Epstein Secrets

ery important conversation. In 2008 the leadership of the European Union (EU) allowed Cyprus join their consortium even though it was really only a Mediterranean offshore-banking center, partially occupied by Turkey since 1974, with a population of just more than 1 million and a gross domestic product of only

he Cyprus deal fatally undermined depositor confidence, thus making bank runs in other countries more likely. Certainly Cyprus and its paymasters in the European Central Bank have broken a taboo of the common European currency by imposing controls on the flow of capital into and out of the country, albeit "temporarily."

a Greek government could ditch austerity without being forced back to the drachma. Even the possibility of a "Grexit" has made people in the other Mediterranean countries nervous. The most telling sign of contagion is the deepening crisis in the Spanish banking system as depositors withdraw their money. Aft

at affordable rates. Meanwhile, their banks are hemorrhaging deposits. Up until now, broke banks could prop up broke governments by borrowing from the European Central Bank and using the cash to buy their governments' bonds. But that game is over. For there is nothing the ECB can do to stop panicky Spaniards swapping

rkel's leadership. If we are talking about the European economy and currency, Germany is the indispensable power. Only the combination of Germany and the European Central Bank, working in unison, has a chance of calming the mighty markets. For more than a year now, Merkel has attempted to find the narrow — perhaps nonexist

especially if initial U.S. strikes seemed devastating to the point of decisive. But their involvement would spread the conflict to the entire eastern Mediterranean and perhaps beyond, complicating both U.S. military operations and coalition diplomacy. It seems fairly clear then that a conflict with Iran is unli