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

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

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.

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

Americans oppose full funding for Iraq war
Washington Post-ABC News poll says majority of Americans want war budget sharply reduced.

A majority of Americans do not want to give President George W. Bush the 190-billion-dollar he has requested for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll out Tuesday.

While 27 percent said they would give a green light to the funding, a hefty 43 percent of those surveyed said they wanted the budget for those conflicts reduced sharply; and another 23 percent said they wanted the funding lowered somewhat. Three percent said no funding should be approved and three percent had no opinion, the poll found.

The survey also shed light on US voters' discontent with Bush and Congress.

"Bush's approval rating stands at 33 percent, equal to his career low in Post-ABC polls.

"And just 29 percent approve of the job Congress is doing, its lowest approval rating in this poll since November 1995, when Republicans controlled both the House and Senate. It also represents a 14-point drop since Democrats took control in January," the Post added.

The US Senate Monday passed a mammoth 648 billion dollar defense policy bill, shorn of attempts by disappointed anti-war Democrats to dictate Bush's Iraq strategy.

The bill included around 128 billion dollars for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, according to a Congressional Budget Office estimate.
The legislation passed by 92 votes to three after Democrats lost several attempts to dictate US troop levels in Iraq.

While the Department of Defense Authorization bill for fiscal year 2008 sets the size of programs, funds can only be disbursed after the passage of a Senate defense spending bill due to be taken up by the chamber this week.

The most significant Iraq related portion of the bill was an amendment backed by Democratic Senator Joseph Biden which passed last week, calling for a federalization of Iraq, with large amounts of power ceded to the provinces.

But the amendment was non-binding and will not force Bush to change strategy in the unpopular war.

Democrats failed by only four votes to include an amendment which would require troops who served in Iraq or Afghanistan to be granted as much time at home as they spent on combat deployments.

The bill would have effectively limited the number of troops available for deployment, and cut the size of the 160,000 strong US force in Iraq more quickly than the gradual reductions which Bush has promised.

Americans oppose full funding for Iraq war | Iraq Updates

Colonel Bascal Hopes that Cooperation between Kurdistan Region and the MNF in Kirkuk to be Continued

Kurdistan Region President, Massud Barzani, today in his office in Salahadin relieved colonel Stakiol, former commander of the MNF in Kirkuk, and colonel Bascal the new commander of those forces in Kirkuk.
Colonel Bascal praised the security situation in Kurdistan region during the meeting and appreciated KRG for those progresses Kurdistan region wittiness in all the aspect, hoping that cooperation between Kurdistan region and the MNF in Kirkuk to be continued.

Kurdistan Region President thanked the former commander of the MNF in Kirkuk in carrying out his duties, hoping all his success in his new duties .Mr. Massud Barzani also congratulated colonel Bascal, reassuring his support to him in carrying out his new duties.

They also discussed the situation in the area, Iraq’s security situation in general and Kirkuk situation and article 140 of the Iraqi permanent constitution in particular.

PUKmedia :: English - Colonel Bascal Hopes that Cooperation between Kurdistan Region and the MNF in Kirkuk to be Continued

Military strike against Iran destabilizes Iraq, region- Maliki

A military action against Iran will have catastrophic results for Iraq, the region and the whole world, said Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Wednesday, calling for dialogue to settle unresolved issues.

"The mass media has overplayed the Iranian crisis. A military strike against Iran is in the cards, which we do not want because it will not only be a catastrophe for Iraq, but for the Middle East as well," al-Maliki told reporters in a Baghdad-based press conference today.

"Dialogue and peaceful means are the right solution to the crisis," the premier added.

When asked about recent developments in the private U.S. security firm Blackwater's case, al-Maliki said that investigation has revealed that the firm was involved in the killing of 190 Iraqis. "Investigation is underway in Baghdad and Washington…Restrictions on the work of security companies in Iraq will be introduced," al-Maliki noted.

On September 16, personnel from Blackwater allegedly opened random fire after two mortar shells fell near a U.S. embassy motorcade that was passing in Sahat al-Nosur area, western Baghdad, killing 11 people and wounding 12 others.

