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

US Eager for Fresh Iran Talks

Top US commander in Iraq General David Petraeus has said that his country is eager to hold fresh talks with Iran over Iraq.

According to Petraeus, the level of violence in Iraq has continued to decrease over the past few months and that Washington is eager to see what other things could be achieved by direct Iran-US talks over Iraq, BBC reported.

Two weeks ago in a seeming blow on Iran-Iraq-US talks, Petraeus repeated Washington's allegations that Iran is involved in violence in Iraq, claiming that Tehran's Ambassador to Baghdad Hassan Kazemi-Qomi is a member of the IRGC Quds force, which was branded by the US Congress as a terrorist group earlier this month.

This is while Iran has reiterated time and again that as a neighboring country, Iraq's security and stability would serve Tehran's interests.

The United States and Iran have so far held three rounds of talks over Iraq which has taken place in Baghdad in May, July and August 2007.

PUKmedia :: English - US Eager for Fresh Iran Talks

President Talabani discusses Political Developments with Maliki and Chalabi

President Talabani received Iraqi PM, Nuri al-Maliki and Dr. Ahmed al-Chalabi, head of Iraqi National Congress (INC) yesterday in his office in Baghdad.

President Talabani discussed the political challenges, security developments and ways of dealing with Iraq’s problems, particularly those obstacles which impede the political process and the success of the national reconciliation and reforming the general situation in Iraq with both of Maliki and Chalabi during separate meetings.

The deteriorating situation in the Turkish-Iraqi border was also discussed, stressing the need for using diplomatic options and positive dialogue to resolve this issue and intensifications of contacts and spending all possible efforts for appeasing the situation.

His Excellency thanked Maliki and Chalabi for visiting him.

PUKmedia :: English - President Talabani discusses Political Developments with Maliki and Chalabi

U.S. Cannot Account for Billion-Dollar Iraq Contract

The State Department does not know specifically what it received for a billion-dollar contract with security firm DynCorp International to provide training services for Iraqi police, a U.S. watchdog agency said on Tuesday.
The Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) said it was forced to suspend its audit of the DynCorp contract after administration officials told investigators they had no confidence in their own accounting records.

The inspector general said the agency had not validated the accuracy of invoices received before October 2006 and described bills and supporting documents as being in disarray.

Among the problems identified before the audit was suspended were duplicate payments, the purchase of a never-used $1.8 million X-ray scanner and payments of $387,000 to house DynCorp officials in hotels rather than other available accommodation.

The inspector general blamed the problems on long-standing contract administration problems at the State Department agency responsible for the contract -- the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, or INL.

"As a result, INL does not know specifically what it received for most of the $1.2 billion in expenditures under its DynCorp contract for the Iraqi Police Training Program. INL's prior lack of controls created an environment vulnerable to waste and fraud," SIGIR said in an interim review.

The report coincides with a controversy over the use of private security firms in Iraq, particularly Blackwater USA, which is under scrutiny over a September 16 shooting incident in Baghdad in which 17 people were killed.

The Pentagon employs at least 7,300 security contractors in Iraq and the State Department thousands more. U.S. officials say they are needed to free up soldiers for other tasks.

INL agreed with the inspector general's overall findings and has taken steps to address the problems, the report said. The inspector general hopes to resume its audit before January, once corrective action has been taken.

But officials told the inspector general that it could take three to five years to review and reconcile all invoices and validate all property records.
DynCorp spokesman Gregory Lagana said the contract dealt with a complex program set up quickly in the aftermath of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. But he said both the State Department and DynCorp had made improvements in its administration.

The State Department agency awarded the contract to DynCorp in February 2004. The agreement covers housing, food, security, facilities, training support systems and law enforcement spe******ts for Iraqi civilian police training.

INL had agreed to pay DynCorp a total of $1.34 billion for police training services in Iraq, as of August 23, 2007. Actual expenditures stood at $1.22 billion.

The report said DynCorp did not provide data to support travel and housing charges, while documents to support other expenses were presented in "an unmanageable format."

DynCorp gave the law enforcement agency a $108,000 check after officials sought a review of invoices and documents related to business travel expenses, the report said.

