Thread: Archive News - Iraqi Dinar Think Tank - 28/03/10 - 21/06/10

Economist: the past years has not seen any successful investment project because of corruption

An economic expert said that since 2003 until now have not seen any investment project successful because of financial and administrative corruption was rampant in the various state institutions, which hinders the advancement of the national economy.

Salim said in a statement published Jubouri independent press Thursday that most of the investments in the country are disabled because of administrative corruption and most of the lining of the investment projects that they have seen during the last period, including communications projects built on the principle of a quick profit, without paying attention to quality standards, or achieve a service to the citizen.

Jabouri said that the country exposed by the World Bank and other international institutions to pressure through the provision of loans to Iraq in exchange for assurances about the possibility of returned in the post through the removal of subsidies on the public sector and payment of government debt from the public budget or resources that drain the various means, especially the foundation, and financial corruption.

http://radionawa.com/ar/NewsDetailN....655&LinkID=155

Iraq participates in Shanghai Expo

Iraq took part in the Chinese Shanghai World Expo, which will run for six months, the trade ministry said on Thursday.

“The participation in the inauguration of the Shanghai World Expo 2010 came in response to an invitation from the Chinese government,” the ministry said in a statement received by Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

“Iraq took part in the fair with a pavilion with the theme “Next City,” which covers about 380 square meters in the Asia Joint Pavilion III, which also houses pavilions of Laos and Myanmar,” the statement added.

The pavilion exhibits cultural relics carved with cuneiform characters and a model of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the ancient Seven Wonders of the World.

It also displays pictures of well-known Arabic folk tales, photos of Iraqi children and replicas of an Iraqi family’s furnitures.

In addition, visitors can see a model of a city rebuilding program that is to be launched in the Shiite holy city of Najaf.

The Expo, with the theme “Better City, Better Life,” has drawn participation by an unprecedented 189 countries and 57 international organizations. The event runs from May 1 to Oct. 31.

Iraq is the last of the 246 participants to open its pavilion.

http://en.aswataliraq.info/?p=132652

Russian company mulls implementing oil projects in Basra

A Russian company discussed on Thursday with Basra Governor Shaltagh Abboud al-Mayah implementing investment projects in the oil sector, according to a media source.

“Talks tackled the work mechanism in the province to rehabilitate and reconstruct the oil regions and to develop and fix oilfields and pipelines,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

“The company presented a study on the Basra oilfields and ways to solve their problems, expressing readiness to cooperate with the Iraqi side,” he added.


http://en.aswataliraq.info/?p=132648

Zubaidi confirms the importance of strengthening economic cooperation between Iraq and the United Kingdom

received the Minister of Finance Baqir al-Zubaidi, the UK ambassador in Iraq, Dr. John Jenkins.

The ministry statement said, "It was during the meeting, political and economic relations between the two countries and the Iraqi political scene after the legislative elections and the efforts of the political blocs to form the next Iraqi government."

The statement added: "Zubaidi, the price of the UK's position in Iraq and support in all areas, especially in the economic and financial sphere through the support of strategic budget and financial status and accounting of Iraq and provide the expertise and the establishment of courses for staff of the Iraqi in the field of development and advancement of reality, banking and administrative cadres of the Ministry of Finance.

http://www.ipairaq.com/index.php?nam...onomy&id=26156

Hoshyar Zebari: no differences with Kuwait and Iraq is committed to international resolutions

Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, Iraq's commitment to implement all international resolutions with regard to the relationship with Kuwait.

Zebari said after meeting with Secretary General of Arab League Amr Moussa in Cairo, said the ministry was awaiting the formation of the next government, and then begin the discussion with Kuwait through the Joint Commission mandated to address all outstanding issues of mutual interest.

The foreign minister stressed the lack of differences Iraq - Kuwait, stressing at the same time Iraq's compliance with all international resolutions on the relationship between the State of Kuwait and Iraq.

