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12-06-2007, 07:34 PM #321
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12-06-2007, 07:36 PM #322
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12-06-2007, 07:41 PM #323
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12-06-2007, 07:53 PM #324
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"Slow as a turtle"
Iraq makes slow progress on meeting US targets
12 Jun 2007 11:37:30 GMT
Source: Reuters
BAGHDAD, June 12 (Reuters) - "Slow as a turtle" was how one Iraqi lawmaker on Tuesday described Iraq's faltering progress in meeting political benchmarks set by Washington to encourage national reconciliation and end sectarian violence.
Washington has dispatched a succession of officials to press Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's government to speed up passage of laws aimed at drawing disaffected minority Sunni Arabs more firmly into the political process.
The latest was Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte, who met Maliki on Tuesday to discuss the status of an oil revenue-sharing law, constitutional reforms, a law ending a ban on former Baathists holding public office and provincial polls.
Negroponte followed the top U.S. commander in the Middle East, Admiral William Fallon, who held similar talks with Maliki on Sunday and, according to a New York Times reporter who sat in on the meeting, urged the prime minister to make measurable political progress by next month.
De****e opposition in Congress, U.S. President George Bush has sent nearly 30,000 extra troops to Iraq to help curb sectarian violence and give Maliki's government breathing room to achieve a political accommodation between the warring sides.
The strategy has been costly in the lives of U.S. soldiers, 127 were killed in May alone, and there is little to show for it -- the political blocs have made little headway in breaking the logjam holding up agreement on the laws.
Bush is scheduled to deliver an interim report on developments in Iraq in July. The top U.S. general in Iraq, David Petraeus, and U.S. ambassador Ryan Crocker are due to give their own assessment of the success of the new military strategy in September.
RELUCTANCE TO COMPROMISE
But analysts say Maliki's fractious coalition government of Kurds, Shi'ites and Sunni Arabs is too weak and divided to make the necessary compromises without external pressure.
International Crisis Group analyst, Joost Hiltermann, who closely watches developments in Iraq, said he expected to see "little bits of progress that will be sold as real progress".
"The Kurds have everything they want and don't want to concede anything, Shi'ites don't want to be cheated out of their control of the state apparatus, and Sunnis obviously want the benchmarks to be met because they favour them but cannot make it happen because they are in the minority," he said.
A draft hydrocarbon law, crucial to regulating how wealth from Iraq's huge oil reserves will be shared by its sectarian and ethnic groups, has been approved by cabinet but faces opposition from Kurds over who will control the oilfields.
Mahmoud Othman, a member of the Kurdish Alliance in parliament, said the political blocs were trying to reach a compromise on the law, but progress was achingly slow.
"They are discussing it, but the process is slow as a turtle," he told Reuters.
A draft de-Baathification law has been agreed by Maliki and President Jalal Talabani and sent to cabinet for debate. But it faces stiff opposition and other drafts are now circulating.
After six months of talks, parliament's constitutional reform committee has failed to reach agreement on amending key provisions of the constitution. A law setting a date for provincial elections has also yet to be agreed by cabinet.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/COL234120.htm
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12-06-2007, 08:09 PM #325
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Adviser worried about Iraqi oil deal
6/12/2007, 1:16 p.m. EDTBy BARRY SCHWEID
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — A drafter of stalled Iraqi legislation to set ground rules for the country's oil policy said Tuesday "there is no sign of a compromise" that would lead to final approval by the parliament.
The pessimistic assessment by Tariq Shafiq, who runs a petroleum consulting firm in London and offered his advice to the Iraqi government, conflicted with frequent forecasts of a breakthrough by Iraqi officials.
Shafiq blamed the holdup on a lack of security in Iraq, where he said "people do not know if they are going to live the next day," as well as on corruption.
Under Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, "we are now in a worse situation than a year ago," he said at a news conference at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank attended by several American oil company officials.
Iraq is one of the world's leading oil producers. It has proven reserves of 115 billion barrels of petroleum, third in the world behind Saudi Arabia and Iran, and the potential for nearly doubling that amount in an oil-thirsty world.
If approved, the new law — Shafiq helped draft the original legislation — is expected to encourage foreign oil companies to invest in Iraq and spur the country to attain its goal of doubling current production of 2.5 million barrels a day by 2010.
Iraq's oil infrastructure has been under repeated attacks from insurgents. Shiites and Kurds dominate the two major oil regions in southern and northern Iraq and are resisting national control, Shafiq said.
"A compromise must be found" to balance regional interests with the responsibility of the federal government to be the "custodian" of the country's resources, Shafiq said.
Last week, oil ministry spokesman Assem Jihad said, "We hope the ratification of this law will be achieved in no more than one month from now."
"This law is considered a major national project and achievement," he told The Associated Press.
Asked if he agreed, Shafiq said, "I wish I shared the optimism of the minister. I am not very optimistic."
Syracuse.com
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12-06-2007, 08:12 PM #326
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Iraq Sunni, Shias meet at U.N.
6/12/2007, 3:28 a.m. EDTBy SARAH DiLORENZO
The Associated Press
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Iraqi religious and political leaders met to reaffirm their commitment to building a tolerant, multiethnic nation, declaring that the ties that bind all Iraqis "will not be broken" in ****e of the sectarian violence ravaging the country.
Sunni and Shiite leaders gathered at U.N. headquarters for a two-day conference that ends Tuesday to discuss ways to ease the sectarian tensions sparking violence in Iraq. Iraq's U.N. mission sponsored the event, entitled "Iraq for all Iraqis."
"We have gathered here in New York, religious leaders and scholars, to discuss the vital issues of reconciliation and re-establishing the fraternal ties that have historically bound the people of Iraq together, which, however strained they may become, are not broken and will not be broken," said Iraq's deputy U.N. ambassador, Feisal al-Istrabadi.
Syracuse.com
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12-06-2007, 08:15 PM #327
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article | posted June 12, 2007 (web only)
Wall Street, Iraq and the Declining Dollar
Ken Miller
The disastrous impact on the economy of George W. Bush's response to the attacks of September 2001 is still being measured. On Friday of last week the Bush Administration announced that it would not renominate Gen. Peter Pace as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Administration's decision to throw a loyal supporter overboard avoids a messy confirmation hearing that would have further focused a war-weary nation's attention on the past. But sometimes looking backward can help us anticipate the future.
In February of this year, Rep. Henry Waxman's Committee on Oversight and Government Reform revealed fresh details of how the Coalition Provisional Authority dumped $12 billion in cash--in $100 bills--into Iraq in 2004. Multiple flights of huge C-130 transport planes were required to deliver 363 tons of greenbacks--a modest portion of the $510 billion we have spent so far in Iraq and Afghanistan. By certain measures, this may not be America's most expensive war. But the worst economic effects are yet to come.
No matter how the Iraq War ends, it is clear that the United States is incapable of militarily securing territory against the wishes of a hostile population. And the Iraq War is at the heart of two alarming trends that are likely to have a negative impact on America's position in the world: The demand for oil is rising while the supply is declining, and the demand for the US dollar is declining while the supply of dollars is rising.
In the four years since the toppling of Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi oilfields and associated infrastructure have sustained 400 attacks. And because of the situation on the ground, Iraqi oil production, at 1.95 barrels per day during the first quarter of 2007, was far short of the government's goal of 2.5 million barrels per day and the previous peak of 3.7 million under Saddam. In this asymmetrical war, our enemies are spending a fraction of our costs on improvised explosive devices, chlorine gas and suicide bombers, while we invest heavily in noneffective weapons systems and force structures.
US oil and gas production peaked in the early '70s, and we are now by far the world's largest energy importer. The largest oilfields in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iran, Syria, Yemen and Oman are in decline, as are most oilfields in the former Soviet Union, Canada, Central and South America, and on-shore Africa. New fields will be discovered and new technologies brought to bear, but costs of production will be higher than in the past and will require more expensive investments in equipment and technology.
Even as existing fields age, the new economies of India and China require more and more oil to fuel their impressive growth. Although a worldwide depression might result in a temporary drop in the price of oil and other commodities, the long-term imbalance between growing demand and declining supply will eventually reassert itself, creating price increases over time.
Contemporaneously with the supply/demand imbalance in oil and other hard commodities, the Bush Administration's response to 9/11 has weakened the position of the dollar in the world. The President's request that Americans continue to spend has struck an all-too-sympathetic chord with the American people. The trade deficits caused by that spending have created a current account deficit equal to 6.2 percent of GDP, sending trillions of dollars into the hands of foreigners.
While we continue to import goods of much greater value than those we export, thus flooding the world with dollars, Bush has pursued a policy of what some have dubbed "military Keynesianism"--that is, the combination of low taxes and high military expenditures. This dynamic forces the Federal Reserve to print money and foster easy credit policies, which will eventually result in higher interest rates, inflation or both.
So the printing presses are ****ing out more dollars, which are being collected by China, Japan and others. And those countries are showing signs of concern that they have too much of their foreign exchange reserves tied up in our currency. Likewise, certain other nations are evidencing a declining interest in accepting the dollar as a medium of exchange. It was in October 2000 that Saddam insisted that Iraq's oil be paid for in euros. But now Russia wants payment for the energy it exports in rubles. Venezuela and Iran insist on euros. Kuwait has recently unpegged its dinar from the dollar in favor of a basket of currencies.
The dollar has indeed shown symptoms of its decline in popularity during the Bush years. The dollar has weakened against the euro, gold, copper and other hard assets and currencies. When Bush came in to office, for example, you could get .987 euros for every dollar. Now you can only get .75. You could say that at $65 per barrel, oil is getting more valuable... or you could say the value of the dollar has declined as measured by oil.
Mainstream economists seem to agree that best-case, the dollar will continue a stately decline, but in a world where the United States has lost so much respect, where we continue to flood the world with dollars and borrow to finance our consumer habit, we could find that one of those sharp, depression-inducing discontinuities occurs--like, say, a run on the dollar.
We are continuing to import 60 percent of the 20.6 million barrels of oil we use daily. And though the size and stability of our economy is likely to insure a demand for the dollar at some level, oil that anyone can buy for hard currency may be getting scarcer. Governments have begun to do deals aimed at taking oil off the market for their own account--deals like the ones China has done with Angola, Brazil, Iran, Nigeria, Venezuela and Sudan. South Korea has just announced it will follow suit.
If our military cannot secure oil by force, and if oil is destined to cost us more and more of a declining currency to buy what is available, then "brand USA" is in trouble. When Bush leaves office, this country will have to begin the difficult task of reversing some very bad trends in the military, fiscal, monetary and energy areas. The pollution of his legacy transcends mere politics.
Wall Street, Iraq and the Declining Dollar
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12-06-2007, 08:15 PM #328
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Iraqi Investments
Excellent,
Finally the news is getting out and Iraq will take over the number one spot for proven oil reserves from Sadi Arabia which technically are unproven at this point in time. Saudi's are keeping a dark secret over declining reserves, so there will be no contest when all the explorations are completed in Iraq. They will soon be the wealthiest country in middle east and to think they cannot get along knowing that. Sad, very sad. The sooner the wealth goes to the people, the sooner violence will end.
Good luck and health to all, Mike
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12-06-2007, 09:21 PM #329
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The Presidency ratified the amendment of the Civil Service Act
(صوت العراق) - 12-06-2007(Voice of Iraq) - 12-06-2007ارسل هذا الموضوع لصديقSend this topic to a friend
Republic of Iraq
Presidential Office
Press Office
News : Presidential Council endorse the Civil Service Amendment Act No. 24 of 1960
June 12, 2007June 12, 2007
Sadik of the Presidency, its penultimate meeting on 11-6-2007 amendment to the law on the Civil Service Law No. (24) of 1960.
The reasons and rationale for the decision "in order not to deny that the employee resigned with the consent constituency salaries accrued vacation from his" initiated this law.
And in the following text :
Decision No. (25)
The name of the people
The Presidency
Based on the approved by the House in accordance with the provisions of paragraph of the first article first session of the Constitution and based on the provisions of paragraph (V / a) of Article Eight hundred and thirty of the Constitution.
:Council decided the presidency penultimate held on June 11, 2007 issuance of the following law :
No. (26) of 2007
Law amending the Civil Service Act (No. 24) of 1960
Article (1) :
The text of the article ninth session of the Civil Service Act No. (24) of 1960 (1) and add them to be and the following paragraph (2) :
2-A staff member resigned with the consent constituency salaries accrued vacation exception to the provisions of paragraph (1) of this article.
Article (2) :
This law implemented from the date of publication in the Official Gazette.
