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

Kirkuk Governor Calls for Taking Strict Measures against Corruption Cases

Kirkuk governor, Abdul Rahman Mustafa, stressed on taking strict measures against offices and officials who will be proved guilty in corruption cases, calling directors of Kirkuk offices to pursue their officials works’ regarding facilitating coefficients of citizens and abiding by the office hours. He said that during his meeting with directors of Kirkuk offices today.

PUKmedia :: English - Kirkuk Governor Calls for Taking Strict Measures against Corruption Cases

President Bush Appreciates Role of President Talabani for Succeeding the Political Process in Iraq

Iraqi president, his Excellency Jalal Talabani, met with President Bush today during his current visit to the United States of America.

Both presidents discussed the latest developments of security and the political process in Iraq, appreciating the role of the Iraqi and the US forces in Iraq in besieging the terrorist groups .They also discussed the bilateral ties between Iraq and US.

President Bush appreciated the role of President Talabani and his Excellency’s serious work for succeeding the political process in Iraq and reinforcing its regional and international role.

On his side, President Talabani repeated appreciation and gratitude to the American people, the administration of President Bush and the US forces in Iraq for their continuous support to the new political process in Iraq.

PUKmedia :: English - President Bush Appreciates Role of President Talabani for Succeeding the Political Process in Iraq

The division bell is ringing in Iraq?

"Why not? It seems a nice solution," suggested a bookshop owner in Arbil, the capital of the autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan region, with bright eyes and a smile from ear to ear.

"Since 1991, we became accustomed to having Iraqi Kurdistan as a special entity. We can never live under a central government again after the years we tasted a semi-independent status," said Farouq Jamil.

Iraqis from different areas in the war-troubled nation mirrored the acute splits among the political parties over a recent U.S. Congressional proposal to "divide Iraq into federal entities on ethnic and sectarian basis."

Some thought that the proposal might lead to a "solution" for the country's security predicament, while others warned that it could be "a gateway to more chaos and fiercer conflicts."

Aram Ali, a student, said the U.S. resolution is an "optimal solution to the Iraqi problem. Kurdistan, with its security and stability, is a case in point because it is ethnically harmonious and the Kurds are a majority there."

"The same thing applies to southern Iraq areas of predominantly Shiite inhabitants, while unrest is focused in the areas where Shiites and Sunnis mix," Ali told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).

The U.S. Senate, during a late hour on Wednesday, had approved with a majority of 75 votes to 23 a draft resolution on the division of Iraq as a bid to "end the acts of violence sweeping the nation."

The plan provides for dividing Iraq into three Shiite, Kurdish and Sunni entities with a federal government in Baghdad undertaking matters pertaining to border security and oil revenues.

The resolution drew outcries and reactions at local and international levels. While it was welcomed by the Iraqi Kurdistan region's presidency, it was met with strong objection on the part of the Iraqi government, the Shiite Unified Iraqi Coalition (UIC) and the Sunni Association of Muslim Scholars (AMS).

France, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and other countries also warned against the consequences of such a resolution.

In Baghdad, Basem Hamza, a journalist, said some Iraqi political powers have heralded a federacy of ethnicities and sects before the U.S. Senate even thought about it.

"The parties rejecting the proposal should have criticized the Iraqi parties before they denounced the U.S. plan to divide Iraq," said Hamza.
Bahaa Haddad, a political analyst, said the Congress resolution was just "sheer support for an old demands by Shiite and Kurdish leaders. "The resolution was just a confirmation of earlier agreements signed in London in 2002 before the ouster of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein," said Haddad.

Haddad said he found it rather strange that some Kurdish and Shiite politicians objected the Congress' resolution. "They have always demanded independent Kurdish and Shiite entities," he said.

Inaam, a civil servant in the predominantly-Shiite oil-rich port city of Basra, had some fears the resolution could be a prelude to the disintegration of her country.

"If federal division is going to bring about security, then it is ok. But, if it is meant to disintegrate Iraq, we'll never accept it," she said.

In Karbala, a human rights activist, Samir Hadi, was wondering why Iraqis – with all this violence and killing – would not accept something that preserves their lives in the first place.

