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

Shahristani: ready to discuss Oil Contracts in Kurdistan Region Parliament

Iraqi Oil Minister, Dr. Hussein al-Shahristani has exculussivly told PUKmedia Friday that he is ready to discuss the oil contracts which KRG has signed with several foreign oil companies in the Kurdistan Region National Assembly.

PUKmedia has called the media advisor of Kurdistan Region National Assembly, Tariq Jawher during which he expressed his welcome to the initiative by the Iraqi Oil Minister indicating it is considered as a good step towards bringing the views closer between both Iraqi Federal Government and the KRG regarding the oil contracts which KRG has signed with several foreign oil companies.

It is expected that Kurdistan Region National Assembly to send for the KRG Minister of Natural Resources, Ashti Hawrami to discuss the legality of the oil contracts which KRG has signed with several foreign oil companies.

This is a braking news update, visit again for more details of the statement by Iraqi Oil Minister.

PUKmedia :: English - Shahristani: ready to discuss Oil Contracts in Kurdistan Region Parliament

Iran no longer aids Iraq militants - paper

Iran's leaders are no longer supplying weapons or training to Islamic militants in Iraq, the spokesman for the top U.S. commander in Iraq told The Washington Times.

Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of the U.S. forces in Iraq, sees Iran as following through on assurances it made to Iraqi and U.S. officials last fall not to assist extremists in Iraq, spokesman Col. Steven Boylan said, adding that other U.S. officials have noted declines in Iranian weapons and funds to Iraqi gunmen.

"We are ready to confirm the excellence of the senior Iranian leadership in their pledge to stop the funding, training, equipment, and resourcing of the militia special groups," Col. Boylan said. "We have seen a downward trend in the signature-type attacks using weapons provided by Iran."

In October, U.S. military officials began to notice a decrease in the supply of Iranian weapons and assistance, Col. Boylan added.

The disclosure comes just weeks after a National Intelligence Estimate pruned back its assessment of Iran's nuclear program, saying "with high confidence" that the Islamic republic had halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003 in the wake of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. Tehran's aid for Islamic militias in Iraq and its nuclear program have resulted in calls from some in Washington for military action against Iran, and these two developments are likely to dampen such calls.

Some outside analysts have argued however that Iran-based aid may be reaching Iraqi gunmen without the approval of the government in Tehran.

But the colonel cautioned that while Iran's efforts are promising, U.S. military officials remain wary, partly over some contrary events on the ground in Iraq.

For example, he disclosed that U.S. troops "recently captured individuals who have been in Iran, training, as recently as 45-60 days ago." He did not elaborate on the circumstances surrounding the captured individuals or the possible investigation.

"We are very much in the wait-and-see mode to see what happens," Col. Boylan said.

The confirmation of Iran's cooperation also comes at a time when U.S. military officials have confirmed a 60 percent decrease in violence, including improvised explosive device attacks and civilian deaths in Iraq.

Last year, U.S. military officials publicly released evidence of ties between Iran and gunmen, including weapons, such as improvised explosive devices and mortars, which bore the markings of Iran's Revolutionary Guard. The smuggling of deadly explosively formed projectiles (EFPs) - armor-piercing warhead-style weapons that have caused the most casualties and damage to U.S. forces - was also traced back to Iran.

Army Lt. Col. Mark Ballesteros, a Pentagon spokesman, said the words from Gen. Petraeus' office on Iran's cutting aid don't contradict the Department of Defense Iraq report, because it was based on information obtained prior to the end of the November deadline.

"The report we issued to Congress is meant to be retrospective in nature," Col. Ballesteros said. "It is meant to cover the last 90 days of data and provides a snapshot of that period on the ground."

Col. Boylan stated that despite Iran's current cooperation, Islamic radicals and armed groups still pose a serious danger to stability in the region.


Aswat Aliraq

Paper slams parliament, another urges wound healing

A Baghdad newspaper on Thursday criticized the Iraqi parliament's performance and its members' preoccupation with personal issues, while another said it is high time for Iraq to learn from its previous experiences and heal its wounds.

Under a headline that read 'Iraqi parliament…a forgiven sin,' the independent daily al-Sharq newspaper published an article by Ismail al-Rashed al-Jameely in which he lashed out at Iraqi members of parliament for their busyness with their own personal matters, rather than with their country's interests.

"The parliamentary recess is now over one year after parliamentarians made their best to serve the people of this country which was plagued with occupation," the author said.

"By performing Hajj (Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca), those members have completed their religious and worldly duties and have had their conscience salved," al-Jameely said ironically. "Iraqi citizens are praying to God to forgive all sins of those parliamentarians, who have managed to put an end to all of the country's problems, mainly unemployment," al-Jameely said in a sarcastic tone.

