Thread: Iraq/Dinar News Up until April 5th 5PM CTZ.

Would I be wrong in making the assumption that the Iranian crisis and the rising of oil prices will increase said revenues for the oil in Iraq and thus drive up the dinar value (in time) even more?

Why You Should Care About the World Bank and Iraq
by Bank Information Center

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30 March 2007 (Just)

Reports that a World Bank staffer was shot at an Iraqi checkpoint surfaced in late February. The Bank apparently suppressed the news for several days, presumably in an effort to quell concerns about Bank President Paul Wolfowitz's recent push to re-open a World Bank office in Baghdad. What should the Bank be doing in Iraq? Following is an overview of current Bank involvement in the country, and some reasons why you should be concerned.

What the Bank is doing in Iraq

The World Bank's stated mission for Iraq is to "help Iraq build efficient, inclusive, transparent, and accountable institutions for stability, good governance, and sustainable economic prosperity." Activities are guided by a 2006-7 Interim Strategy Note (ISN) and based on four pillars: restoring basic service delivery, enabling private sector development, strengthening social safety nets, and improving public sector governance. The Bank is currently providing both lending and technical advice to the country. It also administers one part of the International Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq: the World Bank Iraq Trust Fund (the UN's Development Group Trust Fund is the other part).

* Lending: The ISN provides a framework for up to $500 million in IDA resources. Another $500 million in IBRD resources may also be available, contingent upon improvements in creditworthiness. The Bank's website lists three active IDA projects with commitments totaling almost $300 million. The IFC, the Bank's private-sector arm, is supporting four private investments in the country totaling $297 million, including a SME-based project involving a Jordanian bank and a Commercial Bank project involving the National Bank of Kuwait (which is also, incidentally, part of a consortium managing the Iraq Trade Bank).

* Analytical & Advisory Services: The Bank is also providing policy reform papers on key issues and sectors, and organizing policy dialogues. Examples of Iraq reform paper topics include: economic reform, investment climate, and state-owned enterprises. One WB policy reform paper (United Nations and World Bank Joint Needs Assessment: Investment Climate (October 2003)) urges Iraq to quickly develop institutions and laws in favor of private and foreign investment. The Bank is also the lead adviser to the IMF's Iraq program on sectoral strategies including, inter alia, the oil sector.

* Iraq Trust Fund: Through the World Bank Iraq Trust Fund, the Bank finances at least 15 active and completed projects totaling over $400 million, primarily in the Water/Sanitation, Transportation, and Education sectors.

* Office: Bank activities in Iraq have been directed through an office in Amman, Jordan since shortly after the fall of Saddam Hussein. Country Director Joseph Saba is based in Washington, DC. However, Paul Wolfowitz has recently made moves to beef up the Bank's presence in the country, negotiating a contract with a new resident country director to be based in Baghdad's "Green Zone".

So what's the big deal?

1. The Bank's rush to re-engage is premature

Some argue that by preparing an ISN and approving lending to the country, the Bank is going against its own conditions for engagement, as outlined in the 1998 "Framework for World Bank Involvement in Post-Conflict Countries" and Operational Policy (OP) 2.30: Development Cooperation and Conflict. The OP states that an Interim-Strategy Note (ISN) may be prepared to guide short to medium-term operations when "active conflict has diminished sufficiently for Bank staff to be able to travel to the area for the purpose of identifying and supervising Bank-supported countries" and "there is a reasonable expectation of continued stability or of a sustainable &cease fire."

Active violence continues, there is no reasonable expectation of stability and World Bank staff cannot travel safely in the country. Sectarian violence is not only ongoing, it has intensified since the Bank prepared the ISN in 2005. And as the February shooting shows, staff is clearly not safe operating in the country. "In the simplest financial terms, there is no functioning banking system, the government does not control its territory and it cannot guarantee loan repayment. Any emergency or social funding in Iraq should come from donors' grants, not loans," Bea Edwards of the Government Accountability Project recently commented. Without stability and security, how can World Bank lending be properly implemented or supervised?

