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

Most of Sadr's militia lying low says US general

BAGHDAD -- Most members of the Mehdi army militia of radical Shiite cleric Moqtada Al Sadr appear to be following his command to freeze their armed activities, a top US military commander said Tuesday.

"The majority of them are paying attention to him," Lieutenant General Ray Odierno, the number-two commander of US-led forces in Iraq, told a group of foreign reporters at a military base in Baghdad.

Odierno said the cleric's Baghdad bastion of Sadr City had been "quiet" since the cleric called his militia to heel.

Sadr last Wednesday ordered his feared Mehdi army to suspend their activities after allegations they were involved in fierce firefights with police during a Shiite pilgrimage in the shrine city of Karbala that killed 52 people.

Odierno said the Karbala clashes occurred when members of "Jaysh Al Mehdi [Mehdi army] and police came in contention during a holy time.

"That had an effect on them. That is the reason Sadr had a ceasefire," Odierno said.

He said, however, that Baghdad's fortified Green Zone - the seat of the Iraqi government, the US embassy, and the British embassy - was hit by a rocket Monday fired from Sadr City.

The Mehdi army has carried out sustained attacks against US-led forces since the March 2003 invasion of Iraq to topple the Saddam Hussein regime.

In 2004, it launched two bloody rebellions against US forces in the holy city of Najaf, during which hundreds of militants were killed.

In the past few months, the US military said many militia leaders had broken away from the main faction, and had indulged in "rogue" activities, especially the killing of Sunni Arabs.

The rogue elements were acting beyond the control of Sadr, Odierno said.

Most of Sadr's militia lying low says US general - Region - Middle East Times

Analysis: Iraq oil law (still) coming soon

Published: Sept. 4, 2007 at 12:05 PM

By BEN LANDO
UPI Energy Editor

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Sept. 4 (UPI) -- The question is simple on the third and final day of a major Iraqi energy conference where hundreds of hungry oil men and women broke bread with Iraq’s industry chiefs, politicians and technocrats: When will Baghdad set the ground rules for the international oil community’s long-awaited venture into the largest oil prize on Earth?

The answer, evenly nuanced, is clear: A version of the Iraq oil and natural gas law was agreed to by most of Iraq’s political leadership last week, and when Parliament resumes this week it will, possibly, debate the law and, perhaps, maybe vote on it soon.

“They have a deal on the government level. Once it comes to the Parliament, it is the Parliament who has to have the say,” Abdul-Hadi al-Hasani, deputy head of Parliament’s Energy Committee, said on the sidelines of the summit, though he hasn’t seen the latest version of the bill yet.

“This is really a discussion taking place between all expertise, members of Parliament, economists, government officials,” he said, adding the balance between Iraqi and investor interests isn’t a quick resolve. “I wish it could have been passed yesterday. We need it. But simply it has to take its own time to come through maturely.”

The world’s leading hydrocarbons firms attending the Iraq Oil, Gas, Petrochemical and Electricity Summit, organized by the London-based Iraq Development Program, held roundtables over the future of Iraq’s oil while planning deals to venture into its sister sectors. Yet, from the minnows to the giants, service firms and equipment providers, they wait, with billions of dollars, for this law, which has numerous times before been just around the corner.

Theirs aren’t the only eyes on Iraq's oil, the third-largest proven reserves in the world, made more tempting when one considers how much of the country is unexplored. What has been found, usually close to the surface and sweet, is pumped and refined cheaper than anywhere else, except for the cost of producing amid war.

Iraq’s political parties have no easy task, however, thus the delay to decide how large a role the federal government will have in deciding the country’s oil strategy and, pushed by the powerful oil unions, the extent private and foreign hands will be allowed a grab.

President Bush arrived in Iraq Monday, just days before Parliament and the U.S. Congress return from recess, and with the upcoming war evaluation from top U.S. military and embassy officials looming.

Bush met with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, vice presidents Adel Abdul Mehdi and Tareq al-Hashemi, President Jalal Talabani, Deputy Prime Minister Barham Saleh, and Massoud Barzani, president of the Kurdistan Regional Government, two Shiite Arabs, one Sunni Arab and three Kurds. Last week the Iraqis (minus Saleh) agreed on previously disputed points, including the oil law.

