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

Dark Horse keeps watchful eye over FOB
Tuesday, 23 January 2007
By Spc. Alexis Harrison
2nd BCT, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs



Sgt. Joe Daugherty from Casper, Wyo., checks a man's identification card before the man comes into the International Zone in Baghdad Jan. 7. Daugherty, along with his fellow troopers from 4th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, man the entry control points on the roads leading into the IZ.FOB PROSPERITY — In order for Soldiers and civilians on the base to sleep soundly, someone needs to stay up all hours of the night to make sure no one gets in who shouldn't. In order to keep peace and safety in the International Zone, someone needs to control all the traffic.

Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, Soldiers from 4th Squadron, 9 Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, keep watch over the base and every single entry point into the IZ. They know it isn't glamorous, but they know it's as vital as any other mission the “Black Jack” Brigade performs.

At all hours of the day and night, someone is watching traffic and pedestrians from atop a guard tower. That someone is a trooper like Pfc. Estanislado Bella from Miami.

Bella, who is a part of Troop A, 4-9 Cav., said that if he and his friends weren't in the towers, there's no telling what might happen.

"It's one of those jobs that if it's not done, somebody's life could be at risk," Bella said. "We see a lot from up here [in the tower]. It's also a good opportunity to get to know your fellow Soldiers. It helps with the cohesiveness of the unit."

Staying up all night isn't the easiest thing to accomplish, but Spc. Yosef Spell from Philadelphia, also a part of Troop A, said working as a team can help you get through those cold Iraqi nights.

"It's a lot like a football team," he said. "You have to work together to get things done."

Spell recently helped out a friend in a big way. His friend is married to another Soldier in the 13th Sustainment Command out of Fort Hood, Texas. In order for the two to see each other on their mid-tour leave, Spell volunteered his slot, so his buddy could be with his wife.

"A lot of us are really close, but we work together no matter what," Spell said.

Outside the base, on the outskirts of the IZ, there are Soldiers manning checkpoints at every possible entry route. These Soldiers don't sit inside a guard tower and wait for something to happen. They get a hands-on view of every vehicle and person that comes inside the gates.

Soldiers from Troop B, 4-9 Cav., pay attention to the little details while doing their jobs.

Some search people, some search cars and trucks, and some pull security while watching the ebb and flow of Iraqis coming and going.

The troops keep watch while an Iraqi soldier does an initial search of the vehicles coming through the gates. After the car advances, a trooper from 4-9 Cav. continues the identification checks and preliminary searches through the car and its occupant.

The several steps of security aren't meant to frustrate incoming persons or impede traffic. The Soldiers from the “Blackhawk” Troop check, check and recheck for anything on the "bolo" list. Things that are on the "do not try to bring into the IZ" list.

Cpl. Karl Sweeting, a medic from Houston, is on his second tour to Iraq. He's been busy manning the gates into the IZ. Although, he hasn't had to perform many medical duties while working, he said he still feels a sense of accomplishment after every day at work.

Pfc. Nicholas Jefferson works alongside Sweeting at one of the northern checkpoints. The Van Buren, Ark., native said he's not in the thick of things like a cavalry scout should be, but he knows what his mission is.

"I wish there was something more we could be doing," he said. "But, I know that this is our mission, so we're going to do the best we can to keep all the important people and people who want to make this place better from getting hurt."

Originally Posted by wellwishes

I have always stated $800 Billion in gold reserves, but I thought it was 80 tons as opposed to 800 tons. The articles clearly state Iraq had hundreds of billions in gold reserves, and one specifically stated $800 billion at 1980's prices. So I am not spinning anything....$800 billion no doubt.

You can choose to believe they meant all of the Swiss reserves, but I disagree. They are stating the Swiss Secretariat managed Iraq gold reserves used specifically to back it's currency, which numbered into the hundreds of billions. You can say it's an interpretation issue, but it isn't. The Swiss' total reserves, under it's management, FAR surpassed that amount.

Laughing and falling out of your chair doesn't shed any truth to your position at all....It's simply laughter.

I have nothing more to add to this issue.

