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

Iraq reconstruction efforts make meaningful progress, General says

United States-backed programs designed to jump-start Iraq's battered infrastructure are making meaningful progress, a senior U.S. Army engineer general said in Baghdad today.

The United States has contributed more than $22 billion for projects to reconstruct Iraq's water, electricity and other infrastructure damaged by decades of neglect and war, Brig. Gen. Michael J. Walsh, commanding general of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Gulf Region Division, told reporters at a Baghdad news conference.

"Every day we see successes in the U.S. government's reconstruction program here," Walsh said.

More than 4,100 projects from 4,700 planned projects were completed at the end of fiscal 2007, he said. "We still have another 582 projects, ongoing," Walsh said.

Many essential services provided by the U.S. in some areas of Iraq over the past year, such as access to clean water, sewage, paved roads, medical care and schools, didn't exist during the Saddam Hussein regime, the general said. In addition, 75 percent of Iraq now has twice the electrical power that it had before Operation Iraqi Freedom, Walsh reported.

Oil and electricity production and availability constitute the bedrock of Iraq's economic recovery, Walsh pointed out. Refineries need dependable electrical power to process fuel, he noted, and electrical generation requires high-quality petroleum-derived fuel to run plants.

More than 95 percent of Iraq's economy is dependent on petroleum exports, he added. The country's inefficient 1960s- to 1970s-era infrastructure was poorly maintained and requires intensive rehabilitation, he added.

"And, you can imagine if you were to drive a sports car for 30 years without changing its oil, its belts and its filters, how well it would run," Walsh said.

However, many petroleum-production goals in post-Saddam Iraq have now been met, Walsh said, noting that about $1.7 billion worth of oil-sector projects were completed in June. Iraqi industry also has reached its daily goals of producing 3,000 tons of liquefied petroleum gas, 3 million barrels of crude oil, and 800 million cubic feet of natural gas.

"We have set our goals and continue to stay on track to meet them," Walsh said.

The United States had earmarked $4 billion to refurbish Iraq's electrical-generation system, with the goal of achieving an average of 12 hours of power availability daily across the country. Officials have exceeded that goal, and Iraq now averages about 15 hours of electric power availability nationwide, he said.

Iraq produces more than 5,000 megawatts of power daily in pursuing an ever-growing national demand for electricity, now pegged at about 10,000 megawatts, Walsh said.

"We're meeting about 50 percent of that (electrical) requirement," Walsh said.

Electrical generation capacity continues to improve across Iraq, but a scarcity of fuels and unwillingness by some communities to share electricity are hampering that effort, he said.

Yet, Iraqi authorities continue to persevere and estimate that their country will achieve 24 hours of power nationwide around 2010-2013, Walsh said.

Great progress also has been achieved in providing health care facilities to the Iraqi people, Walsh reported, noting his Gulf Region Division has provided 64 new or refurbished primary health clinics to Iraqi authorities. Twenty-eight of those clinics are open to the public, he noted, with 12 located in Baghdad. "All of the open clinics are now seeing upwards of 350 patients a day, clearly filling a much-needed gap," Walsh said.

In Basra, construction continues on the first new ho****al to be built in Iraq since the 1980s, Walsh reported. Basra Children's Ho****al is slated to be completed in August 2008, he said.

Other reconstruction programs are geared toward the training and education of future health care, power plant, education, transportation and communication employees.

Intensive efforts also are under way to provide women's vocational training and programs to ensure Iraqi women have employment equal opportunity and the ability to bid on government-let contracts. In 2007, U.S. Army authorities in Iraq awarded about $75 million in contracts to women-owned businesses, he said.

U.S. government-endorsed projects and programs in Iraq are "yielding positive, tangible results in everyday reconstruction, and we continue to do so," Walsh said.

http://www.iraqdirectory.com/DisplayNews.aspx?id=4655

Turkish Army Conducts Military Manuovers on Iraqi Border

A source said that the Turkish Army started to Conduct Military Manuovers nearby Iraqi Border, Kurdistan Region from the evening of the 2nd of Oct.
Troops and tanks were massed and real ammunitions were used in it.

