Archive Latest News - Think Tank - 03/11/07 - 31/12/07

Time ripe for Parliament to Endorse several Drafts, Maliki tells Rice

Baghdad, Nov 3, (VOI) – Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki told U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Istanbul that the time was ripe for the Iraqi parliament to endorse several draft laws adopted by the government, including those on oil & gas and accountability.

The U.S. administration was blaming the Iraqi government for failure to pass a number of important draft laws like the drafts on oil & gas and the accountability, which is known as the debaathification law.

"Maliki and Rice discussed several issues of mutual concern and the importance of an Iraqi-Turkish-U.S. cooperation to deal with the threat posed by the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)," according to a statement by the Iraqi cabinet on Saturday.

"The PKK is a terrorist organization, not just to Turkey but to Iraq as well, particularly as far as security and economic aspects are concerned," the statement quoted Maliki as saying.

In his speech before the Istanbul conference on Saturday, the Iraqi premier called on his country's neighbors to increase their security measures along their borders with Iraq and respect Iraq's sovereignty.
Maliki said that his government has taken "a firm decision to close down all offices and headquarters of the terrorist PKK all over Iraqi territories."

"We announce before you today that we have taken drastic measures to block any facilities reaching this terrorist organization via airports and borders," Maliki said, adding "the constitution of Iraq compels us to respect relations with neighboring countries and not to allow our territories to be used to wage aggression on any country."

http://www.aswataliraq.info/look/english/article.tpl?IdLanguage=1&IdPublication=4&NrArticle =59337&NrIssue=2&NrSection=1

Kurdistan Solution Party Office in Sulaimani was closed

Director of Kurdistan region general security, Mamosta Saifadin exclusively told PUKmedia that their forces closed the only office of the Kurdistan Solution Party in Sulaimani today.

Security forces have closed the office of the above-mentioned party in Erbil today.

There were some news reports today that the Kurdistan Solution Party offices were also closed in Duhok governorate.
Kurdistan Solution Party is known as a pro-PKK party.

PUKmedia :: English - Kurdistan Solution Party Office in Sulaimani was closed

PM's Statement on Istanbul Meetings

The Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq (KRG) welcomes the Istanbul meetings of the Foreign Ministers of the G8, the Permanent 5, the neighbouring countries, the Arab League, and the UN Secretary General. We hope that this distinguished group of diplomats and interested parties will help to find a resolution to the current tensions which exist along the Iraqi-Turkish border.

The KRG condemns in the strongest terms the recent acts of violence committed by the PKK inside Turkey. There can be no excuse whatsoever for these actions which undermine peace and stability in the entire region and which are not in the interest of anyone involved. There is no place in the modern civilised world for this type of violence.

The KRG wants peaceful and cooperative relations with Turkey. We have many strong ties to Turkey, both economic and cultural, and we hope to see these ties grow in the future. People on both sides of the border have come to benefit from our trade relations and many Turkish firms are welcome participants in the economic life of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. We want to extend the hand of friendship to the people of Turkey and cooperate toward a more stable and prosperous future for all our peoples.

We understand Turkey’s frustration with the actions of the PKK and we share the grief and sadness over the loss of life that has taken place. We believe that the only solution to this long-running problem is to be found in negotiations and compromise, not further violence.

We insist that the PKK cease all violence against the Turkish military and make clear their willingness to lay down their arms and meet at the negotiating table. We are doing all we can to secure the release of all hostages and to defuse tensions in the area.

The KRG will in no way allow its soil to be used for violence or interference in the affairs of our neighbours and we are taking steps to guarantee that this does not happen.

Our commitment to peace and good relations with our neighbors is unshakeable – we have already seen too much violence and too much suffering in our history. This problem has existed in various forms for over 20 years – we are fearful that it will gain more life and more energy if violence is allowed to prevail.

We would like our friends in the region and elsewhere to know that we are ready – at any time, in any place, and with any group – to sit down and find a negotiated solution to the current impasse. For us, there is no alternative to dialogue and discussion. We believe there is an opportunity for a political solution and we urge the distinguished group of Foreign Ministers to work with us to find that solution.

The people of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq want only peace and stability so that we can continue our progress toward greater economic and political development. We are willingly a part of Iraq, and we intend to remain so. The people of Turkey should not fear our progress along the road toward freedom and prosperity. We want to be a safe and responsible neighbour to Turkey. We threaten no one, not today, or in the future.

PUKmedia :: English - PM's Statement on Istanbul Meetings

Maliki says no civil war in Iraq

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said Saturday that his conflict-torn country has overcome the threat of civil war and violence is receding.

"Ethnic violence is decreasing... The civil war that Al-Qaeda wanted to spark has been prevented," Maliki told a conference of Iraq's neighbours and major Western powers in Istanbul.

"Iraq has overcome the period of danger and is stronger and more experienced today," he said.

"Our success will help not only us but also you," he said, addressing Iraq's neighbours.

Maliki asked for more international support for his government's efforts at economic reconstruction and at quashing daily violence.

He renewed a call on neighbouring countries to act to prevent "the infilitration of terrorists."

Turkey is hosting the meeting which besides Iraq includes top ministers and officials from the United States and other western powers and Middle East nations including Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Bahrain.


Maliki says no civil war in Iraq - Yahoo! News UK

Iraq 'will arrest Kurdish Rebels'

Iraq says it is ready to track down and arrest Kurdish rebel leaders responsible for cross-border raids into from northern Iraq.

Government spokesman Ali Dabbagh also said Baghdad was prepared to take joint action with Ankara against the fighters of the PKK.
The pledge was made at international talks in Turkey on in Iraq.

Iraq's six neighbours are gathering with diplomats from the UN, G8 and international Arab and Islamic groups.

Attending the talks in, Iraqi PM Nouri Maliki said his country should not be used a base for attacks against neighbours.
"We will co-operate with our neighbours in defeating this threat," he said.

'Clearly unacceptable'

Ali Dabbagh was quoted by the AFP news agency as saying: "There are security measures being taken, the checking of any suspect officer of the PKK in the Kurdistan region and in all Iraq."
"They will be arrested," he added.

Meanwhile, authorities in Iraq closed an office in Irbil on Saturday of the Kurdistan Democratic Solution, a political party which Turkey says is a front for the Kurdish rebels.

The party secretary, Fayaq Gulpi, said: "The security forces in Irbil entered our office, expelled all our party members and our sympathisers then closed the office."

Irbil is the seat of government for Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region, and lies 350km (217 miles) north of Baghdad.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said at the talks in Istanbul that attacks launched on forces from Iraq were "clearly unacceptable".

"The governments of Iraq and Turkey must work hard to address this challenge and I am confident that a mutually acceptable solution can be found," he said.

Turkey has massed up to 100,000 troops on its southern border for a possible offensive to eliminate Kurdish rebel bases in Iraq.

Threats

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told the meeting: "Our objective is to have an Iraq that has stability and safety and that does not create threats for its neighbours."

BBC world affairs correspondent Nick Childs says the Iraqi authorities are anxious that Saturday's one-day conference remains focused on broader questions of security and stability in Iraq, and how the outside world can help.

They hope hints of a recent downturn of violence in Iraq may encourage greater outside engagement, says our correspondent.
The first round of talks was held in May, when an agreement in principle was reached to forgive Iraq some $30bn (£14.4bn) in debts.

The trouble is many of the participants in Istanbul have different views of how they want to see Iraq develop politically, says our correspondent.

The Saudis and the Iranians, for example, regard each other suspiciously but they find common ground in not wanting to see Iraq unstable and broken up.

A lot of interest will again be focused on the chemistry between US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her counterparts from two significant regional players with which is at odds, Iran and Syria.

Those attending the conference include representatives of the permanent members of the UN Security Council, the Arab League and the Islamic Conference Organisation.

Turkey is pressing Washington to do more to stem PKK activity from Iraq, where the organisation is thought to have about 3,000 rebels based.

Foreign Minister Ali Babacan met Condoleezza Rice in on Friday and the pair are due to hold more talks on Saturday, with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari also attending.

But analysts expect that any major announcement about the border situation will be kept for a summit between President George W Bush and Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan being held in Washington on Monday.

PUKmedia :: English - Iraq 'will arrest Kurdish Rebels'

Crocker calls to face Iran influence in Iraq

US Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker called from Dubai to reopen Arab Embassies in Baghdad in order to face the Iranian influence he described as negative. Crocker who headed to Istanbul to attend the expanded conference on Iraq, resumed his tour to the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar. He acknowledged that Iraq is a dangerous place and that diplomats working in Baghdad are subject to risks.

Alsumaria Iraqi Satellite TV Network | Iraq News | Crocker calls to face Iran influence in Iraq

Anbar officials call for continued US support, Private Oil Investment

Sunni Muslim officials from Iraq's Anbar province are telling the United States what they want in the aftermath of relative success against al-Qaida: money to rebuild their battle-damaged cities, help to expand their police force by one-third and private U.S. investment in the province's oil reserves.

"We united, and that's why we obtained victory. So we are asking now that we compensate this province for all of the destruction it has faced," Sheik Ahmed Abu Risha, whose older brother was assassinated after leading a revolt against al-Qaida terrorists, said Friday.

The sheik was part of an eight-member delegation in Washington this week. The officials met separately with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and several members of Congress.
Until the U.S.-led invasion ended the rule of President Saddam Hussein, the minority Sunnis were the most powerful ethnic group in Iraq. Candidates from the majority Shiite sect won post-Saddam elections and dominate the government.

Anbar has become Bush administration's much-needed good news story on Iraq for the. Before this year, the western Iraq province was considered the country's hotbed of both the Sunni insurgency and al-Qaida terrorist forces. The province stabilized in recent months, after clans allied against al-Qaida and the U.S. military increased troop levels there.

Abdul-Sattar Abu Risha, who led the revolt, was assassinated in September just 10 days after meeting with President George W. Bush; during the brief visit to al-Asad Air Base, Bush hailed Abu Risha's courage. His movement, also known as the Anbar Awakening, included dozens of tribes or sub-tribes from Anbar, many of whom initially helped al-Qaida target U.S. forces.

Huddled around a small table at the Washington Plaza on Friday, four members of the delegation — Sheik Abu Risha; Abdulsalam Mohammed, chairman of the Anbar Provincial Council; Maamoun Sami Rashid al-Alwani, governor of Anbar; and Latif Eyada, the mayor of Ramadi — said they came to the United States to seek continued support.

Speaking to reporters through a translator, the officials said they were grateful for the U.S. help against al-Qaida but still needed help to expand their police force to 30,000 personnel and rebuild its infrastructure.
They also said al-Qaida was almost defeated, scattered in small pockets throughout the province.

"The people that embraced al-Qaida at the beginning, these are the people who are rejecting al-Qaida now," said al-Alwani.

U.S. Marine Corps Brig. Gen. John Allen, who oversees forces in Anbar, told reporters Friday that propping up Anbar's security forces probably will take a couple more years.

"It's a measure of years, not a measure of months" when U.S. troops will leave, he said.

The Sunnis also said they feared growing support among U.S. military experts and lawmakers that Iraq be divided into three regions, generally along sectarian lines, with a weakened central government.

Sunnis have long lobbied for a strong central government that can equally distribute the nation's oil revenues and defend Iraq's borders; Iraq's largest petroleum deposits are found in the Kurdish north and Shiite south.

Al-Alwani said his primary worry was that a sectarian-divided Iraq would inspire meddling from Shiite Iran and other neighboring countries.

While Sunni territory is not known for its oil reserves, recent studies have found increased estimates of modest deposits. Al-Alwani said he invites private investors from the United States to help develop Anbar's oil and natural reserves, located in a southern region called Akaz.

"It's just sitting there, waiting for somebody to make use of it," said al-Alwani.

Allen said the earlier chaos in Anbar resulted in large part from the U.S. decision to disband the Iraqi army. The closure of state-run businesses also meant a sharp increase in unemployment, he said.

"Al-Qaida parachutes in on top of all of this" and "left the tribal society in complete disarray as they fought the coalition forces," Allen said. "So, it was really the perfect storm."

Anbar officials call for continued US support, private oil investment - International Herald Tribune

Call for more International Investors

Opportunities in Iraq have been customised to be more international investor friendly, a top official at the Gulf Iraq Expo (GIX) has said.

Presentations were held yesterday at GIX to discuss business opportunities currently available in Iraq.

Although the security situation in the country has become more stable. Iraq is still seeking international investors willing to inject the local economy with the investment needed to rapidly increase development.

"Kurdistan has introduced an investment law to aid in creating an investment climate and remove legal obstacles," Investment Board of Kurdistan member Taha Zengena told the GDN.

"We have allowed for foreign investors to have 100 per cent ownership and a 10-year tax holiday as well as a five-year exemption from customs and duties.

"Our aim is for all nations and nationalities to use Kurdistan to begin to move further into the business world of Iraq."

Mr Zengena also said that Kurdistan requires investment in a number of fields including manufacturing, electric power, agriculture, tourism, health, communication, banks and transport.

He also said that Kurdistan is witnessing an economic boom and that there are currently 53 projects underway there from national and foreign investors.

"We have introduced laws that allow foreign investors a to use a number of public utilities such as stores, pipelines and ports, the ability to lease land from the state for 40 years, to own or lease private lands in Iraq, and to define prices for import and export of oil," Iraqi Oil Ministry public relations department general director Hasseb Al Sadr said.

"We are expecting to increase the export of Iraqi oil to up to 2.5 million barrels a day after a trade route is opened through Jihan Airport in Turkey."

Mr Al Sadr said that it would take an investment of $10 billion to bring the Iraqi oil trade up to international export levels.

"The GIX is paving the way for the Iraqi commerce and industry sector to lay foundations and begin planning for the future," Iraqi ambassador in Bahrain Ghassan Muhsen said.

"Iraq requires a vast amount of products and goods to be exported from the Gulf and there are no direct links, the only places exporting to Iraq are Jordan and Dubai. "There is currently no direct export links from Bahrain to Iraq via road, air or sea. However, the Iraqi-Bahraini joint committee are to conduct a draft convention in order to develop an air travel trade route between the nations.":waiting::waiting:

http://www.iraqdirectory.com/DisplayNews.aspx?id=4858

Bahrain Companies eye ventures in Iraq :party:

Visitors were thin on the ground at the Gulf Iraq Expo (GIX) yesterday. But in ****e of a poor turnout for the second day of the first Iraqi industrial exhibition outside that country since the 2003 invasion, Bahraini exhibitors at the event were positive about the prospects of business being generated.

Hempel Paints customer service manager Mohammed Al Dees said they had received some positive feedback about business in Iraq. "We have been talking with a number of Iraqi businesses and we see the prospects of doing business there in the future. We have had some particularly positive talks with the construction groups," he said.

Alba's representative on their stand, Nader Amin Al Ansar, was disappointed about the second day turnout at the show though he said the company had received some positive feedback from the event so far.

"Since the show opened we have made some good contacts that could translate into business in the future. The first day was very busy and we met some people with whom we can develop business," he said.

Maxwell Oil & Gas Services were also highly positive about the contacts they had made. Sales engineer Mohamed A Aziz said the company had managed to arrange a meeting with the Iraqi oil ministry and had also made some positive contacts from Oman and Saudi Arabia on the first day. He said his company, which spe******es in everything from power plants to oil services, had met several Iraqi business people and were looking for a meeting with the country's oil minister.

Al Safir Hotel and Tower operations manager Mohamed Al Sayed said they had received a lot of interest both from Iraq and GCC visitors to the exhibition who were keen on using their facility for a return visit to the kingdom with their family. (lol)

As the operator of the event's cafeteria he said he was also impressed with the number of people who had turned up on the opening day which saw them do a lot of business.

Awal Gulf Manufacturing spokesman admitted he was a bit disappointed about the turnout yesterday.

But he said his company, which is both a regional and international supplier of fridges, freezers and AC systems, had made some new contacts both with Iraqi businesses and other potential customers across the region during the vent.

Ahli United Bank, which is a major player in the reconstruction of Iraq through its 49 per cent stake in a joint venture with the Iraqi government in Commercial Bank of Iraq, was also doing a lot of business during the event with a number of regional businesses enquiring at its stand about the banking facilities it could offer to businesses interested in developing ties with Iraq.


http://www.iraqdirectory.com/DisplayNews.aspx?id=4862

Rice meets Turkish, Iraqi FMs on PKK Crisis

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice held a three-way meeting with her Turkish and Iraqi counterparts Saturday, seeking to defuse the crisis over Ankara's threats to strike Kurdish rebel bases in northern Iraq.

Riding a diplomatic whirlwind to avert Turkish military action, Rice met with Turkey's Ali Babacan and Iraq's Hoshyar Zebari on the sidelines of a multi-nation conference on Iraq in Istanbul, attended by Iraq's neighbours and major Western powers.

She held talks in Ankara Friday ahead of a crucial meeting Monday at the White House between Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US President George W. Bush.

Ankara acknowledges that Baghdad is trying to help against the PKK, but the embattled central government has virtually no authority in northern Iraq, where the Iraqi Kurds run an autonomous administration.

Ankara accuses the Iraqi Kurdish leadership of harbouring and aiding the separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), listed as a terrorist group by Turkey and much of the international community.

As soon as she arrived in Istanbul Friday evening, Rice met Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, who also attended the conference here.

"They both agreed that the PKK presence in Iraq and the group's terror activities were a threat to Iraq, the Kurds, and Turkey," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters.

Maliki "pledged all possible efforts by the Iraqi government and the Kurdish regional government to address the PKK threat," he said.

Wary of fresh turmoil in conflict-torn Iraq, the United States is stuck in an awkward position between two key allies -- NATO member Turkey and the Iraqi Kurds, who run northern Iraq but are reluctant to confront fellow Kurds from the PKK.

Addressing the Istanbul conference earlier Saturday, Erdogan called for "urgent and substantial measures" against the rebel organisation, labelled a terrorist organisation by much of the international community.

PUKmedia :: English - Rice meets Turkish, Iraqi FMs on PKK Crisis

Recognising success on the streets of Iraq

Central to Gordon Brown's strategy on becoming Prime Minister was to distance himself from the policies of his predecessor, including, naturally, the war in Iraq.

This was achieved with remarkable ease. In Washington he was brusque with President Bush, where Tony Blair was chummy. He announced long-scheduled troop withdrawals as if they were his own principled interventions.

David Cameron, meanwhile, is in no hurry to draw attention back to Iraq. His predecessor, Michael Howard, embarrassed himself with an opportunistic U-turn. Only the Liberal Democrats have a consistent line on the war - unstinting opposition. But they know that to continue beating that drum gives the impression that they are still fighting the last election instead of planning for the next one.

So the Iraq debate has fallen silent. That is extraordinary, not just because Allied forces are still risking their lives to safeguard a fledgling democracy, but because there are signs they are having some success.

That is, of course, a relative concept. But there is evidence that unfettered violence is subsiding and fragile stability emerging. Last month saw the lowest death toll in 18 months. In Baghdad, monthly civilian casualties between May and October fell from 1,070 to 317, still too many, but part of an encouraging trend. Iraqis are beginning cautiously to wonder whether, thanks to US General Petraeus's military 'surge', the tide might have turned.

In the US, this subtle shift has had an impact on the political debate. Some Democrats have softened their anti-war rhetoric, in case there are real grounds for optimism. But in Britain there is only the collective conspiracy in all parties to portray Iraq as Tony Blair's war, an event in the past on which judgment is best left to historians.

That silence is dishonest and irresponsible. Whatever the arguments around starting the war, Britain has enduring responsibilities to Iraq. Pessimists say that al-Qaeda, the Sunni insurgency and Shia militias are simply regrouping. But an equally credible interpretation of events on the ground is that democracy has a chance, and that its best hope is the continued, unstinting support for the government - military, financial and diplomatic - provided by Britain and America.

Recognising success on the streets of Iraq | Leaders | The Observer

Eerily quiet on the News front today. :eek:

Not much published - not sure if that's a good thing or bad. :rolleyes:

Firms call for long-term investments in Iraq

MANAMA: Companies interested in rebuilding Iraq are upset with the low turnout at the Gulf Iraq Expo (GIX).

The GIX at Bahrain International Exhibition Centre has only been a partial success due to low turnout with a number of infrastructure exhibitors dissatisfied with the event.

Their main grievance is alleged lack of international commitment that has led to a number of companies attending the expo seeing little in serious investment and not enough firms are interested in conducting business.
"Iraq is in need of trillions of dollars to pursue the rebuilding and development of infrastructure," an Iraqi official told the GDN.

"Americans have committed $50 million a year to pursue the rebuilding of our infrastructure and so far this year they have spent $30m to $40m on setting up roads, residential blocks and power stations in Iraq."

"Iraq is in need of more than 3m residential homes and approximately 6,000mw of power.

"The event here today has a number of big companies but the problem that we have witnessed is the fact that decision-makers from the Iraqi ministries have not shown up, meaning that all the large projects are not available to be propagated."

A representative from the Iraq-based infrastructure firm Al Qasswara Group said that the exhibition has amounted to very little in terms of actual deals. So far the only deal his company has negotiated has been the purchase of diggers from the Omani Chamber of Commerce.

"We have seen a number of our counterparts from Iraq but there hasn't been anyone that is interested in investing in long-term business," Al Qasswara Group chief executive Luqman Al Janaby said.

Merjal is another Iraq-based company that deals with contracting and infrastructure. They recently installed a 350mw gas power station in Kurkuk as well as a 500mw gas turbine power station in Arbil. The company is currently installing a 150 tonne per hour boiler in Baghdad.

"The expo has been good for networking with other companies but from a business point of view has not been very fruitful," Merjal Oil and Industry consultant adviser Kahtan H J Al Anbaki said.

"The fact that no decision-makers from Iraq have attended is an issue, but another problem is that the expo has been held over a weekend which has led to less local businessmen attending.

"The ideal set-up for this expo would have been a concise programme of tenders in Iraq resumed by direct dialogue to establish acquisitions between companies."

Al Bilal Group, another Iraqi-based infrastructure firm, has said the event has seen low interest and that companies that want to stabilise in Iraq now need to seek partnerships soon.

"The Iraqi government and the American investors are working in Iraq," Al Bilal Group vice-president Majid Ahmed said.

"The entire infrastructure needs to be renewed with a new system and design and there are a limitless number of opportunities for firms interested in investing in Iraq.

"Some people say that in the next two years these problems will begin to be addressed but realistically there is at least another five to six years work in Iraq until a global standard of infrastructure is even beginning to take shape." :yak::mad:

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International Conference Ends With Pledges Of Support For Iraq Government

An international conference on Iraq's stability and security closed with two dozen nations and organizations pledging to support the U.S.- backed government in Baghdad and help take action against terrorism.

In a final declaration adopted Saturday by the conference, Iraq's neighbors and regional trading partners along with representatives from the E.U., the Group of Eight industrialized nations and the U.N. Security Council's permanent members also vowed to help prevent the passage of illegal arms into Iraq, and ensure tighter control of borders with Iraq.

The final statement called for further talks on issues of security, energy and displaced persons.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon cited the ethnic conflict in Iraq and a growing refugee problem.

"Iraq today is faced with an extremely complicated web of overlapping, ethnic conflicts," Ban said. "An increased level of displacement is already causing humanitarian crisis."

According to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, more than 2 million Iraqis have fled their country. They include 1.2 million in Syria, 750,000 in Jordan, 100,000 in Egypt, 54,000 in Iran, 40,000 in Lebanon and 10,000 in Turkey.

Ban said September and October saw the lowest number of killed civilians in Iraq. He urged the government to take advantage of this trend to "transform political and military development to a broader national reconciliation" between Iraq's ethnic groups.

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki called for the withdrawal of coalition forces in Iraq.

"Withdrawal of all the forces from Iraq should take place according to a plan ... introduced by the government of Iraq, and based on that plan, the United Nations should make a decision to end the mission of the foreign forces," Mottaki said.

Mottaki also said security contracting companies, such as the U.S. firm Blackwater, were causing instability in Iraq. The company is accused of killing 17 Iraqi civilians in September.

Much of the meeting was overshadowed by Turkey's problem with Kurdish rebels, but the delegates made sure to also address the items on the original agenda.

In addition to their pledges, they backed the creation of a Baghdad-based " support mechanism" that would be charged with implementing decisions from the meeting and other such talks.

The group's next meeting on Iraq will be held in Kuwait. A Turkish Foreign Ministry official said the meeting would most likely be held in March.

Nasdaq 100 Flash Quotes

Factions vie for oil deals to finance activities

Political factions and militia groups now play a bigger role in the country’s oil industry, senior officials and experts said.

They said filing stations in major cities are under the control of militias suspected of using the proceeds to finance their operations and activities.

“Militia groups have imposed their control over filling stations,” said former Oil Minister Ibrahim Bahr al-Uloom.

Uloom said political parties were using their clout and presence in the government to snatch oil exporting deals from SOMO, the country’s oil exporting arm.

These factions, he said, were also involved in the purchase of fuel products the import of which is worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

“Many of these deals are granted or better taken outside the legal framework under which SOMO works,” Uloom said.

Thamer Ghadhban, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s energy adviser, did not dispute Uloom’s remarks.

He said the government was aware of certain religious militia groups “imposing levies on fuel products sold to the public.”

Ghadhban said these groups were capable of doing so “by placing their loyalists at the head o of filling stations in major cities” including Baghdad.

However, he said, the level of corruption and smuggling was receding.:smiley:

Azzaman in English

Iraq, With U.S. Support, Voids a Russian Oil Contract :mad3: :fryingpan

Guided by American legal advisers, the Iraqi government has canceled a controversial development contract with the Russian company Lukoil for a vast oil field in Iraq’s southern desert, freeing it up for potential international investment in the future.

In response, Russian authorities have threatened to revoke a 2004 deal under the Paris Club of creditor nations to forgive $13 billion in Iraqi debt, a senior Iraqi official said.

The field, West Qurna, has estimated reserves of 11 billion barrels, the equivalent of the ********* proven oil reserves of Exxon Mobil, America’s largest oil company. Hussain al-Shahristani, the Iraqi oil minister, said in an interview that the field would be opened to new bidders, perhaps as early as next year.

The contract, which had been signed and later canceled by the Saddam Hussein government, had been in legal limbo since the American invasion. But the Kremlin remained hopeful it could be salvaged until this September, when Mr. Shahristani traveled to Moscow to inform officials there that the decision to cancel it was final, he said.

The Russian government, newly emboldened in international affairs by its expanding oil wealth, is still backing Lukoil’s claim and protesting what it considers selective enforcement of contracts in Iraq.

“We will defend our interests,” Dmitri S. Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, said in a telephone interview. “It is the government’s obligation to defend the interests of our companies in foreign countries.”

One Iraqi official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was discussing a confidential diplomatic exchange, described Russia’s response as, “If you do the deal, we can muster the political muscle to forgive the debt.”

West Qurna, mapped by Soviet geologists in the 1980s but mostly untapped, is one of a dozen or so supergiant oil fields in the world. They are known in the industry as “elephants,” fields so large they can tip the fortunes of companies or countries.

The field will produce one million barrels of oil a day after four to five years of development, according to both Iraqi oil officials and Lukoil; that is the approximate equivalent of the current output of the North Slope in Alaska.

In Lukoil’s 1997 production-sharing agreement, Saddam Hussein’s government awarded the company development rights to the 11 billion barrels of oil for a paltry signing bonus of $10 million. The deal, concluded when Iraq was seeking Russian support in a failed effort to lift United Nations sanctions, allotted 9.6 percent of the output to Lukoil.

The contract presented a quandary for the United States, which has been accused by some critics of invading Iraq for its oil. There is little evidence to date that the war effort has given American oil companies an inside track to Iraq’s reserves, and the Lukoil deal is the only one involving a major oil company to be reversed since the start of the war.

But as a cornerstone of its foreign policy, the United States has argued vigorously for countries to honor petroleum contracts. In that light, condoning the cancellation of the Lukoil contract could be seen in some quarters as evidence of a double standard.

“From the Russian government perspective, Iraq is seen as occupied and its administration directed by Washington, particularly when it comes to oil,” Vladimir I. Tikhomirov, chief economist at the Russian bank UralSib, said in a telephone interview.

“The Russians see the cancellation of their contract in Iraq as part of the U.S. drive to keep control over the major oil fields there,” he said.
The Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin, has raised the issue with President Bush several times since the 2003 invasion. In an interview with the BBC in June 2003, Mr. Putin said Mr. Bush had gone as far as offering assurances.

“At our last meeting,” Mr. Putin said, “Bush directly and clearly said, ‘We do not have any goals of pressuring Russian companies out of Iraq and we are ready to create the conditions for working together there.’ I have no reason not to believe him.”

The legality of the Lukoil contract remains murky. It is Iraq’s stated policy, as laid out in a draft oil law now before Parliament, to honor contracts signed by the Saddam Hussein government. It is doing just that with contracts with Chinese, Vietnamese, Indonesian and Indian oil companies.

But the Iraqis note that it was the Saddam Hussein government that canceled the Lukoil contract. The government’s spokesman, Tariq Aziz, said at the time that the government believed the Russians were negotiating with the Americans to secure the contract in event of an invasion.

Early in the American occupation, the question arose whether the Hussein government’s decision was valid, said Michael Stinson, the former chief adviser to the Iraqi Oil Ministry. The answer was supplied by the principal American legal adviser to the ministry at the time, Robert Maguire, who Mr. Stinson said was then working for the Defense Department. Mr. Maguire drew on pre-Hussein-era law to justify the cancellation, Mr. Stinson said. :wigged::wigged:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/04/wo...ld&oref=slogin

Kurdish Rebels Release Turkish Soldiers

Kurdish rebels on Sunday released eight Turkish soldiers in northern Iraq two weeks after capturing them in an ambush inside Turkey, a PKK spokesman said.

The release came before Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets President Bush on Monday in Washington to discuss a possible cross-border offensive against the Kurdish rebel group.

A spokesman for the group holding the soldiers, the Kurdistan Workers' Party or PKK, told The Associated Press by telephone that the eight were released Sunday morning.

"The eight were freed this morning at 7:30 and handed over to Iraqi Kurdish officials in the mountains," said Abdul-Rahman Chadarchi, a PKK spokesman.

Iraqi Kurdish officials confirmed that the soldiers were handed over to them and were in good health, Turkey's private NTV television reported. The soldiers were expected to be sent to Turkey later Sunday.

The PKK is believed to have several mountain hideouts along the border between Turkey and the semi-autonomous Kurdish region in Iraq's north.
The soldiers were taken in an Oct. 21 ambush inside Turkish territory. The ambush also left 12 soldiers dead and has been a key factor in the mounting pressure on Turkey's government to stage a cross-border offensive to fight Kurdish rebels based in northern Iraq.

The release of the soldiers, however, was not expected to affect Turkish plans. Turkey's military and civilian leadership have repeatedly stressed their determination to stage an incursion if the U.S. or Iraq do not crack down on rebel hideouts in northern Iraq.

The ambush outraged an already frustrated Turkish public.

Demonstrations erupted across the country and opposition leaders called for an immediate strike against rebel bases in Iraq, de****e appeals for restraint from Iraq, the U.S. and European leaders.

The U.S. is pressing hard to keep Turkey from staging a cross-border offensive against the rebels. The U.S. designates the PKK as an international terrorist organization.

The ambush occurred four days after the Turkish Parliament authorized the government to deploy troops across the border in Iraq, amid growing anger in Turkey at perceived U.S. and Iraqi failure to live up to pledges to crack down on the PKK.

Turkey now says it wants to hear specifics about what Washington is prepared to do to counter the rebel group, or Turkey will launch an attack. Rebel attacks against Turkish positions during the last month have left 47 dead, including 35 soldiers, according to government and media reports.

Rebels periodically cross the border to stage attacks in their war for autonomy for Turkey's predominantly Kurdish southeast. Nearly 40,000 people have died in the conflict since the rebels launched their first armed attack against a military unit in 1984.

PUKmedia :: English - Kurdish Rebels Release Turkish Soldiers

Turkish Soldiers Release is the Outcome of Presidents Talabani and Barzani Efforts

Dr. Fuad Hussein, the Kurdistan’s Presidency Divan spokesman held a press conference today, where he highlighted the subject of releasing the Turkish soldiers by the PKK.

”Releasing the Turkish soldiers came after the efforts of the Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, Kurdistan Region President Masood Barzani and KRG Prime Minister”, Hussein said.

He added “we delivered the Turkish soldiers from the PKK today in the presence of KRG Minister of Interior Othman al-Haj Mahmood and the minister of Interior affairs Kareem Sinjari.”

Hussein denied that closing the offices of Democratic Charasar (Solution) Party in Kurdistan Region has any relation with the conference of Istanbul.

PUKmedia :: English - Turkish Soldiers Release is the Outcome of Presidents Talabani and Barzani Efforts

Terrorists Killed the Ministry of Finance Under-Secretary

A terrorist group killed today Mr. Qutaiba Badr el-Dean, the under-secretary of the ministry of finance, as a security source announced.

The group fired the under-secretary when he was going out of his house in Zayona neighborhood in Baghdad, the source added.

PUKmedia :: English - Terrorists Killed the Ministry of Finance Under-Secretary

Barham Salih lays Foundation Stone for the Rebuilding Project of Mutannabi Street

Sponsored by Deputy Prime Minister, Dr. Barham Ahmed Salih, and in the presence of the a large crowd of intellectuals and citizens laying the foundation stone of a project to Mutannabi Street started. Head of Baghdad municipality, Commander of imposing law security plan and a number Iraqi MPs concern the ceremony.

Deputy Prime Minister, conveyed greetings of the Prime Minister and the government's attention to the reconstruction of Mutannabi Street since it has a cultural and civilization heritage. He pointed out that present attendance in this street also aimed to commemorate the martyrs of culture and opinion, innocent Iraqis, who were killed by the terrorist attack last March.

Salih stressed on the Iraqi government's determination and seriousness on the reconstruction and building of what terrorism has destroyed, adding that terrorism will increase Iraqis determination and insistence on the construction and progress of Iraq.

PUKmedia :: English - Barham Salih lays Foundation Stone for the Rebuilding Project of Mutannabi Street

Iranian Consul in Erbil will be opened tomorrow

“The Iranian consul in Erbil will be opened Tomorrow, November the 5th”Hassan Kazimi Qumi, the Iranian ambassador in Iraq said today.

Concerning a new round of the Iranian- US talks about the situation in Iraq, the Iranian state-run ESNA news agency has quoted Qumi as saying that Iraq should ask US and Iran to resume a new round of talks about the situation in Iraq and that till now Iraq has not asked such a plea, and if Iraq to ask such a plea, after analyzing it, Iran will make its decision.

PUKmedia :: English - Iranian Consul in Erbil will be opened tomorrow

Demand for dollar sharply drops in daily auction

Baghdad, Nov 4, (VOI) - Demand for the dollar was sharply lower in the Iraqi Central Bank’s auction on Sunday, reaching $37.615 million compared to $69.745 million on Thursday, as traders apparently attempted to press the exchange rate down.

In its daily statement the bank said it had covered all bids, including $7.955 million in cash and $29.660 in foreign transfers, at an exchange rate of 1,232 dinars per dollar, unchanged for the 17th session in a row.
None of the 13 banks that participated in Sunday's session offered to sell dollars.

In statements to the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI), Ali al-Yasseri, a trader, attributed the lower demand for the dollar in Sunday's session to the stable exchange rate for the 17th session running.

"Traders are trying to press the exchange rate at the auction down after it was stable for the last 17 sessions, the longest stable rate at an auction for over a year," al-Yasseri said.

The Iraqi Central Bank runs a daily auction from Sunday to Thursday.

Aswat Aliraq

British forces destroy missile firing base in Basra

Basra, Nov 4, (VOI) – British forces destroyed a base used to fire missiles in western Basra on Saturday night, the Multi-National Force (MNF) in southern Iraq said.

"British forces spotted a missile-launching base in a non-residential area near the al-Shoala neighborhood, (9 km) western Basra," Maj. Matthew Bird, the media spokesman for the MNF in southern Iraq, said.

"The British soldiers opened artillery fire at the base, destroying it and three missiles without any casualties reported," Bird said.

The British troops are stationed in one base in the Basra International Airport, 25 km northwest of the city, after withdrawal from the former presidential palaces base last month to hand them over to the Iraqi authorities.

The Britons keep a force of 5,250 soldiers within the MNF in Iraq. A total 1,850 troops were withdrawn during the past few months. Britain is the United States' prime ally in the occupation of Iraq in March 2003.

Basra is 590 km south of the Iraqi capital Baghdad.

Aswat Aliraq

130 million for reconstruction and compensating victims and to ensure the ration items supply

The Cabinet has allocated another 130 million to compensate the victims and reconstruct the province of Anbar, as confirmed by Finance Minister, Baqir Jabr Zubaidi, during his meeting with former Defense Minister, Saadoun Dulaimi, as well as chairman and members of the Council of Supporting the Province; while Trade Minister, Dr. Abdul Falah Al-Sudani, stressed in a similar meeting yesterday that one of the top priorities of the ministry is to provide food security for all citizens of the province in coordination with the members of the Council.

The Finance Minister said the Cabinet allocated $50 million to compensate the victims and $80 million for the reconstruction campaign of Al-Anbar; the province's quotas in the amounts of both 2006 and 2007 were launched to reach a total of more than $250 million aimed at the advancement of services provided to citizens, along with compensation for the victims of terrorism and subversion which the province have suffered from throughout the recent years. Instructions were also given to open two governmental banks, in response to the request of the Council's members, for the purpose of providing banking services for the people of Al Anbar.

Minister of Trade confirmed at a similar meeting yesterday included the sheikh of Al-Duleim tribes, Ali Hatem Al-Suleiman, and chairman of Al-Anbar Support Council, Sheikh Hameed Alhais and members of the Council that one of the top priorities of the ministry is to ensure food for the population in the province through forming committees to check inventory and prepare a plan to provide food for the coming months, including the provision of all components of the ration card.

He referred to the agreement with the Council to the participation of local suppliers in the province to supply items of the ration card through a contract with them as a direct procurement. The two ministers highly appreciated the role played by the sons of Al-Anbar in the pursuit of the remnants of terrorism and the restoration of security throughout the province. Members of the Council confirmed their readiness to provide protection for the State institutions in the province and secure roads for trucks transporting ration items and protect depots of the ministry's companies that provide agents in the province with foodstuffs, praising the two ministries affinity with the full demands.

http://www.iraqdirectory.com/DisplayNews.aspx?id=4870

Rehabilitating Trebeel and Safwan border compounds

Technical and engineering cadres at the General Office for Premises in the Ministry of Construction and Housing completed the rehabilitation and development of Trebeel compound and 87% of the work in Safwan border compound. An official source in the ministry said in a press statement that the work of rehabilitating and development of Trebeel border compound in the province of Anbar included restoration of the hotel building and the hall attached to it, as well as maintaining three wells, indicating that the total cost of the project amounted to 750 million dinars. As for the accomplished work in rehabilitating and developing Safwan border compound in Basrah, it reached more than 87%, indicating that work continues to complete the project on schedule.

http://www.iraqdirectory.com/DisplayNews.aspx?id=4871

Another similar article to one I posted yesterday about draft laws - this time mentions ratifying them.

Istanbul conference recommendations dominate Baghdad press

Baghdad, Nov 4, (VOI) – Iraqi newspapers on Sunday focused on the recommendations from the Istanbul-based conference for Iraq's neighboring countries which closed yesterday and sideline meetings between the participants.

In its coverage of the conference, the independent daily al-Mada newspaper published a main report in which it said, "The Istanbul conference concluded with calls for government support, a firmer grip on joint border security and a pledge by Baghdad to take prompt measures against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and combat terrorism. The conference's final statement stressed that Iraqi land will not be used as a base to launch terrorist attacks against neighboring countries."

On the sidelines of the conference, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki explained to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that conditions are now more favorable for the ratification of several draft laws, forwarded by the Iraqi government to the parliament, including the draft laws on oil and gas, and accountability and justice, the newspaper said.:banana:

The government-funded al-Sabah newspaper published a main headline that read, 'Istanbul conference: Behind closed doors meetings, encouraging final statement.' According to the newspaper, sideline meetings between heads of the delegations overshadowed the conference. "During his meeting with U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, al-Maliki stressed the Iraqi armed forces' increased abilities and their readiness to take over security duties in Iraqi provinces and highlighted a major leap in economic growth and a fall in inflation and unemployment rates," the newspaper wrote.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, during an inaugural speech in the conference, urged neighboring countries to take firm steps against "groups practicing terrorism in Iraq" in reference to the PKK, considered by Turkey as "terrorist" organization.

Erdogan revealed his country's readiness to realize security and stability and bolster national reconciliation in Iraq. "We have to continue re-building Iraq," Erdogan said in his speech with the Iraqi premier sitting next to him.

Baghdad newspaper, issued by former Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's al-Wifaq Movement, published the following main headlines: 'Allawi: Iraqis want to remain united,' 'Speaker: Vote on ministers of agriculture, health is void' and 'Government did not clamp down on oil smugglers.'

Al-Bayyina al-Jadida, another independent daily, published an article entitled, 'A certain victory,' by Ghayath Abdul Hamid in which he voiced his optimism about the ability of Iraqi security forces to achieve sweeping victory over al-Qaeda organization and stressed intelligence reports as a main weapon in the fight against al-Qqeda.

Aswat Aliraq

Iran urges Iraq to delay poll on volatile Oil City

Iran has urged Iraq to postpone a divisive referendum to decide the fate of Kirkuk, an ethnically mixed city that sits on giant oil fields, as part of a series of measures Tehran says will stabilise the country.

The plan was presented on Saturday by Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki at a meeting of Iraq's neighbours in Istanbul but was little noticed amid the frantic diplomacy to avert a Turkish incursion into Iraq to hunt down separatist rebels.

Iran's official IRNA news agency said Mottaki proposed a two-year delay for the referendum, due by Dec. 31, which will decide whether the city is incorporated into Iraq's largely autonomous Kurdistan region.

An Iranian official familiar with the plan said Tehran believed Baghdad was already juggling too many divisive political issues, including how to share oil revenues equitably. Kirkuk was seen as one hot potato too many.

Iraqi officials said their delegation listened politely to the Iranian suggestion, part of a package of proposals that also urged Baghdad to begin a withdrawal of foreign troops.

"We accept the advice, but we refuse to let anyone interfere with Iraq's internal affairs," Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh told Reuters from Istanbul.

Iran says the plan was put forward to help bring stability to Iraq -- although Washington accuses Tehran of promoting violence and backing Shi'ite militias.

Iran has a Kurdish minority and, like Turkey, fears that if Iraqi Kurds control Kirkuk and its oil wealth, this could fuel Kurdish separatism.

Kirkuk, an ancient city 250 km (155 miles) north of Baghdad, is claimed by ethnic Kurds, Arabs and Turkish-speaking Turkmen. Kurds see it as their historical capital, but Arabs who moved there as part of Saddam Hussein's Arabisation plan in the 1970s want to stay under the control of the Baghdad government.

Analysts have warned that the dispute over the city's status could trigger an explosion of violence and possibly draw in neighbouring Turkey unless it is carefully handled. The city has witnessed frequent bombings and shootings in recent months.

MAKING IT OFFICIAL

Under the constitution, the referendum is due to be held by the end of the year, but the government has made no preparations, including holding a census.

While everyone agrees it is now too late to hold the referendum by Dec. 31, the government has yet to make an announcement postponing it and setting a new date.

But, asked whether the referendum would be held on time, Dabbagh said: "I don't expect that. Because of the security situation in Kirkuk we have not done a census, which needs to be done before a referendum."

Joost Hiltermann, an Istanbul-based analyst for the International Crisis Group, said a delay may be a good thing.

"The situation in Kirkuk will get explosive only if the referendum is scheduled and all the non-Kurds oppose it, or if the Kurds try to impose their military control over Kirkuk."

He said the Kurds, who also control the presidency and are a key player in Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's Shi'ite-dominated government, would insist on a new deadline and visible preparations for a referendum.

"But I don't see that happening," Hiltermann said. "The Americans don't care to do it, the Iraqi government certainly doesn't care to do it. The Kurds can take unilateral steps, but if they do that they would have everybody against them."

Senior Kurdish politician Najat Hasan, from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), said a delay of a month or two was acceptable, but any longer would be a "gross violation" of the constitution. (Additional reporting by Mussab Al-Khairalla in Istanbul and Wisam Mohammed in Baghdad)

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/KHA144536.htm

Significant drop in air raids in Iraq: US :biggrin:

A "significant" fall in US air raids in Iraq has been recorded over the past few weeks, a top US air force officer told reporters on Sunday.

"Yesterday, for the first time in a long time, we dropped no ammunitions," said Major General David Edgington, a coordination director for the US-led multinational forces.

"We were called several times, but we dropped no ammunitions. This is an indication of an improved security situation."

Edgington also reported a drop in air raids in the past few weeks. "For the last three to four weeks, we saw a significant decrease of our interventions," he said.

"We are having less calls for kinetic operations. We are still there, but we have less calls."

US and Iraqi officials say violence across the war-ravaged country has been falling in the past few months since the full deployment of the extra 28,500 troops in a "surge" ordered by President George W. Bush in February.

Significant drop in air raids in Iraq: US - Yahoo! News UK

Foreign ministers meet to stabilize Iraq

Foreign ministers meeting in Turkey say an Iranian proposal to replace U.S. troops in Iraq would do nothing to stabilize the region.

The ministers, meeting in Istanbul Saturday, rejected Iran's proposal to replace the U.S. military with troops from Iran, Syria and other Arab states, The Washington Times reported.

U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan C. Crocker called Iran's proposal a "fantasy," The Times reported. Crocker attended the summit, the second in a series aimed at stabilizing Iraq.

Meanwhile, the Iraqi government Saturday pledged to support Turkey in routing Kurdish rebels from their base camps in northern Iraq.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, a Kurd, promised "visible measures" against the militant Kurdish Workers Party, or PKK, to halt their attacks against Turkey, the Times reported.

Foreign ministers meet to stabilize Iraq - UPI.com

Kurdish security forces close down party HQ in Duhuk

Duhuk, Nov 4, (VOI) – A Kurdish security force in Duhuk closed down the headquarters of the Kurdistan Democratic Solution Party (KDSP) in the city after closing its headquarters in Arbil and Sulaimaniya on Saturday due to its support for the Kurdistan Workers Party.

more.....

Aswat Aliraq

Interesting read,

Ballots, bullets vie for Kirkuk

Guys, i hope more of you can help seaview's with newspostings. Its nice to see members taking past in the postings also.

regards
admin

Great post from Rock I read elsewhere. Looks like we may have the HCL passed this week. I will try to get back up info and post this morning. Looks like November might get us back on track folks. Thanks Seaview and Mods for helping keep this forum together, good to see some old faces posting. Let's git R dun..

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 67 warrior

Great post from Rock I read elsewhere. Looks like we may have the HCL passed this week. I will try to get back up info and post this morning. Looks like November might get us back on track folks. Thanks Seaview and Mods for helping keep this forum together, good to see some old faces posting. Let's git R dun..

