Thread: Iraqi/Dinar news until March 1st, 2007

Back in the saddle? Iyad Allawi, shown here in 2005, might be involved in a plot to bring down the Maliki government, according to reports.

Iraqi MPs, led by former interim prime minister Iyad Allawi, may make a play at replacing the Maliki government with a government of "national salvation," the Sadrist website nahrainnet.net is warning.

The site refers to broadcast reports from Sawt al-Iraq which suggest a plan involving ex-PM Allawi and his "Iraqi National List" bloc, along with the Iraqi Accord Front, and some members of the governing Shi'a bloc, with the goal of "pulling the rug out" from under the governing coalition and achieving a no-confidence vote in PM Maliki himself.

According the the report, the major goals of this bloc include the repeal of the de-Ba'thification law, and the reintegration of some former Ba'thists into the state. The Sadrist site, naturally, opposes this policy. Nahrainnet.net also wonders if this rumor is part of a larger plot to strike down the new-found power of the Iraqi Shi'a, and push back the Sadrist current.

In another report, nahrainnet.net points to meetings that Allawi held in Iraq and in Amman, Jordan, with various Iraqi opposition leaders as further evidence of this alleged upcoming maneuver.

IraqSlogger: Allawi Plotting to Bring Down Maliki?

Raed in the Middle

Thursday, March 01, 2007
Council of Ministers's resulotion
This is the translation of the latest resolution of the Council of Ministers approving the oil law and submitting it to the Council of Representatives. You can notice that this creates an unconstitutional loophole in article 5, setting May 31st as a deadline for enacting the oil law even of the council of representatives did not approve it.


Council of Ministers

Oil and Energy Committee

Feb 26th, 2007 11:00 AM


[…] the Iraqi government [the council of ministers] submits this law, regulating oil operations, to the Council of Representatives [The Parliament].

[…]

[...], the following arrangements shall be adopted to finalize the regulating of oil and gas operations in Iraq:

<!--[if !supportLists]-->1- <!--[endif]-->This oil and gas law and its four appendices shall be submitted to the Council of Representatives, after agreeing on the types of model contracts and on the general terms and conditions, together with the Financial Revenues Management Law. All parties shall finalize this task before March 15th 2007.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->2- <!--[endif]-->Finalizing the laws of the Iraqi National Oil Company [INOC] and the Ministry of Oil in accordance to this laws articles and regulations. In addition, the Oil and Gas law in Kurdistan region Must be in harmony with the articles and regulations of the federal oil and gas law, ad in accordance to the constitution.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->3- <!--[endif]-->All oil operations and exploration and production rights’ granting shall be put on hold for areas included in article 140 that might have administrative changes for its boarders, except the oil operations related to the INOC that may continue its work in the fields discovered and already developed in accordance to the constitution.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->4- <!--[endif]-->All parties must abstain from signing new contracts agreements related to exploration and production activates in Iraq until this law is fully enacted.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->5- <!--[endif]-->The Federal Government, in coordination with the regions governments, shall finalize the requirements needed to implement this law and activate the entities mentioned in the law in a time period not exceeding the end of May 2007. In case this deadline was not met, the Iraqi Prime Minister shall meet with the president of Kurdistan Region to implement the law within one month and reach out to a solution based on one of the following options:

<!--[if !supportLists]-->a. <!--[endif]-->In case article 5 was not finalized by the deadline of May 31st 2007, the two parties shall have the right to sign Exploration and Production Contracts in accordance to the constitution, this law, and the general principles of contracts’ models (the first option).

<!--[if !supportLists]-->b. <!--[endif]-->Extend the time period mention above.

Senior Taliban leader reportedly captured - International Terrorism - MSNBC.com

Senior Taliban leader reportedly captured
Pakistan security forces say they arrested senior member of Islamist militia
Reuters
Updated: 12:53 p.m. HT March 1, 2007
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Pakistani security forces have captured a high-ranking Taliban leader in the southwestern city of Quetta, a senior Pakistani security official and Taliban sources said on Thursday.

