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

Fuel crisis worsens



By Ammar Khafaji



Azzaman, January 27, 2007



Disorderly queues at petrol stations in Baghdad stretch for several kilometers and the armed police and soldiers deployed to keep order are no longer capable of containing the chaos.



Many filling stations have no fuel to sell leading to even longer queues at the ones which are still operating.



The country’s fuel and power crisis, which exacerbated since the U.S. invasion is crippling economic activity.



The crisis comes as government and U.S. troops are on the verge of mounting a massive military campaign to retake Baghdad.



Lack of security, the imminent military onslaught and the economic crises are rapidly fraying the nerves in this city of more than six million people.



Iraqi and U.S. troops are fighting pitched battles in Haifa Street and adjacent residential quarters, some of the most densely populated areas of Baghdad.



Oil Ministry officials blamed smuggling for the crisis, saying the authorities have lost battle against contraband oil trade in the country.



Transport costs have soared, pushing up the price of food and other essential commodities.



The crisis, according to Radhi Abdullah, has led to the closure of many small power generators which feed Baghdad in the absence of regular electricity supplies from the national grid.



Waiel Ahmad, a taxi driver, said fares have rocketed in response to the crisis. “I cannot understand how come that we have this crisis at a time we sit on massive oil reserves,” he said.



Kamel Ihasan said the crisis was leading to chaos at filling stations. “Fuel shortages are bound to aggravate the current upsurge in insecurity particularly in Baghdad,” he said.

Iraqi Officials Fail Yet Again to Reach Compromise on Draft Oil Law
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Posted GMT 1-27-2007 23:53:52
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BAGHDAD (AP) -- Iraqi officials say a hotly debated proposed oil law will not favor Americans but acknowledge that foreign companies will be allowed to take their profits out of the country -- an incentive to draw foreign investment.

The Oil Ministry has been struggling for months to reach a compromise over draft legislation to govern Iraq's most important industry and pave the way for much-needed investment and know-how to revitalize the devastated infrastructure. But the measure faces strong objections by ethnic Kurds and concern about American influence in the sector.

Published reports in the Middle East said the proposal would provide for so-called product sharing agreements that would give international oil firms 70 percent of the oil revenues to recover their initial investments and subsequently allow them 20 percent of the profits without any tax or restrictions on transferring funds abroad.

"Without a decisive military victory, the U.S. occupation of Iraq seems to be about to grab its oil prize by establishing a new sharing arrangement," the English-language Yemen Observer said Saturday, echoing a frequent criticism that the U.S.-led invasion was aimed in part at capturing Iraq's oil.

Iraqi officials denied that the proposed law would favor Americans but stressed that it would set terms aimed at attracting international funds and know-how as the industry faces a rampant insurgency and struggled even before the war due to sweeping U.N. sanctions imposed after Saddam Hussein's 1990 invasion of Kuwait.

Trade Minister Abed Falah al-Sudani told The Associated Press that American companies will be among those bidding for contracts under the proposed law and the Iraqis will "take the best offer ... and take into consideration the experience of the company."

He did not specify monetary terms but said "foreign companies will be able to win concessions for a long time," without elaborating.

"Iraq's economy has suffered because of the security situation and the economic laws, but we now want to implement laws that reform the country and reform the economy. These laws will increase the growth of the economy," he said.

In Washington, White House spokesman Trey Bohn said Saturday: "This development is is part of the give and take of the parliamentary process. Iraqis are taking the lead in securing their own future and its reasonable to expect not all parties are going to agree on the best way to do that."

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has pressed hard for a new oil law to be passed since he came to office on May 20. And U.S. President George W. Bush stepped up the pressure on the Iraqis to pass legislation to share oil revenues among all Iraqis in announcing his new Iraq strategy earlier this month.

Iraqi officials also have struggled to overcome strong objections by ethnic Kurds in the oil-rich north who object to giving up regional control.

On Jan. 18, the Oil Ministry said the law was nearly ready to be submitted to the Cabinet and expressed hope it could be ratified by parliament within a month.

