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

Mottaki surprised to discuss Iraq's debts and Sharm El-Sheikh

(صوت العراق) - 10-05-2007

(Voice of Iraq) - 10-05-2007

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Mottaki surprised to discuss Iraq's debt Sharm El-Sheikh and Abdullah says Iraqis know their interest

Iraqi media Observatory in Cairo

Egyptian newspaper published widespread today May 10 May 2007 dialogue with Iran's Foreign Minister on the outcome of the Sharm el-Sheikh on the security and reconstruction of Iraq, the minister criticized the "introduction of an overthrow Iraq's debts suddenly on the agenda of the conference," while The Jordanian monarch, in a separate dialogue that the Iraqis are "able to know their interest provided unite. "

..


There was no suicide bombing that targeted the Ministry of Interior Kurdistan province yesterday to cover a large area in the Egyptian press and that the combined newspaper-news-official daily images between the families of the victims who gathered to the incident and pictures of females among Iraqi women weep for the victims of bloody explosions in the city of Kufa days ago .. Transfer correspondent - official daily Al-Ahram - ANKARA for Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish Premier's statements Masoud Barzani, head of Kurdistan does not mean anything for his country. Responding to the statement of Barzani that the language of threats pursued by Turkey from time to time are no longer benefit.

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Explaining ready Kurds' constructive dialogue 'and saying' We Anhdd one .. We will not accept any threats from the one which also took him Akhbar newspaper.

"M. conducted a dialogue with Jordanian King Abdullah II, who is currently visiting Egypt, in response to a question about the escalating crisis in Iraq, the Jordanian monarch said, "The International Covenant document issued by the Sharm el-Sheikh finally constitute an important step in support of Iraq and end interference in its affairs, but stressed that the Iraqis are able to know the interest of their country, provided unite and stand against those who incite sectarian sedition, and fomenting violence and fighting. "He added that the terrorists seek to make the Arab arena for chaos and foreign interventions.

The newspaper also conducted a dialogue with Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, which values the Sharm el-Sheikh meetings and the outcome of the International Covenant and the Iraqi neighboring states .. As the meetings useful and constructive, adding that his country has had with this conference forms of self since the previous conference in terms of form and substance was not linked to these drawbacks and problems the venue of the meeting or prior to the meetings "Fortunately, these problems have been removed and the problems of substance and morphological reduced considerably, and decided to participate, and we believe that the main focus of this meeting was linked to the need to support the legitimate government in Iraq and the participation of the actors and by all States of the region and countries involved in the process to assist the Iraqi government in the political process and the reconstruction process, and support the economic infrastructure of Iraq .. Olis our interference in Iraqi internal affairs "lord to a question about the efforts of the international community in this conference and in his vision for some States to topple Iraq's debt Mottaki said," The exemption of Iraqi debt forgiveness is not linked to this effort .. Ouhinma was announced during the Sharm el-Sheikh, the World Bank and some of the financial and economic world have dropped part of the Iraqi debt, not on the agenda of this Conference on Research and topple Iraqi debt ..

"

Wantekd Mottaki, the American Secretary of the Conference and she considered it the correct information confused with another wrong, saying that his country "is a victim of terrorism, those who carried out this terrorist operation against Iran are currently living in the United States, then decide whether to bring indictments or charges were filed against supporting terrorism, they must wait .. and know which side is true that this accusation against him "



In news d wrote. Nabil Ahmed Helmi, under the title "Egyptian-American relations and to save Iraq" and after reviewing the latest developments in Iraq since the March 2003 war writer calls because everyone will be convinced that the solution to Iraq's problems must come first from inside Iraq and other nations contribute forces and multinational support this trend; grounds that "now exists in fighting Iraq must be stopped by fair and objective among all the conflicting forces must know that the Iraqi government and the extent of the problem is not a challenge between the government and terrorists, but is a challenge between the conflicting groups, and each group multiple demands, which must be reconciled to reach a cessation of hostilities and the stability and security of Iraq and then comes after the cessation of hostilities the next step is reconciliation between the factions and groups in Iraq and the multinational especially between Sunnis and Shiites and the Kurds to reach ease tension and stability to Iraq after this violent past that failed to achieve the benefit of any party, whether regional or international, "as it is the continuation of" shipping Iraqi political forces to resist the occupation of each community way " increase the use of arms as well as moving away from Iraq procedure at the present time as well as the future of Iraq and its stability. He also called for the application of the rules of international law, particularly the protection of Iraqi refugees and displaced persons.

