Thread: Archive Latest News - Think Tank - 01/01/08 - 14/04/08

Corruption Thwarts Electricity Service in Iraq

In many areas of Baghdad, electricity is only available for a couple of hours a day.

Iraqi officials usually blame the electricity shortages on disruptions in fuel oil supplies or sabotage at power plants. Now, officials are confirming that corruption and intimidation are sometimes factors in who gets electricity in Iraq's capital.

NPR: Corruption Thwarts Electricity Service in Iraq

Iraq pursues crude oil export via Ceyhan port despite Turkish incursion

An official source reported that Iraq is pursuing naturally export of 300,000 crude oil barrels daily through Turkish Ceyhan Port, despite the Turkish military operation targeting Kurdistan Workers Party rebels in North Iraq. Oil Ministry spokesman Issam Jihad affirmed that Iraq and Turkey are determined to carry out Iraqi oil exports through Ceyhan port. He added that Iraqi oil export rate reaches daily 1.6 million barrels via southern Basra port, in addition to 300,000 barrels via Turkish port, clarifying that Iraqi oil flow from northern and southern Iraq is continuing naturally.

Iraq pursues crude oil export via Ceyhan port despite Turkish incursion | Economics News | Alsumaria Iraqi Satellite TV Network

1st flight from Denmark arrives to Baghdad airport after 17 years of boycott

For the first time after more than 17 years of boycott, a plane coming from Denmark carrying Iraqi passengers lands in International Baghdad Airport. Passengers wished flights from Denmark would be carried out.

1st flight from Denmark arrives to Baghdad airport after 17 years of boycott | Economics News | Alsumaria Iraqi Satellite TV Network

McCain: War 'Will be Over Soon'

At a town hall here this morning McCain told a crowd of well over 500 people that America's involvement in a "war" in Iraq is almost over. When asked about the benchmarks that would have to be met before American troops could start coming home, McCain was reminded of his controversial comments from last year that American troops might be in Iraq for 100 years.

"That reminds me of this 100-year thing," McCain said. "I was asked at a town hall meeting…how long would we have a presence in Iraq. My friends, the war will be over soon. The war for all intents and purposes [will be over], although the insurgency will go on for years and years and years, but it'll be handled by the Iraqis not by us, and then we decide what kind of security arrangement we want to have with the Iraqis."

Later in the event, McCain talked about how such a resolution in Iraq or Afghanistan might come about and how America should deal with countries that the government has deemed sponsors of terrorism -- such as Cuba and North Korea. In doing so he managed to take a subtle jab at Obama who has said that he would meet with the leaders of such countries without preconditions.

"I think one of the most overrated aspects of diplomacy is talks," McCain said. "For example, I don't know why in the world you would want to sit down with Raul Castro under no conditions for it. I have no idea what that would do except perhaps enhance the prestige of a guy who was really the enforcer for Fidel Castro for long periods of time."

Also, McCain dismissed a complaint filed with the FEC today by the Democratic National Committee over McCain's decision to withdraw from public financing after using his qualification for financing as collateral for a loan and to gain free access to several states' ballots.

"What we're doing is exactly what Howard Dean did in a previous election and what the FEC ruled in the case of Congressman Gephardt. So I have no doubt about the eventual outcome," McCain said.

Just yesterday Howard Dean held a conference call about this issue explaining that he did not use his qualification for public financing to secure a loan and he waited for the FEC's approval before withdrawing his qualification for public financing, something McCain did not do.

PUKmedia :: English - McCain: War 'Will be Over Soon'

President Jalal Talabani: Article 140 must be implemented this Year

His, Excellency President Jalal Talabani, the Secretary General of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUIK) chaired yesterday a meeting with the Cadres and members of Sulaimany PUK Organizational Centre.

a In the meeting President Jalal Talabani said” This year must be the year of implementation Article of 140 of the Iraqi Constitution”, he pointed out that including Article 140 in the Iraqi Constitution is considered as a great achievement for all Kirkuk’s People. He also asserted the importance of reinforcing fraternity there, clarifying that it will accelerate the implementation of Article 140 and Kirkuk’s issue.

