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

US wins new Iraq wheat tender

The United States has cemented its position as Iraq's biggest wheat supplier, after locking in an export deal for 700,000 tonnes.

Australia used to dominate the Iraq trade, but has struggled to sell any wheat there since the Oil-for-Food scandal involving AWB.

Grain trader Brett Stevenson says it will be hard for Australia to regain any of the market.

"We would have every right to put our hand up as a government level and say we want to participate, the only problem with that is, is that the organisation that cause a major disfunction over there is still operating and still has a single desk over the 2007 crop," he says.

"And we're still entertaining a single desk for ongoing crops, and I just think while that's the case we're going to struggle."

http://www.iraqdirectory.com/DisplayNews.aspx?id=4694

First oil shipment arrives from Iraq

The first shipment of Iraqi oil since 2003 arrived at the Zarka Oil Refinery on Sunday.

Eight tanks laden with Iraqi oil from Kirkuk Oil Field unloaded the cargo at the Refinery; Iraqi oil supplies will continue to arrive to Jordan by land in the coming days, Spokesman of Ministry of Energy, Maher Shawabkah said.

On the oil quantities expected to arrive from Iraq, Shawabkah said that under the agreement concluded by the two countries last year the quantity will increase gradually from 10,000 to 100,000 barrels per day.

During his visit to Baghdad last year, Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit reached an agreement with the Iraqi government to provide Jordan with oil. ¦ First oil shipment arrives from Iraq

Star

Allawi's party rejects accusations of involvement in violence

Former Iraqi premier Iyad Allawi's party will demand "clarifications" from Premier Nuri al-Maliki's government of violence-related accusations levelled at Allawi, reports said Tuesday. "The List will demand a clarification from the government regarding the accusations levelled at its head," said a party official.

Interior Ministry spokesman Abdel-Karim Khalaf had reportedly told reporters Monday that the Iraqi National List, Allawi's secular bloc with 25 seats in Iraq's Council of Representatives, may have been involved armed clashes between a cult-like insurgency calling itself "Soldiers of Heaven" and Iraqi and US troops in Sarka near Najaf city in January.

Khalaf said the results of an official investigation showed that political leader Harith al-Dary, Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhy and Allawi, were involved in the fierce Sarka infighting by "financing and plotting" the armed attacks.

During the January incident, Iraqi security forces confronted a reported several hundred insurgents, who had gathered outside the holy city of Najaf, 180 kilometres south of Baghdad, with the apparent goal of attacking Shiite Muslim clerics.

Around 263 suspected terrorists were killed in the operations and 210 militants injured and 392 detained. The cult leader was killed.

Meanwhile, Khalaf had said that being solely an executive authority, the ministry would only make arrests as demanded by Iraq's Supreme Criminal Court.

"The ministry will not arrest anyone without a warrant from the court or a judge," Khalaf said.

In response, Hossam al-Azzawy, leader from the List, described the charges as "incorrect and are part of a political campaign against Allawi himself."

"The security authorities failed in uncovering the truth in the Sarka fields acts, and it turned a blind eye to investigations in other incidents like the Samara violence," said al-Azzawy.

The List will "finally leave silence" and announce new coalitions to "end the crisis of the Iraqi people", he said.

This incident is not the only verbal battle with the government that Allawi or his party have waged. His secularist bloc left the already shaky coalition government in August 2007.

Earlier, al-Maliki had fiercly criticized Allawi over his talks with the outlawed Baath party. Al-Maliki had warned Allawi that his talks with them would be "dangerous" for his political future.

Allawi, who was Iraq's prime minister after the US-led war that ousted the former Saddam Hussein regime in 2003, merely dismissed the criticism.

Allawi's party rejects accusations of involvement in violence : Middle East World

Iraq insurgency: al-Qa'eda returns home
Damien McElroy spent a week in the heart of the insurgency in Anbar province in Iraq. In the third of seven exclusive reports, he describes how al-Qa'eda loyalists are returning home.

unique tribal reconciliation process is allowing repentant former al-Qa'eda loyalists to return to homes and families free from the threat of arrest by coalition forces.

The voluntary scheme has gained the backing of American commanders but is being run by local chieftains to rehabilitate sons of the region who no longer follow the path of violence.

Al-Qaim, a district in the far west of Anbar province, has reported dramatic gains against al-Qa'eda cells in the area but now faces a dilemma over the return of ex-residents who had joined the ranks of radical Islamic fighters after the American invasion in 2003.

In the fight against al-Qa'eda which has raged since last year, hundreds of residents of the region were forced out by fighting but have since signalled a wish to go home.

Sheikh Kurdi Rafi al-Shurayji, who as factor for the paramount sheikh acts as a chief representative of the tribes in the area, revealed a formal system had been established to rehabilitate ex-residents that renounced al-Qa'eda.

"Many of our people want to come back to their families," he said. "If they are young, they can't get married or get a job outside their own people. The older ones who worked with al-Qa'eda want to get back to resume their lives."

Sheikh Kurdi has forged a deal with the American coalition that gives US commanders a supervisory role in the rehabilitation process.

