Thread: Iraq/Dinar News up until April 10th 11pm ctz

I pulled this from a blog....but it is an average Iraqi's account of the last 4 years.

April 10, 2007

The achievements after four years of the liberation

I know I should write this blog yesterday but I just wanted the full four years to pass over. Yesterday Iraqis and the whole world kept talking about the memories of the war and some of the most important political developments in Iraq. Some Arabic reports concentrated on other sides especially the economical ones reflecting the reality in their own way. As an Iraqi, I feel I cant be more accurate than any channel because I lived the four years in Iraq. So lets see some of the most important achievements done by the great Iraqi and American administrations.

· Iraqis became more courageous and fearless because they used to the daily killing by all the types of the gunmen including Iraqi army, US army, insurgents, thieves and the security companies

· Some Iraqis became cleverer and they started to invent new ways in killing each other, stealing each other, hiding weapons, kidnapping and cheating.

· We have more ministers than any other country on this crazy earth. We have even useless ministries which were invented to please some political parties. We have as far as I know 36 ministries while the USA has only 15 ministries. So we have more than double. I couldn’t know almost 30 of them because they don’t show on TV and we have no idea about their work or whether they do some work or not. In fact and as far as I knew, most of them have no idea about the work of the ministries they run.

· Iraqis never feel afraid of the electric shocks because we have electricity power for only two hours a day or three hours as a maximum. The rest of the day we have to use small Chinese generator that cost something like 100 $ which are not really powerful enough to kill people.

· Iraqis found new ways to save almost everything and the most important thing is the fuel which costs Iraqis fortune. Because the ministry of oil increased the prices of the fuel many times, Iraqis started to invent ways of saving the fuel like mixing one type of fuel with another one which is cheaper to save some dollars or using the cars and the electricity generator for limited times like using the car only to go to work and using the generator only at night. To be honest, until now, I don’t know why we suffer of fuel shortage although our officials and specially our minister of oil who knows nothing about oil always boast that we are one of the richest oil country and we have the best oil qualities and the cheapest extracting costs.

· We have the largest number of blast walls which I believe that can form three matches of China great walls. Each ministry blocks the roads that lead to its building with tens of these walls. I think that the cement used in these blast walls is enough to build 1000 skyscrapers.

· We have the biggest number of the bodyguards in the world. Each minister has not less than 15 4 wheel cars carrying at least 5 bodyguards. Each of the 275 members of the Iraqi parliament has the same number of the bodyguards and some of them (the heads of the political blocs) has even more than that. By the way, I didn’t count the bodyguards of the presidential committee members, the prime minister and his two deputies and the parliament president and his two deputies because they have foreign bodyguards.

I have to stop counting the achievements of our great governments and the greatest American administration headed by the inspired president Bush because I would never finish counting the great achievements. You can read the few ones I mentioned and you can judge by yourself
Bye until the next blog

Originally Posted by screwball

Iraq-Egypt
Iraqi PM to visit Egypt to meet President Mubarak
By Santa Michael
Baghdad, Apr 9, (VOI) – Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki will visit Cairo on April 20 to have talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, a well-informed source said on Monday.
“Iraqi premier will visit Cairo on April 20 in response to an official invitation from the Egyptian government and to meet President Mubarak and a number of Egyptian officials,” the source told the independent news agency voices of Iraq (VOI).

Maybe more debt reduction!

i believe they are waiting on kuwait and saudi arabia for FULL reduction, i think theyve both started the ball rolling but im not sure theyve provided it.

