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

Sadrists Question PM's List for New Ministers
Seven Nominees Submitted; Reshuffle Could Cover 15 Portfolios
Posted 4 hr. 19 min. ago
The Maliki government’s first list of candidates in a long-awaited cabinet reshuffle has been received by the Parliament, according to reports in the Arabic-language media.
However, the Sadrist bloc has signaled its opposition to the many of the nominations, on the grounds that some of the candidates are too closely tied to political formations.
When the Sadrist bloc, loyal to the young Shi'a cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, withdrew its six ministers from the cabinet last month, they demanded that Maliki appoint “independent technocrats” in their place.

The government circulated a first list of seven names today. Al-Melaf reports in Arabic that the nominees include:

Dr Meyada abd al-Kadhim al-Hujami, nominee to head the Ministry of Civil Society
Dr. Sabir al-'Esawi, nominee to head the Ministry of Agriculture
Ahmad Habib al-'Abbas, Ministry of Justice
Dr. Zuhair al-Shurba, Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
Dr. Adnan abd al-'Unouz, Ministry of Health
Sami al-'Askari, Ministry of Transport
Dr. Rafi' Shabr, Ministry of State for Provincial Affairs

These seven positions include the six vacated by the Sadrist current last month, along with the Ministry of Justice, from which MP Hazim al-Shibli resigned at the end of March.
Aswat al-Iraq ran a similar list in Arabic, noting that its source inside the Iraqi government pointed out that several of the candidates “are not independents,” and expected the Sadrist bloc to object to some of the candidates.
Al-'Askari, candidate to oversee the Ministry of Transport, is an MP with the governing United Iraqi Alliance. He is considered a close aide to Prime Minister Maliki.
The rest are not members of Parliament.
Sabir al-'Esawi, nominee for the Ministry of Agriculture, is the mayor of Baghdad and close to the SCIRI party, Reuters reports. SCIRI is the largest party in the governing United Iraqi Alliance.
A senior Sadrist official who saw the proposed list of candidates called on Maliki to change the nominees, Reuters reports.
"We are still committed to the decision of Sayyid Moqtada (al-Sadr) to accept our ministers be replaced by independent and competent ministers," a senior official in the Sadrist bloc told Reuters, using a common honorific title for the cleric.
"But the names we saw today were absolutely not like that. He (Maliki) needs to change them." The official requested anonymity.
Under the Iraqi constitution, cabinet positions must be approved by a vote of the Parliament.
The Sadrist bloc holds 30 seats in the 275-member body.
The Sadrist movement claimed that they had abandoned the Maliki government in order to isolate the prime minister for not backing a demand for a withdrawal timetable for US forces. However, it also came to light that the bloc had earlier advanced a list of names to Maliki for consideration in a cabinet reshuffle and that those names were not accepted.
The Kuwaiti daily al-Watan reports that the reshuffle could ultimately cover as many as 15 ministerial portfolios, not including the controversial security portfolios of the Interior and Defense ministries.
A source close to the PM’s office told al-Watan that Maliki is discussing with his aides the files of approximately 30 potential candidates, next Wednesday is his deadline for advancing the list to the Parliament. Presumably this list of thirty extends to positions other than the six for which candidates were nominated above.
Al-Watan’s sources suggest that recent meetings between Maliki and Iraqi president Jalal Talabani and a controversial meeting with with Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hasheimi indicate that some positions held by Tawafuq and the Kurdish blocs could be involved in the shuffle.
Al-Watan’s sources speculate that the reshuffle may also include the ministries of culture, municipalities, human rights, housing and construction, sports and youth, as well as the possible creation of a new “ministry of state for the presidency of the republic,” for which Nasir al-'Ani, a leader in the Islamic Party, may be the first candidate.
The Islamic Party is one of the three parties that form the Tawafuq Front in the Iraqi Parliament.
Al-Watan’s sources also expect some movement to shuffle employees at some ministries in the name of establishing balance in civilian positions in the security apparatus.
Maliki first stated that he was preparing a cabinet realignment in an early March interview with the Associated Press. Since then, the reshuffle has been proclaimed imminent several times, but this is the first time that the PM has circulated a list of names to the Parliament.
Even so, the opposition of the Sadrist bloc may create serious problems for the PM’s candidates.
"It may not be a smooth vote," said an MP with the ruling United Iraqi Alliance, Reuters reports.

