Thread: Archive Latest News - Think Tank - 16/08/07 - 03/11/07

Roadside bomb kills Iraqi governor

14 minutes ago



BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The governor of the southern Iraqi province of al-Muthana was killed in a roadside bomb which targeted his convoy on Monday, officials in the province said.

They said at least five bodyguards were wounded.

Roadside bomb kills Iraqi governor - Yahoo! News

Oil giants rush to lay claim to Iraq

Saeed Shah and Alex Brett
Sunday August 19, 2007
The Observer

The world's oil majors will descend on two key conferences about Iraqi oil next month, seizing their last chance to jockey for position before the expected passing of the country's hydrocarbon law sets off a scramble for its vast energy resources.

Iraqi officials, including oil minister Hussein Shahristani, will attend the gatherings in Dubai in September to meet international oil executives. All the big players will be there, including BP, Shell, Exxon and Chevron, as well as minnows such as Addax Petroleum, some of which have operations in Iraq.

David Horgan, managing director of Petrel Resources, an Irish explorer with a presence in Iraq since 1999, said: 'All the oil companies have been salivating at the prospect of Iraq for years. There is a good chance of very large discoveries. Nowhere else in the world offers that.'
Horgan said that once the oil law was passed, oil executives would rush to sign exploration and production deals, de****e Iraq's security situation. Under severe US pressure, the Iraqi administration is now expected to push through the oil law before the end of September.

The majors have stayed away from Iraq, which has the world's third largest oil reserves, because there was no legal framework for investing in its energy sector. Unusually for the Middle East, the oil law will provide generous rates of return and production sharing agreements that allow companies that have had to write down their reserves, such as Shell, to book massive new reserves.

Muhammad-Ali Zainy, from the Centre for Global Energy Studies in London, said: 'Why do international oil companies rush in to divide the loot at a time when Iraq is submerged in blood? Iraqis will not benefit from this.'

Iraq has discovered reserves of 115bn barrels, of which only 40bn barrels have been developed. There are large parts of the country that remain unexplored.

Separately, Russia has lobbied successfully to set up an energy cartel which it hopes will rival Opec. At the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, leaders of Central Asian countries, China and Russia last week agreed to create a 'unified energy market' in the region that is home to some of the biggest producers of oil and gas.

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made clear at the conference that Tehran was prepared to join the club, which would see the world's first, second and fourth largest gas producers form a powerful bloc, potentially ranged against Western interests.

Christopher Langton, an analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said: 'Russia is seeking to have an organisation tilt the competition in its favour.'

The move coincides with the apparent decline of US influence in the region, where both the Trans-Caspian pipeline project and the diversion of Turkmen gas via Russia to Europe have stalled.

Ariel Cohen, a regional expert at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, said: 'The resource control in Russia's hands will benefit President Putin tremendously'.

Oil giants rush to lay claim to Iraq | Business | The Observer

Iraqi president says summit to solve political disputes

POL-IRAQ-MEETING-TALABANI
Iraqi president says summit to solve political disputes

BAGHDAD, Aug 19 (KUNA) -- The political summit would contribute in solving current disputes and stir up the still political process in the country, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said on Sunday.

During a press conference held here after the meeting of the political council for national security was concluded, Talabani said that the meeting was heading in the right direction, whereas mutual understanding regarding key political issues was established.

The committee was working for 22 days to crack down on issues, including the oil and gas law, which is about to be finished, Talabani said, refuting reports that the Iraqi Accordance Front (Tawafuq) had not participated in the meeting, saying that they only had withdrawn from the cabinet and not from the whole political process.

Talabani lauded the meeting's ambiance, describing it in an optimistic tone of being "so positive".

The Iraqi President had announced yesterday a five-way meeting involving four parties that signed an agreement last Thursday, namely the two Turkish parties as well as the Shiite Dawa Party and the Islamic Higher Council.

Kuna site|Story page|Iraqi president says summit to solve political dis...8/19/2007

Iraqi PM to visit Iraq (Syria) on Monday

POL-IRAQ-SYRIA-MALIKI
Iraqi PM to visit Iraq on Monday

BAGHDAD, Aug 19 (KUNA) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki leading a delegation grouping the oil, interior, trade and water resources ministers is expected to visit Syria on Monday in response to an official invitation, it was announced here on Sunday.

