FANCY A QUICK $20 BILLION?

Start a rumour somewhere that you're short of cash.

Help that rumour to spread a little, pass it around.

See your share price plunge.

Then scream, "Hey, we're one of the biggest banks in the world. You can't let us go down!"

Then get your mates in the Federal Reserve to give you $20 billion.

It's dead easy.

That's what Citigroup did.

Citigroup does not become one of the biggest banks in the world without the say so of certain people based in Wall Street and The City of London.

That's why Robert E Rubin, who is currently traitor No. 5 at the CFR, is a director of Citigroup, after he and Greenspan argued successfully for deregulation of derivatives.

That's why the Chairman of Citigroup is a knight of the realm, Sir Winfried Bischoff, after he increased the power of Henry J Schroder of London, one the greater powers in the Federal Reserve and although of German origin is a loyal British bank, after Bischoff arranged for Schroder to be deeply involved in the Thatcher privatisations.