I know you don't want to add more but this is confuding.
$800b USD worth of gold actually works out to be roughly 38,750 tons. 800 tons of gold actually works out to be $16.5b USD. Wither way we are miles off with the 800 tons = $800b. I coule be doing the math wrong, but 80 tones $1.65b, 800 tones $16.5b, 8000 tons $165b and so on.

I'm not trying to pick on anyone in particular but $800b dinar in the 80's at $3.50 USD:1IQD still equates to 10800 tons of gold. And you are right ww it is worth around the same in USD now as it was then.

So they either have 80 tons, 800 tons, or maybe 10,800 tons. Can we get these 3 figures a little closer. the scenarios are light years appart.

Iraqi children to benefit from India's USD 1,3 million donation to WFP





RELATED NEWS

» 21Sep05


Delhi, Jan 23rd, 2007 (WAM)--- The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today welcomed a US$1.3 million donation from India to WFP's Iraq operation, which assists 3.8 million people, more than half of whom are children.

The current donation is cash and will be used to buy wheat that will be transformed by local Indian manufacturers into 2,000 metric tons of fortified high-energy biscuits, which will be distributed among the nearly two million Iraqi children WFP assists.

"Since becoming a donor to WFP, the Government of India has shown continuously generous and timely support for our emergency operations around the world," said GianPietro Bordignon, WFP's Country Director in India.

In September 2004, WFP launched a one-year emergency operation in Iraq targeting the most vulnerable sector of the population. The project supports these groups by providing food assistance to over 1.7 million primary school children, 223,200 malnourished children and their family members (over 1.1 million), over 350,000 pregnant and lactating mothers and 6,400 tuberculosis patients.

WFP is increasingly concerned about the rising level of food insecurity and malnutrition found particularly among children. According to a WFP household survey in 2005, over 27 percent of all Iraqi children up to the age of five were chronically malnourished, despite receiving food rations from the government's Public Distribution System. Growing poverty has also resulted in low enrolment and high dropout rates.

"The Iraqi people are today enduring terrible hardships and we must do everything possible to ensure their basic needs are met. We must also especially address the needs of children who are growing up in an environment of conflict," stressed Stefano Porretti, WFP's Country Director for Iraq.

WFP's operation in Iraq faces continuous shortfalls in resources. Moreover, beneficiary numbers are growing faster than anticipated. Currently, some 10,237 metric tons of mixed commodities are needed to assist over 3.5 million beneficiaries up to June 2007.

"WFP's operation does not claim to be a cure-all for the food security problems of the people marginalized by poverty, but it does try to ensure that there is some kind of basic food safety net for those whose voices are not being heard," stressed Porretti.

To date, and including India's donation, WFP has received only US$45 million of the necessary funds to cover the US$60 million costs of the emergency operation.

India has become a major regional donor to WFP since late 2002, when the Government of India pledged that it would donate one million metric tons of wheat to feed schoolchildren in Afghanistan. This is India's third donation to WFP's operation in Iraq. The first two donations were in-kind and included 3,331 metric tons of high-energy biscuits in 2005 and 520 metric tons of biscuits a year later.

Since the start of the current operation in 2004, some 28,876 metric tons of commodities have been dispatched into Iraq.

Article originally published by WAM (Emirates News Agency) 23-Jan-07

"We want a unified Iraq" says Saudi Foreign Minister

POL-TURKEY-SAUDI
"We want a unified Iraq" says Saudi Foreign Minister

By Taha Awdeh (With photo) ISTANBUL, Jan 23 (KUNA) -- Part of the ongoing active diplomatic action to discuss the future of Iraq, the Saudi Foreign Minister, Saud Al-Faisal started a lightning and sudden visit to Istanbul Tuesday that took place in the midst of circumstances that force the necessity of consultation and coordination between two countries that enjoy a leading position in the Islamic world.

The Saudi minister, in a statement to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) here said that exchange of views with Turkish officials was necessary from time to time, stressing that the two countries shared identical views regarding regional issues.