"They (Iraqis) can think of the nation's unity and wealth later," stressed Hadi.

A civil society activist who described himself as secular said he was concerned the resolution might open the door wide before the interference of Iran and other regional powers.

"The circumstances now are not favorable for such a proposal. The country is weak and suffers from interferences by Iran and other regional powers. In a nutshell, the establishment of a federal entity in the south would mean the extension of the vilayat-e-faqih (Guardianship of an Islamic Jurist in neighboring Shiite Iran) there. The same thing could apply to other entities," he said.

Raed al-Azzawi, a writer, called on the Americans to bear in mind that Sunnis in Syria, Kurds in Turkey and Arabs in Iran might demand their own federal ethnic or sectarian entities if this federacy model was applied in Iraq.

"The division in this state of affairs might flare up the situation in the area, a matter that prompted America's friends in the Middle East to object the resolution," said Azzawi.

Dr. Abdul-Amir al-Faysal, a university professor from Baghdad, said America started carrying out previously-made plans to break Iraq into small entities.

Amer Hassan Fayyad, the dean of the political sciences college in the University of Baghdad, described the resolution as "one entrenching an already-existing sectarianism," adding "the resolution is a conspiracy to federacy."

Fayyad pointed out that the Iraqi constitution has already left a space for forging a federal model in accordance with developed criteria. "Why then should we speak about the sectarian bases of federacy?" he wondered.
Haydar, a student in the University of Basra, said sectarian violence might end if the Shiites were separated from the Sunnis.

"But who would separate between the parties in inter-Shiite and inter-Sunni conflicts whose signals began to appear in Basra, Karbala, al-Anbar and other provinces," wondered Haydar.

He said these conflicts over wealth have begun to take a sectarian dimension but they would soon develop to become inter-sect disputes.
"As long as the state is frail, there are no guarantees that a sectarian federacy could bring an end to violence in Iraq," said Haydar.

Hadi of Karbala challenged Iraqi officials to indicate one single mixed area that enjoys security.

"Baghdad is already divided on a sectarian basis at this moment. What comment should we make then on the U.S. Congress' resolution," Hadi asked, knitting his brows in despair.

The division bell is ringing in Iraq? | Iraq Updates

President Talabani: there is no Alternative to Maliki for Forming the New National Unity Government

President Talabani reassured the need for forming a new national unity government which includes those forces that withdrawn after the current government fulfilled all their demands, describing them as legitimate.

President Talabani reassured his confident with PM Nuri al- Maliki during an exclusive interview with the al-Hurra satellite channel.

His Excellency said that there is no alternative to al- Maliki for forming the new national unity government, urging all the political sides to make concessions for getting the county out of its current crisis.

“If a new government to be established, I personally think that Mr. al-Maliki is the suitable person and the capable man for carrying out the mission in this stage. The government is still owns the parliamentary majority, the ministerial majority, and still owns the power to carryout the demands, especially if the government implemented these demands it will enjoy the support of others. ” President Talabani said.

PUKmedia :: English - President Talabani: there is no Alternative to Maliki for Forming the New National Unity Government

Bush prods Iraq's president for progress

WASHINGTON (AP) President Bush's hour-long meeting with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani on Tuesday yielded familiar White House assurances that Iraq's leaders are making progress on unifying their country.

The session did not, however, add any clarity about when that may happen.

White House press secretary Dana Perino said Bush made it clear how important it is for Iraq's parliament to get its work done, but issued no ultimatum.

Bush often prods Iraq's leadership to make good on its promises of political reconciliation.
"Given that Iraq is a sovereign country, the president can push," Perino said. "He did not give them a specific deadline."

Bush's decision to send thousands more troops into Iraq early this year was intended to give Iraqi leaders space to pass key legislation and move closer to taking control of their country.

Iraqi leaders are working on three laws considered vital to political stability: equitable distribution of oil revenues, provincial elections, and permission for members of Saddam Hussein's ousted Baath Party to take part in the new government. Bush says the work is complex and leaders are committed to it.

In the U.S., lawmakers and the public have grown tired of waiting as the U.S. death toll in Iraq grows.