Lagana said DynCorp proposed housing senior executives in hotels partly for security reasons and that the proposal had been accepted by the government. He described other shortcomings as "human errors" for which the company routinely reimburses the State Department.

U.S. Cannot Account for Billion-Dollar Iraq Contract | Iraq Updates

Cannot wait for ever for Iraq to act: Erdogan

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday that his nation cannot wait forever for the Iraqi government to act against rebels in northern Iraq.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown urged restraint.

Erdogan, who was in Britain for talks with his British counterpart over the worsening situation in northern Iraq, said the Iraqi government had developed a mechanism for dealing with the guerrillas of the Kurdish Workers Party, or PKK.

"We waited for 14 months for this mechanism to bear fruit, but it did not, and we cannot wait forever," Erdogan said, adding later: "We have to make our own decisions."

He refused to set a timetable for Turkish action, warning: "We can exercise this mandate at any time."

Britain has backed the United States in trying to keep Turkey from crossing into Iraq to attack Kurdish rebels based there. The US and others fear a Turkish attack could lead to widespread bloodshed in one of Iraq's few relatively peaceful areas.

On Monday, British Foreign Minister David Miliband joined US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to urge Iraq and Turkey to work together to deal with the PKK, which has waged war against the Turkish state from bases inside northern Iraq. Both the US and Britain consider the PKK a terrorist organization.

But Erdogan hinted that any action would be taken in consultation with Turkey's Western allies.

"It is important to have a common platform to combat this threat," Erdogan said.

Brown said Britain was committed to working with Turkey on counter terrorism activity.

"We will step up all efforts that are necessary so that terrorists cannot move from Iraq into Turkey and do such damage over the mountains," Brown said. "And we support the restraint that has been shown by the Turkish government over recent days in what are very difficult circumstances."

Cannot wait for ever for Iraq to act: Erdogan | Iraq Updates

Turkish FM rejects ceasefire

Turkey's foreign minister rejected any cease-fire by Kurdish rebels Tuesday as he met with Iraqi leaders in Baghdad to press them to crack down on the guerrillas. Turkish forces massed on the border and tensions rose over a threatened military incursion.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said there are several ways to fight terrorism and Ankara would use them when appropriate as the buildup of troops along Turkey's border with Iraq continued with military helicopters airlifting commando units into the area overnight.

The stepped up diplomatic activity followed Sunday's rebel ambush near the Iraqi border that left 12 Turkish soldiers dead, 16 wounded and eight missing.

''We also don't wish our historical and friendly ties with Iraq to be ruined because of a terrorist organization,'' Babacan said at a joint news conference after meeting with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari. ''On the other hand, we are expecting support from international community and our neighbors in struggle against terrorism.''

Babacan said rebel attacks left 42 people dead alone this month.

But he rejected any offer of a cease-fire by the rebel Kurdistan Workers' Party, which is known by its Kurdish acronym PKK and operates from bases in the mountainous border area in northern Iraq.

Cease-fires are ''possible between states and regular forces,'' Babacan said. ''The problem here is that we're dealing with a terrorist organization.''

The PKK has called on Turkey not to attack Iraq, claiming that a unilateral rebel cease-fire declared in June was still in place although it did not halt fighting.

''The position of the PKK is that we have agreed to a cease-fire but when we are attacked by the Turkish troops we will hit back,'' rebel spokesman Abdul-Rahman Al Chadarchi told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

He also confirmed that the rebels were holding eight Turkish soldiers captive and promised to treat them with respect, although he said it was ''premature'' to discuss conditions for their release.

''When they were attacking us, they were our enemies but now they are helpless captives whom we will take care of,'' Al Chadarchi said. ''When the Turkish government asks for them, we can talk about conditions.''

Turkish officials said the search was continuing for soldiers from Sunday's attack and would not comment on the rebels' claims.

Turkish FM rejects ceasefire | Iraq Updates

Finance Signs Joining Iraq with International investment

Finance minister Baqir al-Zubaidi signed on the agreement of joining Iraq to the international institution for granting investment belongs to the international bank.