PUKmedia :: English - Turkish Army Conducts Military Maneuvers on Iraqi Border

Tariq Al-Hashim and Barham Salih Discuss al-Anbar Reconstruction Conference Decisions

Iraqi Vice president Tariq Al-Hashim in his office in Baghdad received Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih, Minister of Finance Baqir Sulagh, and head of Anbar provincial council Dr Abdul Salaam Abdullah. In a meeting, they discussed the decision made of Anbar reconstruction conference to improve the civil service for public especially after the improvement of security there.

In a press statement, head of Anbar provincial council appreciated vice presidents efforts regarding this field. It was decided to release 30% of the allocated budged, 70 million $, to reconstruct Al-Anbar as the first payment. As well as spending 50 million $ as the first installment for compensate the citizen who exposed damage. The issue of offering 6000 position determined.

PUKmedia :: English - Tariq Al-Hashim and Barham Salih Discuss al-Anbar Reconstruction Conference Decisions

UK Cooperates with KRG

KRG minister of health, Dr. Ziryan Othman ,received Alison Kimp, the UK general consul in Kurdistan region, early today.

Health situation in Kurdistan region and the area were discussed during the meeting. First, KRG minister of health presented a summary on the health system in Kurdistan region.

He shed light on the efforts by KRG Ministry of Health, WHO, and several other international health organizations which were able to control cholera outbreak to a great extent in cities of Sulaimani, Erbil, Duhok and their districts and sub-districts. KRG minister of health indicated that because of the current special situation in Kirkuk, the disease was not controlled as necessary their.

Then, the UK general consul in Kurdistan region announced that they will report to higher officials and reassured all their support and facilitation to the KRG and KRG Ministry of Health, clarifying that her visit is to be aware of health situation in Kurdistan region closely.

On the other hand, George Mansur, Minister for the Region of Civil Society Affairs, met with Alison Kimp, the UK general consul in Kurdistan region in Erbil today.

Ways to promote the performance of civil society organizations, the importance of getting experience of the modern countries in this regard, were discussed during the meeting.

PUKmedia :: English - UK Cooperates with KRG

Iraqi judge: Violence fuels corruption

The former head of the Iraqi Commission on Public Integrity told a U.S. House committee Thursday corruption in Iraq is growing worse.

Judge Radhi Hamza al-Radhi testified those responsible for controlling corruption have become targets of violence and intimidation, The Washington Post reported.

"In a number of cases, my staff and their relatives have been kidnapped or detained and tortured prior to being killed," Radhi told the House Committee on Reform and Government Oversight.

He said 31 members of his staff and 12 of their relatives have been killed, including one man who was shot with his pregnant wife. In another case, a staffer's father was hanged from a meat hook.

Radhi himself has asked for asylum in the United States with his family.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has taken advantage of a 1971 law that gives ministers a veto over investigations of their departments, Radhi said.

Iraqi judge: Violence fuels corruption : World

Walid Sharika: the Referendum in Kirkuk will be Held in Mid-November

Walid Sharika announced on behalf of the Turkmen National Gathering, the start of distributiing checks and financial compensations for those Arab settlers, who were brought to Kirkuk in time of the Baathist dictatorship, stressing that the return of agricultural land and the residential homes in various regions and neighborhoods to Turkmen owners was been decided upon, indicating that the referendum will be held in mid-November for the current year.

He said that they appreciate the grate efforts by the Prime Minister for his determination and seriousness in implementing Article 140 as well as the efforts of the High Committee of Implementation of Article 140 also the committee which was formed by the Iraqi House of Representatives and the Kurdistan Alliance List , appreciating all the efforts and stands of parties and movements within the political process, as well as organizations and human rights associations and civil society who supported the implementation of this article.

Walid Sharika confirmed in a press conference held today, that 4000 -5000 Iraqi families from the Arab settlers who were brought from southern and central parts of Iraq, were compensated with an amount of 20 million ID, pointing out that Article 140 is not only for Kurds in Mosul and Kirkuk, but for all Iraqis and that the implementation of this article is respect for the will of Iraq and its constitution.

