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

Bosnia prolongs mandate of peacekeepers in Iraq


Xinhua - English 2007-02-08 05:20:55

BELGRADE, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- Bosnia-Herzegovina's three-member presidency decided on Wednesday to prolong the mandate of the Balkan country's peacekeeping contingent in Iraq, said reports reaching here from the Bosnian capital Sarajevo.

Bosnian peacekeeping contingent, whose job is to identify and destroy unexploded ordnance, will continue running within the peace supporting operation in Iraq for the entire 2007, the Bosnian news agency Fena reported.

In June 2005, Bosnia deployed its first peacekeeping contingent near Iraq's Fallujah alongside U.S. troops. The contingent, which will be rotated every six months, comprises 36 officers from all three Bosnian ethnic groups: Muslim Bosnians, Catholic Croats and Orthodox Serbs.

According to local reports, the Bosnian peacekeepers could get a reward of up to 150 U.S. dollars per day in addition to a regular wage of some 300 to 500 dollars a month, as well as a guaranteed job in the military on return.

In late November 2006, Bosnia was invited to join NATO's Partnership for Peace (PfP) program along with Montenegro and Serbia.

Bosnia's Defense Minister Nikola Radovanovic has said that NATO wanted PfP members to offer specialized skills and Bosnians are among the best in the world in de-mining and destroying unexploded ordnance.

IRAQI GOVERNMENT WILL NOT DEPORT ARABS, FOREIGNERS
Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh announced on February 6 that the Iraqi government will not deport Arabs and foreigners as part of the new Baghdad security plan, KUNA reported the same day. "The government has no intent to take measures against Arabs and foreigners in Iraq, with the exception of those who violate laws or aid terrorist cells," al-Dabbagh said. His statement was a response to Major General Jihad al-Jabr's demand that the Iraqi government do so, claiming that investigations have proven that many foreigners are involved in car bombings and other attacks in Iraq. Deportations, al-Jabr suggested, would reduce terrorist attacks in Iraq. SS

Successful strategy has Soldiers living in Baghdad neighborhoods, saving lives
Wednesday, 07 February 2007
By 2nd Lt. Mike Daschel
2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment



Spc. Robert Thompson, 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, from Gastonia, N.C., provides security from a rooftop in the Ghazaliya combat outpost compound in Baghdad.BAGHDAD — Basing Iraqi Army and U.S. troops at an outpost in central Ghazaliya is a first in the Iraqi capital. Combat Outpost (COP) “Casino” has been operating for the past two weeks with Soldiers from Company C, Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment.

Being based in Ghazaliya has seen its share of success stories. Just days after moving in, Cpl. Peter Callahan, a medic, saved the life of a 4-year-old girl who was brought in by her family with a pulse below 40 beats per minute. After checking her wounds and giving her initial aid, Soldiers evacuated the girl and her mother to a medical center for further treatment.

During a patrol in Ghazaliya, Spc. John Laweryson, driving a humvee, spotted suspicious looking vehicle. One of the men inside was acting strangely.
“I thought either he was wounded, or trying to hide something,” Spc. Laweryson said. “The vehicle turned around like they were trying to slip away from our patrol and our guys blocked them. They then scattered on foot and dispersed into a building.”

When the vehicle was searched, a kidnap victim was found in the trunk of the car with his hands bound together. He was taken to the outpost. After two days, his father arrived to take him home in a very emotional reunion.

Combat Outpost Casino is surrounded by concrete barriers and includes six houses. Three of the houses belong to the Iraqi Army and three to U.S. forces. A large field is also enclosed within the perimeter of barriers, eventually to serve as a parking lot for vehicles.

Living conditions at the outpost are Spartan. Soldiers sleep in crowded rooms with no heating. There is no running water or sewage system, but the troops built outhouses which they service themselves.

In addition to combat patrols, Soldiers daily travel to Camp Liberty to conduct their own logistical missions, such as refueling and supplying food.

The combat outpost is a work in progress, waiting for more materials to finish the construction completely; however, it is fully operational. Security is provided by Soldiers from the rooftop throughout the day and the majority of the Soldiers of Company C spend their time conducting logistical operations and combat patrols.

Volunteers show softer side of war
Wednesday, 07 February 2007
Story and photo by Spc. Laura M. Bigenho
28th Public Affairs Detachment



Air Force 1st Lt. Christine Anouchian, 24, Glendale, Calif., plays with Iraqi children on a playground at a Civil Military Operations Center in Baghdad. The foreign disclosure officer, Yokota Air Force Base, Japan, tries to visit the CMOC at least once a month.CAMP VICTORY — In a place where violence can be part of everyday life, a smile can make a world of a difference. When humanitarian assistance is thrown in, combined with a desire to help others, lives can be changed for the better.

