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      <copyright>Copyright 2010</copyright>
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            <item>
         <title>IRA Gold Report: Bank Failures Continue - 9 in 2010</title>
         <description><![CDATA[On top of the record 140 bank failures in 2009, there have been 9 bank failures thus far in 2010.  They are:

Columbia River Bank 	              The Dalles      OR 	        January 22, 2010 	
Evergreen Bank 	              Seattle 	   WA 	        January 22, 2010 	
Charter Bank 	                      Santa Fe        NM 	        January 22, 2010 	
Bank of Leeton 	                      Leeton 	   MO 	        January 22, 2010 	
Premier American Bank           Miami 	           FL 	                January 22, 2010 	
Barnes Banking Company 	      Kaysville 	   UT 	        January 15, 2010 	
St. Stephen State Bank 	      St. Stephen    MN 	        January 15, 2010 	
Town Community Bank & Trust Antioch 	   IL 	                January 15, 2010 	
Horizon Bank 	                      Bellingham 	   WA 	        January 8, 2010 	


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         <pubDate>Mon, 25 Jan 2010 08:36:09 -0800</pubDate>
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         <title>IRA Gold Report: US Gold’s McEwen Says Gold May Hit $5,000 by 2012 </title>
         <description><![CDATA[<img alt="Bloomberg_logo_orange.gif" src="http://blog.iragold.com/Bloomberg_logo_orange.gif" width="140" height="105" />

By Edmond Lococo and Erik Schatzker

Jan. 12 (Bloomberg) -- US Gold Corp. Chief Executive Officer Rob McEwen said global gold prices may increase to $5,000 an ounce between 2012 and 2014 as rising U.S. government debt weakens the dollar.

“Money supply has expanded so rapidly that there are a lot more dollars looking for a steady home,” McEwen, also founder of Goldcorp Inc., said today in a Bloomberg Television interview. “Governments cannot help themselves. They want to help the economy. They are printing money. They are going into debt on a horrific scale, and that will depreciate the value of the dollar.”

His forecast for gold, which is more than quadruple the current price, represents a “once-in-every-300-years” phenomenon, McEwen said. He maintained his previous forecast that gold will rise to $2,000 an ounce by the end of this year.

Gold futures for February delivery fell $3.60 to $1,147.80 an ounce at 8:27 a.m. on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. The price of most-active contracts has risen for nine straight years. 


Watch the video by clicking here or cut and past this link into a new browser window:
http://www.bloomberg.com/avp/avp.htm?N=video&T=Robert%20McEwen%20Interview%20on%20Outlook%20for%20Gold%20Prices%20&clipSRC=mms://media2.bloomberg.com/cache/v6ALeGNsOrcc.asf

Robert McEwen Interview on Outlook for Gold Prices
Jan. 12 (Bloomberg) -- Robert McEwen, chairman and chief executive officer of U.S. Gold Corp., talks with Bloomberg's Erik Schatzker and Deirdre Bolton about the outlook for gold prices. McEwen expects gold prices to increase to $5,000 an ounce between 2012 and 2014 as rising U.S. government debt depreciates the value of the dollar.


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         <link>http://blog.iragold.com/2010/01/us_golds_mcewen_says_gold_may.html</link>
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         <pubDate>Tue, 12 Jan 2010 12:11:18 -0800</pubDate>
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         <title>IRA Gold Report: Gold rises towards $1,140 an ounce after US jobs data</title>
         <description><![CDATA[<img alt="logo_reuters_media_us.gif" src="http://blog.iragold.com/logo_reuters_media_us.gif" width="187" height="50" />

Jan 8, 2010:  Gold prices rose towards $1 140 (R8 345) an ounce on Friday after December's US non-farm payrolls data missed expectations, dampening expectations a US interest hike may be imminent and pressuring the dollar versus the euro.

Spot gold hit a high of $1 139.40 an ounce in the wake of the data and was bid at $1 135.60 an ounce at 16:13 SA time, against $1 131.40 late in New York on Thursday. Earlier it slipped as low as $1 119.45.

"People were largely going short into the market, and as the non-farm payrolls for December were slightly worse than expected, those shorts were covered," said Michael Widmer, an analyst at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

"The dollar came off quite a lot on the back of it, and that contributed to pushing gold higher," he added.

US gold futures for February delivery on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange rose $3.30 to $1 373.00 an ounce.

The dollar plunged against the euro after data showed US job losses were 85 000 last month, while markets were expecting no cuts.

The numbers dampened burgeoning hopes an economic recovery may be on the way, which might have led to a hike in US interest rates sooner rather than later.

Gold prices have benefited from low interest rates in the last year, which contributed to dollar weakness and cut the opportunity cost of holding non-interest bearing assets.