The incident drew extreme indignation on the Iraqi streets as the Iraqi parliament called to restrict the work of private security companies in Iraq and also to amend a decision by the former U.S. civil administrator of Iraq, Paul Bremer, that grants these firms legal immunity.

Commenting on a U.S. Senate resolution calling for separate Sunni Arab, Shiite and Kurdish federal regions in Iraq that sparked heated controversy in political circles, al-Maliki said that the resolution ran contrary to the constitution, which defines a federal system of government for Iraq.

"We have got rid of sectarianism in Iraq, with the exception of political sectarianism, which some are making use of to promote their political agendas away from national projects that serve Iraq's interests," al-Maliki indicated.

In response to a question about the implementation of death sentences handed down against three convicts in the Anfal case, al-Maliki said that his government is against the politicization of the judiciary.

The Iraqi Supreme Criminal Court sentenced Ali Hassan al-Majid, alias Chemical Ali, the cousin of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein; Sultan Hashim, the former defense minister; and Hussein Rashid al-Tikriti, the former chief of staff, after they were found guilty of committing genocide against ethnic Iraqi Kurds.

Sunni Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi sent a message to the state's Shura [Consultative] Council in which he explained that the implementation of death sentences requires a presidential decree.

Iraqi President Jalal al-Talabani and his Sunni deputy have rejected ratifying the death sentence passed against the former defense minister. The decision was favorably received by politicians and tribes in mainly Sunni provinces, in particular in Ninewa province, the minister's hometown.

Military strike against Iran destabilizes Iraq, region- Maliki | Iraq Updates

Iranian detainee is "key leader" of Quds Corps-Spokesman

The Spokesman for the Multi-National Forces in Iraq Brigadier General Kevin Bergner said on Wednesday the Iranian national detained two weeks ago in Sulaimaniya was "a key leader" in the Iranian Quds Corps, and was involved in transferring armor-piercing explosively formed penetrators.

"The Iranian national who was detained by the U.S. forces in Sulaimaniya is involved in transferring armor-piercing explosively formed penetrators from Iran into Iraq and he is currently under questioning," Brig. Gen. Bergner told a news conference in Baghdad today.

The spokesman added "the detainee is a key leader of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds corps if compared to the Iranian persons detained in last January in Arbil."

U.S. forces arrested an Iranian trade delegation member upon arrival in Sulaimaniya in Iraq's Kurdistan region two weeks ago. Mahmoud Farhadi, the Iranian detainee, was accused by U.S. forces of transferring weapons and infiltrators into Iraq. Tehran claimed that Farhadi is a civil-servant at Karminshah province.

The spokesman also said that Farhadi is "a commander of Zafar Battelion within Ramadan Brigade which is responsible for most Quds corps activities in Iraq."

With Farhadi, U.S. army in Iraq held five more Iranians who were detained from the Iranian Consulate in Arbil on 11th January 2007.

Iranian detainee is "key leader" of Quds Corps-Spokesman | Iraq Updates

Growing evidence of Iranian support to Iraq insurgency - US military

A US Military Officer in Iraq said on Wednesday that there are growing evidence of Iranian official and direct support to insurgent activities in Iraq.

When you actually have captured Quds Force operatives and leaders in country and you know that they are involved in it... there is no doubt that there is official involvement, said Air Force Colonel Donald Bacon during a conference call from Baghdad.

Bacon, who serves as chief and plans of Multinational Force in Iraq, spoke to online journalist and bloggers shortly after the detention of an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps's Quds Force officer Mahmud Farhadi on the ground of providing weapons to Iraqi insurgents.

When we find a Quds force operative that is instrumental to the shipment of these weapons and funding and training of these extremists, we have no choice but to fulfill our responsibilities, he added.

Bacon asserted that Farhadi heads the so-called "Zafr Command," which trains and smuggles Iranian insurgents and weapons across the border into north-central Iraq.

