Thread: Archive Latest News - Dinar Think Tank - 27/08/08 - 15/01/09

Iraq calls on Japanese firms to reconstruct oil facilities

Iraq's minister of oil on Thursday called on Japanese companies to take part in reconstructing its petroleum facilities.

"Iraq called on major Japanese oil firms to take part in reconstructing Iraqi infrastructures." a government statement received by Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq - (VOI) cited Hussein al-Shahristani, minister of oil, as saying during a meeting with the Japanese Charge d'affaires.

On Wednesday the International Monetary Fund said Iraq's economic prospects are improving with increased security helping to boost oil output and exports, while inflation has declined.

Aswat Aliraq

Iraqi Politicians receive draft of SOFA

An Iraqi parliament member from the security and defence committee, on condition of anonymity, told al-Sabah newspaper that the leaderships of the political blocs have received the draft of SOFA (Status Of Forces Agreement).

The MP said in his statement “there is an unanimously refusal on the draft in its recent form. All the political blocs are agreed on PM al-Maliki’s objections about some of the pact’s articles. I think that the political blocs will refuse SOFA, in case it was presented to the parliament.”

The MP emphasized that there is a new divergence point represented by the aerial support, where U.S. connects its aerial support to the Iraqi forces with other articles in the pact. He added that the Iraqi government and the political leaderships are insisting that the pact should include a timetable for the withdrawal of the American forces and not to give these forces an absolute immunity.

Concerning the same issue, the MP from the United Iraqi Alliance Abbas al-Bayati said that Baghdad will witness political meetings at the coming days between the political leaderships to reach a national consensus . He added that the government is working side by side with the Political Council for National Security to reach an agreement including a timetable to end the foreign presence in Iraq and keep its sovereignty.

PUKmedia :: English - Iraqi politicians receive draft of SOFA

Kurdish lawmaker: no dispute over Iraq-US pact among Iraqi political blocs

Mahmoud Othman, an Iraqi lawmaker from the Kurdistan Alliance bloc, told PUKmedia that there is no dispute over the US-Iraq long-term strategic agreement among the Iraqi political blocs.

“More than any other political blocs, the Kurdistan Alliance is eager to have the agreement signed and does not want it to be further delayed,” Mahmoud Othman said.

Iraq calls for changing some articles of the agreement which are related to the sovereignty of the state and the presence of the US troops in Iraq.

“The Iraqi government is waiting for an answer from the United States on the Iraqi suggestions.”

PUKmedia :: English - Kurdish lawmaker: no dispute over Iraq-US pact among Iraqi political blocs

Iraq’s Parliament to revise key laws next Tuesday, lawmakers say

The Iraqi council of representatives (Iraq’s parliament) is scheduled to convene next Tuesday to revise the key laws including the provincial elections law, and to vote on the US-Iraq strategic deal, lawmakers said.

“We put the provincial elections law at the top of the agenda in the coming session because the law is closely related to the interest of the Kurdish people. Kurdistan Alliance bloc wants to have article 24 of the provincial elections law been cancelled and the law should be passed based on a consensus,” Nawzad Saleh Rafhat, an Iraqi lawmaker told PUKmedia today.

Concerning the oil and gas law, Bayazid Hassan from the oil and gas parliamentary committee said: “The issue of gas and oil should be politically agreed upon. The law has currently reached a deadlock. Meanwhile, the Kurdistan Alliance bloc insists on returning to the law issued in February 2006 so as to be the key principle for passing the gas and oil law.”

PUKmedia :: English - Home

US says Baghdad to start paying anti-Qaeda fighters

The US military will next month transfer responsibility for paying 100,000 mostly Sunni fighters battling Al-Qaeda to Baghdad's Shiite-led government, the military told AFP on Thursday.

The government of Iraq and coalition forces have agreed in principle to transfer all 100,000 "Sons of Iraq" from October 1, US military spokesman Major John Hall told AFP.

The US military refers to the Sunni fighters, also known as the Awakening or Sahwa, as the Sons of Iraq or "SoIs".

"The transfer will start with the Baghdad province, with the other provinces following at a later date," Hall said.

He said Baghdad alone has around 54,000 Sahwa members under contract to the US military, and these contracts are expected to be transferred to the government on October 1.

"The first payment by the government of Iraq will be November 1, 2008. The current average monthly cost of these 54,000 SoIs is 15 million dollars," he added.

