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

Talabany: Reaction to federal Iraq mixed
Posted on : 2007-02-02 | Author : Energy News Editor
News Category : Energy


WASHINGTON, Feb. 2 (UPI) Feedback from Iraq's Sunnis and Shiites on a federal structure has been mixed, the Kurdistan Regional Government's representative in Washington said Friday.

Shiites largely support it, Qubad Jalal Talabany told United Press International in an interview Friday. The Sunnis are largely against because of the oil issue.Talabany said, however, that there were splits even within the Shiite and Sunni populations on the issue, however.

Among the Shiites, the backers of Moqtada al-Sadr oppose federalism while those of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq support it; Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is in the middle. And some Sunnis are now realizing that federalism may be the way to go.

The Kurds actively back a federal Iraq because they have enjoyed autonomy and relative prosperity ever since the first Gulf War. A federal structure will also give the Kurdistan Regional Government a greater say in negotiations over the sharing of oil revenue - a key sticking point in discussions among the three sides.

The Kurds remain willing to participate in Iraqi state building but reluctant to surrender any of the gains in autonomy they have achieved, said unclassified portions of key judgments of the U.S. National Intelligence Estimate released Friday. The Kurds and Shiites control the bulk of Iraq's 115 billion barrels of proven reserves

Copyright 2007 by United Press International



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Slovakia pulls troops from IraqFrom correspondents in Bratislava
February 03, 2007 01:52am
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SLOVAKIA has pulled its troops out of Iraq, Prime Minister Robert Fico said today, branding the war there "unjust and wrong".

The withdrawal of 110 Slovak army engineers fulfilled one of the leftist Fico's top campaign promises in a June 2006 election in which he beat the centre-right administration of Mikulas Dzurinda.

By pulling out, Slovakia joins fellow EU nations Spain and Italy that also withdrew troops from Iraq following a government change.

Slovakia supported the US-led military campaign in Iraq under Mr Dzurinda, but Mr Fico has long opposed Slovakia's presence there and his government agreed in October to withdrew its forces.

"The war in Iraq is unbelievably unjust and wrong," Mr Fico said.

The Slovak soldiers are now in Kuwait and are preparing for a trip home, the Defence Ministry said.

"The entry of foreign armies into Iraq has caused huge tensions. To speak about any democracy in Iraq is a fantasy," Mr Fico said.

"The security situation is catastrophic... and if somebody wants to say today that the situation there has improved, it would be a lie."

KRG supports Iraq oil and gas council
Posted on : 2007-02-02 | Author : Energy News Editor
News Category : Energy


WASHINGTON, Feb. 2 (UPI) The Kurdistan Regional Government supports a federal oil and gas council as a check on contracts and oil revenue distribution in Iraq.

Qubad Talabany, the KRG's representative to the United States, told United Press International Friday the council it supports is an intergovernmental body that wouldn't have final say, but would serve as a mechanism of common cause for the rival factions in Iraq.

The Kurds and Shiites control the vast majority of Iraq's 115 billion barrels of proven reserves. Sunnis, in the minority though in control during Saddam Hussein's regime, fear unchecked regional control would deprive them of any of the oil revenue.

Kurds fear a strong central government, led by the majority Shiites, would do the same.

The council will be a fair body, Talabany said, without veto power but will recommend and comment on issues based on technical or economic reasons under a central framework that guarantees regions rights to revenues.The council would operate under the package of laws being referred to as the hydrocarbon law, which will set out rules for governance, control and revenue sharing of Iraq oil and natural gas development.

The council, made up of representatives of the regions and other key governmental posts from finance and trade, would oversee the mechanism for distributing the oil revenue. It would also be able to review contracts the region sign with oil companies.


Copyright 2007 by United Press International



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POL-IRAQ-KUWAIT
Iraqi vice president to visit Kuwait on future prospects for region

By Mohammad Al-Ghazzi BAGHDAD, Feb 2 (KUNA) -- Iraqi Vice President Tarek Al-Hashemi said he would visit Kuwait on Monday for talks with Kuwaiti officials on the future of his country and the region.

In an exclusive interview with Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), Al-Hashemi added "There are several issues I will propose to (our) brothers, leaders of Kuwait, on developing bilateral ties. I will do my best to wrap up many old files that are still open." He also referred to proposals he would make during the visit "on boosting the role by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the Arab League (AL) for helping Iraqis out of the crisis storming their country." "I will also seek a more active role by Kuwait, together with other GCC countries, to support Iraq," Al-Hashemi told KUNA, adding, "I'd like to explore the thoughts and tendencies of Kuwaiti leaders on several issues for which the Iraqi people are in dire need from the neighbouring countries at present." "We need Kuwait and the rest of the Arab countries to support us against the intervention by other countries in the region in Iraq's internal affairs," he said.