But ministry spokesman Assem Jihad said Friday the measure had been delayed by unspecified "differences among some groups." He said the ministry hoped the differences could be overcome so parliament could approve the bill before a monthlong recess Feb. 10.

The distribution of oil revenues and central control over contracts are believed among the key sticking points.

Kurdish lawmaker Mahmoud Othman pointed out that the constitution passed last year provided for a Kurdish federation in the north that would co-manage existing oil fields along with the central government and have full control over new ones. Shiites would control new oil fields in their southern regions -- terms that have drawn objections from the disaffected Sunni minority.

Othman said the Kurds want the final say in signing contracts with foreign oil companies for projects in their area, signaling opposition to plans to give full control over contracts to a central oil committee.

"If they don't amend the law or the current draft or reach a mutual agreement, the Kurdish side will not accept it," Othman said.

Jihad said a Kurdish delegation will visit Baghdad to try to resolve some outstanding issues.

"The Kurds talk about this issue as if they are from another country while they are part of the Iraqi government and parliament. They want bigger share for Kurdistan regarding the oil revenues."

Negotiators also are stuck over taxes and the terms for agreements with international companies as well as concerns that American and other multinational firms will get a disproportionate share of the profits.

Jihad dismissed claims that the proposed law would allow 70 percent of Iraq's oil to be sold to U.S. or other foreign oil companies but conceded that they would not face restrictions in taking profits outside Iraq.

He said the proposed law would establish a central product sharing agreements, or PSAs, would be negotiated with the companies on an individual basis.

"Some are trying to give a distorted idea about the new law that aims at serving Iraq's interests. Such reports are baseless," he said. "We should differentiate between monopoly and investment."

"The foreign companies can take their profits outside Iraq without any restriction because the aim of the law is to encourage investment," he said.

He said the question of taxes was still being negotiated, adding that the law provides a two-year tax exemption for general investment projects but no decision had been made on whether they should tax oil investments.

"This law protects both the full rights of the investors and of the Iraqi government," he said.

Iraq is believed to be producing around 2.2 million barrels of oil a day and exports about 1.5 million, well below prewar levels of 2.5 to 3 million barrels a day.

Some legislators pointed out that Iraq is desperate and needs all the help it can get.

"Foreign companies are welcome. American companies have the experience and they have people on the ground in Iraq. American companies have the courage to come into the market," said Amrah al-Baldawi, a member of the parliament's economic committee.

Associated Press writers Qassim Abdul-Zahra, Sameer N. Yacoub in Baghdad and Yahya Barzani in Sulaimaniyah contributed to this report.

© 2007, Assyrian International News Agency

Qaradawi tells Kurds to help end Iraq strife

1/27/2007 Gulf Times - By Anwar Elshamy
Prominent Islamic scholar Dr Yusuf al-Qaradawi yesterday called upon Kurdish leaders in Iraq to mediate between Sunnis and Shias, saying that the spiralling sectarian strife in Iraq could spill over to other countries and undermine the unity of the Islamic world.

Qaradawi said Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and Masoud Barazani, president of the Kurdistan region, should mediate an end to the sectarian violence.

"Our Kurd brethren should play a reconciliatory role between Sunnis and Shias. Kurds are currently more influential in Iraq. They have the presidency and the foreign ministry. They should intervene between the two sides. The neutrality of Kurds is unacceptable in this regard," he said.

Qaradawi said Kurds should also fight the side rejecting their mediation.
"In case their mediation is refused, they are entitled to fight the side rejecting it," he said, while observing that Sunnis are not expected to refuse such mediation because they are the ones suffering the highest death toll.

"Sunnis are deported from Baghdad and Basra. Their bodies are found headless in streets. Everyone with the name Omar or Othman is being killed by the death squads," he said.

The scholar, who is the head of the International Union of Islamic Scholars, also said that the IUMS has sent a delegate to Iran to hold talks with officials about what Tehran can do to help end the sectarian bloodshed.

"I have repeatedly called upon Iran to use its influence in Iraq to help end the escalating sectarian strife. Iran holds the key to stop the bloodshed in Iraq. I have been accused several times of instigating people against Iran, while this is untrue. I am only worried about the unity of Muslims and want to caution them against schemes to cause fragmentation," he said.