On the other hand, President Jalal Talabani shed light on the crucial role of the PUK in Kurdistan Region and in Iraq he said “Our political relations have witnessed a significant development in Kurdistan Region, Iraq and the region in whole, this is the result of the PUK’s realistic and wise policy.”

President Jalal Talabani talked about the next conference of the PUK pointing out that the conference should consolidate the unity within the PUK. He also stressed on combating financial and administrative corruption and make reforms in the organizational and governmental institutions. At the end of the meeting the attendances raised up their questions and observations, President Talabani answered them in detail.

PUKmedia :: English - President Jalal Talabani: Article 140 must be implemented this Year

Barham Salih: We are looking Forward Major Role of Arab League in Iraq

Dr. Barham Ahmed Salih the Iraqi deputy Prime Minister received yesterday Ambassador Ahmed Bin-Hely the Secretary General Assistant of the Arab League.

In the meeting, Dr. Barham Ahmed Salih emphasized that Iraq is looking for an active and significant role for the Arab League in Iraq especially during this sensitive circumstance which the country undergo through. He also asserted that Iraq is a part of the Arabic circumstance; its stability supports security in all states of the region particularly the Arab states.

On the other side, Ahmed Bin-Hely emphasized that his visit to Iraq is to unite with the Iraqi People; he also said that the Arab League is supporting Iraq in all international and regional communities and the league will seek to make Iraq’s issue the main one in the agenda of the next Arabic summit.

Ahmed Bin-Hely pointed out that the Arab State League condemned in an official statement the Turkish Military operations in northern Iraq and described it as a violation to the Iraqi Sovereignty.

The meeting was attended by Mofaq Rubai the National Security Adviser, Dr. Nasser al-Ani the head of Presidency, Sheikh Humam Hamodi, Dr. Adnan Dulaimi Dr. Rafea Esawi, Dr. Hachim al-Hasani, Ezat al-Shabander, Muhammad Tofiq Alawi, Omer Abdul Satar the MPs., Lubed Abawi the deputy of the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Ali al-Dabbagh, Muhammad Selman the Adviser of the Iraqi PM, Dr. Malik Dohan al-Hassan the former minister of Justice along with a number of officials and advisers.

PUKmedia :: English - Barham Salih: We are looking Forward Major Role of Arab League in Iraq

Adel Abdel Mahdi and Dick Cheney: Sovereignty of Iraq Territory Must be respected

Adel Abdel Mahdi the Iraqi vice President received today a phone call from his US counterpart Dick Cheney. They discussed the latest developments in Iraq and ways of reinforcing bilateral relations between both countries.

They also discussed the Turkish Incursion into Kurdistan Region; both officials emphasized the necessity to respect the Sovereignty of the territory of Iraq and to solve the problem through peaceful means.

PUKmedia :: English - Adel Abdel Mahdi and Dick Cheney: Sovereignty of Iraq Territory Must be respected

Update......

Academic Conference in Paris to discuss Iraq's Oil Policies

A three-day academic conference on Iraq's oil policies by the Iraqi Research Center in cooperation with the division of social sciences at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique began in the French capital on Monday with the participation of over 20 oil experts from Iraq and foreign countries.

"The idea of the conference stems from the need to hold systematic discussions on the Iraqi oil issue, especially in the aftermath of the emergence of a new liberal trend that dominated the country in the past five years, believing that the only way to democracy is to reduce the role of the state," Dr. Haidar Saeed, a member of the center's executive board, told Aswat al-Iraq, Voices of Iraq, by phone from Paris.

"The principle of wealth sharing, which is becoming popular in the country, is a strong incentive to discuss oil policies," Saeed added.

The participants will submit 15 pieces of research on the correlation between oil policies and the government's revenues and a re-examination of the state's role in the oil sector.

