Thread: Iraq/Dinar News up until March 28th 8PM CT.

Originally Posted by Adster

From elsewhere, when we hear the press giving us more positives than negatives we know we're on the home stretch.

Keep the faith guys.

I was just watching a report about Iraq on Nightline. It showed the ABC reporter travelling the whole country and reporting on how the country is progressing during this war. It showed the good with the bad, but from what I have just seen, most of Iraq is showing signs of rebuilding and growth. The kurdish north is experiencing huge economic growth. The reporter just interviewd a developer who is developing the largest mall and office complex in the Middle east. The development is going to have 8,000 stores and 4,000 offices!!!

In the south of Iraq, the ports are booming with goods coming into Iraq. The only place that the report showed that is really bad is in Baghdad. The reporter said that if they can get a hold of the problems in Baghdad, the Iraqis think they can accomplish what is going on in Dubai!!

IMHO, we are going to see our investment in this country come to fruition!!

Good Post. But consistent with what we saw in Iraq in 2004. We had a General tell us in August of '04 that they could have good elections then in 15 out of the 18 provences. Central Iraq has always been where MOST of the violence has been. The rest of iraq has been fine and not in chaos and in flames as the american media would like you to believe. Thank You.

Economic indicator : low inflation for the month of February last


Baghdad-Sabah
He said the Central Agency for Statistics and Technology in the Ministry of Planning : "The inflation index for the month of February decreased compared to last January, a 6.8%."


A statement by the Ministry of Planning, said : "This decline was lower revenues index for food products by 6.4% and beverages and tobacco by 3.3% and fabrics, clothing and footwear by 2.6% and furniture 3.3%, fuel and lighting by 20.4%, and medical services and drugs 2.5%."He added : "The expenditure on this group constitutes 41.2% of the total domestic consumer spending." He explained : "A group of transportation and the goods and miscellaneous services which constitute rental 58.8% of the total domestic expenditure recorded an increase during the month of February compared with January last by 5.4% for transportation and 7.7% for transportation and 2.5 of goods services.The statement continued : "The index of annual inflation rose during the period from February 2006 until February 2007."

Hello everyone. A good post and indicator that the removal of the currency is having an impact. Inflation is too much money chasing too few goods and by reducing the base money supply one would expect inflation to cool. A classic intervention right out of the textbook. IMHO the effects of the removal are just starting to take place. We should see more in terms of a reduction in inflationary pressures. With GNP expected to be above 15% for 2007, this also aborbs inflationary pressures and should combine with the redution of the money supply and accelerate the reduction of inflation. Its all good for us. Have a good day!

Baghdad stresses stability in Iraq to benefit neighbors
Last Updated(Beijing Time):2007-03-20 14:33

Iraqi Planning and Development Minister Ali Baban said on Monday in Istanbul that stability and order in Iraq will be for the interest of both Turkey and other countries.
Baban made the remarks while addressing the 5th meeting of the Donor Committee of the International Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq (IRFFI), according to Turkey's Anatolia news agency.

Baban told the meeting that Iraq's neighbors understood the importance of security and stability of Iraq, which is an arena for fighting against international terrorism.

He, meanwhile, stressed the importance of economy for Iraq's stability, saying "they are exerting efforts for economic development with determination."

The IRFFI was launched early in 2004 by the United Nations and the World Bank to help donor nations channel their resources and coordinate their support for the reconstruction and development of Iraq.

So far 26 donors have pledged over 1.4 billion U.S. dollars to ensure responsive financing for near-term and medium-term priority investments in Iraq.





Source:Xinhuanet
Related articles

5th Iraq donor committee meeting opens in Istanbul
Last Updated(Beijing Time):2007-03-20 14:29

The Fifth Meeting of the International Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq (IRFFI) Donor Committee started on Monday at Turkey's largest city Istanbul on Monday, the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported.
On the first day of the two-day event, which draws high-level officials from 19 donor countries, Iraq's Planning Minister AliBaban is to preside over a forum on Iraq's reconstruction at Conrad Hotel in Istanbul, according to the report.

The IRFFI was launched early in 2004 by the United Nations and the World Bank to help donor nations channel their resources and coordinate their support for the reconstruction and development of Iraq.

So far 26 donors have pledged over 1.4 billion U.S. dollars to the Trust Fund Facility to ensure responsive financing for near-term and medium-term priority investments in Iraq.






Source:Xinhuanet

Published: 20/03/2007 12:00 AM (UAE)

Formation of a new 'secular government' is only way out of violence, say expats
By Bassam Za'za', Abbas Al Lawati and Mohammad Shamseddine, Staff Reporters



Dubai/Abu Dhabi/Sharjah: Forming a new 'secular' government is the only way to get Iraq out of its current bloody dilemma and to see an American withdrawal from the country, believe many Iraqis living in the UAE after they fled their war-torn country.

Speaking to Gulf News on the eve of the fourth anniversary of the US-led invasion of their country, Hudhaifa Salman Al Eethawy, from Baghdad said : " Conditions were always bad in Baghdad, but they reached boiling point after the Al Askari Shrine bombing in Samarra in February last year."

The growing violence there forced him out of Iraq without completing his degree. His parents suggested that he suspend his studies and join his brother in his UAE restaurant.

"I'm still in touch with my friends in Baghdad. Their entire lives are spent at home. There's no going out or going to school," he said. Al Eethawy said he wouldn't return to Iraq until the current government was voted out, which he believes serves the interests of 'foreigners'. Ali Ashraf, also from Baghdad, says that only a secular person can rule Iraq. "Like former prime minister Eyad Allawi, for example. We're just waiting for him to come back"

The Iraqi people are now confused, says Thabit Al Timimi, 30, a legal researcher.

