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

Kurdish Genocide is of Great Importance in United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

On Sept. 28, a Kurdish delegation headed by KRG Minister of Human Rights, Dr. Shwan Muhammad met with Armenian ambassador to discuss the bill submitted by Armenia to UN Human Rights Council. The bill was to prevent Genocide and was accepted by UN Human Rights Council. Armenian ambassador spelled out that they have full knowledge on Anfal Case.

“The difference between Anfal and Armenian Case is that Iraqi Genocide Supreme Court determined on Anfal and more decisive to be internationalized.” Armenian ambassador said.

The Kurdish delegation previously held talks with Mrs. Luis Arbur, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva.

They talked on Anfal operation, it was of great importance for them, and they promised to work on it.

PUKmedia :: English - Kurdish Genocide is of Great Importance in United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

By the U.S. Embassy on the U.S. Administration’s Policy toward Iraq

In view of the non-binding resolution concerning Iraq passed by the United States Senate on September 27, the Embassy wishes to make clear that it remains the firm policy of the American Administration to support a stable, secure, and unified Iraq.

Our goal in Iraq remains the same: a united, democratic, federal Iraq that can govern, defend, and sustain itself. Iraq’s leaders must and will take the lead in determining how to achieve these national aspirations.

As we have said in the past, attempts to partition or divide Iraq by intimidation, force or other means into three separate states would produce extraordinary suffering and bloodshed. The United States has made clear our strong opposition to such attempts.

The Iraqi people adopted a constitution in October 2005, which includes provision for possible expansion of federal structures in Iraq. Iraqis are now considering ways to amend that constitution, but partition is not on the table. The United States fully supports the Iraqis in their efforts to achieve peace and stability.

PUKmedia :: English - By the U.S. Embassy on the U.S. Administration’s Policy toward Iraq

Taifur: any Agreement Iraq Signs with another Country must be Presented to the Iraqi Parliament

Deputy President of the Iraqi parliament, Arif Taifur announced that the Iraqi parliament doesn’t think that the Iraqi interior minister, Jawad al-Bolani is authorized to sign an agreement which directly infringing Iraq’s sovereignty.

He stressed, in a statement issued Monday, that : “Any agreement signed between Iraq and other countries, including the recent agreement between Iraq and Turkey, must be presented to the Iraqi parliament in order to pass it according to article 61 /item 4, and article 73 /item 3, otherwise it won’t be valid.

We on our side and our position will not accept any move which is contrary to the interests of the Iraqi people generally and Kurdistan region particularly. This is considered as a violation to the articles of the Iraqi constitution. Discussing the foreign relations between Iraq and Turkey cannot be done without the stand of KRG especially those damage Kurdistan region, particularly the issue of Turkish intervention into Iraqi territories which are part of Kurdistan region and the Kurdish people who will not allow to take side in another country’s internal affair .We will not accept from any side to launch attacks from our territories against any neighboring country ,meanwhile we refuse interference in our internal affairs ,because while we in the Iraqi federal government adhere to the principles of democracy. We refuse any agreement which will be signed behind the back of the Iraqi parliament and the KRG and this is a clear marginalization of Kurdistan region ..”

PUKmedia :: English - Taifur: any Agreement Iraq Signs with another Country must be Presented to the Iraqi Parliament

Flights to Resume between Sulaimani and Germany on October the 8th

After a period of halt in the flights between Sulaimani International Airport and Germany, a reliable source from Germany told PUKmedia that flights between Sulaimani and Germany will resume normally on September the 8th.

Following out the news, in a phone call general director of Zozik Airline Company confirmed the news to PUKmedia and said that they have been informed by Sulaimani International Airport as well.

PUKmedia :: English - Flights to Resume between Sulaimani and Germany on October the 8th

Originally Posted by Hardwood

I wouldn't say the Dinar section has died.

We all have lives outside the "Box" and the Dinar Madness was so entertaining it kept me glued to the screen in hopes of discovering that the incredible happened- "The Dinar Revalued"!

Well, the hype has finally dwindled down, and naturally the attention it brought has dwindled down with it.

I still check in daily and the news of late has been encouraging. Not enough to spark up the old Hype Machine again, but enough to keep me positive and enough to keep me educated.

I second that "thanks" to Seaview and Lunar and anyone else keeping this thread alive and current.

One day we'll all look back on this and laugh.