The capture of Mullah Obaidullah Akhund marked the first time Pakistan had arrested a senior leader of the Islamist militia since it was driven from power in Afghanistan in 2001, and thousands of its fighters fled into Pakistan.

The security official, who requested anonymity, and the Taliban sources said Akhund, the third most senior member of the Taliban’s 10-member leadership council, was arrested late on Monday, hours after a surprise visit to Pakistan by U.S. Vice-President Dick Cheney.

The head of the Interior Ministry’s Crisis Management Unit, retired Brigadier Javed Iqbal Cheema, denied Akhund had been detained when asked by Reuters.

Aside from being on the leadership council, headed by Mullah Mohammad Omar, Akhund was defense minister in the Taliban government before it fell.

The arrest comes at a time when the Bush administration is facing a welter of skepticism from Democrats, the American media and several think-tanks over Pakistan’s role as an ally in the war on terrorism.

Cheney had asked Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to “do more” to stop al-Qaida rebuilding its network from safe havens in Pakistani tribal lands, and step up efforts to thwart a spring offensive by the Taliban against Afghan and NATO troops.

No connection to Cheney's visit
The Pakistani security official said Akhund’s arrest was the culmination of a planned operation, and was not a result of Cheney’s visit.

Taliban sources, who spoke on satellite telephones from undisclosed locations, said Akhund was caught at the home of one of his relatives at the Baluchistan provincial capital.

They said two other Taliban leaders had been arrested in Quetta this week, but the Pakistani security official could not confirm this.


While Akhund’s capture would represent a major coup, it sits uneasily with Pakistan’s past denials of allegations that Taliban leaders were running the Afghan insurgency from Quetta.

Musharraf said last month that he was “500 percent” sure that Mullah Omar was in Afghanistan, though he admits there are Taliban fighters in Pakistan.

The lack of arrests in the past fed speculation that Pakistani intelligence services or rogue agents have allowed Taliban leaders to operate freely.

Having supported the Taliban prior to al-Qaida’s Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, Pakistan has struggled to shake off suspicions that its spies continue to play a double game in case the West’s commitment to Afghanistan does not last.

U.S. generals have spoken of Taliban “command and control” centers on Pakistani territory.

Yet NATO officials have thanked Pakistan for its help in several recent counter-insurgency operations, including a U.S. air strike that killed a senior commander, Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Osmani, in southern Afghanistan on Dec. 19.

Imposing Law enters week III
Operation “Imposing Law” continues in Baghdad. In contrast with previous operations to secure the city, this one is managing to not only keep the initial momentum, but the operation’s effects seem to be growing as well.

A few days ago the government announced a more traffic-related measures to support “Imposing Law” in Baghdad. Under the first order, it will be forbidden to park any private vehicles in the main streets of the city.
Under the second - a reinstating of an old order- vehicles with odd and even numbered plates would only be allowed on the streets on alternate days. This means that only half of the several hundred thousand of private vehicles will be on the streets on any day. The order applies to private vehicles only, but cuts the work involved in screening vehicles approximately in half.

Aside from security concerns, the order also reduces the huge traffic jams caused by the numerous checkpoints. The downside, if any, is being felt mostly by one particular class of Baghdadis: taxi drivers. They can now work only every other day and still have to live with sluggish traffic and expensive fuel.

Still, things are a long way from perfectly peaceful. Bombs continue to disrupt the calm of Baghdad. The suicide bombings carried out by al-Qaeda constitute the largest number of incidents. At the same time there has been a sharp decline in the number of bombings set off by remote control on the part of the regular insurgents.

As we noted in earlier reports, we feel safer about moving around in the city now than we did a month before. I have recently been to districts in Baghdad where a month or two ago I wouldn’t have thought of going to. In the last week or two I’ve showed my ID to soldiers and policemen in checkpoints dozens of times. A few months ago this was considered an extremely risky thing to do — especially for someone whose ID shows a name and profession such as mine. “Omar” is a pure Sunni name and everyone here knows that scores of young Baghdadi men were killed by death squads just because they had the name.