Smackdown
Former Bush Admin Official Speaks Impeachment
Wilkerson: Bush's "Crimes" Make Clinton's "Peccadilloes" "Pale in Comparison"
WASHINGTON - JUNE 26: Lawrence Wilkerson, former Chief of Staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell, testifies during a hearing on pre-war intelligence relating to the 2003 invasion of Iraq on Capitol Hill June 26, 2006.
Larry Wilkerson, an aide to former Secretary of State Colin Powell, said in a radio interview on Thursday that the "high crimes and misdemeanors" of the Bush Administration make the offenses for which President Bill Clinton was impeached "pale in comparison."
Speaking in an interview to NPR's On Point, Wilkerson said: "The language in that article, the language in those two or three lines about impeachment is nice and precise -– it's high crimes and misdemeanors. You compare Bill Clinton's peccadilloes for which he was impeached to George Bush's high crimes and misdemeanors or Dick Cheney's high crimes and misdemeanors, and I think they pale in significance."
Wilkerson is a Retired Army Colonel, Chief of Staff under Secretary of State Colin Powell from 2002 to 2005, Vietnam War veteran, former Acting Director of the Marine Corps War College at Quantico, and currently a teacher of national security at William and Mary College.
Wilkerson has previously described Powell's presentation to the United Nations as "the lowest point in my life."

10 May, 2007

Iraq’s Embassy in Kuala Lumpur Announces Two Tenders

The embassy of the Republic of Iraq in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, announces two tenders for two construction project: one for a residence for the Iraqi ambassador in Putrajaya, Malaysia, and, the other, for a building for the Iraqi embassy in Putrajaya, too.

The following are the texts of both tender announcements:

Announcement for Tender No. 2-1-6-A/2007

Construction of Iraqi Embassy Building in Putrajaya, Malaysia

1. The Iraqi Embassy invites construction companies and contractors to participate in tender (2-1-6-A/2007) for the construction of the Iraqi Ambassador’s residence in Putrajaya (Malaysia).

The full set of tender documents (designs and other related information) can be obtained from the Embassy of the Republic of Iraq at: No 2 Jalan Langgak Golf, off Jalan Tun Razak, 5500 Kuala Lumpur, against an unrefundable sum of $ 250.

2. Closing date to accept offers shall be Wednesday, 11/6/2007

3. The Embassy of Iraq reserves the right to accept or decline offers without assigning any reason thereof.

4. Cost of this advertisement shall be borne by the best bidder

5. For further information, bidders can directly contact the Iraqi Embassy on the following address :

E- mail: [email protected]

Phone: 21480555- 21480721

Fax: 21414331

Request for Proposal

Construction of Iraqi Ambassador Residence in Putrajaya

1. The Iraqi Embassy invites construction companies, and contractors participate in tender ( 2-1-6-B/2007 ) for the construction of the Iraqi Ambassador Residence in putrajaya .

Full set of tender documents ( designs and other related information ) can be obtained from Embassy of Republic of Iraq at/No 2 Jalan Langgak Golf, off Jalan Tun Razak, 5500 Kuala Lumpur, against (250 $) un refundable fair.

2. Closing date to accept offers shall be on Wednesday 11/6/2007

3. Embassy of Iraq reserves the right to accept or reject offer without assigning any reason thereof.

4. Cost of this advertisement shall be bared by the best bidder

5. For further information, bidders can directly contact the Iraqi Embassy on the following address :

e- mail /[email protected]

phone/ 21480555- 21480721

Fax / 21414331

May, 2007

Russian Foreign Minister Calls up FM Zebari

The Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation, Mr. Serge Lavrov, called up on 8 May Mr. Hoshyar Zebari, Minister of Foreign Affairs. Mr. Lavrov congratulated Mr. Zebari over the success of Sharm El-Shaikh Conference for Iraq’s Neighboring Countries and the Foreign Ministry’s effective role in bringing about this international gathering. He also expressed Moscow’s preparedness to support and pursue resolutions of the conference and to back up the technical working groups. The two sides underlined the importance of activating the joint Iraqi-Russian Commission in the near future. Mr. Lavrov extended to Mr. Zebari an invitation for a visit to Moscow, an invitation that was accepted in principle.

8 May, 2007

Foreign Undersecretary Receives German Ambassador to Iraq

Mr. Labeed Abbawi, the Ministry Undersecretary for Policy Planning and Bilateral Relations, received on 8 May Mr. Martin Kobler, the German ambassador to Iraq.

Mr. Kobler handed Mr. Abbawi a note from the German Foreign Ministry confirming its readiness to train 12 of the Ministry staff members.

Mr. Abbawi thanked the German Foreign Ministry’s offer, stressing the need for this training course to make the Iraqi diplomats acquainted with the German expertise in fields of diplomatic rehabilitation and diplomat training.