2. If I want your opinion, I'll give it to you&

Wolfowitz has the power to re-appoint a resident country director for the Baghdad office, regardless of staff and management concerns. But should he? Word is that Middle East Vice-President Christiaan Poortman resigned after a falling-out with Bank management over the issue. German ED Eckhard Deutscher has also publicly raised concerns. "Mr. Wolfowitz says he was simply following staff advice 'for a modest, incremental upgrading of our presence' in Iraq and that the plans have board approval, but current and former officials say he and his staff were the driving force for change," Greg Hitt wrote in the Wall Street Journal last year. At the very least, recent developments highlight ongoing tensions between Wolfowitz's team and the Bank's Board. Many are wondering if these tensions will in turn hamper the President's ability to successfully raise funds during the upcoming IDA-15 replenishment.

3. Wolfowitz's conflict of interest

In addition to exacerbating tensions within the institution, many see Wolfowitz's actions as confirming longstanding fears that the President will use his role to promote US geopolitical interests. His rush to establish an office might very well be interpreted as a move to instill greater confidence in other donors involved in reconstruction efforts in Iraq. Some might even go so far as to suggest the move might be laying the groundwork for ushering US private-sector interests back into the country. How can an architect of the Iraq war be truly objective in guiding the country's reconstruction?

4. No 'development cancer' in post-conflict environments?

Paul Wolfowitz has made the fight against corruption a defining theme of his presidency thus far; the Governance and Anti-Corruption Strategy (GAC) is expected to be finalized at next month's Spring Meetings. Yet the GAC's ambitious list of expectations and conditions for tackling corruption in borrowing countries and Bank projects seems oddly matched with lending to Iraq. Numerous reports have highlighted the level of corruption in the country. The Bank apparently grants special exceptions for countries in conflict. But what is appropriate? Many have criticized the GAC's spotty treatment of corruption in post-conflict environments. Given the astounding amount of debt previously incurred by corrupt regimes, and current calls to cancel these "odious" debts, how can the Bank reasonably turn a blind eye to corruption in post-conflict situations? Wolfowitz and the Bank must walk the talk with respect to corruption and Iraq.

5. Iraq: Open for business!

IMF lending and debt relief to Iraq is in part contingent upon the country's development of a petroleum law. Stipulated in an agreement signed before the election of the new government, and without meaningful public scrutiny, the law is currently being debated by the Iraqi Parliament. It will establish a Federal Oil and Gas Council, staffed in part by Big Oil executives. "The new law would grant the council virtually all power to develop policies and plans for undeveloped oil fields and to review and change all exploration and production contracts," Juan Gonzalez reported in the Daily News on Feb 21. Conveniently, it would seem, these companies will be some of the very same US and British companies formerly excluded from Iraq's oil industry due to US sanctions against the country; the Iraqi National Oil Company won't have any advantage over these foreign companies. "Since most of Iraq's 73 proven petroleum fields have yet to be developed, the new council would instantly become a world energy powerhouse," Gonzalez wrote. Contracts with international companies will likely be similar to controversial production-sharing agreements, which could prolong and exacerbate poor governance by allowing investors in the oil and gas sector to effectively bypass the weak or absent legal and regulatory frameworks.

What's the Bank's role in all of this? The institution is advising the IMF in the development of the oil sector strategy. More broadly, the Bank is advising Iraq on attracting foreign direct investment through quickly developing investor friendly laws and institutions and also advising on reforming state-owned enterprises. In addition, the Bank is participating in meetings with the IMF, Iraq Minister of Finance, and the International Tax and Investment Center (ITIC) on Iraq's oil sector. The ITIC is a business lobby group comprised of: BP, Chevron, Eni, ExxonMobil, Shell, and Total. A third workshop with ITIC on Iraq petroleum fiscal issues is scheduled for this Spring.

