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

Economic Adviser to the Ministry of Industry proposes: budget surpluses would solve the problem of unemployment

Source: Sabah Al-15/09/2007

Economic Adviser to the Ministry of Industry proposes: budget surpluses would solve the problem of unemployment

The Economic Adviser to the Ministry of Industry and Minerals, Professor Jacob Shonia symbolism that salaries received by the manpower and deactivated from work for Atsd requirements living at the same time affecting the national economy.

He said: that the amount of 300 thousand 100 dinars per month for lack of anything officer and the skills of this segment disrupted by the lack of work and that the total amounts to drain part few resources treasury.

He explained that he could invest these sums in creating a new formula for compensating those wishing to leave both functional assignment in retirement for those who are eligible for retirement or resignation and granting lucrative reward equation according to take into account years of service and job title and living standards.

Shonia believes that this initiative will contribute to the substantial reduction in the achievement of goals set in 2007 to balance economic Iraqi move.

He said: that the objectives of this proposal is summarized in tables Limbering State organs and score reducing the salaries and wages paid in addition to reducing the cost of goods and services produced by public companies to assist them in the competition in the local market and resources unexpected amounts for staff and help them enter the economic activities they wish Kavth markets or buying cars and other transport.

And based economic advisor to see these tables to be working in the State (public sector and government departments had inflated because of the decisions and finding new nominations for humanitarian cases.

The salaries of the four categories of appointments included the majority of workers in the public sector companies because almost total cessation of many production facilities.

It is proposed to fund this program from budget surpluses projected for 2007 are expected failure to achieve the required percentages in the investment budget and there are indications according to his claim that the execution rate contacted to 28% in most cases.

Shonia believes in this proposed optimal solution to the problem of manpower and deactivated from work and just bet on the success of his ministry is not the initiative.

Soon: economic projects b Mliardinar 178 in the Iraqi cities of Diyala

Source: Sabah Al-15/09/2007

President of the Council of Diyala province, Ibrahim Hassan Albajlan to visit American Ambassador Ryan Crocker to maintain included a discussion of the economic side and revive projects and labs idle and rehabilitation with the American Ambassador promised to do his.

To seek the approval of the donor countries for the return of the oil refinery in the oil field, which was indispensable during the Iraq-Iran war, as well as for electricity generation station on Lake Hamrein, noting that the proposed projects need to recruit a large capital projects giant that would secure the needs basic energy conservation of the cities as well as other economic repercussions of hiring large numbers of Cadres and technical manpower. "

He added: "Of course security side impose himself on the center of the meetings, particularly the province of Diyala has a long common border with Iran starting from the northern town of Khanaqin better together died and ends in South Henjira supply in the town adjacent to the Wasit governorate, so we strengthen the Iraqi border forces operating in that region of as equipped, many to be fully ready to prevent any attempt to penetrate or exceeded, or the smuggling of weapons and other deep into Iraqi territory, noting that the American side understands this as well and promised so good. "

In a related context, Albajlan said, "We hope that the operations of the arrow extraordinary hammer and lighting are being implemented in the cities of maintaining contribute in the coming period to pave the ground for establishing appropriate (139) projects worth 201-208 (41) billion dinars in the financial allocations from the ages of the province for the year ( 2007) (137) amounting to one billion dinars ... as well as the remaining projects last year (2006).

Al-Sadr's followers leave Iraqi parliament

8:01 PM PDT, September 15, 2007

Baghdad, Iraq -- The parliament bloc loyal to influential cleric Muqtada al- Sadr walked out of Iraq's ruling Shiite coalition Saturday, further aggravating rifts inside the country's largest religious sect and loosening the alliance's grip on power.

The decision left Prime Minister Nouri al- Maliki with a razor-thin majority in the 275-member parliament. Some officials insisted that the al- Sadr camp's departure had freed his alliance to act more aggressively on passing legislation sought by the United States, including an oil law. Al- Maliki's opponents predicted he could lose his job within months.