He also criticised the leaders of Muslim countries who, he said, stand by while Sunnis in Iraq are being eliminated by death squads.

"I have recently visited Indonesia and called on the country to play a pivotal role in mediating an end to the sectarian strife in Iraq. I appealed to the Indonesian president to talk to Iran and urge it to step in to stop the daily bloodbaths in Iraq," he said.

He warned against an all-out war breaking out in the whole Islamic world if Muslim countries did not take the required measures to put an urgent end to sectarian violence in Iraq.

He hailed the recent Doha conference for Dialogue of Islamic Schools of Thought as an opportunity for transparency between the main Islamic sects.

"I have stressed in my speech in the conference that transparency between Sunni and Shia scholars is a must. Shia clerics should condemn the sectarian violence as we did," he said, while observing that Sunni scholars have condemned the atrocities reportedly carried out by the forces of slain militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi against Shias in Iraq.

Gulf Times

Medics administer aid to Iraqis
Saturday, 27 January 2007
By Spc. Alexandra Hemmerly-Brown
Multi-National Corps - Iraq


Pfc. Daren C. Ruby from Sand Springs, Okla., a combat medic with the 2nd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment takes an Iraqi man’s blood pressure before he is diagnosed in Al Jamiah, Jan. 15. U.S. Army courtesy photoAL JAMIAH — Iraqi citizens stood in line holding their numbered tickets, and children trudged barefoot through the cold, ankle-deep mud anticipating a chance to be seen by U.S. and Iraqi doctors.

They were waiting for members of 2nd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, who rode to the nearby town of Al Jamiah to conduct a medical day-clinic Jan. 15.

The clinic was a pre-cursor to the medical facility’s projected grand opening in a few months. “The ultimate goal is to get this to be a fully-functioning clinic,” said Capt. Andrew T. Short, battery commander for the 2-82 FA.

Al Jamiah does not have a clinic, or any facility in which its residents can receive medical assistance. Most small towns have a clinic, but they fight to stay open because the people do not trust government-run establishments, and they are often unable to pay for medical services. It is the Army’s intent to empower the local Iraqi doctors, and help them gain the citizen’s trust through these kinds of missions, Short said.

“We are trying to legitimize their span of control through missions like these,” Short, a Detroit native said, referring to the Iraqi doctors and the Iraqi government, who sponsor these clinics.

Short said clinics usually have three major problems; security, doctors willing to work, and a reliable supply chain. He said the concept is to get Iraqi citizens used to coming to a clinic, so they will trust their own health-care givers.

“We are trying to put an Iraqi face on the help,” said 1st Lt. Wayne Wilson of Cleveland, Texas, a physician’s assistant in the 2-82. Wilson, the Army doctor on this mission, said they try to put these types of projects in the Iraqi’s hands, and let the Sheiks take credit for heading them.

“It’s good to help the Iraqi people,” Wilson said. “We work with their doctors, see how they treat people, and we learn from each other.” Medical missions are unadvertised in the towns for security reasons. When a convoy arrives in a town, they will set up a perimeter, tell children to go and spread the word of the day-clinic, and wait for villagers to line up.

It doesn’t take long for town residents to rush to the day-clinic for their chance to have their health concerns addressed. Soldiers on the Jan. 15 mission gave the patients tickets depending on their level of urgency, and they were ushered into the clinic to visit the four stations set up there.

The building used was built by coalition forces and had not been in use. Soldiers inside set up an initial check-in station where two U.S. medics spoke with patients and diagnosed their ailments. Each adult had their blood pressure taken as a precaution.

Next, two rooms were set up — one for the U.S. doctor, and one for the Iraqi doctor. Patients were divided up evenly

between the two doctors, and those with serious problems went in to see one, while others moved on to the “pharmacy.”

At the “pharmacy,” patients received antibiotics and other medication for their illnesses. The medical supplies were donated by the U.S. Army, and arrived at the clinic via a trailer on the back of a Humvee. Which medicines to bring were simply chosen by which illnesses are most common in the area, and what the doctors expected to treat, said Spc. Hubert Sowizral, a combat medic.

