Thread: Iraq/Dinar News until 5PM CST May 10,2007

SAW THIS POSTED....

Seems that they are tired of the stonewalling in Parliament on the draft law allowing many former members of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party to return to their government jobs and seem to want it passed this session...or maybe they have seen the new cabinet list and are not happy with the candidates...guess we will see on that tomorrow?

At least this will get debt reduction in force by meeting this important benchmark from the ICI (especially the Saudis) and the american's benchmarks...This is a good thing...all the way around...unless their bluff is called by the PM.

American trade delegation arrive in Kurdistan Iraq

(صوت العراق) - 07-05-2007

(Voice of Iraq) - 07-05-2007

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من عبدالحميد زيباري

From Abdulhamid Zebari

اربيل-(أصوات العراق)

Arbil - (Voices of Iraq)

Arrived in Irbil today, Monday, an American trade delegation includes a large number of businessmen headed by Paul Brinkley Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Defense of America.
In Brinkley, in a press conference in Arbil International Airport that his government "is committed to developing trade relations with the Kurdistan region, and that this visit aims to work to improve the economic situation in the region and create the kind of coordination and cooperation between local companies in the region and the American and European companies."
He pointed out that his visit will include many of the Kurdish and Iraqi cities, as well as access to the investment projects that have been completed and the other under way in the cities of Irbil, Dohuk and Sulaymaniyah.
He explained Brinkley "America is working to attract companies and capital to American Kurdistan and Iraq and participate in the reconstruction of the region."
It is noteworthy that this second visit of the business delegation that level senior American visiting Iraq's Kurdistan region after the visit of a large trade delegation, which included agents from the State Department and a number of owners of American companies in mid-March last year.

ح م

H M

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

A delegation of the Islamic Da'wah Party, is visiting Sistani

(صوت العراق) - 07-05-2007

(Voice of Iraq) - 07-05-2007

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من حيدر الكعبي

Haider from Kaabi

النجف ـ (أصوات العراق)

Najaf (Voices of Iraq)

A delegation from the Islamic Dawa Party today, the highest Shiite religious authority, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani at his headquarters in Najaf.

"He said Haidar Abadi, a member of the Iraqi parliament and the party leadership "after the completion of the work of the Islamic Da'wah Party, a delegation of the party to visit Eminence Ayatollah Sayyid Ali al-Sistani to brief him on what happened in the conference and the results it produced."
Participating Dawa Party, which belongs to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in the united Iraqi coalition's majority in Parliament, with 15 seats in the seats of 113 seats in the coalition.
"Abbadi said in a press conference following the meeting, "Mr. Samaha his part, emphasized the need to provide services for citizens, and stated that security is one of the fundamental rights of citizens and must be saved, and touched on the Islamic Dawa Party has gathered ideas between Sunnis and Shiites, not separate them, and called on the Party to disseminate such ideas which are in the interest of the Iraqi people without discrimination. "
"He added, "Mr. al-Sistani on administrative corruption exists in the State and the need for decisiveness and firmness to confront it." Continues, "also touched his eminence to the criminal acts against intellectuals in Iraq, the Iraqi universities and the need to protect scientific centers and universities."

ح م

H M

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

Originally Posted by Hope Full

I think this shoots down any speculation that the money flown to the banks was for retired workers! So what was the large sums of money for????

Forgive me, but I don't understand how this article shoots down any spec. that this money was for retired workers. THAT is ALL it mentioned, social security for retired workers...Help me out here.

next Thursday pay social security for retired workers

بغداد - رلى واثق

Baghdad-Rali sure

The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs next Thursday the 10th of this month, the date for the pay of social security for retired workers.

An official source in the labor and social security special permission to "Assabah" : that the coordination with the postal offices set next Thursday the 10th of this month, the date for the pay social security for workers and retirees covered by the monthly March and April, pointing out that the distribution will be via postal offices known to have deployed in Baghdad. He added that salaries had not increased so far. He noted that the social security law in the way of legislation, which includes new paragraphs serve segments of the reporting.

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

What a load of crap! for CNN to use a head line like "Sunni demand could unravel Iraqi government". The only thing that could unravel the Iraqi government is the early withdrawal of American troops and that won't happen while Bush is President and I doubt very much that it will happen under the next administration regardless of party affiliation.

Here is the entire article about the Sunni "pullout"

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraq's top Sunni official has set a deadline of next week for pulling his entire bloc out of the government -- a potentially devastating blow to reconciliation efforts within Iraq. He also said he turned down an offer by President Bush to visit Washington until he can count more fully on U.S. help.

Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi made his comments in an interview with CNN. He said if key amendments to the Iraq Constitution are not made by May 15, he will step down and pull his 44 Sunni politicians out of the 275-member Iraqi parliament.

"If the constitution is not subject to major changes, definitely, I will tell my constituency frankly that I have made the mistake of my life when I put my endorsement to that national accord," he said.

Specifically, he wants guarantees in the constitution that the country won't be split into Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish federal states that he says will disadvantage Sunnis.

Al-Hashimi's cooperation with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's government is widely seen as essential if there is to be a realistic chance of bridging the Shiite-Sunni divide in Iraq -- one of the key goals of the Bush administration.

The withdrawal of the Sunni bloc would unravel months of efforts to foster political participation by Sunnis in Iraq's government. It also would further weaken al-Maliki just weeks after Shiite Cabinet ministers allied with Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr bolted from the government.

Al-Hashimi's Iraqi Islamic Party was key in getting Sunnis out to vote in the December 2005 election. Sunnis had been reluctant to take part in the political process, and many were only convinced to do so with the promise of changes to the Iraqi Constitution. Al-Hashimi said the United States co-signed those changes, and now a year and a half later nothing has been done. (Watch al-Hashimi express anger over lack of power-sharing )

Without a change to the constitution, he said, "The situation would be a disaster for Iraq."

He added, "I would like to see the identity of my country, in fact, restored back."

Al-Hashimi said he has expressed his concerns to Bush, and that for now he will not travel to the United States unless he knows it will result in action.

Al-Hashimi was invited to Washington during a recent phone call with Bush. The Iraqi leader said he was "very clear" to Bush that "our [Sunni] participation is quite unfortunately becoming meaningless."

Bush and al-Hashimi have met once before in Washington, in December.

National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said Bush did invite al-Hashimi to the White House again, as he often does when he speaks with Iraqi leaders.

"No one here is aware of any refusal to come," Johndroe said. "That has not been conveyed to us."

Bush talks with Iraqi prime minister
On Monday, the president held a 25-minute videoconference with al-Maliki, the White House and the prime minister's office announced. In Washington, White House spokesman Tony Snow said political reconciliation efforts were "the focal point of those conversations."

Al-Maliki talked about getting leaders of Iraq's major factions together "to sit down in a very practical way and say, 'Let's get this stuff fixed,' " Snow said.

"What you got was a very clear sense from the prime minister that it was important to be making progress," he said.

Al-Maliki's office said Bush will dispatch a senior administration official to Iraq to rally support for the government, while the prime minister "reaffirmed the importance of continuing cooperation and coordination" between U.S. and Iraqi troops now trying to pacify the capital.

Al-Maliki's Shiite-dominated government has been under great pressure politically to develop good relations with Sunnis, who have been alienated from post-Saddam Hussein Iraq and have supported the insurgency.

Sunnis, who prevailed under Hussein despite being a minority in Iraq, are concerned about being shunned from public life as a result of de-Baathification policies and want to be included in the fair sharing of Iraqi oil revenues and other resources.

Al-Hashimi said that his patience is running thin with the government's failure to promote reconciliation and that he feels he is not consulted regularly on key decisions. In addition, he said, he sees growing frustrations within the Sunni community that they are being left out of the political process.

The vice president is feeling the heat on all sides. Al Qaeda in Iraq -- which is made up of Sunni extremists -- recently issued a warning to him, saying he was on the "wrong political path." Al-Hashimi said that al Qaeda is gaining strength in some areas, including parts of Baghdad, because Sunnis were frustrated by the lack of political progress. (Watch al-Hashimi talk about safety in Baghdad )

If Sunnis aren't an equal partner in the government, he said, they should say "bye-bye to the political process."

Asked if that meant all-out civil war with Shiites, he said no.

"I'm not saying that I'm going to war," he said, adding he would not encourage his bloc to get involved with "any sort of violence whatsoever."

At the same time, he said Sunnis will be "frustrated" and people will "think on other alternatives."

But he said he'd also prefer not to reach that point.


My initial take on it, this could be either really good or REALLY bad. Maybe this is the little bit of motivation they new to get things done. But if this is more than just a threat, and they do pull out, wouldn't things be pretty much back to square one again?

Typical AP article. Lead off with the death count and bury the encouraging news in the middle.

BAGHDAD (AP) - Suicide bombers killed 13 people in a pair of attacks Monday around the Sunni city of Ramadi in what local officials said was part of a power struggle between al-Qaida and tribes that have broken with the terror network.