Servicemembers and civilians here realize this, and spend their time helping and working with Iraqis at the Civil Military Operation Center. The center works closely with the Government of Iraq to help as many Iraqi citizens as possible.

The CMOC opens every day to local Iraqis. Most of them come for medical treatment, dental assistance or legal aid. Upon departure, visitors receive humanitarian assistance packages containing food, clothes, toys, hygiene products and school supplies.

“The CMOC is a link between the Iraqi and U.S. Governments,” said Sgt. 1st Class Juan Perez, CMOC noncommissioned officer in charge, 413th Civil Affairs Battalion.. “When they have a problem we cannot solve, we send them to the Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Agriculture or whoever is best suited to help.”

Perez estimated 1,000 Iraqis visit monthly, adding its security measures enhance the clinic’s success.

“They know we are not here to hurt them,” Perez said. “We have guard towers all around, so they are protected and unafraid to walk around or play outside on the playground.”

Playing with children on the playground is one of Air Force 1st Lt. Christine Anouchian’s favorite activities. Anouchian, a foreign disclosure officer with 5th Air Force Intelligence Directorate, receives boxes of humanitarian assistance from Yokota Air Force Base in Japan, her home station.

“I like to be able to give to the children who will be shaping Iraq’s future and let them know we’re not here to do bad things,” Anouchian said.

“A lot of their media campaigns are against Americans, so this is one way of showing them we’re here to help,” Anouchian continued, referring to insurgent and anti-Iraqi forces’ efforts to discredit the legitimate Iraqi Government and those who help them.

Several Soldiers help at the clinic daily. In addition to Army doctors and legal assistants, the CMOC staff welcomes all who want to volunteer. Many servicemembers receive boxes from home and bring them to the clinic because they know the items are making a difference, Perez said.

Anouchian tries to help at the clinic at least once a month. She always invites fellow servicemembers, emphasizing the importance of reaching out to kids.

While kids are being helped, their parents are usually seeking treatment or advice. Perez described a man who showed up recently who could barely walk. Air Force doctors at the clinic performed an eight hour surgery on him. Afterwards, the tearful patient thanked Perez and the doctor with hugs.

“When we help a person who couldn’t find help for months, (the Iraqis) know we are really here to help them,” Perez said. “I feel proud of what we’re doing here.”

Anouchian said she wishes more people knew about the CMOC and encouraged people to contact her if they want to go. She also said the center is in special need of vitamins, lotions, shampoos and hygiene items.

“It is important for us to help them and leave with a positive impact,” she said.

“You can see the work we perform here to help the Iraqis get a better understanding of the Army,” Perez said. “We are here to help them.”

TO HELP, CONTACT THE MULTI-NATIONAL CORPS - IRAQ CHAPLAIN BY EMAIL:

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OR, MAIL DONATED ITEMS TO:

MNC-I Chaplain
Attn: Hearts for Baghdad
Unit 42014
APO AE 09432

Iraqi Police well trained, committed
Wednesday, 07 February 2007

Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV, Multi-National Force-Iraq spokesman and Maj. Gen. Kenneth W. Hunzeker, commanding general of the Civilian Police Assistance Training Team discussed training the Iraqi Police during a media roundtable today at the Combine Press Information Center. Photo by Spc. Lajaun Hickman CPIC.BAGHDAD — The spokesman for Multi-National Force – Iraq joined the general in charge of training Iraqi Police for a media roundtable event at the Combined Press Information Center.

Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV, MNF-I spokesman, and Maj. Gen. Kenneth W. Hunzeker, commanding general, Civilian Police Assistance Training Team discussed the challenges, progress and way forward in training the Iraqi Police during the joint press conference. “The Baghdad security plan remains an extended campaign,” said Caldwell.

The Iraqi Police that General Hunzeker’s command is producing will be an integral part of the ongoing campaign to secure Baghdad, said Caldwell.

“Although, there are still challenges to overcome in the training and equipping the Iraqi Police, National Police and the Department of Border Enforcement, there are also tens of thousands of people in the Ministry of Interior and Iraqi Police who are courageous, well trained and committed to defending all of Iraq’s citizens,” said Hunzeker.

Hunzeker referred to the condition of the Iraqi Police in 2003.

The Iraqi Police had no concept of patrolling or community policing; bribes were typically required to launch an investigation and the courts and prisons were corrupt, said Hunzeker.