MP Walid Sharika, on behalf of the Turkmen National Gathering, hurried to tell the good news and much waited for a long time for the general Iraqi people, especially the Turkmen on arrival signs of fruits of the implementation of Article (140) in the governorate of Kirkuk and the normalization of the situation peacefully and democratically.

He also said that Turkomans in Iraq are the third component and did not survive and escape from the Arabization policies of deportation, forced displacement and they were thrown in prisons and detention centers, and have received their share of the executions, arbitrary killings and genocide because of their national and ethnic identity.

PUKmedia :: English - Walid Sharika: the Referendum in Kirkuk will be Held in Mid-November

Iraqi front calls on parliament to view lawmaker as having resigned

The Iraqi parliament rejected Thursday the Sunni Iraqi National Accord Front's request to consider a member of parliament as having resigned after he had joined the armed resistance, media reports said. First deputy of the Iraqi parliament Shiekh Khalid Attiya, who chaired the parliamentary session Thursday, said that since Member of Parliament Abdel-Nasser al-Janabi had not resigned from the Iraqi Accord Front, the demand was "illegal," Voices of Iraq independent news agency reported.

The Iraqi parliament witnessed Thursday an argument on the legal status of al-Janabi, who had earlier announced that he was "sorry for taking part in political process," and that he joined "the Iraqi resistance," the report added.

Attiya decided to delay taking a decision about al-Janabi's status.

Separately, the Iraqi Accord Front's spokesman Selim al-Jaburi said Thursday that the US forces detained the front's MP Naif Jassim while he was at a wake beside some of the mourners.

Al-Jaburi denied what local media claimed, namely that Jassim was arrested while he was in an al-Qaeda terrorist network meeting in Sharqat town in Salahaddin province, 175 kilometres north of Baghdad.

Al-Jaburi called on the US military to release Jassim immediately.

The Sunni Iraqi National Accord Front occupies 44 seats in the 275-seat Iraqi parliament.

The front was founded by three Sunni parties the Iraqi Islamic Party, the General Council for the People of Iraq and the Iraqi National Dialogue Council.

Iraqi front calls on parliament to view lawmaker as having resigned : Middle East World

Kurdistan is Losing one Million Dollars a Day

Iran closed its five border crossings to the Kurdistan Region on 23 September 2007 in response to the arrest of an Iranian citizen by U.S. troops in Sulaimaniyah on 20 September. Without previous notification of local authorities, the Americans broke into a hotel room of 20 people in the Sulaimaniyah Palace hotel and arrested the Iranian citizen, accusing him of being a member of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. Official Kurdish sources have stated that the Iranian, Mahmoudi Farhadi, had arrived in Sulaymaniyah by invitation of the governor, on 18 September as a representative of an Iranian trade delegation.

The border closure has led to major financial losses for the federal region. Niqash correspondent Sherko Abdallah Ra'uf interviewed the KRG Minister for Trade, Muhammad Ra'uf al-Wuquf, on the consequences of this crisis.

Was the Iranian currently held captive by the American troops invited here by the Kurdistan region’s Trade Ministry, and was the ministry aware of his presence in Kurdistan ?

The Trade Ministry did not know of the arrival of this Iranian delegation to Sulaymaniyah. Both the governors of Erbil and of Sulaimaniyah have the authority to invite trade delegations to their provinces without consulting with the Trade Ministry. This does not trivialize the ministry's role, but is rather a result of a decentralized decision process. Several trade delegations from Kurdistan have visited Iran, and vice-versa - this has had a positive effect on the Kurdish economy.

Where do you stand on the American action, knowing that Kurdish sources have confirmed to Niqash that the prisoner is a member of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard?

We cannot confirm the accuracy of that statement, but we know that this Iranian citizen is a trader and was representing a trade delegation from Kermanshah Province in Iran.

What is the extent of the losses suffered by the region due to the border closure with Iran?

