Thread: Iraqi/Dinar news until March 1st, 2007

Talabani welcomes UK move
Agencies


Baghdad: Iraq’s president Jalal Talabani has welcomed the news that thousands of British soldiers are to be recalled as a “welcome catalyst” for his country.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair announced that 1,600 troops would be sent back in the next few months, with number of soldiers in Iraq falling to as low as 5,000 before the end of the summer.

He told the UK parliament it was important to show the Iraqis that Britain did not intend their forces to stay longer than necessary.

Talabani’s spokesman Hiwa Osman said: “It is a welcome catalyst for Iraqi forces to stand on their own feet and assume security responsibilities".

Mowaffak Al Rubaie, Iraq's national security adviser, added: "We would have hoped that the process would've been accelerated further and speeded up rather than be spaced out. "

The plan says that control of all bases - except for Basra air base and Basra Palace – will be handed over to the Iraqi authorities.

Hayder Baderkhan



Azzaman, February 22, 2007



Members of government bodies the U.S. disbanded in the aftermath of its 2003 invasion will all have their jobs back, according Fayadh Ali, head of a committee charged with looking into the fate of Iraqis who had lost their jobs.



Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis who were employed by the former regime in the army, security, intelligence and other sensitive bodies were sacked.



The move is now seen as a major catalyst that fueled violence in the country.



The government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki wants to reverse those decisions as part of a reconciliation package to lure opponents to the political process.



Fayadh is a member of the High Reconciliation Commission and says Maliki was keen to accommodate all those who were affected by U.S. decisions to dismantle several organs of the former government.



In all, the Americans disbanded 18 institutions among them the army, the Baath party, security apparatus, police and the Republican Guards.



Fayadh says members of these organizations have two options: either join the ranks of the bodies created by the new government or opt for retirement.



He said forms will be forwarded to members of the disbanded organizations and all former employees whether civil or military have the right to apply.



If the plan succeeds, it will be the first comprehensive and tangible move towards reconciliation in Iraq currently torn by sectarian strife and violence.



“We must turn a new page and leave behind rancor and hatred which have strained the Iraqi street,” said Lt. Gen. Thamer Sultan of the Defense Ministry.



The ministry, he said, was working to accommodate most members of the former army and those who cannot find a place, particularly senior officers, will get a ‘decent’ pension, he said.



“There is sincere intention to solve this issue this time. It is not for procrastination and the prime minister himself has issued clear orders to have the plan implemented,” he said.




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Girls’ school in benefits from Iraqi Army, Coalition support
Thursday, 22 February 2007
Story and photo by Spc. L.B. Edgar
7th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment



Lt. Col. Jabar, the operations officer for 2nd Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 6th Iraqi army Division, speaks with a resident of Hamid Shaban during a visit from Iraqi army soldiers and their supporting U.S. military transition team to the Hamid Shaban Girl’s School Feb. 15. The woman sought assistance from the Iraqi army in mediating a dispute with a neighbor over property.BAGHDAD — The life of an Iraqi girl was forever changed in the chaotic aftermath following an improvised explosive device attack. The Hamid Shaban neighborhood in the district of Abu Ghraib was the target, but an innocent girl was inadvertently the victim. Tragically, a stray round from an Iraqi army soldier, fired in defense, missed its mark and struck the harmless child at play.

In a gesture of good will Iraqi army soldiers of 2nd Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 6th Iraqi army Division, visited the wounded child’s place of learning, the Hamid Shaban Girl’s School, to provide humanitarian assistance, Feb. 15.

Though money and supplies won’t remove the bullet, the gesture does help the healing-process, said the combat medic who evaluated the girl, Spc. Zachary Bosh. Bosh is attached to the military transition team (MiTT) supporting the Iraqi battalion, which is based on Forward Operating Base Constitution.

“She was shot through the side and they believe the bullet stopped by her spine. They can’t do surgery here at the local hospitals because their technology and funds aren’t good enough,” said the native of Pittsburgh, Pa. “She just wanted to know if we could help her get better. She wants to be a normal kid. She wants to run. She wants to walk without people assisting her.”