".

The values positively launch the International Covenant Iraq Sharm el-Sheikh on May 3, 2007 he emphasizes the role of everyone in Iraq's stability and said that this conference also demonstrates that the United States of America "were on the right track in the exchange of opinion and listen to the supposed solutions to all parties through mediation, Egyptian expertise" Under the headline "Finally .. speaking on the American spy No. 1, "writes chairman of the Syrian-official daily-Mohammed Abu Hadid for a book published two weeks ago in Washington, entitled" at the heart of the storm. " George Tenet former director of the Central Intelligence Agency Alammerequihuabdastarad board book which deals lobbies decision to wage war on Iraq finds Abu Hadid, because the whole process-the war on Iraq - the representative ..

.."

The fate of the people "Iraq" .. The future of the nation "Arabs" and implicate a superpower. But the first power in the world, "America" was a prior decision and fully equipped in the pocket of an individual is President George Bush .. The motives "retaliatory pointing at the end of the recent difficulties experienced by Americans in Iraq now, and the progress of the political scene in Washington controversy and divisions on the same matter.

"In Almasry Alyoum-independent daily-known media criticized unique Alhoubashi statement Zirhalforeigh American Condoleeza Rice during the Sharm El-Sheikh conference on Iraq, notably last quoted as saying that "the multinational forces in Iraq and the international mandate at the request of the Iraqi government .. "The writer went on to review the impacts of the American war on Iraq through the years four years and touched on the problem of Iraqi refugees in particular, "did not rule out that Rice ask us to the next phase in the settling of refugees as Iraqis are now seeking and Israel to prevent the implementation of international legitimacy resolutions, including the decision to the return of Palestinian refugees, has« Topkhana »Rice, the current Rice or any other, because we do not enjoy« hospitality », The distributed approach, America and Israel committees to expel Arabs from their homes and Arabs surrounding Istoabounam, then «Yotannounam» impressed thing is that the United States does not believe that there is stability with occupation, and we must grasp nervously even disappear this dark cloud! "

In the same newspaper described Antar Farhat visit Dick Cheney American Vice-President for the Middle East and Iraq yesterday as a "final attempt to save" referring to the visit centered on the objectives of stability in Iraq and besieging Iran, "The visit aims on the other hand, to attract Arab support for the American efforts to contain the growing Iranian influence in Iraq on the one hand, To counter the risks the Iranian nuclear program after all diplomatic efforts have failed so far in the course of Tehran to stop uranium enrichment, also sought to emphasize the Arabs the United States commitment to the strict approach towards Iran. The aim of Cheney's visit to Saudi Arabia and his talks with officials expected in Riyadh to remove existing tension between the two countries since provided against the backdrop of fears Saudi exacerbate sectarian violence by the Shiites against Sunnis and threatening to intervene to protect the year, after having described the Saudi monarch, the American forces in Iraq as a «illegal occupation» calling departs. "

URL : المرصد الإعلامي العراقي بالقاهرة: متكي مندهش من مناقشة ديون العراق بشرم الشيخ وعبدالله يقول العراقيين يعرÙ�ون مصلØ*تهم

