Thread: Iraq/Dinar News Before Febuary 12th, 2006

Siasat

US warns Iran to stop aiding Iraqi insurgents

Thursday, 01 February 2007

Washington, February 01: Iran is supplying Iraqi insurgents with weapons technology used to kill American troops, a senior US diplomat said on Wednesday, sending another warning to Iran against interfering in Iraq.

"We have picked up individuals who we believe are giving very sophisticated explosive technology to Shia insurgent groups who then use that technology to target and kill American soldiers," said Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns.

"It's a very serious situation. And the message from the United States is, Iran should cease and desist."

The United States has been tracking Iranian involvement in Iraqi insurgent attacks for about two years and has found increasing evidence that Iran has given assistance to Shi'ite in Southern Iraq, Burns said in an interview with NPR taped for broadcast on Thursday.

"They have attacked British soldiers near Basra and they've now begun to mount those operations throughout the country - at least in the Baghdad region as well," Burns said.

Washington officials have charged that Iran is providing Shi'ites with high-grade explosives capable of tearing through the armor on military vehicles.

The Bush administration has repeatedly warned Iran against fueling violence in Iraq and U.S. forces have detained a number of Iranian officials in raids over the past month.

"We warned Iran privately on a number of occasions over the last year and a half and the Iranians, of course, did not appear to listen to that, so now we've begun to detain those Iranian officials," Burns said in the interview.

"We think it's absolutely within our rights to do so under Article 51 of the UN charter, which is self-defense."

Washington accuses Tehran of undermining efforts to stabilize Iraq and of pursuing nuclear weapons.

Iran's ambassador to Iraq, Hassan Kazemi Qomi, told The New York Times this week that Tehran was stepping up its military and economic ties with Baghdad. He also ridiculed evidence the US military said it has which proves Iranian involvement in planning attacks on American and Iraqi forces.

President Bush has stressed he is seeking a diplomatic solution to the dispute over Iran's nuclear program, but has vowed to respond firmly if Tehran escalates its military action in Iraq, reviving speculation about a possible US attack on Iran.

Two US aircraft carriers have been stationed in the Gulf as a warning to Iran.


[Last Updated: Friday, 02 February 2007]

Siasat

Bush's Iraq 'surge' could swell to 48,000 US troops: Report

Friday, 02 February 2007

Washington, February 02: President George W Bush's plan to add 21,500 troops in Iraq could actually result in an increased US military force in Iraq of up to 48,000 troops, a congressional report has concluded.

The nonpartisan congressional budget office said that when non-combat support troops are taken into account, the actual number of additional troops deployed in Iraq could reach between 35,000 and 48,000.

The CBO said the administration's "surge" in troops could cost between 20 billion to 27 billion dollars over the first 12 months of the deployment.

Under bush's plan, five army combat brigades and two marine battalions totaling more than 21,500 troops will be added to the 138,000-strong US force in Iraq and put mainly in Baghdad in an attempt to break the cycle of sectarian violence there.

No additional support units have been ordered deployed as yet as part of the buildup.

"I would say that the estimate provided by the CBO in their worst case scenario is far above what is needed," said a senior pentagon official, who asked not to be identified.


[Last Updated: ]

Voices of Iraq: Iraq-WTO-Update 1
Posted by: saleem on Friday, February 02, 2007 - 09:41 PM

Iraq-WTO-Update 1
Iraq to discuss trade regulations with WTO soon
By Hadi al-Hadi
(Adds official's statement)
Amman, Feb 2, (VOI) –Iraq will start several preparatory meetings with the world Trade Organization (WTO) soon on the way for Iraq's joining of the WTO, an Iraqi foreign ministry official said on Friday.
"The Iraqi high committee will soon go to the WTO headquarters in Switzerland to discuss the trade regulations necessary for Iraq's joining of the WTO," Ambassador Surud Najuib told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
The talks would include proposed changes required within the Iraqi trade regulations to meet the standards set by the World Trade Organization to pave the way before Iraq to join the organization , Ambassador Najuib said.
Iraq has made every effort to meet the standards set by the World Trade Organization in an attempt to enjoy the organization membership.
On Thursday, a conference in the Jordanian capital Amman discussed Iraq's joining of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Held by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in tandem with the Iraqi-U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Industry, under the aegis of Microsoft, the 1st preparatory conference on Iraq's accession to WTO focused on the issue of investment in Iraq, which was approved by the Iraqi parliament.
"The meeting reviewed new investment opportunities and Iraq's accession to the WTO as member, not as an observer as is the case now," Greg Howell, Global Development Alliance Advisor USAID/Iraq, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
Howell said "by the end of February Iraq will attend its first session with the WTO," noting he had met several times with Iraqi officials and ministers concerned, which is part of the USAID's activities."
"We are now working with Iraqi banks to practice up-to-date banking as well as laying guarantees for loans," said the USAID official.
He pointed out that the USAID's objectives through working with the Iraqi government envisage increasing the number of investment companies, creating jobs for unemployed Iraqis, laying the foundations for an investment climate that would benefit the Iraqi government and making it easy for international companies to come to Iraq.
The meeting was attended by representatives from the Iraqi ministries of trade and foreign affairs as well as Iraqi companies and foreign investors