Removing the bullet may cause paralysis because of the bullet’s proximity to the girl’s spinal cord, but for now she can walk with assistance and maintains movement of her limbs, Bosh said.

The battalion operations officer, Lt. Col. Jabar, lead the humanitarian assistance mission and spoke with the girl, as well as her school’s principal.

“He’s making peace with the situation. He’s talking to the family, the friends and her. He is trying to see what we can do to help them.” Bosh said of the Iraqi colonel. “Money won’t bring back the bullet, but it eases the situation.”

The Iraqi girl was not the only student who benefited from the visit.

The Iraqi troops brought shoes, toys and stuffed animals for the 1,300 girl students attending grades from 6th through 12th, said Lt. Col Ryan Rydalch, the MiTT chief for the battalion.

“The big thing here is to get the people to trust the Iraqi army,” said the native of Rexburg, Idaho.

Virtually the only Iraqi government presence the residents of Hamid Shaban see are members of the Iraqi army. The goal of humanitarian assistance missions is to develop the Iraqi army as a problem-solving entity for the Iraqi government, Rydalch said.

One sign of progress came when a neighborhood dispute was peacefully resolved when Jabar acted as a mediator. A woman approached Jabar and informed him she had received a notice of eviction from someone who did not own the property she was occupying, Bosh said.

“Today we had a civilian come up to him (Jabar) and discuss a housing dispute. I don’t think that would have happened six weeks ago. They would not have had the confidence in the Iraqi army to do that,” Rydalch said.

Restoring the faith of Iraqi citizens in their armed forces is just one of the missions for MiTTs, which are “… a major part of the plan to allow U.S. forces to exit Iraq in an orderly fashion,” Rydalch said.

“I think the idea of the MiTT is absolutely outstanding. When done right, it is probably the best tool in the war right now. The MiTT teams are helping the country build itself back up. The people (need to) trust the IA and know they’re going to do things essential to getting the country up and running,” Bosh said.

One sign of the progress between Iraqi troops and the local community is the school itself. Students of the Hamid Shaban Girl’s School had completed testing the day of the humanitarian assistance mission. Thanks to the Iraqi army, the security situation had improved enough in Hamid Shaban to allow the school to reopen.

The 1,300 students are able to receive an education denied to them just a year ago, Rydalch noted.

“That’s definitely progress,” Rydalch said. “It probably won’t make any news story or broadcast, but I think it helps the school. It definitely helps the security of the neighborhood the school is located in.”

Though one little girl was a victim of Hamid Shaban’s security challenge, she continues to attend the community’s school, which is a sign of progress. However, she is a reminder that there is work yet to be done.

Medical operation helps soldiers build trust
Thursday, 22 February 2007
Story and photo by Sgt. Michael Garrett,
7th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment



Spc. Michael Benusa, a medic with Company B, 2nd Battalion, 325th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, explains to an English-speaking Iraqi girl how to apply medication to her younger sister. The young girl had been suffering from a skin condition around her mouth and eyes.BAGHDAD — When Spc. Michael Benusa needs to do his job it’s usually a bad thing. As a medic for Company B, 2nd Battalion, 325th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, the last thing Benusa hopes for is to be needed to treat one of his fellow Soldiers.

But, that wasn’t the case on a recent trip out side of Combat Outpost Callahan, where Benusa’s company has set up residence.

“We revisited some people with health issues we had identified during our initial cordon and search of the area,” the Duluth, Minn., native said. “We went to check on their progress and bring them some medication they may have trouble attaining on their own.”

The first stop was at a home where an Iraqi girl had a skin condition.

“The little girl at the first house had circumfurial eczema around her eyes and mouth,” Benusa said. “We gave them some hydrocortisone last time and some instructions on how to use it. I was really surprised at how much her condition had improved. You couldn’t have asked for better results in the United States, or any other country for that matter.”

Benusa was glad to treat minor problems with the Iraqis instead of treating a wounded Soldier.

“It feels good to be needed, and not have one of your guys really messed up,” Benusa said. “Usually, I don’t have anything to do, and that’s a good thing, because if I am busy that would be bad news for everyone else.”