Hi Hardwood,

You wrote exactly what I was thinking. Right from the onset it was stated that this was a long term investment. However, as human nature would have it, needy high hopes and expectations wanted to see a more instant result with a quick reval. I was one. Still am.

Blessings and prayers be with your friend you have mentioned in your signature.

Kozmar

British firms battle for Iraq security deals

The U.S. government quietly gave a $485 mln security contract for Iraq to a private British firm within the week that U.S. contractors were accused of opening fire on and killing Iraqi civilians.

The highly contested deal, the largest security contract awarded in Iraq, was won by Aegis Defence Services, a 5-year-old company run by a former British army officer one of whose previous companies helped put down coups in Africa.

Industry experts say the deal shows just how well positioned British firms are in the battle to make money amid Iraq's chaos, as U.S. companies, particularly in the wake of last month's shooting, come under increasing scrutiny.

The deal was not awarded without controversy -- Erinys, a rival bidder, has filed a lawsuit to try to block it and another has said it is "considering its options" -- but Aegis was expected to retain the contract.

Aegis, which employs about 1,200 people, has now attracted nearly $800 mln in U.S. government contracts, making it one of the most financially successful firms operating in Iraq.

Aegis said it won the contract days before the reputation of one of its top competitors, U.S. group Blackwater, was tarnished by the shooting in Baghdad. Witnesses said the firm's employees opened fire on civilians, killing 8. Blackwater has said they returned fire after being attacked.

Either way, the security landscape appears to be shifting, with U.S. operators regarded, rightly or wrongly, as "gung-ho" and British contractors seen as more restrained -- even if some of them, including Aegis, have been criticised in the past.

"We come from very different cultural backgrounds with very different support networks," said Amyas Godfrey, an associate of the Royal United Services Institute, a British defence think tank, who also consults to Blue Hackle, a security firm.


"STRICT"

"Every company makes a decision about how they operate. British military companies tend to hire ex-British military... We are very strict about how free we are with our weapons.

"Any private security company worth its salt will always look to be defensive. It's not an offensive industry."

Aegis is run by Tim Spicer, a retired lieutenant colonel who set up Sandline International after leaving the army. That company helped put down insurgencies in Papua New Guinea and Sierra Leone, drawing accusations of hiring "mercenaries".

As well as the larger groups such as Aegis, Control Risks and ArmorGroup, there are about 20 smaller British firms competing for the estimated $1.5 bln being spent each year on security in Iraq, from convoy escorting to close protection.

As the industry becomes more regulated -- two dozen firms got together in 2006 to form the British Association of Private Security Companies -- less transparent outfits have dropped away, leaving fewer, larger companies to compete for the funds.

More consolidation is expected in the years ahead with firms either shutting up shop completely because there are no more contracts to be won in Iraq, or changing their focus to try to win business in Afghanistan, Africa and other hotspots.

"I think we would expect to see some of the smaller or mid-size companies going," said Patrick Toyne-Sewell, the director of communications at ArmorGroup, a UK-listed firm.

"There is a general trend to try to diversify outside of Iraq, particularly for those who started there" and don't yet have operations elsewhere in the global $2.5 billion industry.

While some, including Andy Bearpark, the head of the BAPSC, believe the Iraq security market will shrink in the years ahead as military operations wind down, others see it as a long-term play, particularly as the oil industry strengthens.

Any pull-out of U.S. forces will also give a boost to security firms, they say, with convoys needing protection and military equipment needing transporting out of the country. Mine clearance and training will also be money spinners.

"The more the military pull out or start handing over, the bigger rush of reconstruction projects there are going to be, and certainly opportunities for contracts," said Godfrey.

News | Africa - Reuters.com&

Brown could pull half of Iraq force out by New Year

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is preparing to withdraw a significant number of Britain's remaining troops in Iraq before the end of this year, government sources said Monday.

As many as half of the 5,500 force could be on their way home by the end of the year, government insiders told the London evening newspaper The Standard.

The Prime Minister will next week make a "significant" announcement to Parliament as he sets out a clear strategic direction on Iraq.

He is expected to confirm the handover of Basra, the last remaining province in British hands, to full Iraqi control, and to outline a timetable for the departure of most British forces in Iraq next year.

Under a series of scenarios being drawn up by aides, between 2,000 and 3, 000 troops would remain in Iraq into next year in an "over-watch" role, ready to intervene in an emergency if called on by the Iraqi or US authorities, the paper said.