To the detection of Zebari For Moses to all Iraq's preparations to host the Arab summit in regard to facilities and insurance operations and the creation of appropriate conditions, political and security for the success of the summit, saying that a summit meeting in Baghdad as a message of solidarity with strong Arab Iraq.

For his part, Moussa welcomed Iraq's position towards the outstanding issues with Kuwait and the steps taken to logistical and related subjects.

http://www.radiodijla.com/cgi-bin/ne...?id=2010-06-04 06:46:59

US eyes new F-16 fighter planes for Iraq-commander

The top U.S. commander in Iraq said he expected the United States to meet a long-standing Iraqi request for new Lockheed Martin Corp F-16 multi-role fighter aircraft, although not as soon as Baghdad had sought.

"We're still working our way through that, but I think they will be new ones" rather than refurbished F-16s, another option that has been under review, Army General Ray Odierno told reporters at the Pentagon on Friday.

The U.S. Air Force has been quiet for months on the status of an assessment it carried out last year on Iraq's air defense needs and whether it would recommend the F-16 sale.

Under the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program, a transfer of such weapons is subject to approvals by the departments of defense and state as well as by Congress.

Odierno said the United States would not meet Iraq's request before the scheduled completion of a phased U.S. troop withdrawal at the end of next year.

"This will be an evolving process over the next several years," said Odierno, a four-star general who commands all U.S. forces in Iraq.

The F-16 is a powerful symbol of political and military cooperation with the United States and a potential key to fostering post-withdrawal U.S. and Iraqi security ties.

France, Russia, China and others have been jockeying to help fill Iraq's multibillion-dollar arms wish list, which includes multi-role fighters to defend its air space from its neighbors.

Iraqi Defense Minister Abdel Qader Jassim said in July that Iraq had "many alternatives" for securing such aircraft if the United States failed to supply F-16s.

"We have to have the right airplane to protect our skies in 2011," he told a July 28 joint news conference with Defense Secretary Robert Gates in Baghdad. "Wherever we can get it, we are going to obtain it."

Iraq's Air Force is on record as hoping to buy up to 96 F-16s through 2020, the centerpiece of billions of dollars that Baghdad may spend on foreign arms in coming years.

It was not immediately clear which model Iraq was seeking nor when would be the earliest it could be supplied. A spokesman for Lockheed Martin, the Pentagon's No. 1 supplier by sales, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The F-16 is the world's most widely flown fighter. More than 4,400 of them have been produced or are in the pipeline for 25 countries, Lockheed says on its website.

http://www.londonstockexchange.com/e...entId=10521117

Minister of Foreign Affairs: the next government will close the outstanding issues with neighboring countries

Foreign Minister, Hoshyar Zebari, the details of the meeting of the ministerial committee charged with preparing a five-year note to the leaders of five Arab countries to improve the management of the Arab action and the development of the Arab League, and report to the extraordinary Arab summit to come.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs in a press statement this morning, "The Ministerial Committee of Five was formed in the Sirte summit on the decision of the summit to review the system of joint Arab action and restructuring the Arab League, and submitted projects and papers from Libya, Yemen and Arab League Secretary General, relating to the Association of Arab neighbors. The initiatives they talk about changing the name of the League of Arab States to the Union Arab countries such as the name of the European Union and others. The Committee discussed all these ideas and fueling some of the process, and therefore the discussions at the meeting were serious and friendly, but Iraq was not with the change of the name of the League of Arab States as a name for the historic, and the problem is not in the system and the Charter and the structural .. and to say that the failures of Arab action was the result of different political wills Arabic, The University oppressed in blame us in everything, there was almost a near consensus that the name stays the Arab League as it is with updating and developing this system, introduced what is agreed upon by the Commission the five-year extraordinary Arab summit to be held in Libya, under the chairmanship of Libya, in October (October) the next, "adding," As we discussed in the ministerial meeting of the five-Arab Summit twice a year, one periodic and again consultation without protocol and formalities, in the context of improving the performance of joint Arab action. The second point is the development of the Arab ministerial councils that go to work as the Economic and Social Council, which we consider to be the basis of joint Arab action, especially in the economic, social and cultural rights, has floated the idea that the heads of governments of the Council. The third point was about the Charter, in the sense that the Secretariat of the University prepare a paper to review the provisions of the Charter and updated some of the items to keep pace with new developments, and agreed to hold another meeting in Libya after being prepared by the Secretariat of the paper to amend the Charter. I imagine that this meeting might be held by the end of this month."