“This has principally been agreed to and now it’s in the Parliament so there’s going to be debate,” said Ali al-Dabbagh, the government’s spokesman. “It’s just a matter of time.”

“We can’t say when it will be in,” he said, "but as soon as it is started debated it is a sign that finally it will be approved. The government is asking the Parliament to put it in a priority in order to make the hydrocarbons industry to be activated.”

Iraq is steadily producing 2 million barrels per day, sending more than three-quarters to the international market. Last year it earned more than $31 billion, fulfilling more than 93 percent of the federal budget. That’s an income stream Iraq is keen not only on keeping going, but increasing.

Iraq’s 115 billion barrels of proven reserves could sustain a higher production output. The goal is 6.5 million bpd by 2015, according to a presentation at the summit by Thamir Ghadhban, Maliki’s top energy adviser and a former oil minister. The plan is to make use of Iraq’s natural gas reserves as well, two-thirds of which is wasted, increasing production by 347 percent over eight years.

But Iraq needs to spend $56 billion on its oil sector and $11 billion on electricity through 2011 to meet its plans, said Kamal Field al-Basri, senior economic adviser to Maliki and executive director of the Iraq Institute for Economic Reform. (Electricity Minister Karim Waheed Hasan put the figure at $25 billion through 2016.)

“We can satisfy about 42 percent of that need internally, but the rest we need from the international side” through grants, loans and the international private sector, Basri said. “The oil law is coming through. There’s difficulties, but it will come as any other law would, with some difficulties. It will come.”

Officially drafted more than a year ago by three respected Iraqi oil technocrats, one being Ghadhban, the draft hydrocarbons law has been through the democratic process and back, and altered so much the two other authors no longer back it. An agreement was said to be imminent just before last New Year. A deal was reached in late February but fell through. Subsequent deadlines in May and July were missed.

“I have a feeling for September they’re going to be busy with the other issues,” said former Oil Minister Ibrahim Bahrul-Uloom, referring to other benchmarks. “I expect it will be a good debate in the Parliament next month or the month after.”

Officials United Press International spoke to said if it wasn’t the first item on Parliament’s agenda, it could be high up there. Ramadan begins next week, but that’s not expected to stop debate.

“After the deep discussion among the Council of Ministers and among the political leaders … they agreed they would pass this,” said Sami al-Askari, a member of Parliament and a top adviser to Maliki. Parliament, he said, is a “reflection” of the membership in the council and those at last week's meeting.

“We all follow the leaders,” he said. “This is a formality, to discuss it” in Parliament, where a few minor things will be changed but the law will be passed after a “few weeks talking about it.”

The Kurds, who now control a small fraction of the reserves in Iraq’s relatively peaceful, prosperous and semi-autonomous north, are adamant the central government isn’t the sole power, fearing a strong arm from Baghdad similar to Saddam Hussein's. They want regions (the KRG is the only one, so far) and governorates to have a significant role in contracting; limits on the fields the federal government, via the reconstituted Iraq National Oil Co., has proprietary access to; and a move from the decades of oil nationalism to the free market.

The Sunnis, controlling land with nearly no proven reserves, fear a weak central government will leave them fighting for revenue scraps. Many were oppressed by Saddam de****e sharing religion and ethnicity, and they now hold a minority status in government. They largely oppose key tenets of the law the KRG backs, and vice versa.

Shiites, the majority of Iraqis, live atop more than 80 percent of Iraq’s oil reserves, including the oil capital of Basra, from where nearly all of Iraq’s exports are sent. This sets a tempting offer to form a region like the Kurds did, though internal Shiite politics debate how many provinces should form the region; ardent Shiite nationalists want Iraq unified, a position backed by the federal government.

Piecing together an oil law various sides agree with doesn’t end there. A large contingent in Parliament refuses to take up the oil law alone. They want it coupled with related measures regulating INOC, restructuring the Ministry of Oil and settling the issue of redistributing revenues, a law that in reality would actually satisfy Bush and Congress’ oil benchmark.

Robert Fryklund, vice president of industry relations for energy consultant firm IHS, told UPI last week Parliament must both reconvene and then approve the oil law, “and then anything that’s being worked on from the preliminary standpoint would be able to move forward.”

The Parliament, however, could barely reach quorum before the August recess, and is fractured by political party and other factional fighting. And Maliki’s political coalition is weak and smaller than earlier this year.