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

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The House of Representatives on Thursday passed a $96 billion war spending measure, despite a veto threat from President Bush.
The bill, passed 221-205, would send the Pentagon about $40 billion up front to fund U.S. combat operations into July.
Additional funding would be dependent upon progress in the four-year-old war, based on a review of how well the Iraqi government was meeting a series of benchmarks.
Earlier, Democrats narrowly beat back a Republican amendment that would have lifted the restrictions in the bill. Rep. John Murtha, a leading critic of the war, said the amendment would have removed any leverage the bill would give the United States over the shaky Iraqi government.
"We've got to put some pressure on them," said Murtha, D-Pennsylvania. He added, "Every time Iraqis don't do something, Americans are put in the killing zone."
Republicans, however, called the plan ill-conceived. House Minority Leader John Boehner accused Democrats of pushing a bill that would "bring failure in Iraq."
"The president of the United States has made it clear that he will veto this bill. The Senate leaders, Democrat and Republican, have made it clear that this plan has no chance in the other chamber," said Boehner, R-Ohio. "Yet here we are, playing political games while our troops are fighting for our freedom and our safety in Iraq."
Unlike the bill Bush vetoed on May 1, this measure sets no timetables. Earlier Thursday, the House voted down a Democratic proposal to withdraw U.S. combat troops from Iraq within 180 days.
The war funding measure will now be sent to the Senate, where Republican and Democratic leaders have been trying to work out a compromise with the White House. Bush on Thursday vowed to veto any bill with "haphazard" funding.
"The idea that the House of Representatives put forward is one that we will fund our troops by piecemeal," he said.
The administration has said it wants to see a bill that funds the war through September, the end of the budget year.
The additional troops requested by Gen. David Petraeus, commander of U.S. troops in Iraq, won't be in place until the middle of June, when the fifth and last brigade arrives. Three additional American brigades, totaling about 12,000 troops, have taken up positions and are conducting operations. The fourth American brigade of reinforcements just entered Baghdad and its surrounding towns, Bush said.
"My message to the members of Congress is, 'Whatever your beliefs may be, let's make sure our troops get funded. And let's make sure politicians don't tell our commanders how to conduct operations. Let's don't hamstring our people in the field.' That's my message," the president said.
Bush open to benchmarks

The new bill sets a series of standards for Iraq's fledgling government to meet in order to receive continued American support. Bush said Thursday that he thinks setting benchmarks would be a good way to evaluate progress in Iraq.
The president said he has asked his chief of staff, Josh Bolten, to find common ground with Republicans and Democrats in Congress on benchmarks.
The president made his remarks after a meeting at the Pentagon with Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Peter Pace and Joint Chiefs members.
In the past, the Bush administration has opposed timetables with consequences attached.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, welcomed the president's willingness to set benchmarks, but added that "simple benchmarks without any consequences" would not be enough.
"In addition to fully funding the troops, Congress believes the best way to change course in Iraq is to redeploy our forces from Iraq; refocus the mission of the remaining forces on security, training and counterterror operations; launch a diplomatic, economic and political offensive; and hold Iraq accountable, including meaningful benchmarks for the Iraqi government and security forces -- and consequences if they do not," he said in a written statement.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, echoed Reid in a written response to Bush's remarks.
"The president has long said he supports benchmarks; what he fails to accept is accountability for failing to meet those benchmarks. Benchmarks without consequences and enforcement are meaningless, a blank check," the statement said.
The Bush administration has asked for more than $95 billion to pay for the costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, most of which would go to Iraq.
Bush, GOP lawmakers hold 'candid' talk about Iraq

The president's remarks about benchmarks come two days after he and other high-level administration officials met with a group of 11 GOP lawmakers to talk about their frustrations with the war in Iraq and its possible political ramifications.
White House spokesman Tony Snow, who attended the meeting, said that while "there were a wide range of views" expressed, not all of the participants lashed out at Bush. He also cautioned against elevating the significance of the meeting, noting that Bush has numerous meetings with lawmakers in both parties.
One source who attended the meeting, which was first reported by NBC News, said lawmakers "were candid and frank and said they needed results by September because their constituents were worried," although the source said the sentiment was no different than what Republicans have been saying in public and during previous White House meetings.
Rep. Mark Kirk, R-Illinois, told Bush that without positive results soon in Iraq, his district will be prepared for defeat, the source said.
A senior GOP lawmaker told CNN that Boehner brought the members down to "speak directly with the president" and the "members were matter-of-fact about what they said to him."
Administration officials at the meeting included Bush, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and the president's chief political adviser, Karl Rove.

House passes new war funding measure - CNN.com

Understanding that 'Iraq is at the centre of a stable Middle East'

(MENAFN - Jordan Times) Michael Jansen

On Tuesday The New York Times carried an allegorical article by Kirk Semple from the village of Juwayba in Iraq. He tells the story of Sheikh Ahmed Mousa Khalaf Al Dulaimi, a 74-year-old Sunni tribal elder turfed out of his villa in January by the US army which turned his home into military barracks and his garden of fruit trees and flowers into a rutted ruin of mud or dust, depending on the season.