6. Post-conflict engagement: the Bank's new bread-and-butter?

Why aren't other post-conflict countries receiving the same attention from the World Bank? Comparing World Bank assistance across post-conflict countries is at times like comparing apples and oranges, but here's some food for thought:

* Iraq. Conflict status: ongoing sectarian violence. World Bank lending: Three IDA projects since 2005 totaling $300 million and four IFC projects totaling $297million. No lending 1973-2005.

* Afghanistan. Conflict status: ongoing unrest.* World Bank lending: Since 2002, 30 IDA/IBRD projects totaling $1.29 billion. No lending 1979-2002.

* Ivory Coast. Conflict status: peace process underway, disarmament started.* World Bank lending: Four IDA/IBRD projects since 2002 totaling $235 million.

* Sierra Leone. Conflict status: conflict ended in 2002.* World Bank lending: Fourteen IDA/IBRD projects approved since 2002, totaling $303 million.

* Liberia. Conflict status: civil war ended in 2003, peace agreement signed.* World Bank lending: Since 2005, 4 IDA/IBRD projects have been approved, totaling $46.5 million. No lending 1985-2005

* Central African Republic. Conflict status: fragile.* Since 1999, 4 IDA/IBD projects have been approved totaling $127 million. No new lending 1994-99 or 2001-05.


* Haiti. Conflict status: free and fair elections in 2006.* World Bank lending: Nine IDA/IBRD projects since 2005, totaling $165 million. No lending 1996-2005.

Source: "Semi-Annual Monitoring Report on Conflict-Affected Countries, December 2005-May 2006". The World Bank.

Moving forward...

The World Bank's involvement in Iraq provides critical fuel for analyzing the institution's engagement in post-conflict situations. As intrastate violence has increased, so the Bank has stepped up its involvement in virtually all aspects of "peacebuilding". Do privatization and conditionality in post-conflict lending really enhance prospects for peace? What is the proper role for the Bank? The World Bank, governments, and civil society must actively engage with these and other questions in the years to come.

The IFIs must tread carefully in resource-rich countries. Iraq's oil may in fact be a "resource curse", given the correlation between abundant mineral wealth (in Iraq's case, oil) and negative economic and political consequences. An even more central concern is whether the liberalization and privatization of Iraq's economy will alleviate or exacerbate the conflict, given the country's current inability to successfully distribute resources and profits. The IFIs must provide thoughtful development assistance, not use their influence to drum up business in a barely stable post-conflict environment. And the main beneficiaries must be Iraqis, not international consulting firms, international oil companies, the IMF or World Bank.

DNO ASA - Update on the activities in Kurdistan
In line with oilfield practices and with DNO's environmental policies, oil flaring will be avoided.

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30 March 2007 (Huginonline)

- An extended production test of Tawke # 5 delivered a maximum flow rate of 9,860 bopd

- Tawke development wells are now being subject to extended production testing in preparation for permanent production as well as to gain reservoir data

- Oil produced during extended flow testing is being collected in storage tanks

- Pre-commissioning and final testing of the first phase of the Tawke Early Production facilities is expected to commence shortly

- First oil production from Tawke will commence less than 3 years since DNO was first awarded the license and less than 12 months since the company announced the Tawke discovery.

DRILLING AND TESTING STATUS

Tawke # 5:

Tawke # 5 was successfully drilled as an oil producer on the Tawke Field and is located some 1.1 km east of the Tawke # 4 well. After the well reached total depth, the well was completed as an oil producer and the drilling rig was released and moved to the Tawke # 6 location some 2.7 km south-west of Tawke # 5. Tawke # 5 was then production tested.

At the initial stage of the test, the well was tested for maximum flow capacity at a rate of 9,860 bopd. In order to obtain information about the reservoir characteristics of the Tawke field, an extended flow test at lower rates was then undertaken of the Tawke # 5 well. The well was flowed for several days and produced at a stable rate of approximately 4,500 bopd during two flow periods.

