Thread: Iraq/Dinar News until 5/23/07 Midnight CST

Engineers provide reconstruction overview
Tuesday, 22 May 2007
By LuAnne Fantasia
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Gulf Region North



Water from the Great Zab River makes its way through six clarifying tanks at the Erbil-Ifraz water project that provides more than 4,000 cubic of meters of safe drinking water per hour to 300,000 citizens in the Erbil area. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo by LuAnne Fantasia.TIKRIT — In the Salah ad Din province of Iraq, the Iraq Reconstruction Program includes more than 300 infrastructure projects. There are 209 finished with 48 currently active and six planned to start to date. The remaining 45 projects are currently still in the developmental stages.

Many of these projects are in remote locations. Some of these projects are high-capacity electrical distribution projects and large treatment facilities for water and sewage.

The following information provides a snapshot of projects in the Salah ad Din province with additional information on several projects.

Building, health and education projects:

• Of the 103 approved building, health and education projects for Salah ad Din, 92 are completed. The 84 completed schools provide an enhanced learning environment for more than 29,000 school children.

• Eight Primary Healthcare Clinics are completed, and when fully operational, each will benefit 100 medical patients daily. Currently, one healthcare center is operational, while the others are preparing to open their doors.

• A school project planned to start next week is a school for deaf and mute children. This new two-story structure will accommodate the special learning needs for about 150 students, with a dormitory area, as well as classrooms and administrative space. It is scheduled to be finished this December.

• A $750,000 project to upgrade and repair a vocation technical school started last November and is scheduled to be completed in July. The industrial school will be tied to the provincial employment offices and will support job postings which include the oil refinery, power plant, drug industry, fertilizer plant, textile mill, and water bottling plant. The renovated school will accommodate a student body of approximately 200.

Oil Sector:

• Two oil refinery projects scheduled to begin this summer will protect the refinery, enhance operations, and secure refinery output to increase fuel delivery to the Iraqi marketplace. Both projects, which have a combined total cost of $12.5 million, are scheduled for completion by the end of the year.

Electrical Sector:

• Of the 47 electrical projects budgeted for the Salah ad Din, 20 are complete, four are still in developmental stages, and one is planned to start this month.

• One of the six electrical projects currently in progress will provide more reliable power to approximately 20,000 people in the city of Bayji and the surrounding villages. The project includes installation of four kilometers of 33kV overhead lines and steel towers from the substation.

Security and Justice:

• There are 21 budgeted projects in this sector. Sixteen of those projects are complete and four are still in developmental stages.

• One Iraqi Army project started last week that will renovate an existing facility for an Iraqi Army battalion. The $2 million project is due to be completed this November.

Public works and water:

• Of the 24 water and/or sewage treatment projects financed, 11 are finished; two are planned to start in May and June; and one is still in developmental stages. Twelve projects are currently ongoing, with three being more than 90 percent finished—a water compact unit project; a landfill and incinerator project, and one sewer network.

• A project to repair a drinking water treatment plant started last November with plans to be completed this August. When complete, the plant will supply cleaner drinking water for approximately 200,000 people in Salah ad Din. The scope of work consists of general repairs to the plant operations, a generator, new operator's facility, and electrical maintenance work. The cost of this project is $417,000.

Transportation and communication:

• There are 28 transportation and communication projects budgeted across the Salah ad Din Province; 23 are finished and the five currently under way are a bridge project; a train station renovation; an access road to a power plant; and two other road improvement and road paving projects. All of these projects enhance mobility and access for the Iraqi people of this province. These five ongoing projects alone total over $9.6 million.

• This is only a synopsis of progress in the Salah ad Din Province, one of 18 provinces in Iraq. Since the time of Iraq’s sovereignty in 2004, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has completed more than 3,000 of the original 3,786 projects in the Iraq Reconstruction Program, nationwide.

Soldiers repair bombed out bridge
Tuesday, 22 May 2007
By Maj. Randall Baucom
1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Calvary Division Public Affairs



Soldiers of the 502nd Engineer Company assemble pieces of a Mabry-Johnson Bridge May 15, making repairs in the aftermath of a suicide car bomb attack two days earlier. The engineers assembled the bridge to provide temporary repair to the bridge spanning the Grand Canal on Highway 1. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Raymond Kokel.CAMP TAJI — Coalition Forces worked quickly to repair a bridge, damaged by insurgents, on a major Iraqi highway May 15. The southbound bridge on Highway 1, which spans the Grand Canal, was attacked by a suicide car bomber May 13.