Numbers are always useful in assessing results of any effort, and the numbers so far are on the good guys’ side. I read today that the count of various death squads’ victims for this month is one half that of January, and little more than one third that of December of last year. This comes from the official figures reported by the Baghdad morgue.
The other number that’s become one of the important parameters for assessing the situation in the Baghdad is the number of displaced families that have returned to their homes since the beginning of Operation “Imposing Law.” This one too is giving a positive sign. The last official count by the authorities brought the total to little over 1,020 families in just two weeks according to Baghdad paper al-Mada.

* * * * *



While many Iraqi families are returning to the homes they once were forced to leave, there are also Baghdadis who are reopening their stores, ending the months they spent out of business because of violence and intimidation. Some streets that were virtually deserted a few months ago are slowly showing signs of returning to life.
The reopening stores even include some liquor shops! There are two stores on one street that I used to shop that closed early last year when their owners received death threats from the insurgents and the militias. Yesterday I walked through that street and, to my amazement, I found both stores open and back in business.

Of course the reopening of two liquor stores is no big deal by itself when we are talking about a city where thousands of businesses are still shuttered. I regard this as a further positive sign of a change in Baghdad’s daily life. It means that those shopkeepers are leaving their fear behind, and openly ignoring the threats of militias and insurgents who once ruled the streets and intimidated the people with threats and violence.

The results of Operation “Imposing Law” are not magical. We didn’t expect them to be magical. The commanders didn’t claim they’d be when the Operation began. Still these latest developments are certainly promising. And let’s not forget that what has been achieved so far was achieved while many thousands of the new troops assigned to Baghdad are yet to arrive.

IRAQ THE MODEL

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SGS, I'm sure that you have some current news to share with us. ( you and your team are the energizers that never quite!!! )
Leann

Originally Posted by bambiebdgrl

SGS, I'm sure that you have some current news to share with us. ( you and your team are the energizers that never quite!!! )
Leann

fridays in iraq are not normally big news days

Iraqis agree over oil wealth policy

02 March 2007
Cabinet passes law that will see revenues spread across country
Iraq's Cabinet has finally endorsed a landmark draft oil law in a move seen as crucial in determining how the country's oil wealth will be shared by its ethnic and sectarian groups.


In a political milestone the Cabinet, which includes members of the country's three main sectarian-political blocs the Shia, Sunni Arabs and the Kurds voted unanimously in favour of the legislation.


The move is a step towards ending the long-running stalemate over the powers of Iraq's federal and regional governments.


Passing a law to help settle potentially explosive disputes over theworld's third largest oil reserves has been a key demand of the US, which has linked it to continuing support for the Shi'ite-led national unity government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.


Under the draft oil law, regional administrations will be empowered to negotiate contracts with Western oil companies.


These contracts will be reviewed by a central government committee in Baghdad, headed by the prime minister.


The law still has to be approved by the Iraqi parliament, which is out of session until next week. A number of key documents need to be written to complete the full legislative package, which will govern the oil industry.


Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih said Iraq's leaders had pledged to have the new law enacted by the end of May.


"The Cabinet endorsement...represents a major breakthrough for Iraq's political and economic transition," added Salih, who is also head of the committee that drafted the law.


Under the new law, revenues will be distributed to all 18 provinces based on the population size, a concession to the Sunni Arabs in central and western Iraq.


Most of the country's vast proven oil reserves are in the Kurdish north and the Shi'ite south, leaving many Sunnis fearful they will miss out on any windfall should the overall security situation improve enough to substantially boost production.


The draft law will allow the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) to review existing contracts it has signed with foreign firms, to ensure consistency with the terms of the new law, Salih said.


Agreement on the law had been held up partly because officials from Kurdistan, where relative security has encouraged more development than elsewhere in Iraq, said they wanted assurances a new federal council will not invalidate their existing contracts.