Even though this mission had a different purpose than what an infantry platoon might normally encounter, it was not time to let your guard down, said Spc. Adam Gregory, an infantryman from Madison, Mo.

“Every time you leave the gate you have to have your game face on,” Gregory said. “You never know what’s going to happen. All it takes is one guy to pop around a corner to get you.”

The opportunity to help the residents in the area is a way the Soldiers from COP Callahan are trying to build a relationship with the Iraqis so they can help provide better security to the area.

“It shows them another side of us,” Gregory said. “It shows them we are not here to shoot up their town. We’re here to help, and we hope that leads to information; information we can use to help clean up the streets for them, so they can have a better life.”

After visiting the first house, the Soldiers moved on to the next house where they had first encountered a man who had suffered a stroke. His family had asked the medic if there was anything they could do to help him. Benusa did all he could, but it was ultimately up to the family to make sure the man got the care he needed.

“The second individual we visited today had suffered a stroke,” Benusa said. “There really isn’t anything we can do for him. There is no medication that just makes the effects of a stroke go away. It’s going to take some time for his condition to show any progress.”

Benusa gave the man’s family instructions on how to help rehabilitate the man’s mobility in the limbs affected by the stroke.

Providing medical assistance for those who need, Gregory said, is what makes the deployment worthwhile.

“It felt great to help these people, it gives us a sense of purpose,” said Gregory. “We can go out there five times a day, but to actually help someone makes it feel worth leaving your family for.”

Caldwell: Baghdad security challenging but doable
Thursday, 22 February 2007

Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV, the Multi-National Force-Iraq spokesman, addressed the media during a press conference Wednesday at the Combined Press Information Center.BAGHDAD — The Multi-National Force-Iraq spokesman addressed journalists during an operational update media roundtable Wednesday at the Combined Press Information Center.
Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV reiterated that the war will not be won until Iraqis are able to stand up and find solutions to their problems, and he noted some important steps that have recently been made toward this goal.

“This past week we have seen some signs that Iraqi leaders are in fact making the tough decisions needed to demonstrate their commitment to serve all Iraqis,” Caldwell said. “Last week, General Abboud Gambar, military commander for Baghdad, announced the initiation of ‘Operation Fardh Al-Qanoon’, the newest iteration to the Baghdad Security Plan.”

Caldwell went on to mention the arrival of three Iraqi armor brigade elements that have begun operations in Baghdad.

“These Iraqi Forces are deploying throughout the city and working also in the joint security stations, where they are living and patrolling jointly with the Iraqi Police and with Coalition forces,” Caldwell said.

Four joint security stations were opened this week, making a total of 14 stations.

“This number will increase significantly over the coming weeks and months until there is no district in the city that doesn’t have at least one (joint security station) present there,” Caldwell added.

Coalition force members have also given border patrol/enforcement training and classes to help Iraqis maintain their borders.

“The ability to protect the integrity of their borders will allow Iraq to be free of foreign interference and help provide for breathing space necessary to find political solutions to Iraq problems,” said Caldwell.

Caldwell also described the uniqueness of operation Fardh Al-Qanoon.

“One key difference between Fardh Al-Qanoon and previous iterations of the Baghdad Security Plan is that this time we intend to build continuously Iraqi institutions and invest in neighborhoods even as we conduct security operations,” Caldwell said.

He said that although, Fardh Al-Qanoon is only in its initial stages the full plan will unfold over the course of the next months and there will be good days and bad ones.

Already in the first week of Fardh Al-Qanoon, there has been a significant reduction in sectarian incidents and in extrajudicial killings in Baghdad because the Iraqi people have chosen restraint rather than retribution.

“While this is in fact very encouraging, we cannot stress strongly enough that it would be premature to declare Fardh Al-Qanoon a success,” Caldwell said.

Success will require a sustained effort and a comprehensive approach that complements progress and security with political, economic, legal and social initiatives.

“We do not expect to eliminate all violence in Iraq,” Caldwell said. “The Multi-National Force-Iraq’s objective is to help the Iraqi Security Force reduce the violence enough to give the Iraqi people and their government an opportunity to reach political solutions to Iraq’s problems.”