While US soldiers settled into most of the house, smashing windows and replacing them with sandbags, Shiite troops took up residence in the diwan. Dulaimi sent his family to nearby Fallujah where they rented a flat, and moved in with his son across the road from the grand 11-room villa where he had previously lived and received friends in style.

He began construction on it in 1991, in the wake of the first Bush war on Iraq, and work was almost completed when the second Bush invaded and occupied the country in 2003. The sheikh is paid a paltry $2,000 annual rent for the property but is demanding $40,000 for stolen or destroyed furniture.

What will he need to put his house to rights after the troops leave? Semple says nothing about that. He quotes Dulaimi as saying: "It's not just my house. They have taken Iraq. They have taken everything� [They] destroyed everything in Iraq."

Before they leave, Dulaimi insists they have to "fix the situation". To accomplish this impossible task, the Bush administration now realises the US needs help from Iraq's neighbours, the UN and the international community. This is why the ministerial conference was convened last week at Sharm El Sheikh, the luxurious Egptian resort of last resort.

At this conference, delegates from 60-odd countries agreed on a UN-sponsored International Compact with Iraq. This document calls upon governments to help Iraq end the insurgency and civil strife and provide debt relief. In exchange, Iraq must implement "benchmarks" which would promote reconciliation between the Shiite fundamentalists who run the show and disaffected Sunnis, secularists, Christians, Turkomen and non-fundamentalist Shiites.

The Arabs, in particular, are impatient because the "benchmarks" have been on the agenda of the government of Prime Minister Nouri Maliki since it was formed last May. The Arabs want Maliki to begin implementation now, while the US takes the view that he can carry out these obligations only when the ongoing US-led pacification campaign achieves progress.

The Arabs rightly argue that opponents of the occupation and US-backed regime will not lay down their arms if the government does not amend the flawed constitution, adopt a reasonable hydrocarbon law safeguarding Iraq's oil reserves and providing for just revenue sharing, halt de-Baathification, dissolve Shiite militias and spend accumulated revenues on reconstruction.

In the aftermath of the Sharm El Sheikh conference, Iraqi Vice President Tariq Al Hashimi, head of the Iraqi Islamic Party and the senior Sunni in the government, added his voice to the Arab call for implementation of the "benchmarks". He threatened to pull his 44-member bloc out of the government by May 15 if the required amendments are not made to the constitution. He insists, in particular, that the provision permitting Shiites to form a super-Shiite autonomous region in the south, comparable to the Kurdish autonomous region in the north, should be abrogated. He fears that retaining this provision could permit the division of Iraq into Kurdish, Sunni and Shiite statelets and lead to the dissolution of the country.

Hashimi revealed that he turned down an invitation to the White House until the US decides to exert real pressure on the Maliki government to deliver.

Hashimi's withdrawal could lead to a pullout by the Iraqi National Party (Iraqiya), led by Iyad Allawi, with 25 seats and the National Dialogue Front with 11. This would deprive the Shiite fundamentalist dominated government of its claim to be a "national unity government" and destroy prospects for reconciliation.

Hashimi launched this challenge to the Bush administration as Vice President Dick Cheney was about to embark on visits to Amman, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh and Cairo to drum up support for US policy in Iraq. It is curious that the administration should decide to dispatch Cheney on such a mission, for he was a main architect of the disastrous Iraq war. Ideologue Cheney also heads a power centre competing with the so-called "realist" group, led by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice who attended the Sharm El Sheikh event.

Analysts wonder if Cheney is being sent to tell Arab leaders that the administration does not take seriously Rice's 25-minute meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem or friendly post-lunch exchange with Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki. Cheney is, after all, on the record as opposing such contacts. Or is Cheney saying that the administration is, in fact, trying to reconcile with Damascus and Tehran even though the effort has, so far, been on the public relations level only and has not achieved an inch of political progress with two of Iraq's neighbours who could contribute their might to stabilising the country?

Cheney's current visit reminds Arab leaders and citizens of his 2002 tours when he went to Saudi Arabia, Oman, Yemen, Kuwait, Qatar and Turkey to drum up support for the US plan for war and regime change in Iraq. The Arabs and Turks warned him then that this would destabilise Iraq and the region. But he and his boss did not listen. Ironically, on the eve of last week's Sharm El Sheikh event, Cheney's competitor, Rice said, "Iraq is at the centre of a stable Middle East or an unstable Middle East," when she appealed for backing for US and Iraqi government policies. At least she seems to have learnt something from the US disaster in Iraq.