Al-Mashriq newspaper, another independent daily, called on the Iraqi people to quell all sedition and learn from their mistakes.

"Iraq cannot tolerate more stabs, sedition, or divisions. It appeals to you to distinguish between land and history on the one hand, and politicians and rulers on the other. Iraq is to stay while rulers are mortal… Everything is open to change except change itself," the newspaper said.
Meanwhile, al-Siyada newspaper published an article entitled 'Year of wound healing' by Hussein al-Obeidi in which he wondered if 2008 will be a year of security and stability for Iraq.

Describing 2007 as one of the worst years in Iraq's history, the author said that hope is still on the horizon for millions of Iraqis who have been hit by more than war.

Commenting on candidate competition in the U.S. presidential elections and their implications for the situation in Iraq, the independent daily al-Sabah al-Jadeed newspaper said that U.S. Democrats are repeating the same mistakes made by former U.S. President Henry Kissinger when he ruptured relations with the Kurds following the declaration of the Algiers Accord.

Ismail Zair said that U.S. Democrats are promoting sectarian schism through their attempts to divide Iraq along sectarian and political lines.

Aswat Aliraq

Parliamentary dispute over Kirkuk

Iraqi lawmakers squared off on Thursday’s parliament session over article 14 of the Iraqi constitution tackling Kirkuk issue and disputed areas, a Fadhila party member said.

“Heated debates between MPs from the Kurdish Coalition (KC) and the rest of lawmakers about the legal grounds considering the article 140, normalising Kirkuk’s issue and disputed areas, valid” Basim Sharif. of Fadhila party, holding 15 seats out of 275. He added “some members saw the article no longer legally working after laying behind its deadline stipulated in constitution (in 2007)”. He pointed out “Arab and Turkoman MP’s considered the article 140 invalid as it passed its set deadline, while Kurdish lawmakers were still looking the article 140 constitutionally valid”.

“The lawmakers decided to discuss the issue in Jan 7th session after heated debates”, Sharif said. Article 140 of the Iraqi constitution is related to the normalization of the situation in Kirkuk , an important and mixed city of Kurds, Turkmen, Christians and Arabs. Kurds seek to include the city in the autonomous Iraq 's Kurdistan region, while Sunni Arabs, Turkmen and Shiite Arabs oppose the incorporation. The article currently stipulates that all Arabs in Kirkuk be returned to their original locations in southern and central Iraqi areas, and formerly displaced residents returned to Kirkuk , 250 km northeast of Baghdad.

A referendum, provided for in the Iraqi constitution, was scheduled to be held by the end of the current year on including the city into the Kurdistan region. Earlier, Iraqi government announced extention of article 140 for six months after striking a deal with Kurdish politciams and under auspices of the UN mission in Iraq (UNAMI) Elsewhere, Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, The parliament’s speaker, announced that next session would host Prime Minister Deputy Barham Salih, Finance Minister, Planning Minister, Trade Minister and the cabinet’s economic committee in addition to the parliament bloc chief to discuss the 2008 federal budget. MP’s called for discussing the gap in public service employees’ salaries, subsidies and foreign countries’ loan to Iraq.

Aswat Aliraq

Next few days to see date for meeting with Iran – Crocker

The U.S. is having contacts with the Iraqi government to set a date for holding the fourth round of talks with Iran, U.S. ambassador in Baghdad Ryan Crocker revealed on Friday.

"The date will hopefully be set during the next few days. The United States is ready for these talks any time," Crocker said in statements to the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).

Iraqi Foreign Undersecretary Labid Abawi had told VOI in mid-December that the U.S.-Iranian negotiations on the situation in Iraq would be held soon with the participation of Iraqi representatives after being postponed for "technical" reasons.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zibari earlier said his country was keen on continuing the trilateral Iraqi-U.S.-Iranian dialogue.

Iran's Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) had quoted Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki in a press conference as saying that the Swiss embassy in Tehran conveyed a message from the U.S. administration on convening a fresh round of talks on Iraq, adding his country responded positively to the United States' request. "The talks will be held within the framework of helping the Iraqi people and improving the security situation," Mottaki said.

The session would the fourth one of its kind between Iran and the United States. The three previous sessions had been convened on June 28, July 24 and August 6 this year with participation U.S. ambassador in Baghdad Ryan Crocker and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Kazemi Qomi.

Meanwhile, Crocker welcomed a decision by the committee on normalization of Kirkuk to postpone application of article 140 of the Iraqi constitution for a period of six months, praising the UN resolution to offer technical assistance for relevant committees.

The UN mission in Iraq had said in a statement received by VOI that Iraqi political leaders and the head of the Iraqi Kurdistan region clinched a deal to extend the activities of the committee on article 140 for six months.

According to the article, the dispute over Kirkuk should be solved over three stages: normalization, demographic consensus, and a referendum on the status of Kirkuk as to whether it should remain an independent province or be annexed to the Kurdistan region.