The al- Sadr pullout peeled away 30 parliament seats from the ruling United Iraqi Alliance, or UIA, bringing it down to 85 seats, a dramatic reduction from the 140 seats it won in parliament during Iraq's first post-Saddam Hussein election.

The al- Sadr camp already had yanked its six ministers from the Cabinet in April over al- Maliki's failure to endorse a fixed timeline for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq. On Saturday, Sadrists trumpeted their resistance to the Americans in justifying the departure from a coalition that had guaranteed Shiite political dominance for nearly three years.

In leaving, they sought to present themselves as Iraq's true patriots -- unlike their fellow Shiite politicians, who remained America's ally.

"The main problem in Iraq now is the occupation, and the solution is to have a timetable for the withdrawal of occupiers, and anyone who agrees with us on this demand will find our hearts opened to him," lawmaker Nasar Rubaie said.

The ruling alliance had been engineered in late 2004 by senior clerics with the goal of securing Shiites' right to power. Until now, Shiite leaders managed to keep unity among the community's fractious political parties, but that had changed Saturday night.

"The UIA has started breaking down. They were the biggest bloc at the parliament, but not anymore," said Salim Abdullah, the spokesman for the largest Sunni political bloc, which withdrew from al- Maliki's Cabinet in August. "Maybe the government will be changed within four months."

Shiite officials were adamant that al- Maliki would be able to weather al- Sadr's defection as long as the Kurds, with their 53 parliament seats, stayed loyal.

And they suggested that al- Maliki, no longer burdened by al- Sadr, would have firmer control of his dwindling bloc to squeeze bills through parliament in alliance with the Kurds.

For their part, al- Sadr's supporters might hope to topple al- Maliki by making common cause with other blocs, including the Sunnis. But even though they share a common goal of a strong central government, it is difficult to see the al- Sadr camp embracing Sunni lawmakers, rumored to be linked to armed groups. Likewise, the main Sunni parliament bloc harbors deep suspicion about the involvement of al- Sadr's militia, the Mahdi Army, in sectarian strife.

Al- Sadr officials are already wary of the Iraqi government and al- Maliki's authorization of U.S. raids against them in Baghdad. On Saturday night, al- Sadr spokesman Salah Obeidi noted that an al- Sadr official had just been killed in the southern province of Muthanna, home to an intense rivalry pitting the Mahdi Army against the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council. The Mahdi Army was accused of killing Muthanna's governor in August .

Al- Maliki's decision to sign an agreement last month to form a coalition of the Dawa party, SIIC and the Kurdistan parliament alliance might have pushed the al- Sadr camp to abandon the UIA. Al- Maliki adviser Sami Askari said the Mahdi Army was worried it was being isolated and marginalized after the parties formed their coalition, which they called the "moderate bloc."

Another cause of friction was the probe into the deaths of 52 people in Karbala during clashes between al- Sadr supporters and the SIIC's Badr militia on a major religious holiday in late August. The fighting had been widely blamed on the Mahdi Army.

For their part, people around al- Maliki were relieved. "To be frank, for a long time the Sadrists were outside of the UIA. Their decisions were always not in line with the UIA," Askari said. "Some UIA members are happy. This makes things clear."

Al- Maliki's camp also was confident that the Kurds would not abandon the ruling alliance. Askari said the Kurds see their interest in sticking with the Shiite bloc, rather than switching to a side that might not back their claims to an autonomous region in the north.

Kurdish parliament member Mahmoud Othman confirmed that the Kurds had no interest in ditching the UIA and al- Maliki, although their relationship had been rocky previously. "There is no better alternative than Maliki," he said. "There is no change."

In other developments Saturday, an insurgent group linked to al-Qaida declared an offensive to correspond to the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The offensive was named in honor of Abu Musab al- Zarqawi, an insurgent leader who was killed by U.S. forces last year, according to the announcement that was posted on an Islamist W eb site. It will last until about Oct. 22.

