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

Sunni cleric says Sahwa Councils like al-Qaeda, warns of marginalizing Iraq

A Sunni cleric said there was a "similarity" between the actions of the al-Qaeda Organization in Iraq and those of the tribal Sahwa (Awakening) Councils, warning that the marginalization of Iraq would cause other countries to become marginalized.

"Many of those who have joined the Sahwa Councils have been members in al-Qaeda. They joined al-Qaeda in the first place for the sake of money, and when more money became available in a different direction, they rushed to it," Sheikh Harith al-Dari, the head of the Sunni Association of Muslim Scholars (AMS), said in an interview with the al-Hayat International newspaper's Saudi edition in Riyadh, published on Tuesday.

Dari, whose AMS represents a large sector of Arab Sunnis in Iraq and rejects the current political process in the country, said there were Sunni politicians, who are part of the political process, involved in these Sahwa Councils.

Iraq has witnessed in the year 2007 the emergence of armed organizations set up by tribes in most hotspots in the country with the aim of fighting al-Qaeda network operatives in those areas.

It all started in September 2006 with the formation of al-Anbar Awakening Council, which managed to flush al-Qaeda out of the predominantly Sunni province, once considered one of the tensest in Iraq.

Dari, during the interview published over two episodes, said it is true that al-Qaeda has been involved in unacceptable activities with the residents of the region where it existed, but the Sahwa Councils are doing just the same: blackmailing and intimidation.

"Iraq is a part of the Arab nation that came under a serious conspiracy that cut Iraq from its big nation," Dari said, adding "the enemies of Iraq wanted to have a model to be cloned in other areas."

He said there were parties that would benefit from the division of Iraq, a gouge of balance between Arabs and Iran on one hand and Arabs and Israel on the other.

Dari accused the former U.S. ambassador in Baghdad, Zalmay Khalilzad, of "enfeebling Iraq as he was in charge of the opposition file in coordination with Iran."

"The chess pawns offered themselves to cooperate with the occupation forces using the sectarian quota card," Dari said.

Aswat Aliraq

High-level Kurdish delegation to visit Baghdad soon

A high-level delegation from the Iraqi Kurdistan region's government will head to the Iraqi capital Baghdad within the next few weeks to resume discussing some pending issues with the central government, an official Kurdish source said on Tuesday.

The delegation "will visit Baghdad to deal with the issues of oil contracts, article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution, the budget allocated for the Kurdistan region within the state budget for the year 2008, and the Kurdish peshmerga forces," the region's spokesman, Jamal Abdullah, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).

A high-ranking Kurdish delegation under the region's prime minister, Nejervan al-Barazani, had discussed with the central government in Baghdad oil contracts and funds allocated for the region from the state budget as well as the funds for the peshmerga forces from the Iraqi Defense Ministry's budget and article 140 of the Constitution.

The Iraqi government has criticized the contracts concluded by Kurdistan with foreign companies to prospect for oil and considered them as "null and void."

Kurdish officials said the Iraqi government did not honor its agreement with the province to include the peshmerga forces into the Baghdad Defense Ministry's financial appropriations.

The peshmerga is the name referring to the armed Kurdish militias that fought the former Iraqi regime (of Saddam Hussein). However, after the Saddam regime withdrew his forces from the three Kurdistan provinces of Arbil, Sulaimaniya, and Duhuk in 1992, the militias turned into semi-regular forces to protect the Kurdistan region and set up two ministries for their fighters in the region's autonomous cabinet in 2006.

According to article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution, the problem of disputed areas should be solved over three stages: normalization, to be followed by a census and then a referendum among the inhabitants on whether they want to have Kirkuk as an independent province or have it annexed to the Kurdistan region.

These stages should have been finalized by December 31, 2007 but were postponed for a period of six months.

Aswat Aliraq

Parliament postpones vote on accountability, justice law

The Iraqi parliament met on Tuesday under the chairmanship of Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani and postponed its vote on the accountability and justice law.

"The parliament did not vote on the accountability and justice law as scheduled for today's session due to many blocs' objection to the law," MP Safiya al-Suheil said in exclusive statements to the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).

The law is an alternative to the debaathification law, enacted by former U.S. civil administrator Paul Bremer, who ruled Iraq after the fall of the former regime in April 2003.

The debaathification law expelled tens of thousands of former Baath Party members from government posts.

In November 2003, Bremer established the debaathification commission to root out senior Baathists from Iraqi ministries and hear appeals from Baathists who were in the lowest ranks of the party's senior leadership.
The accountability and justice law is one of four contentious laws awaiting government approval and parliamentary debate.