“I don’t think anything is going to happen until that gets sorted out,” Fryklund said, “anybody signing anything, I doubt. Other than in Kurdistan Iraq.”

The KRG has signed its own oil deals, approved a regional oil law and is unlikely to wait too long for federal action before signing more.

Many oil officials refused to talk on the record about Iraqi prospects, but all admitted that getting a law in place, and possibly an improvement in security, is all they are waiting for.

“Iraq is the only country in the world with great reserves, it’s not developed,” said Orhan Duran, general manager of Genel Enerji, the Turkish company that joined with Canada’s Addax Petroleum to sign a production-sharing agreement with the KRG in May 200, and is now preparing a $1 billion development plan for their find. “On the other side, the quality of oil is very good. Plus a lot of exploration potential still is not touched.”

The oil law is needed, he said, “just to have a better picture.”

United Press International - International Security - Energy - Analysis

Iraq MP: U.S. oil law pressure no help

Published: Sept. 4, 2007 at 1:04 PM

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Sept. 4 (UPI) -- U.S. pressure on Iraq's government to pass an oil law as one of 18 benchmarks didn’t help and the law isn't ready to pass now, a top parliamentarian said.

Next week U.S. Embassy and military officials in Baghdad are to deliver a report on how Iraq’s government fared on the benchmarks, most of which were missed.

One benchmark, passing an oil law that shares revenues as a way of reconciling factions, was not expected to be achieved.

For one, the oil law the Bush administration was pushing for was highly controversial, getting right to the heart of the future of Iraq in terms of federalism and foreign investment. And the law doesn’t deal with revenue sharing at all; a separate revenue-sharing law does.

“This is political pressure. It’s in the media,” said Abdul-Hadi al-Hasani, deputy chair of the Parliament’s Energy Committee. “They think by really passing this law, it could improve the economy and give people better hope, better security and better political process.”

“As a member of Parliament nobody pressures us. Nobody could … because we are not one, there are 275 of us,” he said on the sidelines of an Iraq energy conference. “We pressure ourselves to get this law to come as good as possible to look after the interest of the Iraqi people.”

Hasani’s timeframe expectations were more giving than his colleague, who also spoke at the Iraq Oil, Gas, Petrochemicals and Electricity Summit organized by the London-based Iraq Development Program.

Sami al-Askari, parliamentarian and top adviser to the prime minister, said Parliament would take up the bill perhaps within weeks, after the prime minister, the president, vice presidents and Iraqi Kurdistan president vowed last week to move the law forward.

“In the beginning each group, each political group, has its own expectation. But all agreed and they all understand in the end we have to reach a common point and to reach a common point we have to lower your expectation and to agree to the others, to persuade the others. Compromise. Every party did compromise and I think we reached a point of agreement,” he said. “We have not forgotten the pressure from the outsiders as well because the Americans are keen that this law will pass.”

United Press International - International Security - Energy - Briefing

Analysis: Industry eager to see passage of Iraq oil law

Coming 'in its own time'

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Sept. 4 (UPI) -- The question is simple on the third and final day of a major Iraqi energy conference where hundreds of hungry oil men and women broke bread with Iraq's industry chiefs, politicians and technocrats: When will Baghdad set the ground rules for the international oil community's long-awaited venture into the largest oil prize on Earth?

The answer, evenly nuanced, is clear: A version of the Iraq oil and natural gas law was agreed to by most of Iraq's political leadership last week, and when Parliament resumes this week it will, possibly, debate the law and, perhaps, maybe vote on it soon.

"They have a deal on the government level. Once it comes to the Parliament, it is the Parliament who has to have the say," Abdul-Hadi al-Hasani, deputy head of Parliament's Energy Committee, said on the sidelines of the summit, though he hasn't seen the latest version of the bill yet.

"This is really a discussion taking place between all expertise, members of Parliament, economists, government officials," he said, adding the balance between Iraqi and investor interests isn't a quick resolve. "I wish it could have been passed yesterday. We need it. But simply it has to take its own time to come through maturely."

The world's leading hydrocarbons firms attending the Iraq Oil, Gas, Petrochemical and Electricity Summit, organized by the London-based Iraq Development Program, held roundtables over the future of Iraq's oil while planning deals to venture into its sister sectors. Yet, from the minnows to the giants, service firms and equipment providers, they wait, with billions of dollars, for this law, which has numerous times before been just around the corner.