The declaration was made in the name of Omar Baghdadi, whom U.S. military officials say is a fictional character invented to give an Iraqi face to the Islamic State of Iraq, an umbrella organization for a number of like-minded Sunni extremist groups. A man, purportedly Baghdadi, read the announcement in a recording posted on the Internet.

As if in answer to the radical Islamist's message, police said a car bomb blew up outside a bakery in a Shiite neighborhood of western Baghdad as families prepared to end their daylong fast for Ramadan, killing 11 people and wounding 18 others.

Al-Sadr's followers leave Iraqi parliament - Los Angeles Times

CBE: Plan for the revitalization of small groups of local currency

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Citizens demanding those responsible action to activate the value of the currency in small groups
Officer: in all countries of the world are dealt Sagbreh categories according to the laws laid down by the State and begin to apply it.
Officer: as reflected in the wages of transport, becoming less of taxi buses and private cars at 250 dinars.

Citizens demanded those responsible action to activate the value of the currency in small groups in the local market to create a balance of the purchase of foodstuffs and consumer goods all ...

They poll conducted by the (citizen) to the dimensions of these categories of commercial dealing in the sale and purchase affected psychologically the simple citizen who feel disadvantaged when deducting a sum more than scheduled when bought as needed ...

For his part, reported Egypt official in the Iraqi Central Bank that the bank develop a plan in this regard to create a balance of cash exchanges and the revival of small groups of local currency such as those designed to raise the value of the Iraqi dinar against the dollar earlier.

Says 34-year-old Ahmed Peace / officer in the Directorate of electricity Karkh: "forcing citizens to pay 50 or 100 dinars over the amount specified for the need for one reason is not to take this category owner When asked why the answer to dealers Alshorgh and beautiful to Aitahamlon never." He added: "This is certainly the case these categories lost value in the market as well as in the street because the issue take gradual phase which requires actors to play a responsible role in the revival and activation of these categories."

He pointed out: "The case was reflected in the wages of transport .. becoming less of taxi buses and private cars at 250 dinars capacity 44 passengers." He called for: "quick passing laws to contain the phenomenon and activate the value of small groups of the local currency."

By age who explained Kazem / employee in the telecommunications sector: "The question beyond small groups to deal arrived in the State and also to clear the case upon receipt of the staff salaries."

And she says: "For more than a year and we receive Ruatbena without small groups although the salaries are small groups and codified in record salaries .. For example allowance of 218,165 dinars, and when the distribution exceeds official latter figure accounts for the lack of cash small groups." host: "I agree with the others to 165 dinars for purchasing cattle in the market now, but the problem has a negative impact on prices and wages transportation, and here begins Drew government to solve the problem."

It continued: "all nations of the world are dealt Sagbreh categories according to the laws established by the state and begin applying practical imposed on the citizen and the seller and taxi driver dealt with as part of the elements of the national economy of those countries." Stressing: "the need to be heeded officials in the Central Bank of Iraq to this crisis, follow-up and find solutions to them. "

The Sadiq Mohammed Aqeel / accountant in one of the companies, the Ministry of Industry and Minerals confirms that the Iraqis afflicted Since the embargo in the 1990s Alaguetsidi problems currency cash .. He says: "We all recall how the groups talked counterfeit cash problems and disrupt the work of the trader and Earner and employee and the spread between their hands through transactions daily Since then, the cash currency problems in Iraq continuing. " He added: "The problem is not an accountant Chamber concerned when we receive the salary we receive small groups, but some employees to Ayeiron importance of the receipt, but only receive salary below." He stressed: "The solution to this problem everyone needs to come together from the citizen then government. "

For his part, the economic expert that the causes of this problem are the repercussions of the current economic situation, which resulted in serious phenomena.
He said Ahmed Khalil of the Institute of Studies economy: "The continuing rise of inflation levels j economy and the administrative and financial corruption in government departments and the speedy lifting of fuel prices in addition to the application of the policy of raising pay for any pay high without treatments of reality Alaguentesadi led to the reluctance of citizens to deal in small groups".

