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

Kuwaiti Crown Prince affirms support to Iraq

Kuwait, 11 September 2007 (Kuwait News Agency (KUNA))

"Kuwait's firm support to neighboring Iraq will continue until Iraqis achieve total security and peace", said His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf al Ahmad al Jaber al Sabah on Monday.

The statement of support came during the reception ceremony for visiting Iraqi Vice President Dr.Adel Abdul Mahdi at Bayan Palace.

The meeting between both officials focused on bilateral relations and means to reinforce cooperation on several sectors which would reflect positively on both countries.

The situation in Iraq was also reviewed during the meeting between Sheikh Nawaf and the Iraqi Vice President.

The audience was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr. Mohammad Sabah al Salem al Sabah, advisors at His Highness the Crown Prince's Diwan Dari Abdullah al Othman and Dr. Humoud Mohammad al Otaibi, and undersecretary at His Highness the Crown Prince's Diwan Sheikh Mubarak al Faisal al Saud al Sabah.

Kuwaiti Crown Prince affirms support to Iraq (Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) - Investor's Iraq Forum

Neighbors chide Iraq

11 September 2007 (Azzaman)

Since the 2003 U.S. invasion, Iraq has been criticizing neighboring countries for interfering in its internal affairs.

Iraqi leaders lodged the same criticism in the recent conference in Baghdad, accusing Syria and Iran of failing to stop infiltration of mainly foreign fighters and arming anti-U.U. groups.

But this time some neighbors hit back accusing Iraq of failing to shoulder its responsibilities and duties towards its own citizens.

Syria and Jordan are reported to have chastised Iraqi leaders for doing nothing to help millions of Iraqi refugees in their countries. They were said to have told Prime Minister Nori al-Maliki that the presence of Iraqi refugees on their soil has turned into a real dent on their already overstretched resources.

Both countries have decided to impose visa restrictions in a bid to curtail the numbers of fleeing Iraqis. Previously Iraqis could enter both states without visas. An estimated 1,000 people are believed to cross the border into Syria every day.

Meantime, sources in the conference said Syrian officials expressed anger and indignation at repeated Iraqi accusations that Damascus was meddling in Iraq affairs.

The sources said the Syrians were simply rehearsing ‘baseless’ U.S. allegations.

Turkey also asked Iraq to curb activities by its rebel Kurds who use northern Iraq as a haven for attacks on the country.

The Turks were said to be extremely unhappy with the central government delegating its powers to the regional Kurdish government in the north, the sources said.

They said Turkey would like to see a strong central government in Baghdad capable of taking ‘strategic decisions’ concerning relations with neighboring states.

Neighbors chide Iraq | Iraq Updates

Petraeus-Crocker report: Expectations and pessimism

Baghdad, 11 September 2007 (Voices of Iraq)

The Petraeus-Crocker report to the U.S. Congress on the surge of extra troops into Iraq, which is due within days, has sparked heated debate in Iraqi political circles.

Some Iraqi politicians said the report will attribute all success against al-Qaeda to U.S. forces and blame U.S. failure to establish security onto the Iraqi government, while a number of Iraqi citizens voiced their doubts about the usefulness of the report.

The U.S. Ambassador to Baghdad Ryan Crocker and U.S. Commander in Iraq Gen. David Petraeus will testify before Congress on September 10 and 11 on the progress of the surge of 30,000 extra troops ordered by U.S. President George W. Bush in January 2007.

MP Abdul Kareem al-Samarraie, who is also a member of the Sunni Iraqi Accordance Front (IAF), the third largest parliamentary bloc with 44 seats in the 275-member parliament, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI) that he expects the report to highlight the Iraqi government's alleged failure at the political level.

Meanwhile MP Mahmoud Othman of the Kurdistan Coalition (KC) said, "I expect the report to include part of the success achieved by U.S. forces against al-Qaeda in several parts of the country and Iraqis' failures (in this particular regard)."

Othman also claimed that the report will blame the Iraqi side for failures and will have a profound effect on the Iraqi political process. According to him, the U.S. administration's future support for the current Iraqi government will be based on the report, which will assess the progress made by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's cabinet in filling vacant ministerial portfolios and towards political reconciliation between warring factions.

Jabir Khalifa, a representative of the Fadhila Islamic Party with 15 seats in parliament, said he expects the report to be "false" and to play into the hands of al-Maliki's government. "The report was prepared by two U.S. officials. It is therefore to be expected that it was done in conformity with what Washington wants," Khalifa noted.