"The play for gold (this year) is speculating on the move in US interest rates," said Jeremy East, Standard Chartered's global head of commodity derivatives trading. "(The payrolls data) will obviously have an impact on expectations for that."
On the wider markets, oil prices eased after the data, while US stock futures pointed to a lower opening on Wall Street after the report. European shares briefly turned negative after the numbers.

INVESTMENT SOFT

Investment demand for gold-backed exchange-traded funds remained soft after a lacklustre start to the new year. The largest gold ETF, New York's SPDR Gold Trust, reported a further 0.4 tonne dip in its holdings on Thursday.

Its holdings have fallen 10 tonnes in 2010 so far, while those of London-based ETF Securities' gold-backed exchange traded products are down 19 000 ounces in the same period.

Spot silver tracked gold lower to $18.38 an ounce against $18.22. Platinum was at $1 563 an ounce versus $1 554.50, while palladium was at $428 an ounce against $424.

The United States' first platinum and palladium-backed ETPs are due to start trading in New York later on Friday, which will allow US investors to invest in the metals used in autocatalysts via an ETP.

"Both (platinum and palladium) could gain serious traction should ETF investment demand prove strong," James Moore, an analyst at TheBullionDesk.com, said in a note.

Investment appetite for the metals is expected to be firm this year as a turnaround in the global economy lifts car demand. Over half the world's platinum and palladium is consumed by carmakers.

China sold more than 13.5 million vehicles in 2009, the official Xinhua news agency said on Friday, overtaking the United States to become the world's largest auto market as government policy initiatives spurred demand. - Reuters

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         <link>http://blog.iragold.com/2010/01/gold_rises_towards_1140_an_oun.html</link>
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         <pubDate>Fri, 08 Jan 2010 11:39:46 -0800</pubDate>
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         <title>IRA Gold Report: Employers Cut 85,000 Jobs in December - Recovery still distant</title>
         <description><![CDATA[<img alt="WSJ%20Logo.gif" src="http://blog.iragold.com/WSJ%20Logo.gif" width="482" height="79" />


By Luca Di Leo and Meena Thiruvengadam 
JANUARY 8, 2010, 12:20 P.M. ET

WASHINGTON -- U.S. job losses were higher than expected in December of last year and the unemployment rate remained at a lofty 10%, a sign the labor market has still some way to recover.
Although the November 2009 data was revised to show the U.S. economy added jobs for the first time since the recession began two years earlier, the December payroll number was worse than forecast.

Nonfarm payrolls fell by 85,000 last month, compared with a revised 4,000 gain in November, the Labor Department said Friday.

Economists surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires had expected a payroll decrease of just 10,000. The November figure originally showed an 11,000 drop in payrolls. . .
. . . The central bank's rate-setting committee left interest rates close to zero mid-December in the face of low inflation and still-high unemployment. Since the financial crisis began in 2007, the Fed has slashed its benchmark lending rate from a peak of 5.25%.

Minutes of last month's meeting, released earlier this week, showed that Fed officials remained worried about the labor market's weakness. "Several participants observed that more than one good report would be needed to provide convincing evidence of recovery in the labor market," the December minutes showed.

Fed officials have predicted the unemployment rate will average between 9.3% and 9.7% in the fourth quarter of 2010 due to a slow recovery.

The U.S. economy is expected to have expanded at a healthy pace in the second half of 2009, but the jobs market's weakness, tight bank lending and a fading government stimulus is seen keeping the recovery contained.

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         <link>http://blog.iragold.com/2010/01/employers_cut_85000_jobs_in_de.html</link>
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         <pubDate>Fri, 08 Jan 2010 09:44:08 -0800</pubDate>
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         <title>IRA Gold Report: Gold futures rise for fourth day on inflation worries</title>
         <description><![CDATA[<img alt="marketwatch_logo.gif" src="http://blog.iragold.com/marketwatch_logo.gif" width="232" height="82" />

By Moming Zhou, MarketWatch

Jan. 6, 2010, 9:45 a.m. EST

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Gold futures rose Wednesday for a fourth straight session, climbing above $1,130 an ounce on concerns that the ongoing economic recovery could bring higher inflation, increasing gold's investment appeal.

The four-day winning streak, the longest in one month, came after the metal declined more than 7% in December, the biggest monthly loss in 14 months.

Gold for February delivery gained $11.40, or 1%, to $1,130.20 an ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange, after rising to $1,133 an ounce earlier in the session.

"The global economy is improving at a faster pace than expected, and the net result is increased demand for products, which causing a [price] rise in commodities," said Brian Kelly, chief executive of Kanundrum Research, a commodities and macroeconomic research firm.

"Investors are interpreting these price increases as inflationary and are buying gold as a hedge."