"I understand the frustration and the impatience," Perino said. "But I think that they're moving in the right direction." She said Talabani offered no time frames, but that "he was hopeful. He said that he thought that there was a good political environment right now."

Bush and Talabani did not make comments or take questions from reporters.
The leaders never discussed the uproar involving the security firm Blackwater, Perino said. Guards from the private security company, while protecting a U.S. diplomatic convoy on Sept. 16, were involved in a shoot-out that left 11 Iraqis dead. The incident has complicated U.S.-Iraqi relations.

Perino said the Blackwater incident did not come up, probably because it is under investigation by governments of both countries.
Blackwater's chairman strongly defended his private security company on Tuesday in testimony on Capitol Hill. Asked if Bush is satisfied with the way Blackwater is conducting itself, Perino said: "I don't think that he has any reason to believe that they're not at the moment conducting themselves appropriately."

Bush prods Iraq's president for progress

Iraq Shiites object to arming Sunni groups

Iraq's ruling Shiite coalition on Tuesday criticized a U.S. plan to provide Sunni Al-Sahwa Councils with weapons to fight al-Qaida aligned groups.

The coalition said in a statement that providing the councils, which were set up by the United States to combat militant Sunni groups, with weaponry would yield unpredictable consequences and could contribute to instability in Baghdad and other locations, KUNA, the Kuwait News Agency, reported Tuesday.

"The armed gangs, who are fighting the Iraqi people, could never be trusted with the best interest of the Iraqis. They are sure to capitalize on any security vacuum to commit more crimes and brutalities just as they did in the past," the statement said.

The coalition warned that arming the groups could lead to the "establishment of new militias."

"Such masked armed groups are committing their criminal operations under a U.S. cover," it said.

Iraq Shiites object to arming Sunni groups

500 more UK soldiers to return home

Baghdad: British Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced yesterday that 500 more soldiers would be home from Iraq by the end of the year, fuelling speculation he may soon call a national election.

On his first visit to Iraq as prime minister, Brown said Iraq could take responsibility for security in Basra province within two months, completing the transfer of power in all four southern provinces for which Britain was once responsible.

Britain has been trimming its Iraq force from 5,500 since it pulled 500 soldiers from a palace in the city of Basra to a vast airbase on its outskirts in early September. The total now stands at about 5,250 and was due to fall to 5,000 soon.

"I believe that by the end of the year British troops can be reduced to 4,500," Brown told reporters during a visit to Baghdad. "That releases 1,000 of our troops and hopefully they will be home by Christmas."Basra has enormous strategic importance as the hub for Iraq's vital oil exports that account for 90 per cent of its revenue and a centre of imports and exports. Forty-one British soldiers have been killed this year, the most since 2003, although daily mortar attacks on Basra palace have largely stopped.

"I believe that within the next two months we can move to provincial Iraqi control, that is Iraqis taking responsibility for their own security [in Basra]," Brown told reporters.

Speculation is mounting in Britain that Brown is considering an early election. Yesterday's news about British troop reductions could be a further boost for a prime minister who is already enjoying a strong lead in the opinion polls.

Silent on election

Brown declined to comment on the election talk: "The first thing on my mind today is the security of our armed forces and what we can do to promote democracy in Iraq."

Brown met officials from the three main sects in Iraq: Shiite Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki, Sunni Vice President Tareq Al Hashemi and Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih, a Kurd.

"I have made it clear that we are looking for further effort to be made by all parties in Iraq to come together," said Brown. Feuding between Iraq's political camps has hamstrung the government and delayed progress on key reforms Washington wants.

While the shelling of the British base in central Basra has stopped, the city has also been the centre of a turf war between Shiite groups.

That fighting was mainly between the Mehdi Army militia loyal to fiery anti-American cleric Moqtada Al Sadr, the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council, whose armed Badr wing controls police in much of the south, and the smaller Fadhila party.

Gulfnews: 500 more UK soldiers to return home

Iraq calls for end to Iranian meddling

Cambridge, Massachusetts: Iraq's foreign minister said on Monday several Islamic countries are strengthening their ties with Baghdad and called for an end to Iranian meddling in his country's affairs.

