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

20 killed in attack on Iraq police station

Baghdad: A suicide bomber rammed a fuel tanker into a police station in the northern Iraqi oil city of Baiji on Wednesday, killing at least 20 people and wounding 40, police said.

Police said the bomber struck the front gates of the police directorate in Baiji, 180 km north of Baghdad. Dr. Thamir Kawan, the head of Baiji ho****al, said 11 people, police and civilians, had been killed in the blast.

The police directorate had just moved into a new headquarters in the past few days, after an identical attack on their original station in June killed 27 people, including 13 policemen.

Gulfnews: 20 killed in attack on Iraq police station

Operation Lightning Hammer continues clearing Diyala, brings humanitarian aid

Blackanthem Military News, TIKRIT, Iraq - Operation Lightning Hammer continued into its fifth day Aug. 18 as 16,000 Iraqi and Coalition Forces Soldiers worked to secure parts of Diyala province and bring food and medical aid to the people there.

On the evening of Aug. 17, Coalition Forces medics and a physician's assistant from Troop C, 6-9 Armored Reconnaissance Squadron, provided medical treatment for 30 families in the village of Abu Tina and distributed bags of rice and flour to each family.

The Soldiers also made improvements to the roadways and bridges in the village to improve traffic capacity.

Soldiers from Troop A, 6-9 ARS, delivered eight bags of rice and 15 bags of flour to residents near the village of Majjid Shayya as well as four bags of flour each to families in the village of Ar Ramilat.

Meanwhile, Soldier from 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, conducted an air assault into the village of Qubah and discovered two vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices as well as al-Qaeda in Iraq propaganda there.

Operation Lightning Hammer is part of a wider array of operations across Iraq to destroy al-Qaeda and other enemy militant groups and restore security and necessary services to the Iraqi citizens. The operation closely follows Operation Arrowhead Ripper, which was a major push to clear Diyala's capital Baqouba of al-Qaeda networks.

Operation Lightning Hammer continues clearing Diyala, brings humanitarian aid

Opinion Piece

Crisis in the Green Zone

Nuri al-Maliki's outburst against US criticism is bad news for George Bush, whose political project for Iraq now looks more fragile than ever.

The bad news from Iraq continues to grow for George Bush. First, a Blackhawk goes down, taking the lives of 14 hapless soldiers and crewmen. It is not the worst chopper disaster since the invasion, but it bumps the death toll of US personnel closer to the 4,000 mark.

Next comes the Iraqi prime minister, angrily announcing that "no one has the right to place timetables on the Iraq government. It was elected by its people." In two sentences Bush's "benchmarks" have been tossed out of the window. These were the signs of political progress in Iraq that the White House wants to put in its report to Congress next month.

Nuri al-Maliki's outburst follows public comments from Bush expressing frustration with the Iraqi government, and hinting that it may be replaced. Maliki knew Bush was putting him under pressure to come up with a series of measures that could match the military progress which General David Petraeus will outline when he reports on the surge. It was recently revealed that the Petraeus report will actually be drafted by the White House, using input from the general that can then be spun. But while Petraeus is a US government employee who is subject to the disciplines of command and control, Maliki isn't. He's independent enough to show his voters that he is not going to be dictated to by foreigners, even though he is in fact their puppet, whose position would collapse if the US left Iraq. The row symbolises the contradiction of describing a government as sovereign when its country is occupied.

Even before the latest spat between Maliki and Bush, the Iraqi prime minister was in difficulty. Half his cabinet has gone. The main Sunni members recently resigned, following a few months after the Shia ministers loyal to the anti-occupation cleric, Moqtada al-Sadr. This means that Maliki no longer has a guaranteed majority of supporters in parliament if it comes to a no-confidence vote.

Like Bush, Maliki has become a lame duck. Bush of course can stay in office for another 17 months. Maliki can also stagger on in charge of a minority government, since no other Iraqi seems able or willing to put a different coalition together. And, for all his tough talk about seeing Maliki replaced, Bush is doomed to go on supporting him. A vacuum in Baghdad would look even worse in American voters' eyes.

In one sense, the crisis only confirms what has been clear for months. Whoever sits in the Green Zone in nominal charge of Iraq's government has little power or authority beyond its walls. Bush's political project for Iraq looks more fragile than ever.

Comment is free: Crisis in the Green Zone

Iraqi Shiite, Sunni groups to hold talks in Finland

Representatives of Iraq's majority Shiite and minority Sunni Muslim groups will meet in Finland late next week to negotiate over the diffusing factional fighting in the war-torn country, Finnish daily Helsingin Sanomat reported on Wednesday.

The report said the meeting will be hosted in part by the Crisis Management Initiative (CMI), a non-profit crisis mediation organization founded by former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari. It also said the Iraqi government was not involved in the process.