"Consultation is constant between the two countries, especially during the present circumstances facing the region," he said, adding that "there are several problems of concern to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Turkey whether in Iraq or Lebanon or other Arab and Islamic states." "Thus consultations have been in the framework of these problems and to unify the visions around them", he said, hoping that "a solution would be found for these problems and not just by thinking." Al Faisal pointed out that there as a common theme between Turkey and Saudi Arabia regarding the Iraqi file, saying: "there should be a unified and sovereign Iraq without interference in its internal affairs and that its citizens treated equally." The Saudi Foreign Minister met Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan behind closed doors focussing on a number of issues relating to Iraq and the exchange of views on developments in the Middle East.

There is no doubt that the security situation in Iraq is always an obsession of the Turks and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, because the lack of stability means the continuation of the negative fallout on all neighboring countries as result of the increase in the daily sectarian violence.

Turk political observers believe that Al Faisal's visit was an indicator of the state of anxiety and unease felt by the two countries, with regard to developments in the Middle East or in Iraq.

Political analyst Jamil Yeldiz, in a statement (to KUNA) said timing of this visit reflected how the political horizon, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is moving through to serve vital goals, not only to strengthen the comprehensive cooperation between the two countries, but in order to achieve greater integration and compatibility of attitudes and opinions towards the delicate and sensitive regional situation, especially in Iraq now.

Turkey and the Kingdom agree that the escalation of tension in Iraq will lead to instability in the region and to the division of Iraq, as fear it would reach all countries of the region, without exception, and expose the regional security and stability for innumerable risks to the extent that some scenarios believe that the war will lead to re-drawing of the map of the region once again, which would negatively affect the strategic role for both countries.

Al Faisal's visit to Turkey would help support the relations between the Arab world and Turkey, which occupies an important geo-strategic location, given Turkey's close ties with the United States and the West, and membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the coveted membership in the European Union.

Al left Faisal Istanbul after a short visit that lasted three hours. (end) ta.bz.

(MENAFN) The Iraqi Minister of Industry and Minerals said that there are 230 functioning factories in Iraq despite the recent unstable conditions in the war-torn country, Iraq Directory reported.

The minister stressed the importance of industry and minerals' sectors in improving Iraq's economy, especially in this period. He added that the 230 factories are functioning in various sectors such as engineering, petrochemical, pharmaceutical and textiles.

However, the minister said that that the Iraqi industrial sector needs more support through local and international investments.

Is control of oil the reason President Bush wants war against Iraq? Newspaper accounts throughout the world have addressed this point. Here are a few examples.

Washington Post Sunday, September 15, 2002, published an article entitled “In Iraqi War Scenario, Oil Is Key Issue” by writers Dan Morgan and David B. Ottaway. The importance of Iraq’s oil has made it potentially one of the administration’s biggest bargaining chips in negotiations to win backing from the U.N. Security Council and Western allies for President Bush’s call for tough international action against Hussein. All five permanent members of the Security Council — the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China — have international oil companies with major stakes in a change of leadership in Baghdad. … “It’s pretty straightforward,” said former CIA director R. James Woolsey, who has been one of the leading advocates of forcing Hussein from power. “France and Russia have oil companies and interests in Iraq. They should be told that if they are of assistance in moving Iraq toward decent government, we’ll do the best we can to ensure that the new government and American companies work closely with them.”

Sunday Herald of Scotland 10/06/02 published an article by Neil Mackay entitled “US oil at the heart of Iraq crisis” The Sunday Herald - Scotland's award-winning independent newspaper. President Bush’s Cabinet agreed in April 2001 that ‘Iraq remains a destabilizing influence to the flow of oil to international markets from the Middle East’ and because this is an unacceptable risk to the US ‘military intervention’ is necessary .… The report, Strategic Energy Policy Challenges For The 21st Century, concludes: ‘The United States remains a prisoner of its energy dilemma. Iraq remains a de-stabilizing influence to ... the flow of oil to international markets from the Middle East. Saddam Hussein has also demonstrated a willingness to threaten to use the oil weapon and to use his own export programmers to manipulate oil markets. Therefore the US should conduct an immediate policy review toward Iraq including military, energy, economic and political/ diplomatic assessments.’