Mitch McConnell, a Senate Republican leader and a close ally of Bush, announced earlier that future U.S. policy will depend on the outcome of the report, while Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zibari termed the report to be "highly significant," in reference to its effect on U.S. strategy in Iraq.

In statements to VOI, Kevin J. Bergner, a spokesman for the Multi-National Force-Iraq, described the security situation in Iraq as "very difficult." "There is an improvement in some places, including Baghdad, Falluja and Baaquba, but other hot spots make me describe the security situation as complicated," Bergner noted.

Describing the progress made by the al-Maliki's government at the security level as "very significant," Gen. Qasim Ata, a spokesman for the Baghdad security plan, said the Iraqi government will have to face tougher challenges ahead.

Interviewing a number of Iraqi citizens about their expectations of the report, Sadiq Muhammad, a government employee, said, "The complicated situation, sectarian division and deteriorating security situation will not be solved by a U.S. report that aims to save the U.S. army."

Marawan, an Iraqi policeman, told VOI that he does not expect the report to offer satisfactory solutions to Iraqis' problems, while Jawad, a driver, denied any knowledge of the report, wondering, "What report is that? I haven't heard of something like that."

Petraeus-Crocker report: Expectations and pessimism | Iraq Updates

Petraeus: 'Surge' meets objectives

11 September 2007 (Aljazeera)

General David Petraeus, the top American commander in Iraq, has told the US congress the military "surge" in Iraq is "meeting military objectives" and predicted a reduction in troop numbers by next summer.

He said a gradual reduction of US troops could begin as early as this month, with troop numbers returning to the "pre-surge level" by July.

His testimony came eight months after the US sent 30,000 extra troops to the country and was backed up by Ryan Crocker, the US ambassador to Iraq, who said a secure stable Iraq was attainable.

The hearing on Capitol Hill on Monday was repeatedly disrupted by anti-war protesters.

Special report

Later this week the White House is due to release an official report on the "surge" strategy, which will include Monday's testimony.

Petraeus recommended that US forces be reduced by 4,000 troops in December with more to follow next year that would bring the total number back to "pre-surge" levels by the Summer of 2008.

"I believe that we will be able to reduce our forces to the pre-surge level ... by next summer without jeopardising the security gains we have fought so hard to achieve."

He said that a "premature drawdown of our forces would likely have devastating consequences".

Civilian fatalities

Petraeus said that the security situation had improved, particularly in the Western province of Anbar, but acknowledged that the number of civilian deaths was still too high and of "obvious concern".

As he was addressing congress, there were reports from the military that nine US soldiers had been killed in Iraq, including seven personnel in a vehicle accident in western Baghdad.

Testifying alongside Petraeus, the US ambassador to Iraq said that although he could not guarantee "success" in Iraq, he believed "it is still possible to achieve a stable, democratic Iraq at peace with its neighbours".

But Crocker warned it would be slow coming and said a new Iraq had to be built "from scratch".

Crocker also said that Iran "will be a winner" if the US leaves Iraq by consolidating the country's influence over the country and its resources.

Hecklers repeatedly shouted during the hearing and were ordered to be evicted from the chamber by Ike Skelton, the representative chairing the proceedings.

Skelton opened the session by welcoming attendees to "probably the most important hearing of the year".

Leaks ahead of Petraeus' testimony exacerbated sharp political divisions in the US and Petraeus began his speech stressing the testimony was his own and had not been shown to anyone in the Pentagon or White House prior to it being distributed to congress.

Addressing congress before Petraeus' testimony, Tom Lantos, a senior Democrat, described the Bush administration's policy in Iraq as "myopic".

'Fiasco'

"The majority of this congress and the American people want our troops out," he said.

"The administration's myopic policy in Iraq have created a fiasco."

George Bush, the US president, has repeatedly asked for congress and the American people to listen to the evidence in the hearing before making any judgments on his administration's strategy in Iraq.

Kimberly Halkett, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Washington, says Bush has great faith in Petraeus and Crocker and was reportedly not going to listen to the hearing.

Petraeus fulfilled predictions that he would ask for more time to fully implement his strategy and approve a partial troop withdrawal.

'Political bone'

Josh Rushing, Al Jazeera's military analyst, said the offer to bring home US troops was a "political bone".

He said: "The army can't sustain the deployment they have now without changing the rotation system.

"So he's looking at having to draw down by next spring. They are overstretched."

Zibakalam Sadegh, a professor of political science at Tehran university, dismissed claims by Crocker that Iran would benefit from continued instability in Iraq.