Economic data coming out Wednesday reinforced hopes for an economic recovery. Private-sector firms in the U.S. eliminated 84,000 jobs in December, according to the ADP employment report. It was the fewest jobs lost since March 2008.

Wednesday's gains in gold came despite a stronger dollar, which tends to add downward pressure on dollar-denominated commodities. In currencies trading, the dollar index was last up 0.1% at 77.705.

"Strength in gold in the face of a stronger dollar is quite bullish for the yellow metal," Kelly said.

Holdings in the SPDR Gold Trust, the biggest gold exchange-traded fund, stood at 1,128.75 metric tons Tuesday, unchanged from a day ago.

In other metals, March silver gained 1.2% to $18.01 an ounce, March palladium added 0.3% to $423 an ounce and April platinum rose 1.3% to $1,558 an ounce.
March copper gained 1.9% to $3.479 a pound.

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         <link>http://blog.iragold.com/2010/01/gold_futures_rise_for_fourth_d.html</link>
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         <pubDate>Wed, 06 Jan 2010 08:16:22 -0800</pubDate>
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         <title>IRA Gold Report: Gold Rises Despite Dollar&apos;s Lift</title>
         <description><![CDATA[by Alix Steel, 1/6/10

NEW YORK (TheStreet) --

Gold delivery for February was rising $9.60 to $1,128.30 an ounce at the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. Prices have traded as high as $1,133 and as low as $1,116.80 despite a stronger U.S. dollar. The U.S. dollar index was rising 0.14% to $77.75. 

<img alt="t24_au_en_usoz_2.gif" src="http://blog.iragold.com/t24_au_en_usoz_2.gif" width="172" height="114" />

Silver prices  were rising 20 cents to $18 an ounce while copper was up 6 cents to $3.47.

Investors were turning to riskier assets like commodities ahead of the Federal Reserve's FOMC minutes and Friday's U.S. unemployment number.

In the short term, investors will monitor the Fed's language looking for any hints of an interest rate hike; a better than expected jobs number might also raise the expectation of higher interest rates. Higher rates would quash inflation fears, support a strong U.S. dollar and put pressure on gold prices.

Today's ADP unemployment report showed that nonfarm private jobs decreased 84,000 from November to December. Although this was the smallest decline since March 2008, job losses are still mounting.

"If the numbers come out better than expected [on Friday] it's probably going to reinforce the positive risk trade," argues Nicholas Brooks, head of research and investment strategy for ETF Securities. "Investors are, at the moment, still looking for confirmation that the recovery is durable. I think they will start worrying about the interest rate element further down the line."

Gold prices started off strong Tuesday, touching $1,128 an ounce, but fell throughout the day settling to $1,118.70 as the dollar gained strength. Although worries over an interest rate hike are capping gold's bull run, prices are finding strong support from bargain hunters. "The risk trade seems to be back on again. The VIX is now sitting at its lowest level since 2007," says Brooks. "The dollar is coming off a bit and gold prices are starting to pick up a bit."


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         <link>http://blog.iragold.com/2010/01/gold_rises_despite_dollars_lif.html</link>
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         <pubDate>Wed, 06 Jan 2010 08:14:51 -0800</pubDate>
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            <item>
         <title>IRA Gold Report: Gold Gains 24% for the Year - Up $21 on Dollar Weakness</title>
         <description><![CDATA[<img alt="TheStreetlogo.gif" src="http://blog.iragold.com/TheStreetlogo.gif" width="201" height="25" />

by Alix Steel
1/4/10

NEW YORK -- Gold prices pop in the New Year. 

<img alt="Jan%204-10.gif" src="http://blog.iragold.com/Jan%204-10.gif" width="180" height="114" />

Gold prices continue their inverse correlation to the U.S. dollar as trading resumed in full force Monday. Gold ended 2009 just under $1,100 settling at $1,095 an ounce as the precious metal locked in a 24% gain for the year. "We're starting off very strong [in 2010]....We've got all the technicals back that we were looking for", says George Gero, vice president of global futures at RBC Capital Markets. "We've higher open interest and higher volume....We're back to $1,100 on the low side and probably $1,200 on the upside for this year."

The U.S. dollar index was slipping .61% to $77.39 pushing gold prices higher by $26.60 to $1,122.80 an ounce at the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. Gold delivery for February, the most actively traded contract, has traded as high as $1,124.60 and as low as $1,093.80. A stronger than expected nonfarm payroll report on Friday will boost investor confidence in an economic recovery which could strengthen the U.S. dollar and put pressure on gold prices. Gero says gold could see some short term pressure but he thinks any negativity is already priced in.

Silver prices were rising 55 cents to $17.39 while copper prices were up 6 cents to $3.41. 

