along with the Picasso painting “Women of Algiers” which he purchased for a record price of $179 million last year.

There are many rumors about how HBJ amassed his fortune, some of which don’t cast a particularly flattering light on the sheikh, who initially pursued a career in politics, serving as prime minister from 2007 to 2013.

Years ago, authorities in the British territory of Jersey accused HBJ of having taken bribe payments from the British defense firm BAE. Investigators closed the case following a voluntary, multimillion dollar payment to Jersey authorities. Any further proceedings against HBJ were deemed to not be in the public interest.

He once described his attitude about his accrual of wealth in a television interview. He said that some of the wealth he had, like that of all Qataris, may be questionable from a Western point of view. But according to Qatari standards, it was legitimate and had been obtained through legitimate business.

A Penchant for Tax Havens

Like many of the wealthy and superrich, HBJ has a soft spot for tax havens. His 133-meter yacht is technically held by a shell company, and even the shares he has acquired in Deutsche Bank so far are owned by a chain of offshore companies set up in Panama and the British Virgin Islands. With increasing public focus on such tax oases, the number of questions being asked about the origins and use of HBJ’s money are likely to grow.

Qatar has also repeatedly been accused of supporting Hamas and not doing enough to combat Islamist terrorism. As such, its relationship with the United States is not particularly tight.

Indisputable, though, is HBJ’s penchant for investing in the financial industry. Even back when he was in charge of the emirate’s sovereign wealth fund, he had a focus on banks, with Qatar investing in Barclays when it had solvency problems during the financial crisis. Qatar also invested in Credit Suisse as well as in the London Stock Exchange.

As a private investor, HBJ has continued to focus on the financial industry, investing in Barclays, this time as a private citizen, and acquired the Luxembourg business of the dissolved financial group Dexia and bought the little-known KBL group, which owns Munich’s private Merck Finck bank.

But the 2014 purchase of Deustche Bank shares has been the sheikh’s most important strategic investment.

The key question as to the future of Deutsche Bank is what the sheikh wants to do with it.

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→ International Adviser. 2016-07-15. Qatar royal family now Deutsche Bank’s biggest shareholder.

According to the Financial Times, Qatar’s al-Thani family increased their stake in the German lender via two investment groups: Paramount Services Holdings and Supreme Universal Holdings.

The royals first bought into Deutsche Bank in 2014 when then-chief executive Anshu Jain persuaded them to invest as part of an €8bn (£6.8bn, $9bn) capital raising.

Shares in Deutsche Bank have more than halved over the past year and hit an all-time low of €11.38 on 7 July. The exact timing and price of the share purchase was not disclosed. 

As of August 2015, the family held a 6.1% stake in the bank via the two investment groups. Both investment groups now hold just under 5%, ahead of BlackRock which holds roughly a 6% stake.

Board recommendation

The Qataris have also recommended the appointment of Stefan Simon to replace Georg Thoma who stepped down from the bank’s supervisory board in May.

“We are pleased that our Qatari shareholders are banking on the success of Deutsche Bank as shown through their long-term holdings.”

Simon is a partner at the law firm Flick Gocke Schaumburg in Bonn and an honorary professor at the University of Cologne.

“We are pleased that our Qatari shareholders are banking on the success of Deutsche Bank as shown through their long-term holdings,” said Paul Achleitner, chairman of the supervisory board.

“We welcome Stefan Simon, a highly qualified attorney, to the supervisory board. He has a great deal of experience in corporate law, corporate governance and compensation oversight.”

Simon will stand for election as a member of the Supervisory Board at the Annual General Meeting on 18 May 2017. Until then, he is to be appointed as a member of the supervisory board by court order. The application for this appointment was submitted to the local court in Frankfurt am Main on Friday.

Paramount support

Paramount Services Holdings issued a rare public statement in March supporting Achleitner as chairman of Deutsche Bank, despite a more than 50% fall in the value of the lender’s shares.

Achleitner was facing pressure from investors over the bank’s weak performance, amid speculation that he would not win a second term when his contract expires in 2017.

“[His] leadership remains an important factor underlying Paramount Services Holdings’ investment case and confidence in Deutsche Bank,” the statement read.

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→ CNN Money. 2016-09-30. Qatar is losing billions on Deutsche Bank

Investors are hurting from Deutsche Bank’s share price collapse, none more so than Qatar.

The wealthy Gulf state bought into the struggling German lender back in 2014, when it injected 1.75 billion euros ($2 billion) in return for about 60 million shares.

Those shares are now worth just 624 million euros, or about 1.13 billion euros ($1.3 billion) less than Qatar paid.

The stock has fallen more than 50% in 2016, and 17% this month alone. Fears about the bank’s ability to make money, and whether it can afford a looming U.S. fine for selling toxic mortgages a decade ago, have sent investors running for the exit.

Not Qatar, however. Former prime minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani, who owns the Deutsche Bank (DB) shares via two Caribbean-registered investments firms, increased his stake in 2015, and again a few months back.

That made him the biggest single shareholder ahead of Blackrock (BLK).

The bank revealed in July that the Qatari’s firms — Paramount Services Holdings and Supreme Universal Holdings — each owned just under 5%.

“We are pleased that our Qatari shareholders are banking on the success of Deutsche Bank as shown through their long term holdings,” said Paul Achleitner, Deutsche Bank chairman, in a statement in July.

In return, Al Thani got to nominate a director to Deutsche’s supervisory board.

But Qatar’s loyalty is costing it dearly. It’s not clear how much the Qatari royal paid for the additional shares he bought in 2015 and earlier this year, but the stock has been sliding constantly, and accumulated losses on the holding could be closer to $2 billion.

Oil and gas rich countries in the Middle East have been investing their wealth in global companies and banks as part of a strategy to generate alternative streams of income.

Qatar came to the rescue of Barclays (BCS) during the global financial crisis, injecting billions of pounds and helping the British bank dodge a government bailout. It’s still the biggest shareholder with about 6%.

It’s also a top three investor in Credit Suisse (CS).

All three banks are hacking away at costs and overhauling their businesses. But it may be a very long time before Qatar sees any return on its investment. Barclays stock is down 25% this year, and Credit Suisse has lost 40%.

The Swiss bank’s CEO Tidjane Thiam was reported to have told a Bloomberg conference earlier this week that European banks are “in a very fragile situation” and “not really investable as a sector.”

Deutsche executives must be hoping Qatar doesn’t share that view. They may need to ask it again for help.