Thread: Archive Latest News - Think Tank - 01/01/08 - 14/04/08

Iraq oil exports hit three-month high

Iraq's monthly oil exports hit a three-year high of 58.9 million barrels in November, sold at an average price of $83.87 per barrel, the Oil Ministry said on Sunday.

Oil Ministry spokesman Asim Jihad said the exports had raised a total of $4.94 billion in the month, including about 1.6 million barrels per day (bpd) from Basra in the south, and more than 300,000 bpd exported from Kirkuk in the north.

He said his ministry has set a target to raise crude exports to two million bpd at the beginning of 2008 by increasing exports from the northern route.

"The Oil Ministry has set a plan, encouraged by the improvement of security in the north, to increase the export rate from Kirkuk's terminal to reach up to 500,000 bpd at the beginning of 2008," he said.

Iraq oil exports hit three-month high | Iraq Updates

Hike in demand for the dollar, exchange rate down

Demand for the dollar significantly increased in the Iraqi Central Bank's auction on Monday, registering at $119.535 million compared to $55.960 million on Sunday.

In its daily statement, the bank said it had covered all bids, including $22.635 million in cash and $96.900 in foreign transfers, at an exchange rate of 1,215 dinars per dollar, one tick lower than yesterday.

The 15 banks that participated in Monday's session offered to sell $1.200 million, which the bank bought at an exchange rate of 1,213 dinars per dollar.

In statements to the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI), Ali al-Yasseri, a trader, attributed the dramatic increase in the demand for the dollar to the market's "thirst for dollars" and the previous fluctuation in the exchange rate.

"Dealings are most likely to remain high during the coming few weeks if the dinar maintains a stable exchange rate in local markets and central bank's auctions," al-Yasseri noted.

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

Aswat Aliraq

Plans to implement loans project throughout Iraq in 2008

Iraqi Labor and Social Affairs Minister Mahmoud el-Sheikh Radi said on Wednesday that his ministry intends to implement the small and medium loans project throughout Iraq.

"The project, being implemented now in Baghdad, succeeded in providing 6,157 loans, securing 18,000 jobs in various domains," Radi told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).

"Tries now underway to transfer Baghdad's experiment to other provinces," he noted.

He expressed hope that the ministry could provide more loans in the new year to develop the special projects, which provide 125 jobs.

"Loans will be allocated to on universities' graduates, unemployed people and also to other citizens to support the free enterprise system," Radi said.

Aswat Aliraq

Youth center set up in Karbala

A multi-purpose youth center was established in western Karbala city at a cost of 900 million Iraqi dinars, the head of the city's Youth and Sports Department said on Tuesday.

"A local company set up the project of the Free Youth Center in Karbala's western district of al-Hur at a cost of 900 million Iraqi dinars (nearly 800,000 U.S. dollars)," the department's head, Waleed Turki, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).

Covering an area of 4 donums (1 donum= 1388 square meters), the center includes a multi-purpose hall for basketball, volleyball and table tennis, in addition to a theatre, Turki explained.

Work on the project lasted over six months, he added.

Karbala, a mixed city of Kurds, Turkmen, Christians and Arabs, lies 130 km south of the Iraqi capital Baghdad.


Aswat Aliraq

Salah al-Din Awakening Council calls on Bin Laden to stop “targeting Iraqis”

The Sunni Salah al-Din Awakening council on Sunday called al-Qaeda leader Osma Bin Laden to order his followers to stop targeting and killing Iraqis instead of warning against joining the tribal organizations.

“Osama Bin Laden should order al-Qaeda members to stop targeting and killing Iraqi and apologize to the Iraqis for all the horrific crimes committed by the organization members," Salah al-Din awakening council said in a statement issued on Sunday and received by the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).

The announcement came in a reply to audiotape released Saturday purported to be by Osama bin Laden, in which the leader of al-Qaeda warned Iraqi Sunni Muslims against joining awakening council.