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         <link>http://blog.iragold.com/2010/01/gold_gains_24_for_the_year_up.html</link>
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         <pubDate>Mon, 04 Jan 2010 09:38:28 -0800</pubDate>
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            <item>
         <title>IRA Gold Report: Gold Beats All in Decade of ‘Fear and Greed’</title>
         <description><![CDATA[By John Glover


Dec. 22 (Bloomberg) -- Investors who bought gold or commodities at the beginning of the decade should have tripled their money by the time the ball drops in New York’s Times Square on Dec. 31. Stock holders will be poorer.

The CHART OF THE DAY shows returns on six asset classes, including reinvested interest or dividends where applicable. A $100 investment in gold would now be more than $380 while the same sum in commodities would have grown to about $357, according to the Standard & Poor’s GSCI Enhanced Total Return Index. Stock investors lost $10 in the decade.

Gold’s nine-year bull market was recently given extra impetus by concern that $12 trillion of government spending to rein in the worst global recession since the 1930s will trigger inflation. China’s thirst for the raw materials needed to fuel its export machine helped push up the price of commodities from copper and lead to plastics and coal.

“That’s fear and greed at the same time,” said Toby Nangle, director of asset allocation at Baring Investment Services Ltd. in London. “The fear of inflation is in the gold price. Commodities and oil show emerging markets emerging, and the rest is the developed markets submerging.”

Holders of U.S. high-grade corporate bonds made a profit of about $90 on their investment, as did Treasury investors, according to Bank of America Merrill Lynch index data. Buyers of crude oil saw their $100 turn into $268 after it rose to more than $500 in 2008, based on the futures contract for West Texas Intermediate.

Stocks lost about 10 percent, including reinvested dividends, according to the S&P 500 Total Return Index.

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         <pubDate>Tue, 22 Dec 2009 10:06:40 -0800</pubDate>
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         <title>IRA Gold Report: Russia Transfers $1 Bln Worth Gold To Central Bank</title>
         <description><![CDATA[<img alt="TheStreetlogo.gif" src="http://blog.iragold.com/TheStreetlogo.gif" width="201" height="25" />

By The Associated Press   12/21/09 - 10:13 AM EST

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia's Finance Ministry has sold 30 metric tons of gold to the country's Central Bank for $1 billion, an official said Monday, saying the cash will be use to help ease the crisis in the country's budget.

The cash slightly reduces Russia's deficit — reportedly around 7.3 percent of gross domestic product this year. The Central Bank is the only government body mandated to engage in foreign commodity and currency trade.

The deal marks the first large sale of gold from Russian coffers since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Russia is weathering its worst financial crisis in a decade.

Russia's finance minister said in October that Moscow was considering a gold sale on world markets to cash in on high prices as the government faces its first budget deficit in a decade.

A Finance Ministry spokesman said the deal was struck last week. The spokesman, who declined to be identified because he was unauthorized to comment on the deal, would not say what the Central Bank planned to do with the gold, but Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin said in October that Moscow was considering selling gold on world markets to cash in on high prices and further replenish the budget.

Bank representatives said they were unaware of the deal.

Russia's gold and foreign currency reserves — the world's third-largest —stood at $443.7 billion as of Dec. 11, according to the Central Bank. The gold reserves stood at some 613 metric tons as of Dec. 1 worth $23 billion.

The Russian government — also a major holder of U.S. dollars — has spoken strongly in favor of diversifying its reserves, but has so far done little to follow through.


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         <pubDate>Mon, 21 Dec 2009 08:42:41 -0800</pubDate>
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         <title>IRA Gold Report: CONDITIONS FOR GOLD RALLY COULD CRUSH OTHER ASSETS - &quot;$3000/oz increasingly likely long-term target&quot;</title>
         <description><![CDATA[<img alt="marketwatch_logo.gif" src="http://blog.iragold.com/marketwatch_logo.gif" width="232" height="82" />

<strong>Conditions for gold rally could crush other assets</strong>

By V. Phani Kumar & Myra P. Saefong, MarketWatch
Dec. 18, 2009, 10:06 a.m. EST

HONG KONG (MarketWatch) -- Several analysts predict a rise in gold prices to dizzying heights in the next two years, but if those forecasts prove true, even gold bugs will need to stay alert to ensure that gains in the metal aren't overwhelmed by losses on other parts of their portfolio.

That's because the economic conditions under which one would expect gold to thrive resemble an investor's nightmare -- possible hyperinflation, collapse of the U.S. dollar or a surge in yields on Treasuries -- may be conditions under which other asset classes such as fixed income and equities could take a major hit.

"For gold to rise further, people have to continue to be fearful of economic recessionary conditions worsening instead of improving, political developments both at home and globally, and financial markets deteriorating instead of continuing to improve," said Jeffrey Christian, a managing director at CPM Group.

Mark O'Byrne, a director at bullion dealer GoldCore said gold could "rally much higher in the event of another systemic crisis where large banks, corporates and or even countries go bankrupt."

It could also go much higher in the event of serious inflation or stagflation, in the event of a dollar crisis or an international monetary crisis, or a serious geopolitical incident, he said. And "at least one of these scenarios is quite possible in 2010 or 2011."

Those scenarios aren't at all friendly to the rest of an investor's portfolio.

Gold futures rose as high as $1,218 an ounce in early December before sliding back to the low $1,100 area, where it traded on Friday.
The right stuff

A number of analysts say gold could see new highs over the next few years, thanks to the flood of liquidity in the global financial system in the wake of quantitative easing measures by central banks around the world in the wake of last year's financial crisis.

"The right fundamentals for gold ... remain in place and look set to remain in place for the foreseeable future," said O'Byrne. "This makes $3,000 per ounce gold an increasingly likely long-term price target."

Kevin Kerr, president of Kerr Trading International said the precious metal's "more likely to hit $3,000 than $800 in the next two years."

"I am bullish longer term on the U.S. and global economies, but ... I feel the die has been cast for lower fiat currency prices in years to come and a global shift out of the dollar and into commodities as the new reserve currency," he added.

Kerr listed hyperinflation, more job losses in the U.S., negative interest rates for an extended period of time, efforts to price crude oil in currencies other than the U.S. dollar and attempts by China to move a larger part of its foreign currency holdings into gold as conditions that would support a further increase in the yellow metal's prices.

A number of other commentators have also been known for their bullish views on gold.

CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets, for instance, has for a while maintained that gold could hit $3,360 by the end of this decade. Economic analyst Marc Faber, Gluskin Sheff chief economist David Rosenberg, investor Jim Rogers, investment manager David Tice have all been reported in the media as saying that gold prices could reach a range between $2,000 and $3,000.

And Amerifutures managing director Patrick Kerr lists gold purchases by central banks, "the deepest pockets of them all," as one of his 10 reasons why gold could shoot up to between $5,000 and $10,000 an ounce. 

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         <pubDate>Fri, 18 Dec 2009 08:06:30 -0800</pubDate>
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         <title>IRA Gold Report: Gulf petro-powers to launch currency in latest threat to dollar hegemony</title>
         <description><![CDATA[<img alt="LondonTelegraph.gif" src="http://blog.iragold.com/LondonTelegraph.gif" width="400" height="82" />

By Ambrose Evans-Pritchard
Published: 7:12PM GMT 15 Dec 2009

The Arab states of the Gulf region have agreed to launch a single currency modelled on the euro, hoping to blaze a trail towards a pan-Arab monetary union swelling to the ancient borders of the Ummayad Caliphate.

“The Gulf monetary union pact has come into effect,” said Kuwait’s finance minister, Mustafa al-Shamali, speaking at a Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) summit in Kuwait.

The move will give the hyper-rich club of oil exporters a petro-currency of their own, greatly increasing their influence in the global exchange and capital markets and potentially displacing the US dollar as the pricing currency for oil contracts. Between them they amount to regional superpower with a GDP of $1.2 trillion (£739bn), some 40pc of the world’s proven oil reserves, and financial clout equal to that of China. 

Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar are to launch the first phase next year, creating a Gulf Monetary Council that will evolve quickly into a full-fledged central bank.

The Emirates are staying out for now – irked that the bank will be located in Riyadh at the insistence of Saudi King Abdullah rather than in Abu Dhabi. They are expected join later, along with Oman.

The Gulf states remain divided over the wisdom of anchoring their economies to the US dollar. The Gulf currency – dubbed “Gulfo” – is likely to track a global exchange basket and may ultimately float as a regional reserve currency in its own right. “The US dollar has failed. We need to delink,” said Nahed Taher, chief executive of Bahrain’s Gulf One Investment Bank.

The project is inspired by Europe’s monetary union, seen as a huge success in the Arab world. But there are concerns that the region is trying to run before it can walk.

Europe took 40 years to reach the point where it felt ready to launch a currency. It began with the creation of the Iron & Steel Community in the 1950s, moving by steps towards a single market enforced by powerful Commission and European Court. The EMU timetable was fixed at the Masstricht in 1991 but it took another 11 for euro notes and coins to reach the streets.

Khalid Bin Ahmad Al Kalifa, Bahrain’s foreign minister, told the FIKR Arab Thought summit in Kuwait that the project would not work unless the Gulf countries first break down basic barriers to trade and capital flows.