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You mean this one?

Quote:

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Parliament votes on crude oil refining investment draft Baghdad - Voices of Iraq

Monday , 05 /11 /2007 Time 2:17:21 </B>

Baghdad, Nov 5, (VOI) – The Iraqi parliament will debate in a session on Monday reading and voting on a number of draft laws, including the one on crude oil refining investment, which the parliament had asked to have amended, a parliament's media source said.
"Today's session also includes voting on a draft law to cancel two decisions by the dissolved Revolutionary Command Council and another on Iraq's joining the international railway agreement," the source told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
"The parliament will also hear a report by legislator Mahmoud Othman on landmines in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region with some proposals as well as a report by legislator Walid Sharka, from the Kurdistan Coalition (KC), on the suffering and cares of the inhabitants of the Turcoman village of Girdaghlo," the source said.
The agenda also includes the first reading of the draft law on Iraqi information network organization, the second reading of the draft on endorsing the revised international health regulations and readings of other drafts, he added.
The Iraqi parliament on Monday opened its 23rd session within the second legislative term at its headquarters in the conference hall in Baghdad under Speaker Dr. Mahmoud al-Mashhadani and presence of more than 150 deputies from various blocs.

Aswat Aliraq

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Thanks bultn - you beat me to it today. :smile:

That's very good news.

Erdogan to Visit United States

Turkish PM Recep Tayeep Erdogan is scheduled to visit the U.S. and meet President Bush to discuss the border crisis with Iraq, where he is going to request America to take active measures against PKK.

In a press conference at the Airport, Erdogan told the reporters that his visit to the U.S. came in a time the Turkish American relations witnessed a real test, especially after the last attacks of PKK which ended Turkey’s patience.

PUKmedia :: English - Erdogan to Visit United States

Bush, Turkish Leader to discuss how to Stop Rebel Attacks

Tension along the Iraqi-Turkish border is expected to top the agenda Monday when Turkey's prime minister meets with President Bush.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Washington comes as the United States and Iraq try to persuade Turkey not to launch a major cross-border offensive into Iraq to fight guerrillas based there.

The Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, has been attacking southeastern Turkey from northern Iraq. The group wants an autonomous Kurdish state in the region.

In response, Turkey has threatened to launch a full-scale military attack against the PKK and has stationed tens of thousands of troops near the border.

The White House said, "The president looks forward to continuing discussions with the prime minister on a range of issues on our common agenda, including the fight against terrorism, in particular our joint efforts to counter the PKK, and the promotion of peace and stability in Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon and the broader Middle East."

The United States fears that strikes by its NATO ally against the PKK could destabilize the U.S.-backed government in Baghdad and jeopardize supply lines for its 160,000-plus troops in Iraq.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Saturday talked with Turkish and Iraqi leaders on the sidelines of a meeting in Istanbul over the crisis, which threatens to destabilize Iraqi Kurdistan -- a region that has avoided the sectarian disintegration that has spread across most of Iraq.
Rice pressed Turkey not to launch attacks into PKK territory in northern Iraq while reiterating U.S. opposition to the Kurdish rebel group.

But the Italian daily La Repubblica in its Monday editions quoted Erdogan as saying, "There hasn't been any concrete step" from Washington to stop Kurdish violence, according to The Associated Press.

And Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said Friday, "We are at the point where words have been exhausted and where there is need for action," the AP reported.

"If President Bush does not make clear that he is willing to take direct action against the PKK or make the Iraqi Kurds take such action, Erdogan may not be able to resist a military operation," Bulent Aliriza, director of the Turkey Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank, told the AP.

Turkey wants the Iraqi government in Baghdad and Iraq's Kurdistan regional government to deal with the PKK issue, and the two have taken some steps to defuse the crisis.

The Iraqi government helped secure the release of eight Turkish soldiers abducted by Kurdish rebels two weeks ago. The soldiers were handed over Sunday to Kurdistan regional government officials in northern Iraq.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said his government has resolved "to close all the offices and the front business of the PKK all over the Iraqi territories" and also announced other measures to clamp down on the PKK, which the United States and Europe consider to be a terrorist organization.

The office of the Kurdistan Democratic Solution Party, a local political group, was shut down Saturday in Iraq's Kurdish region because of its ties with PKK rebels, the state-run al-Iraqiya television network reported.

PUKmedia :: English - Bush, Turkish Leader to discuss how to Stop Rebel Attacks

Delegation from the Supreme Committee for implementation of Article 140 visits Shangal

A delegation of the Supreme Committee for the implementation of Article 140 of the Iraqi permanent Constitution visited Shangal district yesterday , headed by Dr. Mohammad Ihsan ,Kurdistan region representative in the Higher Committee for the implementation of Article 140 ,and many senior Iraqi officials.

The delegation was received by Dakhil Hassun, acting governor of Shangal district, and a number of administrative officials. Problems of the region were discussed during the meeting.

Then, the visiting delegation met with the members of Shangal office of implementation Article 140, in the presence of administrative officials in the district.

The visiting delegation listened to the views and proposals of the participants at the meeting about the work and problems of Shangal office of implementation of Article 140. The delegation also visited Shangal Office for the implementation of Article 140 to follow up the work of the office.

PUKmedia :: English - Delegation from the Supreme Committee for implementation of Article 140 visits Shangal

Iranian Army intensifies Troop built-up on the Border of Haji Omaran

The Iranian army intensified its military troop built-up on the borders of Haj Omaran district of Erbil governorate and began to resume construction of the concrete wall, which had been working on its construction a period ago.

A close source in the Haj Omaran area told PUKmedia that the wall on the border with Iraq is to intercept infiltration of the PIJAK elements into the Iranian territory.

After taking these actions by Iran smuggling between Iraq and Iran diminished, the source added.

Many of the smugglers recently, after falling in ambushes of the Iranian army, were killed and wounded.

PUKmedia :: English - Iranian Army intensifies Troop built-up on the Border of Haji Omaran

Mufti meets President of Kurdistan Region and describes their visit to Baghdad as Positive

President of Kurdistan Region, Massud Barzani, received today Mr. Adnan Mufti, Speaker of Kurdistan Region Parliament who headed a delegation from the Iraqi Kurdistan region parliament to Baghdad to discuss with the Iraqi federal government the latest political developments in Iraq and Kurdistan region.

The delegation also included Mr. Fadhil Mirani, secretary of the political bureau of KDP, and members of other political parties.

Adnan Mufti described the results of their visit to Baghdad, Najaf and Karbala and meeting with senior officials as positive.

The Delegation also met with President Jalal Talabani, Mr. Mahmud Mashhadani, head of the Iraqi parliament Shiite Spiritual leader, Sayid Ali al-Sistani.

PUKmedia :: English - Mufti meets President of Kurdistan Region and describes their visit to Baghdad as Positive