A prominent Bulgarian politician survived what appeared to be a dramatic point-blank assassination attempt on Saturday, when an unidentified man pointed a gas pistol at his head and fired in front of hundreds of horrified onlookers.
Ahmed Dogan, leader and founder of the influential liberal Bulgarian political party Movement for Rights and Freedoms, was delivering an address at the party’s annual conference in the capital city of Sofia when the black-clad man — who appeared to have a security pass to attend the event — approached suddenly with the pistol.
Bulgarian party wants to track assassination attempt ’mastermind’
Bulgaria’s ethnic Turkish party, whose leader escaped unhurt when a man pointed a gun to his head on stage at a party congress, has said it wants police to investigate who was the "political mastermind" behind the attack.
The Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) accused the police and security services of failing to protect Ahmed Dogan from the man who tried to shoot him twice before being wrestled to the ground by security guards.
"The main goal of the investigation would be to focus on finding out who was the political mastermind of this attack," said Lyutvi Mestan, who replaced Dogan as MRF party leader as previously expected at the weekend.
"The authorities are working on the lead that this was an individual action of a criminal .... this is a huge stain on Bulgaria’s image," he told a news conference.
The party called for an international investigation into the assault by the 25-year-old man, who police identified as Oktay Enimehmedov, an ethnic Turk from the Black Sea town of Burgas.
Police said the gun used during the attack was a non-lethal gas pistol and deputy chief prosecutor Borislav Sarafov told reporters Enimehmedov faces up to five years in prison for hooliganism and up to six years for making a death threat.
Political parties in Bulgaria strongly condemned the attack against Dogan, one the most influential political figures in the European Union’s poorest member.
"The attack against Dogan is not a hooliganism. This is an assault against the national security. I categorically reject any claims that the incident was staged," said Bulgarian Socialist Party leader Sergei Stanishev.
Prime Minister Boiko Borisov told reporters: "This is a very disturbing event and should not happen in today’s Bulgaria."
The liberal MRF party represents ethnic Turks and other Muslims who make up about 12% of the Balkan country’s population of 7.3 million. Dogan was named honorary chairman of the party he has led for 23 years.
Most Muslims in Bulgaria are not recent immigrants but are a centuries-old community, mostly ethnic Turkish descendants of Ottoman rule.
The MRF was a junior partner in the previous Socialist-led cabinet in Bulgaria, which is due to hold parliamentary elections in July.
No Bank Deposits Will Be Spared from Confiscation 2013 05 18
As alert Zero Hedge readers are aware, this week the EURO Politburo is busy debating the dodgy subject of deposit "bail-ins."
The following article very succinctly explains this odious mode of fractal fractional reserve end-game chicanery.
The author encourages all of you to share it with others.
NO BANK DEPOSITS WILL BE SPARED FROM CONFISCATION
By Matthias Chang Esq, futurefastforward.com (with author’s permission)
I challenge ...
Big Bang: Biggest meteorite explosion rocks the Moon 2013 05 17
NASA scientists have recorded the biggest ever meteorite impact on the Moon, with an explosion equal to 5 tons of TNT. The event is part of ‘lunar meteor showers’ observed by astronauts of the Moon exploration program.
The 40-kg meteorite measuring 0.3 to 0.4 meters wide traveling 56,000 mph slammed through the Moon’s surface on March 17, 2013.
The explosion from the ...
Military Says No Presidential Authorization Needed To Quell “Civil Disturbances” 2013 05 17 A recent Department of Defense instruction alters the US code applying to the military’s involvement in domestic law enforcement by allowing US troops to quell “civil disturbances” domestically without any Presidential authorization, greasing the skids for a de facto military coup in America along with the wholesale abolition of Posse Comitatus.
The instruction (embedded at the end of this article), which ...
Ancient Maya Pyramid Destroyed in Belize 2013 05 17 An archaeological group says it plans to take legal action.
Despite its small size, the Caribbean country of Belize is known for a few outstanding characteristics: a spectacular barrier reef, a teeming rain forest, and extensive Maya ruins.
It now has one fewer of those ruins.
A construction company in Belize has been scooping stone out of the major pyramid at the site ...
Ginger: A Warming Herb 2013 05 17
Ginger is an Asian herb that is particularly well known to us in the West. Over time, and with trial and error, its stimulating properties and piquant flavor have been integrated into both our herbal “materia medica” and cuisine.
Brewed as an herbal tea, ginger root is particularly helpful for those people who have underactive stomachs and difficulty producing adequate amounts ...
No Bank Deposits Will Be Spared from Confiscation
Big Bang: Biggest meteorite explosion rocks the Moon
Military Says No Presidential Authorization Needed To Quell “Civil Disturbances”
Ancient Maya Pyramid Destroyed in Belize
Ginger: A Warming Herb