"At first, we were optimistic about the change that the war would have brought. But now everyone is confused; no one knows what's going on anymore. The only good thing that came out of the war was to remove Saddam Hussain's regime," he said.

"I hope we will have a secular government - politically speaking. I think this could happen one day but not before a huge price is paid," he added.

Worth it

Civil Engineer, Fatima Al Wazzan, said the war was "worth it."

She explained: "Only God was capable of removing Saddam's regime."

She ruled out civil war between Sunnis and Shiites. "It is the politicians who are propagating that there will be civil war. Yet our people are wise and good enough to avoid falling into civil war." Duraid Sami, 33, also left Iraq out of fear. "I left Iraq two months ago for security reasons. This is what all the Iraqis are doing now, fleeing their country for fear of their lives. I don't think the problem will be solved soon," he said. "The problem is that after the regime has fallen, the war is still on and hundreds are dying everyday. I don't think there's a need for the Americans to stay in Iraq anymore."

Hashim Abboud, engineer and owner of a computer shop, meanwhile thinks "Iraq's neighbours are behind the instability in Iraq and not the Americans."

He called on Iraqis to open up a new chapter and "forget what had happened in the past".

Azzaman, March 19, 2007



Iraq has issued a tender to drill 50 new oil wells in the southern Province of Missan.



The director of the province’s oil fields, Ali al-Bahadli, said 13 foreign firms have been invited to take part in the tender aimed at boosting output by an additional 100,000 barrels a day.



The Province of Missan is home to some of the largest hitherto unexplored Iraqi oil fields.



The gigantic West Gurna with billions of barrels of proven crude oil reserves is situated in Missan whose oil wells used to produce up to 400,000 barrels a day under former leader Saddam Hussein.



But output has slumped to 120,000 barrels a day since the 2003 U.S. invasion.



It is not clear whether any foreign firms will be willing to participate in the tender due to the current upsurge in violence.



Bahadli said the digging of the new wells would take about two years and each one of them was expected to add at least 2,000 barrels a day to the province’s output.



Iraq has the third largest proven oil reserves in the world behind Saudi Arabia and Iran.



It is total proven reserves are estimated at 112 billion barrels, with as many as 220 billion barrels of resourced deemed probable.



Of the country’s 74 discovered and evaluated oil fields, only 15 have been developed.

RAID ON IRAQI LEADER'S HOME YIELDS WEAPONS
Iraqi security forces seized a weapons cache and found four cars bearing explosives residue during a raid on Sunni parliamentarian Zafir al-Ani's home, Iraqi military spokesman Brigadier General Qasim al-Musawi told reporters on March 18, international media reported. Al-Ani is a member of the Iraqi Accordance Front. Seven men were detained in the raid, though six of them were released within 48 hours. Al-Ani told Al-Sharqiyah television in an interview the same day that all the seized arms were provided to him and licensed by the government. "As for the accusations of having TNT and DNT explosives...this is just a lie," al-Ani said. He contended that had the vehicles carried explosives, sophisticated bomb detectors and dogs used at coalition checkpoints would have detected that sooner. "I am sure that al-Musawi will hold another news conference to apologize," al-Ani told Al-Arabiyah television in another March 18 interview. Sunni politicians have claimed on several occasions that they are unfairly targeted by Iraq's Shi'a-dominated security forces. KR

IRAQI PREMIER DISCUSSES SECURITY SITUATION, HALABJAH...
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki addressed a range of issues at a March 16 press briefing at Baghdad International Airport after an attempted trip to Kurdistan, Al-Iraqiyah television reported. His plane was unable to land in Al-Sulaymaniyah due to bad weather. Al-Maliki said he intended to give a grant of about 1 million dinars (about $784) to each Iraqi family who lost a loved one in the Halabjah massacre in 1988 (see "RFE/RL Newsline," March 16, 2007). The town will also get its share of reconstruction funds in the future, he said. Al-Maliki also said that the western, largely Sunni Al-Anbar Governorate, which he visited last week, is no longer a safe haven for terrorism. "Thanks to the courage of the people of Al-Anbar, the tribes and politicians...the security situation there stabilized," al-Maliki said. KR

...AND COMMENTS ON CABINET RESHUFFLE
Prime Minister al-Maliki told reporters on March 16 that talks are ongoing among political parties to reshuffle the cabinet. "Names are proposed and deliberations are continuing. When we talk about change, we seek to look for the best that can provide the desired and required service in this or that ministry. That is why we are a bit late. Time drags on because we are looking for the best," he said. "When we get the names of the ministers nominated by their lists and blocs, we will immediately go to parliament." KR

Jordan’s King Abdullah meets with leader of Iraq’s Kurdish region

3/20/2007 DPA
Amman - Jordan's King Abdullah conferred Monday with the visiting leader of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region, Massoud Barzani, and pledged to extend 'all forms' of support to the Iraqi people, according to an official statement.

'The monarch assured Barzani that Jordan would extend all forms of support to the Iraqi people at this critical stage with a view to helping their country to restore its vital role in the region and the world,' a royal court statement said.

King Abdullah reiterated his country's backing for efforts aimed at 'boosting national reconciliation among various components of the Iraqi people', it added.

'The monarch also underscored the importance of the Kurds' role in backing efforts that seek to maintain Iraq's security and stability,' the statement said.

Barzani doubles as leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) which shares power in the Kurdish region with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani's Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).

Talabani left Jordan last week after 18 days in hospital for the treatment of a sudden illness.

dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur