Thread: Archive Latest News - Think Tank - 16/08/07 - 03/11/07

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi officials said that Iraq's leaders had met on Saturday to discuss ways of ending the political crisis that almost hit the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki Shiite paralyzed.
أن. He said Ridha Jawad met with a prominent member of the ruling Shiite alliance, told Reuters that there was a possibility that the meeting be held today to discuss the political situation.

. The government official who asked not to be identified said that the leaders might start at the four afternoon local time (1200 GMT) in Baghdad.

. Maliki, will attend the summit and Kurdish Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and Sunni Vice President Tariq Hashemi, the vice president Shiite Adel Abdul Mahdi and Massoud Barzani, head of Kurdistan region enjoyed near autonomy.

. The leaders held a series of meetings last week in an attempt to reach a common position so they can work out of the crisis faced by the government of national unity.

. The Taliban and al-Maliki announced the formation of an alliance "new" of the four parties in the Kurdish and Shiite government, which would theoretically Maliki parliamentary majority needed to pass important laws
http://64.233.179.104/translate_c?hl...SUMMIT-MN1.XML

Iraq, the solutions proposed to deal with inflation, strengthen oil cooperation between Iraq and Russia

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in Iraq, the solutions proposed to deal with inflation, strengthen oil cooperation between Iraq and Russia
Preparation and submission : Nazim Yasin
- م. - These include the new program (economic report) report on the financing of American projects to revive the economy and reduce unemployment in Iraq and an interview with the Economic Adviser to the President of the Iraqi government on proposed solutions to address the problem of inflation.
. In today's episode up on the talks held by Iraqi Oil Minister in Moscow recently to strengthen cooperation with Russia in the field of energy.
- - American assistance to revive the economy and reduce unemployment in Iraq
في . Under plans aimed at achieving economic recovery and lower unemployment rates, it was announced that the American Agency for International development of the international organization started classes in the Iraqi capital to sensitize those who wish to start small businesses.
آب. A statement of the multinational forces Radio Free Iraq received a copy of the 14th of August that American soldiers have provided protection for one of these classes in the west Baghdad neighborhood of Hattin on the 6th of August.
. The statement said that this class is the second in two weeks to provide business opportunities to local residents. There was thorough discussion
. The process initially in the business process or improve small businesses.
كما. The statement explained that the United States Agency for International Development is implementing a program to provide grants economic grant worth two hundred dollars in cash or goods for the beginning of the establishment of a legal and legitimate, according to the source. وحة أعمالهم. This grant provided to Iraqi businessmen to repair or expand their businesses and make them more active role in managing their businesses.
وتأمل. The Unit hopes supervisor of the project to provide similar classes per month to assist those wishing to start projects or opening shops "can be compared in small shops in the United States," according to the statement.
. In a related context, the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for American business development in Iraq Paul Brinkley Paul Brinkley importance of reviving the crumbling industrial base in Iraq to reduce the levels of unemployment of around 60% and help national reconciliation.
ين. He added in an interview with Reuters and aired on the 12th of August that year from the mistakes of economic policy after the fall of Saddam Hussein left unemployed young Iraqis easy targets for recruitment by Al Qaeda and other insurgents.
كما وتايلاند. It also quoted him as saying that political and economic stability and social would be much easier if the factories that stopped many of them since the war in March 2003 to win even a small part of the annual American commercial exchanges which benefit sectors of the economy in countries such as China, India, Indonesia and Thailand.
. He Brinkley, who chairs a working group format late 2006 and works closely with the American army in Iraq, he expressed his belief that the problem of unemployment size exists in Iraq that would cause significant disruption in any State.
غيرة. It should be noted that the working group led by Brinkley is currently assessing the factories along the industrial base in Iraq from textiles to the petrochemical industries, agricultural engineering, and the search for the most suitable candidates for the granting of micro-financing.
. Among the 65 factories have been evaluated before the team Brinkley received only nine factories funds already allocated 50 million dollars this year, the American Congress for an industrial recovery.
. Brinkley said that the $ 50 million is less by about $ 150 million as it deems necessary to some estimates, but the American and Iraqi governments could easily persuade them to contribute more if achieved early successes.

- - Solutions proposed to deal with inflation
. The economic advisor to the Iraqi Prime Minister Abdullah Hamad al-Bandar that the phenomenon of inflation experienced by the country due to higher fuel prices and rents. . He added in a statement to Al (economic report) that the solutions proposed to deal with this problem activating the private sector and encourage domestic and foreign investments.
وفي. In the following interview with Radio Free Iraq's correspondent in Baghdad, Hamad al-Bandar also talked about the importance of the trend towards privatization of some plants belonging to the public sector legislation and the law of oil and gas is expected to contribute to attracting foreign investments to the Iraqi oil sector in turn leads to solving a large part of the problem inflation. و . He answered a question about the first link inflation with monetary and fiscal policy.

(المقابلة – بغداد) (Interview - Baghdad)

- Oil-enhancing cooperation between Iraq and Russia
. The Iraqi Oil Minister Hussein Shahrastani talks in Moscow recently to enhance bilateral cooperation with Russia in the field of energy.
الا. The Iraqi minister made a statement before leaving the country where he pointed out the old oil ties that bind Russian companies in Iraq, expressing the hope to develop.
. Shahrastani added that Iraq confirms its desire to strengthen its relations with the Russian side through the development of oil fields and controls according to the conditions provided for by the oil bill saying that he had "been notified of the Russian side, we deal with Russian companies according to the new law in a way that serves the Iraqi economy and the wealth of the people to develop achieved from the highest returns and operation of the Iraqi labor and benefit from the Iraqi experience and competencies, and increase production of crude oil as soon as possible and the preservation of the environment and this can only be achieved through open and free competition open to all qualified companies, "to quote the Iraqi minister of oil.
: In following up, briefing Radio Free Iraq correspondent Mikhail Alandarenko more details on the talks held in Moscow Shahrastani addition to the exclusive statements by the Iraqi ambassador to Russia Abdul Karim Hashim Mustafa, Analyst Russian Hailania Suponina Program (economic report) on oil cooperation between the two countries :
. "The Iraqi Oil Minister Hussein Shahrastani visit to Moscow in the period between the 8th and 10th of this month during which he met with Minister of Industry and Energy Viktor Khristenko, the Russian company managers (Lukoil) Russian oil.
. Viktor Khristenko praised the trade relations between the two countries, pointing out that bilateral cooperation is not confined to the area of oil and gas, but extends to many other areas, including electric power generation and building Almcnat and modernizing industrial facilities, and so on.
. The meeting held by Hussein Shahrastani with the Director of the company (Lukoil) and a Senior and other members of the company's management has some parties discussed joint projects. . Meanwhile, the Information Bureau of the Russian company from entering into details. فقد. The company said (Lukoil) in a statement issued after the meeting that she expects the adoption of the new oil law in Iraq as soon as possible to clarify the law where foreign companies and provide a list of oil and gas fields, which allowed foreign companies operate. . She company (Lukoil) on the hope that the Supreme Council for Oil, which is headed by Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki what it described as evidenced by the decision regarding the convening of the Russian company to work on the West Qurna field.
. The company (Lukoil) had signed a contract with Iraq, valued at 3,7 billion dollars in 1997 on the development of the West Qurna field. . Meanwhile, the Russian side of the contract because of the economic blockade suffered by Iraq at the time. . Iraq and canceled the contract in 2002. ي. The company (Lukoil), for its part still consider the contract valid. إلا. However, Iraqi Oil Minister Hussein Shahrastani said after arriving in Moscow that the Iraqi authorities had decided to review all contracts and oil agreements that have been signed under the previous regime.
: Iraqi Ambassador to Moscow, Dr. Abdulkarim Hashim Mustafa, said in an exclusive interview to Radio Free Iraq that his country needs a new law regulating the oil industry :

(صوت السفير العراقي في روسيا) (Voice of the Iraqi Ambassador in Russia)

ومن." On her part, Dr. Russian Political Analyst Suponina us that the West Qurna oil field is not only in Iraq and Russian companies can work in other fields
Translated version of http://ht/

Sunni bloc to attend political leaders' meeting

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Sunni bloc to attend political leaders' meeting

Baghdad - Voices of Iraq
Saturday , 18 /08 /2007 Time 4:17:55

Baghdad, Aug 18, (VOI) – The Sunni Iraqi Accordance Front (IAF) said it would attend the political leaders' meeting scheduled for Saturday to discuss ways to end the political crisis while former Premier Iyad Allawi's Iraqi National List (INL) said it received no invitation to attend the meeting.

"The IAF will participate in the meeting that will supposedly discuss points of differences and review the political process," the front's spokesman Dr. Saleem Abdullah al-Juburi told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
The IAF on Friday had called on the parties to press the government so as to activate genuine participation in the political decision-making.
A meeting of political leaders on Thursday announced a four-way front comprising the two main Shiite parties – Dawa Party and Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim's Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC) – and the two main Kurdish parties – Iraqi President Jalal Talabani's Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and Iraqi Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barazani's Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).
The Kurdistan Coalition (KC) is the second largest bloc in the Iraqi parliament with 55 seats, next to the Shiite Unified Iraqi Coalition (UIC) which has 115 out of a total 275 seats.
The UIC includes the Dawa Party, which has 30 seats, and the SIIC, which has 30 seats.
Following the announcement of the four-way alliance on Thursday, Talabani said parties to this alliance have a parliamentary majority.
"We have majority and the other parties that will join us have a sufficient number of members of parliament," said the Iraqi president, adding "we would never close the door to anyone. We hope an agreement will be reached with the brothers in the IAF."
The Sunni Iraqi Islamic Party had said in a statement on Thursday that the party "believes that the way out of the current crisis (in Iraq) will not be solved by new alliances or political entities, but rather by reaching national consensus over critical issues that Iraqis are still acutely split over."
Iraqi Vice President Tareq al-Hashimi, the party's secretary general, issued a statement in which he blessed the signing of the four-way alliance, expressing hope that the party's reluctance to join the alliance would not be "misunderstood."


http://66.111.34.180/look/english/ar...=2&NrSection=1

Iraqi and coalition forces are pursuing extremist leaders in Iraq’s --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Aug. 17, 2007 – Iraqi and coalition forces are pursuing extremist leaders in Iraq’s remote areas in coordinated “quick strikes” that launched this week, the commander of Multinational Corps Iraq told Pentagon reporters today. (Video) Operation Phantom Strike is a series of joint operations that extend from Operation Phantom Thunder, a corps-level offensive that began in June targeting al Qaeda, Sunni insurgents and Shiia extremists in, near and around Baghdad, said Army Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno.“With the elimination of safe havens and support zones due to Phantom Thunder, al Qaeda and Shiite extremists have been forced into ever-shrinking areas. It is my intent to pursue and disrupt their operations,” Odierno said.Over the coming weeks, the general said, combined forces will conduct quick-strike raids against extremist sanctuaries and staging areas. Using precision-targeting operations, troops will target terrorist leaders and members of lethal improvised-explosive-device and car-bomb networks, he said.

“We will continue to hunt down the leadership, deny them safe haven, disrupt their supply lines and significantly reduce their capability to operate in Iraq,” Odierno added.

In the first 24 hours of one “quick-strike” raid, Multinational Division North soldiers captured and killed several enemies and seized weapons caches in the Diyala River Valley. Called Operation Lightning Hammer, this operation targeted extremists as they tried to re-establish sanctuaries, the general said.

Odierno highlighted some successes of Operation Phantom Thunder, which launched June 15. In 142 battalion-level joint operations, Iraqi and coalition forces detained 6,702 suspects, killed 1,196 enemies and wounded 419 others. Combined forces also killed or captured 382 high-value targets, he said.

Troops also cleared 1,113 weapons caches and scores of IEDs and car bombs. “The number of found and cleared IEDs, (car bombs) and caches are approximately 50 percent higher than the same period last year due, in large part, to effective tips provided by concerned Iraqi citizens,” the general added.

Odierno warned that high-profile attacks may rise as two important dates approach. In the early weeks of September, Ramadan, Islam’s holiest month, begins. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of Multinational Force Iraq, is slated to present an anticipated report to Congress around the same time.

“Our enemy is ruthless and will no doubt attempt to exploit the upcoming Ramadan season, as well as influence political opinions in the coming weeks by increasing attacks with particular emphasis on high-profile terror attacks,” he said.

But extremists’ efforts are increasingly hampered by civilians who cooperate with coalition forces as troops ramp-up raids around the country, Odierno said.

“Al Qaeda and other extremist elements will have to contend with an Iraqi population that no longer welcomes them,” he said, “as well as quick-hitting offensive operations by coalition and Iraqi forces.”
Iraq .::. The Current Truth About The Iraq War

Maliki to visit Damascus Monday

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Maliki to visit Damascus Monday

Politics 8/18/2007 4:02:00 PM

DAMASCUS, Aug 18 (KUNA) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki will be on a three-day visit to Syria as of next Monday, stated a source at the Syrian cabinet in a statement on Saturday.
Maliki, who was invited by his counterpart Muhammad Naji Al-Utri, would head an official delegation to Damascus in order for talks with top Syrian officials, according to the statement.
The visit would focus on bolstering bilateral relations in all sectors, indicated the statement, pointing that Maliki would meet with President Bashar Al-Assad, Vice President Farouq al-Sharaa, and Utri.
The current security and political situation in Iraq and economic cooperation would highlight the bilateral talks, said the statement, which also pointed out that the file of Iraqi refugees in Syria would be also discussed.
Maliki's visit to Damascus is the first since he became head of the Iraqi government. (end) am.gta KUNA 181602 Aug 07NNNN
http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesP...94&Language=en

Originally Posted by rvalreadydang

Sunni bloc to attend political leaders' meeting

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Sunni bloc to attend political leaders' meeting

Baghdad - Voices of Iraq
Saturday , 18 /08 /2007 Time 4:17:55

Baghdad, Aug 18, (VOI) – The Sunni Iraqi Accordance Front (IAF) said it would attend the political leaders' meeting scheduled for Saturday to discuss ways to end the political crisis while former Premier Iyad Allawi's Iraqi National List (INL) said it received no invitation to attend the meeting.

"The IAF will participate in the meeting that will supposedly discuss points of differences and review the political process," the front's spokesman Dr. Saleem Abdullah al-Juburi told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
The IAF on Friday had called on the parties to press the government so as to activate genuine participation in the political decision-making.
A meeting of political leaders on Thursday announced a four-way front comprising the two main Shiite parties – Dawa Party and Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim's Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC) – and the two main Kurdish parties – Iraqi President Jalal Talabani's Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and Iraqi Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barazani's Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).
The Kurdistan Coalition (KC) is the second largest bloc in the Iraqi parliament with 55 seats, next to the Shiite Unified Iraqi Coalition (UIC) which has 115 out of a total 275 seats.
The UIC includes the Dawa Party, which has 30 seats, and the SIIC, which has 30 seats.
Following the announcement of the four-way alliance on Thursday, Talabani said parties to this alliance have a parliamentary majority.
"We have majority and the other parties that will join us have a sufficient number of members of parliament," said the Iraqi president, adding "we would never close the door to anyone. We hope an agreement will be reached with the brothers in the IAF."
The Sunni Iraqi Islamic Party had said in a statement on Thursday that the party "believes that the way out of the current crisis (in Iraq) will not be solved by new alliances or political entities, but rather by reaching national consensus over critical issues that Iraqis are still acutely split over."
Iraqi Vice President Tareq al-Hashimi, the party's secretary general, issued a statement in which he blessed the signing of the four-way alliance, expressing hope that the party's reluctance to join the alliance would not be "misunderstood."


http://66.111.34.180/look/english/ar...=2&NrSection=1

You know the Sunnis don't want to be left out of the impending riches! They already lost out on more parliament positions because they dragged their behinds in delaying to join the Iraqi government when first established.

Originally Posted by Gloribee

What happened to the old news thread? Trying to find a past article and cannot seem to find it

TY, Gloribee

OSW accidently deleted it while ejecting some spam.

Yogibrood did try to retreive but to no avail.

The losses and benefits of a U.S. withdrawal

What will the Americans lose if they withdraw from Iraq? This question is more practical than the rhetorical one politicians have normally asked in their political ramblings, namely what will the Americans gain from staying in Iraq?

The presence of American soldiers on Iraqi territory is not without a heavy price. Nonetheless the current U.S. administration is not yet convinced that in the case of Iraq diplomacy, economic incentives and intelligence may give a result better than the deployment of troops.

There are numerous countries where the U.S. has no troops but exercises almost complete hegemony. One wonders why the U.S. persists on paying such a high price by stationing troops in Arab and Muslim countries, increasing their populations’ hatred of America.

But let us suppose the U.S. suddenly decides to take its troops home. Of course the Americans will lose – if they have not already – their credibility and prestige.

The Americans may say their withdrawal will pave the way for al-Qaeda to rule Iraq. But this anti-U.S. group had no foothold in the country when Marines landed in Baghdad.

Many Iraqis now think that a U.S. withdrawal will spell the end of Qaeda in Iraq. Such a retreat will increase Iraqi hopes that the terrorism that came to their country on the heels of the invaders will most probably accompany them when they leave.

Perhaps the Americans may lose the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. But if they really consider the removal of Maliki a loss, then they will be really stupid. Maliki is more of a liability for U.S. national security than an asset.

Azzaman in English

Ayatollah Sistani calls for unity among Iraqis

TEHRAN, Aug. 17 (MNA) -- Grand Shia Cleric Ayatollah Ali Sistani expressed sorrow over the recent criminal actions by the terrorists in northwestern Iraq and called for unity among the Iraqis.

Ayatollah Sistani is very sorrowful over the terrorist acts in west Mosul, Aswat Aliraq quoted Iraqi Interior Minister Jawad al-Bulani as telling reporters after meeting the grand ayatollah on Thursday.

Ayatollah Sistani called for unity among all parties, factions, and tribes so that security will be established in the country, he noted.

The death toll from four suicide truck bomb attacks in northern Iraq on Tuesday has risen to 400, making it by far the deadliest coordinated attacks of the war, while rescue workers are still digging through the rubble.

tehran times : Ayatollah Sistani calls for unity among Iraqis

Interpol seeks Saddam's VP, daughter

BAGHDAD, Aug. 18 Executed Iraqi strongman Saddam Hussein's daughter and his former vice president have been placed on Interpol's wanted list.

Kuwait's KUNA news agency said Ezzat Al-Duri was named in an arrest warrant issued by the Iraqi government and was being sought by Interpol, an international law enforcement agency. The arrest alert was issued a day after a similar notice went out for Saddam's daughter, Raghad, who is wanted on terrorism charges.

Al-Duri was once Hussein's vice president and is now suspected of providing financial assistance to holdouts from the formerly ruling Baath Party. Baathists are suspected of playing a role in the ongoing Iraqi insurgency.

Al-Duri also took part in crushing revolts against Saddam in the Kurdish north in 1988 and 1991.

Interpol seeks Saddam's VP, daughter : World