Crocker said there was agreement and political platform to be in effect soon with the aim of realizing accordance among the political parties and blocs in the year 2008.


Aswat Aliraq

Crude oil exports raised in December 2007

Crude oil exports have raised in December 2007 by 40,000 barrels a day in comparison with November, thus reaching 1,830 million barrels a day after marking 1,790 million in November, cargo industry statements reported.

Alsumaria Iraqi Satellite TV Network | Economics News | Crude oil exports raised in December 2007

8,500 billion dinars to provide Ahwar region in Missan with electricity

A source from the electricity distribution directorate in Missan Province noted that 8,500 billion dinars i.e. $ 7 million were allocated to complete providing Al Ahwar region in Missan Province with electricity, part of the budget dedicated to revive Al Ahwar in 2008. The source added that new allocations aim to complete the second stage of the project which includes the upgrading of networks and establishing converters in Ahwar villages such as Qalat Saleh, Al Maynouna and Al Majar Al Kabir.

Alsumaria Iraqi Satellite TV Network | Economics News | 8,500 billion dinars to provide Ahwar region in Missan with electricity

Iraq resumes pumping crude oil into Turkey

An Iraqi source reported that Iraq has resumed pumping crude oil at an average of 72,000 barrels a day via the northern pipeline into Turkey. Meanwhile, Iraqi crude oil stocks have reached 6 million barrels in Turkish Cehyan port on the Middle East.

On the other hand, Mosul is rehabilitating Khazraj Street linking between Al Sa’a region and Raas Al Jada to be a model street. Residents welcome the project which will be launched within few weeks.

Alsumaria Iraqi Satellite TV Network | Economics News | Iraq resumes pumping crude oil into Turkey

Iraq deputy PM blames corruption on UN

Iraq's culture of corruption stems from the actions of the international community and the controversial UN oil-for-food scheme, the deputy prime minister Barham Saleh said on Thursday.

Speaking at a new anti-corruption forum in Baghdad, Saleh said that the programme, run between 1996 and 2003 while Iraq was under UN sanctions, and what he charged was the body's wasteful use of money were to blame for the rampant corruption that bedevils Iraq.

"A large responsibility for the outbreak of corruption in Iraq lies on the international community," said Saleh.

"The scandals of food-for-oil and the wasting of public riches by the UN... is evidence of the serious damage that has deepened the problem in the country."

For seven years before the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, the oil-for-food programme allowed Baghdad -- which was under a punishing trade embargo since its invasion of Kuwait in 1990 -- to sell oil in return for cash to buy food and medicine.

In 2000, then president Saddam Hussein began making the right to purchase its oil under the UN programme conditional on the buyer's willingness to pay kickbacks.

The regime diverted about 1.8 billion dollars (1.2 billion euros), an independent probe found in 2005.

"The Iraqi people want a clear statement on how this money was administered in the past, to take back the stolen money, and to chase and call into account those who played with the public's money," said Saleh.

An analysis by the Berlin-based Transparency International in September found that Iraq was one of the three most corrupt countries in the world alongside Somalia and Myanmar.

The anti-corruption forum met for the first time on Thursday, to bring together ministers, members of parliament, international representatives and businessmen.

"It is necessary to coordinate with the international society." Saleh said, "But we refuse any foreign mandate on Iraqi resolutions."

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki declared in his New Year message that 2008 would be a year of economic development and fighting corruption.

The White House said in September that Maliki was "working hard" to fight corruption but declined to say whether he had been "adequately successful."

Its comments came after a damning report by the US embassy, posted on the Internet, painted a grim picture of corruption in all Iraqi government departments and said Maliki's office had shown "open hostility" to independent investigators.

Iraq deputy PM blames corruption on UN - Yahoo! News

New generating stations for Basra Province

A member of the Basra provincial council has said that 2008 will see the building of new electricity stations and rehabilitating generation units, in addition to the implementation of 360 distribution projects in Basra and the South.

Dr.Hamid Al-Thalili has added "The plan of the Ministry of Electricity for projects in Basra for 2008 will include constructing a station powered by gas accompanying the extracted Oil in Al-Rumaila (50Km West of Basra) with a capacity of 250 Mega watts. This station will be dedicated to the Ministry's oil network".

He added "We have also contracted another generating unit in Al-Najibia Electricity station (10 Km North of Basra) with a capacity of 50 Mega watts".

He went on to say that the power line from Iran will start work soon, the Iraqi and Iranian governments have agreed to connect two lines from Iran, one to the Basra Province and the other from Kirmanshah to the Diyala province, north of Iraq.

There are four main generation stations in Basra, which is located 590 Km south of Baghdad.

Iraq Development Program - New generating stations for Basra Province