Theirs aren't the only eyes on Iraq's oil, the third-largest proven reserves in the world, made more tempting when one considers how much of the country is unexplored. What has been found, usually close to the surface and sweet, is pumped and refined cheaper than anywhere else, except for the cost of producing amid war.

Iraq's political parties have no easy task, however, thus the delay to decide how large a role the federal government will have in deciding the country's oil strategy and, pushed by the powerful oil unions, the extent private and foreign hands will be allowed a grab.

President Bush arrived in Iraq Monday, just days before Parliament and the U.S. Congress return from recess, and with the upcoming war evaluation from top U.S. military and embassy officials looming.

Bush met with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, vice presidents Adel Abdul Mehdi and Tareq al-Hashemi, President Jalal Talabani, Deputy Prime Minister Barham Saleh, and Massoud Barzani, president of the Kurdistan Regional Government, two Shiite Arabs, one Sunni Arab and three Kurds. Last week the Iraqis (minus Saleh) agreed on previously disputed points, including the oil law.

"This has principally been agreed to and now it's in the Parliament so there's going to be debate," said Ali al-Dabbagh, the government's spokesman. "It's just a matter of time."

"We can't say when it will be in," he said, "but as soon as it is started debated it is a sign that finally it will be approved. The government is asking the Parliament to put it in a priority in order to make the hydrocarbons industry to be activated."

Iraq is steadily producing 2 million barrels per day, sending more than three-quarters to the international market. Last year it earned more than $31 billion, fulfilling more than 93 percent of the federal budget. That's an income stream Iraq is keen not only on keeping going, but increasing.

Iraq's 115 billion barrels of proven reserves could sustain a higher production output. The goal is 6.5 million bpd by 2015, according to a presentation at the summit by Thamir Ghadhban, Maliki's top energy adviser and a former oil minister. The plan is to make use of Iraq's natural gas reserves as well, two-thirds of which is wasted, increasing production by 347 percent over eight years.

But Iraq needs to spend $56 billion on its oil sector and $11 billion on electricity through 2011 to meet its plans, said Kamal Field al-Basri, senior economic adviser to Maliki and executive director of the Iraq Institute for Economic Reform. (Electricity Minister Karim Waheed Hasan put the figure at $25 billion through 2016.)

"We can satisfy about 42 percent of that need internally, but the rest we need from the international side" through grants, loans and the international private sector, Basri said. "The oil law is coming through. There's difficulties, but it will come as any other law would, with some difficulties. It will come."

Law seen certain to pass

Officially drafted more than a year ago by three respected Iraqi oil technocrats, one being Ghadhban, the draft hydrocarbons law has been through the democratic process and back, and altered so much the two other authors no longer back it. An agreement was said to be imminent just before last New Year. A deal was reached in late February but fell through. Subsequent deadlines in May and July were missed.

"I have a feeling for September they're going to be busy with the other issues," said former Oil Minister Ibrahim Bahrul-Uloom, referring to other benchmarks. "I expect it will be a good debate in the Parliament next month or the month after."

Officials United Press International spoke to said if it wasn't the first item on Parliament's agenda, it could be high up there. Ramadan begins next week, but that's not expected to stop debate.

"After the deep discussion among the Council of Ministers and among the political leaders they agreed they would pass this," said Sami al-Askari, a member of Parliament and a top adviser to Maliki. Parliament, he said, is a "reflection" of the membership in the council and those at last week's meeting.

"We all follow the leaders," he said. "This is a formality, to discuss it" in Parliament, where a few minor things will be changed but the law will be passed after a "few weeks talking about it."

The Kurds, who now control a small fraction of the reserves in Iraq's relatively peaceful, prosperous and semi-autonomous north, are adamant the central government isn't the sole power, fearing a strong arm from Baghdad similar to Saddam Hussein's. They want regions (the KRG is the only one, so far) and governorates to have a significant role in contracting; limits on the fields the federal government, via the reconstituted Iraq National Oil Co., has proprietary access to; and a move from the decades of oil nationalism to the free market.

The Sunnis, controlling land with nearly no proven reserves, fear a weak central government will leave them fighting for revenue scraps. Many were oppressed by Saddam de****e sharing religion and ethnicity, and they now hold a minority status in government. They largely oppose key tenets of the law the KRG backs, and vice versa.