Maliki's office said in a statement that talks in Damascus would centre on means to bolster the economic, security and political links of the two neighbouring Arab countries.

Maliki's three-day visit followed a trip to Turkey and Iran 12 days ago where he reviewed means to back up the Iraqi government and enhance economic and security ties with countries bordering Iraq.

Kuna site|Story page|Iraqi PM to visit Iraq on Monday ...8/19/2007

Military commanders tell Brown to withdraw from Iraq without delay

MIL-UK-IRAQ-FORCES
Military commanders tell Brown to withdraw from Iraq without delay

LONDON, Aug 19 (KUNA) -- Senior military commanders have told the British government that the country could achieve "nothing more" in southeast Iraq, and that the 5,500 British troops still deployed there should move towards withdrawal without further delay, according to The Independent on Sunday (IoS).

The newspaper said that British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said after meeting US President George W. Bush at Camp David last month that the decision to hand over security in Basra province -- the last of the four held by the British -- "will be made on the military advice of our commanders on the ground." He added, "Whatever happens, we will make a full statement to parliament when it returns in October." Two generals told the newspaper last week that the military advice given to the prime minister was, "We've done what we can in the south of Iraq." According to the paper, commanders want to hand over Basra Palace -- where 500 British troops are subjected to up to 60 rocket and mortar strikes a day, and re-supply convoys have been described as "nightly suicide missions" -- by the end of August.

The withdrawal of 500 soldiers has already been announced by the government and the army is drawing up plans to "re-posture" the 5,000 that will be left at Basra airport, and aims to bring the bulk of them home in the next few months.

It noted that before the war in Iraq in 2003, officers were told that "the army's war aims were to bring stability and democracy to Iraq and to the Middle East as a whole. Those ambitions have been drastically revised, the IoS understands.

"The priorities now are an orderly withdrawal, with the reputation and capability of the army 'reasonably intact,' and for Britain to remain a 'credible ally.' "The final phrase appears to refer to tensions with the US, which has more troops in Iraq than at any other time, including the invasion, as it seeks to impose order in Baghdad and neighboring provinces," the newspaper said.

Kuna site|Story page|Military commanders tell Brown to withdraw from Ir...8/19/2007

Saudi-Russian Debts to be Reduced, Minister Says

Baghdad, 20 August 2007 (Al-Sabaah)

Finance minister Bayan Jabr al-Zubaidi, emphasized that Saudi Arabia and Russia showed their readiness to lowering part of the debts on Iraq which amounted 13 billion dollars.

Zubaidi said in a press statements after the conference of cell phone auction in Jordan yesterday, that they would forming a delegation from finance ministry to visit Saudi Arabia during the two coming days to start in the campaign of striking of a part of the Iraqi debts, added that what formed 15 per cent of the debts would erase.

On the other hand, he added that Russia would also lower 93% of the total amount of the debts, he emphasized that this big step would positively reflects on the Iraqi economic actual and lower the international pressure on it.

Saudi-Russian Debts to be Reduced, Minister Says | Iraq Updates

Anbar Awakening tribal chiefs council says no replacements for IAF ministers

Baghdad, 20 August 2007 (Voices of Iraq)

The Anbar Awakening tribal chiefs council is not considering replacements for the (Sunni) Iraqi Accordance Front (IAF) ministers who withdrew from the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, a tribal chief said on Sunday.

"The council is now seeking a solution to the differences between the IAF and the government," council member Sheikh Ahmed Abu Risha told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI) by telephone.

The IAF had quit the Iraqi government earlier this month in protest against the government's failure to respond to 11 demands forwarded by the front, including the release of detainees, disbanding of the militias and re-building the Iraqi army.

Last week, the IAF sent a delegation led by Rafie al-Issawi, the withdrawn minister of state for foreign affairs, and met with tribal chiefs, including members of the Anbar Awakening council, to explain the reasons behind the IAF ministers' withdrawal.

Abu Risha, the brother of Abdul-Sattar, the head of the council, said "the council views that the IAF demands were fair. Now we are working on mending the situation to the benefit of the national reconciliation as a whole."

The IAF has six ministerial portfolios within the Iraqi government and the vice president position, occupied by Tareq al-Hashimi, and the deputy premier position, occupied by Sallam al-Zawbaie.