“This effort will be extremely challenging, but it is one that is doable,” Caldwell said.

(Story and photos by Spc. Lajaun Hickman and Spc. Scott Kim, Combined Press Information Center)

MiTT focuses on Iraqi Army NCO Corps
Thursday, 22 February 2007
Story and photo by Sgt. Robert Yde


Staff Sgt. Buakai Tamu demonstrates the proper way to report to the president of an Army promotion board for members of the Iraqi Army. Members of the 4th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment's Military Transition Team conducted a mock board for the Iraqis, so they could gain a better understanding of how the U.S. Army promotes its noncommissioned officers.FOB HONOR — As a member of a military transition team, 1st Sgt. Joseph McFarlane spends the majority of his days training and advising members of the Iraqi Army.

During the three month that he's been in Iraq, McFarlane, the noncommissioned officer-in-charge of the 4th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division's MiTT, said he has seen a great deal of progress by Iraqi soldiers. But one area he and his teammates would like to see more improvement in is the development and strengthening of the Iraqi Army's NCO corps.

"They have such a lack of NCOs in their ranks. We're trying to make them stronger," he said.

To do this, members of the 4th Sqdn., 9th Cav. Regt., MiTT recently demonstrated to the to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, how the NCO promotion system works.

"We conducted a mock promotion board under the American standard for the 5th Bde. IA, so they can see an example of how we promote Soldiers to sergeants and sergeants to staff sergeants," McFarlane said.

For the Iraqis to strengthen their NCO Corps, they must first understanding the process of becoming an NCO," he said. "Their promotion system is not necessarily based on performance or potential like the U.S. Army. Most of their promotion system has been based on nepotism, or family."

Before beginning the mock board, 4th Sqdn., 9th Cav. Regt., top NCO, Command Sgt. Major James Daniels, briefed the Iraqis on what they were going to see and on some of the prep work that a Soldier goes through before appearing before a board. Soldiers typically spend days studying military subjects, for example.

Soldiers are expected to be nervous in front of the board, but how they handle this stress is one of the main things the board members are interested in, Daniels said. Military bearing, appearance, the amount of confidence demonstrated, as well as having the knowledge to answer the variety of questions are all aspects that are taken into consideration when a Soldier appears before the promotion board.

Iraqi troops then observed a mock board as Staff Sgt. Buakai Tamu entered the room and reported to Daniels. After performing the requested facing movements and reciting the Soldier's Creed, Tamu was asked one question by each board member.

The Iraqi Soldiers appeared to be receptive and asked several questions throughout the process.

Command Sgt. Major Makki Abid Zaid Mouammad said that being able to see how the process works helped give him a better understanding of it, and that he hopes to implement a similar promotion system for his Soldiers.

Daniels also stressed that just because a Soldier is selected for promotion to sergeant doesn't mean that the continuing development of that Soldier stops. Throughout his career, an NCO will continue to go to various schools offered by the NCO Education System, Daniels told the Iraqis.

This focus on educating NCOs is what makes the U.S. Army so strong, according to McFarlane.

"At every level Soldiers get promoted they're going to another school," McFarlane said. "We're trying to instill that into the Iraqi Army. Education is the key."

Updated: 3:56 p.m. CT Feb 22, 2007
LOS ANGELES - When Saddam Hussein was overthrown in 2003, the U.S. government encouraged Iraqis living in America to return home. They were seen as key to the rebuilding, since many were well-educated, well-to-do and supportive of democracy.

But many of those who went back are giving up and returning to America, frightened and disillusioned by the bloodshed in their homeland.

“We were hoping to see a light at the end of the tunnel with the violence. But the light seems to be getting farther and farther away,” said 53-year-old Mosadek Al-Attar, who went to Iraq in 2003 to build an Islamic school and help reform the education system but is now back in America.

Similarly, Talal Ibrahim, a 53-year-old engineer, went to Iraq with plans to open a bottled-water factory in Baghdad. He has since returned to Mission Viejo, Calif.