The newspaper quoted the CMI as saying that key influential figures were expected to attend, but gave no names of the mediators nor the venue of the meeting.

The CMI said it was just one of the organizations which were instrumental in bringing about the event that has been "in the works" for a long time. Ahtisaa himself would not attend the meeting.

The report also quoted the Finnish foreign ministry as saying that the government was prepared to support the CMI in organizing the meeting although it was not involved in the talks.

Tensions and tit-for-tat attacks between Sunnis and Shiites have driven Iraq to the brink of civil war.

People's Daily Online - Iraqi Shiite, Sunni groups to hold talks in Finland

Maliki interior government use Interpol to track Sheikh Abdel Nasser al-Janabi

Continuation of the sectarian Safawive Maliki government approach and continuation targeting symbols of Sunnis; informed security sources disclosed to HAQ Agency that Malki issued orders to the Ministry of Interior to tell the International Police "Interpol" for the issuance of a warrant for the arrest against the resigned Parliament member from Accord Front, Sheikh Abdel-Nasser al-Janabi...

HAQ agency- exclusive

Continuation of the sectarian Safawive Maliki government approach and continuation targeting symbols of Sunnis; informed security sources disclosed to HAQ Agency that Malki issued orders to the Ministry of Interior to tell the International Police "Interpol" for the issuance of a warrant for the arrest against the resigned Parliament member from Accord Front, Sheikh Abdel-Nasser al-Janabi.

The sources said the Interior Ministry had already started procedures for the implementation of this order which it put it within its vocabulary of what is called the anti-terrorism law in which the Ministry stated on behalf of its spokesman Major General Abdel-Karim Khalaf who said that the Ministry had integrated file against the Accord Front parliament member Abdel-Karim Khalaf that accuses him of involvement in murder cases.

It is worth mentioning that Sheikh Abdel-Nasser al-Janabi announced earlier in his innocence and repentance of the Iraqi Parliament and the Iraqi Accord Front and joined the armed Iraqi resistance, where he had entered before his innocence and repentance in deep dispute with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki accused him publicly targeting the relatives of the martyred Abir al-Janabi who was raped and killed with her family by occupation soldiers, because they - martyred relatives - accused Maliki of providing cover for this heinous crime, a number of them referred this to the courts and was – its relatives- committed with various terms of imprisonment.

Also al-Janabi is known for his refusing of exclusion and marginalization that Sunnis suffered during his presence in Parliament.

HAQ news agency - Maliki interior government use Interpol to track Sheikh Abdel Nasser al-Janabi

Mideast countries speed up nuclear development projects

Several Arab countries in recent months have boosted their nuclear programs, in what experts believe is a response to Iran's aggressive drive to acquire nuclear weapons.

All the countries concerned, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Lybia, claim that they aim to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. Analysts, however, point out that some of the nations in question are in possession of huge oil reserves, which can easily be used to produce cheap electricity, thereby eliminating the need for the costly development of nuclear facilities.

Experts are particularly curious as to the nuclear programs in some states in the Persian Gulf - a region which holds approximately 25 percent of the Earth's oil reserve. Some experts stress that peaceful nuclear technology can easily be converted to serve a nuclear weapons program.

Virtually all the Arab countries in question indicated last year that they would consider launching programs for developing nuclear technology, just as the Iranian nuclear program began grabbing headlines all over the world.

Analysts note, for example, Turkey's recent announcement that it would soon begin building three nuclear reactors for peaceful purposes. The announcement came approximately one year after Iran declared it would not cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the analysts say.

In a recent article in the International Herald Tribune, Joseph Cirincione, director for nuclear policy at the Center for American Progress, offered an alternative explanation. Cirincione and his Israeli associate, Uri Leventer, a graduate student at Harvard University, argued that the nuclear surge in the Middle East is due to the interests of global powers, competing to sell their nuclear technology.

In their article, Cirincione and Leventer noted French President Nicolas Sarkozy's recent signing of a nuclear cooperation deal with Libya. Sarkozy later agreed to help the United Arab Emirates launch its own civilian nuclear program. Indicating that this could be just the beginning of a major sale and supply effort, Sarkozy declared that the West should trust Arab states with nuclear technology.

The former military adviser to Congress went on to warn that "if the existing territorial, ethnic, and political disputes continue unresolved, this is a recipe for nuclear war."

his is where the nuclear Mideast surge stands:

1. Yemen earlier this week announced its intention to purchase its first nuclear reactor for peaceful purposes. The Yemenite news agency said the reactor was needed for producing electricity.