Tariq Hashemi-Adel Abdul-Mahdi, Jalal Talabani
"The vice president, the vice president, president of the republic "
Reasons
In order not to deprive the employee resigned with the consent constituency salaries accrued vacation from his job, started this law.
Translated version of http://www.sotaliraq.com/
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12-06-2007, 09:27 PM #330
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The Presidency ratified the Law of the Fifth Amendment to the Act (45
(صوت العراق) - 12-06-2007(Voice of Iraq) - 12-06-2007ارسل هذا الموضوع لصديقSend this topic to a friend
Republic of Iraq
Presidential Office
Press Office
News : Presidential Council ratified the Law of the Fifth Amendment to the Execution Law No. (45)
June 12, 2007June 12, 2007
Sadik of the Presidency in its penultimate meeting 11-6-2007, on the Fifth Amendment to the Execution Law No. (45) of 1980.
Reads the law.
Decision No. (24)
The name of the people
The Presidency
Based on the approved by the House in accordance with the provisions of paragraph of the first article first session of the Constitution and based on the provisions of paragraph (V / a) of Article Eight hundred and thirty of the Constitution.
Council decided the presidency penultimate held on June 11, 2007 issuance of the following law :
No. (25) of 2007
The Fifth Amendment to the Execution Law No. (45) of 1980
:Article (1) :
Add the following to Article (4) of the Act (No. 45) of 1980 and paragraph (III) of them.
Third-Service is the implementation of the follow-up implementation and directorates diagnosis flaw in the procedures and knowing the efficient functioning of field staff and capacity-building through seminars and training courses
:Article (2) :
The text of the article (32) of the Act, paragraph (first) and add them and the following paragraph (II) of them.
Second-outlet of Justice in the course of settlement at the request of the creditor to the debtor needs to provide enough collateral to repay the debt within the settlement established by performing Justice.
:Article (3) :
Cancels text of the article (34) of the Act and replaced Mayati :
Article-34 - if not implemented debtor provision contained something specific implementation requires expenses, costs paid to the creditor that is aggregated from the debtor. If the creditor or abstained from the payment, estimated by an expert or more elected Justice and then performing contracts from the debtor in accordance with the law.
:Article (4) :
:Cancel the text of paragraph (II) of Article (53) of the Act and replaced Mayati :
Secondly-a-not suspend the sentence Co-rays accelerated if it relates to maintenance when challenged before the competent court.
B-Execution in all circumstances so if a decision of the competent court.
:Article (5) :
Cancels text of the article (61) of the Act and replaced by the following :
Article-61 - if not reviewed secured treatment during arrest (30) thirty days from the date of the last action cf reserved the money or the third person demanding the lifting of the arrest of Justice decides performing service credited to the summary seizure and sale during the thirty (30) days at him and lifted its seizure by performing Justice that meets the fee collection from the creditor.
:Article (6) :
Cancel the text of paragraph (3) of Article (71) of the Act and replaced Mayati :
Third-sex declaration contains money to be sold, type, amount and the estimated value of the tender, and place day and hour to be held on the 10th day auction from the day following the publication in local newspapers.
:Article (7) :
Cancel the text of paragraph (I) of article (76) of the Act and replaced Mayati :
First-to-buffer Directorate to tell whether his money back to the debtor or not, during the seven (7) days from the date Bakhbarih arrest him.
:Article (8) :
Insert the text of the article (93) of the Act and paragraph (III) of them.
Third-not sold the property if the debtor has an unknown residence has not been formally notified in accordance with the law.
:Article (9) :
Cancels sections (6) and (7) of the Coalition Provisional Authority (dissolved) No. (78) of 2004.
:Article (10) :
Delete So******t sector wherever they occur in this law and replace the public sector.
:Article (11) :
This law implemented from the date of publication in the Official Gazette.
Tariq Al-Hashmi = Adel Abdul-Mahdi, Jalal Talabani
"The vice president, the vice president, president of the republic "
Reasons
In order to balance the interest of the secured access to the most convenient ways religion and the interests and obligations of the debtor to perform outstanding debt through the legal process and not selling real estate if the place of residence is unknown and humanitarian considerations in the implementation of the accelerated force on expenditures and not subject to suspension when the objection, initiated this law.
Translated version of http://www.sotaliraq.com/
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