Three additional wells will now be started for clean-up and extended flow tests, with the same objectives as for Tawke # 5, and as part of the preparations for the oil to be processed by the permanent production and export facilities installed at the Tawke Field. The duration of the extended test campaign of the three wells is expected to last several weeks.

In line with good oilfield practices and with DNO's environmental policies, flaring of oil will be avoided during the extended testing. The oil is therefore collected in storage tanks.

Tawke # 6:

The Tawke # 6 was initially designed as a water injector. The well has now reached total depth, and production testing will be undertaken of the main Tawke producing reservoir. If movable oil at commercial rates is confirmed, the well will be completed as an oil producer.

If Tawke # 6 turns out as an oil well, then the oil/water contact has yet to be defined within the Tawke main producing reservoir. In this case a new well will be immediately drilled further down-dip from the Tawke # 6 location. If this well penetrates the water zone, it will be completed as a water injector.

Tawke # 3:

The Tawke # 3 is designed as an exploration / appraisal well at the eastern extension of the Tawke area. The well objectives are to penetrate both of the oil producing intervals confirmed at the main Tawke structure, as well as the deeper oil bearing intervals in Tawke # 1, which were not properly tested. The well is expected to reach total depth during the next two weeks.

In addition, a small carrier rig will soon arrive at the Tawke location and will be used for testing the deeper reservoir intervals of Tawke # 1.

TAWKE EARLY PRODUCTION PLAN

The Central Processing Facilities (CPF) arrived at the Tawke area during February, and the installation and hook-up work as well as preparation for pre-commissioning and testing is well progressed.

Installation of the pipeline connecting the Tawke oil production to the main northern pipeline is nearly completed. However, certain technical information and issues require further clarifications with the pipeline Operator, before the pipeline from Tawke can be permanently tied into the northern pipeline.

Tanks and trucking loading stations are also in the process of being installed both at the CPF as well as at the pipeline tie-in point. Pre-commissioning and final testing of the first phase of the Tawke Early Production facilities is expected to commence within a short period of time. This accomplishment is less than 3 years since DNO was first awarded the license and less than 12 months since the company announced the Tawke discovery.

Whilst finalising the Tawke facilities, the development wells drilled to date will be subject to extensive flow testing and reservoir pressure testing in order optimise future production. As reported above the oil produced during testing is collected in storage tanks.

Commenting on the results Managing Director Helge Eide says:

"We are very pleased with our achievement in Kurdistan to date. We made the Tawke oil discovery in our first exploration well, and delivering first oil production within less than one year from this discovery demonstrates our capability to undertake fast-track exploration and development

Completing the first stage of the Tawke Early production Development will mark a new important milestone to Kurdistan Regional Development and DNO."

Iraq Reforms Needed To Free Up Cash

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30 March 2007 (The New York Sun)

America is requesting billions of dollars to help train Iraqis to spend the money they already have.

That was the message this week in testimony before the House Foreign Relations Committee from the State Department's senior Iraq coordinator to explain why Iraq would need $4 billion to help spend the $12.5 billion the Iraqi government already has in its accounts.

Speaking before the House Foreign Relations Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights and Oversight, David Satterfield said building what accountants call "budget execution capacity" was a top priority now for his provincial reconstruction teams.

"Why couldn't Iraq spend these monies? Why couldn't the oil [minister] spend the $3.5 billion in his capital investment budget? Only some 6% was actually spent," he said. "The answer is not corruption. It's not politics. It's not security. It is literally the lack of mechanisms, the lack of the experience and capacity to spend funds which exist in Iraqi hands."

Current and former American financial advisers to the Iraqi government explain that the problem of budget execution has persisted for the Iraqis since June 2004, when the Coalition Provisional Authority officially disbanded and turned over the country's coffers to an interim government led by Iyad Allawi.