Shiites, the majority of Iraqis, live atop more than 80 percent of Iraq's oil reserves, including the oil capital of Basra, from where nearly all of Iraq's exports are sent. This sets a tempting offer to form a region like the Kurds did, though internal Shiite politics debate how many provinces should form the region; ardent Shiite nationalists want Iraq unified, a position backed by the federal government.

Piecing together an oil law various sides agree with doesn't end there. A large contingent in Parliament refuses to take up the oil law alone. They want it coupled with related measures regulating INOC, restructuring the Ministry of Oil and settling the issue of redistributing revenues, a law that in reality would actually satisfy Bush and Congress' oil benchmark.

Robert Fryklund, vice president of industry relations for energy consultant firm IHS, told UPI last week Parliament must both reconvene and then approve the oil law, "and then anything that's being worked on from the preliminary standpoint would be able to move forward."

The Parliament, however, could barely reach quorum before the August recess, and is fractured by political party and other factional fighting. And Maliki's political coalition is weak and smaller than earlier this year.

"I don't think anything is going to happen until that gets sorted out," Fryklund said, "anybody signing anything, I doubt. Other than in Kurdistan Iraq."

The KRG has signed its own oil deals, approved a regional oil law and is unlikely to wait too long for federal action before signing more.

Many oil officials refused to talk on the record about Iraqi prospects, but all admitted that getting a law in place, and possibly an improvement in security, is all they are waiting for.

"Iraq is the only country in the world with great reserves, it's not developed," said Orhan Duran, general manager of Genel Enerji, the Turkish company that joined with Canada's Addax Petroleum to sign a production-sharing agreement with the KRG in May 200, and is now preparing a $1 billion development plan for their find. "On the other side, the quality of oil is very good. Plus a lot of exploration potential still is not touched."

Analysis: Industry eager to see passage of Iraq oil law

Oil minister: Iraqi crude oil flowing through Turkey

The Associated Press
Published: September 4, 2007

AMMAN, Jordan: Iraqi Oil Minister Hussain al-Shahristani said Tuesday that crude oil began to flow from his country's northern oil-rich Kirkuk to a Turkish export terminal last week — for the first time since Saddam Hussein was toppled in 2003.

"We're pumping between 300,000 to 400,000 barrels a day of Kirkuk crude to the Turkish export terminal of Ceyhan," al-Shahristani told Dow Jones Newswires in a telephone interview from Baghdad.

The pipeline — Iraq's main export route from Kirkuk to the Turkish Mediterranean port of Ceyhan — has been mostly closed due to constant sabotage since the U.S.-led war, which hampered Iraqi efforts to maintain a steady oil flow.

Two weeks ago, Iraq agreed with Syria to repair and subsequently reopen another key pipeline, a 880-kilometer (550 mile) long link connecting Kirkuk and the Syrian port of Baniyas.

With Ceyhan running and once the Baniyas line — built in the 1950s but bombed by U.S. forces during the 2003 invasion that ousted Saddam — is reopened, Iraq would be using two terminals on the Mediterranean Sea.

Currently, Iraq exports nearly all its oil through the Persian Gulf.

Al-Shahristani told Dow Jones that Iraq's current production capacity from its northern oil fields stands at 700,000 barrels a day, of which around 300,000 barrels a day are destined for a refinery in the nearby northern industrial city of Beiji for domestic use. The remainder is for export.

Last week, Iraq's State Oil Marketing Organization announced a tender to sell 5 million barrels of Kirkuk crude through Turkey's Ceyhan port — the third tender of its kind this year. "As far as I know, we have over 5 million (barrels) of crude stocks in Ceyhan," al-Shahristani said.

He said he expected Iraq to maintain the same level of exports from its northern fields, citing new measures to prevent sabotage of pipelines. He said the measures include dispatching a security force, made up of tribesmen from the area and affiliated with his ministry, to guard the pipelines.

The oil minister also told Dow Jones that he expected Iraq's parliament to pass a draft oil and gas law this month. Lawmakers, who were on a monthlong summer recess until Tuesday, had postponed debate on the controversial hydrocarbon law until September.

"Some members of parliament have told us they would pass the law this month," said al-Shahristani, a member of the ruling United Iraqi Alliance. "But if the parliament delays passing the law, we're going to invite foreign companies to develop some oil fields in the south."