The foreign minister added, "We have presented a paper containing concrete proposals on this subject, and Iraq of the founders of the Arab League, so keen to keep the name of the system as it is League of Arab States, with the modernization and development of other mechanisms, suggesting that further intensify the work of ministerial meetings and assess the performance of the organizations of the University in terms of effectiveness and focus on some organizations that are providing service for joint Arab action."

We discussed this issue in a bilateral meeting between the Iraqi delegation and the delegation of the Secretariat and the Secretary-General, we say that there is a decision Arabs issued by the Sirte summit to host Iraq for the upcoming summit in Baghdad, and we accepted the hospitality and the presidency, and began work immediately after the end of the Sirte summit, and has set up a ministerial committee headed by Foreign Minister The ministers of interior, construction and culture, tourism, security and transport, from all the State concerned, in addition to the Prefecture and the Municipality of Baghdad, the cabinet has allocated two days before the sum of money and got paid the first one hundred million dollars, the second installment to one hundred and fifty million dollars for the preparation of an infrastructure of the establishment of a conference room The residences of the delegations, the most important thing for us is to provide security and secure access for Arab leaders to Baghdad, and in appreciation would be a very, very strong from all Arab countries to the Iraqi people and the world that Iraq had returned full force to his and his brothers, and this is mutual .. Any of our duty to provide security and make full preparations for the summit, and all requirements of the summit and all the security and political conditions and logistics, and move toward all the Arab countries before the summit to inform the States to what we have done in order to hold the summit in Baghdad with the participation of a good Arab.

Replying A question on whether there will be a new policy of the new Iraqi government in an Arab-Iraqi relations? Minister of Foreign Affairs " All files will be ready before the next Iraqi government, and everything is subject to address, and we have the historical legacy on the subject of the division of the Iraqi border with Iran, the Shatt al-Arab, and the issue of binding decisions for us to determine the border between us and Kuwait, and compensation and the resolutions of the Security Council, with Turkey to have a problem the water."

And on the outlying areas of Iraq under Chapter VII of the foreign minister stressed "Iraq come a long way in this matter, because Iraq is governed by the 73 binding UN resolution from the Security Council under Chapter VII. During the past year and months of this year we closed a lot of these files, including file disarmament and weapons of mass destruction, and are currently working in an Oil for Food Contracts that have not paid, and will be completed soon, as well as the situation between Iraq and Kuwait, and this needs to be a political decision by the next government. More recently, and to emphasize the seriousness in dealing with his neighbor Kuwait, we have sent Iraq's ambassador to Kuwait, the first time in twenty years. This has a meaning and message is that we support the independence and inviolability and territorial integrity of Kuwait and the territorial integrity of Kuwait, and Iraq no longer had any illusions in the territory of Kuwait, and thus there has been progress, but in my opinion, the next government, in whatever form, have a clear and explicit program for the implementation of its international obligations and Arabic."

http://al-iraqnews.net/new/political-news/11798.html

No end to Parliament’s 1st session circumvent constitution – Goran

Making no end to the first session of Iraqi Parliament is an approach to circumvent the country’s permanent constitution, said Sheikh Lateef Mustafa, a prominent leader of the Goran Kurd Political Bloc.

“There is no legal or constitutional foundation to postpone the Parliament’s first session, and putting no end to the session is heresy,” Mustafa told Aswat al-Iraq news agency on Saturday.

Mustafa, who is an expert in constitutional law, explained that Iraqi Parliament should meet within 15 days after election results are approved by the judiciary.

“No extensions are allowed in this regard,” Mustafa stressed.