Hit hardest in the Iraqi government is the ministry of oil and the ministry of defense. While salaries of employees and soldiers are often paid on time, capital investments like new wells and new bases are not being made. The inability of Iraq's military to spend money on new investments worried one military consultant who yesterday said that it could prevent necessary spending for the maintenance of bases, equipment, and vehicles the American military is giving Iraqis as part of its efforts to rebuild the Iraqi military. "There needs to be a certain amount of money spent each year on just the maintenance of this stuff," this official said. "If they don't have the capacity to spend this money, then it will turn into junk."

One problem, according to a former Treasury official, is that there is no electronic system to count expenses and income for the individual ministries, local police stations, and even the military. "Every ministry has been functioning with a sturdy pencil, with handwritten paper records. I wish there was even carbon triplicates," this former official said. "They take a great big white sheet of butcher paper and draw lines and columns."

The lack of an electronic system has facilitated corruption, such as the over-billing of dummy contractors — a practice that has been the target of some prosecutions in Iraq. Less dramatically, it has slowed progress, causing orders to spend money to take days to process through the finance ministry. To this day, most Iraqi salaries are paid in cash that is delivered to local offices from the banks.

A consulting company, Bearing Point, has had a contract since 2004 to develop an electronic financial management system for Iraq's government, but it has been slow going. To this day, most of Iraq's provincial government offices are not connected to ministry of finance. The hope is that when this system is established, Iraq will have the banking infrastructure for automated teller machines.

Another problem facing the Iraqis is that there are hardly any accountants. Part of the American reconstruction effort will go to training procurement officers, accountants, and budget experts to be attached to local police stations and military units.

The former staff director for what is now the House Foreign Relations Committee, Hillel Weinberg, said Congress began quietly to ask questions about the accounting systems in 2005. He said, "Budget execution is extremely difficult. What everyone says about Iraq, is that people have a difficult time making decisions. It used to come from the top. One of the problems, their structure, the infrastructure, how you do this is lacking. It is not something that we have been able to get a handle on."

Lawmakers in the House at least appear to be losing patience. Rep. Gary Ackerman, a Democrat from New York, on Tuesday chastised the Iraqis for spending only 20% of the $6 billion they had budgeted last year for reconstruction projects. "The United States has invested $2 billion in Iraq's oil infrastructure, an important investment, I'm sure. But for reconstruction to be successful, we can't want it to succeed more than do the Iraqis," Mr. Ackerman said.

Mr. Ackerman voted Friday for a supplemental budget bill that gave the Bush administration most of the $4 billion it requested for Iraq reconstruction. But that bill, like the Senate's this week, contains a timeline for withdrawal certain to draw the president's veto. The maneuvering will mean that Congress will have to draw up another supplemental funding bill sometime when they return from spring recess after April 15, the date when the military will run out of money for the Iraq war and be forced to make cuts in training and vehicle maintenance.

Appreciation of Iraqi dinar called 'commendable' at IMF meeting

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30 March 2007 (PortAl Iraq)

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has completed the third and fourth reviews of Iraq's performance under its economic program supported by a Stand-By Arrangement. The IMF arrangement is being treated as precautionary by the Iraqi authorities, and no purchase is planned.

The Stand-By Arrangement in an amount equivalent to SDR 475.36 million (about $714.7 million) was approved on Dec. 23, 2005. In completing the latest reviews, the Executive Board also approved the authorities' request for a six-month extension of the arrangement through Sept. 28. Additionally, the Board also approved the authorities request for a waiver of the non-observance of a structural performance criterion.

Following the Executive Board's discussion of Iraq, Deputy Managing Director and Acting Chair Takatoshi Kato said:

"Iraq is entering a crucial period in its economic recovery. Despite very difficult political and security circumstances, the Iraqi authorities have taken important measures to keep their economic program on track. The maintenance of fiscal discipline, as well as the tightening of monetary policy and the appreciation of the dinar, are commendable. The increase of official domestic fuel prices and the enactment by the Council of Representatives (CoR) of a law liberalizing the import of fuel products are important steps. The amendments to the pension law were submitted to the CoR; we look forward to their early passage into law. The government's approval of a new oil and gas law augurs well for the future of the oil sector. Progress is also being made in financial sector reform.