He added: "could not blame citizens to refrain from dealing these groups because it relies entirely on the business dealings reflected on the ground." Alluding to: "The Merchant brings goods at the expense of the dollar and the price of a particular commodity dinars the amount tenths hundreds When integrated sales price Thus disappeared in small groups. "

He continued: "The monetary policy based on the observation of this phenomenon and strangulation and restore life to those categories that are part of the national banknotes and can ignore any way." He stressed: "The current reality in Iraq requires the Central Bank of Iraq continue to diagnose the negative aspects facing the local currency as responsible for monetary policy. "

Part An official at the Iraqi Central Bank that the bank develop a plan in this regard to create a balance of cash exchanges and the revival of small groups of local currency such as those designed to raise the value of the Iraqi dinar against the dollar earlier.
He said: "The new Iraqi currency is still subjected to illegal practices, including work on reducing financial exchanges at home by overcoming small groups, which means confuse the national economic situation and these operations stand behind views hostile to Iraq." He added: "The bank still faces the traditional environment in terms of standards and the degree of growth in revenues and payment receipt is developing standards which puts on the monetary policy additional tasks. "

He pointed out: "This is a difficult requirement to human factors spe******t and physical factors paid to the requirements of civil money to the faster pace."

Translated version of http://http/

Iraqi Iranian talks to implement terrestrial telephone network

Sunday, September 16, 2007
Citizen / special

The Ministry of Communications has received technical specifications and maps full of terrestrial telephone network project to be implemented from the loan granted to the Iranian Ministry. A source in the ministry that the ministry recently conducted talks with the Ministry of Communications of Iran to benefit from the technical information there for the purpose of implementing the draft terrestrial telephone network to be implemented from the loan granted to the Iranian Ministry.

He added that he discussed the project and details with spe******ts from the Iranian side by senior agent of the Ministry and compare with the maps prepared earlier. He continued that official talks ended in the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the two sides on technical details and mechanisms of the application procedures for the preparation of technical specifications by consulting firms to be beyond the stage of direct invitations and recognizes the technical and commercial presentations of Iranian companies.

Translated version of http://http/

Gulf Iraqi Forum begins its first in Bahrain in November next

Sunday, September 16, 2007
Citizen / up

Nizar said Hatem general manager of the company's general opposition to the Iraqi Forum Iraqi first Gulf state of Bahrain, which hosted the period from 1 to November 3 next acquires special importance as a demonstration of global industrial business.

He added Hatem information in statements he hoped the participation of more than 12 thousand participants representing 900 companies Iraqi and Arab and global pioneer in different sectors, with invitations sent to more than 300 personalities representing government (28) and the Iraqi Ministry, stressing that the presence of this size will have a positive outcome on the subject of good investment and attract foreign capital, especially after legislation investment law new Iraqi companies and the desire to contribute to the reconstruction of Iraq. and on the importance of international exhibitions organized by Iraq and its impacts on the nature of its relations with the nations of the world, Hatem explained that the basis of firm desire to develop and the development of economic relations between Iraq and the nations of the world have contributed to the company's administration of many Iraqi opposition outside the home after the conclusion of agreements with the Organization for companies such exhibitions, pointing out that the first Iraqi Gulf Forum comes within this context.

He voiced hope to achieve economic results and the significant trade is not at the level of profit but only to confirm the aspirations of the new Iraq in establishing economic relations, balanced and based on common interests with other nations. Hatem pointed out that the company's general exhibitions at the aspirations of the Iraqi Iraqi government, took the extraordinary importance for the establishment of trade fairs within Iraq is engaged in providing all the requirements for establishing such exhibitions successfully after receiving requests from businessmen and many companies, especially that the worsening security situation does not include throughout Iraq, it could exhibitions in many cities safe, stressing that the work is now under way for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Baghdad international exhibitions especially at the level of rehabilitation rooms offer private and secure electric power and organize parks and rearrangement is decent, and is encouraged by the fact that the company's excellent technical competencies good management and expertise in addition to the support it has received from the Ministry of Commerce to fill the shortcomings experienced by some aspects, especially after exposure to acts of sabotage during the fall of the previous regime in 2003 .