The Iraqi vice president said he would ask Kuwait to urge Iran stop intervention in his country's affairs. "This is a message I will repeat. I will get the Kuwaiti leaders acquainted with the situation in Iraq today as well as the pledges made to Iraqi politicians and how Iran has dishonored such pledges." There are other issues related to national reconciliation and "we need (our) brothers in Kuwait and the Arab countries to back us." Among the other issues, Al-Hashemi said he would address during his visit the question of Iraqi prisoners in Kuwait. "I will do my best to secure their release despite what they had committed against Kuwaitis during the Iraqi invasion (in 1990). I am willing to turn over a new leaf with Kuwait and help forget all about the past. Thus, all such hanging files relevant to compensations and Iraqis in Kuwaiti jails will be addressed during the visit." The senior official pointed out that Iraqi teams are working on opening up wide-scale dialogues with Kuwaiti officials on such issues.

On the Arab scene, Al-Hashemi voiced his belief that the situation in Iraq would sooner or later impact on the Arab national security, especially safety and stability in neighbouring countries.(end) mhg.

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KUNA 021221 Feb 07NNNN

2/3/2007 From the dark side.

Central Bank Governor Sinan Shabibi part s the : the new budget is the budget and the investment a large volume of investment in economic terms. He added during the budget debate this year in a Council the deputies that the Central Bank's role is to deal with Sister Lal resulting from the development process that will produce GMT Changes in the economic structure are basic.
Shabibi explained that the Central Bank is entitled to forth development in a stable monetary, in addition to the bank concerned by all means and in the contexts TNT achieve economic stability and dealing with inflation.
He continued Shabibi that our budget on the preservation of resources, This is done through the control of inflation, We have a number of measures including raising the exchange rate of a for dinars. He pointed out that the impact of this measure in the budget through influence in the purchasing power of the government. He said such a policy will increase the confidence b the dinar will pull some of the money to the banking sector rationalizing government spending, which would limit the Altdkh m.
And that this will lead to the reduction of prices Alasti Rad, such imports, the private sector and the import of government the development comes through the transformation of the Iraqi dinar to dollars. While many supporters as stated in the details Almoaz costing and figures put forward which, The call for early ratification, but they are also met with objections over some points that a Attabrha some vague and needed to be amended. the Virtue Party, in the words of President bloc in the parliament pain h that it is very likely that his party would not vote on budget this year, for the ambiguity and lack of clarity in some of what came out of poverty tires.
.And Hassan al-Shamri added in a press statement : there are several observations on the budget contains headlines - and clear and ambiguous title of which (social benefits) of contained in the budget (the presidency of the republic and the prime minister and the Ministry of Finance), as the allocations for this title Mysterious (in the words of al-Shamri) 5 trillion and 125 ml Yara and 50 million Iraqi dinars.

Originally Posted by Mike5200

IRAQI GOVERNMENT WANTS RELATIONS WITH BOTH U.S., IRAN
Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh announced on February 1 that Iraq desires good relations with both the United States and Iran, international media reported the same day. "Any attack against multinational forces is an act against the Iraqi government. The Iraqi government would not allow any attack," al-Dabbagh told reporters. "But at the same time, we want to maintain good relations with our neighbors, especially Iran. We have long borders with them; we have local interests with [them], and we would like to have our relation not in the shadow of the others." On January 31, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said on CNN that he has told both Iran and the United States "to solve your problems outside of Iraq." SS

I can only pray that the senate and House will make Bush hear this.

Also heard today that cigarmans info, of 50,000 troops awhile back, has been confirmed today. Plus, their may be even more as the dems are believing also, that Maliki can get this done. All this news from Polloski's meeting with PM Maliki last week. Funny how thing change.

Just wanted to let cigarman know this was accross the radio waves today.

Iraqi Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs starts small loans program

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02 February 2007 (PortAl Iraq)

The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs announced the start of its small loans program aimed at creating job opportunities and reducing unemployment.

The first phase of the program will start in Babil, Karbala and Mosul.

Iraqi Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs starts small loans program | Iraq Updates

Iraqi dinar exchange rate continues hiking

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02 February 2007 (Al-Adala)

The Iraqi dinar (ID) exchange rate continued hiking against the U.S. dollar in the Central Bank of Iraq's (CBI) auction Jan. 23.

The U.S. dollar rate was 1295 ID on Tuesday, down from 1298 on Monday.

The CBI sales increased Tuesday. The CBI sold 60,605,000 U.S. dollars Tuesday, whereas it sold only 18,560,000 on Monday.