Soldiers from the 502nd Engineer Company, 565th Engineer Battalion, responded to the attack in less than 36 hours, linking up on Camp Taji with soldiers from the 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, who provided security for the operations.

In the early morning hours of May 15, soldiers from the 502nd Engineer Company arrived on the site and began a thorough inspection the bridge. It was then determined that a Mabry-Johnson Bridge would be used to span the 30-foot-by-40-foot hole created by the suicide bomber.

The May 13 blast blew a large hole in the center span of the bridge, but fortunately failed to cause significant damage to the main superstructure of the bridge. Al Qaeda insurgents operating in the area are believed to be responsible for the attack.

The soldiers immediately went to work constructing the bridge they brought down on trucks from Balad. The 30-meter span took 48 hours to construct.

"It was important to provide immediate repair to this vital piece of infrastructure that is a key route for commuters to Baghdad and for commerce. The 502nd worked tirelessly to make sure these repairs got done," said Alexandria, Va., native, Capt. Nathaniel Davis, the brigade engineer officer for the 1st "Ironhorse" Brigade Combat Team. "The attack on this bridge by Al Qaeda is an attack on the Iraqi people themselves. I hope someone comes forward to say who is responsible so these terrorists can be brought to justice."



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Reinstating Baathists disputed in Iraq

Wednesday, May 23, 2007 08:29 GMT

Spokesman for de-baathification commitssion Ali Allami said the committee filed complaints against the Interior Ministry as the ministry allowed to security elements of the former regime to reinstate eligible officers in service and assign others for retirement. In a statement to Al Hayat Newspaper, Allami said complaints were filed to the Armed Forces General Commander, the ministerial council, the Parliament de-baathification commission and the integrity committee given that the Interior Ministry’s decision is considered as an administrative and legal violation to enforced legislations mainly to Constitution Article 135, legislation number 2 and ministerial council’s resolution number 130 on defunct entities.






Allami warned to file a suit against the Interior Ministry before the Supreme Constitutional Court if the Ministry implements its resolution. He added that only the Parliament is entitled to issue legislations on defunct entities, noting that the de-baathification commission proposed before the Parliament to assign all former security offices for retirement except perpetrators.
The commission viewed the Interior Ministry’s statement as an attempt to topple the constitutional and democratic process. The commission will confront such attempts through legal means, Allami asserted.

Saudi newspapers highlight projection of $ 140 billion debt

(صوت العراق) - 23-05-2007

(Voice of Iraq) - 23-05-2007

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Saudi newspapers highlight projection of $ 140 billion of the debt of Iraq and the arrest of the Iraqis planned to assassinate Muqtada Al-Sadr

Riyadh-Iraq votes

Saudi newspapers highlighted Wednesday, declaring Finance Minister topple Iraqi 140 billion dollars of Iraq's debt, and the report speaks for throwing Tehran arrested Iraqis planned to assassinate the young leader Muqtada al-Sadr. With focused newspaper that a delegation from the Sunni Arab tribes in Anbar province visited Sadr City to push forward the national reconciliation.

Regarding Iraq's debt, said the newspaper (city), which is issued in Jeddah that the statement Jabr Zubaidi, the Minister of Finance announced yesterday, dropping 140 billion dollars of debt incurred by Iraq, through an agreement signed between the Iraqi government and the International Monetary Fund, which promised to help Iraq reduce the ratio of debt repaid from 100% to 20%.

Zubaidi was quoted as saying that he had been shot down Iraq's debt of 45 state rates ranging Between 100% and 80%.

On the other hand, she said the same newspaper under the title "Tehran arrests the Iraqis planned to assassinate Moqtada Sadr," The Iranian authorities have arrested a group of Iraqis who were trying to assassinate young Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr, who is believed to be living in Iran for nearly two months.

The newspaper, quoting "Tirch Times" Turkish "Three Iraqis arrived in Tehran on a mission to kill Sadr; They fell, however, the Iranian authorities have accused the group implementing American scheme against young Shiite leader. "

And on national reconciliation, said the newspaper (the island), which is issued in Riyadh said that the leaders of the "reawakening of Anbar", a coalition of clans Sunni Arabs visited the Shiite Sadr City, yesterday, Tuesday,, to push forward the national reconciliation.