"Whatever has gone wrong and whenever there are security failures, they keep blaming Iran for that," he told Al Jazeera.

"None of the American leaders have ever been able to answer the simple question of 'what has Iran to gain from insecurity in Iraq?'.

"Indeed, Iran has everything to gain from a stable Iraq."

Further congressional hearings will take place on Tuesday when the two men will discuss whether the overall strategy in the country is working.

Petraeus: 'Surge' meets objectives | Iraq Updates

Arab League suggests holding world meeting in Baghdad

Baghdad, 11 September 2007 (Al-Sabaah)

The Arab League offered suggestion to hold international ministerial meeting to discuss Iraqi issue in Baghdad, while Iranian and Saudi delegations confirmed their readiness to provide complete support to Maliki's Govt.

Authorized source in the Arab League delegation which attended Baghdad meeting said that the delegation raised initial project to hold such meeting and this proposal would be discussed more detailed in Istanbul at the ministerial meeting.

Arab League suggests holding world meeting in Baghdad | Iraq Updates

Iraqis unimpressed with US Congress hearing

Baghdadi civilians watching General Petraeus live on TV dismiss effectiveness of hearing.

BAGHDAD, 11 September 2007 (Middle East Online)

Iraqis watching the stuttering start of proceedings before the US Congress on Monday which could influence whether US troops remain in their country, were unimpressed.

"It is like a theatre," said teacher Abdullah Kadhim, 58, who was watching the Congressional hearing live on Al-Hurra television at his friend's general store in an inner Baghdad neighbourhood.

"Each day they say there is a new report. They say they will bring a new change in Iraq. We can only hope there will finally be progress in security."

Saleh Adnan, 34, a car mechanic, also watching the broadcast, was dismissive.

"I don't think this will change anything in our country because the Americans will never leave Iraq. For us the main point is when the occupation will end," said Adnan.

"For me the main report will be the one which announces the American departure."

Student Abdelbaqi al-Shimmari scoffed when the microphones went dead just as the chief US commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, was to testify.

Watching Petraeus's lips moving in front of dead microphones, he said derisively: "If the Americans can't make their own microphones work, how can they may things work in Iraq?"

Petraeus and US ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker, are testifying before the Congress on Monday on whether the US-led military "surge" in the war-ravaged country is working.

Iraqis unimpressed with US Congress hearing | Iraq Updates

Governor of the Kuwaiti Central: ready to supply Iraq experiences

Business and Economy-11/09/2007

BAGHDAD / agencies
The Governor of the Central Bank of Kuwait Sheikh Salem Abdel-Sabah, Kuwait ready to provide our brothers in Iraq, the various aspects of expertise and experience owned by the Central Bank of Kuwait for use in the banking and monetary sectors.

This came in a statement by Sheikh Salem to Kuwaiti News Agency (KUNA) upon arrival and the accompanying delegation to Damascus to take part in meetings of the 31 regular session of the Board of Governors of the central banks and institutions of the Arab Monetary which will begin today.

Sheikh Salem said, the Institute of Banking Studies supervised by the Central Bank of Kuwait two years ago to train 60 employees in the Central Bank of Iraq in order to benefit from the expertise and experience existing in Kuwait.

He said: "We are fully prepared to provide all that we can to the brothers in Iraq to benefit from the experience that we have experienced."

And his assessment of the pan-Arab cooperation in the banking sector and monetary Sheikh Salem said that cooperation based on the fact of bilateral relations between some Arab countries and this cooperation includes exchange of expertise in the area of monetary policy in addition to the establishment of training programs for workers.

Ù…Ø*اÙ�ظ المركزي الكويتي : مستعدون لتزويد العراق بخبراتنا

Economic Symposium: 14 million below the poverty line and reconstruction needs $ 200 billion solution, passed a law in the oil and gas! !

Business and Economy-10/09/2007

London / file Press

Organized by the Committee on the economy and reconstruction in the Iraqi Parliament, in coordination with the Canadian Society of Engineers Iraqis in Britain, a symposium on oil and gas law, which called on Attorney Haidar Abadi, Chairman of the economy and investment in the Iraqi Parliament, to expedite the issuance of the law of oil and gas, to meet the low standard of living for the Iraqi people, where poverty rates range between 40 and 50%, meaning that 12 to 14 million people monthly income does not exceed the 50 thousand dinars ($ 40). He explained that oil revenues are the sole source of funds for the re-establishment of infrastructure.