At the moment, trucks sit paralysed at border posts for days awaiting entry clearance. Labour mobility between states is almost zero.

“The single currency should come last. We need to coordinate our economic policies and build up common infrastructure as a first step,” he said.

Mohammed El-Enein, chair of the energy and industry committee in Egypt’s parliament, said Europe’s example could help the Arab world achieve its half-century dream of a unified currency, but the task requires discipline. “We need exactly the same institutions as the EU has created. We need a commission, a court, and a bank,” he said.

The last currency to trade in souks from Marakesh, to Baghdad and Mecca, was the Ottomon Piaster, known as the “kurush”. It suffered chronic inflation as the silver coinage was debased.

There is a logic to an Arab currency. The region speaks one language, has the unifying creed of “Umma Wahida” or One Nation from the Koran, and has not torn itself apart in savage wars – ever – in quite the way that Europe has in living memory.

Yet hurdles are formidable even for the tight-knit group of Gulf states. While the eurozone is a club of rough equals – with Germany, France, Italy, and Spain each holding two votes on the ECB council – the Gulf currency will be dominated by Saudi Arabia. The risk is that other countries will feel like satellites. Monetary policy will inevitably be set for Riyadh’s needs.

Hans Redeker, currency chief at BNP Paraibas, said the Gulf states may have romanticised Europe’s achievement and need to move with great care to avoid making the same errors.

“The Greek crisis has exposed the weak foundations on which the euro is built. The gap in competitiveness between core Europe and the periphery has grown wider and wider. The obvious mistake was to launch EMU without a central fiscal authority and political union, as the Bundesbank warned in the 1990s,” he said.

“The euro was created for political reasons after the fall of the Berlin Wall to lock Germany irrevocably into Europe. It was not done for economic reasons,” he said.

Ben Simpfendorfer, Asia economist for RBS and an expert on the Middle East, told the FIKR conference that the rise of China had paradoxically disrupted the case for pan-Arab economic integration.

There was a natural fit ten years ago between rich oil state and low-wage manufacturers in Egypt and Syria, but cheap exports from China have forced poorer Arab states to retreat behind barriers to shelter their industries. “The rationale for a single currency has become weaker,” he said.

The GCC also agreed to create a joint military strike force – akin to the EU’s rapid reaction force – to tackle threats such as the incursion of Yemeni Shiite rebels into Saudi territory earlier this year.

This is a major breakthrough after years of deadlock on defence cooperation.

The Sunni Gulf states are deeply concerned about the great power ambitions of Shiite Iran and its quest for nuclear weapons, to the point where the theme of a possible war between Iran and a Saudi-led constellation of states has crept into the media debate.

They nevertheless repeated on Tuesday that “any military action against Iran” by Western powers would be unacceptable.


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         <pubDate>Thu, 17 Dec 2009 10:25:18 -0800</pubDate>
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         <title>IRA Gold Report: Inflation Fears Boost Gold Prices</title>
         <description><![CDATA[<img alt="12-16-09%20Daily%20Chart.gif" src="http://blog.iragold.com/12-16-09%20Daily%20Chart.gif" width="180" height="114" />

--Written by Alix Steel in New York.

12/16/09 - 09:57 AM EST


 Inflation worries shook markets after the producer price index jumped 1.8% in November. During times of inflation, the U.S. dollar loses value and investors buy gold as an alternative asset buoying prices. Investors are also waiting on the result of the Federal Reserve's FOMC meeting. The Fed is expected to keep interest rates low for now but there is a growing consensus that the Fed will raise rates sooner than expected to combat growing inflation.

Analysts expect gold to stay in a tight range of $1,110 to $1,140 for the end of the year as profit taking and bargain hunting restrict prices. "I think we're seeing light volume in the market as a start", says Will Rhind, head of U.S. operations at ETF Securities. "Expect to see more concentration on inflation numbers over the next year as people look for any signs of consumer prices in the real economy."

The U.S. dollar index was slipping .13% to $76.82 and inversely gold prices were up $9 to $1,132 at the Comex division at the New York Mercantile Exchange. Gold deliver for February has traded as high as $1,136.10 and as low as $1,122.40.

Silver prices were rising 8 cents to $17.53 while copper was up 3 cents to $3.17.


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         <pubDate>Wed, 16 Dec 2009 08:07:38 -0800</pubDate>
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         <title>IRA Gold Report: U.S. Mint Suspends All One Oounce Gold Coin Sales Due to Shortage of Physical Gold!</title>
         <description><![CDATA[LONDON - 

"The United States Mint has depleted its inventory of 2009 American Buffalo One Ounce Gold Bullion Coins. ... No additional inventory will be made available. As additional information becomes available regarding 2010-dated American Buffalo One Once Gold Bullion Coins, you will be notified."   So said a memorandum issued Friday to authorized purchasers of U.S. Mint gold coins and reported by Jim Sinclair..

