Thread: Iraq/Dinar News. before Febuary 2nd 2006

Sorry if already posted...

Posted by: saleem on Monday, January 22, 2007 - 05:50 PM

Iraq-Currency
Dollar demand sharply higher in Iraqi Cenbank auction
Baghdad, Jan 22, (VOI) – Dollar demand went sharply up in Iraq’s central bank daily auction on Monday to $104,040 million from $50,755 million on Sunday.
The bank said in its daily statement it covered all bids which were $18.560 million in cash and $85.680 million in foreign transfers at an exchange rate of 1,298 dinars per dollar, two ticks lower than Sunday’s rate.
Sixteen banks, the highest over two months, participated in Monday's auction and offered to sell $3,540 million which the central bank bought all at 1,296 dinars per dollar rate.
Ali al-Yasseri, a trader, said "the surge in the bids for dollars was expected after the Iraqi Central Bank's policy in the auction had become obvious for traders."
"The bank now offers hard currency at either stable exchange rates or at rates of only two ticks lower than the previous session," al-Yasseri added.
The Iraqi trader expected a somehow stable bids for dollars above the $ 100 million ceiling during next Central Bank's auction sessions.
"It is a new phase in the auction but it means more commitment on part of the Iraqi Central Bank towards traders," al-Yasseri said.

Syria Considers Itself Possible Target of U.S. Military Attack

By Daniel Williams

Jan. 23 (Bloomberg) -- Syria has gone from being a potential negotiating partner of the United States to considering itself a possible target of military attack, leaving the government in Damascus both worried and defiant.

``It seems to me that the administration is blind and believes only in diktat,'' Deputy Foreign Minister Fayssal Mekdad said in an interview. His comments were the first high-level response to President George W. Bush's Jan. 10 speech accusing Syria and Iran of ``allowing terrorists and insurgents to use their territory to move in and out of Iraq'' and warned that the U.S. would ``interrupt the flow of support.''

Bush's speech effectively buried recommendations of the Iraq Study Group led by former Secretary of State James A. Baker and former Indiana Congressman Lee Hamilton that the U.S. should seek Syrian cooperation on a range of Middle East issues, including Iraq. Baker met with Syrian officials before the report's release to urge their support for efforts to curb the Iraq insurgency.

``The Bush people really have a block when it comes to Syria,'' said Mark N. Katz, a professor of politics at George Mason University in Virginia. ``The Syrians are just not seen as someone you can do business with.''

U.S. Accusations

Mekdad, in the Jan. 18 interview at the Foreign Ministry in Damascus, said that ``the U.S. accusations are simply political agitation against Syria.''

He also warned the U.S. against a military attack on Syria. ``Even if they dream of such a thing, they could not achieve it,'' he said. ``If they tried, they would be faced with the same kind of resistance as in Iraq. They would have to be prepared for more American dead.''

Syria is an adversary of the United States in key Middle East hotspots. It borders Iraq and urges resistance to the U.S.- led occupation. In Lebanon, Syria arms and provides political support for Hezbollah, the Shiite Muslim militia and political party locked in a power struggle with the U.S.-backed government. Bush has implicated Syria in the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri and other Lebanese political figures.

Political leaders from Hamas, the Islamic organization that took control of the Palestinian Parliament in elections last year, reside and have offices in Damascus. The U.S. and Israel label both Hezbollah and Hamas terrorist organizations.

The U.S. says it has no plans to attack Syria. In a Jan. 14 U.S. television interview, National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley emphasized interdiction inside Iraq rather than invasion of Syria.

Iraqi Border

``They want to secure the Iraqi border?'' said Nasser Eddin Kharallah, a Parliament member from the ruling Baath party. ``Let the Americans do it from the Iraqi side.''

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joseph Biden, a Delaware Democrat, has sent a letter to Bush asking whether he believes he has right to attack Syria or Iran ``without the authorization of Congress, which does not now exist.''

Mekdad, in the interview, predicted the U.S. government would eventually follow the Baker commission recommendations and talk to the government of President Bashar al-Assad. ``We thought Bush would say something about making peace,'' said Mekdad. ``His speech was a political ploy to justify its failure in Iraq.''

He repeated Syria's assertion that it does all it can to block infiltrators from entering Iraq across the border. Iraqi President Jalal Talabani concluded a six-day Syrian visit last week, issuing a joint statement with Assad calling for cooperation on security matters.

``If I were the Syrian government, I would be preparing for war, even while trying to show that Syria can provide solutions,'' said Samir Altaqi, who heads Damascus's Orient Center for Studies, a research institution that advises the Foreign Ministry.