In recent months, the KRG has signed oil exploration and development contracts with Norway's DNO, the Turkish-Canadian Genel-Addax, Canada's Western-Zagros, and Turkish-US PetPrime and A&T Energy.


The KRG said it didn't envisage any further changes being necessary on these contracts, but said it would submit them to the draft law's independent panel of experts. "to ensure that they meet Iraq-wide required standards. In the meantime, investment will continue under those contracts".


DNO said the new draft law appeared "more or less" in line with what it hoped for and affirmed plans to produce on average 7700 barrels per day in northern Iraq this year.


The law will also restructure the Iraqi National Oil Company (INOC) as an independent holding company and establish a Federal Council as a forum for national oil policy.


INOC will have affiliated regional operating companies and the oil ministry will be the regulator for the sector.


Iraq needs billions of dollars in foreign investment in order to reconstruct its oil industry. Production has fallen to less than 2 million bpd, down from 2.5 million bpd before the war.


Oil executives said a consensus has formed on what future oil contracts should look like despite a backdrop of bickering between Baghdad and the Kurdish authority over control of oil revenues and whether a national oil company should oversee contract negotiations.


Iraqi officials have indicated foreign investors will be offered "buyback contracts" for the most promising fields and "production sharing contracts" for the riskier prospects.


Western oil majors expect a national oil company to be formed to exploit the country's reserves.


© Upstream 2007

Iraqis agree over oil wealth policy - Zawya.com | Middle East Business News

A special interview with the satellite channel freedom State Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki


The Prime Minister, Dr. Burhan Shwe
:"Everyone homeland" Baghdad / The channel freedom in the space program (a special), which prepared and submitted by Dr. Burhan Shwe Director General of the channel frank dialogue with the State of the Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki professor reads as follows :

Nothing new to say today that Iraq is passing through a difficult period need to be very exceptional ability to absorb all Ashkalatha political, intellectual, social, economic, but what is new is our agreement with the Prime Minister, Mr. Nouri Al-Maliki, where we meet the terms pause when the main points of the Iraqi political scene and complex files in open file security, national reconciliation and administrative corruption and the media and freedom of expression. ..Welcome to you Mr. Prime Minister.

Mr. Prime Minister : Could you you

Liberty : Mr. Prime Minister begin the security file is more complex since the days of the American administration announced its new Houdet and with the consent of the Iraqi government but there are some political analysis, there is fear that these people are the strategic outlook for the Eradication of the Mahdi Army, there is no budget for this guide How do you figure this matter?

Mr. Prime Minister : In the name of God the Merciful ... I would like to emphasize is contained in the statements of President Bush and our declarations and assurances that the strategic outlook that I talked about the American Administration are supportive and support of the strategic outlook adopted by the Iraqi government and was to meet with Oman, which is reported to the Iraqi government and the strategic Houdet with the consent of the American administration, which was designed Stratijitha these words that appeared Bstratejeh Iraqi government as you see that the security operations in Baghdad for the first time become full Iraqi control and support of the multinational forces and this confirms that the response at this stage is addressing Iraqis in the security file, but subsidized and datum of the multinational forces as expressed by President Bush in strategic Iraqi file, and this by its nature indicates that the Iraqi security forces moved from the awarding of the multinational forces to phase progress and become the confrontation and that the attribution of the multinational forces.

The reports say that these operations directed against al-Mahdi army or the rebels to year, I think that this talk , which emerged from the two or several parties is evidence of balance and impartiality of the operations and that everyone imagines it is directed against him and I like the fact that everyone was targeted by explicitly say that each of the deviate from the law is a target regardless of the his affiliation or identity, and we will not allow one of the officers that deal on sectarian or ethnic background but deals only in the light of law, which prevents any appearance of armed conflict, which prevents any rebellious and outside of the law and ban the presence of weapons, however, citizens illegal and informal, each standing in the security plan for Baghdad.