Vice-Maliki Barham Salih : Article 140 does not need

(Voice of Iraq) - 10-04-2007

Vice-Maliki Barham Salih : Article 140 does not need regarding other

Irbil (April 10) and the agency (Lucky) Italian News - The Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Barham Saleh said that "decisions of the Supreme Committee of the normalization commonly known as Article 140 on resolving the issue of Kirkuk does not need ratification by the Iraqi Parliament, the presidency, because the issue is the core competence of the Iraqi government, which is the executive authority in the country. " Saleh said in a press statement, received by Agence (Lucky) Italian news copy, from his office in Baghdad that "procrastination and delay not acceptable from now on, and we hope that the reports about the intention of the Secretariat of the Council of Ministers introduced resolutions to the approval of parliament and the presidential incorrect, and steps to expedite the implementation of those decisions." He added, "the decisions of the Commission in conformity with Article 140 Iraqi constitution, and this article entitlement constitutional duty to solve the problem of Kirkuk, the problems of Arabization and ethnic cleansing in the rest of the Kurdistan withheld from the territory of Kurdistan." The Secretariat of the Council of Ministers had demanded that the Iraqi parliamentary ratifications of the resolutions of the Commission on the normalization of the city is rich in oil and disputed between Arabs and Turkomen and Kurds since the latter demanding annexation to the Kurdistan region, which under their control.


(Shs/Aki)

Originally Posted by Lunar

Iraqi Trade Minister Talks to Asharq Al-Awsat
By Naseer Al-Ily
Bagdad, 10 April 2007 (Asharq Alawsat)

Trade Minister Dr Abdul Hassan Falah al-Sudani, has stressed that the most important achievement at the economic level of the Riyadh summit, which was held in Saudi Arabia last month, was to convene meetings for the cancellation of Iraqi debts to a number of Arab countries.

Al-Sudani said to Asharq Al-Awsat: "Saudi Arabia was one of the countries with which there were dialogues about the cancellation of debts." He stressed that Riyadh showed positive response to this issue, and the readiness to convene bilateral negotiations through which solutions based on the interest of Iraq and its people could be reached. Al-Sudani pointed out that the Saudi officials had pledged to invest in industry and trade in the secure zones, and in the regions along the borders between the two countries, such as Al-Samawah, Al-Anbar, and others.

They had also pledged to increase the volume of trade exchanges, and to participate in developing the economy and restoring the economic structures of its sectors. With regard to the debts to Kuwait, Al-Sudani pointed out:

"There are several sides conducting continuous negotiations with the Kuwaiti side, and a high level delegation is preparing to visit Kuwait soon for this purpose." As for the most important achievements of the Iraqi delegation that participated in the Riyadh conference, Al-Sudani explained: "The Riyadh conference resulted in achieving many points in the interest of Iraq.

We agreed with many Arab countries to increase cooperation in all economic, trade, and political fields. Also important resolutions were issued with regard to the Arab free-trade zone, and the measures to facilitate the customs and excise agreements that would achieve the third stage of the Arab economic unity.

The conference also discussed the issue of Arab cooperation to support the health and education services, and it was agreed to convene a meeting of the Arab education ministers to study the reality of Arab education and the problems of education in the Arab region.

Moreover, the issues of communications and electricity were discussed, and there is a proposal submitted by Kuwait and Egypt to convene an Arab economic summit." Among the other economic topics that were subject to discussion was the issue of Arab trade and economic cooperation - especially by the Gulf Cooperation Council through the use of borders, roads, and ports -and urging all the Arab countries to invest in Iraq.

The minister revealed that he conducted many negotiations with the Gulf countries that focused on revising the bilateral relations, especially those related to the fields of air travel and judicial issues.

With regard to the aid granted by the ministry to the afflicted Iraqi families, especially the displaced, the minister pointed out, "Recently the ministry introduced a program to face up to emergency circumstances.

The ministry has secured the provision of dry foodstuffs sufficient for a lengthy period, and is updating these foodstuffs continuously. Moreover, the ministry continues to secure all the quotas of the tense governorates through coordinating with the tribes and security authorities.

At the same time, our departments secure comprehensive food quotas for the displaced families in all the regions in which they have arrived." The minister said that his ministry decided to distribute "food aid to thousands of the poor families and to those displaced by force from their areas of residence.

This is in addition to providing the necessities, and treating the problems caused by the current circumstances and the displacement by force inflicted by armed terrorist groups that aim to destroy security and stability, and to terrorize people in their areas of residence."