Hoshiyar Zebari added that an immediate withdrawal of US troops in Iraq would spark a regional conflict and give safe-haven to Al Qaida and other militants, echoing statements by the Bush administration.

Saudi Arabia was among the nations diplomatically embracing Iraq, Zebari said in a speech at Harvard University, having recently agreed to raise its level of diplomatic representation in Baghdad to the highest level.

"Many other Islamic countries like Indonesia, like Azerbaijan, have also agreed to send their ambassadors to Baghdad. Also, the United Arab Emirates," he said.

"We have been able to discern a perceptible shift in favor of Iraq by many countries which until now had been much less engaged. These impressions were confirmed during meetings last week at the United Nations in New York."
While Iraq is unhappy with Iran for "interfering in Iraq's internal affairs," Zebari said Baghdad must mend its poor relations with Tehran.

"The United States presence there (in Iraq) is temporary. One day they will leave," he said. "We need to forge good neighborly relations with each other.

"Iraq has sometimes become a battleground between the United States and Iran to settle scores. The message we've been giving out to both to keep their differences away from Iraq because we have too many things on our plate."

The United States accuses Iran of fomenting violence in Iraq, a charge it denies. Iran blames the US occupation for Iraq's problems and also complains about the detention of its citizens by US forces in Iraq.

Zebari described the situation in Iraq as "difficult, challenging and even critical" because of violence. But he said a recent visit to Iraq by French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner could lead to better relations between Iraq and the European Union.

"France, once the standard-bearer against the US-led coalition in Iraq, is now eager to be much more engaged with Iraq," he said. "That is a notable development because France's increased engagement would likely mean a greater engagement by both the United Nations and by the European Union."

Gulfnews: Iraq calls for end to Iranian meddling

Pullout of multi-national forces could force country into chaos - Zebari

Baghdad: Iraq's foreign minister said a premature pullout of the US-led multinational security force could send the country and region spiraling into chaos and called a US Senate proposal to divide the country into three regions well-intentioned but a bad idea.

Iraqi Minister of Foreign Affairs Hoshyar Zebari also said on Monday that de****e the strife roiling his country, he remains optimistic — even as he said Iraq should not be dragged in to any brewing conflict between the United States and Iran.

"The task facing us is challenging, but I'm confident about the future of my country," Zebari said during a speech at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. "No matter how close we came to the brink, the Iraqi people have risen to the occasion." Crucial to helping the country maintain a path toward democracy and stability is the 160,000-strong US-led multinational force, Zebari said. A rapid withdrawal could lead to the collapse of the government, and allow terrorist groups like Al Qaida to set up permanent shop within Iraq, he said. But he acknowledged that Iraq has no option but to learn to live with other countries in the region, de****e tensions and disagreements — including Iran.

"Iraq and Iran are two neighbours and are destined by geography and history to live together," he said. "We need to forge good neighbourly relations based on mutual respect." Zebari said with all the challenges facing his country, the last thing it needs is to be dragged into a conflict between Iraq and the United States.

"The message we have been sending out to both (countries) is to keep their differences away from Iraq because we have too much on our plate," he said.

Gulfnews: Pullout of multi-national forces could force country into chaos - Zebari

GCC says int''l community, Iraqi leaders responsible for conciliation

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) secretary general Abdulrahman Al-Attiyah said Tuesday the international community and Iraqi leaders were responsible for reaching a comprehensive conciliation among all Iraqis.

Al-Attiyah, in a statement on the occasion of flurry of diplomacy within Iraq to iron out differences between all parties, said the international community should be responsible for helping the Iraqis reach conciliation.

He said the leaders of the Iraqi parties were also responsible to reaching an acceptable formula to achieve a conciliation that guarantees sovereignty, territorial integrity, justice and stability.

Al-Attiyah voiced relief for the meetings between the Iraqi forces either in or outside the parliament in a drive to reach a political agenda that would act as the basis for a conciliation, and distant from sectarian and ethnic interests.

"These meetings are positive element ... for the return of security and stability to Iraq," he said.

The GCC is interested in seeing an Iraqi national project, said the Gulf bloc rejected any separatist bids and was always keen on the unity of the Iraqi territories and people.

http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesP...63&Language=en