Translated version of http://http/

White House report notes Iraq progress

Democrats attack findings but can't agree on alternative

September 15, 2007

WASHINGTON - A new White House report yesterday found "satisfactory" progress on nine of 18 benchmark measures in Iraq, an assessment that drew renewed attacks from Democratic critics of President Bush's policy.

De****e their call for a different course in Iraq, however, Democrats have not agreed on an alternative that would bring troops home faster than Bush has ordered.

The latest White House evaluation gave passing grades to the Iraqis for integrating members of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party into the government and moving toward semi-autonomous regions and other areas. But it contained a more sober accounting of the situation in Iraq than Bush gave Thursday night. In a primetime televised speech, the president said that the troop surge he implemented this year was showing results and that some of the extra military personnel could begin coming home.

The written findings warned against "placing too much strain" on Iraqi security forces and said that "major economic turnaround remains unlikely" until the security picture improves. Required by Congress, the White House report is the latest in a series of evaluations that show many remaining challenges in Iraq, such as failure to enact an oil revenue distribution law or to reduce corruption and sectarian violence.

Democrats in Congress say those assessments show that the U.S. is falling short in its efforts to quell sectarian violence in Iraq, but they have not developed an effective strategy of their own. Unless Democrats in Congress can persuade more Republicans to join them, they lack the votes to force Bush to adopt a different policy.

Sen. Jack Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat, said Democrats have softened a proposal to narrow the mission of U.S. troops - by dropping a requirement to begin troop withdrawals in 120 days and changing it, instead, to a "goal" - in hopes of attracting more Republican support.

If Democrats can get enough Republican votes to win Senate approval, it would be "a powerful signal" to the public that "we get it" and are "beginning to move in a direction that's much more in accord with their views," Reed said.



Different strategies
Some Washington veterans are offering other ideas.

Leon E. Panetta, a member of the Iraq Study Group and former chief of staff to President Bill Clinton, suggested in an interview that Democrats need to enlist the support of a respected Republican, such as Sen. John W. Warner of Virginia, to draft a bipartisan measure, as part of the military spending process, rejecting an open-ended commitment in Iraq, even though U.S. troops would probably need to stay in the region for years.

"There are some areas of common consensus," Panetta said. "Nobody wants an Iraq that is going to implode; everyone says they don't want an open-ended commitment; nobody supports a precipitous withdrawal."

More likely, though, is that Democrats and Republicans will be unable to agree on an alternate strategy of any kind, resulting in a stay-the-course situation that Bush wants.

Democrats are under increasing pressure from their party's liberal wing to block further spending for the war until Bush agrees to change his policy. Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, in a campaign commercial Thursday night on MSNBC, accused Congress of lacking "the courage" to bring the troops home and said lawmakers "must" use their power to end the war.

But none of the measures under serious consideration by Democratic leaders would go that far.


Gates vs. Webb
Nonetheless, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates was sharply critical yesterday of some of the ideas for troop withdrawal circulating on Capitol Hill, saying they could "further stress the force and reduce its combat effectiveness."

He singled out for criticism a proposal by Democratic Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia to require longer periods at home between combat deployments. If that requirement became law, Gates told reporters at the Pentagon, he might have to extend the 15-month tours of units already deployed in Iraq. Some units might not be available, leaving gaps in U.S. combat capabilities.

"As well-intentioned as many of these proposals are,"' Gates said, "in reality they end up imposing some real hardships on our forces and potentially impacting combat effectiveness and risk."

Webb responded that he "expected that the administration would oppose this amendment" and that he had altered his proposal after speaking to Gates this week to allay some of the Defense secretary's concerns.