Economic Growth

Abdullah Dardari, Syria's deputy prime minister for economic affairs, said it is against Syria's interest to undermine Iraq. Trade amounted to $2 billion last year, mostly exports, he said. The government plans to develop industry in eastern Syria to serve the Iraqi market, he added. Syria's gross domestic product grew by about 5 percent last year, according to government statistics.

Syria would like Iraq to send petroleum through an oil pipeline that runs through Syria to the Mediterranean Sea, which would provide Syria with fees and possibly cheap deals for Iraqi oil and gas.

Syria's domestic oil production has declined from about 600,000 barrels a day a decade ago to less than 500,000 barrels, Dardari said. ``We would like the oil pipeline,'' he said. ``You can imagine the U.S. is not going to approve.''

To contact the reporter on this story: Daniel Williams in Cairo at [email protected] .

Last Updated: January 22, 2007 19:28 EST

Sorry if posted in this context...

Iraqi oil law not yet agreed, Kurds say
(AFP)

23 January 2007



LONDON - A new oil law in Iraq that was announced as headed to cabinet for endorsement last week has not yet been agreed and there is still much that needs to be resolved, a minister in the Kurdistan Regional Government said in an interview published in the Financial Times on Tuesday.


“No, we have not” signed off on a draft of the proposed law, Kurdistan’s Oil Minister Ashti Hawrami told the business daily.

“Absolutely not.”

The law aims to distribute revenues from crude oil exports equally in the 18 provinces and open the sector to foreign investors.

An Iraqi oil ministry spokesman said last Wednesday that the draft law will be submitted to the cabinet for endorsement before being sent to parliament, and said it had been approved by the energy committee.

“Several issues are not still resolved. The ministry of oil statement is unfortunately premature,” Hawrami was quoted as saying by the FT.

“The head of the (committee drafting the law) is going to organise new meetings to address these issues. Probably we will reconvene next week or after to discuss the remaining issues,” he said.

According to the FT, Hawrami said that several annexes as well as three associated laws governing revenue sharing, the status of the national oil company and the oil ministry’s new role had yet to be drafted and agreed upon before the entire package was ready.

Iraq’s oil reserves are concentrated in the Shiite south and the Kurdish north, while Sunnis make up the bulk of the population in the western regions of the country which have no oil reserves.

Oil is the key driver of the Iraqi economy.

Iraq’s oil reserves, estimated at 115 billion barrels, are the third largest in the world, behind Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Since the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003, Iraqi production has tumbled from 3.5 million barrels per day to around two million.

Deputies deny the existence of a plan to replace al-Maliki

(صوت العراق) - 23-01-2007(Voice of Iraq) - 23-01-2007
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نواب ينفون وجود خطة لاستبدال المالكي ... الحكومة العراقية تؤكد مساعيها لإطلاق مساعد الصدرDeputies deny the existence of a plan to replace al-Maliki. The Iraqi government confirmed its efforts to launch Assistant Sadr
بغداد - جودت كاظم الحياة - 23/01/07//Baghdad-Kazim sounded life-23 / 01 / 07 / /

أعلن الناطق باسم الحكومة العراقية أمس سعيها الى اطلاق أحد مساعدي الزعيم الشيعي مقتدى الصدر. فيما نفى برلمانيون وجود خطة لاستبدال رئيس الوزراء نوري المالكي.A spokesman for the Iraqi government yesterday seeking to launch one of the aides of the Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr. With MPs denied the existence of a plan for the replacement of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.

وقال علي الدباغ ان الحكومة «ما زالت تعمل لاطلاق الشيخ عبدالهادي الدراجي، كما وعد رئيس الوزراء (...) لكن هناك تحقيقات تجري وبالتأكيد سيكون هناك افراج عن الدراجي». وأضاف ان «الموضوع متعلق بالأجهزة الامنية، هناك تحقيقات واستفسارات وهذا من حقها».Skinner said that the government <still working to release Sheikh Hadi Daraji, as was promised by Prime Minister (...) But there are investigations, and certainly there will be a release of Daraji>. He added that <on the subject with the security, investigations and inquiries, as it is its right>.

واعتقلت قوة عراقية خاصة بدعم اميركي فجر الجمعة الدراجي، خلال دهم حسينية الزهراء في البلديات (شرق بغداد). وجاء في بيان اميركي ان المعتقل «مسؤول لجنة العقاب في مجموعة مسلحة متورطة في عمليات خطف منظمة وتعذيب وقتل عراقيين ابرياء». والدراجي هو مسؤول الهيئة الاعلامية في مكتب الصدر في بغداد.The arrested Iraqi force especially American support dawn Friday Daraji, Al Hussein during a raid in the municipalities (east Baghdad). In a statement that the detained American <responsible for the impunity in the armed group involved in the abduction, torture and killing of innocent Iraqi>. Darraji and is the official media in Sadr's office in Baghdad.