He added that this situation calls for a law "regulates our national petroleum spirit without influence from the large companies." Condemned pressure some American politicians claimants expedite the issuance of the law of oil, leaving the impression that the law provides gains for American interests.

Abadi revealed that the regional actors are seeking to block legislation law regulating oil investment in Iraq, the dimensions of competition in the world oil market.

The oil expert said Ali Hussein, that Iraq's oil reserves of up to 300 billion barrels, and the western region, which contains about 400 billion cubic meters of gas, which is so superior to most of the gas producing countries such as Qatar, Russia and Iran.

With a member of the parliamentary Committee on Energy Abdul Hadi Al-Hasani need Iraq to 200 billion dollars for the reconstruction of the economy, pointing out that this amount could not be saved only by increasing oil exports.

He said Iraqi Prime Minister Counselor for Economic Affairs Kamal Al-Basri, and that oil imports constituted 95% of state revenues, and gross domestic product depends on the 69% of them, and pointed out that the agricultural sector need not fill local, and the unemployment rate reached 18%, and oil investment expected during the next ten years, following the adoption of the Law of oil, will provide 186 billion dollars, and these investments will ensure the protection of global companies with international legal obligations to the regional schemes which seek to block the lifting of Iraqi oil production. He noted that the delay investment and upgrade oil production, claim reconstruction.

ندوة اقتصادية : 14 مليوناً تØ*ت خط الÙ�قر وإعادة الاعمار تØ*تاج 200 بليون دولار والØ*Ù„ Ù�ÙŠ اصدار قانون النÙ�Ø· والغاز !!

Iraq Oil, Gas, Petrochemical & Electricity Summit concludes

Summit Report

11 September 2007 (AME Info FZ LLC)

The summit, which took place at the Grand Hyatt Dubai, welcomed a delegation of Ministers and Director Generals from the Iraq Government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), as well as representatives from Parliament, the Office of the Prime Minister and from the Governates of Kirkuk, Najaf and Missan.

The leading figures from within the global energy sector gathered in Dubai on 2-4 September 2007 for the Iraq Oil, Gas, Petrochemical & Electricity Summit, the world's first event organised to consider the future of Iraq's abundant energy resources through direct consultation with the international private sector.

The summit was the first of its kind to bring senior Iraqi officials to a specific event in order to engage in direct consultation with global energy corporations. It was opened on Sunday 2 September with addresses from the Iraqi Minister of Electricity H.E. Kareem Wahid and the Iraqi Minister of Industry & Minerals H.E. Fawzi Hariri. These were complimented by an address from the KRG Minister of Electricity H.E. Hoshyar Sowaily and the Iraqi Government Spokesman Ali Al-Dabbagh.

The morning conference continued with a crucial session on Iraq's Oil Strategy, chaired by Ibrahim Bahr-Alolom, a former oil minister and led by Thamir Ghadbban, also a former oil minister and Chairman of Iraq's Oil Commission. After detailed deliberations by both of these key oil figures, the session continued with presentations by the Governors of Kirkuk, Najaf and Missan, each of whom described the various prospective opportunities to be found within their respective provinces.

With the afternoons on each day given over to roundtable meeting sessions between the various Iraqi bodies and the attending corporations, much was achieved in terms of enabling direct face-to-face discussions and the chance for companies to speak specifically about the contribution they could make to Iraq's energy sector.

As has become ever clearer over the last few months, Iraq's energy sector is heavily dependent on the result of the various deliberations regarding the proposed hydrocarbon law. Attending the summit to offer the perspective of the Iraqi Parliament were Dr Abdulmadi Al-Hasani, Deputy Head of the Iraq Energy Committee, Dr Kamal Field Al-Basri, senior economic adviser to Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki and executive director of the Iraq Institute for Economic Reform and Sammy Al-Askary, a member of parliament and a senior advisor to the PM. These officials led a hugely informative session on the present status of the law, expectations in light of parliament's imminent return from recess and predictions for when it is expected to be passed in the coming weeks.

The morning continued with a special session led by Khaldoun Subhi, Director General of Geological Survey within the Iraqi Ministry of Industry & Minerals, before a special session on Iraq's Petrochemical Sector, led by Dr Mustafa Al-Jerrah, Director General within the Ministry and also featuring presentations from Nasir Naiam, Director General for Petrochemicals, Faris Taha, Director General for Petrochemical Industries and Haifa Abdulhameed, Director General for Petrochemical Investments. This session proved hugely beneficial in outlining requirements for the petrochemical sector, covering issues such as refinery and petrochemical integration, feedstock flexibility and production availability for petrochemical production.