It quoted Sheikh Hamid Alhays President of the Save Anbar, the armed wing of the reawakening of Anbar, "the visit to the sternum trend is a move to bring viewpoints between the Shiites and Sunnis in the war-torn country of sectarianism."

At the time, newspaper (the island), which is issued in Riyadh on local official that the Iraqi Baath Party dissolved revealed yesterday that he began to recover under the name of his party (return) in the town of Baquba, the capital of Diyala.

It quoted Awad Al-Rubaie board member rescue Ba'kouba that "some of the leaders of the organization embarked on the formation of new political party named return, and a number of meetings and a campaign to promote a Baath Party in the city twice before and complacency of local administration and its imposition of the law."

In Ttagherber entitled "Hashemi :" The government promised to implement the demands Accord Front .. and Bloc coalition denies putting preconditions for the achievement of national reconciliation "newspaper said (home), which is issued in Asir that the Iraqi Vice President and Secretary General of the Islamic Party, Tariq Al-Hashmi confirmed the presence of international desire to make amendments to the Constitution, pointing out that hint Accord Front to withdraw from the government came under pressure to implement previous agreements before the formation of the government of Nuri al-Maliki.

He Hashemi told the newspaper the hope obtaining consensus among political leaders and heads of parliamentary groups to resolve differences on the issues that the Commission has failed constitutional amendments to find suitable solutions in the next few days. The newspaper, on the other, that the United Alliance bloc denied putting preconditions in negotiating with parties interested in participating in the political process in the framework of national reconciliation.

It quoted Deputy Ziauddin hospitality uncle, the United Iraqi Alliance had been opened channels of communication with Baathists and other forces, excluding them from Baltkeverien dialogue.

"

It continued acts of violence in Saudi newspapers and published under the title of "American forces liberated 12 Kidnapped and kills 9 rebels" .. The killing of 28 Iraqis in Baghdad .. and British troops in Basra" .. And in relation to the security of Israels (homeland) that the media spokesman for the Police Directorate of Karbala built-Rahman revealed Adoption digging a trench west of the city so as to prevent the infiltration of armed men from al-Anbar governorate to Karbala.

Moshari quoted as saying that "trench dug North juvenile appointed switch for security reasons that the region along with the open desert province of Anbar."

And on the three American soldiers abducted in Iraq since the Saturday before last, the newspaper said that the (city) General David Petrios commander of the American forces in Iraq disclosed yesterday in the knowledge that the identity of the abducted, "We know who is the (hijacker), that it is linked to Al-Qaida, He added that at least two of the three soldiers, still alive. "

Pay attention to the majority of Saudi newspapers difference between Democrats and the White House said that the Democrats now appeared ready to abandon their insistence on the inclusion of a timetable for withdrawing its forces from Iraq in a step that might lead to resolving the confrontation with President George Bush in this regard.

The democratic leaders in the Congress are working with assistants Bush is putting the finishing touches on the final text that Sersalouna this week to meet with the President after weeks on continued strategy to continue the war in Iraq.

Congress sources said that the text would probably entail the deadline for the withdrawal of troops, and that the text which finances the war until the end of September Bush will submit reports on the progress of the Iraqi government at both the security and political.

Newspapers said that Bush reiterated his confidence in Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki amid frustration from the possibility of progress in Iraq. It quoted a spokesman Tony Fratto American presidency that Bush contacted Palmaliki yesterday to mark the first anniversary of the assumption of the presidency of the government and affirmed its support for him.

ش ع - م ع

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

Maliki urges Iraqis to help security forces

Wednesday, May 23, 2007 07:04 GMT

In a televised speech marking his first year in office, Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki displayed his government’s major achievements, confirming that the project of Iraq reconstruction is long and is faced by major challenges and difficulties. Al Maliki warned Iraqis that the struggle to reach freedom is long and hard, saying that Iraqis have paid the price to end dictatorship. He stressed that the national reconciliation is the strongest arm to fight terrorism which has not excluded women, children nor sanctuaries.