2. Jordan's foreign minister, Abdelelah Al-Khatib, told Haaretz last month that his country was promoting a nuclear program which is "geared toward electricity production, and that it will be a completely transparent, according to the criteria established by the International Atomic Energy Agency."

3. Egypt announced last year that it intended to resume its nuclear program. Cairo has maintained a policy of apparent ambiguity, but the government said it intended to build four nuclear reactors for peaceful purposes within 10 years.

Mideast countries speed up nuclear development projects - Haaretz - Israel News

Originally Posted by Seaview

Iranian Artillery Resumes Heavy Bombing of Kurdistan

The Iranian artillery resumed heavy bombing of Kurdistan region territories of Razga, Maradu, and Shnawa villages in Pishdar district of Sulaimani governorate. The mayor of Zharawa area Azad Wsu confirmed the news and declared that Kaskan village and Qirnaban area near Qaladiza village received lion share of these heavy bombings and the inhabitants of those areas are now evacuating their homes.

PUKmedia :: English - Iranian Artillery Resumes Heavy Bombing of Kurdistan

This bothers me. Now we see it in the news, so I'm assuming it is true.

If so, then I'm afraid it looks like Iran is taunting the US and may be trying to draw our attention to helping the Kurds in the North from their attackers.

If this happens, look for even MORE troops to be deployed in response to the attacks being made by Iran.

And I thought Iran was playing nice and could be trusted (according to some other sources...) So much for that theory.

This is going to get worse before it gets better (IMHO).

Minister : Iraq intends to join WTO

Source : Reuters-22/08/2007

He said Iraqi Trade Minister Abdel Sudanese farmer on Tuesday that his country intends to apply customs regime for encouraging business and expects to join the WTO in two years de****e the violent acts that harm the economy.

The Minister said that the government formally began negotiations with the World Trade Organization last May and is committed to change laws inconsistent with WTO rules.

He added the minister, who accompanied Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on a visit to Damascus to discuss ways to improve political and economic ties with Syria, "I expect that Iraq will be a full member of the World Trade Organization in 2009-2010."

He said : "I have sent questions about the legislation and laws in connection with the Iraqi ministries answer and the process is ongoing."

He continued, the Sudanese that the new tariffs consistent with the rules of the organization will, on average, between five and 15%.

He said, "We do not want to be high tariffs. Many experiences in the world have proved that if the tariff increased help protect domestic product partly but less than the rupture of economic If expression. "

He pointed out that there are many legislative difficulties to be overcome before the new law passed.

Iraq currently imposes customs tariff by 5% (fig. reconstruction) on imports. The Department of the American occupation of Iraq which took things in 2003 had abolished tariffs that were imposed during the era of ousted president Saddam Hussein.

The data show that the Central Bank of Iraq's imports fell to 20.9 billion dollars last year, compared with 23.5 billion in 2005. Increased exports, particularly oil to $ 30.5 billion from $ 23.7 billion in the same period.

The Iraqis more peoples of the Middle East before consuming the United Nations to impose strict penalties on Iraq in 1990 due to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.

Destroyed and looting after the invasion led by the United States in 2003 the industrial base of the country more in ****e of the termination penalties in the same year, and increased levels of liquidity, which enhanced demand for consumer goods.

He said the Sudanese "Iraq is by nature a large consumer market, but now because of the disruption of many factories and plants many of the needs to be secured through imports. Looking to the future, God willing, we need to stabilize Iraq considerable energy to accommodate ports and others. "

He said traders met the minister during his visit to Syria that the lack of security is the biggest factor limiting trade but updating regulations may promote flows of products.

The dwindling of the Iraqi Stock Exchange .. The continuing circulation for Arab investors

Source : Voices of Iraq - 21/08/2007

Market index has declined Iraq securities, in a meeting Sunday, a rate (1.104%) from the previous meeting, the market index closed at a point (41.367) ... To implement the three decades of investors, the shares of non-Iraqis الوركاء Bank and the real world.

The analysis showed that the daily market has been trading of more than (444) million shares, valued at more than (898) million dinars (718) thousand dollars) ... The implementation (247) contracts, and the index closed market (ISX Price Index) (41.367) to a point ... To implement the three decades of investors or non-Iraqis, they carried out a one (Bank الوركاء) the number of shares amounted to (200) thousand shares, and two decades on the (real estate company globe) exceeded the number of shares (900) thousand shares.

The meeting deliberated in the Iraqi Stock Exchange today, the seventh meeting during the August current shares (32) joint-stock company, of which (13) banking company, and (11) industrial and service companies, four, two فندقيتان, and one insurance company, and other farmland.

Among the (13) banking company has been mentioned, rates rose two shares : (North Bank) rate (6.8 %)... The highest rise today (Sunday), and (Economy Bank) .. Per (1.9%).