Iraq-WTO-Update 1 :: Aswat al Iraq :: Aswat al Iraq

South Korean delegation to meet Iraqi officials over oil development

Feb 01, 2007 (BBC Monitoring via COMTEX) -- SEOUL, Feb. 1 (Yonhap) - A South Korean delegation of parliamentarians and businessmen arrived in Amman, Jordan, on Thursday to meet with Iraqi provincial government officials about joint oil development and other economic development projects for the war-torn country, Seoul officials said Thursday.

Led by ruling Uri Party Rep. Han Byung-do, the six-member delegation will meet with Mayor Abu-Kil of the Iraqi central city of Najaf, which adjoins the Jordanian capital, said Yoo Jae-seok, an aide to Han. South Koreans have been banned from entering Iraq since 2004, when a South Korean worker in Iraq was kidnapped and killed by an insurgent group there. Najaf and several other Iraqi cities controlled by Iraqi Shi'is have asked Korean firms to get propose reconstruction projects, citing Korea's experience in post-war economic reconstruction, said Han's aide, who represents the National Assembly special committee on Iraqi reconstruction. Due to security concerns, Korea's investment in Iraq has so far been limited to the Kurdish-controlled region, where 2,300 South Korean troops are deployed. The delegation includes officials from trade, construction and petrochemical firms. Talks will cover comprehensive economic partnerships with Iraq, including oil reserve development in southern Iraq and construction.

Source: Yonhap news agency, Seoul, in English 0906 gmt 1 Feb 07

BBC Mon AS1 AsPol ME1 MEPol ag

South Korean delegation to meet Iraqi officials over oil development
Noozz.com | IRAQ

Originally Posted by shotgunsusie

The Jitters in Tehran

Iran has a poulation of approximately 70 million people and is a country that is slightly larger than the state of Alaska. And their president thinks we can believe him when he says first that they are not developing nuclear weapons and then says they will become a world power. Sorry, I wasn't born yesterday.

Sorry to appear as the village *****, but Shot Gun could you, or anyone for that matter, tell me why we started a new thread? What was wrong with the other one? Thanks.

Scott Paye

Originally Posted by scottpaye

Sorry to appear as the village *****, but Shot Gun could you, or anyone for that matter, tell me why we started a new thread? What was wrong with the other one? Thanks.

Scott Paye

The forum owner Admin likes New Threads. I let these run up to a thousand post and I request a member to start a new one for me. That is the reason. Hope you understand.
They get very long at times. So they are here. And I now date them for reference. Thanks.

Originally Posted by shotgunsusie

Iraq-WTO-Update 1 :: Aswat al Iraq :: Aswat al Iraq

Forgive my being historically challenged, but was Iraq ever a part to f the WTO before?

WTO membership will not affect relations with GCC
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12 January 2007 (MENAFN)
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An official at the Iraq Ministry of Trade said that Iraq's expected membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO) will have no effects on economic relations with the GCC neighbors, Gulf News reported.

He said that some economic sectors will remain under the Iraqi government's control even after joining the WTO.

He stressed that joining the 151-member organization will not have any negative economic impact on the war-torn country. He pointed out that joining the WTO will increase investments and accelerate modernization and productivity in Iraq, along with opening more markets for Iraqi goods and improving transport regulations.

Negotiations for Iraq's entry into the WTO will begin in Geneva in February.

WTO membership will not affect relations with GCC | Iraq Updates

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