اLiberty : if we come to your response, Mr. Prime Minister, why focus on Baghdad and the talk is the security plan for Baghdad and control the entrances to The rebels and Sadamiin outside Baghdad?


Mr. Prime Minister : for aspects of Baghdad and there are no plans in Diyala plan now operating at the political, military and other areas but indeed, it seems the focus and attention Bqdsh capital because its capital If the State did not secure the capital, which is the center of gravity of the State political, economic, demographic and global and international course that was not the capital will not insured parties insured true that the parties secure provincial government does not ignore the necessary protection of citizens in the provinces, but initially believed Baghdad should then begin operations in a widening circular to reach any point on the Iraq tampering by terrorists Whatever it is not the first and last but beginning in the security operations, because the security of Iraq is to be achieved and the security of citizens in any point of the Iraq should be happening but it must be the beginning of our security Bastertijitna that Baghdad must be secured first and then expand Service to include all areas in Iraq.

Liberty : if we come to Baghdad, news releases and media, and we know that the conflict in Iraq is a political conflict, but you take a sectarian among the Sunni, Shiite, and there are plans in the areas in and around Baghdad LEFT Shiites or from the counterparty Does the government paralyzed to secure the life of the citizens of Baghdad and before the eyes?

Prime Minister : all the conflicts and wars that have erupted between States and the different components Fjzrha and depth of political and sometimes have few ideological struggle political really is as kindly, which feeds the situation in the country and many other countries that perform operations based violence With based on the political forces working with a framework or extend them assistance and material support and firepower, this is not something hidden But why this political conflict, I think that this is a natural transition that took place in Iraq naturally may have affected the Iraqis benefited from the other but, in any case, the evolution and development is the appreciation for the benefit of Iraq and the development came against the backdrop of the will and partnership emerged in the Iraqi elections, the Constitution and this is the first time in the history of Iraq, but not all the children one homeland receive the same acceptance of the changes to the same degree, some still think the mentality of the past and return to the past and work for this and perhaps many what is happening of the crimes not Emezbin Sunni and Shiite Arabs and Turkmen, those nostalgic for the past and hope to return last.

This political conflict, but it takes blood and intimidation of citizens and the chaos to say that the government was not in control this is not the truth. after the operations of shows that those who want to return to the past will return mentality is not different from the mentality of the bloodiest governing Iraq previously because they want to express to the past and again across the Falls of blood, otherwise why are killing citizens and why in Alweh selling vegetables kill as Zhrahd citizens on the screen Tallvzizn Sabah said, we, Muslims and Sunni, Shiite, and Msihin why they kill us ... As happened in the Mustansiriya University Are they knew of the killed? Of those students, then this is perhaps COUNCIL violence in Iraq because there is political will not receptive to the development of the new partnership Those who came to Iraq Vindevaun background takfiri ideological and sectarian mentalities and also in the depth of political conflicts because the countries that stood by the side of those eligible for all sorts of assistance depth and political background and sparring with the United States in the region on the Iraqi land We want to Nene Iraq away and talk with all partners and the countries of the region that Aitakhzu of Iraq into an arena for conflict.

Freedom But : Mr. Prime Minister. I would like to refer to the issue of displacement What is the displacement of the area in the region on the cross the letter and the threat of a bullet or written death threat on the wall and thus are liquidated Are there areas in the face of the inability this?


Prime Minister : that comes bullet is also the specter comes in a clear and known to the public understanding of masked and working in secret and displacement happen to both groups of Sunni and Shiite exceeded in order to request funds by the gangs, if not accept them they depart from this region .... It is not easy to walk away from the Iraqi us. .Today or tomorrow, begin to arrest those who had homes of immigrants, and this is one of the goals of the security of Baghdad.


Freedom : The return of another security plan for Baghdad has become curfews on Friday as a reality and at the time a temporary measure to protect note that the Friday prayers every day Baghdad crowded and many of the markets that have disrupted the relationship citizen and the economic situation has such market spinning and market pre others?