“Today’s Iraqi Police force is well on its way to being the polar opposite of its predecessor,” stated Hunzeker. Hunzeker noted the Iraqi Police are well trained with more than 200,000 policemen and women.

He also said they are committed to the job.

“For example, in Ramadi, on Feb. 3, members from the Albu Obaid Iraq Police station discovered one of the largest weapons caches in the last year while conducting dismounted patrols,” said Hunzeker.

Hunzeker also pointed out the Iraqi Police are heroic. More than 12,000 Iraqi Police have died or been injured in the line of duty since 2003, he continued. “Despite being a consistent target of terrorist attack, we typically see 10 volunteers for every job vacancy within the Iraqi Police,” Hunzeker said. Hunzeker recognized there are still problems the Iraqi Police face like leadership and logistics. To tackle these issues, 2007 will be a year of leadership and logistics, he said. There are also three plans in motion to improve police operations in Iraq. Both Caldwell and Hunzeker emphasized the statement “We win, when the Iraqi people win.” The route to achieve this has already begun, and the tools put in place, said Hunzeker. There are currently six Iraqi Army brigades in Baghdad, with three additional Iraqi Army brigades in the process of deploying to Baghdad.

Originally Posted by Mike5200

Successful strategy has Soldiers living in Baghdad neighborhoods, saving lives
Wednesday, 07 February 2007
By 2nd Lt. Mike Daschel
2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment



Spc. Robert Thompson, 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, from Gastonia, N.C., provides security from a rooftop in the Ghazaliya combat outpost compound in Baghdad.BAGHDAD — Basing Iraqi Army and U.S. troops at an outpost in central Ghazaliya is a first in the Iraqi capital. Combat Outpost (COP) “Casino” has been operating for the past two weeks with Soldiers from Company C, Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment.

Being based in Ghazaliya has seen its share of success stories. Just days after moving in, Cpl. Peter Callahan, a medic, saved the life of a 4-year-old girl who was brought in by her family with a pulse below 40 beats per minute. After checking her wounds and giving her initial aid, Soldiers evacuated the girl and her mother to a medical center for further treatment.

During a patrol in Ghazaliya, Spc. John Laweryson, driving a humvee, spotted suspicious looking vehicle. One of the men inside was acting strangely.
“I thought either he was wounded, or trying to hide something,” Spc. Laweryson said. “The vehicle turned around like they were trying to slip away from our patrol and our guys blocked them. They then scattered on foot and dispersed into a building.”

When the vehicle was searched, a kidnap victim was found in the trunk of the car with his hands bound together. He was taken to the outpost. After two days, his father arrived to take him home in a very emotional reunion.

Combat Outpost Casino is surrounded by concrete barriers and includes six houses. Three of the houses belong to the Iraqi Army and three to U.S. forces. A large field is also enclosed within the perimeter of barriers, eventually to serve as a parking lot for vehicles.

Living conditions at the outpost are Spartan. Soldiers sleep in crowded rooms with no heating. There is no running water or sewage system, but the troops built outhouses which they service themselves.

In addition to combat patrols, Soldiers daily travel to Camp Liberty to conduct their own logistical missions, such as refueling and supplying food.

The combat outpost is a work in progress, waiting for more materials to finish the construction completely; however, it is fully operational. Security is provided by Soldiers from the rooftop throughout the day and the majority of the Soldiers of Company C spend their time conducting logistical operations and combat patrols.

This dose not sound like fun!

Just please remember all of the sacarfices being made here!

Iraq seeks special relations with Kuwait -- Iraqi vice-president




KUWAIT, Feb 7 (KUNA) -- Iraqi Vice-President Tareq Al-Hashimi said Wednesday Iraq was determined to set up special relations with Kuwait.

Al-Hashimi, who was speaking to Editors-in-Chief, President of the Kuwaiti Journalists Society Ahmad Behbehani and Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) prior to his departure, dismissed the idea of any "bad thoughts" by Iraq towards Kuwait.

Kuwait is an independent and universally-recognized sovereign state, whose existence is legal and legitimate, he said.

He blamed the lack of agreement on the common border between Kuwait and Iraq on "technical rather than political factors."

He called on Kuwait to help Iraq out of its crisis arguing that it was "beyond the power of the Iraqis to wriggle out of it."

He urged the Iraqis, in all their political shades, to seek solutions to their problems through the legitimate authorities. He said they should recognize the government even if they did not see eye to eye with the official policy adopted by the cabinet.

He blamed the current unrest on the failure to abide by the government's policy statement.

He added that investigations were underway on some recent catastrophes and dismissed the idea of a civil war in his country arguing that this meant that the government sided with one party against another. However, he accused law and order authorities of bias towards one group or another.