On their way out the door, patients could pick up some dental hygiene items at the last station, as well as get a little education on keeping their teeth clean.

There was also a room designated for civil affairs donation items such as clothes, shoes, toys, and candy.

Wilson said most of the patients he sees on these types of missions have only minor illnesses such as colds and infections, but occasionally he gets to assist in medical emergencies.

He said a few weeks prior, he was on a medical mission where an infant was brought in who was choking on a zipper and starting to turn blue. Wilson said he was just at the right place at the right time to help the child, and was luckily able to save the baby.

“As a father and husband, you’d rather be doing these jobs,” Short said of the medical missions compared to his usual security-based missions.
An integral part of these missions is that Iraqi forces assist in the security, Short said. He said these missions are only temporary fixes, until the Iraqi people are managing things on their own.

“It’s a non-standard mission,” Short said. “We hope to continue these until we get the clinic up and running.”

Iraqis, Coalition reestablish security on Haifa
Saturday, 27 January 2007
Story and photo by Spc. Shea Butler
7th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment



Sgt. Kevin McCallum , a native of Aikens, S.C., with Company C,1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, looks for his next accurate shot on insurgents on Hiafa Street Jan.24.BAGHDAD — The company of Soldiers starts the day before the sun, knowing in the back of their minds that it is going to be a long day full of fire fights with the enemy. As grenades detonate around them and bullets fly by, they target the enemy and engage immediately, proving that “courage is the absence of fear.”

For the second time in the past several weeks, Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division teamed up with Iraqi Army troops to take on insurgents on Haifa Street, in Baghdad’s Karkh district Jan. 24.

The Haifa Street operation, dubbed Operation Tomahawk Strike 11, aimed to disrupt insurgents in order to establish security, said Capt. Isaac Torres, commander, Company C, 1-23 Inf.

The Soldiers started the operation at 3 a.m. when they gathered for pre-combat inspections, received the updated status of the area of operation and piled in their Strykers. They were prepared for a long day. They expected enemy fire.

“We knew we were going to get fired at, and we were ready for it,” said Sgt. Kevin McCallum, a native of Aikens, S.C., with Co. C.

Their assumptions were accurate. It wasn’t long after entering their objective area that the enemy threw grenades. It was continuous from that point on.

“There was pretty much constant firing back and forth all day with (only a) few slow periods,” McCallum said.

Despite all the noise coming from various weapons being fired, Co. C kept up communication between one another which helped the success of the mission.

“The communication was great. Everyone was relaying information about targeting and identifying the enemy. Some of it was over the radio and some was just yelling back and forth,” McCallum said. Noncommissioned officers communicated to everyone in their sectors of fire, constantly rotating around the building the company had secured. NCOs made sure that Soldiers were staying out of windows and were doing well.

While the NCOs were vigilant, the junior enlisted troops didn’t need much guidance. They have been in similar dangerous fire fights.

“They have all been in enough fire fights to know what is going on,” McCallum said. “They know all the rules of engagement.”

Training is part of what helped these Soldiers through the long day, but adrenaline helped too.

“It was a long day but there was so much adrenaline it made easier,” he said. “We took shots through some windows and adrenaline really kicked in. We immediately got on line, located the enemy and suppressed fire.”

Firing slowed down greatly towards the end of the day. When the smoke cleared, 21 insurgents had been detained and a weapons cache uncovered.

“The mission was a success,” Torres said. “The enemy was greatly disrupted and the Iraqi Army and coalition forces made an impact”

Iraqi police learn law, tolerance
Saturday, 27 January 2007

2nd Lt. Ryan Swinford, from Company D, 2nd Battalion, 124th Infantry Regiment from the Florida Army National Guard, talks with Iraqi police officers at one of their stations in Tal Afar, Iraq. Swinford is part of a Police Transition Team, which works daily to train Iraqi police forces to operate autonomously. U.S. Army Photo by Spc. Daniel Bearl, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade Public Affairs.BAGHDAD — A U.S. military police brigade deployed in Baghdad is teaching Iraqi Police about democratic principles such as tolerance in addition to law enforcement skills, the unit’s commander said Friday.
“Our fundamental role here is to support the Iraqi Security Forces as the Iraqi government moves forward towards securing the populace,” Army Col. Michael S. Galloucis, commander of the 89th Military Police Brigade, told Pentagon reporters during a satellite-telecast news conference.