Separately, the administration tried to bolster its argument for maintaining a huge military presence in Iraq in an appearance by Vice President Dick Cheney before a friendly audience at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library in Michigan. Cheney said that the nation needed to stay on the offensive against terrorism, and that "there will be no running, or relenting, until the problem has been dealt with - decisively, systematically and permanently."

Cheney said Iraqis "have begun to see that America's commitment is real and it is lasting."

"They've begun to realize that the United States is a nation that follows through on a pledge, and the president of the United States is a man of his word," he said.

Bush repeated the message of his primetime address during a visit to the Marine Corps base at Quantico, Va.

He told the Marines that "now we've got security in the right direction, and we are bringing our troops home." Bush said members of Congress should "listen very carefully to what General [David] Petraeus and Ambassador [Ryan] Crocker reported" in their Senate testimony this week.

House Democrats have planned no Iraq votes for next week and are waiting to see how the issue plays out in the Senate.

House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer said Democrats might use a coming series of spending bills and other measures to try to change the direction in Iraq.

"Clearly, we are frustrated by the fact that no matter what we pass ... it's subject to being vetoed by the president. And he's made that clear, his inclination to do that," the Southern Maryland Democrat said.

Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Montgomery County said Democrats would keep looking for GOP converts to the antiwar cause. "There are a lot of Republicans who say one thing back home in their districts and vote another way in Congress," said Van Hollen said. "We're trying to close that gap."

White House report notes Iraq progress -- baltimoresun.com

White House faults Iraqi leaders

Reuters
Published: Saturday, September 15, 2007

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A day after President George W. Bush cited enough progress in Iraq to justify U.S. troop reductions, the White House told Congress on Friday that Iraqi leaders had failed to meet half of their key goals.

The administration's acknowledgment of shortfalls in the Iraqi government's performance underscored the challenges Bush faces in selling his strategy to skeptical Democratic lawmakers and an American public increasingly opposed to the war.

In a report ordered by Congress, the White House concluded the Iraqis had made satisfactory progress on just nine of 18 political and security benchmarks and unsatisfactory progress in seven. It said it was unable to rate two other targets.

Democrats in control of Congress had insisted on a review of Iraqi efforts to achieve national reconciliation as a condition for continued funding for a buildup of U.S. forces intended to help curb sectarian violence.

As Bush and top aides kept up a public relations push to rally support for his Iraq strategy, the White House played down the negative side of the latest status report and pointed instead to what it described as encouraging signs.

But House Democratic leader Steny Hoyer accused the administration of "attempting to paint a far rosier picture of Iraqi progress on key benchmarks than is justified by the reality on the ground."

The report followed a televised prime-time address by Bush on Thursday night in which he embraced recommendations by his top commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, for a limited withdrawal of about 20,000 troops by July.

CONDITIONS ON THE GROUND

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Friday he hoped the United States could withdraw another five combat brigades -- about 20,000 troops -- from Iraq in the second half of next year, but cautioned that it would depend on conditions on the ground.

"My hope is that when he does his assessment in March ... Gen. Petraeus will be able to say that he thinks that the pace of drawdowns can continue at the same rate in the second half of the year as in the first half of the year," Gates told a news conference.

Bush said security improvements had made it possible to start bringing troops home, but he defied calls for a dramatic change of course in the unpopular war.

The partial drawdown will roll back troop strength from the current 169,000 to around the same levels the United States had in Iraq before Bush ordered a troop increase in January.

Democratic leaders said Bush was trying to obscure the fact that most of the troops being withdrawn would have left anyway under current deployment timetables, and they demanded a faster, broader withdrawal.

But Vice President Dick Cheney, on the road in Grand Rapids, Michigan, accused critics of ignoring the chaos he said would follow a precipitous U.S. pullout.

Visiting a Marine base in Quantico, Virginia, Bush hammered home the themes of his Oval Office address and urged congressional support. He hopes to prevent further defections by fellow Republicans that could threaten war funding.

Acknowledging pressure from his opponents to bring troops home, Bush insisted: "Well, now we've got security in the right direction and we are bringing our troops home."