Prime Minister : is in fact started in the Samarra bombings and the plan adopted in Samarra explosions may have succeeded in fueling sectarian violence and the large station in fueling conflict, yes, was on the road to Latifiyah slaughtered person to name, but the reaction was great Samarra explosions and then in the government's ability to control reactions and the imposition of curfews and actions of many things slipped all but serious Thank God things remain under control. if the Bible is targeted at the people and the Friday prayers are Sunni or Shiite target that tradition has remained constant for the protection of both parties

Liberty : Do not give this to the political conflict a religious dimension?

Prime Minister : no, in act, we do not want to give him a religious dimension and the religious dimension of terrorism exploits in the bombing of Samarra, and wants to exploit Friday prayers and holy sites to feed the violence that we prevent this trend.


اThere is a question of freedom : the dream of every citizen ..Curfews start from nine to six and six to eight bombs begin Who cultivators whether all the streets of Baghdad are full of the National Guard and the police and multinational?


Prime Minister : want to say that the police and army personnel who are planting

Freedom : There is not a question?

We do not exclude the bad element there might exploit the army or the police and we have strict procedures against those who move to one party or the But then as you know, a very major city of Baghdad and curfews does not mean that the streets are orderly, they are planting bombs at night and in the presence of the curfew because they had planted car bombs in areas of serious and curfews, which has reduced the opportunity is not Kallaha canceled, but to a large degree.


Freedom : the Arab media predicted that the Americans what is happening in their hands are behind this chaos, They help this party and that party to remain weak all parties easily control?

.Prime Minister : We adhere to the conspiracy theory, and the other party adheres to the theory of the doubt. This is one of the milestones in the deal, in fact, that conspiracies exist but not everything that is happening in the world conspiracy, The world today, interests and relationships and practices in the light of the objectives, this does not deny the existence of the conspiracies, because some unknown either this talk that you talk about is part of the tradition, which encouraged the survival of this theory.

The Arabs generally lived periods of occupation by, The secrets revealed through records in Iraq, for example, carved and formed the historic legacy which tends to interpret everything that part of the conspiracy, we do not deny, but not everything that is happening in the region is the reproduction of past experiences, there may be new conspiracies invisible, but I believe that the Iraqi administration the government and parliament, the judiciary and the international aspect of the troops multinational sentenced international resolutions all operated in a clear and unequivocally that there be either a person with conspiracy This does not mean that every relationship with the international resolutions in the light of their conspiracies, I wish everybody would not remain a prisoner of this theory


Liberty: open the file of national reconciliation is much talk about reconciliation conferences have been held and are still large segments of people want to know reconciliation between Who? Is among the various parties, which see the conflicts in the media, or between Baathists and the government or between armed forces and the government?

Prime Minister : between the government and of the political components of this reconciliation entitled national reconciliation meant to be guided by the light of the homeland that can be part of Aisttheni of only tarnished their hands the blood of those who says or who want to penetrate or reconciliation State to penetrate their mentality dissension and Alm'mrat we have talked about earlier. Parties in the government needed to reconciliation because you hear and monitor the daily statements regret it, because it is involved in the government must be consistent with it, a sponsor of her thesis, defended them, true to imagine that we Msenschh copies of each into yes-men and we criticize the government and criticize the parliament and Ntekd officials, However, in order not to turn to the IMF will obstruction or to the language and the accusation of libel or remain captive of narrow convictions .ن.Yes, there is a need for a process of reconciliation of the participants in the government any observer can easily discover that there is an imbalance in rules Partnership political, I invite those who carried arms in the government and citizens, and the multinational blood of all those opportunities before them, if not with blood on their hands they returned to their senses and Infatehoaeli reconciliation process. .Reconciliation is not wearing a dress, it is the culture and the will and determination, acceptance of others and assure you that many of the goals of the reconciliation process were entered by a lot of they spares and the Service began expanding in the area of reconciliation and cutting the terrorist groups.


د.D. ..Burhan Shwe : Thank you, Mr. Prime Minister.

Mr. Prime Minister : Thank you.

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