An applicant's first point of contact is his own sheikh, who must agree to sponsor his plea and vouch that he will not resume insurgent activity.
"We conduct background checks on the individuals to ensure that they do not have Iraqi blood on their hands," said Sheikh Kurdi. "If they are clean we ask them to reveal all they know about insurgent activity. In this way we have found weapons caches and even discovered unknown cells."

Before American Marines regained control of the area, which lies on the Syrian border, al-Qaim was a popular 'rat-run' for foreign fighters travelling to Iraq for jihad. Since the inception of the rehabilitation programme almost 50 residents have applied and 40 individuals have been accepted.

One of the successful returnees was Eid Mehlif Alab, a school friend of Sheikh Kurdi who had operated safe houses and gathered intelligence for terrorist groups.

"When the Americans took control Fallujah was the only place to seek safety," he said. "But it was tiring to be away from home, family and friends. When it became clear that al-Qa'eda were not in Iraq for holy war but terrorism, the option of returning back in peace was there."

Following vetting the sheikh sponsor promises his peers the offender will maintain a record of good behaviour and that other members of the tribe will keep a watch on the returnee.

Sheikh Kurdi said the programme has built-in safeguards to ensure renegades aren't tempted to start assisting terrorists again. "We give them jobs as contractors, drivers, cooks and carpenters to ensure they are not going to do the same old thing."

Lieutenant-Colonel Jason Bohm who must approve each successful applicant based on the sheikhs recommendations said programme has become a model for other parts of Iraq where the tribes have joined the battle against al-Qa'eda.

"If someone fails we're not forced to arrest them because we haven't seen them," he said. "We don't want to because that would hurt the credibility of the programme.

"It's a strict process and we've have a lot of interest from other commands interested in incorporating it into their reconciliation efforts."

The lure of radical terrorism is so powerful, Sheikh Kurdi refuses to promise that every returnee will remain clean of terrorist ties but he is sure the vast majority deserve a second chance.

"These people are not the problem because this programme works," he said. "What is really needed is a reconciliation process at the national level because when a people lose their right to participate in national politics, it is natural they will take every possible action to regain it."

Iraq insurgency: al-Qa'eda returns home - Telegraph

Hakim-Sadr deal to hasten departure of foreign troops – Badr official

Baghdad, Oct 9, (VOI) – The deal signed recently between the two Shiite leaders Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim and Muqtada al-Sadr would significantly help in the departure of foreign troops, a key member in Badr Organiztion said.

"The agreement was preceded by deep negotiations to come up with a serious action and not just ink on paper. One of the political dimensions of the deal is to maintain security and stability in order to speed up the evacuation of foreign forces," Diaa al-Din al-Fayyad told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI) by telephone.

Badr Organization is an offshoot of al-Hakim's Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC).

Hakim and Sadr had signed an agreement in the holy Shiite city of Najaf on Saturday to cement ties between the two Shiite groups and set up a joint committee working in all Iraqi provinces to control possible problems.

The deal emphasized "respecting for Iraqi blood under any circumstances…and mobilizing all cultural and media organizations of both sides to activate the spirit of endearment and rapprochement."
Fayyad said Iraq is about to have important political changes like the British withdrawal from Basra.

"Accordingly, all the parties that control the area like the SIIC, the Sadrists and al-Fadhila (Virtue) Party have signed a code of ethics with the Iraqi security forces to help in imposing order and security," he noted.
He pointed out that there were "intruding elements that feign loyalty to this or that mainstream."

"The agreement also included the establishment of committees and subcommittees to stand up against this sedition," said Fayyad, adding "the intelligence services of some countries in the region were proved involved in driving a wedge between the two sides in the country."

Aswat Aliraq

Political bloc disputes behind oil contracts with foreign companies-Kurdish lawmaker

Political bloc disputes over the controversial oil law was one of the main reasons behind the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) decision to rush into contracts with foreign companies, a Kurdish lawmaker said on Monday.

"We have to admit that there are deep differences between political blocs over the draft oil law and oil extraction and refinement," Ezad Omar Bamerni, an Iraqi parliamentarian and a representative for the Kurdistan Coalition (KC), told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).

"Since it saw the light of day, the Iraqi parliament has been unable to pass any law pertaining to Iraq's economic wealth. The regional government is unwilling to wait any longer until this issue is solved," the Kurdish lawmaker indicated. "We have to work and develop our economy."

"We believe we did not violate the (Iraqi) Constitution in any way as all signed contracts and agreements have been signed within the framework of the draft oil law," he added.

"The Kurdistan region is part of Iraq… These contracts are liable to discussion and amendment and the KRG will respect all views," he concluded.

Last week, the regional government ratified a number of oil contracts with foreign companies and said in a statement published on its Web site that two oil refinery projects will be launched in northern Iraq.

http://www.aswataliraq.info/look/english/article.tpl?IdLanguage=1&IdPublication=4&NrArticle =57221&NrIssue=2&NrSection=1

Interesting,

Slowly but surely the Kurd's are distancing themself from Baghdad, and it would only make sense that they continue to expand their economic situation as they have been doing for over a decade.