A statement issued at finance ministry mentioned that, Iraq state have been the state number 174 of the membership states which signed by the executive director for Simon institution as a representative from the international bank in Iraq with Saba as the executive director in the international bank.

Worth mentioning that signing the agreement presented by the governor of the Iraqi central bank Sinan al-Shabebe, Iraqi ambassador in Washington Sameer al-Sumaidaee, Ali al-Dabagh the official spokesman, personal advisor for finance minister Dr. Aziz Jaffar and Iraq representative in the international bank Tariq al-Haymass.

Finance Signs Joining Iraq with International investment | Iraq Updates

Al Maliki orders closure of Kurd party offices in Iraq

Iraq's government, under increasing pressure to crack down on Kurdish rebels using its rugged northern mountains as a base for guerrilla attacks in Turkey, ordered their offices closed on Tuesday and promised to curb their movements and block their funds.

The office of Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki said his order to close the offices of the Kurdistan Workers Party, known by its Turkish acronym PKK, was relayed to visiting Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan.

Babacan was in Baghdad yesterday to meet Iraqi leaders to press them to crack down on the guerrillas as his country massed troops on the border with Iraq.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said he and Babacan had agreed on concrete measures to defuse the crisis. He did not elaborate, saying only that a high-level political and military defence delegation would travel soon to Turkey.

Iraq's central government and authorities in its Kurdish autonomous region in the north, he added, will work together to deny the PKK freedom of movement, funds and representative offices.

'Terrorist activities'

"The Kurdistan Workers Party is a bad terrorist organisation and we have decided to close its offices and not allow it to work on Iraqi territory," Al Maliki was quoted by a statement issued by his office.

"We will do everything to curtail all terrorist activities that threaten Iraq as well as Turkey."

Al Maliki orders closure of Kurd party offices in Iraq | Iraq Updates

Transport ministry buys two Boeings, Baghdad-London airways lines reopened

Baghdad, Oct 24, (VOI) - The Iraqi cabinet gave the go-ahead for the Ministry of Transport to buy two modern Boeing 737 planes at a cost of over 100 million U.S. dollars and said that airways' lines between Baghdad and London will be reopened soon, Minister of Transport Shirwan al-Waili said on Wednesday.

"The ministry obtained the cabinet's approval to buy two modern Boeing 737 planes. The purchase contracts were signed with the permission of the cabinet…A committee of under secretaries of state, general directors and experts was set up to examine the planes," the minister said in statements to the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).

"One of the planes will arrive late this month and the other in late January 2008," the minister indicated.

Moreover, the ministry is currently forming an agreement with a French corporation to buy a new Turbo Prop aircraft to be used for internal flights, according to the minister.

Airways' lines between Baghdad and London will be reopened in the coming few days after an agreement was reached with the British Airways in this regard, al-Waili added.

Aswat Aliraq

Higher demand for dollar, stable exchange rate in daily auction

Baghdad, Oct 24, (VOI) - Demand for the dollar was higher in the Iraqi Central Bank’s auction on Wednesday, reaching $82.860 million compared to nearly $71 million on Tuesday.

In its daily statement, the bank said it had covered all bids, including $8.380 million in cash and $74.480 in foreign transfers, at an exchange rate of 1,232 dinars per dollar, unchanged for the tenth session in a row.
None of the 10 banks that participated in Wednesday's session offered to sell dollars.
In statements to the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI), Ali al-Yasseri, a trader, attributed the relatively low demand for the dollar to a decline in the exchange rate in local markets.

The Iraqi Central Bank runs a daily auction from Sunday to Thursday.

Aswat Aliraq

Oil Rebounds After Turkish MP Reports Attack on Kurds in Iraq

Crude oil rebounded in London after a Turkish lawmaker said the army had attacked Kurdish rebel positions in northern Iraq.

Brent crude oil for December settlement rose as much as 15 cents, or 0.2 percent, to $83 a barrel on London's ICE Futures Europe exchange. The contract traded at $82.92, up 7 cents, at 8:46 a.m. local time.

Crude oil for December settlement traded 11 cents lower at $85.16 in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange at 8:47 a.m. in London.

Bloomberg.com: Energy