The U.S. administration is pressing the Iraqi government for a speedy enactment of these laws, which it believes will boost the national reconciliation project launched by al-Maliki's government in spring of 2006.

The new law will allow thousands of Baathists to return to the political scene.

A parliamentary source told VOI earlier today that Tuesday's agenda includes a vote on the draft accountability and justice law and a discussion of the 2008 budget.

Aswat Aliraq

Joint forces launch Phoenix Phantom Offensive against al-Qaeda-U.S. army

Joint U.S. and Iraqi forces launched a military operation on Tuesday targeting what was believed to be the remaining al-Qaeda cells in Iraq and other extremist elements, the U.S. military said.

”Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, commander of Multi-National Forces in Iraq announced the beginning of Operation Phantom Phoenix,” reported a U.S. army press releases received by the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).

It described the offensive as “a series of joint Iraqi and Coalition division- and brigade-level operations to pursue and neutralize the remaining al-Qaeda in Iraq and other extremist elements.”

The operation, dubbed Phantom Phoenix, “will synchronize lethal and non-lethal efforts to exploit recent security gains and disrupt terrorist support zones and enemy command and control.”

“We are continuing to see citizens joining Concerned Local Citizen groups, provide tips for criminals and weapons and ammunition caches, and cooperate with the Government of Iraq” the announcement quoted Odierno as saying.

This is another step aimed at providing Iraqis long-term sustainable security.”

The announcement gave few details about the Operation’s circumstances, but pointed out it was "designed to improve delivery of essential services, economic development and local governance capacity.”

Aswat Aliraq

Arabs exert efforts into Iraq reconciliation

Non-official reports relate arrangements of an Iraqi national reconciliation conference to be held in Cairo this month under the patronage of the Arab League and with the participation of political powers from inside and outside the political process in addition to opponents and representatives of armed groups. However, Iraqi Foreign Ministry denied being aware of any mechanism to hold the conference. Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammed Al Hajj Mahmoud noted that the ministry has no sufficient information on the venue or timing of the conference or issues introduced on the agenda, hinting though about a possible coordination between the Arab league and Foreign Minister Hosheyar Zebari on the sidelines of Arab Foreign Ministers meetings in Cairo.

In anticipation of the conference, Al Sadr Bloc announced its rejection to participate in the national dialogue along the sides of disbanded Baath Party representatives. In an interview with Al Hayat Newspaper, MP Naser Al Saidi clarified that Al Mehdi Army refuses to participate in similar conferences through military or political representation, noting on the other hand that Mehdi Army might not renew its activities if the political process in Iraq does not improve.

While waiting for the conference to take shape, a delegation from the Arab League is expected in Baghdad in order to support national reconciliation efforts according to the decision of Arab foreign ministers in Cairo during their exceptional meeting. Head of the supreme committee for national dialogue MP Faleh Al Fayyad welcomed the visit which he believes aims to enhance national reconciliation denying being aware of any potential meeting between Arab League delegation and Baath Party members. Al Fayyad affirmed that the Arab delegation agenda of meetings will not be subject to interferences. While he noted that national reconciliation project is pure Iraqi, he considered that the Arab League contribution is welcomed.

On the internal level, Accordance Front MP Omar Abdul Sattar affirmed that national reconciliation courses followed by the government are failed adding that political blocs participating in the political process are directed into promoting national reconciliation and reaching satisfying results for all parties.

Alsumaria Iraqi Satellite TV Network | Iraq News | Arabs exert efforts into Iraq reconciliation

Iraqi security delegation to Saudi Arabia

Iraqi Interior Minister Jawad Al Boulani revealed that an Iraqi senior security delegation will visit Saudi Arabia soon to discuss security issues concerning both countries. Al Boulani explained that a Saudi-Iraqi delegation is working with both countries to discuss relevant administrative issues and means to end them appropriately. He added that cooperation is ongoing with officials from the Kingdom to report on investigations undergone with detained Saudis in Iraq. Iraqi Interior Minister revealed that Iraq has not handed yet Saudi citizens to concerned authorities in Saudi Arabia confirming that many Saudis are detained in Iraqi prisons.