It remains to be seen whether Cheney and his boss have. I wonder if they read the allegory of Sheikh Ahmed and understood its message

MENAFN - Middle East North Africa . Financial Network News: Understanding that 'Iraq is at the centre of a stable Middle East'

Jordan a principal partner to Iraq Baban Jordan Times - 10/05/2007</B>
function doCorpInfoSearch(corpInfoDictStr){corpInfoDictWin= window.open('/cm/?corpSelect=cName&searchType=company&corpQuery=' + corpInfoDictStr + '&cHName=' + corpInfoDictStr ,'corpInfoDictWin');corpInfoDictWin.focus(); } (MENAFN - Jordan Times) AMMAN � Iraq's Planning Minister Ali Baban Wednesday reiterated that Jordan was a principal partner to Iraq, expressing his appreciation of the Kingdom's support for his country over the past years.

In a statement to the press, Baban highlighted the strong ties between the two countries and called on Arab businessmen to seize economic opportunities available in Iraq.

In reply to a question on providing oil to Jordan, the Iraqi official said, "The problem is that of security conditions and the question of setting up a pipeline between the two countries.

"So far, there is no pipeline," Baban said as he visited the Fourth International Rebuild Iraq Conference, opened by Planning and International Cooperation Minister Suhair Al-Ali on Tuesday.

In a speech at the opening ceremony, Al-Ali confirmed Jordan's commitment to supporting Iraq and its multi-faceted reconstruction efforts.

"Efforts to reconstruct Iraq rank as a top priority within both the public and private sectors," the minister said.

"Jordan is supporting efforts to develop and accelerate economic growth and maintain stability in neighbouring Iraq", the minister said in opening the conference, held in cooperation with the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation and the American Chamber of Commerce in Jordan, with a vast participation of senior Iraqi officials and spe******ts in the reconstruction of Iraq.

The two-day event was considered a valuable opportunity to meet with prominent businessmen, decision-makers, as well as senior officials in the official Iraqi administration as well as the donor community.

Al-Ali highlighted the strong ties between the people and governments of the two countries, stressing that a stable and safe Iraq is a Jordanian-Arab priority as much as it is Iraqi.

She noted that the government and people of Jordan have historically stood by the Iraqi people in various challenges they faced.

"In response to His Majesty King Abdullah's directives, the government of Jordan has initiated several steps to achieving an increasingly lucrative investment environment that allows Jordan to fully integrate into the global economy," she said 'This, in turn serves many neighbouring countries including Iraq".

Specifically, Jordan has placed on its priority list constructing a new centre on the Karama borders, expanding and improving Aqaba Port, and creating an economic free zone on the Karama borders.

Al-Ali highlighted the Mafraq Economic Development Zone, recently launched by King Abdullah, as a key project that not only reconfirms the importance of private-public sector partnerships but also as a project that will attract various foreign investments including Iraqi investments to the area.

She underlined the important geographic location of the zone saying it will hopefully contribute to Iraqi reconstruction efforts and will ease trade flow between both countries.

Al-Ali also mentioned several projects that are being conducted by Jordan in cooperation with the government of Iraq, including several training programmes aimed at institutional capacity building and the exchange of expertise funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

To date, the programme has trained over 600 Iraqi government employees in areas of energy, health, statistics, cultural heritage, information technology, environment, water management, criminal evidence, as well as other key areas.

She underscored the importance of a memorandum of understanding aimed at exchanging expertise and knowledge in the areas of aid coordination and international cooperation, between the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation and the Iraqi Ministry of Planning and Development Cooperation in order to assist in the integration of Iraq into the international community and to assume its well deserved position on the international map.

