Thread: Archive Latest News - Dinar Think Tank - 27/08/08 - 15/01/09

Sistani: SOFA must respect sovereignty

Iraq's top Shiite Muslim cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali Husseini al-Sistani says that controversial US military pact (SOFA) must respect Iraqi sovereignty.

"The Guide (Sistani) called for general elections which produced the country's government and the parliament," a religious official close to Sistani told AFP on condition of anonymity. "It is their constitutional responsibility to decide on the agreement."

"The Guide has not received a copy of the agreement and is not going to intervene on its components. He has only received the key points, and the rest is for those who will make the decision," the official said.
"But if the agreement touches the sovereignty of Iraq the Guide will intervene and make his opinion clear," he added.

Mean while, as the Iraqi cabinet prepares to vote on a security agreement with the US, the most vocal opponent of the pact, Moqtada al-Sadr, reiterated his call for armed resistance.

"I repeat my demand to the occupier to leave our land without keeping bases or signing agreements," the statement said. "If they keep bases, then I would support honorable resistance," al-Sadr said in a statement read out to thousands of supporters at Friday prayers.

The fire***** cleric has consistently been an opponent of the controversial security pact, known as the Status of Forces Agreement or SOFA, between Baghdad and Washington, which would govern the activity of US military forces in Iraq after their UN mandate expiry at the end of the year.

The draft agreement, which awaits the cabinet's approval before finding its way into the Iraqi parliament, allows American troops to stay in Iraq until the end of 2011.

The government led by Premier Nuri al-Maliki, has been seeking amendments to the draft agreement to meet the concerns of many Iraqi leaders and a populace fearful the accord would compromise upon and threaten the country's sovereignty.

http://pukmedia.com/english/index.ph...=7592&Itemid=1

Al-Bayati: Current week will be decisive regarding SOFA

The MP from the United Iraqi Alliance, Abas al-Bayati, in a statement to al-Hyatt newspaper stressed that this week will be decisive in defining the stances of the political blocs on the new draft of the pact.

He clarified that the pact reached its final shape and that the parliamentary groups should declare their stance on it.

Al-Bayati added that the Iraqi Alliance hopes the major blocs in the parliament will reach consensus on the pact, which is less harmful from the other alternatives.

http://pukmedia.com/english/index.ph...=7591&Itemid=1

Closed parliamentary session to discuss the obstacles that are exposed House

Iraqi Council of Representatives held today, Saturday, morning, a closed session to discuss the most important constraints faced by members of parliament, according to Deputy just Berwari.

Berwari said to (Voices of Iraq) that the meeting "was chaired by Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, and discusses a range of issues relating to obstacles faced by lawmakers, such as inspection procedures at entry or exit to the Green Zone, as well as the complexities and problems of access to the diplomatic passport of Representatives, And other issues relating to the functioning of Parliament. "
Without giving further details.

The House of Representatives lifting of a meeting of the 24 open meeting the day before yesterday, Thursday, following the discussion of the draft law amending the Civil Service No. 24 of 1960 as amended.

http://66.102.9.104/translate_c?hl=e...sTISaAbKDFG1Eg

Basra's governor discuss a mechanism to attract U.S. companies to invest in the city

Search Basra governor Mohammed al-Waeli, Mr. mechanism and ways to attract U.S. companies to invest in the province during a meeting held in the investment Basra the presence of economic at the U.S. embassy in Iraq Mark Wall and the delegation accompanying him and the U.S. consul in Basra Ramon Nkerol., Said Basra's governor axes meeting , Which raised with the U.S. delegation discussed included important issues in the forefront of encouraging American investments in the city and study proposals made by the U.S. side on a partnership between the investor and the Iraqi foreign investor This is a positive step in this area. Adding a vision from the American side similar and almost identical to our local government And as investment, must work at the beginning that there will be the promotion of investment and the establishment of yet achieve security on the ground that this province is having a great environment and appropriate in all areas especially with regard to the topic of investment.

http://66.102.9.104/translate_c?hl=e...nbbfF-XaL6xiNQ

Finance Minister: Iraq seeks to increase the quantities of oil exported three times in ten years

Baqir Jabr Solagh said that his country is seeking to increase the export of oil over the next ten years for up to six million barrels a day through the allocation of two billion dollars to develop the infrastructure of the oil sector.

The finance minister said in an interview with AFP: "We have set aside two billion dollars for the oil ministry budgets in 2009 to start increasing the capacity of this sector."

Solagh said in an interview conducted Wednesday: "From my point of view, we need to increase our exports at least to what it was in Iraq in 1980, where we were exporting 3.4 million barrels a day."