The Sunni bloc is the third largest in the Iraqi parliament with 44 out of a total 275 seats.

Anbar Awakening tribal chiefs council says no replacements for IAF ministers | Iraq Updates

Bush: No progress at national level in Iraq desp ite success in some provinces

Baghdad, 20 August 2007 (Voices of Iraq)

The Iraqi government did not achieve political process at the national level desp ite significant success against al-Qaeda in some provinces, particularly in Anbar, U.S. President George W. Bush said in his weekly radio address on Saturday.

"Virtually every city and town in the province now has a mayor and a functioning municipal council. The rule of law is being restored," President Bush said in reference to the Sunni province of Anbar, according to the White House's website.

"Unfortunately, political progress at the national level has not matched the pace of progress at the local level. The Iraqi government in Baghdad has many important measures left to address, such as reforming the de-Baathification laws, organizing provincial elections, and passing a law to formalize the sharing of oil revenues," Bush indicated in his address that the independent news agency Voices of Iraq received a copy of.

"In a democracy, over time national politics reflects local realities. And as reconciliation occurs in local communities across Iraq, it will help create the conditions for reconciliation in Baghdad as well," he added.

On Saturday, leaders of Iraqi political blocs met for the first time in two months to discuss ways to push forward the political process and achieve national reconciliation.

U.S. Ambassador in Baghdad Ryan Crocker and top U.S. Commander in Iraq General David Petraeus are expected to submit a report on the situation in Iraq to the U.S. Congress by September 15, 2007. The report will thoroughly examine the effect of the increase in U.S. troops on the security situation in Iraq.

Bush: No progress at national level in Iraq de****e success in some provinces | Iraq Updates

Five-way meeting of political parties' leaders dominates Baghdad press

Baghdad, 20 August 2007 (Voices of Iraq)

Iraqi newspapers on Sunday highlighted the meeting of five Iraqi political parties' leaders, preparations for the upcoming political summit and repercussions from the Second Conference of Ambassadors and Heads of Iraqi Missions.

The government-funded al-Sabah newspaper published a front-page headline that read, 'Five main parties settle most disputed points.' According to the newspaper, the parties' leaders reached a consensus on many controversial issues, including the laws on justice and accountability and municipal elections.

Citing Iraqi President Jalal al-Talabani, the newspaper said that a spirit of love, honesty and transparency united the participants, who stressed the importance of tackling all pending issues. "All unresolved issues were submitted to the preparatory committee for the political summit, scheduled to be held soon," the newspaper quoted Shiite Vice President Adel Abdul Mahdi as saying.

In its coverage of preparations for Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's visit to Damascus, the newspaper interviewed a number of Iraqi parliamentarians and politicians who called on the Syrian government to express a clear stance on the Iraqi political process and terrorist operations.

MP Firyad Rawanduzi from the Kurdistan Coalition said the security file and borders' crossings will top the agenda of al-Maliki's visit. Meanwhile, MP Saleem Abdullah al-Juburi, a spokesman for the Sunni Iraqi Accordance Front (IAF), said the visit is expected to open channels of dialogue with Iraq's neighboring countries and tackle the massive immigration of Iraqis to Syria.

The independent daily al-Mada newspaper published a main headline that read, 'Talabani: Iraq is not weak, has powerful government.' The newspaper said that MP Iyad Jamal al-Din will represent the Iraqi National List (INL) in today's meeting of blocs' leaders. It also quoted a statement by U.S. President George W. Bush in which he praised Iraqi leaders' efforts towards national reconciliation.

Al-Ittihad newspaper, the mouthpiece of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), published a report entitled, 'Zibari chairs special working session, Conference of Ambassadors and Heads of Iraqi Missions begins.' With the participation of a large number of Iraqi politicians and senior government officials, the conference began with the Iraqi president's speech in which he stressed his government's keenness to build stronger relations with Arab and regional countries, al-Ittihad wrote.

Meanwhile, al-Mashriq newspaper, an independent daily, published a main headline that read, 'Sadrist bloc: Four-way alliance abhorrent, sectarian, racist,' under which it quoted Sadrist MP Nasir al-Saadi as voicing his bloc's reservations about the new alliance and describing it as an attempt to "monopolize authority."

