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

Where are our auction results? I read something about a curfew, but I thought it was an isolated deal in one of the smaller cities. Anyone fill me in? Nothing on CBI.

Thanks for the help.

Sharp drop in demand for dollar in daily auction

Demand for the dollar was lower in the Iraqi Central Bank’s auction on Tuesday, reaching $48.235 million compared with $96.935 million on Monday.

In its daily statement the bank said it had covered all bids, including $6.265 million in cash and $42.570 in foreign transfers, at an exchange rate of 1,238 dinars per dollar, unchanged for the fourth session in a row.

The 14 banks that participated in Tuesday's session offered to sell $15 million, which the bank bought at an exchange rate of 1,236 dinars per dollar.

In statements to the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI), Ali al-Yasseri, a trader, attributed the lower demand for the dollar to a sharp drop in cash bids, which he linked to the Shiite observance of a religious occasion where an estimated million pilgrims were expected to head on foot for the Shiite sacred city of Krabala, 108 km southwest of Baghdad.

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

Sharp drop in demand for dollar in daily auction | Iraq Updates

Kidnapped senior oil undersecretary released-spokesman

The spokesman for the Iraqi Oil Ministry said on Tuesday that the minister deputy who was kidnapped two weeks ago in Baghdad was released and he was in a "good health".

"The oil minister deputy Abdul Jabbar al-Wagga, who was kidnapped two weeks ago, was released and he was in a good health," Assem Jihad told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).

Al-Wagga, senior oil undersecretary, was kidnapped along with four senior officials from the state-owned-oil marketing company in eastern Baghdad on August 14.

The kidnappers who were clad in police raided the company compound and took the officials at gunpoint to unknown destination.

The spokesman added "three out of the four kidnapped officials were also set free along with al-Wagga."

The spokesman who declined to elaborate on the fate of the fourth official, did not identify the party responsible for the kidnapping.

Only one day after al-Wagga's kidnapping, the technology minister deputy was kidnapped in central Baghdad but he was released two days later according to Iraqi police sources.

Kidnapped senior oil undersecretary released-spokesman | Iraq Updates

Jordan readies 2,000 tanker trucks to ferry Iraqi crude

More than 2,000 Jordanian tanker trucks have been readied to ferry Iraqi crude oil to the Kingdom’s refinery at al-Zarqa.

Iraqi tanker trucks will be involved but will not be allowed to cross the border. They will carry the crude from Kirkuk and unload it into specially built storage tanks on the border.

The Jordanian tanker trucks will transfer the crude from the border to the refinery.

Fifteen such storage tanks have been built but no Iraqi tanker truck has surfaced on the border yet.

Iraq has agreed to resume exporting discounted crude oil supplies to Jordan. The volume is reported to start with 10,000 barrels a day and steadily rocket to 30,000.

Under former leader Saddam Hussein, Iraq met all Jordan’s energy needs of nearly 100,000 barrels a day at preferential prices.

Iraqi tanker trucks then drove directly to al-Zarqa refinery close to Amman, the capital.

Analysts say Iraq may not be able to meet its obligation under the deal due to the upsurge in violence along the Iraqi portion of the highway.
Iraqi drivers are reported to be reluctant to drive along the highway de****e incentives.

Tanker trucks are now the main target of Qaeda and other anti-U.S. and anti-government groups.

The trucks are now increasingly being used in suicide bombing attacks. Their drivers are kidnapped and only released after their families pay hefty ransoms.

Trucks passing through rebel areas are usually heavily taxed. Drivers refusing to pay are either killed or kidnapped.

Jordan readies 2,000 tanker trucks to ferry Iraqi crude | Iraq Updates

Iraq Energy Summit closes registration early due to high demand

Registration for the Iraq Oil, Gas, Petrochemical & Electricity Summit has now been closed, as Dubai looks forward to welcoming the world's leading oil, energy and security companies.

The event will discuss the future of Iraq's energy sector with ministers, deputies and director generals from the Iraqi Government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

The summit, taking place on 2-4 September, will welcome the high level official delegation from the Iraqi and KRG Ministries of Oil, Industry, Electricity and National Security Affairs, as well as the country's Oil Commission and Parliamentary Energy Committee.

These key decision makers will be participating at the landmark summit to establish relationships and enter into contractual negotiations with international energy operators.

The official Iraqi delegation will include some of the most important figures from Iraq's energy sector, including Minister of Industry & Minerals H.E. Fawzi Al-Hariri, Minister of Electricity H.E. Kareem Wahid and KRG Minister of Oil H.E. Ashti Hawrami. It also includes Thamer Ghadbhan, a former oil minister and Chairman of Iraq's Oil Commission.