Galloucis said his unit is focused on training local Iraqi police and not the national police, which are instructed by other Coalition forces.

The Civilian Police Assistance Training Team is another U.S. military organization that trains Iraqis attending the BaghdadPolice College, the Jordanian Police Training Center in Amman, Jordan, and another training academy in Numaniyah, located south of Baghdad, he said.

“We work very closely with CPATT all the time, and the training that we do at the local station level builds upon their efforts,” Galloucis said, noting his brigade includes Airmen as well as Soldiers.

Galloucis said his people serve as instructors, coaches and mentors. They assist the Iraqi police as they develop organizations, procedures and skills necessary to serve and protect the people of Iraq under the rule of law.

Iraqi police learn concepts of freedom and democracy in addition to policing skills, Galloucis said. Instructors discuss the importance of free speech, the value of diversity, the sanctity of human life, and the notions of tolerance, restraint and forgiveness, he said.

Iraqi police also learn “that nothing good ever comes out of hatred and murder,” Galloucis said, noting Iraq’s citizens acknowledge the importance of establishing a constabulary that operates according to principles of fairness and justice.

The Iraqi police are improving rapidly as they work side by side with their American counterparts across Baghdad, Galloucis said.

“They are making tremendous strides over here and are out there every day putting it all on the line to help turn the tide and stem the flow of violence that has been so prevalent here,” the colonel said.

Yet, dampening the level of violence in Iraq’s capital city won’t occur overnight, Galloucis warned, pointing to Iraq’s complex social and political environment. “We see here gradual movement, gradual progress, and it just is going to take time,” the colonel said, noting a brutal dictator ran Iraq for 30 years.

“There are a lot of people in this country that have responsibilities for trying to stop the violence that we see,” Galloucis said. “The Iraqi police are one part of that.”

The colonel described the current climate in Baghdad as “dynamic and dangerous.” However, senior Iraqi officials are determined to rebuild Iraq and protect its citizens, he said.

“By enhancing the capabilities of the Iraqi police, we are helping set the conditions for more Iraqi self reliance,” Galloucis explained.

Iraqis are tired of violence and are eager to embrace a system of accountability and justice that treats all citizens with dignity and respect, the colonel said.

The colonel cited the “superb” courage and commitment demonstrated by his Soldiers and airmen. He also praised the contributions of U.S. military members in Iraq. Their selfless service benefits Americans at home as well as Iraqis, he said.

U.S. servicemembers “truly are making a difference here in Iraq,” Galloucis said.

(By Gerry J. Gilmore American Forces Press Service)

Originally Posted by Mike5200

Iraqis, Coalition reestablish security on Haifa
Saturday, 27 January 2007
Story and photo by Spc. Shea Butler
7th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment



Sgt. Kevin McCallum , a native of Aikens, S.C., with Company C,1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, looks for his next accurate shot on insurgents on Hiafa Street Jan.24.BAGHDAD — The company of Soldiers starts the day before the sun, knowing in the back of their minds that it is going to be a long day full of fire fights with the enemy. As grenades detonate around them and bullets fly by, they target the enemy and engage immediately, proving that “courage is the absence of fear.”

For the second time in the past several weeks, Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division teamed up with Iraqi Army troops to take on insurgents on Haifa Street, in Baghdad’s Karkh district Jan. 24.

The Haifa Street operation, dubbed Operation Tomahawk Strike 11, aimed to disrupt insurgents in order to establish security, said Capt. Isaac Torres, commander, Company C, 1-23 Inf.

The Soldiers started the operation at 3 a.m. when they gathered for pre-combat inspections, received the updated status of the area of operation and piled in their Strykers. They were prepared for a long day. They expected enemy fire.