Asia Times 09/28/02 published an article by Francesco Sisci entitled “After Saddam: Fledgling states, oceans of oil” Original Link: Asia Times “By toppling Saddam, the United States will gain control of the Iraqi and Kuwaiti oil reserves, shielding itself from the Saudi threat of raising oil prices and thus choking the already shaky Western economies. As well, with its hands on Kuwaiti and Iraqi oil, Washington will be in a better position to influence the power struggle in Saudi Arabia over the succession, and to make sure the anti-US elements there who armed and supported al-Qaeda’s terrorists are eliminated.”

The Guardian - UK 10-30-2 featured and article entitled “BP Chief Warns US Not To Carve Up Iraq Oil Riches” by Terry Macalister. Lord Browne, chief executive of BP and one of New Labour’s favourite industrialists, has warned Washington not to carve up Iraq for its own oil companies in the aftermath of any future war. …Britain’s biggest company is reviewing what impact a regime change in Baghdad would have on its own business and global crude supplies. Both London and Washington have been lobbied by the UK oil giant, which is concerned that European companies could be left out in the cold. … “We have let it be known that the thing we would like to make sure, if Iraq changes regime, is that there should be a level playing field for the selection of oil companies to go in there if they’re needed to do the work there,” said Lord Browne yesterday at a briefing on the company’s results.

Shahrastani : oil sales will be distributed to all Iraqis

(صوت العراق) - 24-01-2007(Voice of Iraq) - 24-01-2007
ارسل هذا الموضوع لصديقThis issue was sent to a friend

في الأقاليم والمحافظاتIn the regions and governorates




File / agencies : said Hussein Shahrastani oil minister that the final draft of a bill to oil emphasize that the resources derived from oil sales will go to fund one centralized and distributed to all Iraqis in the provinces, prefectures and the proportion of the population and will restore law activity of the National Oil Company, which will be responsible for the development of the fields to increase production and exports and will be the oil industry, however, core competencies Iraqi keen to offer its expertise to the people.

.He added that the law would be offered contracts to big global oil companies after it had been verified and accepted Rassantha competition for the development of some fields to achieve the highest return to Iraq and the competition will be offered for all will look to the nationality of the company.
”.He explained, "must be qualified IT companies to develop our fields, as soon as possible and have the financial capacity to invest and verify Iraq's highest economic benefit and we do not have standards for the States involved in the war or are present in Iraq."
وأكد أن.He stressed that the Iraqi fields will be produced from the share of national oil company because the new law proved foundations and the development of policies and plans to develop the oil-balanced in all regions of Iraq and all political parties agree, everyone believes that this law a big achievement and national project.
وبين .He said the extensive discussion of the settled law on the composition of the federal oil and gas under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister or on behalf of the membership of the Ministers of oil, finance and planning, and others who will exercise the powers of contracts is the authority that decides the policies and plans of oil and models established contracts and the nature of the fields that will be offered to compete and to consider the contract and approval.

عراقيةThe Iraqi


This may be an updated version of the last article i saw like this, lol i can't tell anymore the way the stories keep changing, it is tommorrow's date though.
Translated version of http://www.sotaliraq.com/

The Oil Cartel

What most Americans do not understand is that the Big Three Oil Cartel, composed of corporations in America, Britain and Dutch, has controlled oil directly and indirectly in the Middle East/Persian Gulf for more than a hundred years.

Beginning in the 1880’s, which was the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, oil became an important commodity for many of the European economies. Now the Big Three Oil Cartel became the great power in shaping the world for their benefit, as will be shown in this article.

Now the Big Three-Oil Cartel is composed of the American oil companies led by the Rockefellers’ Standard Oil monopoly, the British Petroleum (BP) and Dutch Shell Oil. Before the current mass mergers, in the early 1970’s and 1990’s these oil companies were called the seven sisters, which were Standard Oil of California, Indiana, Standard Oil New Jersey, Texaco, Mobil Shell and BP. So, for all practical purposes this oil cartel (corporations) ruled the world.

Ultimately, they wanted to gain control over the vast oil reserves throughout the world and this includes areas in Asia areas. Michel Collon confirms the importance of oil as a commodity in the world market in his book Monopoly. He says: “If you want to rule the world, you need to control oil. All the oil, Anywhere.”