MENAFN - Middle East North Africa . Financial Network News: Jordan a principal partner to Iraq — Baban

Originally Posted by Hkp

Intelligence sources : Sharm el-Sheikh Section Iraq into three states

(صوت العراق) - 10-05-2007

(Voice of Iraq) - 10-05-2007

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Intelligence sources Middle East were present at the meetings of Sharm el-Sheikh agreement has been practically many influential in the Iraqi issue to divide Iraq into three states in the center and a Shiite south under Iranian protection and the State of the Sunni western Iraq under the protection and guardianship Saudi state in the north to protect the Kurdish and American trusteeship Turkish interests with the Iranian because they promised heavy investment in the fledgling Kurdish state and done with the consent of American.
Intelligence sources say that the American aim of the security plan is, in fact prevent the emergence of a fourth belonging to the base, at the end of the battle with Al Qaeda will go the United States to control the oil wealth to be divided equally between the States and the nascent Iraqi armed forces and Iraqi guarantee protection.
Sources show that Iran believes in Iraq's Kurdistan great investment opportunities and promising and this reflected by the visit of the Prime Minister of Kurdistan recently to Iran.
But Turkey is the other believes in the State of Kurdistan is a great opportunity Turkey was among the first that dominated the process of building infrastructure Kurdish mega projects coming to the United States also will allow for a unitary Turkey Basstekataa Hajar be separated to prevent any attacks from the PKK in Turkey.
The sources emphasized that the heads of delegations in the Sharm El-Sheikh conference has danced to a proposal to divide Iraq, it is reality and developed for application is not impossible.

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

This is unusual It defies the public record. I guess I need more than this article to support this one.

bbbb

Originally Posted by rvalreadydang

100 million dinars to encourage farmers to cultivate olive Babylon

محمدGuinness Mesopotamia : Hilla / Amir Muhammad

.The Ministry of Agriculture allocated 100 million dinars to make grants to encourage farmers to cultivate Babylon olive trees high oil Mahmud said Moheisen Chairman of the Agricultural Council in the maintenance of the (Guinness Mesopotamia), these sums will be granted to farmers by 5 million dinars each dunum planted with olive trees that the farmer used in drip irrigation system watering olive trees, pointing out that the amount of 1 million dinars agricultural grant is not being paid back.
http://64.233.179.104/translate_c?hl.../nhr0510k.html

100 million dinars? IMO, this does not sound very good for a decent RV anytime soon. I don't know of many (if any) farmers in the world that are multi-millionaires (5 mil each). It would appear that a 1:1 would be out of the question if this takes place. Or, is this a total payout for all? Opinions?...Thoughts?

Patty

I understand what the altercation was about now... Someone in the Iraqi Parliament got SLAPPED ...check it out and read below.



An altercation in Parliament causing postponement of the meeting until Saturday
Translated version of http://www.sotaliraq.com/


Mahmoud Almchidani Spanks MP Hussein Alflogi impact altercation

Baghdad-5 - 10 : Chairman of the Iraqi Parliament slapped Dr. Mahmoud Almchidani and before the eyes of a number of parliamentarians Iraqi Deputy Iraqi (Accord Front) Hussein Alflogi impact of an altercation between the two sides.

He said one of the deputies present, who preferred to remain anonymous told (Rafidain) that the bodyguard Almchidani MP Hussein Alflogi on its result an altercation between the two sides.
The source said that there are problems between the prior Almchidani and Alflogi evolved to the extent the use of hands, noting that the case will involve different judicial.
Earlier, sources said that the press Almchidani quarreled last week with the Iraqi Minister of Defense, and the evolution of squabbling minister vowed to revenge from the Iraqi parliament speaker.

الرافدين

Rafidain

www.alrafidayn.com

Www.alrafidayn.com

Welcome to ALrafidayn: The Iraqi information service

This report is long and extensive, but has alot of Budget info for those interested....

This is the accessible text file for GAO report number GAO-07-637T
entitled 'Stabilizing Iraq: Preliminary Observations on Budget and
Management Challenges of Iraq's Security Ministries' which was released on March 22, 2007.
This is a work of the U.S. government and is not subject to copyright
protection in the United States.

(in part)...


Table 1 shows how the projected growth rate of Iraq's security budget
varies with the foreign exchange rate used to convert Iraqi dinars into
U.S. dollars. When using an appreciated exchange rate, Iraq's security
budget grows by 37 percent in 2007. The budget of MOD, which plays a
key role in conducting counterinsurgency operations, grows by 20
percent. However, when using a constant exchange rate to facilitate a
more direct comparison of the planned increases in budgeted dinars,
Iraq's security budget grows by 15 percent in 2007 to $6.2 billion
(constant exchange rate), which represents 18 percent of Iraqis total
2007 budget of $34.5 billion. Thus, the increase in Iraq's budget in
U.S. dollars is due to the actual increases in planned expenditures and
an appreciation of the currency.