“In this environment, nobody can do anything,” said Ibrahim, who now pays armed guards to watch over his empty building and remodeled house in Iraq. “People are depressed and fed up.”

In fact, the Bush administration announced on Feb. 14 it would allow about 7,000 Iraqi refugees into America — over 10 times more than it has accepted since the war began.

Now, most Iraqi Americans “have a family member they are trying to get out of Iraq,” said Nabil Roumayah, president of the Detroit-based Iraqi Democratic Union.



It is a stark contrast to the mood in May 2003, when President Bush declared the end of major combat operations. American officials hailed Iraq’s economic possibilities and encouraged Iraqi American professionals to invest.

It is unclear exactly how many Iraqi Americans returned home or how many came back. The State Department and the Iraqi Embassy said they do not keep count. But Iraqi American groups estimate several thousand returned, buying property, starting businesses and opening bank accounts. Several hundred worked on U.S. government reconstruction projects as translators to builders.

Now, many key sections of country have become engulfed in insurgent attacks and sectarian bloodletting between Sunnis and Shiites, including suicide bombings, kidnappings for ransom and massacres.

Not a warm welcome back
Raya Barazanji, a 42-year-old Iraqi American who lives in Washington, returned to Iraq for three extended stints between 2003 to 2005 to work on an education project through the U.S. government.

Her driver was hijacked on his way to pick her up one day, one of her security guards was shot and killed in a separate attack, and gunmen attacked her caravan. She decided to leave for good after Iraqi police raided her family’s house in Baghdad while searching for insurgents.

“They tried to put handcuffs on me until I showed them my U.S. passport,” Barazanji said. “But because I did that, I had exposed myself and had to leave immediately.”



She spent the night in a safe house and left the next day.

Iraqi groups estimate more than 300,000 Iraqis live in the United States.

Sam Kubba, 66, opened an art gallery in Baghdad in the early 1990s, often traveling between Iraq and Herndon, Va. When Saddam was overthrown, Kubba tried to go back to run his business and work on U.S.-backed reconstruction projects.

He left Iraq five months ago after police found his name on a hit list during a raid on suspected kidnappers.

“I am trying to run my Iraq business by phone,” Kubba said in a telephone interview from Jordan. “A number of friends and people I know have been killed or abducted in Iraq during the last few months. Things seem to be totally out of control.”

© 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed

U.S. Troops Find Chemicals in Iraq Raid
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Posted GMT 2-22-2007 19:22:29
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BAGHDAD (AP) -- U.S. troops raided a car bomb factory west of Baghdad with five buildings full of propane tanks and ordinary chemicals the military believes were to be used in bombs, a spokesman said Thursday, a day after insurgents blew up a truck carrying chlorine gas canisters.

Maj. Gen. William Caldwell said the chlorine attack Wednesday _ the second such "dirty" chemical attack in two days _ signaled a change in insurgent tactics, and the military was fighting back with targeted raids.

"What we are seeing is a change in the tactics, but their strategy has not changed. And that's to create high-profile attacks to instill fear and division amongst the Iraqi people," he told CNN. "It's a real crude attempt to raise the terror level by taking and mixing ordinary chemicals with explosive devices, trying to instill that fear within the Iraqi people."

But he suggested the strategy was backfiring by turning public opinion against the insurgents, saying the number of tips provided by Iraqis had doubled in the last six months.

One of those tips led U.S. troops to a five separate buildings near Fallujah, where they found the munitions containing chemicals, three vehicle bombs being assembled, including a truck bomb, about 65 propane tanks and "all kinds of ordinary chemicals," Caldwell said. He added that he believed the insurgents were going to try to mix the chemicals with explosives.

The pickup truck carrying chlorine gas cylinders was blown up Wednesday, killing at least five people and sending more than 55 to hospitals gasping for breath and rubbing stinging eyes.

On Tuesday, a bomb planted on a chlorine tanker left more than 150 villagers stricken north of the capital. More than 60 were still under medical care on Wednesday. Chlorine causes respiratory trouble and skin irritation in low levels and possible death with heavy exposure.

Brig. Gen. Qassim Moussawi, an Iraqi military spokesman, said the investigation into the attack was still under way.