Alsumaria Iraqi Satellite TV Network | Iraq News | Iraqi security delegation to Saudi Arabia

Iraq political joint pact is taking shape

A joint pact document adopted by several political parties might be announced this week. The pact includes joint political agreements on major issues such as Kirkuk and Constitution Article 140 in addition to a timetable for multinational forces withdrawal from Iraq in addition to the abstention of signing security agreements with the US. Accordingly, more than ten parliamentarian parties are close to agree on the pact mainly the Iraqi List headed by Iyad Allawi and the Sadrist Bloc as well as Al Fadila Party and parties resigned from the unified Iraqi Coalition. These agreements are not expected to result of a new political bloc knowing that most of the parties participating in the pact have not taken part in the four parties alliance or the tripartite alliance that has been lately announced between Kurdish parties and the Islamic Party.

Iraqi List member Ousama Al Nujaifi declared that the pact will result of a new political movement joining most of political parties denouncing sectarian and ethnic apportionment. Al Nujaifi clarified to Al Hayat Newspaper that the due pact comprises solutions for several problems aimed to change the political course. He noted that the movement’s main target is to create stable political conjunctures away from sectarianism. Al Nujaifi explained that several meetings were held the last few days between MPs from the Iraqi List, Sadrist Bloc, Al Fadila, Al Daawa and resigned MPs from the Coalition.

However, head of Al Sadrist Bloc MP Nassar Al Rubaie showed reservation on the formation of a new political front clarifying that his bloc seeks to reach joint agreements in Parliament regarding crucial laws and issues, while now, attention is focused on a joint pact document. Al Rubaie revealed that concerned parties have agreed to reject the UN proposal to extend Article 140 since their authority has ended end of 2007 according to the Constitution.

For his part, Supreme Council spokesman Sheikh Hamid Al Moala ruled out the possibility for the ten parties to form a new alliance noting that the principles agreed upon by participants are mostly supportive of the government’s stands.

Alsumaria Iraqi Satellite TV Network | Iraq News | Iraq political joint pact is taking shape

Parliament economic committee discusses future of ratio cards

The Parliament economic committee held an expanded meeting dedicated to study the future of ratio cards and discuss mechanisms to improve the economic situation. The committee recommended to exclude those who earn high incomes from radio cards while calling to continue support as to financial allocations regarding ratio cards.

Alsumaria Iraqi Satellite TV Network | Economics News | Parliament economic committee discusses future of ratio cards

OPEC President declines indications on oil production increase

OPEC President Shakib Khalil has declined to give any indications on the possibility of production increase during OPEC meeting due on February 1 in aim to decrease oil prices that have reached a record high of 100 $ per barrel. Khalil considered that according to the strong demand on oil in China, India and the Middle East, 100 $ per barrel is not that high.

Alsumaria Iraqi Satellite TV Network | Economics News | OPEC President declines indications on oil production increase

Kirkuk oil exports unclear, but promising

There are mixed reports on Iraq's resumption of oil exports to Turkey, which were shut down last week because of full storage tanks, not security impediments.

The Iraq State Oil Marketing Organization predicts 400,000 barrels per day of exports starting this month, as Iraq starts setting prices for its Kirkuk oil with more consistent exports through the pipeline to Ceyhan, Turkey.

The export shutdown last week was "due to the fact that Ceyhan's oil reservoirs are totally full with Iraqi crude oil," a source from the North Oil Co. told the Voices of Iraq news agency.

The source added Iraq exports through the twin pipelines north was between 150,000 to 200,000 bpd, below the 300,000 that others have estimated.

Iraq Directory, however, reports the pipeline has restarted at about 72,000 bpd, after the storage tanks capped at 6.8 million barrels.

Regardless, the stoppage appears to be more like growing pains than typical of past disruptions. The pipelines from Kirkuk to Baiji as well as to Ceyhan have been mostly offline since 2003 because of insurgent attacks.

Repairs and a new security plan instituted about six months ago appear to be working, with total oil production up from an average of 2 million bpd to about 2.4 million, largely due to increased northern activity.

The Middle East Economic Survey reports a "security unit" guarding the line was fired and a new pipeline from Kirkuk to al-Fatah started.

SOMO also has begun setting prices for oil sales in the Ceyhan port, MEES reports: European buyers will pay $3.75 below the Brent price and U.S. customers $6.00 below the West Texas Intermediate price, for January. There are also discounts for those who load the oil between Jan. 1 and 17.

Shell, BP, Total, Tupras of Turkey, Cepsa of Spain and Repsol-YPF have signed on as term buyers of Kirkuk oil.

Meanwhile, SOMO plans to award a tender, or tenders, for 6 million barrels.

International Security - Energy - Briefing - UPI.com