The statement pointed out “the crimes committed against Iraqis by those calling him Sheikh Osama was the main motive to establish the awakening councils and was not seeking for money, power or treason for others’ interests”.

The government-backed- Awakening councils were established in Anbar province along with Diala, Ninewa and Salah al-Din provinces in attempt to fight armed groups and al-Qaeda organization. The council is led by a tribal chief or a dignitary.

Branding actions committed by Al-Qaeda operatives as “deplorable” and breaching Islam, The announcement pointed out the actions “got non-Muslims to look Islam as a religion seeking bloodshed and not promoting right, justice and dialogue”.

The Washington Post published the details of an audiotape purported to be al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden, which warned Iraq’s Sunnis against joining the tribal awakening or participating in Iraqi unity government.
White House spokesman Tony Fratto said bin Laden's tape shows that al-Qaida's aim is to block democracy and freedom for all Iraqis.

Several hours before the tape was issued, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, said al-Qaida was becoming increasingly fearful of losing the support of Sunni Arabs and had begun targeting the leaders of the Awakening Councils.

The Sunni Salah al-Din Awakening council on Sunday called al-Qaeda leader Osma Bin Laden to order his followers to stop targeting and killing Iraqis instead of warning against joining the tribal organizations.

“Osama Bin Laden should order al-Qaeda members to stop targeting and killing Iraqi and apologize to the Iraqis for all the horrific crimes committed by the organization members," Salah al-Din awakening council said in a statement issued on Sunday and received by the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).

The announcement came in a reply to audiotape released Saturday purported to be by Osama bin Laden, in which the leader of al-Qaeda warned Iraqi Sunni Muslims against joining awakening council.

The statement pointed out “the crimes committed against Iraqis by those calling him Sheikh Osama was the main motive to establish the awakening councils and was not seeking for money, power or treason for others’ interests”.

The government-backed- Awakening councils were established in Anbar province along with Diala, Ninewa and Salah al-Din provinces in attempt to fight armed groups and al-Qaeda organization. The council is led by a tribal chief or a dignitary.

Branding actions committed by Al-Qaeda operatives as “deplorable” and breaching Islam, The announcement pointed out the actions “got non-Muslims to look Islam as a religion seeking bloodshed and not promoting right, justice and dialogue”.

The Washington Post published the details of an audiotape purported to be al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden, which warned Iraq’s Sunnis against joining the tribal awakening or participating in Iraqi unity government.
White House spokesman Tony Fratto said bin Laden's tape shows that al-Qaida's aim is to block democracy and freedom for all Iraqis.

Several hours before the tape was issued, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, said al-Qaida was becoming increasingly fearful of losing the support of Sunni Arabs and had begun targeting the leaders of the Awakening Councils.

KNA Approves Peshmerga Service and Retirement Law

Kurdistan National Assembly held yesterday a session dedicated to discuss Kurdistan Peshmerga Forces Service and Retirement Law which most of its articles were approved after a reading by the Legal Committee and also discussed by the KNA members.

It’s worth mentioning that Kurdistan Peshmerga Forces Service and Retirement Law consists of (51) articles and covers all Peshmerga Forces Members who participated in Kurdistani Liberation Movement since December11th, 1961 till now and those who will join Peshmerga Forces from now on .

PUKmedia :: English - KNA Approves Peshmerga Service and Retirement Law

Can You Tell Me Where The Dinar Should Be For Us Holding Dinars To Exchange?????????? I Know Nothings About The Dinars, But I Bought Alot. Help. I Look At Exchange Rate. But Not SURE HOW MUCH The Us Dollars TO THE DINARS SHOULD BE. Thank You

Originally Posted by zelly

Can You Tell Me Where The Dinar Should Be For Us Holding Dinars To Exchange?????????? I Know Nothings About The Dinars, But I Bought Alot. Help. I Look At Exchange Rate. But Not SURE HOW MUCH The Us Dollars TO THE DINARS SHOULD BE. Thank You

Well you have alot to catch up on Zelly. So I'll keep it brief - Keep holding, maybe a while yet - slowly but constantly going in the right direction (that's banking on 'no lop'). Check back now and again, just to keep yourself up to speed. Good luck.