Fourteen banks participated in Tuesday's auction whereas 16 banks participated in Monday's auction. CBI did not buy any amount of money Tuesday.
Iraqi dinar exchange rate continues hiking | Iraq Updates

UK Arabic paper reports breakup of major Iraqi political blocs

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02 February 2007 (BBC Monitoring)

[Report by Khulud Al-Amiri: "'Independent' Blocs Within Shi'i Unified Coalition and Sunni Al-Tawafuq Front"]

In an important indication that political blocs formed following the US occupation of Iraq are beginning to disintegrate, a number of Iraqi members of parliament have broken established alliances and formed smaller political groupings within the major blocs that had been formed on the basis of sectarian representation.

Taha Al-Luhaybi, secretary general of the Independent Iraqis Grouping, which stems from the Sunni Iraqi Al-Tawafuq Front [Jabhat al-Tawafuq al-Iraqi], told Al-Hayat that "this grouping was formed as a result of the feelings of marginalization among independent deputies, and their desire to express their political vision more freely, especially since there are major differences in the country over some basic issues, such as holding dialogue with the groups that still carry arms and refuse to engage in the political process, and listening to their demands." He added: "This is in addition to other reasons that have led to the formation of this grouping, foremost among which is the sectarian stamp of Al-Tawafuq Front, and the desire of independent deputies to stay away from the rising sectarian tide, which has brought affliction on this country."

Al-Luhaybi said that "the grouping includes 11 independent members of parliament from the Iraqi Al-Tawafuq Front, including Sa'dun Al-Juburi, Adnan Dhiyab Ghanim, and Abd Mutlak Al-Juburi, as well as deputies from the National Reconciliation and Liberation Bloc [Kutlat al-Musalahah al-Wataniyah Wa al-Tahrir], who joined the Al-Tawafuq Front after the former leader of their bloc Mish'an al-Juburi was stripped of his immunity." He added that "three other members of parliament representing the Iraqi Al-Tawafuq Front, including Shaykh Ahmad Rakan, a prominent Al-Tawafuq Front deputy, have agreed to join the new grouping."

The secretary general of the Independent Iraqis Grouping also said that "the grouping has submitted a request for recognition as an independent political party under the same name." He added that "the grouping will organize its political affairs in order to take part in the upcoming elections, now that the Iraqi Al-Tawafuq Front has recognized it."

Moreover, Al-Luhaybi said that "the Independent Iraqis Grouping has its own spokesperson, who voices the groupings' views on the important political issues inside and outside the Parliament." He pointed out that "the grouping will not allow the Al-Tawafuq Front to make any major decisions without consulting the grouping, and it will not allow any party other than its spokesperson to speak on its behalf."

In the meantime, Qasim Dawud, the head of the Solidarity Bloc formed by a number of independent members of parliament belonging to the Unified Iraqi Coalition, said that "the bloc will be announced within the upcoming week and will present a comprehensive national plan that offers solutions to the country's political crisis, including building the state's security and services institutions, reinforcing the rule of law, and imposing the authority of the government in the street." He added that "the new bloc comprises a large number of independent members of the Unified Iraqi Coalition, including Aydah Al-Ta'y, Hanin Qaddu, Muhammad Al-Haydari, Shatha Al-Musawi, and others."

Dawud also said that "the bloc's doors are open to all members of parliament from the Unified Iraqi Coalition who may wish to join." He added: "The narrow and odious sectarian atmosphere and the fact that sectarianism is a major crisis that has exceeded all bounds, has made many parliamentary figures leave the path of sectarian rallying, shift to the broad path of the national plan, and stand firm in the face of congestion, which has been a major cause of the domestic migration of 1.7 million Iraqis, and the immigration of one million others to other countries."

Member of Parliament Harith Al-Ubaydi, who belongs to the Iraqi Al-Tawafuq Front, said that "the emergence of these blocs is a healthy experience provided the maintenance of unity and coherence within the major blocs from which these blocs have emerged." He added that "national awareness exists inside the Parliament" and that "these personalities are seeking to avoid sectarian and ethnic rallying, now that they have realized that sectarian rallying has caused the country to slide into this serious situation."

Source: Al-Hayat website, London

UK Arabic paper reports breakup of major Iraqi political blocs | Iraq Updates

Parliament to form financial and economic committee to revise Iraq's budget | Iraq Updates

Parliament to form financial and economic committee to revise Iraq's budget

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02 February 2007 (PortAl Iraq)

Sources in Iraq's parliament said an economic and financial committee will be formed to revise the government's $42 billion 2007 budget.

The sources said the committee will address certain issues including earlier decisions to withdraw the funding from projects taken on by ministries and provincial authorities if they fail to complete 75 percent of the project.

The sources added it is not possible to punish a whole ministry or province for the underperformance of a limited number of people.