Daily Archives: 19 March 2012

Biggest Holders of US Government Debt

open quoteThis borrowing adds to the national debt, which has recently surpassed $15 trillion and is rising every second. The amount of debt is quickly approaching the federal debt ceiling, a legal limit to borrowing that currently stands at $16.4 trillion.

Much of that debt is held by private sector, but about 40 percent is held by public entities, including parts of the government. Here’s who owns the most. Foreign countries listed include private and public investors, according to monthly U.S. Treasury data.

1. Federal Reserve and Intragovernmental Holdings

U.S. debt holdings: $6.328 trillion

. . . .

2. China

U.S. debt holdings: $1.132 trillion

. . . .

3. Other Investors/Savings Bonds

U.S. debt holdings $1.107 trillion

With the most recent numbers from June 2011, this extremely diverse group includes individuals, government-sponsored enterprises, brokers and dealers, bank personal trusts, estates, savings bonds, corporate and noncorporate businesses for a total of $1.107 trillion.

. . . .

4. Japan

U.S. debt holdings: $1.038 trillion

. . . .

5. Pension Funds

U.S. debt holdings: $842.2 billion

. . . .

6. Mutual Funds

U.S. debt holdings: $653.5 billion

. . . .

7. State and Local Governments

U.S. debt holdings: $484.4 billion

. . . .

8. The United Kingdom

U.S. debt holdings: $429.4 billion

. . . .

9. Depository Institutions

U.S. debt holdings: $284.5 billion

. . . .

10. Insurance Companies

U.S. debt holdings: $250.1 billion

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Israel teams with terror group to kill Iran’s nuclear scientists, U.S. officials tell NBC News

open quoteBy Richard Engel and Robert Windrem
NBC News

Updated: 11:14 a.m. ET — Deadly attacks on Iranian nuclear scientists are being carried out by an Iranian dissident group that is financed, trained and armed by Israel’s secret service, U.S. officials tell NBC News, confirming charges leveled by Iran’s leaders.

The group, the People’s Mujahedin of Iran, has long been designated as a terrorist group by the United States, accused of killing American servicemen and contractors in the 1970s and supporting the takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran before breaking with the Iranian mullahs in 1980.

The attacks, which have killed five Iranian nuclear scientists since 2007 and may have destroyed a missile research and development site, have been carried out in dramatic fashion, with motorcycle-borne assailants often attaching small magnetic bombs to the exterior of the victims’ cars.close quote (Read more)

Opposition leader in S Ossetia in coma as riot police raids her office

Russia and Georgia fought a brief war over the status of South Ossetia, which resulted in their semi-autonomy, and increased Russian influence.

open quoteThe situation in Tskhinvali region became tense, Alla Dzhioyeva, the candidate of the so-called presidential elections of South Ossetia was hospitalized on Thursday, after law enforcers break into the headquarter of the party.

A doctor in the hospital said Dzhioyeva suffered a hypertensive crisis and was presently in intensive care.close quote

Her opponent, Anatoly Bibilov, claimed to be backed by Russia.