من جهة أخرى، أعلن الدباغ مشاركة وزراء التيار الصدري في الجلسة الاستثنائية لمجلس الوزراء أمس. وقال: «حضر وزراء التيار الصدري الجلسة ونحن نرحب بعودتهم ونطالبهم بالمساهمة الفاعلة في الحكومة والبرلمان». وكان التيار أعلن امس انهاء اعتكافه السياسي الذي استمر اقل من شهرين.On the other hand, Skinner announced the participation of ministers of the Sadri movement to the special meeting of the Council of Ministers yesterday. He said :> attended by ministers meeting Sadri trend and we welcome their return and we want them to contribute actors in the government and parliament>. The trend was announced yesterday, ending his self-imposed retreat, which lasted less political than two months.

الى ذلك نفى مستشارون للمالكي وبرلمانيون المعلومات التي تحدثت عن وجود خطة اميركية لاستبداله بالقيادي في «المجلس الاعلى للثورة الاسلامية» عادل عبد المهدي.Advisers denied to the owners of the parliamentarians information about the presence of American plan to replace Balqiadi in <Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution> Adel Abdel Mahdi.

وكانت صحيفة «نيويورك تايمز» نقلت عن مسؤولين اميركيين قولهم انهم «يدرسون خطة ثالثة في حال فشل حكومة المالكي في تنفيذ وعودها»، موضحين ان هذه الخطة تتبنى دعم قيادة شيعية جديدة للحكومة العراقية، تتمثل في عبد المهدي.The newspaper <New York Times> quoted American officials as saying they <studying the third plan in the event of failure of the government in the implementation of Maliki promises>, pointing out that this plan adopts new Shiite leadership support to the Iraqi government, is Abdel Mahdi.

وأكد رضا جواد تقي، الناطق باسم «المجلس الاعلى» عدم وجود مثل تلك الافكار وقال لـ «الحياة» ان «الائتلاف يدعم حكومة المالكي ويحاول جاهداً ان يمد لها يد العون لتجاوز محنتها الامنية». واضاف: «حتى الآن لا ندري ما ستفرزه الخطة الجديدة».The Ridha Jawad Taqi, spokesman <Supreme Council> absence of such ideas, he told the <life> <coalition government supports Maliki and tries hard to extend them a helping hand to overcome the plight security>. He added :> So far we do not know what the new plan Stversh>.

وشدد مستشار المالكي فاضل الشرع، على «ضرورة عدم الاخذ بكل ما تناقلته وسائل الاعلام لا سيما الاميركية»، وقال لـ «الحياة» إن «وسائل الاعلام الاميركية تحاول جاهدة ان تظهر حكومة المالكي بالمظهر الضعيف، على رغم أنها حققت الكثير من المنجزات». وزاد ان «المالكي لم يأت الى الحكومة بارادة اميركية، وعليه فإن قرار استبداله او إقالته يعود الىمجلس النواب»، موضحاً انه «ليست هناك نيات لاطاحته».The adviser Maliki Fadel Al-Sharaa, the <should not take all the media have reported particularly American>, and told that <life> <American media is trying hard to show their appearance Maliki weak government, although she had a lot of achievements>. He added that <Maliki did not come to the government because America, and as a result the decision to replace or be sacked due surge deputies>, explaining that <no intentions of overthrowing>.

من جانبها اكدت مريم الريس، مستشارة رئيس الوزراء ان «بوش لا يحدد قانونية ابقاء المالكي او استبداله». وقالت لـ «الحياة» ان «رئيس الوزراء منتخب في مجلس النواب ولا يحق لأي قوة خارجية ان تحدد قانونيته او شرعيته». واضافت ان «الخطة الجديدة ستثبت ان المالكي جدير برئاسة الحكومة»، وشددت على ان «رئيس الوزراء سعى جاهداً للايفاء بوعوده».For her part, the Mariam Al-Rayes, Adviser to the Prime Minister <Bush does not specify the legal Maliki keep or replace>. She told that <life> <elected Prime Minister in the House is not entitled to any external force to determine the legality or legitimacy>. It added that <new plan that will be headed by al-Maliki government>, and stressed that <Prime Minister endeavored to fulfill its promises>.