Al Maliki confirmed that he will give the chance for those who lay down weapons voluntarily, saying Iraq’s security and instability would negatively affect the region. Prime Minister Al Maliki threatened to pursue internal parties for supporting terrorists.
Moreover, he called on Iraqis to help and cooperate with security Forces, saying that arming and training security elements is ongoing in order to take over the country’s security.
In the same context, Al Maliki praised regional and international relations that the government established during its first year in office. He evoked as well the conferences and summits in which Iraq took part, confirming it will favorably affect the economy and investment.
Back

© 2007 Alsumaria Iraqi Satellite Network

Last September, Susie reported rumors that indicated a revaluation to .98
of the euro was imminent. Those rumors were later corroborated by other
sources.

In retrospect think how much stronger our position is now than it was then.
Since September:

a. The FIL has been enacted and passed unanimously by Parliament;

b. The International Compact was finished earlier this month;

c. Approximately 10,600,000,000,000 in dinars have been taken out of
circulation;

d. Approximately $140,000,000,000 in debt has reportedly been forgiven;

e. The HCL has been enacted and is poised to be passed by Parliament
any day now;

f. The ISX is about to go electronic in early June and to quintuple its
trading sessions per week;

g. Anbar Province has largely been pacified and Al Qaeda is now dislodged
and clearly on the run there;

h. There was a traffic jam in the Mansour District of Baghdad a couple
weeks ago - owing to an overthrow crowd at an amusement park there;

i. The Democrats have been defeated in their attempt to have us
surrender;

j. A Norweigian oil company is going to start pumping oil in the Kurdish
region of Iraq in June (next month);

k. A $3,000,000,000 airport is planned for Karbala;

l. Currency support for the dinar has risen from approximately $11 billion
to $21 billion, which does not count Iraq's gold backup in Switzerland;

m. Saddam Hussein was executed and is not coming back;

n. A budget was passed and finalized for 2007;

o. Shabibi has the exchange rate down to 1259; and

p. Iraq is about to be admitted into the WTO.

My bottom-line point is that if .98 of the euro was possible in September, 2006, in light of the above progress it surely is possible, and I would say probable, now.

Iran, Iraq coordinating in OPEC to control price of oil: Iraqi minister

Tehran Times Political Desk
TEHRAN - There is continuous coordination between Iran and Iraq in OPEC to control the price of oil, Iraqi Oil Minister Hussein Shahristani said in an interview with the Mehr News Agency on Tuesday.

There is a satisfactory level of cooperation in the field of oil between the neighboring Muslim countries of Iran and Iraq, both of which enjoy rich petroleum reserves, Shahristani added.

“Iranians are interested in importing Iraqi petroleum for the Abadan petroleum refinery, and they have also asked us to supply the Kermanshah refinery,” he noted.

“Importing (Iranian) oil products is another important issue in the two countries’ relations. Iraq is currently importing oil products, and some Iranian corporations have inked oil products sales agreements with us,” the Iraqi oil minister said, adding that this would continue until Iraq builds new refineries and becomes self-sufficient. In answer to a question regarding the U.S. reaction to the increasing Iran-Iraq cooperation, he stated, “So far, no one has contacted me to ask me to explain our relations with Iran or any other country, and even if someone tries to do so, as a sovereign state, we do not feel compelled to explain our relations with other countries to a third party.”

Shahristani rejected the claims of a leaked draft of a U.S. Congressional report that said Iraqi oil is currently being smuggled as false and said that the highest level of oil smuggling in recent times occurred during the 2003-2004 period when the United States was controlling Iraq’s oil transactions.

India to seek oilfields from Iraq



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New Delhi, May 23: India will seek oilfields from Iraq in lieu of helping the war-ravaged nation rebuild its refineries when Iraq's Oil Minister Hussein Al-Shahristani visits India this week.
"Al-Shahristani is coming on a four-day visit. We have a joint working group (JWG) meeting on Friday where host of bilateral issues will be discussed," Petroleum Minister Murli Deora said.

New Delhi is keen on starting work on onshore block 8, that was awarded to ONGC Videsh ltd, the overseas arm of Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC), by the deposed Saddam Hussein regime.

It also wants the US-back government in Iraq to honour award of Tuba oilfield to a consortium of OVL, Reliance Industries and Sonatrach of Algeria.

The consortium had been short listed by the Saddam Hussein regime before US invasion of Iraq.