Specific focus will be placed on Iraq's oil strategy and the key requirements for the sector, while other key areas of focus will include refinery and petrochemical integration, feedstock flexibility, power production availability and the protection of power stations, pipelines, refineries and other associated energy facilities.

All attending Iraqi Ministries will be outlining the requirements for their relevant sectors in front of the senior corporate audience, before holding private consultations with some of the pre-eminent operators within the global energy sector.

These best-in-breed operators and companies will be represented at board level in order to build the relationships that will be crucial to the future of the Iraqi energy sector and include the likes of BP, Exxon, ConocoPhillips, Chevron, Lukoil, Statoil, Marathon Oil, Total, Shell, Kuwait National Petroleum, Annadarko, Schlumberger, ABB, ONGC, General Electric, Cummins Power, Mitsui, Aegis, ArmorGroup, Janussian, Control Risks Group, Unity, GardaWorld and Triple Canopy.

Iraq Energy Summit closes registration early due to high demand | Iraq Updates

UK troops in deal with Mahdi Army for safe exit

The last contingent of British soldiers based in the centre of this southern city will leave by Friday, says a senior Iraqi security official, adding that a deal has been struck with leaders of Moqtada Al Sadr's Mahdi Army to ensure their safe departure.

As they pull back to a base outside Basra, the British will leave a vital provincial capital in the throes of a turf battle between Shiite factions - one that Al Sadr's militia appears to be winning.

"By the end of August, there will be no presence for British forces at the palace or at the joint coordination centre. Both will be in the hands of the Iraqi government," says the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the matter.

"I think it's best if they leave, because they did nothing to stop the militias, which were formed in the womb of their occupation."

A spokesman for the British military in Basra confirmed that a small force left the Provincial Joint Coordination Centre (PJCC), site of a British-Iraqi security task force, on Saturday.

He declined comment on the timing of the pullout of 500 soldiers from a compound of four Saddam Hussain-era palaces that are located on the strategic Shatt Al Arab River. The buildings have been occupied by coalition troops since the start of the war in 2003.

Gradual trimming

Ahead of the pullout, an agreement between British and Iraqi authorities resulted in the transfer of more than two dozen Mahdi Army prisoners from British to Iraqi custody, according to the security official.

They were then released by an Iraqi court in an attempt to pacify the militias during the highly symbolic handover of the palaces to Iraqis, he said. The British did not comment on any arrangements.

The departing force will join 5,000 soldiers at the Shaibah air base, about 10 miles southwest of the city, also home to the US and British consulates.

Unlike their US counterparts elsewhere in Iraq, British forces have been gradually trimming their presence in the south since May 2003, when they numbered 18,000.

The Iraqi official says the palaces will be handed over to an Iraqi force dispatched from Baghdad and will not be given to the controversial provincial authority, which is embroiled in a power struggle between rival Shiite political parties.

This 3,000-strong Iraqi force will consist of two Army battalions and elements from the Ministry of Interior's commando unit.

Strong force

The Mahdi Army, which according to one estimate, numbers about 17,000 in Basra and is divided into about 40 sariyas (company-size military unit), is the strongest among its rivals in the militia-infiltrated police force and it has influence over vital sectors such as health, education, power distribution, and ports.

The British military in Basra denied interview requests.

The Iraqi official said releasing Mahdi Army fighters would give Lt. Gen. Mohan Hafidh, head of the Basra Operations Centre appointed by Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki, enough breathing room to stabilise the province.

"We will lessen the attacks against them [the British] and we will stop altogether if they release all our prisoners," said one of the Mahdi Army leaders.

UK troops in deal with Mahdi Army for safe exit | Iraq Updates

Bush to request $50b more for Iraq war

US President George W. Bush is preparing to ask Congress for as much as $50 billion in additional funding for the war in Iraq, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday, citing a White House official.

The request signals increasing White House confidence that it can fend off mounting congressional pressure to begin withdrawing US troops from Iraq, the Post reported.

The additional funds would come on top of about $460 billion in the fiscal 2008 defense budget and $147 billion in a pending supplemental bill to fund the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Post said.

The request is expected to be announced next month after the top US commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, and US Ambassador Ryan Crocker report to Congress on the state of the war, the newspaper said.
Asked about the Post report, White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said no decision had yet been made about funding requests.

"We have said previously that after Gen. Petraeus reports we will be evaluating what adjustments may need to be made to our pending FY 08 (fiscal 2008) supplemental request," Stanzel said.

"I would decline to speculate on this, as Gen. Petraeus has not testified nor has any decision been made at this stage about whether, when or what specific changes would be made."