Mineweb reported only two weeks ago, on November 25th, the suspension of sales of American Gold Eagle coins by the Mint - U.S. Mint suspends American Eagle 1-ounce gold coin sales - again, which, at the time, reckoned such sales would be resumed early this month - but in the event, not only is the suspension of the Gold Eagle coin sales continuing, but also now the American Buffalo one ounce gold coin sales have also been suspended, with no new sales now planned until some time in 2010 - although the current sharp fall in the gold price may provide the Mint with a bit of respite from its supply/demand woes.

But supply problems also persist with smaller gold coins, particularly given the enormous demand for fractional sized gold coins following the suspension of the one ounce Gold Eagles. Thus the Mint was forced to issue a second memo on Friday saying "the American Eagle Gold Tenth-Ounce Coin inventory was depleted" and that "inventory for the half-ounce and quarter-ounce coins remains very limited." Following the sale of these remaining gold coins on Friday, the Mint anticipated that it would again offer all fractional sizes by mid-December, but in an allocation process.

On a more positive note for the Mint, the resumption of American Silver Eagle bullion sales will resume today. These silver coins were suspended along with the one ounce gold coins a week ago - also due to depletion.

The Mint had been trying to control sales by not releasing the 2009 coins for sale until late in the year - they are usually available throughout the year, but demand has proven to be enormous.  This doesn't mean though that coins are not available to the U.S. public as some authorized dealers will continue to hold stocks, although these are being depleted rapidly and premiums charged on sales are increasing.

According to a report on website Coinupdate.com "The US Mint began sales of fractional weight American Gold Eagle bullion coins on December 3, 2009.... These fractional Gold Eagles are typically available throughout the year, but this year the Mint delayed the release to focus production on the one ounce bullion coins. After only one day of availability, the US Mint recorded sales of 56,000 of the one-half ounce coins, 58,000 of the one-quarter ounce coins, and 260,000 of the one-tenth ounce coins. They have indicated that the inventory for one-tenth ounce coins has already been depleted and the inventory for one-half and one-quarter ounce coins is limited. The remaining limited inventory will be offered via the US Mint's standard allocation process and additional inventory is expected to be available in mid-December."

While the shortage of U.S. Mint offerings due to demand exceeding supply is, in reality, not that significant in terms of global gold sales it does demonstrate the extent to which demand for easily available physical gold has increased over the past two years.  Some of this has been the ever increasing interest by the U.S. public in gold in general and also a certain amount of distrust generated by some commentators as to whether the various ‘paper gold' offerings were secure.


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         <pubDate>Mon, 07 Dec 2009 08:16:04 -0800</pubDate>
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         <title>IRA Gold Report: GOLD ENDS AT A RECORD HIGH ABOVE $1,200</title>
         <description><![CDATA[<img alt="cnnmoneydotcom_small.gif" src="http://blog.iragold.com/cnnmoneydotcom_small.gif" width="222" height="39" />

<strong>Precious metal continues record run on dollar weakness.</strong>
By Hibah Yousuf, CNNMoney.com staff reporter
Last Updated: December 2, 2009: 3:58 PM ET

<img alt="gold.mkw.gif" src="http://blog.iragold.com/gold.mkw.gif" width="220" height="165" />

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Gold prices closed at a fresh record high above a $1,200 an ounce Wednesday, the first time it has settled above the milestone, as investors continued to build on the momentum of the precious metal.

Gold for February delivery climbed $12.80, or 1.1%, and settled at $1,213.

"There's still a rush to buy safe haven assets," said Carlos Sanchez, analyst at CPM Group. A weak dollar and concerns over economic conditions and financial markets, most recently because of what's happening in Dubai, have been boosting prices. "Investors are continuing to move toward gold as a hedge against other possible adverse events," he said.

Gold prices have surged more than 34% in 2009 and have risen steadily since the beginning of November.
Dump the Dollar!  Buy Gold!

While the dollar firmed Wednesday against the euro and the yen, gold prices were supported by the greenback because it remains soft as the Federal Reserve holds interest rates near zero into next year.

In a jittery economy, commodities priced in dollars, such as gold, are perceived as safe haven investments and typically gain ground with a weaker dollar.

Investors will continue to buy gold at high prices as they have been the past several months, Sanchez believes, leading prices to continue rising steadily. He expects them to near $1,400 during the first quarter of next year.

But after the $1,400 mark, Sanchez expects prices to lower and average around $1,000 for the remainder of 2010.