Table 1: Budget Projections for Ministry of Defense and Interior, 2006-
2007 (Millions of U.S. dollars):

Ministry of Defense.

Budget Category: Salaries;
2006 (constant) exchange rate: 2006 budget: 912;
2006 (constant) exchange rate: 2007 budget: 1,201;
2006 (constant) exchange rate: Percentage change from 2006: 32%;
2007 (appreciated) exchange rate: 2007 budget: 1,429;
2007 (appreciated) exchange rate: Percentage change from 2006: 57%.

Budget Category: Goods and services; (e.g., food, uniforms, fuel,
medicine, maintenance);
2006 (constant) exchange rate: 2006 budget: 1,966;
2006 (constant) exchange rate: 2007 budget: 1,800;
2006 (constant) exchange rate: Percentage change from 2006: -8%;
2007 (appreciated) exchange rate: 2007 budget: 2,143;
2007 (appreciated) exchange rate: Percentage change from 2006: 9%.

Budget Category: Non-financial assets; (e.g, capital goods such as
weapons, ammo, vehicles);
2006 (constant) exchange rate: 2006 budget: 530;
2006 (constant) exchange rate: 2007 budget: 438;
2006 (constant) exchange rate: Percentage change from 2006: -17%;
2007 (appreciated) exchange rate: 2007 budget: 521;
2007 (appreciated) exchange rate: Percentage change from 2006: -2%.

Budget Category: Capital projects;
2006 (constant) exchange rate: 2006 budget: 33;
2006 (constant) exchange rate: 2007 budget: 40;
2006 (constant) exchange rate: Percentage change from 2006: 20%;
2007 (appreciated) exchange rate: 2007 budget: 48;
2007 (appreciated) exchange rate: Percentage change from 2006: 43%.

Budget Category: Other expenditures;
2006 (constant) exchange rate: 2006 budget: …;
2006 (constant) exchange rate: 2007 budget: …;
2006 (constant) exchange rate: Percentage change from 2006: 0%;
2007 (appreciated) exchange rate: 2007 budget: 1;
2007 (appreciated) exchange rate: Percentage change from 2006: 19%.

Budget Category: Total;
2006 (constant) exchange rate: 2006 budget: $3,442;
2006 (constant) exchange rate: 2007 budget: $3,479;
2006 (constant) exchange rate: Percentage change from 2006: 1%;
2007 (appreciated) exchange rate: 2007 budget: $4,141;
2007 (appreciated) exchange rate: Percentage change from 2006: 20%.

Ministry of Interior.

Budget Category: Salaries;
2006 (constant) exchange rate: 2006 budget: $1,465;
2006 (constant) exchange rate: 2007 budget: $2,130;
2006 (constant) exchange rate: Percentage change from 2006: 45%;
2007 (appreciated) exchange rate: 2007 budget: 2,536;
2007 (appreciated) exchange rate: Percentage change from 2006: 73%.

Budget Category: Goods and services; (e.g., food, uniforms, fuel,
medicine, maintenance);
2006 (constant) exchange rate: 2006 budget: 200;
2006 (constant) exchange rate: 2007 budget: 230;
2006 (constant) exchange rate: Percentage change from 2006: 15%;
2007 (appreciated) exchange rate: 2007 budget: 274;
2007 (appreciated) exchange rate: Percentage change from 2006: 37%.

Budget Category: Non-financial assets; (e.g, capital goods such as
weapons, ammo, vehicles);
2006 (constant) exchange rate: 2006 budget: 225;
2006 (constant) exchange rate: 2007 budget: 262;
2006 (constant) exchange rate: Percentage change from 2006: 16%;
2007 (appreciated) exchange rate: 2007 budget: 312;
2007 (appreciated) exchange rate: Percentage change from 2006: 38%.

Budget Category: Capital projects;
2006 (constant) exchange rate: 2006 budget: 27;
2006 (constant) exchange rate: 2007 budget: 33;
2006 (constant) exchange rate: Percentage change from 2006: 25%;
2007 (appreciated) exchange rate: 2007 budget: 40;
2007 (appreciated) exchange rate: Percentage change from 2006: 49%.