Who in their right mind would follow the Baghdad lead, or shall we say, lack of leadership. They have failed miserably on all fronts, and in my opinion, sooner or later they will wake up and put aside all the hatred between sectarion lines and see the lite.

It is amazing that in all this time they cannot even come to agreement to spread the wealth to the people, never mind not even spend what was allocated to help the poor and restore power for more than a few hours a day.

I don't think anyone would have figured that these gov. numbnuts couldn't even figure out how to spend money that was already allocated to be spent for reconstruction. How difficult is it to spend money that isn't even Iraqi money, but U.S. money? Simply amazing, that is all I can say at this point, simply amazing. It reminds me of a favorite quote, "If brains were dynamite, government wouldn't have enough to blow its nose."

Good luck and health to all, Mike

Kordstan Parliament ratified the amendment to the law on tax law Aerasat
PUKmediaفؤاد عثمان/ أربيل 19:42:42 2007-10-09 PUKmedia Fouad Othman / Irbil 19:42:42 2007-10-09

عقد . Parliament held territory Kordstan before noon today, Tuesday, a meeting chaired by Adnan Mufti routine Speaker of Parliament, which followed the work meeting included a five-point presentation and discussion of the bill Foundation Asaic Kordstan territory, and the initial readers of the draft law on protection of the members of Parliament Kordstan, and the presentation and discussion of the draft law amending the tax law. Aerasat No. 26 of 1962 as amended, and sponsored by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, the presentation and discussion of the draft law amending the real estate tax law No. 162 of 1959 as amended, and sponsored by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, and the presentation and discussion of the draft Income Tax Act No. 113 of 1982 as amended.

في . In the first point of the work program of the meeting Speaker of Parliament explained that the project has conducted a preliminary reading in a special meeting except that the Presidency territory Kordstan suggested postponing discussion of this project.

. On the second point, which was the initial readers on the issue of protection of the members of Parliament, where I read the legal text and transmitted to the Speaker of Parliament project of the Legal and committees concerned with a view to study and make opinion, and the third point of the work program of the Legal Committee meeting I read the text of the draft cabinet on the amendment of tax law. Aerasat No. 26 of 1962 and after discussion, and different views and Nkotain addition to the text of the project are not covered land covered exemption for a period of 3 years of tax exemption and the families of the martyrs of the tax yet proven documents and make the land area covered by the amendment of 800 sq m to 600 sq m Parliament unanimously approved the project , was also postponed the fourth and fifth points of the work program of the meeting until the completion of the Eid Al-Adha.
Translated version of http://www.pukmedia.com/

USACE puts $76M to Iraq electric, Oil work

BASRA, Iraq, Oct. 9 U.S. reconstruction of electricity stations in southern Iraq shows promise for boosting the area's oil sector as well.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has put $76 million toward renovating cluster pump substations, which will assist the increase of oil production from the North Rumailah oil field.

"The Basra Cluster Pump Stations are 10 electrical substations in total," said Shawn Russell, deputy regional manager with the Gulf Region Division electricity sector. "They are a part of the overall oil infrastructure and one of the biggest and most costly challenges."

News Blaze reports the renovations included replacing damaged equipment and building new facilities, all of which will be used for water injection facilities in the oil field.

Russell said the projects also brought and trained local workers.

"An important component of each project is the training of operations and maintenance personnel," he said.

The USACE estimates reconstruction has brought Iraq's oil production capacity to 3 million barrels per day, though outside experts say that is a slight overstatement. Regardless, Iraq's actual production is around 2 million bpd because of security and other investment setbacks.

USACE puts $76M to Iraq electric, oil work : World

Big Oil passes KRG profit, waits for Iraq

IRBIL, Iraq, Oct. 9 Iraq's Kurdish government is courting international oil majors with up to 25 percent of production-sharing profits, but many are still waiting for Baghdad.

The Kurdistan Regional Government has made headway with smaller, foreign firms, including two new and controversial deals inked last week.

But with little of Iraq's massive proven reserves inside its semiautonomous territory in the north, the majors appear to want to wait for Baghdad to issue investment regulations. The fear is by dealing with Baghdad's new oil arch rival in Irbil, they'll be blacklisted from any future oil deals in the rest of Iraq.

Forbes.com reports the KRG has offered between 20 percent and 25 percent of the profits from production-sharing contracts -- a larger take than the 15 percent given to Heritage Energy Middle East Ltd., a subsidiary of the Canadian firm Heritage Oil and Gas, and Perenco Kurdistan Ltd., a subsidiary of Perenco S.A. of France, which signed PSCs last week.

The KRG also signed a deal with Hunt Oil, a Dallas-based firm, last month.

But the majors are staying out.

"Like any other company, we would like to go into Iraq," a StatoilHydro spokesman told Forbes.com. "We must have a national framework. Then we could go into Kurdistan."

Big Oil passes KRG profit, waits for Iraq : World