He said his ministry has drawn up a list of oil fields for development based on the old Iraqi oil law during Saddam's era. He did not identify the fields.

During Saddam's rule, some of the potentially rich fields in the south were explored by firms from France, Russia and China. But the firms were unable to develop the fields because of U.N. trade sanctions slapped on Iraq over its 1990 invasion of Kuwait. Under the new draft hydrocarbon law, the oil ministry said the contracts must be re-negotiated.

Oil minister: Iraqi crude oil flowing through Turkey - International Herald Tribune

Iraq: IFOU Statement on Attack by Minister of Oil

Tuesday, September 04 2007 @ 07:25 AM PDT

Contributed by: WorkerFreedom

It is clear to everyone that the bygone dictatorial regime worked diligently to confront worker's unions by invalidating them in the public sector in accordance to decree number 150 issued in the year 1987. After the fall of the regime, activist workers from the oil sector reconstituted their unions.

Statement

It is clear to everyone that the bygone dictatorial regime worked diligently to confront worker's unions by invalidating them in the public sector in accordance to decree number 150 issued in the year 1987. After the fall of the regime, activist workers from the oil sector reconstituted their unions.

The foundation was laid out by the Southern Oil Company, and later spread to all oil sector companies. The union has lead many strikes in all oil companies in order to expel foreigners from the oil sector. This lead to the formation of the Federation of Oil Unions with two main goals regarding the oil sector:

1- To maintain Iraq's oil wealth

2- To struggle for workers' rightsThe union has organized scientific conferences discussing the situation of the oil sector of which the first and second scientific conferences against privatization were held in the years 2005 and 2006 respectively.

Preparations are still underway to hold the third such conference and to confront the passage of the oil and gas law, which lies under American administration pressure. Consequently, a symposium to discuss this law was held on February 6th 2007.

The Federation of Oil Unions, which is leading the struggle of the working class in the oil sector in order for the workers to receive their rights and in order to protect Iraq's oil wealth, is currently being subjected to a vicious attack headed by the Minister of Oil.

The minister has issued decree number 12774 on July 18th 2007 banning union work [management working with or recognizing unions], using false pretexts based on decree number 150 that was issued in 1987 by the dictatorial regime.

The position of the minister contradicts all conventions of the International Labor Organization, especially relating to the "freedom of union work" which was signed by Iraq and should therefore abide by it.

This position is due to our union's position towards the American imperialistic project known as the oil and gas law. We view this law as an illegal way to seize the wealth of Iraqis without any economical or political excuse.

We call on all labor and vocational unions and all political movements to join our union in solidarity and to sign this statement which condemns the decision of the minister of oil. We call on him to withdraw his decree.

This is what all unions and movements demand and desire since our union is an integral part of the national Iraqi movement.May God be of assistance.

The Federation of Oil Unions

General Union of Oil Employees in Basra

Iraqi dealings in spotlight at trial of Texas oilman

Jury selection is set to begin this week in the trial of a wealthy Texas oilman accused of conspiring to pay millions of dollars in kickbacks to Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's regime to win contracts under the United Nations' oil-for-food program.

Oscar S. Wyatt Jr., 83, is expected in court Wednesday. Opening statements could occur later in the week.

Last week, a U.S. District Court judge ruled prosecutors can show jurors evidence that Wyatt encouraged opposition to the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq and bragged about his influence to Iraqi officials to win oil contracts even after most American citizens were cut off from the deals.

Wyatt, who could face more than 60 years in prison, has been free on bail since he was charged with conspiring with others to gain favored status for oil contracts by providing money and equipment to the former government of Iraq from 1994 until March 2003.

The oil-for-food program, which ran from 1996 to 2003, was created to help Iraqis cope with U.N. sanctions imposed after Saddam's 1990 invasion of Kuwait. It let the Iraqi government sell oil primarily to buy humanitarian goods.

On Friday, the government asked the judge to warn prospective jurors, "This is not a trial about the current war in Iraq."

The request drew a protest from Wyatt's lawyers, who late Friday filed court papers saying the prosecution request was "unnecessary and inaccurate" because the government only wanted Iraq and the war mentioned when it benefits its case.

"The government cannot have it both ways because issues relating to the war are certainly at issue," Wyatt's lawyers wrote.