Does oil influence foreign policies of the major world nations?

Many in the Christian world do not understand that the Bible prophesied the current economic system of the world. In fact the ancient city of Tyre was a great trading center and prefigured our present economic system.

Ezekiel describes the king of Tyre as follows: “By thy great wisdom and by thy traffick (trade) hast thou increased thy riches, and thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches: Ezek 28:5).” Today modern day Mystery Babylon is a great trading system where oil is the largest revenue commodity and many of the great merchants have lifted up their hearts because of their wealth.

This oil cartel is responsible for most of the wars and revolutions in the 20th century. For example, it was the oil cartel that financed the Communist revolution in Russia in 1917. The Russian leader Lenin was told that he would be financed and armed if he gave the cartel oil concession of the Russian Baku oil fields.

The reason that Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, which began WWII was that President FDR placed an oil embargo on Japan for going into Southeast Asia.

Professor Antony Sutton in his classic book Wall Street and the Rise of Hitler (WSRH) that the Standard Oil (Rockefeller Family controlled) group committed treason by furnishing Hitler’s Germany with oil technology that enabled Germany to start WW II. Germany had no crude oil supplies. They had to be imported. To produce gasoline Nazis had to use their huge coal supplies. Standard Oil entered into an agreement with Germany Corporation I. G. Farben and gave them a patent process for producing synthetic gasoline from hydrogenation and iso-octane.

Professor Antony Sutton writes: “Evidence presented to the Truman, Bone, Kilgore Committees after WW II confirmed that Standard Oil had at the same time seriously imperiled the war preparations of the United States.” He goes on to say: “Accordingly [concluded the Kilgore Committee] Standard fully accomplished I. G.’s [German Corporation] purpose of preventing United States production by dissuading American rubber companies from undertaking independent research in developing synthetic rubber process (WSRH p. 68).” These are few instances to show the power of the oil cartel Again truthful historical facts show us that oil has played a very important part in world history.

The Apostle James warns us about why wars occur. James wrote that it was because of greed. “From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts (Jam. 4:1-3).”

Due to the space limitation this article will only provide a brief history of British oil interests in Iraq for the last 100 years fomenting revolution and strife to get control of the oil of Iraq

Brief history of Iraq and oil with Anglo-America

The British in 1880-89 entered into an agreement with Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah (1896 – 1915) of Kuwait to partition the rich oilfields of Rumalia from Iraq. Kuwait had been a province of Iraq for over 400 years. None of the local population had any say in this agreement. Thus, the British became the protectorate of Kuwait.

The British invaded Iraq in 1915 and setup two puppets governments in Iraq one in the north and the south. In order to maintain control over Iraq and the oilfields, the British had to constantly kept strife going in Iraq by using the Kurds minorities. President Bush in the 1990’s used the Kurds in the same manner to try to overthrow Saddam Hussien.

Britain used their secret intelligence agency MI6 to encourage the Kurds to revolt against Iraq and setup autonomous state. The British told the Iraqis that the Kurds want their independence. This resulted in a two-year war (1922-24) between them, which Iraq won and in which the Kurds leaders were executed. During this period the British continued to maintain their control over the oilfields.

Was Iraq given independence by League of Nations?

Italy, France and Russia wanted Iraq to have their independence by the laws of the League of Nations. This angered the Dutch Shell Petroleum and British Petroleum because they thought they would lose their oil concession that was up in 1996. The League of Nation awarded the Musul oilfields to Iraq, which further undercut British influence there.

Again the British stirred up the Kurds to revolt two more times, in 1925 and 1932 in order to reverse the League of Nations’ decision concerning the Musul oilfields. Both times Iraq defeated these revolts. The British intelligence again stirred up the Kurds in 1965. It should be noted that Kurds have been constantly been used by the British and USA to stir up strife in Iraq with a hope get getting a sovereign nation of their own, which never happen.

Finally, in 1932 the League of Nations granted Iraq their independence with full control of the Musul oilfields. The British oil companies stayed for 12 years and then in 1948 they were forced to leave Iraq. However, they did not leave Kuwait.