"They want our help in building refineries," Deora said. "When I met Al-Shahristani in Riyadh earlier this month, he wanted Indian companies to build a 8-10 million tonne refinery (in the war-torn country)."

Iraq has proved oil reserves of 112 billion barrels, second only to world's largest oil nation Saudi Arabia. Although Iraq has a capacity to process 630,000 barrels of crude a day, it currently produces 477,000 barrels of refined products a day while consumption is 544,000 barrels a day.

"Oil fields, refineries and other energy projects will be discussed during the meeting," he said.

Indian Oil Corp (IOC) and Engineers India Ltd can also be involved in revamping Iraq's old refineries and building pipelines.

Iraq is expected to enact an oil law by may-end that would allow its various regions to negotiate oilfield contracts with foreign investors.

Iraq has eight refineries, none of which were damaged during the US-led invasion in 2003 but they are operating at only 50-75 per cent of capacity.

-Agencies

Krokregedd his country's willingness to negotiate with groups that wish

(صوت العراق) - 23-05-2007

(Voice of Iraq) - 23-05-2007

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Krokregedd his country's willingness to negotiate with groups that wish to join the political process

Baghdad-Iraq votes

By Hadi Hadi

Crocker new American ambassador in Baghdad, Wednesday, the United States is willing to negotiate with armed groups willing to join the political process in Iraq as part of a national reconciliation exception of al-Qaeda.

".

Crocker said in a special limited number of Iraqi mass media in the American embassy in Baghdad on Wednesday that "when American officials in Iraq ready to negotiate with the armed groups that wish to join the political process within the project of national reconciliation."

".

Excluding the "Al-Qaeda in Iraq from the negotiations."
He added "there are senior officials in the Iraqi government are assisting us in the process of communication with those groups."
He pointed out that "the choice of armed participation in the political process is left to those groups."
Crocker revealed that "there is a trend of the clans in the regions Ghraib to chase down Al Qaeda elements out of the area and join the clan of the political process."
He said, "The American officials adults who recently visited Iraq as Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Minister Robert Gates and a number of deputies of the United States Senate focused on the theme of reconciliation and the oil, and the issue of de-Baathification, and the amendment of the constitution."

"

He described Crockerkhtwat implementation of the draft national reconciliation Balbottieh and said, "the coming weeks and months an opportunity to activate the national reconciliation although it is not easy."
In reply to a question about the American-Iranian dialogue to be held late this month in Baghdad said Crocker "dialogue Sektasrali Iraqi affair only, and the Iraqi government will participate in the dialogue."
He added Crocker "We heard from Iraq's neighbors during the Sharm El-Sheikh conference on the support of the Iraqi government, and we want the implementation of policy support on the ground."

"

Crocker called on Iran to "implement Matcol expressions of support and the support of the Iraqi government, to stop supporting armed groups and supplying them with arms."

"

He said that "the lack of stability in Iraq will affect the region."

"

With regard to Iranian diplomats who detained the American forces in Iraq, Crocker said "there are any deal with Iran to release them, and there are arrangements for visits by the Red Cross."
The American forces had raided on the 11th of January last January, the Office of Iranian Relations Iraqi city of Arbil, which lies 350 kilometers north of the capital Baghdad, and detained six of its employees Iranians and confiscated documents and computer equipment. However, speaking on behalf of the American Ministry of Defense denied that the targeted building was the headquarters of an Iranian enjoys diplomatic immunity. American forces launched later released one of the Iranians, but are still holding the other five.

"

On the other hand, new American ambassador to the USA to support Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, said "open support of the owners and Unending."

"

He added, "the current phase of delicate and sensitive, and the required support and help the government valuable political process and security"

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

Minister of the Kurdistan civil society receives Iraqi delegation Institute

(صوت العراق) - 23-05-2007

(Voice of Iraq) - 23-05-2007

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Minister of the Kurdistan civil society receives Iraqi delegation Institute in Washington

Minister of Territory for civil society George Mansour, in his office in Arbil, a delegation from the Iraqi Institute in Washington, composed of the chairman of the Institute Haitham bono and Project Manager Salwa al.

The two sides discussed about the importance of the activation of civil society in Kurdistan and Iraq at influencing political decision for the benefit of society, especially some constitutional articles on women and personal status law. The two sides agreed to continue joint coordination to push the process of building civil society and spreading the culture of democracy and tolerance in Iraqi society.

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