The minister pointed out, "The plan to impose the law has resolved some of the problems faced by some agents in the tense regions in conveying the articles of the ration cards to the sons of our people in general.

This is particularly true as the ministry has provided the means for good storage for periods that could extend to four or five months in order to cover the shortage in these articles that resulted from armed terrorist operations."

Iraqi Trade Minister Talks to Asharq Al-Awsat | Iraq Updates

there ya go, still workin on debt reduction with the neighbors. i believe there is a 3rd and final meeting of the neighbors in the first week of may.

Maliki Secures $850 Mill Japanese Loan
Money to Fund Oil Export Facility in Basra
Iraqi Slogger - [10/04/2007]

Nouri al-Maliki, currently on a four-day tour through east Asia, secured a $850+ million low-interest loan from Japan to fund the construction of an oil export facility.

Japan is entirely energy dependent on imported oil, so has obvious national interest in boosting Iraq's petroleum output.

The money wil finance the building of an oil facility connecting pipelines in the southern province of Basra, as well as fund fertiliser and oil refinery plants and help improve electricity, according to the Japanese foreign ministry.

The loan is part of six billion dollars in debt waivers and 1.5 billion dollars in aid which Japan announced for Iraq in 2003. Much of the aid is on hold due to concerns about instability.

Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe also told Maliki that Tokyo was ready to provide Iraq with another $510 million in loans, part of the overall pledge, to help finance the restoration of water and sewage treatment, power supply and other facilities.

http://www.iraqdirectory.com/DisplayNews.aspx?id=3599

Comments on the Iraqi Oil and Gas Bill
By Sabri Abdel Razek Kazem

10 April 2007 (Al-Hayat)


The least that can be said about the Iraqi oil and gas bill is that it is incomplete; some of its paragraphs contradict the prevailing laws. It also cancels all gains achieved by Iraq in this area. Furthermore, the draft increases competition and enmity between the regions and diminishes the Iraqi bargaining power at the conclusion of agreements with the foreign party.

The Constitution provides that Iraqi oil belongs to the Iraqi people; therefore, a single central authority must draw up oil policies, conclude agreements, follow up on the signed contracts, develop the fields and manage the reserves. This requires one efficient technical party capable of ensuring the interests of Iraq. These characteristics can only be found in the Iraqi National Oil Company (INOC).

The new law is incomplete, because it did not touch upon the types of oil and gas reserves. This causes discrepancy in the wording of contracts with foreign agencies; therefore, it is necessary to underline certain points in this bill:

First - The necessity of forming technical committees to classify oil and gas reserves as follows:

(A) Producing fields whose reserves have not been harmed. A foreign partner is unnecessary in this case. Therefore, the management of reserves and oil production, such as in Rumaila, Bay Hassan and Jambur oil fields, will be left to the INOC.

(B) Producing oil fields whose reserves have been partially damaged, such as the Kirkuk and North Rumaila fields. This requires authorizing some specialized international companies to work out studies, determine the best ways to repair the damage and determine the future optimal level of production. In this case, we can resort to the production-sharing formula, while the foreign party does not participate in profits, unless the output goes past the decided optimal level. This agreement was applied in Algeria in the Hassi Messaoud oil field.

(C) Previous discoveries with companies that prepared development plans and others, like Majnoon, Fakah and Abu Ghurab oil fields. In this case, these companies would require carrying out development processes, especially as the agreements were signed with them under better conditions.

(D) The fields where oil has, or has not, been discovered through drilling and need further exploration, such as two- and three-dimensional seismic surveys, as well as exploratory and evaluative wells. In this case, exploration- and production-sharing contracts can be used. These contracts must also include an exploratory period of two years or more. The contracts stipulate that the foreign party carries out the required explorations, like seismic surveys and drilling wells to reach the size of proven reserves. This will be followed by a development and productive plan, to be presented by the foreign party, based on the optimum way to exploit the reserves.