He invited all displaced households should return home under government protection.

He said the Iraqi authorities have failed to live to their promises, specifically at economic level and have failed to face the challenges of repairing the country's infrastructure installations.

He stressed that the lack of basic facilities like water and electricity and the lack of employment opportunities could aggravate existing tensions and increase violence among warring sides.

Al-Hashimi is visiting Kuwait by invitation from His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

Article originally published by KUNA (Kuwait News Agency) 07-Feb-07

Originally Posted by goldraker

The law firm of Ackerman, Cowles & Lindsley filed a lawsuit against several real estate companies and professionals along with other purported investment groups. The suit alleges that some 400 or more investors were brought into a real estate "flipping" and "skimming" scheme operated by Jovane Investments, Stonewood Consulting, Inc., Pacific Wealth Management LLC (Nevada) and others. It is claimed that as many as 5000 residential home loans may go into foreclosure status within the next several months as a result of the alleged fraud.

Temecula, CA (PRWeb) January 14, 2007 -- The Temecula law firm of Ackerman, Cowles & Lindsley filed a 1.2 billion dollar claim against what are alleged to be the perpetrators of a vast real estate and currency exchange scheme taking place in Southern California.

Riverside County Superior Court Case No. RIC463483 (Anonymous Investor v. Jovane Investments, et al.) was filed by an investor who claims to have suffered $3,000,000 in damages on her case alone. The plaintiff seeks to have the matter certified as a class action later this year because there are another alleged 400 investors in the alleged scheme.

The amended complaint, filed on January 12, 2007, alleges that the operators of the Jovane Investment firm of Murrieta, and related businesses, including Stonewood Consulting, Inc., Pacific Wealth Management LLC (Nevada), Oetting Enterprises, and Sunburst Financial Systems, Inc., engaged in a real estate scheme involving perhaps as many as 5000 home loans in the Southern California region. The defendants are alleged to have incited members of the general public. members of the military, and nursing staff at Rancho Springs Community Hospital in Southern California, to get involved in a real estate business whereby "investors" could each become the owners of multiple residential properties throughout the Temecula Valley and Northern San Diego County.

It is alleged in the complaint that defendants allegedly involved in the scheme would artificially inflate the values of the homes, complete 125% loan to value mortgages in certain cases, give escrow kickbacks to sellers who received as much as $100,000 more than an asking price, and sell the investors on the idea of giving up excess proceeds out of the sale to investment companies for a great profit over a period of years. In some cases, $50-60k-a-year salaried employees had mortgage obligations that were more than $20,000.00 a month because they "owned" 5-8 homes. The defendant companies are alleged to have taken money from other investors to pay the mortgages on behalf of plaintiff and others. The scheme is alleged to be a traditional Ponzi scheme.

Additionally, other investors were alleged to have been duped into buying into Iraqi dinar investments where the alleged victims would pay more than sixty times the actual value of the dinars. The victims were allegedly not told about the true value of the dinars and the dinars were allegedly never delivered to the victims. The allegations were referred to the Riverside County District Attorney's office back in November of 2006. However, according to lead counsel, Richard D. Ackerman, "I am quite certain that the district attorney's office is swamped with thousands of criminal cases and simply has to allocate investigation resources toward violent crime at this time. Justice will eventually prevail. Unfortunately, however, if action is not taken soon, our entire Southern California economy may suffer as a result of the type of practices alleged by the many victims in our case."

All told, it is alleged that the damage to investors, lenders, the county tax rolls, Southern California neighborhoods, and others is far in excess of the 1.2 billion dollars cited in the complaint.

The case has been assigned to Judge Dallas Holmes of the downtown Riverside Superior Court in Riverside, California, for trial. The plaintiff intends on working with alleged victim-lenders and governmental agencies in an effort to prevent hundreds of foreclosures and additional damage as a result of the alleged fraud. The victim lenders are alleged to include Bay Capital Mortgage, Community First Bank, GMAC Mortgage, Suntrust Mortgage, Aurora Loan Services, Home Eq Servicing, and SLS Loan Servicing. Numerous credit card companies are alleged to be affected by the currency scheme as well.

Defendant Pacific Wealth Management LLC and defendant Maurice McLeod, a principal of Pacific Wealth Management LLC, have already been ordered by this same judge to stop all investments activities in California under the name of Pacific Wealth Management LLC. The related case is captioned Pacific Wealth Management LLC v. Pacific Wealth Management LLC, Superior Court of California, Riverside Case No. RIC462505. The injunction order was entered on January 9, 2007.