Defense attorneys asked that the jurors be warned that Wyatt was an outspoken critic of President George W. Bush and his administration's policies in the Middle East. And they asked that all jurors answer one specific question: "How many of you have a negative impression about people from Texas who do business in the oil industry?"

Prosecutors say they want prospective jurors to answer whether they can judge fairly a case that will include evidence of words and actions by Saddam Hussein and members of his government in Iraq.

The judge noted in a ruling last week that the government planned to prove that Wyatt received the first allocation of oil under the oil-for-food program in 1996 and continued to receive oil until U.S. armed forces entered Iraq in 2003.

Wyatt's lawyers are expected to argue at trial that he always had the best interest of the United States in mind in his dealings with Iraq. It has not yet been decided whether Wyatt will testify.

Iraqi dealings in spotlight at trial of Texas oilman - International Herald Tribune

Orascom forms joint venture in Iraq

Cairo: Egypt's Orascom Telecom has agreed to a $2.2 billion Iraq joint venture with Kurdish operator Korek Telecom, sending its shares sharply higher.

The venture would have immediate access to the northern region of Iraq and would have four million subscribers, a 40 per cent market share, Orascom said yesterday.

Orascom shares jumped more than 4 percent after the news and were up 4.8 percent at 69.00 Egyptian pounds by 0833 GMT. Korek paid $1.25 billion for one of three Iraqi mobile licences sold last month at an auction in Jordan, replacing those awarded after the US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussain's regime in 2003.

Orascom, which set up a network under a licence bought in 2003, pulled out of the auction in Jordan and said it could consider selling its operation.
Orascom would hold 70 percent of the venture and Korek 30 per cent, Orascom said.

"This is a very positive news for the company as they will keep control of the operation after they were nearly out of the market and also they avoided paying for the licence themselves," said Walaa Hazim, head of research at HC brokerage.

Korek Telecom would have a call option on 18 per cent of Orascom's equity interest to be executed by November 2, Orascom said.

Gulfnews: Orascom forms joint venture in Iraq

U.S. holding 22,000 Iraqi prisoners

U.S. invasion troops detain more than 22,000 Iraqis in their prisoner camps across the country, senior government officials say.

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said many of those languishing in U.S. jails are innocent and have been incarcerated for long periods without trial or charges.

Most of the prisoners come from central Iraq where an anti-U.S. rebellion is raging. The region is predominantly Sunni.

Vice-President Tareq al-Hashemi is leading the campaign to free the prisoners and see to it that U.S. prisoner camps meet international standards and that the jailers respect prisoner rights.

Hashemi is determined to have all the innocent Iraqis in U.S. jails freed as quickly as possible, one official said.

The officials said there are currently more jails in Iraq than under former leader Saddam Hussein.

The Iraqi government has no jurisdiction over U.S.-administered jails and has no say in U.S. troops’ military operations which normally result in arbitrary and summary arrests.

The U.S. has agreed to release 50 Iraqi prisoners a day during the holy month of Ramadan. But the number falls short of Hashemi’s expectations who wanted to see most of the prisoners released.

Hashemi is said to have demanded U.S. troops pay reparations to prisoners arrested without charges.

Hashemi’s adviser, Omer al-Jibouri, said the government has reached what he called ‘a working paper’ with U.S. occupation troops under which U.S. jailers violating human rights will be persecuted.

Jibouri did not say how the government will punish U.S. troops at a time they are immune from prosecution and trial by Iraqi courts.

http://www.azzaman.com/english/index.asp?fname=news\2007-09-04\kurd.htm

Iraq Seeks Investors For $1B Basra Petchem Proj - Indus Min

Sunday, Sep 02, 2007

DUBAI (Zawya Dow Jones)--Iraq is seeking investors for a possible $1 billion upgrade of a petrochemical plant in Basra and may build a new $2 billion facility in the country's northern or central regions, an industry and minerals ministry official said Sunday.

The Basra plans involve a $120 million upgrade of the existing 500,000-ton-a-year olefins complex, which may be developed further by investing $1 billion into the upgrade, Iraq's industry and minerals minister Fawzi Al Hariri said at a conference in Dubai.

"We are in discussions with international players," Al Hariri said.

(MORE TO FOLLOW) Dow Jones Newswires

* Iraq Seeks Investors For $1B Basra Petchem Proj - Indus Min - Middle East News