"The oil minister had a plan came to the Council of Ministers said that they (the Oil Ministry) will increase the export rate to six million bpd over the next ten years."

The average production is currently about 2.4 million barrels per day, only two million.

Solagh said that the infrastructure of the oil industry and technical substantially inadequate, so help foreign companies will be necessary to achieve its goals.

The minister said "In my view, we have to deal with international companies, European and American, among others. Amaamlna old technology and dates back to 1970 and as well as equipment."

So I think Iraq needs the assistance of international oil companies to enter Iraq and begin their investment, whether through participation or service contracts."

The Iraq and China signed a contract worth three billion dollars for Chinese companies to exploit the Ahdab oil field located 180 km southeast of Baghdad.

The China National Petroleum Corporation in a statement posted on its website that the contract had been expected since the deal months ago, signed Monday in Baghdad will allow the company to the National Company "Oil Chinkhua" Chinese also work in this field.

The company, China National in 1997 won a contract to exploit the Ahdab oil field, located in the Shiite province of Wassit for 23 years, worth 700 million dollars.

But it froze after the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003.

The new agreement allows the service to oil companies to obtain money for each barrel is extracted, no sharing of profits that result from the exploitation of resources.

It is assumed that the production of 25 thousand barrels per day in the first three years and then 115 people in six years.

The company said the Chinese part of the production will not even feed power plants nearby to alleviate electricity shortages in the country.

Iraq also signed last September a contract with Shell, the world's oil giant to invest associated gas in Basra, becoming the first Western company signed a contract since the invasion in 2003.

Iraq's parliament is still discussing several months ago on the oil law is supposed to organize production and decide on the thorny question posed by the sharing of oil resources between the regions of Iraq.

Translated version of http://iraqshabab.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14155&It emid=1

De Mistura: Kuwait establishment of full diplomatic relations with Iraq, a very important step

The top UN envoy in Iraq, Staffan de Mistura, said on Friday that the UN can assist the two countries of Iraq and Kuwait to continue the dialogue on Iraqi debt owed to Kuwait and the missing Kuwaitis and Kuwaiti property in Iraq and the demarcation of their common border.

The de Mistura told the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) after presenting a briefing to the Security Council on the situation in Iraq, the State of Kuwait set up full diplomatic relations with Iraq as "a very important step," adding that the UN can assist the two countries to continue dialogue on outstanding issues "Painful.

http://66.102.9.104/translate_c?hl=e...Y5OpcMxe5K6Ckg

UN envoy in Iraq: the situation in the country has seen a marked improvement

The UN envoy in Iraq, Staffan de Mistura, said the situation in the country has seen a clear improvement, but he warned at the same time, the excess of confidence as the year two thousand and nine, which will be key, de Mistura said in a speech at the Security Council in the course of reporting on the situation In the country to the Security Council, which will make a decision before the end of the year on the mission of the multinational force, which expires at the end of the year two thousand eight, said that indicators of a return to normal life is becoming clearer all across Iraq, but he warned that Iraq will in the coming months in A delicate stage and explained that the risk of a resurgence of violence remains with the approach of elections in January next, de Mistura and stressed the need to congratulate the Iraqi government to progress, he explained that now provide services and security guarantees and conditions for holding free and fair elections and the removal of tension between The various communities.

http://66.102.9.104/translate_c?hl=e...tMhO4b-aBzLOEQ

Originally Posted by Seaview

Talabani and al-Maliki discuss U.S-Iraq security pact

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani met with Iraqi Premier Nouri al-Maliki on late Thursday in Baghdad.

Iraqi premier briefed President Talabani about the amendments which the Iraqi government called for in the U.S-Iraq security pact.

President Talabani expressed his support for those amendments, saying that he has told the US ambassador in Iraq, Ryan Crocker, about his stance towards the U.S-Iraq security pact.

President Talabani also called upon President Bush to help the Iraqi people through accepting those amendments which were proposed by the Iraqi government so that the U.S-Iraq security pact to be presented to the Iraqi people.

http://pukmedia.com/english/index.ph...=7572&Itemid=1

Update......

Talabani, Maliki discuss security agreement amendments and calls on Bush to accept

To approve the amendments in the meantime, President Talabani expressed his support for the Arab League mission in Baghdad to facilitate their work in promoting communication between Iraq and the Arab states, in which he stressed the importance of the return of expatriate skills to the country.

He called President Jalal Talabani, U.S. President George W. Bush to accept the amendments proposed to the Iraqi security agreement (Convention on the withdrawal of troops) to enable the supply of Iraqi politicians to the people, "they Merfoao head," he said.

This came to the reception at his official Talabani on Saturday night, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in a meeting has been allocated to discuss the security agreement between Baghdad and Washington gave as a presidential statement.