Budget Category: Other expenditures;
2006 (constant) exchange rate: 2006 budget: 3;
2006 (constant) exchange rate: 2007 budget: 17;
2006 (constant) exchange rate: Percentage change from 2006: 570%;
2007 (appreciated) exchange rate: 2007 budget: 21;
2007 (appreciated) exchange rate: Percentage change from 2006: 698%.

Budget Category: Total;
2006 (constant) exchange rate: 2006 budget: $1,919;
2006 (constant) exchange rate: 2007 budget: $2,673;
2006 (constant) exchange rate: Percentage change from 2006: 39%;
2007 (appreciated) exchange rate: 2007 budget: 3,182;
2007 (appreciated) exchange rate: Percentage change from 2006: 66%.

Total Security Budget (Both Ministries).

Budget Category: Total;
2006 (constant) exchange rate: 2006 budget: $5,362;
2006 (constant) exchange rate: 2007 budget: $6,152;
2006 (constant) exchange rate: Percentage change from 2006: 15%;
2007 (appreciated) exchange rate: 2007 budget: 7,323;
2007 (appreciated) exchange rate: Percentage change from 2006: 37%.

Note: The 2006 exchange rate used to convert Iraq dinars into dollars
was 1500/$1. Using the same exchange rate to convert both the 2006 and
2007 budgets to U.S. dollars retains the same percentage change between
the two years as is found when comparing the change between the two
years in dinars. The U.S. Treasury uses an exchange rate of 1260/$1 for the 2007 Iraq budget (the appreciated exchange rate in the table),
reflecting the recent exchange rate appreciation of the Iraqi dinar
relative to the U.S. dollar. Totals may not add due to rounding. Budget
classification scheme is based on the 2007 budget. "…" refers to values
that are less than one half of one million dollars.

Source: GAO analysis of Iraq's 2006 and 2007 budgets, provided by the
U.S. Treasury.

[End of table]

Although MOD's overall budget will grow in 2007, its budget for several
critical items needed to wage counterinsurgency operations will decline
in 2007. For example, the Ministry of Defense's 2007 budget for capital
goods--including weapons, ammunition, and vehicles--will decrease
whether using a constant exchange rate (17 percent) or appreciated
exchange rate (2 percent).

In contrast to MOD, MOI's 2007 budget shows positive growth rates in
all major categories. For example, the Ministry of Interior's 2007
budget for capital goods--including weapons, ammunition, and vehicles-
-will increase regardless of which exchange rate is used, by 16 percent
using a constant exchange rate or by 38 percent using the appreciated
exchange rate. The MOI is receiving increased budget support for its
law enforcement responsibilities. However, the additional budget
support will be provided to a ministry prone to militia infiltration.
For example, in November 2006, the Director of the Defense Intelligence
Agency stated that the Ministry of Interior and the police were heavily
infiltrated by militia members of the Badr Organization and the Mahdi
Army. In addition, the MOI's national police--a paramilitary force of
about 24,000 personnel--had conducted counterinsurgency operations in
the past, but the Iraqi government decided in late 2006 to transform it
into a civil society force due to frequent allegations of abuse and
other illegal activities.

The total number of staff reportedly employed by the Ministries of
Defense and Interior will grow from about 538,000 in 2006 to 608,000
employees in 2007 (see table 2). However, these numbers should be
interpreted with some caution. As we reported in January 2007,[Footnote
5] ghost employees comprise about 20 to 30 percent of Ministry of
Interior staff, according to U.S. officials. Also, as of February 2007,
the Iraqi government has yet to complete a census of all government
employees, as required by the International Monetary Fund.

For further analysis of this report....

GAO-07-637T, Stabilizing Iraq: Preliminary Observations on Budget and Management Challenges of Iraq's Security Ministries

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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 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 immanent 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.


IraqSlogger: Sadrists Question PM's List for New Ministers

In searching the internet for news, I ran across a VERY INTERESTING statement about the new Iraqi currency from September 2003....

The new currency bears the designs of the old Iraqi, or Swiss, dinar and is being produced at printing facilities around the world on schedule. There will be six denominations to replace the current two denominations. About 2200 tons of currency will be shipped from printing facilities in England, Spain, and other countries. A sufficient supply of new notes will be available when they are introduced.

JS-734: John B. Taylor Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee

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