"Inflation, however, remains high. While this is to an important extent due to the prevailing difficult security situation and supply disruptions, the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) may need to take further steps in order to prevent high inflation from becoming entrenched and to de-dollarize the economy. Fiscal policy should be supportive by keeping current spending, including the wage and pension bill, in check. At the same time, it is important to increase government investment, especially in the oil sector. The government also needs to reduce supply bottlenecks, especially of fuel products. To that end, actions are needed to facilitate the importing of fuel products by the private sector. The pace of structural reforms needs to be increased. Efforts to modernize the chart of accounts and the budget classification need to be stepped up, and the Financial Management Information System should be implemented rapidly. It is important to complete the census of public sector employees by mid-year. While the restructuring effort on the two largest banks is commendable, efforts should be made to restructure the four other state-owned banks. The modernization of the payments system needs to be expanded to cover all banks."

"The CBI's efforts to implement the recommendations of the Interim Safeguards assessment report and the Ernst and Young 2005 audit report are encouraging. The Ministry of Finance is strongly encouraged to recapitalize the CBI as soon as possible.

"Progress in settling arrears with private creditors is commendable. However, further progress is needed towards resolving non-Paris Club official claims," Kato concluded.

During his meeting with President Mubarak and Amr Moussa .. D. Allawi : we must give up all Iraqi parties to the national reconciliation Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's Iraqi National List Secretary-General of the Iraqi National Accord during his visit to Cairo talks with President Hosni Mubarak, where he briefed President Mubarak on the results of his visit recently to Saudi Arabia, in addition to mobilize Arab support for its efforts to bring about changes in the political process in Iraq. As Dr. Iyad Allawi held in Cairo talks with the Secretary General of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, during which he reviewed his thoughts, and the members of the Iraqi List on the national importance of achieving national reconciliation in Iraq in order to achieve stability and the stability of the region .. and Dr. Iyad Allawi following a meeting with Moussa expressed hope that the Riyadh summit to "push the national interests and to restore balance to Iraq, and it can recover and continue the interaction and integration with the region to build stability and peace in full." Moussa also discussed with issues relating to national unity and reconciliation in Iraq, especially "We on the outskirts of the the Arab summit, "saying that" national reconciliation is not conferences, but to take action and introduce laws that would restore the trust and confidence of citizens in order to be a genuine national reconciliation in Iraq, the Iraqi situation lead to stability. " He said Dr. Iyad Allawi "must give up all Iraqi parties for national reconciliation." Dr. Allawi his rejection of sectarian political, and said, "We believe that the path of sectarian and ethnic quotas Stethian Iraq and the region, and we accept the concept that Iraq will be the national all Iraqis regardless of their religious, political and ethnic."

Quirk of fate that these days, which works to save Iraq from their current trial is (Conspirator)! It wants to set up a project to build a national Iraqi democratic Iraq in which the state of law and institutions is (Matam)! It wants to strengthen Iraq's relations with its Arab, Islamic and Arab leaders to meet to discuss ways and means of ridding Iraq of the disrepair and collapse it in the eyes of some politicians (Conspirator)! It anomalies bad time anyway, and all of the claims (Araghith) or that he has some connection to Beni fellow Arabs is (Conspirator) revolve around his (suspicions), is a fabrication and news reports in the news sites (paid) to weave from Khyalatha ailing, allegations and fabrications God alone knows what the Sultan of! The Iraqis are those who know (conspire) want them dragged to the roar of incinerators wars will be devastating, and cuts off spot for the sold into slavery cheapest price! If it is working to save his country and bringing it to shore safely (Conspirator a) The Iraqi people will say the right word chapter, which become him to fly above suspicion, "Congratulations to all of the (plot) in order to stop the flow of Iraqi blood pious pure, and exposes the slogans that covers up some left behind, so as not to show the reality of themselves before their people and before the world. But the Iraqi people by the news of Art and rescue them, we must be cognizant of the fact that those who have been displaced and killed his sons and left millions and deported them, not only for their own fault that they are Iraqis, and is still in the Jabthm much more pleased by the loss of fellow so that the image stood the power for a longer period of time to turn over the necks of their fellow Iraqis to the guillotine of death! It really quirk of fate .. But what are woven and fabrication in the corridors of cheap propaganda, to be wiped from the mountains