The decreased rates contributed ten other banking companies, are : Bank of Dar es Salaam ... Per (7.2%), Gulf Bank .. (5.8%), Commercial Bank Sumar (4%), Bank of Kurdistan (3.8%), Bank of Babylon (3.5%), Bank of Basra (3.3%), the Iraqi Investment Bank (3.2% ), the Bank الوركاء (2.7%), Commercial Bank (2.6%) and, finally, bank credit .. Prices fell by shares (2.5%).

With Hafiz (Islamic banking) at the same rate price astray at the previous meeting, the banking index closed b (38.294) point low rate (0.7%) from the previous meeting. Achieved (الوركاء Bank), where the highest proportion of the number of shares traded in the banking sector rate (23.7%), after having been handling more than (83) million shares ... The value exceeded (144) million dinars.

With the north bank achieved the highest proportion in terms of the volume of transactions in the banking sector rate (40.2%), having been handling more than (64) million shares ... The value exceeded (303) million dinars.

Today the shares were trading nine industrial companies, rising rates shares of five companies are : modern dyes ... Per (8.1%), and chemical industries (5.4%), Crescent Industrial (4%), light industry (3.7%), Mineral Industries Company and motorcycles ... Per (3.5%).

The decreased rates contributed two industrialized, namely : beer East .. Per (17.3%), the Company Baghdad for carbonated beverages .. Per (3.4%). With the company maintained : electronic industries and industry cartoons on the same transaction rates at the previous meeting.

The industrial index closed at the point (11.905), a high rate (0.117%) than in the previous trading session, where the company achieved Baghdad for carbonated beverages highest .. They (50.6%) and (49.1%), respectively, in terms of number of shares traded and the volume of the industrial sector, having been handling more than (38) million shares ... The value exceeded (53) million dinars.

Among the three companies handled in the hotel and tourism sector, the rate of price company shares (Sadeer Hotel) per (3.2%), with decreased rates contributed two : tourist investments .. Per (1.1%), and the Baghdad hotel .. Per (0.6%). The hotel sector index closed b (15.759) points, a high rate (1.993%) from the previous meeting.

An outcome and final meeting of the Iraqi stock market today (Sunday), the shares were trading (31) Company ... Out of (93) is a company listed on the market, rising rates (15) shares of the company ... While rates contributed seven other companies, nine companies maintained the same rates of the previous prices.

Still (20) defunct company trading on the Stock Exchange because the bodies of the annual general and the implementation of its decisions, and five companies to a standstill, by the circulation of securities Iraq for failing to deliver the final accounts for the year (2004), and eight companies to a standstill, by the circulation of securities Finance for not submitting the final accounts for the year (2005).

American economic : to be an investment results International Covenant

She stressed the need for Iraq to be integrated with the world economy.

Source : Sabah Al-21/08/2007

Alija diplomacy (Alice كلبريث) working in the Office of Economic Affairs at the American embassy in Iraq structural imbalances suffered by the Iraqi economy to the long separation from the international economy due to the political circumstances over Iraq for decades long time.

She said : must invest the outcome of the Sharm el-Sheikh International Covenant which is substantial international support for Iraq, stressing the need that Iraq take serious steps to build balanced economic relations with all countries supporting him under the International Covenant after a rupture which lasted for more than three decades.

She added, "كلبريث" : to promote closer economic ties to Iraq with the various countries in the world situation is optimal for integration with the global economy and benefit from the experiences of other countries, particularly liberated from totalitarian economy controlled by the central State and the merits of all-oriented mechanisms of the market economy.

كلبريث focused on the need to create ways to ensure Iraq's accession to the World Trade Organization in an effort to create an active movement of trade exchange between Iraq and other countries as well as the exchange of expertise and experiences, ideas and the commercial and economic relations of finding the actors of the Iraqi economy.

She commended the Investment Law No. 13 of 2006 passed by the House farewell at the same time the importance of the activation of this law and opening the door to foreign companies in investment, pointing to the need to give the role of public investment UN affirmative action adopted by the Iraqi government in creating climates ideal for accelerating the implementation of projects investment budget for the year the current 2007 confirmed the activation of the private sector in the investment process.

American Economic alluded to the presence of U.S. support dedicated to investing in small and medium enterprises in the industrial and commercial fields and providing soft loans at five million dollars each project a higher pointing out that the amount had falls short of the five million dollars depending on the nature of the project, which is subject to the technical measurements and global standards.

She stressed the importance of awareness as an important source of tax would support the Iraqi economy and the achievement of additional income to the State's general budget, pointing out the importance of diversifying sources of income in order to the Iraqi economy freed from excessive reliance on oil and the trend towards activating other productive sectors (agriculture and industry) and the upgrading of the political reality in Iraq.