With so much of Iraq's energy reserves unexplored, the opportunity to discuss with the attending Iraqi delegation potential deals for entering into the sector was one not be missed, with some of the pre-eminent operators holding consultations on the afternoon of Day Two also. These deliberations were held with the likes of Chevron, BP, Conoco Phillips, Marathon Oil, Total, Exxon, Lukoil, Statoil, GE, Cummins, ONGC, Reliance Industries, Dana Gas, Oracle, Raytheon, Crescent Petroleum and Hawker Beechcraft.

Day Three of the summit concluded with a special session on Project Finance, led by Timothy B. Mills, President of the Amercian Chamber of Commerce - Iraq and featuring Zaid A. Mahdi, Business Development Director at the Trade Bank of Iraq and Robert Pingeon, President of Meistre Associates, who gave a special presentation on insurance issues.

The summit was concluded by the Iraqi Ministry of National Security Affairs, for whom Hadi Ibrahim Hani, Director General for National Security and Issa Jaffar Jabir, Director General, Economic Security both gave addresses on the implications held for the energy sector with the volatile security situation in Iraq and in particular the protection of power stations, pipelines, refineries and other associated energy facilities and the various security provisions required.

Overall, much was achieved at the summit, with three days of insightful content and crucial dialogue exchange. A follow-up to the summit is expected to take place in 2008, by which time Iraq's hydrocarbon law will have been approved.

Iraq Oil, Gas, Petrochemical & Electricity Summit concludes | Iraq Updates

Signaling end to surge, Petraeus leaves unanswered what's next
Petraeus, Crocker say Iraq security improved to withdraw US surge troops by mid-July 2008.

General David Petraeus, the US commander in Iraq, signaled the end of the surge Monday but left unanswered how US forces can be further reduced without tipping Iraq back toward civil war.

Petraeus and US Ambassador Ryan Crocker told members of Congress during more than six hours of testimony that security has improved enough to permit the withdrawal of US surge troops by mid-July 2008.

But the general's proposal was greeted with skepticism bordering on derision by critics who said it was just a "token" aimed at buying President George W. Bush time with a restive Congress.

Analysts said the surge would have ended by August anyway because the 160,000 strong force could not be sustained beyond that without extending 15-month tours of duty or calling up units with less than a year at home between tours.

Army leaders have strongly resisted either course of action, leaving the administration with few other options other than to keep the surge going.
Petraeus said a 2,000-strong Marine expeditionary unit will leave Iraq later this month, and the first army combat brigade will come out in mid-December.

They will be followed by four more army brigades and two marine battalions sometime before mid-July, he said.

Retired lieutenant general Robert Gard said bringing home the first units by Christmas was "a sop" to Senator John Warner, an influential Republican who recently appealed to Bush to bring home at least some troops.

"The other withdrawal is something that is going to happen in any event if we don't extend the tours of the troops in Iraq," Gard said.

Petraeus said the reductions add up to a "significant withdrawal."

"They are the force, in fact, that have helped us substantially in achieving some of the recent gains that our troopers have fought so hard to achieve," he said.

The cuts will reduce US combat power in Iraq by a quarter, leaving 15 combat brigades on the ground, a size force that in 2006 proved incapable of halting Iraq's abrupt plunge into all-out sectarian warfare.

Petraeus acknowledged that the security situation, though improved, remains too uncertain to say what should happen next. He promised a new set of recommendations in March, however.

"Force reductions will continue beyond the pre-surge levels of brigade combat teams that we will reach by mid-July 2008," he said. "However, in my professional judgement, it would be premature to make recommendations on the pace of such reductions at this time."

"In fact, our experience has repeatedly shown that projecting too far into the future, is not just difficult, it can be misleading and even hazardous," he said.

US intelligence warned in a recent assessment that gains on the security front could get wiped out without the surge troops there.

But a turnaround in Al-Anbar province, where tribal leaders have shifted allegiances against Al-Qaeda, and improvements in northern Nineveh province could give Petraeus an opportunity to lighten the US military presence while still keeping forces concentrated on Baghdad and its environs.

"The big question mark in my mind is, can you maintain the same ... level of progress with a smaller number of brigades," said Ken Pollack, an expert at the Brookings Institution.

"If it's not, what do you do next? Do you change strategy? Do you change tactics? Do you stretch out tours?

"What do you do that will allow you to maintain same degree of progress without being able to rely on same troop levels and same exact procedures you were using befo*****d?" he said.

Signaling end to surge, Petraeus leaves unanswered what's next | Iraq Updates