Shahristani Calls to establish a Peaceful Nuclear Programme

Husain al-Shahristani the Iraqi Oil Minister asserted that Iraq must have a progress Nuclear Research Program for Peaceful purpose in the Health, Agriculture and Industry fields.

Shahristani who is a Nuclear Scientist said that Iraq’s need for building nuclear reactors is not to generate electricity because Iraq has law-priced energy resources to be used in that purpose.

It’s worth mentioning that Iraq used to have a Nuclear Program during Saddam’s regime, who tried to use it to possess a Nuclear Bomb, which was rejected by the International Community.

PUKmedia :: English - Shahristani Calls to establish a Peaceful Nuclear Programme

Iraq and U.S. Want Strategic Pact by July: Minister

Iraq hopes to conclude by July a pact with the United States that lays the basis for long-term strategic ties between the two countries and defines the legal status of U.S. troops, Iraq's foreign minister said on Saturday.

Hoshiyar Zebari said technical talks would be launched in Baghdad later this month on the alliance that lays the basis of ties once the one-year extension of the U.N. authorization for the U.S.-led forces in Iraq expires at the end of 2008.

"We will get by the end of the month into decisive and crucial negotiations to reach the long-term cooperation and friendship agreement. It will define the relationship in all its aspects," Zebari told Reuters in Amman.

"This agreement is very important for Iraq and the region ... We don't want to pre-empt events and matters will be decided in the coming talks and we hope to conclude by July," he added.

President George Bush and Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki signed a declaration of principles in November to guide negotiations toward the security pact.

Bush said on Saturday that America's new strategy had reversed Iraq's descent into mayhem and the United States was on track to complete the withdrawal of 20,000 troops by mid-year.

After talks at a base in the Kuwaiti desert with his military commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, and the U.S. ambassador in Baghdad, Ryan Crocker, Bush said security gains in Iraq "are allowing some U.S. forces to return home".

He added: "Any additional reduction will be based on the recommendation of General Petraeus, and those recommendations will be based entirely on the conditions on the ground in Iraq."

LONG-TERM COMMITMENT

But Bush gave a sense of the long-term U.S. commitment when he said in a television interview on Friday the United States would have a presence in Iraq that could "easily" last a decade.

Zebari said the future role of U.S. troops and their eventual pullout would be covered in the pact. In contrast, the declaration of principles did not clarify how long U.S. forces would remain in the country or what mission they would pursue.

"Iraq is in need of this U.S. presence but the period will be defined in the pact ... This timeframe will be set by the Iraqi government's authorization," he added.

"The pact will cover the tasks of U.S. troops in Iraq and their mission in the next phase. There was a lot that was raised in previous years about withdrawal of troops ... this accord can regulate this," Zebari said.

Iraq has said it will never allow the United States to have permanent military bases on its soil, calling the issue a "red line" that cannot be crossed.

The pact would not have any secret annexes and would address the relationship between Iraqi and U.S. army commands and the broader legal and security implications of the immunities currently enjoyed by American troops in Iraq, Zebari said.

Zebari said anticipated troop withdrawals this year was proof Iraq's military was restoring its vigor and its troops were better prepared to fill the vacuum left by U.S. withdrawals.

A drop in violence in Iraq since a U.S. troop "surge" was launched last year was also due to better security cooperation with Syria and Iran and a campaign by Sunni tribesmen against al-Qaeda militants, Zebari said.

"All of this has brought an improvement in security conditions ... even if there are bombings but the curve is showing a decline in attacks and a decrease in violence by 60-70 percent," he added.

PUKmedia :: English - Iraq and U.S. Want Strategic Pact by July: Minister