The statement said that Maliki had discussed the latest developments with Talabani at the Convention on the withdrawal of forces and briefed the amendments demanded the Iraqi government to hold the Convention, adding that Talabani expressed his support for the amendments said that he told the U.S. ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker that he supports the amendments demanded by the government.

The statement quoted Talabani's invitation to U.S. President George W. Bush to "assist the Iraqi side has also helped many Iraqis in the past, through the approval of these amendments so that the Iraqi leaders of the Convention for the Iraqi people are Merfoao head.

It should be noted that Washington had responded to the Iraqi rejection of the amendments and to accept each other and some of the most important items was rejected by Washington is the issue of jurisdiction over its troops in Iraq accepted the principle of withdrawal until the end of the year 2011 without any reference to the possible extension of survival.

The other hand, President Talabani during a meeting with Arab League representative in Baghdad, Hani Khallaf its full support to facilitate the task of the Arab League mission in Iraq and enable it to fulfill its duty to promote communication between Iraq and its Arab, as a presidential statement issued on Wednesday.

The statement said that President Jalal Talabani said during a meeting Wednesday, Ambassador Hani Khallaf President of the Arab League mission in Iraq its full support to facilitate the task of head of the League of Arab States in Iraq and enable it to fulfill its duty to promote communication between Iraq and its Arab ", indicating the time The same "the importance of openness on Iraq, the Arab countries that Iraq no matter how rich and Bergalath and ancient history and immense wealth, and can play an important role in the region.

And the statement said Ambassador Hani otherwise conveyed a message from the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States Amr Moussa to President Talabani, "the step taken by the Arab League to activate its role in Iraq, through the appointment of Ambassador otherwise head of the mission. And pointed out that the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States , Stressed during his "concern to the university to strengthen and activate the role of direct communication with the government and the Iraqi constitutional institutions" that Iraq is a founding member of the League of Arab States. He pointed out the "right of the people of Iraq and the various components of the Arab nation standing at his side and support their aspirations." He stressed that "the commitment of the Arab League to Iraq and its people.

He also continued his personal contact with President Talabani, in the interest of Iraq and Arab joint action.

, The President Talabani stressed the importance of the return of Iraq to drain their country, expressing its readiness to support the efforts being made for their return.

This came during a meeting Thursday evening at his office in Baghdad, Deputy Speaker Sheikh Khalid al-Attiyah. A presidential statement that the president expressed full readiness to support efforts to attract qualified candidates to return to Iraq, "stressing at the same time" the need for Iraq to the minds of its people And energy and their contribution in building their country. For his part, Sheikh Khalid al-Attiyah reviewed the development of competencies in Iraq and abroad submitted a proposal for "holding the conference expanded in Baghdad these competencies and experience with Iraq, in order to attract them to return to Iraq, in particular and the country.

In dire need of energy and experience during this stage.

http://www.alsabaah.com/paper.php?so...page&sid=73036

Parliamentary blocs did not know contents of the convention being confined to ruling parties

Deputy Sheriff on behalf of the Fadhila parliamentary bloc the signing of the agreement or resorting to the Security Council is determined not difficult to inform the parliamentary blocs to the Convention and restrict political parties in power.

The Acharcherev told the independent press (Iba) today, Saturday, to the lack of access blocks to the Convention will impede the process of signing, under time constraints, he said: "It is difficult to sign the Convention in the outgoing President George W. Bush, they need a thorough study by Iraq's parliament, the unification of the ruling parliamentary bloc.

He added that the Sheriff's deputies on a number of blocks to the Convention split into three parts that blocks agreed to the Convention and the other rejecting, the blocks between acceptance and rejection of the fear of public opinion in Iraq.

http://209.85.171.104/translate_c?hl...MXCu1cqQey6MiA

Ani: sign the agreement before Bush's departure is difficult

said Dhafir al-Ani of the Iraqi Accordance Front, said the agreement unless the form it is difficult to be signed, Ani promised to sign the security agreement before the departure of President Bush is difficult.

The al-Ani told the independent press (Iba) today, Saturday, that the political forces willing to hold substantial amendments to the Convention to ensure the interests and sovereignty of Iraq.

Noting there are preferable to Iraq right now is to resort to the Iraqi government request to extend the operation of U.S. forces until a thorough study of the Convention.

Al-Ani added that new rounds of contract negotiations between Iraq and the United States to ensure access to the benefits of greater political and aspirations of the Iraqi people to get out of the crisis and absorb the popular anger of the Convention and remarks, calling them here and there.

http://209.85.171.104/translate_c?hl...prcJP7UuqewBXg