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

Tribes of Anbar, middle Euphrates join meetings

Baghdad, Dec. 10,

P. 1 Officials in Anbar called of real and clear treatment of security and economic file in the province and stressed necessity of stopping shelling operationswhich expose to civilians and finding new American strategy of dealing with province besides effort to hold a tribal conference joins tribes of Anbar and middle Euphrates soon.

Dr. Abdulsalam Abdullah head of municipal council in Anbar stressed at a press conference that council of province held a meeting attended by all its members, province's notables and American Ambassador Zalmai Khalilzad to discuss Anbar's future and dealing with difficult and complex security file.

ÌÑíÏÉ ÇáÕÈÇÍ - Tribes of Anbar, middle Euphrates join meetings

Iraqi PM calls for active presence in int''l Compact for Iraq

POL-IRAQ-MALIKI-CONFERENCE
Iraqi PM calls for active presence in int'l Compact for Iraq

BAGHDAD, Dec 10 (KUNA) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki called on Sunday for an active international presence in the International Compact for Iraq.

Al-Maliki, while receiving ambassadors from several countries participating in the International Compact, said that issues which will be addressed in the conference will not be limited to the economic factor but it will also be on the security, political, international relations and national reconciliation.

Al-Maliki stressed importance on energizing the concept of national reconciliation and centralization in the political, economic and security arenas.

The head of the Iraqi government said Iraq suffers from obligations which were imposed by the previous regime, like the debts.

Al-Maliki said he hopes the conference will take a practical step toward helping Iraq and its economic thrive.

The Iraqi PM suggested to the participating countries to look into solving Iraq's debt problems so that it will be able improve services.
Al-Maliki praised Japan for releasing the first pack of an easy loan payment worth USD 1.6 billion.

The payment by Japan aims at improving Iraq's electricity and petroleum sectors. (end) mhg.

mb



KUNA 110110 Dec 06NNNN

Tariq Al-Hashmi leave to the United States of America


Sudanese Vice President of the Republic, Mr. Tariq Al-Hashmi, on the morning of Sunday, 12-10-2006, to the United States of America at the head of a government delegation, and that in response to an official invitation last several days, during which he will meet President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.
.Also scheduled to meet Mr. Hashemi next Tuesday, both the American Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the American National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley.


Iraqi Presidency

It looks like they are trying to get this done!!!

Posted by: saleem on Sunday, December 10, 2006 - 08:34 PM

Baghdad-Fatwa
Shiite cleric issues fatwa prohibiting parliament members from hajj this year
By Kawthar Abudl-Amir
Baghdad, Dec 10, (VOI) – Shiite cleric Ayatollah Muhammad al-Ya'qoubi issued a fatwa prohibiting members of the Iraqi parliament from performing the annual hajj (pilgrimage) rituals this year to avoid delaying parliamentary sessions, a source from the cleric's office said on Sunday.
"The Ayatollah's announcement came during a meeting with members from the Iraqi parliament in his office in the city of Najaf today as pilgrimage of members this year would cause a lack of quorum (half the members +one), which could harm the people's interests," Firas al-Kirbasi, the media coordinator of the Sheikh Ya'qoubi's office, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
Kirbasi explained that the members of parliament who plan to perform the hajj this year are 176, adding "most of them had already performed pilgrimage once or twice."
Muslims have to perform pilgrimage, which one of the main five pillars of Islam, at least once in a lifetime.
The Iraqi Parliament is composed of 275 members, which means that the number of members planning to make a hajj this year are more than half the legislators, which would consequently delay the sessions due to the incompletion of the legal quorum.
Sheikh Ya'qoubi had criticized a one-month parliamentary recess last August for the members' summer vacation, on the grounds that the several issues that have to be debated by the members should not allow them to have an annual vacation

The Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih from the near completion of the preparation of the oil-entitling the central government's distribution of the incomes of oil present and future impact on the provinces and territories. He said in press statements quoted by the Associated Press that he could not set a timetable on the expiry date of the law drafting and approval. However, American officials and Iraqi Maniiin stated to the New York Times that the existing law regulating the preparation of the oil sector is nearing completion of its work, adding that the draft law would be submitted after that to the government and parliament to be approved. The newspaper pointed out that both the American ambassador in Baghdad, Zalmay Khalilzad and the commander of the American forces in Iraq, George Casey urged Iraqi politicians on a draft law on oil-handed priorities to be approved before the end of this year. The newspaper pointed out that the Kurds had renounced their demand that the authority to collect rent from the fields of oil resources and distribution, however, the future of local governments. The Kurds demanded that the distribution of oil revenues to the provinces in accordance with the proportion of the population and the vulnerability of those Territories of crimes of the former regime, which means, according to the American newspaper giving Shiites and Kurds the largest share of the oil wealth at the expense of other parties. Barham Salih, the deputy prime minister and head of the committee preparing the bill, said that the Kurds agreed to give up their demands, pointing out that the principle of shared wealth accepted by all parties represented in the Iraqi government, including the Kurds as an act to unify people. The paper quoted an American official as saying that no unidentified Kurds agreed to waive their demands because the presence of a national law for oil that would attract more foreign companies operating in the field of oil exploration to invest in Iraq's Kurdistan region. The report mentioned that the Baker-Hamilton stressed the need for a law to guarantee oil equitable distribution of wealth, which would contribute positively to the draft national reconciliation

جريدة المواطن العراقية

Originally Posted by Socata 850

OZIZOZ

This time of year can be a drain on everyone . . .and I have come to believe that all driving laws are null and void within 1000 feet of a Starbucks . . .atleast here in Loz Angelez. Its been a long time since we had a good road rage shooting on the news, but we are way overdue just by looking at the world circling around me.

I am planning to spend atleast a million dollars on other people before I spend a dime on myself. I have a symbolic debt to repay my parents who brought me into this world and helped me so much along the way . . . Im going to pay off my brother's new house (cause I havent told him about this crazy scheme and Im not planning to) and set up college funds for my nephew and neice. I am going to light up a Hula Girl Cigar Vanilla Macademia Nut Cigar and just simply try to find the parts of me that died out along the way.

Knowing many many folks here, I am not alone in knowing that this will help millions of people here and abroad who havent even been on the rollercoaster with us . . .thats in our nature, to help those who need helping . . .including ourselves. This is a precious gift and awesome responsibilty we will all receive and each of us owes those who have fallen, troops and civilians, and the Iraqis themselves, to live the best life we can in their honor. This gift has been paid for in blood and I will never, EVER, take that for granted. With each new sunrise and sunset I see until I see no more, I will be humble



Ozizoz,

If I may, You can see that you have a good heart and that your best intentions are for the ones you love. Having a great influx of money is an unbelievable thing. Most of us, me included, want to share our good fortune with family and some friends. However, this opportunity will probably not come again in our lifetime. One of the best things that you can do for your family, for the present and into the distant future, is to preserve your capital. Take the money that you would give or spend on family and invest it so that you can continue to give and give and give out of the interest you make on the money. I have not posted this before, but my daughter works for Chase bank. Actually it is JP Morgan, Chase. They have some of the smartest money managers in the country. I have been in the loop on the Chase connection for quite some time. Talk to the local manager of a Chase bank and get him to refer you up the chain to the right people to handle the money. If it takes you all the way to New York, so be it. Believe me, they will be interested in handling your portfolio. For all of us that have not handled alot of money in the past, me included, I know enough that I realize what I don't know. What I do know, is that I want this investment to be a blessing to as many people as possible. I can only do that by letting the principal grow and giving out of the surplus. It will be better for all concerned in the long run. Your legacy can continue into the future for many many generations. As Yule Brenner said in the movie "The Ten Commandments"
"So let it be written, So let it be Done."

thanx for the suggestion. I have already been looking into several money management programs. Im not worried about it. If this comes thru anything near 1:1, I will have enough funds to last 10 lifetimes

Got something for you in my signature. Click the Christmas Dance. Have a good Time Buddy.