“We knew we were going to get fired at, and we were ready for it,” said Sgt. Kevin McCallum, a native of Aikens, S.C., with Co. C.

Their assumptions were accurate. It wasn’t long after entering their objective area that the enemy threw grenades. It was continuous from that point on.

“There was pretty much constant firing back and forth all day with (only a) few slow periods,” McCallum said.

Despite all the noise coming from various weapons being fired, Co. C kept up communication between one another which helped the success of the mission.

“The communication was great. Everyone was relaying information about targeting and identifying the enemy. Some of it was over the radio and some was just yelling back and forth,” McCallum said. Noncommissioned officers communicated to everyone in their sectors of fire, constantly rotating around the building the company had secured. NCOs made sure that Soldiers were staying out of windows and were doing well.

While the NCOs were vigilant, the junior enlisted troops didn’t need much guidance. They have been in similar dangerous fire fights.

“They have all been in enough fire fights to know what is going on,” McCallum said. “They know all the rules of engagement.”

Training is part of what helped these Soldiers through the long day, but adrenaline helped too.

“It was a long day but there was so much adrenaline it made easier,” he said. “We took shots through some windows and adrenaline really kicked in. We immediately got on line, located the enemy and suppressed fire.”

Firing slowed down greatly towards the end of the day. When the smoke cleared, 21 insurgents had been detained and a weapons cache uncovered.

“The mission was a success,” Torres said. “The enemy was greatly disrupted and the Iraqi Army and coalition forces made an impact”

It never ceases to amaze me how brave these young men and women are. They purposly put them selfs in harms way to draw out bad guys so they can then engage them. Thank the good lord that Canada and the US are friends. May god look out for their sixes, cause there to busy defending democracy.

Gloribee

PS, not sure if I can do this right with Justice, but.... Hoo Haa!!

No De La Rue Machines At Chase In Texas

This last Friday I made several calls to Chase to find out where there was a De La Rue machine in Texas.
I talked to the manager of a Chase bank in Dallas where they keep several countries currency on hand. The manager told me that there were only 5 Chase locations in Texas, where they kept currency from other countries on hand. These 5 Chase locations where they stock other foreign currency were only in the cities of Dallas, Houston, El Paso, and Eagle Pass.
I ask the bank manager if any of these locations had a De La Rue Machine. She said that she was positive that
none of the 5 Chase locations had a machine that would verify currency. She also said that she was not aware of any Chase bank in Texas that had a De La Ru Machine.

I would like to ask if anyone knows of any bank in any state that has a De La Ru Machine.
We will all need to know this information when we have a REVAL.

Thanks !!!

Originally Posted by big Jim

No De La Rue Machines At Chase In Texas

This last Friday I made several calls to Chase to find out where there was a De La Rue machine in Texas.
I talked to the manager of a Chase bank in Dallas where they keep several countries currency on hand. The manager told me that there were only 5 Chase locations in Texas, where they kept currency from other countries on hand. These 5 Chase locations where they stock other foreign currency were only in the cities of Dallas, Houston, El Paso, and Eagle Pass.
I ask the bank manager if any of these locations had a De La Rue Machine. She said that she was positive that
none of the 5 Chase locations had a machine that would verify currency. She also said that she was not aware of any Chase bank in Texas that had a De La Ru Machine.

I would like to ask if anyone knows of any bank in any state that has a De La Ru Machine.
We will all need to know this information when we have a REVAL.

Thanks !!!

I'm going to guess that it won't matter much. They probably will use the currency book and an ultraviolet light.

Originally Posted by wciappetta

I'm going to guess that it won't matter much. They probably will use the currency book and an ultraviolet light.

That is what My Bud's and I have been told at our Chase and BofA Branches. Plus my Chase Branch Manager has the lite which we have used when picking up exchanges. We all also have accounts at BofA. And we all have been told that the books will be brought out to compare. Even one of my Bud's have seen the book from a freind he has at one of the BofA Branches. I dont believe the DalaRue will be need either. As both has stated that our accounts will be credited at Once. I know they will verify futher at the Main Location. But after the lite and the books verification, I would say there is no need for Alarm.