Second - Forming technical and economic committees to choose the contracting formulas for each type of reserves, on the condition of calculating the increase in revenues for Iraq by determining the amount of oil allocated to cover the costs, but the coverage period should be no less than six years. The amount of oil and the foreign party's proportion of profits must be linked to a factor that compares the total received by the foreign party to its total expenditure.

Whenever this ratio increases the amount of oil allocated to cover the costs decreases, as well as the ratio of royalty in profits. The return on capital for the foreign party must range from 14 to 16% based on the cost and the risk factor.

Third - The reference to the level of proceeds of oil in the draft law violates the State's ownership of oil, because the proceeds are paid by the foreign partner to the State in return for waiving its right to invest in its natural wealth. This was used in the anachronistic concession agreements that prevailed at the beginning of the last century.

Does the law allow such agreements? Has Iraq given up its sovereignty over its oil?

Even if we assume that this is true, why is the royalty rate standing at 12.5%? That is while it must be no less than 22% and the tax on the profit from oil should not be less than 85%; that is, the State's share of the net cash flow during the contract period must be 88%.

Fourth - Granting the provinces the authority to negotiate and contract foreign parties and referring them to the Supreme Federal Council diminishes the bargaining power of the Iraqi side and causes problems between some provinces across which oil and gas fields extend.

Most of the East Baghdad oil field's reserves exist in Baghdad, and the field extends to the Salah Eddin province, which means that the expected output in Baghdad is higher than that of Salah Eddin. Will the foreign companies accept different conditions in the two provinces? Developing this joint field through the unified joint development method will lead to difference of views between the various parts of Iraq on the level of production in each of them.

Fifth - The law did not address the newly discovered oil's use of pipelines, reservoirs, pumps and the existing export outlets, which cost a huge amount of money in the past.

Sixth - The law did not underline that the Central government does not abide by the conditions contracted with the provinces. These conditions are opposed by the central parties, such as Oil and Gas Federal Chamber or the Council of Representatives. The foreign party is not entitled to file a suit or demand compensation from the central government in return for the cancellation of such a contract.

Seventh - Whatever the type and wording of the agreement, there are four basic things that must be underscored: a technical central committee must agree on a development plan, the future productive track must be based on the principle of optimum exploitation of the discovered reserves, the contractual terms must aim at boosting the State's proceeds and asserting the Iraqi government's ownership of oil.

Eighth - Attempts to control part of Iraq's oil began before the coalition forces entered Iraq in 2003, as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a seminar on the future of the oil sector after Saddam Hussein, and it invited a number of Iraqi experts and politicians to this seminar. The British 'Independent' newspaper said on October 10, 2005 that the Iraqis pledged to provide favorable conditions for American and Western companies that will participate in the development and production of Iraqi oil. These conditions provide revenues on capital ranging from 40 to 60%. It is incumbent upon the Iraqi Parliament not to ratify and approve such contracts with these unfair conditions.

Ninth - The issuance of this law coincided with a campaign to have it passed, represented in the views of some experts, who saw that "there is no future for the Iraqi oil market; therefore, the oil has no value as long as it is not produced". This opinion is incorrect, as the expectations of the International Energy Agency (IEA) show that the global oil production will increase from 82 million barrels per day (bpd) to 114 million bpd by 2020, while supply will maintain 12 million bpd. This indicates that supply falls short of demand and the market will witness a scarcity of oil in the coming years. Oil exports from the US, China and India will be increased within this period, which may lead to competition between these blocs to secure their oil and gas needs.

In light of the foregoing, it would be better to postpone the issuance of this law and highlight the Iraqi people's need of fuels to restore Iraq's sovereignty. This will give the Iraqis the freedom to enact an oil and gas law that safeguards the national interest in the short and long terms.

Until then, the National Oil Company is supposed to be supported and, at the same time, the companies that already have contracts with the government must be spurred to complete the development of fields they have already discovered. These companies include Brazilian 'Petrobras' to develop the Majnoon field and 'Total' to develop the Fakah and Abu Ghurab fields.