TRACKING THE SURGE

APRIL 30, 2007

- Viewing trends through the month of April, it is possible to be a bit more specific now about what
is working and what is not working with the surge-based strategy so far. That said, it must be underscored that with
only 3 of the 5 additional planned U.S. brigades in place, and only about half of all "joint security stations"
established throughout Iraq's neighborhoods, results must be viewed as provisional.
On the positive side, extrajudicial killings are down substantially in Iraq, with official US data showing a 2/3
reduction relative to January levels. This reflects a broader reality--much of the civil warfare that characterized Iraq
in 2006 has been suppressed, at least temporarily. This is largely due to the willingness of the major Shia militias,
including the Mahdi Army of Moqtada al-Sadr, to lie low for the time being. However any such restraint may prove
just temporary.
There are some additional good signs. Most notably, the willingness of Sunni tribal leaders in al-Anbar province to
collaborate with each other as well as U.S. and Iraqi authorities in opposing al-Qaeda in that region has been very
heartening. Correspondingly, violence is down in the region, with reported daily attack rates in and around Ramadi
declining from 25 to just 4 over recent weeks.
That said, on balance it is hard to view the surge as a success to date. Two major problems stand out. As a result
of these two unfavorable trends, many derivative problems and challenges remain largely intractable to date.
The first major enduring problem is the continued resilience of al Qaeda and related terrorist elements. Their use of
vehicle bombs and vest bombs has been sufficiently extensive that overall fatality rates in Iraq have not declined
since the surge began, at least according to the best available data. A corollary of this fact is that the Shia in Iraq
are suffering a disproportionately high share of the casualties at present. (Not all bombings are aimed at them, but
many are, and with the Shia militias showing restraint in their extrajudicial killings, the dominant form of violence is
in fact affecting Shia the most.)
Second, Iraqi political compromise remains very limited. All American officials including General David Petraeus
underscore the degree to which the surge cannot succeed based on a narrow military logic. At best, it can create
political space for compromise that has often proved elusive during Iraq's periods of most intensive violence.
Unfortunately, there is little sign of progress along such lines to date. While the hydrocarbon law that would ensure
fair sharing of oil revenues among all Iraqis has made some progress in its journey through parliament, little has
happened over the last month, and the bill is still far from becoming law. Other areas where reconciliation and
compromise are needed, such as reforming the de-Baathification process to allow lower-level Baathists to rejoin
public life and compete again for jobs, are not showing much progress.
As the Pentagon's special investigator has just confirmed in his latest quarterly report, Iraq's economy remains
mediocre at best. The combination of oil revenue and foreign aid, together with last year's wise reforms of overly
generous consumer subsidies, mean that federal coffers are in good shape. But even if there is money to spend, it
is not being spent, and certainly not being spent well. A combination of violence, corruption, and federal
interference in the efficient flow of some funds straight to provincial governments is impeding progress.
Utility performance remains stuck around Saddam Hussein levels at best, for most things (besides telephone and
internet access, which are way up). Schools are not functioning well and health infrastructure is in even worse
shape. Unemployment remains mired in the 30+ percent range. None of this is surprising in light of the security
picture, but it is disheartening nonetheless.
On balance, the picture in Iraq has some signs of hope, but continues to present more grounds for worry than for
confidence. Unless things improve steadily and substantially in the coming months, it will be hard to believe that

the new surge-based strategy can succeed.
http://www.brookings.edu/fp/saban/iraq/index.pdf

TELEPHONE SUBSCRIBERS

106

Time Telephone subscribers
Estimated prewar level 833,000
September 600,000
December 600,000
January 2004 600,000
February 900,000
March 984,225
April 1,095,000
May 1,220,000
June 1,200,000
July N/A
August 1,463,148
September 1,579,457
October 1,753,000
November 2,135,000
December 2,152,000
January 2005 2,449,139
February 2,569,110
March 2,982,115
April 3,172,771
May ~3,450,000
June 3,801,822
July ~4,100,000
August 4,590,398
March 2006 6,836,854
April ~7,400,000
August ~8,100,000
September ~8,200,000
October ~8,200,000
November ~8,500,000
December ~9,800,000
January 2007 ~9,800,000
Previous goal (Jan. 2004) 1,100,000
NOTE ON TELEPHONE SUBSCRIBERS TABLE:

The estimated pre-war level represents only land telephone lines, as Iraq had no nationwide
cellular network. Post-war data includes landlines and cellular subscribers. Since landline subscribers have held fairly steady at 800,000-1,000,000 since July

2004, cellular subscribers make up the overwhelming majority of post-war telephone subscribers.

POLLING/POLITICS

IRAQ: WHERE THINGS STAND 2007

113

Conducted by D3 Systems for the BBC, ABC News, ARD German TV and USA Today
(2,212 Iraqi adults from throughout the country were interviewed)

QUESTION: WHAT IN YOUR OPINION IS THE SINGLE BIGGEST PROBLEM FACING IRAQ AS A WHOLE?