In all, at least 68 people were killed or found dead nationwide Monday, police said. They included the bullet-riddled bodies of 30 men found in Baghdad - the apparent victims of sectarian death squads.

All but two were found in west Baghdad, including 17 in the Amil neighborhood where Sunni politicians have complained of renewed attacks by Shiite militiamen, according to a police official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not supposed to release those details.

The power struggle among the Sunnis, which surfaced last year, could prove decisive in the U.S. campaign to win over significant portions of the Sunni community, which has formed the bedrock of the insurgency.


The first of the Ramadi area attacks happened about noon in a market on the northwest outskirts of the city, killing eight people and wounding 13, said police Col. Tariq Youssef.

About 15 minutes later, police at a nearby checkpoint spotted a second car bomb and opened fire, but the driver was able to detonate the vehicle, Youssef said. Five people, including two policemen, were killed and 12 were wounded, Youssef said.

The attacks occurred in areas controlled by the Anbar Salvation Council, an alliance of Sunni tribes formed last year to drive al-Qaida from the area. Council officials blamed the attacks on al-Qaida.

"They committed this crime because we have identified their hideouts and we are chasing them," said Sheik Jabbar Naif al-Dulaimi.

In a Web statement Monday, an al-Qaida front organization, the Islamic State of Iraq, warned Sunnis against joining the government security forces - a move supported by the Salvation Council.



"We tell every father, mother, wife or brother who does not want to lose a relative to advise them not to approach the apostates and we swear to God that we will use every possible means to strike at the infidels and the renegades," the group said.

The Islamic State also claimed responsibility Monday for attacks that killed 34 people over the weekend - including six U.S. soldiers and a Russian embedded photojournalist who died in a roadside bombing in Baqouba.

The 34 also included the police chief of Samarra, Col. Jalil Nahi Hassoun, who was killed Sunday in an attack on police headquarters. He was buried Monday following a tearful procession by police in blue uniforms who escorted the flag-draped coffin as it was driven in the bed of a white pickup truck through the Sunni city.

At least five al-Qaida fighters were killed in the fighting in Samarra, a U.S. military official told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release details of the attack.

Also Monday, the military announced a U.S. soldier had been killed by small-arms fire in western Baghdad the day before, bringing to nine the number of troops who died Sunday.



The security situation in the capital figured high in talks between Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and President Bush, who conferred Monday in a video conference.

Al-Maliki told Bush of the need to maintain cooperation between U.S. and Iraqi forces as they continue their crackdown, which is intended to end the chaos and violence in Baghdad, the prime minister's office said in a statement.

White House spokesman Tony Snow said Bush and al-Maliki spoke about the Iraqi leader's push for political reconciliation in his country, an area considered vital to greater stability.

The two leaders spoke for about 25 minutes with staff members in attendance, then for another period of time one-on-one, according to Snow.

"The prime minister is working with the presidency council to advance the political process in Iraq, including a lot of the legislation that we've been discussing over the last few months," Snow told reporters. "But issues of communications and reconciliation were at the fore."


Al-Maliki, a Shiite, reiterated his determination to work with Sunni leaders, Snow said.

But al-Maliki's government remains burdened by "narrow agendas" standing in the way of unity and crucial U.S.-backed legislation, such as a proposed law to share Iraq's oil wealth, said Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq. Petraeus spoke on Monday to the annual meeting of The Associated Press.In other violence, a mortar attack killed five people in Baghdad's mixed Baiyaa neighborhood, where more than 30 people were slain in a car bombing the day before.

In northern Iraq, gunmen attacked an Iraqi military checkpoint at the town of Baaj, killing two soldiers, two police officers and a civilian, police said.

The international Red Cross announced Monday it would increase its operations to provide food, water and medical treatment for the hundreds of thousands of Iraqis who have fled their homes but remain in the country.

"This conflict is inflicting immense suffering on all Iraqis," Beatrice Megevand-Roggo, head of Middle East operations for the International Committee of the Red Cross, said in Geneva. "Civilians are bearing the brunt of the relentless violence."

Hundreds of thousands of other Iraqis have fled to Jordan and Syria.

Jordan said Monday that the more than 750,000 displaced Iraqis residing in the country has cost the government $1 billion a year and increased Jordan's population by 14 percent.

iWon News - 68 Killed or Found Dead in Iraq

Originally Posted by trucker91774

Here is the entire article about the Sunni "pullout"

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraq's top Sunni official has set a deadline of next week for pulling his entire bloc out of the government -- a potentially devastating blow to reconciliation efforts within Iraq. He also said he turned down an offer by President Bush to visit Washington until he can count more fully on U.S. help.

Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi made his comments in an interview with CNN. He said if key amendments to the Iraq Constitution are not made by May 15, he will step down and pull his 44 Sunni politicians out of the 275-member Iraqi parliament.

"If the constitution is not subject to major changes, definitely, I will tell my constituency frankly that I have made the mistake of my life when I put my endorsement to that national accord," he said.

Specifically, he wants guarantees in the constitution that the country won't be split into Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish federal states that he says will disadvantage Sunnis.

Al-Hashimi's cooperation with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's government is widely seen as essential if there is to be a realistic chance of bridging the Shiite-Sunni divide in Iraq -- one of the key goals of the Bush administration.

The withdrawal of the Sunni bloc would unravel months of efforts to foster political participation by Sunnis in Iraq's government. It also would further weaken al-Maliki just weeks after Shiite Cabinet ministers allied with Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr bolted from the government.

Al-Hashimi's Iraqi Islamic Party was key in getting Sunnis out to vote in the December 2005 election. Sunnis had been reluctant to take part in the political process, and many were only convinced to do so with the promise of changes to the Iraqi Constitution. Al-Hashimi said the United States co-signed those changes, and now a year and a half later nothing has been done. (Watch al-Hashimi express anger over lack of power-sharing )

Without a change to the constitution, he said, "The situation would be a disaster for Iraq."

He added, "I would like to see the identity of my country, in fact, restored back."

Al-Hashimi said he has expressed his concerns to Bush, and that for now he will not travel to the United States unless he knows it will result in action.

Al-Hashimi was invited to Washington during a recent phone call with Bush. The Iraqi leader said he was "very clear" to Bush that "our [Sunni] participation is quite unfortunately becoming meaningless."

Bush and al-Hashimi have met once before in Washington, in December.

National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said Bush did invite al-Hashimi to the White House again, as he often does when he speaks with Iraqi leaders.

"No one here is aware of any refusal to come," Johndroe said. "That has not been conveyed to us."

Bush talks with Iraqi prime minister
On Monday, the president held a 25-minute videoconference with al-Maliki, the White House and the prime minister's office announced. In Washington, White House spokesman Tony Snow said political reconciliation efforts were "the focal point of those conversations."

Al-Maliki talked about getting leaders of Iraq's major factions together "to sit down in a very practical way and say, 'Let's get this stuff fixed,' " Snow said.

"What you got was a very clear sense from the prime minister that it was important to be making progress," he said.

Al-Maliki's office said Bush will dispatch a senior administration official to Iraq to rally support for the government, while the prime minister "reaffirmed the importance of continuing cooperation and coordination" between U.S. and Iraqi troops now trying to pacify the capital.

Al-Maliki's Shiite-dominated government has been under great pressure politically to develop good relations with Sunnis, who have been alienated from post-Saddam Hussein Iraq and have supported the insurgency.

Sunnis, who prevailed under Hussein despite being a minority in Iraq, are concerned about being shunned from public life as a result of de-Baathification policies and want to be included in the fair sharing of Iraqi oil revenues and other resources.

Al-Hashimi said that his patience is running thin with the government's failure to promote reconciliation and that he feels he is not consulted regularly on key decisions. In addition, he said, he sees growing frustrations within the Sunni community that they are being left out of the political process.

The vice president is feeling the heat on all sides. Al Qaeda in Iraq -- which is made up of Sunni extremists -- recently issued a warning to him, saying he was on the "wrong political path." Al-Hashimi said that al Qaeda is gaining strength in some areas, including parts of Baghdad, because Sunnis were frustrated by the lack of political progress. (Watch al-Hashimi talk about safety in Baghdad )

If Sunnis aren't an equal partner in the government, he said, they should say "bye-bye to the political process."

Asked if that meant all-out civil war with Shiites, he said no.

"I'm not saying that I'm going to war," he said, adding he would not encourage his bloc to get involved with "any sort of violence whatsoever."

At the same time, he said Sunnis will be "frustrated" and people will "think on other alternatives."

But he said he'd also prefer not to reach that point.


My initial take on it, this could be either really good or REALLY bad. Maybe this is the little bit of motivation they new to get things done. But if this is more than just a threat, and they do pull out, wouldn't things be pretty much back to square one again?

salvation government.

Originally Posted by shotgunsusie

salvation government.

This doesnt seem good just when you think they are getting it together something like this appears