* Mr. Sabri Abdel Razek Kazem is an Iraqi oil expert

Comments on the Iraqi Oil and Gas Bill | Iraq Updates

Originally Posted by Hkp

Comments on the Iraqi Oil and Gas Bill
By Sabri Abdel Razek Kazem

10 April 2007 (Al-Hayat)


The least that can be said about the Iraqi oil and gas bill is that it is incomplete; some of its paragraphs contradict the prevailing laws. It also cancels all gains achieved by Iraq in this area. Furthermore, the draft increases competition and enmity between the regions and diminishes the Iraqi bargaining power at the conclusion of agreements with the foreign party.

The Constitution provides that Iraqi oil belongs to the Iraqi people; therefore, a single central authority must draw up oil policies, conclude agreements, follow up on the signed contracts, develop the fields and manage the reserves. This requires one efficient technical party capable of ensuring the interests of Iraq. These characteristics can only be found in the Iraqi National Oil Company (INOC).

The new law is incomplete, because it did not touch upon the types of oil and gas reserves. This causes discrepancy in the wording of contracts with foreign agencies; therefore, it is necessary to underline certain points in this bill:

First - The necessity of forming technical committees to classify oil and gas reserves as follows:

(A) Producing fields whose reserves have not been harmed. A foreign partner is unnecessary in this case. Therefore, the management of reserves and oil production, such as in Rumaila, Bay Hassan and Jambur oil fields, will be left to the INOC.

(B) Producing oil fields whose reserves have been partially damaged, such as the Kirkuk and North Rumaila fields. This requires authorizing some specialized international companies to work out studies, determine the best ways to repair the damage and determine the future optimal level of production. In this case, we can resort to the production-sharing formula, while the foreign party does not participate in profits, unless the output goes past the decided optimal level. This agreement was applied in Algeria in the Hassi Messaoud oil field.

(C) Previous discoveries with companies that prepared development plans and others, like Majnoon, Fakah and Abu Ghurab oil fields. In this case, these companies would require carrying out development processes, especially as the agreements were signed with them under better conditions.

(D) The fields where oil has, or has not, been discovered through drilling and need further exploration, such as two- and three-dimensional seismic surveys, as well as exploratory and evaluative wells. In this case, exploration- and production-sharing contracts can be used. These contracts must also include an exploratory period of two years or more. The contracts stipulate that the foreign party carries out the required explorations, like seismic surveys and drilling wells to reach the size of proven reserves. This will be followed by a development and productive plan, to be presented by the foreign party, based on the optimum way to exploit the reserves.

Second - Forming technical and economic committees to choose the contracting formulas for each type of reserves, on the condition of calculating the increase in revenues for Iraq by determining the amount of oil allocated to cover the costs, but the coverage period should be no less than six years. The amount of oil and the foreign party's proportion of profits must be linked to a factor that compares the total received by the foreign party to its total expenditure.

Whenever this ratio increases the amount of oil allocated to cover the costs decreases, as well as the ratio of royalty in profits. The return on capital for the foreign party must range from 14 to 16% based on the cost and the risk factor.

Third - The reference to the level of proceeds of oil in the draft law violates the State's ownership of oil, because the proceeds are paid by the foreign partner to the State in return for waiving its right to invest in its natural wealth. This was used in the anachronistic concession agreements that prevailed at the beginning of the last century.

Does the law allow such agreements? Has Iraq given up its sovereignty over its oil?

Even if we assume that this is true, why is the royalty rate standing at 12.5%? That is while it must be no less than 22% and the tax on the profit from oil should not be less than 85%; that is, the State's share of the net cash flow during the contract period must be 88%.

Fourth - Granting the provinces the authority to negotiate and contract foreign parties and referring them to the Supreme Federal Council diminishes the bargaining power of the Iraqi side and causes problems between some provinces across which oil and gas fields extend.