With Democrats denouncing Bush for what they see as an attempt to buy time for a failed policy, the Iraq status report seemed to provide them with more ammunition.

It deemed unsatisfactory the Iraqi government's efforts to enact crucial oil-sharing legislation, to increase the number of Iraqi security force units able to operate independently and to eliminate sectarian bias in the Iraqi police.

The report gave a satisfactory grade, however, for progress in ensuring the rights of minority political parties, for advances toward easing curbs on former members of Saddam Hussein's Baath party joining the military and civil service and for providing three brigades to support a security crackdown in Baghdad.

Recent independent assessments have painted a much bleaker picture of a dysfunctional Iraqi government.

Some of Bush's fellow Republicans have also voiced doubts over his strategy. Republicans lost control of Congress in last November's election, largely due to public disenchantment over Iraq. Recent polls show Americans 2-to-1 against the war.

White House faults Iraqi leaders

Kurdish Border Poses Explosive Threat

Peter Galbraith, a former US ambassador and an advisor for Iraq's Kurds, says that Iraqi Kurdish border poses an explosive threat for Turkey, Iraq, Iran and the US. And he has some suggestions for threat..

General amnesty for PKK'

Qandil mountain is an unusual trouble spot. straddling the Iran-Iraq border in the Kurdish regions of both countries, it is inaccessible and inho****able.

When I drove up the mountain in 1992, valleys with scorching summer temperatures gave way to large snowfields.

At the time, Qandil was home base for a Western-oriented Kurdish democratic movement that infiltrated political activists and guerrilla fighters into Iranian Kurdistan.

Today that base is used by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a separatist group on the State Department's list of terrorist organizations for attacks in Turkey, and PJAK, its Iranian branch.

Though the Petraeus and Crocker testimony last week focused on violence in and around Baghdad, the Kurdish border regions pose an explosive threat that could embroil Iran, Turkey, Iraq and the United States.

The PKK fought a 15-year war with Turkey that ended in 1999 with the capture of its leader Abdullah Ocalan.

PKK remnants then fled to Qandil; ever since, Turkey has accused them of terrorist attacks and threatened to send troops against them.

Iran has made the same accusations against PJAK, retaliated by shelling Kurdish border villages, and last week also threatened to send troops into Iraq.

All parties act as if the Kurds on Qandil were someone else's problem.

Iran and Turkey demand that the Iraqi government stop the cross-border attacks. But the Iraqi government has no presence within a hundred miles of Qandil, which is in territory nominally controlled by Iraq's Kurdistan Regional Government.

For its part, the regional government has neither the stomach to battle fellow Kurds nor the helicopters to reach the remote Qandil base.|

The United States, on the other hand, has the military power to dislodge both the PKK and the PJAK, but the last thing Washington needs now is to open a new front in the Iraq War.

The Bush administration has told Ankara it sympathizes with its concerns but has no resources to strike the PKK.

Meanwhile, the Iranians accuse the United States of supporting PJAK, a charge Washington denies.

The Bush administration has appointed Gen. Joe Ralston, the former NATO Supreme Commander, as a special envoy between Turkey and the Iraqi Kurds.

Although well regarded in both camps, Ralston's mission is only part-time and it is limited to the PKK.

PUKmedia :: English - Kurdish Border Poses Explosive Threat

Iraq receives $275m loan from Japan

A spokesman for Iraq's General Company for Sea Ports announced that the company has received a $275 million loan from the Japanese government in order to remove the wreckage from 285 sunken naval vessels, IDP reported.

He also stated that the loan is to further develop Iraq's southern ports of Umm Qasr and Khor al-Zubair and that the purpose of the measure is to ensure the safety of the carriers to the ports.

It is noteworthy that the ships which transport 75,000 tons of cargo will then be able to dock at both ports without any problem and developments are currently underway to deepen access to the port to allow the passage of larger vessels.

MENAFN - Middle East North Africa . Financial Network News: Iraq receives $275m loan from Japan