26%
9%
12%
1%
53%

Security Issues
Political/Military Issues
Economic Issues
Social Issues
Personal Issues

QUESTION: HOW WOULD YOU SAY THINGS ARE GOING IN IRAQ OVERALL THESE DAYS?
Very Good Quite Good Quite Bad Very Bad
OVERALL 4% 31% 35% 31%
Detail:
Shia 4% 46% 32% 18%
Sunni 1% 4% 40% 55%

Kurd 11% 46% 30% 13%

Electronic Banking and FIL
Expected qualitative leap for the shares after the adoption of the Iraqi circulation

Sign quantum leap to the Iraqi shares after the adoption of electronic trading on the Stock Exchange
بغداد - عادل مهدي الحياة - 11/05/07//BAGHDAD - Adel Mahdi life-11 / 05 / 07 / /

Investors on the Stock Exchange is expected to deposit the Iraqi «Iraq market for securities» during the coming period a circulation count adopted since it was established nearly 15 years after the arrival of equipment, hardware and electronic systems, which contracted with the company around «or mother VX» Swedish specialized, that had already undertaken similar projects in more than thirty Arab and international bourse.

The President of the Board of Trustees of the Stock Exchange student Tabatabai told «life» that the transition from manual trading system to electronic trading is a quantum leap in performance distinct «Iraq market for securities», where is expected to witness the next stage in order for investment activity as consistent with the desire and aspiration of more than a million citizens are active in the sector shares.

He added that the introduction of electronic circulation coincides with the decision «body securities» allowed by non-Iraqis circulation in the Iraqi Stock Exchange, starting the first of June next (June), according to the Investment Law No. 13 of 2006 which everyone looks to the activated form, which helps to overcome all obstacles that prevent expansion of the Arab and foreign investment in Iraq.

».Pointing out that the circulation of non-Iraqis in equities and bonds in the bourse Iraqi «is a step in the right direction that achieves a rise in stock prices, after a slump in the value significantly in the last year».

He explained that the number of meetings circulation of two currently in the week, to ten morning and afternoon sessions, in addition to doubling the volume of circulation rocketed, will have a large return for the investment sector in Iraq. Tabatabai and expect that the outcome of this qualitative leap of shares in the bourse, the Iraqi economic value different from previous phases, as in other countries.

The AOCS «IBM» American computer under the supervision of the company «or mother VX» Swedish engineers and training for all staff and stockbrokers Iraqis in the Jordanian capital, Amman, on electronic trading and the central depository, in addition to the completion of the internal linkage with the offices of such intermediaries, room equipped with electronic circulation in the bourse. according to the latest global designs.

this one is similar
Expected qualitative leap for the shares after the adoption of the Iraqi circulation

(7(Voice of Iraq) - 11-05-2007


quantum leap to the Iraqi shares after the adoption of electronic trading on the Stock Exchange
- 11/05/07//BAGHDAD - Adel Mahdi life-11 / 05 / 07 / /

.Investors on the Stock Exchange is expected to deposit the Iraqi «Iraq market for securities» during the coming period a circulation count adopted since it was established nearly 15 years after the arrival of equipment, hardware and electronic systems, which contracted with the company around «or mother VX» Swedish specialized, that had already undertaken similar projects in more than thirty Arab and international bourse.

.The President of the Board of Trustees of the Stock Exchange student Tabatabai told «life» that the transition from manual trading system to electronic trading is a quantum leap in performance distinct «Iraq market for securities», where is expected to witness the next stage in order for investment activity as consistent with the desire and aspiration of more than a million citizens are active in the sector shares.

e added that the introduction of electronic circulation coincides with the decision «body securities» allowed by non-Iraqis circulation in the Iraqi Stock Exchange, starting the first of June next (June), according to the Investment Law No. 13 of 2006 which everyone looks to the activated form, which helps to overcome all obstacles that prevent expansion of the Arab and foreign investment in Iraq. ».Pointing out that the circulation of non-Iraqis in equities and bonds in the bourse Iraqi «is a step in the right direction that achieves a rise in stock prices, after a slump in the value significantly in the last year».

.He explained that the number of meetings circulation of two currently in the week, to ten morning and afternoon sessions, in addition to doubling the volume of circulation rocketed, will have a large return for the investment sector in Iraq. وتوقّع .Tabatabai and expect that the outcome of this qualitative leap of shares in the bourse, the Iraqi economic value different from previous phases, as in other countries.

.The AOCS «IBM» American computer under the supervision of the company «or mother VX» Swedish engineers and training for all staff and stockbrokers Iraqis in the Jordanian capital, Amman, on electronic trading and the central depository, in addition to the completion of the internal linkage with the offices of such intermediaries, room equipped with electronic circulation in the bourse. according to the latest global designs.




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