Iraqi Federal Court approved the country’s parliamentary election results on June 2, 2010.

http://en.aswataliraq.info/?p=132725

Baqir Jabr Al-Zubaidi: Internal oversight of banks will contribute to the fight against corruption

Finance Minister Baqir Jabr Al-Zubaidi said that preserving public money is everyone's responsibility and the fight against corruption in all its forms will work on the right track.

He said Zubaidi's press statements about the importance of activating the role of the governing bodies of the follow-up and activating the role of oversight of banks and follow-up and check the status of staff working in this area, stressing the importance of approaching the Ministry of Interior to install the regular help to the bank branches to ensure full protection to them."

It called on the Minister of Finance, the Central Bank to take a role in the follow-up work of banks so that they can detect the breach and the financial irregularities in a bid to develop suitable solutions to them.

Stressing that the general managers of banks to strengthen their role and do the internal control and audit staff position, monitor the amount of money in banks Moduap and follow-up the relationship with the private sector and private banks.

http://www.radiodijla.com/cgi-bin/ne...?id=2010-06-04

Iraqi official: We will take firm action against those who are blackmailing foreign oil companies
Iraqi official vowed yesterday to take firm action against those who are blackmailing foreign oil companies to obtain funds on the grounds that these companies operate their lands in the city of Nasiriyah.

A student governor Hassan Nasiriyah "The statements made by some officials in the province around the efforts by some tribes to blackmail the investment companies in order to obtain large sums of money, the fact that those projects are located within the vicinity of agricultural land has reached a serious stage, comments that emotional and exaggerated." "The province is fully committed to its promises regarding the protection and facilitate the work of investment companies operating in the province and work to eliminate problems and obstacles that hinder their work with a guarantee to ensure the safety and smooth operation of firms in particular is witnessing, and that maintaining a stable security situation."

He warned Iraq that the province "will take harsh measures and severe against persons and entities that are attempting to exercise any kind of blackmail to investment firms," noting that "the use of such practices and acts of provocation, a kind of terrorism because it shows the country's economy to collapse."

The government officials in Dhi Qar, had warned of "the seriousness of continuing threats of tribalism and the use of different provocative coalition against Iranian" Petronas "and" Total of ", which won Gharraf oil field development in order to obtain large sums of money" and described such practices the serious indicator.

The Undersecretary of the Iraqi Oil Ministry, Abdel Karim and coffee had said last week that "After the events of 2003 showed the problems in Iraq belong to the oil sector with tribal leaders and residents of farmers and peasants to obtain financial compensation because some oil fields that had been contracted with foreign companies under the two rounds of the first and second licenses are located in agricultural land owned by them and the laws in the past decade requires the courts not to consider such claims but the issue has changed."

Bet a small number of fund managers Ithlon courage to rebuild war-torn Iraq to enter the market worth billions of dollars. And are looking for hedge funds and major investors and pension funds as investors are willing to overlook the potential for volatility in return for revenue in the double digits in Iraq.

Said Eric le Blan, Chief Operating Officer in the Merchant's Bridge Investment "We believe strongly that the Iraqi stock market is a bet winner." Last month, the company launched Fund Mesopotamia, which focuses on Iraq and aims to raise five million dollars initially and 50 million long-time limit. So far, the Fund only attract investors from the Middle East, but he hoped to be followed by Western investors.

The value of the Iraqi stock market is about 2,5 billion dollars and included for 90 shares, almost did not care about foreign investors, almost admitting them to their portfolios. Among the leading stocks in the Stock Exchange Iraqi Bank contributed to the North and the Credit Bank of Iraq. Iraq is still largely isolated from global capital markets Until recently, the only means for local banks to transfer funds abroad is transported in bags. But is expected to promote significant investment from groups such as "Exxon Mobil" and "Royal Dac Shell" to develop oil fields Bakr oil production capacity and achieve a measure of prosperity and boost consumption.

http://www.baghdadtimes.net/Arabic/index.php?sid=61760