US says Baghdad to start paying anti-Qaeda fighters - Middle East News

Rise in the number of shares traded during the Iraq Stock Exchange last August, compared Btamoz

The E.x.e.cutive Director of the Iraq market for securities, Taha Ahmed Abdul Salam, said "the Iraqi Stock Exchange witnessed a rise in the number of shares traded during the month of August compared to July of last year 2008."

He said Abdel-Salam, in an interview with "Uzmatik", today, Thursday, that "the number of shares traded last August, hit 15 billion and 645 million shares valued at financial amounted to 22 billion and 690 million dinars, compared to 12 billion and 841 million shares, and at that amounted to 21% for the month Last July. "

Abdul Salam pointed out that "the number of shares traded for investors non-Iraqis also saw a rise of 4 billion and 105 million shares, valued at financial amounted to 5 billion and 90 million dinars, and at 113% of total shares traded for the month of July of this year."

He attributed the ****utive Director of the Iraq market for securities that rise to "implement many of the transactions that require a complete package from the sale of shares without fragmentation, in addition to stabilizing the security situation in Baghdad, which encouraged investors to invest non-Iraqis in Iraq."

At the centre of another, Abdul Salam revealed the signing of the final agreement with the company, direct, Iraqi aimed at creating services for investors at the start of electronic trading.

Abdul Salam pointed out that "conducting a test on August 20 last for a group of market intermediaries Iraq and testing of the determinants of the system through an electronic trading session with experts online trading," pointing out that "the results were positive for test systems and intermediaries, 22 when he accomplished mediator Out of 50 success exceeded 70%."

Abdul Salam, also announced its approval of "the Board of Governors to participate in the Fourth General Assembly of the European Union Asian exchanges scheduled for November 2008."

http://translate.google.co.uk/transl...hl=en&ie=UTF-8

Dollar demand slightly rises this week

Demand for the dollar was slightly up in the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) auction, registering $583.15 million this week compared to $571.950 million last week.

"The purchase rate saw a slight increase, registering $116.600 million in one session, against $114.390 million last week," an official source from the bank told Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq – (VOI).

This week's session was highly stable as Monday's session saw the highest volume of trading during the week with a total value of $159.450 million while this week's Sunday opening session registered the lowest demands on the dollar, registering $96.365 million.

Also this week, the exchange rate went down by two points as Sunday's session registered 1,183 Iraqi dinars for one dollar versus 1,184 Iraqi dinars during last Thursday's session and then down to 1,182 Iraqi dinars during Tuesday's session.

The Central Bank of Iraq runs a daily auction from Sunday to Thursday.

http://www.aswataliraq.info/look/eng...=2&NrSection=2

VP Abdel Mahdi: Elections of provincials’ councils will take place this year

During a TV interview the Iraqi Vice President Dr. Adel Abdel Mahdi said that Iraq will go ahead this year with the elections of the provincial councils even if the Parliament fails to pass the new elections law .

He also said that there is an old law that we can resort to, the government cannot delay the elections.

PUKmedia :: English - VP Abdel Mahdi: Elections of provincials’ councils will take place this year

Al-Maliki calls Political Council to meet

According to al-Iraqia state TV, today Iraqi PM Nouri al-Maliki called the Political Council for National Security to hold a meeting to discuss the issue of Khanaqin District.

The council will hold its meeting tomorrow according to al-Maliki’s request.

PUKmedia :: English - Al-Maliki calls Political Council to meet

Iraq seeks to buy fighter jets from US: Report

Iraq's government wants to buy 36 advanced F-16 fighters from the United States, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday, citing US military officials.

Such a purchase would help reduce Baghdad's reliance on US air power and possibly clear the way for the withdrawal of more US troops, the paper said.

US officials have previously maintained that the United States would have to keep fighter aircraft and helicopters in Iraq even after American combat troops leave.

But even if the deal was approved, countries in the region would likely be concerned with Baghdad's fledgling government having control of such sophisticated arms, the paper added.

Iraq has said it plans to buy about 10 billion dollars of US military hardware, including tanks and armored vehicles and transport aircraft.
The report of more possible arms deals come as Iraqi and US officials negotiate a sensitive security agreement governing the long-term withdrawal of US forces from the country.

Iraq seeks to buy fighter jets from US: report - Middle East News