Thread: Iraq/Dinar News. 09/05 to 01/14/07

MAKKAH, 23 October 2006 (Arab News)

As a skeptical world waits to see the outcome of the signing of the Makkah Declaration, those scholars who were at Al-Safa Palace late on Friday night are already speeding back to their communities to disseminate crucial details concerning the agreement. It is terrible that this year has seen such an upsurge in inter-Muslim violence in Iraq but finally perhaps sanity has prevailed and there is the potential to stop the sectarian bloodshed.

As Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, the secretary-general of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), rightly pointed out, Friday was certainly an auspicious night to sign the Makkah Declaration. Buses of journalists had been brought to Makkah from Jeddah and the Iraqi journalists in the media contingent were in a somber mood. Rather than being relieved at being away from the violence of their native land, the Iraqis were extremely worried about their families back home. Some had mobile phones glued to their ears, feverishly attempting to call relatives and friends to ascertain their safety after the attacks of that afternoon. It was not an easy process due to the severe network congestion on both sides of the calls.

The Iraqi people are quite cultured and well-educated in general, so in an extremely cognizant fashion, the Iraqi journalists were able to discuss the crisis that has gripped their nation.

Members of Iraq's media are forthcoming and forthright in describing the misery that has overtaken their major cities. They will discuss anything as long as they are not quoted. All agreed that the occupation of Iraq is a problem not a solution and that this situation is made worse by outside interference from other interested parties. The media feel that there is an imperial game under way that pits one community against the other, resulting in tragedy.

When the media arrived in Makkah on Friday, we had to wait to meet the scholars because they were in audience with Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah. After iftar, all was ready and we were put through an extremely thorough security check before being allowed to enter Al-Safa Palace.

Makkah was a beehive of activity as this was one of the final nights of Ramadan, but inside the palace there was a sense of serenity.

Exiting the elevator on the 15th floor, we immediately entered a hall facing the Grand Mosque. The Holy Kaaba was before us in all its glory, engulfed in a swirl of humanity. The group became silent at this display of true majesty, and in a short while the call came for prayer.

As it was the 29th of Ramadan, during the Taraweeh prayer the imam recited the final chapters of the Holy Qur'an. This was followed by supplication, during which the imam broke down in tears several times. He was beseeching Allah to help Muslims everywhere and the Iraqis in our group became very emotional when the imam implored Allah to end the violence there.

The actual signing of the Makkah Declaration took place in a hall overlooking the Grand Mosque. The scholars were seated along the walls in the hall, with the journalists ranged across from them. In the center of the room a table had been placed at which Ihsanoglu took up his position, with an empty chair on either side of him. One could not ignore the symbolism of Ihsanoglu seated with the holiest place in Islam as a backdrop.

The names of the scholars were called, two by two, one Sunni and one Shiite at a time. They approached the table together, each taking a chair and then proceeding to sign the Makkah Declaration.

The mood was very solemn. One by one the Shiite scholars in their turbans and seeping black robes sat at a table with the Sunni scholars in their mishlahs and traditional head scarves. A total of 14 scholars from each sect signed the document. It was a very impressive ceremony. Everyone present was aware that lives depended on the terms and conditions in the declaration being fulfilled. Nearly every paragraph of the declaration cited a verse from the Qur'an as the basis for the required action.

There is pessimism that the Makkah Declaration is nothing but a piece of paper. Such an attitude is to be expected after everything that has happened in Iraq in the last years. But on Friday night there was also a glimmer of hope in that room overlooking the Kaaba.

It is well-known that in Islam every action depends on the intention behind it. The OIC secretary-general pointed out that from the very outset the Makkah Declaration was created and agreed to with pure, positive intentions to stop the raging bloodshed between the two Muslim communities.

May the spirit of the holy month and the action of scholars and leaders working for the good of the Ummah see those intentions to fruition.

Iraqis, Others Look to Makkah Pact With Hope | Iraq Updates

Just more positive info on the progress in Iraq.

http://www.cipe.org/regional/mena/ir...t_august06.pdf

I tried to copy the article but couldn't. It talks about the progress made toward assisting the Iraqis to start their own companies, etc.

Originally Posted by CharmedPiper

Do we know if the meeting happened on 10/21 past or coming up 10/28...hopefully the first one!!

this last sunday is what they were refering to so it will probably be this coming sunday the 29th which would be 'early next week'.

Erbil, Kurdistan, 23 October 2006 (KRG)

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) today published a draft of the petroleum law for Kurdistan. This draft will be forwarded to the Kurdistan National Assembly, the Region's parliament, for its consideration. The Minister for Natural Resources, Dr. Ashti Hawrami, today issued three press releases addressing different aspects of the law, including revenue management and the KRG policy on the Kirkuk oil fields.

The draft has benefited from further comments and suggestions to the two previous published drafts.

The Act is accompanied by a detailed Explanatory Memorandum. Arabic versions of the documents will soon follow.