I thought this was interesting.

By Haig Simonian in Zurich and Javier Blas and Carola Hoyos in London

Updated: 9 minutes ago
Oil producing countries have reduced their exposure to the dollar to the lowest level in two years and shifted oil income into euros, yen and sterling, according to new data from the Bank for International Settlements.

The revelation in the latest BIS quarterly review, published on Monday, confirms market speculation about a move out of dollars and could put new pressure on the ailing US currency.

Market liquidity is traditionally low in December, and many traders have locked in profits, potentially reinforcing volatility.

Russia and the members of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, the oil cartel, cut their dollar holdings from 67 per cent in the first quarter to 65 per cent in the second.

Meanwhile, they increased their holdings of euros from 20 to 22 per cent, the BIS said. The speed of the shift may help to explain the weakness of the dollar, which recently fell to a 20-month low against the euro and a 14-year low against sterling.

The BIS, the central bank for the developed world's central banks, is customarily cautious in its language. However, it noted: "While the data are not comprehensive, they do appear to indicate a modest shift over the quarter in the US dollar share of reporting banks' liabilities to oil exporting countries."

The review shows that Qatar and Iran, whose foreign exchange policy has sparked widespread market speculation, cut their dollar holdings by $2.4bn and $4bn respectively.

Such shifts may be modest compared with the total assets held, but they provide a crucial indication on future thinking.

Currency switches are likely to be progressive, subtle and discreet, as untoward attention could hit the dollar, lowering the value of depositors' remaining dollar-denominated assets.

The last time oil-exporting countries cut their exposure to the dollar – in late 2003 – it pushed the euro to an all-time high against the dollar. Eighteen months ago, the exposure to the dollar of oil producing countries was above 70 per cent.

BIS data is the best guide financial markets have to the currency investment trends of oil producers, which otherwise do not provide figures. The rise in oil prices since 2002 means oil producing countries have amassed a current account surplus of about $500bn, according to the IMF. This is 2½ times the current account surplus of China.
Overall, Opec's dollar deposits fell by $5.3bn, while euro and yen-denominated deposits rose $2.8bn and $3.8bn, respectively. Placements of dollars by Russians rose by $5bn, but most of their $16bn additional deposits were denominated in euros.

The dollar has suffered weakness because of concerns about global imbalances and the future course of the Federal Reserve's interest rate policy.

Additional reporting by Peter Garnham in London

Copyright The Financial Times Ltd. All rights reserved

MENAFN) The Iraq Study Group said that the Iraqi people are struggling financially as the war goes on, facing high unemployment and surging prices, AP reported.

The group said that Iraq's economy won't likely improve until security and corruption problems are fixed and the country pumps up its oil production.

The report released by the group said that too many Iraqis do not see tangible improvements in their daily economic situation, as inflation is above 50 percent, unemployment range is from 20 percent to 60 percent, and foreign investment is less than 1 percent of gross domestic product.

According to the report, Iraq produces around 2.2 million barrels of oil a day and exports about 1.5 million - production below the level before the U.S.-led war and below the Iraqi government's target of 2.5 million barrels per day, the report said.
MENAFN - Middle East North Africa . Financial Network News: Report: Security impeding progress of Iraq's economy

me thinks they need a hefty dose of RV medicine

Dawn.com reported that the Iraq Study Group (ISG) has called upon the US to aid in privatizing Iraq's national oil industry and dividing oil revenues on population basis among Shias, Sunnis and Kurds.

The report indicated the need for Iraq to privatize foreign oil and energy companies, with the assistance of the U.S in providing direct technical guidelines for the drafting of a new national oil law for Iraq, and assuring that all of Iraq's oil revenues accrue to the central government.

The ISG report, however, further adds that "the United States should assist Iraqi leaders to reorganize the national oil industry as a commercial enterprise." Moreover, the current Constitution of Iraq is ambiguous as to whether control over Iraq's oil should be shared among its regional provinces or held under the central government.
MENAFN - Middle East North Africa . Financial Network News: Iraq should privatize its oil industry- ISG report