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         <link>http://blog.iragold.com/2009/12/gold_ends_at_a_record_high_abo.html</link>
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         <pubDate>Wed, 02 Dec 2009 13:20:34 -0800</pubDate>
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         <title>IRA Gold Report: China&apos;s Appetite for High-Flying Gold to Dominate</title>
         <description><![CDATA[ By Chikako Mogi

SHANGHAI, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Gold's successive run-ups to record highs are underpinned by hopes for central banks to further diversify reserves, particularly China's, a topic set to dominate a two-day industry gathering in Shanghai from Thursday.

News that the central bank of India bought 200 tonnes of gold from the International Monetary Fund, about half of what was on offer, reinforced views that gold has established its status as an investment asset, as well as an alternative currency.

The move also strengthened speculation that other emerging country central banks will follow suit, particularly China, which has the world's largest foreign exchange reserves worth $2.27 trillion, mostly held in U.S. Treasury bonds.

"It's possible for China to buy gold from the IMF in large volumes in pursuit of asset allocation for its foreign reserves, but that will mean further detachment from dollars of which China holds the most. This puts China in a real dilemma," said Xiao Minjie, senior economist at Daiwa Institute of Research in Tokyo.

For a factbox on Asian central banks' views on gold, click [ID:nSP429396]

Perceived dollar weakness in coming years, which has been the other main factor driving up gold prices, is a source of concern for China and others with large investments in dollar assets as the depreciating currency erodes asset values.

A team of experts from Beijing and Shanghai set up a task force last year to study the issue of gold reserves, Ji Xiaonan, chairman of a supervisory board for big state-owned companies under China's state assets commission, was quoted as saying.

"We suggested that China's gold reserves should reach 6,000 tonnes in the next 3 to 5 years and perhaps 10,000 tonnes in 8 to 10 years," the China Youth Daily on Monday quoted him as saying. [ID:nPEK200596]

Views seemed split among Chinese officials over the issue, Xiao, at Daiwa Institute of Research, said. Such a report might be a bid to send a message to the United States that China would buy gold if the U.S. didn't stop a dollar freefall, he added.

OUTLOOK ON DEMAND, OUTPUT

China said in April its official gold holdings had risen to 1,054 tonnes from 600 tonnes in 2003, still making up less than 2 percent of its total foreign exchange holdings. The rise was from buying domestically produced gold to help soak up unsold output.

China, the world's top gold producer and second biggest gold consumer after India, is expected to eventually tap the global market as domestic supplies will probably tighten on growing demand.

"China's central bank buying has been limited to taking it from local mine production and scrap, which is a much cheaper method than buying either IMF or open market gold," said Peter McGuire, managing director of Commodity Warrants Australia.

"China may tap the IMF or global marketplace for gold in order to expand its proportion of gold to forex holdings for the purpose of diversification and the desired quantities cannot be sourced on the lower cost domestic market," he said.

China's gold output rose 13.4 percent in the first seven months of this year to 172.867 tonnes, and it produced 26.36 tonnes in July, the China Gold newspaper said in September, citing figures from the China Gold Association. In 2008, China produced a record 282 tonnes of gold, and consumed 395.6 tonnes.

For a factbox on reserves held by China and India, click: here

For a factbox on top ten country holders of gold reserves, click: [ID:nSP482249]

EYES ON JEWELLERY DEMAND

Traders are watching to see if jewellery demand will persist even at current high prices, which would indicate expectations for further increases in prices.

A World Gold Council report last month showed that market supplies of recycled gold rose in the third quarter from a year earlier but fell from the first two quarters of 2009 despite rising prices, suggesting investors were releasing less gold in anticipation of a future market climb.

"We were hearing Chinese demand is strong, even expensive jewellery is being bought, which is bullish for the gold market," said Wakako Harada, a senior trader at Mitsubishi Corp in Tokyo.

Gold's rally, which pushed prices up 13 percent in November for a total rise of 39 percent this year, was briefly interrupted last week when investors dumped it to cover losses in other assets after markets tumbled broadly on news two Dubai flagship firms planned to delay repaying billions of dollars in debt.

For a timeline on gold prices, click: here

For a factbox on gold's record highs, click: [ID:nSP415372]

But the sell-off spelt good buying opportunities for those who had lagged when prices raced up towards $1,200, traders said, citing expectations for the dollar's continuing weakness and public sector interest as keeping bullish sentiment alive.

"There was a sense of a ceiling and that likely put a cap on prices," said Yuichi Ikemizu, Tokyo branch manager for Standard Bank.
"At the same time, the unwinding of these "weak longs" was immediately countered by buying which helped bring prices off their lows. This shows there are still people who want to buy and underscores the bullish underlying trend."


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         <pubDate>Wed, 02 Dec 2009 13:10:15 -0800</pubDate>
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