The annual trade exchange between the region and Iran is estimated to be about 800 million dollars. This includes food, medical supplies and construction supplies that used to come in from Iran. Since the Iranians closed the border, we estimate losses of a million dollars a day, suffered both by the Kurdish regional government and local merchants, since Iran - due to its proximity to the region - was the biggest point of trade for the Sulaymaniyah region in particular, and the rest of the region in general.

Is Kurdistan the only region suffering from this border closure?

No, this loss is doubly suffered by the Kurds and Iranians, but the more serious losses are being felt here in Kurdistan since our economy is fragile unlike Iran, which enjoys a robust economy that will not be greatly affected by a border closure with Kurdistan.

To what extent can these financial losses be absorbed by the region, and to what extent can it be self-sufficient, in the case that the border remains closed or these proceedings are repeated?

The burden of the material losses resulting from the border closure does not only fall upon the regional government, but also affects traders as well. The regional government should intervene with a strategic plan for agricultural development, allowing the region to become self-sufficient and be able to overcome such events. But we need time. I also don't think that the borders will remain closed by Iran, since this also affects the Iranian economy.

What are the procedures being taken by the regional government to contain the crisis falling upon citizens, particularly since the border closure was accompanied by a noticeable rise in prices?

We cannot price commodities or produce because the market depends upon supply and demand, and there are very few local products in the regional marketplace in order to fill in the gap. However, after the border was closed, prices didn't rise as much as certain people had expected, since Kurdistan also has borders with Turkey and Syria.

PUKmedia :: English - Kurdistan is Losing one Million Dollars a Day

Sunni lawmaker sacked for joining armed resistance - Summary

Iraqi parliament decided Thursday to sack a Sunni Iraqi Accordance Front legislator after he "joined the armed resistance and expressed regret to taking part in the political process," media reports said. After a long debate, the Parliament agreed to dismiss MP Abdul Nasser al-Janabi, and ordered that his party nominate a replacement, independent Voices of Iraq news agency reported.

Shiekh Khalid Attiya, the first deputy of the Iraqi parliament, had earlier decided to postpone the decision, saying since al-Janabi had not resigned from the Iraqi Accord Front, the move was "illegal."

But Shiite Unified Iraqi Coalition members rejected efforts to put off the issue and pressed for action against al-Janabi. The session chairman then decided to sack him and ask IAF to nominate a replacement.

Al-Janabi was a member of the National Dialogue Council, one of three Sunni organizations that make up the IAF.

Al-Janabi had said he "regretted participating in the political process," and that he had joined "the Iraqi resistance."

Separately, the IAF's spokesman Selim al-Jaburi said Thursday that US forces detained the front's MP Naif Jassim while he was at a wake along with other mourners.

Al-Jaburi local media reports that Jassim was arrested at an al- Qaeda terrorist network meeting in Sharqat town in Salahaddin province, 175 kilometres north of Baghdad.

Al-Jaburi called on the US military to release Jassim immediately.

The Sunni Iraqi National Accord Front occupies 44 seats in the 275-seat Iraqi parliament.

The front was founded by three Sunni parties: the Iraqi Islamic Party, the General Council for the People of Iraq and the Iraqi National Dialogue Council.

Sunni lawmaker sacked for joining armed resistance - Summary : Middle East World

Kurdish delegation heads to Iran to discuss border closures

An official Kurdish delegation headed Thursday morning to Iran to discuss the recent border closures, independent Voices of Iraq news agency reported, citing an official Kurdish source. The delegation included senior leaders from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), spokesman for the Kurdistan Regional Government Jamal Abdullah said.

"We are looking forward to reaching an agreement between the Kurdish region and Iran because border closures have negatively affected the interests of the (two sides)," Abdullah added.

Two weeks ago, Iranian authorities closed all of the country's five border crossings with the Kurdish Autonomous Region in northern Iraq to protest the US forces' arrest of an Iranian citizen.

The Iranian man is suspected of being involved with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force and of allegedly smuggling weapons into Iraq.

Kurdish delegation heads to Iran to discuss border closures : Middle East World