"But what is obvious to us that the terrorists are adopting new tactics to cause panic and as many casualties as they can among civilians. But our plans also are always changeable and flexible to face the enemy's new tactics."

© 2007, Assyrian International News Agency

3 Kilograms of heroin did not make it to the UK from Kurdistan

2/22/2007 KurdishMedia.com
London (KurdishMedia.com) 22 February 2007: The Kurdistan authorities have confiscated three kilograms of heroin in the Arbil International Airport on a passenger who was flying to the UK, reported local Nawa Radio on Thursday.

Three kilogram of heroin was found by the Kurdistan security in the Arbil International Airport in a conventional Kurdish "samovar", disguising it as an antique bringing it to the UK. The security in the airport suspected the Samovar and when they opened it they discovered the drug.

The ethnicity and the nationality of the smuggler were not revealed.

Drugs are entered Kurdistan through Iran. Every year substantial amounts of drags are captured on the Kurdistan-Iranian borders.

Kurds cry out for change (9): Kurdistan budget increased, corrupt officials jump in joy!


Thursday, February 22, 2007

KurdishMedia.com - By Dr Kamal Mirawdeli

Kurdistan budget increased, corrupt officials jump in joy!

By Dr Kurdo Parosh
Translated by Dr Kamal Mirawdeli, Published on ˜æÑÏÓÊÇä äیÊ Kurdistan net on 21 February 2007

Corrupt officials and liars have left no place for able and honest people. The naïve people have short life too. The policy of greedy pocket-filling people has tied the hands and mouths of humane and patriotic people. Thieves, traitors, and ‘Filists’ [I coin this word to translate the word ’filedaran’ which is increasingly sued in Kurdish political discourse to refer to those supposedly honest and patriotic Kurdish officials who were exposed after the fall of Saddam to have had profiles and files of service at Iraqi Ba’th intelligence agencies] have become decision-makers, and owners of palaces and villas. Kurdistan land has been divided up and narrowed with only cemeteries being left for the honourable people but even the burial places have been sold.

Before I tackle my subject, I would like to thank all friends from UK, Norway, Sweden and Denmark, who have sent me names of and information about corrupt officials. I thank them for appreciating the mission I have taken on [to expose the corrupt people] and describing it as a sacred mission. I too have a great respect and appreciation for them. I promise them I keep their names confidential and will not reveal them without their prior approval. We put together all the names we receive and then we will give a limited time to the government and parliament of Kurdistan to deal with them through a legal commission. Otherwise we will give the names of those corrupt officials to the foreign countries from which they have returned.

As a patriotic duty we will be obliged to make the names public to our people who will be the final power to make the judgment and punish them because the corruption they are indulged in is no less harmful and destructive to our country than those spies and Ba’th agents whose names are published in newspapers. History of many countries show how some corrupt greedy people returned abroad to their native countries only to steal, loot and rob and destroy the economy in the name of serving their country until the law caught up with them and took them to justice.

Our own corrupt people are a large group of people who have accumulated massive money. They have transferred the ownership of many public properties to themselves or their families. Some of them have been supported by both PUK and KDP to buy houses for them and in addition to this they pay rent for them on the excuse that these are the patriotic genius elite of our nation and have returned to the country to offer their services!!!

That is why I appeal to every patriotic Kurd to send me any information they have about the corruption in our country with the names and addresses of the corrupt people. If they can also give information about where they are formally or informally working, it would be better because many of these corrupt creatures have become big monstrous officials and are occupying ‘big’ positions as private advisers and consultants to president of the region, prime minister, president of Iraq, council of ministers, ministries, general directorates and other government institutions. Some have become party officials and have been given positions as officials in charge of party branches and centres and even within peshmarga ranks. It is very sad that the young people who are unemployed because of the corruption of these people are not working to expose them.

If the Kurdish intellectuals do not join their hands together now to face up these deadly developments, then we will have a Kurdistan that will only be a place for corrupt officials and those who have sold themselves to them. The patriotic hardworking and intelligent people will flock away to leave the country.

Kurdo Parosh - Sweden