Five-way meeting of political parties' leaders dominates Baghdad press | Iraq Updates

Iraqi Papers Mon: Changes in the Government

Plans to "Overhaul" the Cabinet, the Government's Enemies Negotiate an Alliance

By AMER MOHSEN Posted 9 hr. 33 min. ago

As it was to be expected, al-Hayat reported that the new alliance between the pro-government parties will be soon followed by a radical “reconsideration” of the cabinet’s structure, and, probably, the formation of a new government, “consisting of technocrats.”

The newspaper was quoting sources in Talabani’s Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and the Sadrist Current. These sources claimed that Prime Minister Maliki and his allies will attempt to ‘resuscitate’ the current government (which suffers from the resignation, or boycott, of 15 of its ministers) by forming a new compact cabinet, with less ministerial seats, and with “technocratic” ministers to replace the resigning ones.

An official in the PUK stated that the new cabinet will have Sunni ministers. However, with relations severed between the main Sunni parliamentary bloc, the IAF, and the government, and with the failure of attempts to bring the Sunni “Islamic party” into the pro-government coalition; finding Sunni personalities endowed with a measure of representativity will be a difficult task for Maliki.

In that context, al-Hayat said that Prime Minister al-Maliki paid a surprise visit to the province of Salah al-Deen, home to the town of Tikrit, Saddam’s birthplace. The paper opined that Maliki’s visit, in which he met with the governor and clan leaders, was intended to “convince tribes to accept ministerial positions” that were left open with the resignation of the IAF.

Sunni tribes may be reluctant to join al-Maliki’s project, which could be tantamount to breaking the Sunni ranks in Iraq. Anbari clansmen who courted al-Maliki in hopes of becoming the “government Sunnis” paid dearly. Az-Zaman confirmed today that the Anbari tribal coalition, “the Council of the Awakening of Anbar,” has publicly declared its refusal to take up any ministerial seats in the current government. Iraqi papers had reported recently that major tribal figures in Anbar and its tribal councils were unseated for making statements supportive of Maliki and showing readiness to replace the IAF in the cabinet.

Meanwhile, Az-Zaman said that the parties left out of the pro-government coalition are readying to create a counter-alliance, with the aim of overturning al-Maliki’s cabinet. According to the paper, the prospective alliance will be mainly composed of the Sadrist Current, the Fadhila party, the IAF and 'Allawi’s Iraqi List; in addition to a host of smaller parties and independents. Theoretically, the combination of these powers could create a fearsome opponent to Maliki and his allies; but the lessons from the recent past teach us that, while garnering a common hatred for Maliki, these parties have little else to unite over.

The parties of the “opposition” carry divergent agendas, and suffer from conflicts and feuds that run deep. Sunnis (and among them the IAF) have often accused Sadrists of being involved in the “death squads” and the process of “cleansing” Baghdad from its Sunni residents. The Sadrists and Fadhila were locked into a bitter conflict in Basra for the better part of the year, and the “alliance” between 'Allawi and the IAF is yet to be tested.

In other news, Az-Zaman (international edition) headlined: “Damascus demands that Maliki conciliates with his people before gaining the trust of the Arabs.” The paper was referring to a coming visit by Nuri al-Maliki to Damascus. The announced objective of the visit is to discuss the status of Iraqi refugees in Syria, and “mutual cooperation between the two countries,” in addition, of course, to the security dossier. But according to the London-based paper, the visit may have a hidden agenda.

The paper claimed that the Iraqi government has been negotiating with Damascus to obtain “lists naming (Iraqi) politicians and officers who oppose the political process and have been residing in Syria over the last four years.” “Sources in London” told Az-Zaman that the Syrian government has rejected such requests, and that al-Maliki may be offering the Syrians a package, including subsidized Iraqi oil and other forms of economic cooperation, in exchange for the lists, which include, according to the paper, the names of over 100 Ba'thi officers from the disbanded Iraqi Army.

Az-Zaman also claimed that the Iraqi embassy in Damascus has “advised” the Iraqi government to not include Muaffac al-Rubai'i, the Iraqi “National Security Adviser” in the delegation to Damascus. Al-Rubai'i, who holds a vast authority in the Iraqi state and security apparatus, and has close links with the US administration in Iraq, is known for adopting anti-Syrian stances and accusing Damascus of sponsoring terrorism in Iraq.

IraqSlogger: Iraqi Papers Mon: Changes in the Government