We know from our experts that they were of Iranian origin, said Bacon referring to those explosives and weapons found by coalition forces.
We would like to see Iran live up to their commitments that they have stated publicly...to help seek a secure and stable Iraq, he concluded.

http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesP...95&Language=en

Iraq considers IRI as 2nd partner

Iraq is considered Iran's second trade partner thanks to a 17.5 percent increase of non-oil export in the first four months this year compared to the same period last year, deputy Commerce Minister said on Tuesday.

Mehdi Ghazanfari said that the volume of Iran-Iraq trade stood at dlrs 1.216 billion last year which included only dlrs 16 million import from Iraq.

Last year's export to Iraq included 7.5 percent of the total non-oil export from the Islamic Republic of Iran, he noted.

Ghazanfari, who is also director general of the Trade Promotion Organization of Iran (TPOI), added that Iran supplies 56 percent of requirements of Iraqi markets including aquatic products, vegetables, fruits, carpet, shoes, ceramics and glass vessels.

Dispatching trade delegations, holding solo exhibitions and taking part in international fairs will pave the ground for more presence of Iranian businessmen in Iraq, he noted.

Pointing to potentials in exporting technical and engineering services to Iraqi markets as TPOI future programs, he said that according to the current situation in Iraq, Tehran prefers to export technical and engineering services through bolstering Iranian active companies.

Ghazanfari further noted that the organization is to make active Arvand Free Trade Zone and invest in its infrastructures aimed at expanding trade ties with Iraq.

According to the official, Khorramshahr, Khuzestan province, enjoys the best geographical potential to turn into an actual free trade zone.

IRIB PERSIAN NEWS PAGE

Iraq resumes pumping crude from Kirkuk to Turkey, shipping agent says

Iraq Wednesday resumed the pumping of crude oil from its Kirkuk oil fields to the export terminal in Ceyhan, Turkey, a shipping agent said.

The oil is flowing at 4,000 cubic meters an hour, a flow rate of approximately 3,500 meters per hour would equate to 84,000 barrels a day.

The total inventory available at Ceyhan in Turkey is 5.3 million barrels, the agent said.

Traders of Mediterranean crude welcomed news pumping had restarted, one trader said it indicated "they have enough now to perform their next tender, closing Friday."

Iraq's State Oil Marketing Organization, or SOMO, sold last week some 2.44 barrels of Kirkuk to two companies - 740,000 barrels to Exxon Mobil Corp.

Iraq resumes pumping crude from Kirkuk to Turkey, shipping agent says - MarketWatch

Iraq oil exports jump

Iraq's oil exports rose in September after the sale of nearly five million barrels of Kirkuk crude from the country's northern fields, shipping sources said on Tuesday.

Exports in September climbed to 1.67 million barrels per day (bpd) from 1.52 million bpd in August, according to shipping data compiled by Reuters.

The increase in shipments will bring in more revenue for Iraq as it coincides with a jump in oil prices to a record high of $83.90 a barrel for US crude WTI on September 20.

Exports rose because Iraq sold 4.6 million barrels of crude from its northern Kirkuk oilfields, offsetting a decline in shipments from its main terminal Basra in the south.

http://www.iraqdirectory.com/DisplayNews.aspx?id=4644

White House mum on Iraq Kurd oil deals

The White House on Wednesday declined to criticize four controversial oil deals inked by Iraq's Kurdistan regional government in defiance of criticisms from leaders in Baghdad.

The US State Department had questioned a previous deal between the Kurdish regional government and Texas-based Hunt Oil Company, noting that it might fall afoul of a hoped-for but long-delayed law on national oil revenue sharing.

"I don't know anything about those other deals," spokeswoman Dana Perino said, adding: "I believe that the central government still has to approve final contracts before they can be made final."

Perino also emphasized the need for passage of the hydrocarbon legislation, which would lay out an equitable distribution of oil monies among Iraq's warring sectarian groups, helping to defuse violence there.
"Oil revenues are being distributed throughout the country, but we believe the law needs to be passed," she said.

The regional government said in a statement posted on its website that it had approved four contracts for exploration and production, and had sanctioned two new refinery projects in the Kurdish autonomous region in northern Iraq.

White House mum on Iraq Kurd oil deals - Yahoo! News