على صعيد متصل طالب اعضاء مجلس النواب امس باستجواب وزير الدفاع محمد عبدالقادر العبيدي للرد على اتهامات وجهها بعض النواب الى وزارة الدفاع بالتقصير، وصوّت نواب على قانون انضمام العراق الى اتفاقية «رام سار» للأراضي الرطبة التي عقدت في ايران عام 1971.In relation to student members of the House of Representatives yesterday questioned Defense Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Al-Obaidi, in response to accusations by some deputies to the Ministry of Defense of default, the Voice of the People of Iraq's accession to the Convention <Ramallah marched> wetland, which was held in Iran in 1971.

Allawi reveals the project to save Iraq

(صوت العراق) - 23-01-2007(Voice of Iraq) - 23-01-2007
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عمان - جمال إبراهيم - بغداد - اف ب: طالبت الحكومة العراقية أمس دول الجوار بعدم التدخل في شؤونها الداخلية من ''خلال عقد مؤتمرات على أراضيها'' مؤكدة أن مثل هذه الأمور تعتبر ''دعوة لاحتقان طائفي خطير''· وقال علي الدباغ المتحدث باسم الحكومة للصحافيين ''نرفض تدخلات دول الجوار في الشأن الداخلي، من خلال عقد مؤتمرات على أراضيها تحمل طابعا سياسيا وطائفيا حادا وتصريحات مسؤولين كبار فيها تتحدث عن قضايا داخلية وحق التدخل العسكري في العراق''· وأضاف ان ''انعقاد مؤتمرات مؤخرا كان دعوة صريحة لاحتقان طائفي خطير ومنزلقا يهدد المجتمع العراقي وتدخلا في شؤوننا الداخلية''· وكان المتحدث يشير الى مؤتمر عقد يومي الاثنين والثلاثاء الماضيين في العاصمة التركية بدعوة من معهد للدراسات خصص لبحث مستقبل مدينة كركوك المتعددة القوميات غاب عنه الأكراد·Amman-Gamal Ibrahim - Baghdad-AFP : demanded the Iraqi government yesterday the neighboring countries of non interference in their internal affairs from "by holding conferences on its territory" asserting that such things are considered "invitation to the congestion in a sectarian seriously" · and said on the The Tawer government spokesman, to reporters "reject interventions the neighboring countries in internal affairs, through the holding of conferences on its territory shoulder a political character and a sectarian tint to sharply and the statements of senior officials where talking about the internal issues in the right of military intervention in Iraq" · He added that the "the convening of conferences recently was explicit invitation to the congestion in a sectarian seriously and sliding threatens the Iraqi society and interference in our internal affairs" · and spokesman was referring to a conference held on Monday and Tuesday of last in the the Turkish capital of the invitation of the Institute for Studies allocated to discuss the future of the city of Kirkuk multinational fails to pay attention to the fact the Kurds ·
كما أشار الى ''تصريحات من بعض الدول العربية الشقيقة تتعرض الى قضايا داخلية''· من جانب آخر، كشف رئيس الوزراء العراقي الأسبق أياد علاوي بعمان أنه عرض على الإدارة الأميركية وبعض قادة الدول العربية المعتدلة ''مشروعا لإنقاذ الوضع في العراق '' وبين أن المشروع يتمثل في أربع نقاط هي : اعلان الاحكام العرفية لمدة عامين ، والثانية : تشكيل مجموعة أمن وزارية تضم (وزارة الدفاع والداخلية والأمن الوطني والقضاء والمخابرات) خارج المحاصصة والثالثة: مكافحة الميليشيات وتطهير مؤسسات الدولة منها ومكافحة النفوذ الإقليمي السلبي، والرابعة: عقد مؤتمر دولي إقليمي على غرار مؤتمر شرم الشيخ حيث كان في حينه الملك عبدالله الثاني والرئيس مبارك وخادم الحرمين الشريفين عبد الله بن عبد العزيز وسمو الشيخ صباح الأحمد وسمو الشيخ محمد بن زايد لهم دور داعم لفكرة المؤتمر·He also pointed to the "statements by some sisterly Arab States are subjected to the internal issues in" · On the other hand, Prime Minister Iraqi former Iyad Allawi in Amman, that he offered to the American administration and some of the leaders of moderate Arab States "a project to rescue the situation in Iraq" and between the project is in four points : the declaration of martial law for a period of two years, and two : the formation of the Group ministerial security comprising (the Ministry of Defense and the Interior and National Security, the Judiciary, and Intelligence) outside the of share - splitting and third : combating the militias and purge State institutions, and control regional influence negative, and four : the convening of an international conference a regional lines of the Conference of Sharm el-Sheikh where he was on timely King Abdallah II and President Mubarak and Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, Abdullah Bin Abdel-Aziz and His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed them supportive role for the conference idea ·
وقال علاوي إنه وجد تجاوباً ممن التقاهم من القادة العرب والدول الإسلامية خلال الأسبوعين الماضيين لأفكار الخطة كما أرسلت هذه المقترحات المفصلةً إلى القيادة الأميركية '' ·Allawi said that he found the response of those who met Arab leaders and Islamic countries during the last two weeks of the ideas of the plan, sent detailed proposals to the American command "·
الاتحاد الاماراتيةThe Emirates