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This is just a bummer,how sad for those people

Alsumaria TV goes terrestrial in Iraq




Launches the first digital terrestrial network in the region




Dubai, February 7, 2007: Just two years after its launch and as part of its strategy to reach every Iraqi home, Iraqi satellite network Alsumaria TV (12130.26 mhz, Nilesat) has announced the beginning of terrestrial broadcast in Iraq. The move makes Alsumaria TV the first terrestrial digital network in the region.


In line with the network's strong commitment "For One Iraq", the launch will allow Iraqi viewers to watch their favorite TV station via the traditional antenna without the need for a satellite dish or receiver.


The implementation plan is based on two consecutive phases: the first includes the installation of terrestrial sites for Baghdad and Al-Anbar provinces, and the second will cover the provinces of Karbala, Basrah, Mosul and Irbil.


First Phase


Terrestrial broadcast in the Baghdad region was launched on January 15, 2007.The terrestrial broadcast has a radius of 120 km. All homes in the central Iraqi region are today able to receive Alsumaria through the traditional aluminum antenna. In Al-Anbar, terrestrial broadcast will be operational by June 2007, with a radius of 105 km. Phase One will cover a surface of 158.000 km2 and a population of approximately nine million.


Second Phase


Equipment production has already begun for Phase Two, and construction is scheduled to start in June 2007. This phase will last until the end of this year, and offer coverage of Karbala, Basrah, Mosul and Irbil. At the end of Phase Two, 95 per cent of Iraqi territory will be covered by Alsumaria terrestrial broadcast.


Alsumaria is an independent Iraqi TV network established in September 2004 and assembles today a highly skilled team of 450 employees working across Iraq, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.


Alsumaria TV broadcasts 24/7. More than 25 hours of its weekly programs are produced in-house in Alsumaria's own studios. The TV programming line-up focuses on entertainment, culture, politics and news in addition to social programs and live shows hosted by an Iraqi youth team.


The station has also built a strong rapport with its Iraqi audiences via live phone calls and SMS, as well as field reports produced by a dynamic team of reporters and journalists covering all Iraqi regions and depicting the highs and lows of everyday life in the country.



-Ends-

Rural programs a key target of new US aid to Iraq




by Bill Ickes

BAGHDAD, Feb 7, 2007 (AFP) - Iraq will spend 10 billion dollars to rebuild the war-ravaged nation this year and the United States will add 2.3 billion more, with rural programs to be a leading recipient of US aid, experts say.

But a US official who declined to be named acknowledged Tuesday that a "good quantitative analysis" of how much had been lost from a previous US aid package of 20 billion dollars was not available, saying: "This is a difficult issue to assess."

A US government auditor said last month that more than six billion dollars earmarked for rebuilding crippled infrastructure had piled up in Iraq owing to poor budgeting.

In a background briefing, the US official underscored new priorities for US aid, including "long-term capacity building" in public administration, civil society projects and the judicial system.

Another focus is on "critical provincial programs that spur economic development, particularly in private sector agri business.

"Agriculture has been underestimated ... as a source of both economic dynamism and as a source of employment in the provinces," the official said.

"As well as a generator of economic activity, in Baghdad it reduces the dependence on imported food," he noted.

The new US plan calls for provincial reconstruction teams which operate across the country to jump from 10 to 21, and from one to five in Baghdad.

In a statement, US Brigadier General Michael Walsh, who commands the Army Corps of Engineers in the Gulf, said: "We have a lot left to do as we continue to lay the foundation for this country to prosper."

But more so-called "bricks and mortar" projects are to be handed over to the Iraqi government, and especially to local authorities as late dictator Saddam Hussein's centralised system is dismantled.

"Iraq will take greater ownership and greater responsibility for using its considerable assets, roughly 40 billion dollars in the 2007 budget, to help support reconstruction," the official said.

Iraqi ministries will "begin to provide benefits and services to the Iraqi people instead of the US taxpayer."

Officials said 10 billion dollars in the Iraqi budget now before parliament would be spent on reconstruction, and an equivalent amount on developing the oil sector.

Iraq's oil reserves, estimated at 115 billion barrels, are the third largest in the world, behind Saudi Arabia and Iran, while the country produces over two million barrels per day, down from 3.5 million before the March 2003 invasion.

"We are looking at the next six months as a critical point," the official noted, roughly the same time frame as the initial stage of a plan to stabilize Baghdad by putting up to 85,000 Iraqi and US troops on the streets.

Security was the biggest threat to reconstruction projects, and a key reason why they often overshot budgets or were sometimes not finished at all, the US officials said.

wai/jds/smc

Iraq-US-economy-foreign-aid-reconstruction