They would also continue to train the Iraqi military and police forces, and protect the supply route from neighboring Kuwait.

All of Britain's remaining troops in Iraq are now garrisoned at Basra air base on the edge of the city after the last remaining soldiers pulled out of Basra Palace last month.

Since he became Prime Minister, Brown has gradually distanced himself from former Prime Minister Tony Blair's policy on Iraq, commentators said.

Recent polls show that more than two-thirds of the UK public think British troops are losing the war in Iraq, and over half believe the war is already lost.

However, military observers believe that any pull-out of troops in Iraq will coincide with the announcement of more troops going to Afghanistan and the numbers are more likely to be in the region of 550, the size of a battalion.

A Downing Street source said: "Numbers and timings are being presented to the Prime Minister. The detail of the announcement has not been agreed yet.

http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesP...40&Language=en

Again, again, again

Future of Iraq must be determined by natives -- official

The future of Iraq must be determined by the natives without external influence, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Barham Saleh said on Monday.

Saleh, addressing an ongoing conference on construction, held in Babel, said the future of Iraq "will be drawn by the natives of the homeland and without any custody from any power." He confirmed that 40 million dollars were added to the Babel governorate budget, adding that the state earmarked 30 million dollars in soft loans for social support, industrial loans, the immigrants and academic graduates.

Saleh, during the conference that was attended by senior officials, held talks with tribal chiefs on sidelines of the gathering. The chiefs assured him that they would maintain an unwavering stand against terrorism.
His remarks followed a resolution by the US Senate stipulating partitioning of Iraq along sectarian and racial lines. The US stand has drawn anger from various Iraqi political groups and powers.

http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesP...18&Language=en

IRAQ OIL FIELD ASSETS SALE STILL ON

Iraq's minister of petroleum, Hussein Shahristani, used the Iraq Petroleum 2007 conference staged in Dubai last month to state that his ministry will issue a tender for the development of Iraq's existing fields this year regardless of whether the long-delayed new hydrocarbons bill is further postponed in becoming law or not.

About a third of Iraq's existing fields will be put up for bid, he said, pointing out that further delays would make an already difficult situation worse.

Shahristani said the target was to boost Iraqi oil production to 3million barrels per day in 2008 and 6million bpd within a decade. Current output is put at 2.5million bpd, but is frequently less due to the civil war and insurgency.

HOUSTON and Aberdeen energy investment bank Simmons & Company International has opened an office in Norway with a view to building on its already successful more than 30-year track record of deal-making that side of the North Sea.

The Oslo team is headed by Lars A. Saunes, director, and a Norwegian national.

this is north scotland - news, entertainment, jobs, homes and cars

Originally Posted by Seaview

Again, again, again

Future of Iraq must be determined by natives -- official

The future of Iraq must be determined by the natives without external influence, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Barham Saleh said on Monday.

Saleh, addressing an ongoing conference on construction, held in Babel, said the future of Iraq "will be drawn by the natives of the homeland and without any custody from any power." He confirmed that 40 million dollars were added to the Babel governorate budget, adding that the state earmarked 30 million dollars in soft loans for social support, industrial loans, the immigrants and academic graduates.

Saleh, during the conference that was attended by senior officials, held talks with tribal chiefs on sidelines of the gathering. The chiefs assured him that they would maintain an unwavering stand against terrorism.
His remarks followed a resolution by the US Senate stipulating partitioning of Iraq along sectarian and racial lines. The US stand has drawn anger from various Iraqi political groups and powers.

http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesP...18&Language=en

Yea....well the only thing i can say to that is that the so called "NATIVES" that have been in power for way over a year now have not gotten anything...I repeat anything done...most of the time the parliament does not have enuff members attending to have a quorum to vote on any laws that they have to vote on...they take month long vacations as if nothing is wrong...their people are still starving...most go without electricity for hours every day.....gas lines are longer then ever...yet their elected politicians wear nice suits with ties.....work in air conditioned buildings.....take off whenever they want to it seems...and nothing gets done...the HCL has been before the parliament since february...still no vote on it...yea...let the natives decide their future.....as long as American or British soldiers are paying for that decision with their lives daily.....and the American taxpayers money is sent over their for their CORRUPT POLITICIANS to spend as they see fit.....yea.....let the future of Iraq be determined by the ""NATIVES"...Pat..ps.....sorry for the long drawn out rant