Originally Posted by wellwishes

Actually that's incorrect. Iraq alone had $800 Billion in gold reserves....approximately 80 tons at 1980's prices. That article has been quoted with a link, several times in this forum and others....It's fact. This is where most European and MidEast countries stored their gold for currency backing, so it would be a whole lot more than 4 tons....Similar to our Fort Knox, but bigger.

I also don't see how you read the other article to mean smaller notes when they go on to mention return to the value prior to the 1990's. That's clearly in the 1:3+ range....they even specifically refer to 3+. I will agree that getting there is a different issue altogether. However, they clearly state this as their goal.

Thar's gold in them thar vaults! Arrrr, gold i say!

Originally Posted by adm

Sorry if posted in this context...

Iraqi oil law not yet agreed, Kurds say
(AFP)

23 January 2007



LONDON - A new oil law in Iraq that was announced as headed to cabinet for endorsement last week has not yet been agreed and there is still much that needs to be resolved, a minister in the Kurdistan Regional Government said in an interview published in the Financial Times on Tuesday.


“No, we have not” signed off on a draft of the proposed law, Kurdistan’s Oil Minister Ashti Hawrami told the business daily.

“Absolutely not.”

The law aims to distribute revenues from crude oil exports equally in the 18 provinces and open the sector to foreign investors.

An Iraqi oil ministry spokesman said last Wednesday that the draft law will be submitted to the cabinet for endorsement before being sent to parliament, and said it had been approved by the energy committee.

“Several issues are not still resolved. The ministry of oil statement is unfortunately premature,” Hawrami was quoted as saying by the FT.

“The head of the (committee drafting the law) is going to organise new meetings to address these issues. Probably we will reconvene next week or after to discuss the remaining issues,” he said.
According to the FT, Hawrami said that several annexes as well as three associated laws governing revenue sharing, the status of the national oil company and the oil ministry’s new role had yet to be drafted and agreed upon before the entire package was ready.

Iraq’s oil reserves are concentrated in the Shiite south and the Kurdish north, while Sunnis make up the bulk of the population in the western regions of the country which have no oil reserves.

Oil is the key driver of the Iraqi economy.

Iraq’s oil reserves, estimated at 115 billion barrels, are the third largest in the world, behind Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Since the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003, Iraqi production has tumbled from 3.5 million barrels per day to around two million.

What do you know...more delays! How does this effect tomorrows RV rumor?

Originally Posted by Caviar Dreams

What do you know...more delays! How does this effect tomorrows RV rumor?

two steps forward...one back....smoke and mirrors....slide of hand...say what you will, its one article against several others that say its being done (oil law), plus I believe that the Kurds are recessed till march sometime, so...are we looking at a couple of months? Anything can happen at anytime, many have said it will r/vefore the hcl and investment law is announced, and some have said it will r/v at the time it is announced. Lets hope for tomorrow, but I'm not holding my breath on this one.

[QUOTE]

Originally Posted by adm

Sorry if posted in this context...

Iraqi oil law not yet agreed, Kurds say
(AFP)

23 January 2007



LONDON - A new oil law in Iraq that was announced as headed to cabinet for endorsement last week has not yet been agreed and there is still much that needs to be resolved, a minister in the Kurdistan Regional Government said in an interview published in the Financial Times on Tuesday.


“No, we have not” signed off on a draft of the proposed law, Kurdistan’s Oil Minister Ashti Hawrami told the business daily.

“Absolutely not.”

The law aims to distribute revenues from crude oil exports equally in the 18 provinces and open the sector to foreign investors.

An Iraqi oil ministry spokesman said last Wednesday that the draft law will be submitted to the cabinet for endorsement before being sent to parliament, and said it had been approved by the energy committee.

“Several issues are not still resolved. The ministry of oil statement is unfortunately premature,” Hawrami was quoted as saying by the FT.

Link please?

[QUOTE=Caviar Dreams;160517]

Link please?

Khaleej Times Online