Salah al-Din, Ashraf fraternity : Mr. Masoud Barzani President of the territory Cordstan yesterday in Salahuddin on the joint meeting of the presidencies of the Territory and the National Council for Cordstan Iraq and the territorial government. At the meeting, which was attended by Kosert Rasul, the Vice-President of the province, Adnan Mufti, head of the National Council of Cordstan Iraq, and his deputy, Dr. Kamal Karagoki Omar Fatah and the Deputy Prime Minister was a comprehensive review of the developments in the political and security situation in Iraq and the latest updates, as well as addressing the issue of the political Alcordstani planned announcement of the formation at a special meeting held today 3 / 29 for this purpose, and for the proposed annual budget of the government of the territory Cordstan it has been decided to speed up the completion of discussions and finalized for submission to Parliament Cordstan with reference to the delay in its return to the original delay sending the annual budget by the federal government .. As the two languages visits to the President each region of Saudi Arabia and Jordan were another focus of the meeting and decided to continue the territory Cordstan relations with these two countries also adopted the meeting centered in the final decisions regarding the inter affairs of the Presidency and the general conditions of the territory Cordstan

Voices of Iraq: Najaf-Sadr
Posted by: saleem on Friday, March 30, 2007 - 07:11 PM

Najaf-Sadr
Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr calls for staging demonstration on April 9
Najaf, March 30, (VOI) - Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr called on Friday for staging a mass demonstration on April 9, the fourth anniversary of Baghdad fall after the U.S.-led invasion to Iraq.
In a statement released by Sadr's office and delivered on behalf of him by Sheikh Abdul Hadi al-Mohamadawi to worshippers during Friday prayers at al-Kufa mosque, 170 km southwest of Baghdad, al-Sadr reiterated his calls for ending foreign presence in Iraq.
"The presence of U.S. forces in Iraq is something depending on the Iraqis themselves not anyone else," the Shiite cleric said.
"The departure of U.S. forces will mean stability for Iraq, victory for peace and defeat for terrorism," he affirmed.
The statement said "hoist Iraqi flags atop homes, apartment buildings and government departments to show the sovereignty and independence of Iraq, and that you reject the presence occupation forces."
"let the entire world hear your voice that you reject occupation, destruction and terrorism," he said in calling for the April 9 demonstration.
April 9, 2003 was the day the Iraqi capital Baghdad fell to U.S. forces.
Muqtada al-Sadr also urged all Muslim and Arab nations to support Iraq and demonstrate for it, describing Iraq as the Arab nation's shield.
Al-Sadr also blamed the presence of U.S. forces in Iraq for the increased violence, poor services and sectarian bloodshed.
"Occupation forces isolated Iraq from the Arab and Islamic world, leading all countries to be careless about the war-ravaged country," he confirmed.
Al-Sadr's statement was his first since March 14, when he urged his supporters to resist U.S. forces in Iraq through peaceful means.
Al-Sadr has been said by U.S. and Iraqi officials to be in neighboring Iran, but his aides insist he is still in Iraq.
General William Caldwell, spokesman for the Multi-National forces in Iraq said in an interview on Thursday that the number of U.S. troops in the country would reach 172,000 by next June.
The U.S. Congress approved yesterday a draft resolution on the withdrawal of troops from Iraq in four months to be completed by March, 2008.
The vote came with a majority of 51 against 47.
The U.S. House of Representatives voted last Friday for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq by Autumn 2008.
U.S. President George W. Bush vowed to veto that decision.
SH

Najaf-Sadr :: Aswat al Iraq :: Aswat al Iraq

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