On Monday, 10 June, there were three telephone calls. The first one was from the State bank of India London, asking for confirmation of transfer of Euro funds from my depleting savings to my depleted account here. It was expected.

I first opened an account with the bank in end 1962 in pounds sterling, when I was posted as third secretary to Cairo to learn Arabic. My basic salary was Rs 400 and entertainment allowance was Rs 100; Foreign allowance was Rs 600 or so I was allowed in hard currency a princely sum of pounds Sterling 17 at the rate of Rs 13 and the rest in soft currency Egyptian pounds which amounted to around 60 pounds or so. After two years in Cairo, the account became dysfunctional because in Algeria, Algerian Dinar was freely convertible like French Franc.

In 1969 when posted to Ankara, a NATO ally, I changed the sterling account into dollar account. During my stay in Turkey 1969-73, one US $ was 12 Turkish Lira (TL) and became 15 TL per $ when I left. In end of 1972 I converted my TL car sale proceeds into $s courtesy Kuwaiti CDA .The dollar was devalued by 10% but not TL. When I returned to Ankara in August 1992 One US$ was 8,000TL and when I left in end 1997 it was 200,000 TL. I certainly became a TL billionaire as I had prayed except that God designated the wrong currency. Two years ago when US$ crossed more than a million TL, it became too difficult even for Turks to do daily arithmetic calculations and One million TL became New TL=One US$.

Last December I converted my accounts here in Citibank and in London from dollars into euros. Good bye dollars . Two days later dollar rose against Euros highest in a year .I can bring about many financial ruins by changing my petty savings.

The second call also was also from London. BBC Hindi radio programme who contacted me after many months for a short interview on Bulgaria's unhappiness at not being included in the missile defence, which was conveyed to the visiting President George Bush. He has been reduced to be welcomed in Albania and Bulgaria only. On 22 August, 2002 I had written in AsiaTimes, Hong Kong. (I had at that moment thought a war would be too irrational.)

The Bush family's phony wars
By K Gajendra Singh,
For the Bush family, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is the tempting Apple in the Middle Eastern Garden of Eden. The results of succumbing to the temptation to take a bite could be as disastrous as they were for Adam and Eve.--

An entire region from Jordan to Iran is on the brink of catastrophe as it awaits one man's decision on how he will pursue his family' vendetta .India's former Ambassador to Jordan looks inside the Pandora's box which George Bush holds in his hands. Editor

BBC Hindi radio program interviews come up once in a month or in two months since 2003 ,on East Europe, Caucasus and Caspian, Russia, Central Asia, Turkey, Iraqi and Middle East. They don't pay much but I get millions of listeners in rural India. In spite of my best efforts my Hindi has not improved but BBC Hindi seems satisfied.

The third call was from Kevin Barret and lasted for an hour and a half.  Prof Dr. Barret teaches literature, languages and religion and is a 9/11 conspiracy theorist and is a member of the Scholars for 9/11 Truth. He is a regular reader of my articles and comperes his radio programme MUJCA News in Wisconsin, mostly music, but some discussions and news, which he takes from dissident radio stations. He had been asking for sometime for a discussions and questions by him and I said why not. Kevin Russell is very smooth and kept up a flowing dialogue with me .He let me talk as freely as I normally write in my pieces ,to my pleasant surprise. We covered the whole range of subjects including the all powerful Israeli lobby in USA. On 911, I said on the program that the current jokers in Washington cannot organize anything competently, how could they 911.

The main subject was the US led illegal invasion of Iraq. He had seen the complete list of my articles and was very impressed .He told the listeners how I had predicted accurately of what would be the likely outcome. I told the listeners that I spent most of my 35 years of diplomatic life in the region and then read twice as much during the last 11 years than those 35 years on Middle East and other regions of my interest.  I spend 10 hours daily in front of my laptop with TV news on,( basically because there is nothing else to do.) I know the numerous lies disseminated by Western leaders and its corporate media. Five US corporates control over 90% media controlled by the Jews.

One relies so much on CNN and BBC, New York Times, Washington Post apart from various independent blogs to which I also send my articles . The impression is that dissent in USA has been completely abolished .Perhaps in mainline media .One can judge from the radio programme that it is not dead fully and one could speak freely and frankly. I'm inclined to repeat such talks if I'm asked to and take on questions from listeners too which might tell the truth about what the American public really thinks. A few had earlier approached for Radio programs but I had declined (except national Slovenian TV). Out of total time, 40 per cent must have been used by commercial breaks which in itself is an education on how US functions.  

K Gajendra Singh, served as Indian ambassador to Turkey and Azerbaijan from August 1992 to April 1996. Prior to that, he served terms as ambassador to Jordan, Romania and Senegal. He was counselor at the Indian Embassy in Paris in 1973-75 .He is currently chairman of the Foundation for Indo-Turkic Studies. Copy right with the author. E-mail: Gajendrak@hotmail.com   


K Gajendra Singh, served as Indian ambassador to Turkey and Azerbaijan from August 1992 to April 1996. Prior to that, he served terms as ambassador to Jordan, Romania and Senegal. He was counselor at the Indian Embassy in Paris in 1973-75 .He is currently chairman of the Foundation for Indo-Turkic Studies. Copy right with the author. E-mail: Gajendrak@hotmail.com