Bush to request $50b more for Iraq war | Iraq Updates

Bush, Maliki discuss political developments

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki received a phone call from U.S. President George W. Bush in which he underlined recent "important developments" in the political process in Iraq, according to a statement made by the Iraqi premier's office.

"Bush and Maliki discussed on Monday evening the outcome of the Iraqi prime minister's multi-leg regional tour that took him to neighboring Turkey, Syria and Iran," read the statement received by the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).

Maliki stressed his keenness to activate the political process, underscoring the importance of having all parliamentary blocs, particularly the (Sunni) Iraqi Accordance Front (IAF), participate in the process, the statement noted.

"The days ahead will see significant positive developments," Maliki emphasized.

The statement also quoted Bush as praising the initiatives adopted by the Iraqi premier.

Bush had phoned Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and commended the Iraqi leader's agreement on vital issues, referring to the quintuple agreement signed by the four main Kurdish and Shiite parties and the (Sunni) Iraqi Islamic Party.

The four main Kurdish and Shiite powers in addition to the Sunni Iraqi Islamic Party signed on August 26 a new joint statement with the aim of pushing forward the political process and opening doors before the blocs that have quit the government.

The agreement was signed by Maliki, leader of the (Shiite) Dawa Party, Talabani, leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), Kurdistan region's President Massoud Barazani, the leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), Vice President Adel Abdul-Mahdi, representing Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim's Supreme Islamic Iraqi Party (SIIC), and Tareq al-Hashimi of the Iraqi Islamic Party.

Bush, Maliki discuss political developments | Iraq Updates

Iraq deputy PM warns on early U.S. pullout

An early pullout of American soldiers from Iraq will trigger a full-scale civil war and spark a wider conflict in the region, Iraq's deputy prime minister, Barham Salih, said.

Salih said that was the message he had given a stream of U.S. lawmakers visiting Baghdad in the lead-up to pivotal testimony that President George W. Bush's top officials in Iraq will present to the U.S. Congress in around two weeks.

"A premature withdrawal of troops from Iraq will be a disaster, not only for Iraq, but for the region and the international community as a whole," Salih said in an interview with Reuters late on Monday.

"It will lead to an all-out civil war, it will lead to a regional war in my opinion because the fate of Iraq is crucial to the regional balance and to regional security."

Opposition Democrats and some senior Republicans have called for U.S. troops to start leaving Iraq after more than four years of war that has killed 3,700 American soldiers and tens of thousands of Iraqis.

The U.S. commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, and U.S. ambassador Ryan Crocker are expected to appear before Congress in the second week of September.

Their testimony on Iraq's security and political situation could prompt a shift in Washington's Iraq policy.

Bush is under mounting pressure to show Iraq's weak and divided Shi'ite-led government that the U.S. commitment is not open-ended. However, he has pleaded for patience and cited progress in recent months after a reduction in militant attacks.

Salih also said Iraq's 350,000-strong security forces were not ready to assume full security responsibilities.

CONSEQUENCES OF GOVERNMENT COLLAPSE

Debate in Washington over the war and the failure of Iraq's government to use the breathing space provided by extra U.S. troops to foster reconciliation has become so charged that some Democrats including presidential hopeful Senator Hillary Clinton have called for Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to be replaced.

Salih said such comments were unhelpful.

"Those who are demanding the replacement of Mr. Maliki need to offer an alternative, because changing the government just for the sake of it without offering a credible alternative that can turn things for the better will not be useful," he said.

Asked if the collapse of Maliki's government would plunge the country deeper into crisis, Salih said:

"In the absence of a credible alternative, a better alternative, it would be problematic, chaotic. In the context of Iraq, when you talk about problems, you are talking serious problems."

He repeatedly said there were no quick fixes to Iraq's woes.
Some key laws could be ratified by parliament by the end of the year, Salih said.

This included a draft law that will ease restrictions on former members of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party from joining the civil service and the military. Many members are Sunni Arabs who feel persecuted by Maliki's government.

That timeline will likely prove too long for U.S. lawmakers demanding concrete progress on political benchmarks seen as vital to bridging the deep divide between warring Shi'ites and minority Sunni Arabs.
Parliament reconvenes on Sept. 4 after a month-long recess.

The government has yet to present any of the key draft laws, including draft legislation that aims to equitably share Iraq's vast oil wealth among its different sects and ethnic groups.

Salih said "if we decided to go and present these laws, probably we will be able to get a majority on most of them", but he added that this would not be enough.

"We are in a system where there must be a much wider margin, because these laws are designed to bring about national unity. It's not just about majority rule," he said.

Iraq deputy PM warns on early U.S. pullout | Iraq Updates