Among the participants are Mahdi al-Hafiz, Iraq's former minister of planning and a member of parliament; Qusai Abdul Wahhab, a parliamentarian; Thamir al-Ghadban, a senior advisor to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki; Adnan al-Mufti, the speaker of the Kurdish parliament; Ashti Hourami, the minister of natural resources in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG); Ibrahim Bahr al-Uloum, the former minister of oil; Fouad Hussein, the head of the KRG's presidency office; in addition to several researchers, including Fadil al-Jalbi, Muhammad Ali Zeini and Tareq Shafiq.

Established in July 2007 in Baghdad, the Iraqi Research Center was founded by a number of Iraqi researchers from different fields.

"The founders of the center have a deep feeling that Iraq, which has become the main topic of world concern, is still mysterious," Saeed added.

When asked about the choice of the conference's location, Saeed said that the theme of the conference was enthusiastically welcomed by the social sciences division at the National Center for Scientific Research in Paris, one of the largest official academies in the country.

Academic conference in Paris to discuss Iraq's oil policies | Iraq Updates

U.S. Embassy Urges Iraq and Turkey to Resort to Dialogue

In an exclusive statement to PUKmedia, The spokesperson of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad Mirembe Nantongo explained the embassy’s stance to the Turkish land offensive in Kurdistan region.


"As you know, the United States considers both Turkey and Iraq important allies and we three nations have many joint interests. As always, we are also in close, frequent contact with our friends in the KRG. We have listened carefully to their concerns, and shared our own, as this crisis has developed.

key concern that unites us relates to the terrorist activities of the PKK organization, whose activities all three governments condemn and whom all three of us consider a terrorist organization. The PKK is a common enemy of the United States, Turkey and Iraq and none of us – whether Iraqi, Turkish or American – supports the use of Iraqi territory to launch or support terrorist activity. The United States recognizes Turkey’s right to defend itself against the PKK. We also recognize that there are also other significant shared trilateral concerns, including the importance of stability in the region. We must not forget that stability and progress for Iraq is in the interest of Turkey, as it is in the interests of the US and Iraq. Therefore, every effort should be made to avoid destabilizing the situation in Iraq, where the situation, although improving, is fragile. Iraqi sovereignty concerns should also be addressed and respected.

The challenge now is to find a way to move forward that effectively balances these different considerations. As the U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on February 22, we urge the Turkish government to complete the ongoing operation as soon as possible, while strictly limiting the operation to PKK targets only. In its turn, the Turkish government has made clear to all parties that it is targeting only the PKK and not Iraqi towns and citizens.

As Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said on February 23, security initiatives should be accompanied by political and economic activities aimed at finding a long-term solution to the problem of the PKK. We urge both sides, the Turkish and the Iraqi, to continue their ongoing dialogue with this goal in mind.

We stand ready to support the dialogue and meaningful efforts to find a sustainable solution that will support and advance our joint trilateral interest in eliminating a terrorist threat, protecting regional stability, and respecting Iraqi sovereignty."

PUKmedia :: English - U.S. Embassy Urges Iraq and Turkey to Resort to Dialogue

Sadr militia leader urges members to honor ceasefire with U.S.

A leader of the Mahdi Army, the militia of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, is urging members to preserve the ceasefire the group has decaled with U.S. occupation troops.

Salah al-Ubaidi, the cleric’s spokesman, said the movement would expel any member found violating the terms of the ceasefire.

The Mahdi Army is one of Shiite’s most powerful militia groups with armed units stationed in Baghdad and throughout the south.

Sadr has extended the ceasefire six more months and Ubaidi said those violating the it would be considered “mutineers” and expelled from the movement.

The Mahdi Army is the military wing of the Sadr movement which has 35 members in parliament and the right to appoint five ministers in the government.

The ceasefire was declared with the start of the so called U.S. surge which saw the deployment of thousands of more troops in Baghdad.

The relative calm in some parts of the country and the drop in sectarian killings is said to be due to Sadr’s decision to freeze military operations.

Azzaman in English