Submit any further comments to: spokesman(at)krg.org

Links to press releases:

KRG, Kurdistan Regional Government

The Minister announces the completion of the draft Act, outlines the revenue management principles of the draft Act, and dispels some myths about Kirkuk.

Download the draft Petroleum Act and Explanatory Memorandum here:

http://www.krg.org/pdf/Kurdistan_Act...tober_2006.pdf
http://www.krg.org/pdf/EM_Kurdistan_...tober_2006.pdf

Originally Posted by karinc

Tomorrow is TUESDAY... Well, at least it is still Monday evening here in Sweden, and Iraq is only a few (I think three) hours ahead of us...

sorry when my day is over i know its the next day in iraq. it is now only an hour from tuesday in baghdad. hence why i refer to it as tuesday in baghdad and tomorrow at this time will be wednesday. im livin on baghdad time for 2 years now.

RIYADH, 23 October 2006 (Arab News)

Many Saudi businessmen are now getting ready to establish a number of development projects in Iraq after the Iraqi Parliament approved its foreign investment law, the Al-Eqtisadiah daily reported.

Iraqi authorities are studying the projects and providing the necessary guarantees to attract investors and attract more Arabian capital. Thaeer Al-Feili, consultant at the Iraqi Ministry of Housing, said that there are three big projects that Saudi investors tend to launch in Iraq. The projects include industrial, housing and agricultural investments. The total investment of these projects are estimated at more that SR2.2 billion ($587 million). Al-Feili said that the biggest of these projects is the agricultural project, lead by big Saudi investors. The project will take large space of land and will improve the Iraqi agricultural production. He said that these investments would be the first step toward many Saudi investments coming to Iraq. He said that the General Iraqi Investment Committee has received many investment applications from Arabs and foreigners. He said that many Saudis applied for investment in Iraq and their requests is under study at the moment and soon it will be done within weeks.

He said, "Saudi investors have great experience in business investment especially investment abroad. They will help in developing the infrastructure of Iraq and their money investment will be a great benefit to Iraq." The investment projects will receive many incentives like tax free for ten years and the option to transfer the money abroad after paying the Iraqi government. The law will provide the investor, regardless of his nationality, all incentives and guarantees including living in Iraq.

Al-Feili said that Saudi businessmen supported Iraq in the past by exporting food to Iraq and other necessary products. He pointed out that a business forum would be held in the following two months in Kuwait where Iraqi businessmen will meet with Arab businessmen to reveal investment opportunities in Iraq. About 500 Saudi companies are expected to attend the gathering.

Saudis to Invest Over SR2 Billion in Iraq | Iraq Updates

Originally Posted by CharmedPiper

How do you know they are not out yet.....Iraq doesn't check in with us first....they have done quite a few things behind closed doors...

Cause word of mouth travels fast somebody would no something if was....it would be huge news...you know what i mean. All the people on the forums that knows someone in the military or someone overthere. Trust me we would know maybe not the min thebanks open which by the way are still closed. But we would know within a few hours...not being a naysayer im just saying

Urgent. A curfew was imposed in the city of Nasiriyah

(Voice of Iraq) - 10-23-2006 | This issue was sent to a friend Nasiriyah News Network / Mortada Hamid / Monday / at 11 : 15 p.m. : According to eyewitnesses in contact with the network news Nasiriyah that the security forces in the city of Nasiriyah imposed a curfew and took police cars and National Guardsmen patrolling the streets and inform citizens and cars passing by imposing a curfew in the city. some observers have attributed the cause because of all the heavy fire by some citizens to mark Eid Al-Fitr, the announcement by the Office of Imam Sistani, which called on the security authorities to take this measure to protect the lives of citizens.

Sotaliraq.com

Here is a thought I don't think we brought up about the smaller denoms. The soldiers can use their dollar bills at the exchange in Iraq (AAFES) but did you know that they don't use coins...there are no pennies, nickles, dimes, quarters at least as of 6 months ago. If a soldier buys something at the exchange and he/she is due back change they are given these hard cardboard-like tokens in denoms of 5, 10, 25 cents. They can spend these at the exchange just like cash. I have some of these my husband brought back from Iraq. I will scan them and post them since I can't give ya' a link...My point is maybe Iraq has the same plans (temporary) for coins and lower denoms, then phase them out. Just a thought. This way they could reval now...if they wanted.

Sotaliraq.com

Tomorrow, the first day of the month of Shawwal and the first day of Eid al-Fitr

(Voice of Iraq) - 10-23-2006 | This issue was sent to a friend Good Ayamkm : tomorrow, the first day of the month of Shawwal and the first day of Eid al-Fitr at the Imam al-Sistani Mr. D shadow Mohsen Al-Gabri Announced tomorrow, the first day of the Eid al-Fitr holiday to the tolerance of Ayatollah Sistani forward beloved Mr. (D which Sharif) congratulated you God after God and the God grant you all good and the blessing of God and accept your work. The news agency pratha (father)