Most of the East Baghdad oil field's reserves exist in Baghdad, and the field extends to the Salah Eddin province, which means that the expected output in Baghdad is higher than that of Salah Eddin. Will the foreign companies accept different conditions in the two provinces? Developing this joint field through the unified joint development method will lead to difference of views between the various parts of Iraq on the level of production in each of them.

Fifth - The law did not address the newly discovered oil's use of pipelines, reservoirs, pumps and the existing export outlets, which cost a huge amount of money in the past.

Sixth - The law did not underline that the Central government does not abide by the conditions contracted with the provinces. These conditions are opposed by the central parties, such as Oil and Gas Federal Chamber or the Council of Representatives. The foreign party is not entitled to file a suit or demand compensation from the central government in return for the cancellation of such a contract.

Seventh - Whatever the type and wording of the agreement, there are four basic things that must be underscored: a technical central committee must agree on a development plan, the future productive track must be based on the principle of optimum exploitation of the discovered reserves, the contractual terms must aim at boosting the State's proceeds and asserting the Iraqi government's ownership of oil.

Eighth - Attempts to control part of Iraq's oil began before the coalition forces entered Iraq in 2003, as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a seminar on the future of the oil sector after Saddam Hussein, and it invited a number of Iraqi experts and politicians to this seminar. The British 'Independent' newspaper said on October 10, 2005 that the Iraqis pledged to provide favorable conditions for American and Western companies that will participate in the development and production of Iraqi oil. These conditions provide revenues on capital ranging from 40 to 60%. It is incumbent upon the Iraqi Parliament not to ratify and approve such contracts with these unfair conditions.

Ninth - The issuance of this law coincided with a campaign to have it passed, represented in the views of some experts, who saw that "there is no future for the Iraqi oil market; therefore, the oil has no value as long as it is not produced". This opinion is incorrect, as the expectations of the International Energy Agency (IEA) show that the global oil production will increase from 82 million barrels per day (bpd) to 114 million bpd by 2020, while supply will maintain 12 million bpd. This indicates that supply falls short of demand and the market will witness a scarcity of oil in the coming years. Oil exports from the US, China and India will be increased within this period, which may lead to competition between these blocs to secure their oil and gas needs.

In light of the foregoing, it would be better to postpone the issuance of this law and highlight the Iraqi people's need of fuels to restore Iraq's sovereignty. This will give the Iraqis the freedom to enact an oil and gas law that safeguards the national interest in the short and long terms.

Until then, the National Oil Company is supposed to be supported and, at the same time, the companies that already have contracts with the government must be spurred to complete the development of fields they have already discovered. These companies include Brazilian 'Petrobras' to develop the Majnoon field and 'Total' to develop the Fakah and Abu Ghurab fields.

* Mr. Sabri Abdel Razek Kazem is an Iraqi oil expert

Comments on the Iraqi Oil and Gas Bill | Iraq Updates

It is going to be a long long time before this oil bill happens. No oil bill no reval.

President Jalal Talabani, at his headquarters in Baghdad on Tuesday, 4 - 10-2007, Deputy House Speaker Sheikh Khalid al-Attiya.
و .During the meeting, and discuss the political and security situation in the country. كما .The sides also discussed the draft national reconciliation with emphasis on the need to facilitate the issuance of the decision that would bring this project in order to achieve security, stability and economic prosperity in the country. WHAT DECISION ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT?و أكد.And President Jalal Talabani, during the meeting, stressed the need to improve the living conditions of Iraqis, and the rehabilitation of the Iraqi economy. .The President also stressed the importance of activating and strengthening the performance of Parliamentary the House to carry out its role in the control of the executive branch.

Iraqi Presidency

??

Trade Minister : All materials will be distributed ration card for this month amounts to double within the next two weeks

Translated version of http://www.nahrain.com/

Originally Posted by michael16

It is going to be a long long time before this oil bill happens. No oil bill no reval.

i am not saying you are wrong but this article does read like an editoral so maybe the author does not have a complete picture...?