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

IAF supports decreasing government's ministers - MP

A Sunni lawmaker on Friday said the Sunni Iraqi Accordance Front (IAF) supported the decrease of the government's ministers.

“The Sunni bloc has no objection against attempts of parliamentarian blocks to trim the government and decrease its ministries” Nadira Ayef al-Ani, told Aswat al-Iraq-Voices of Iraq (VOI).

“The trimming process has to be done on a professional way and must contribute in giving more services to people away from political considerations," al-Ani stressed.

The IAF, the third largest bloc in the Iraqi parliament with 44 out of a total 275 seats, had quit the Maliki government in August 2007, hinging its return on participation in the decision-making process and the release of Iraqi detainees.

Earlier, a leading member of the Shiite Unified Iraqi Coalition (UIC) on Friday told (VOI) Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is planning a cabinet reshuffle that would cancel some ministries and merger others to have 23 ministries.

UIC member conceded "This shrinkage requires the canceling of some ministries and would consequently affect the quota system. This new measure needs to be approved by the political powers.
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UIC is the largest bloc in the Iraqi parliament with 83 out of a total 275 seats.

Aswat Aliraq

17% budget share agreed upon political agreement – President Barazani

Kurdistan region's President Massoud Barazani on Friday said the region agreed to get the 17% share of the 2008 general budget upon an earlier political agreement till carrying out a census.

Speaking at a joint press conference with UK State Minister for foreign affairs in Arbil’s Salah al-Din resort, Barazani said “the share was endorsed by a political agreement though we consider the share less than its real proportion."

“We accepted the current share till carrying out a population census”, the Kurdish president maintained.

Calling for sticking to the accord, Barazani referred to the fact “any delay in approving the budget would block the development in all Iraq and not only Kurdistan”.

The parliamentary economic committee had proposed a 13% budget share for Kurdistan, but the regional government insisted a higher share of 17%.

The total amount of Iraq's general budget for 2008 is $47 billion.
Barazani noted a Kurdish delegation would leave for Baghdad to discuss the pending issues between the Iraqi and regional Kurdish governments.

He added “the new Iraqi flag will be raised in Iraq's Kurdistan region in the upcoming two days”.

The Iraqi parliament had approved with a majority of votes - 110 out of 165 - in favor of a draft to modify the national flag by removing the three stars from the old flag and keeping the words Allahu Akbar (God is Great).

Iraq's flag has three colors - red, white, and black - and in the central white there were three stars and the words Allahu Akbar, which were added by the former regime of President Saddam Hussein months before the 1991 Gulf War.

Iraqi Kurdistan Region President Massoud al-Barazani had urged the central government in Baghdad to speed up changing the Iraqi flag ahead of the Arab parliamentarians’ conference to be hosted by Arbil in February 2008.

Aswat Aliraq

Unexpected real estate boom in Baghdad

Soaring prices. Few houses. Bidding wars. Sound like the US real estate market a few years back? Rather it's an unexpected bright spot in the global housing slump: Baghdad.

Lured by news of decreased violence, thousands of displaced Iraqis returning to Baghdad's safer neighborhoods are fueling a bit of a real estate frenzy.

Last year, home prices plummeted and rents dropped as Iraqis left town in search of more stability. But now, some say it's almost impossible to find a place to live with sales prices doubling in certain neighborhoods and the most affordable homes being snatched up as soon as they're placed on the market.

"Day by day, the prices are increasing, and I keep on decreasing my options," said Hussam Jassem, 35, a government worker who earns about $400 a month, a typical middle-class salary. A 750-square-foot home in a lower-middle-class neighborhood costs about $150,000. In the upper-middle-class neighborhood of Karada, a 2,300-square-foot plot of land alone costs $350,000.

"I will end up with nothing if I don't find something soon," he said.

Jassem just wants an affordable home in a safe neighborhood with enough space for his parents, two sisters and brother.

In the past two months, he and his family have scoured the city, inspecting more than 40 homes, only to be stymied, again and again, by rapidly increasing prices and a shrinking pool of homes.

In December alone, an estimated 46,000 Iraqis returned to Baghdad from Syria, and more than 67,000 have come back since mid-September, according to the Iraqi Red Crescent Organization.

"The displaced people are coming back," said real estate agent Mohammed Hassan, who sells homes in Shaab, a lower-middle-class neighborhood in northeast Baghdad. "There is plenty of demand, and I have nothing to supply them with."

Real Estate Agent Haji ranzi said the smallest homes are the quickest to sell. They're gone almost as soon as they hit the market, sometimes with multiple bidders. Prices have risen so much that families, even large ones, are cramming themselves into the smaller, and more affordable, units.

But Ranzi also has a stock of million-dollar homes and some costing as much as $3 million. These compounds, complete with marble floors, sparkling chandeliers and state-of-the-art security systems, are also surprisingly in demand.

Prices of the bigger homes have increased a more modest 10 percent to 15 percent in recent months, Ranzi said. Among the buyers are former high-ranking military officers, doctors and members of Iraq's nouveau riche who have made their money from government contracts, lucrative business deals or in less legal ways.

On a recent day, Ranzi was trying to seal the deal on a $1.5 million home with two men who said they were in the car import business.

"You see the neighborhood?" Ranzi said. "It's a good neighborhood, better than all the neighborhoods in Baghdad. God will make you see the good when you take this house."

Iraq Development Program - Unexpected real estate boom in Baghdad

Iraq invites investment from Jordan

Iraqi Finance Minister Bayan Jabr Solagh has called on Jordan's private sector to invest in his country's 'booming economy' in all fields.

The Iraqi minister made the remark while meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah II.

"The Iraqi government is keen to invite Jordan's private sector to invest in Iraq, whose economy is currently booming in all fields," Bayan Jaber Solagh told the king.

"Iraq is looking forward to enhancing its ties with Jordan, particularly in economic cooperation," he added.

King Abdullah II, for his part, said he wanted "to bolster bilateral relations to serve the interests of the peoples of the two countries."

Meanwhile, the Iraqi official met with Jordan's prime minister during his visit to Amman and struck a deal to provide 40,000 barrels per day of oil.

Iraq Development Program - Iraq invites investment from Jordan

Iraqi trade delegation in Iran

An Iraqi trade delegation has arrived in Ahvaz to discuss ways to expand trade between the two countries

Adviser to Iranian Embassy in Baghdad said that the Iraqi delegation is on a visit to Iran at the invitation of Khuzestan province's Commerce Organization.

"The visit aimed to boost trade and help remove the impediments in this respect."

Mehdi Nejatnia said that coordination has been made to dispatch a group of businessmen from Kermanshah province to Iraq on February 16.

"In their four-day stay in Iraq, the Iranian delegation will review the trade and marketing opportunities in holy Najaf, Karbala, and Baghdad."

Provincial officials in charge of commerce and foreign trade development from East Azarbaijan, West Azarbaijan, Ilam, Kurdestan, Kermanshah and Khuzestan provinces will hold talks with the 20-member Iraqi delegation.

Iraq Development Program - Iraqi trade delegation in Iran

Versar, Inc. awarded $3.5 million in additional construction work

Versar Inc. has announced that the U.S. Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment (AFCEE) have awarded Versar a $3.5 million task order modification for expanded Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Construction Management and Quality Assurance operations in Iraq.

This modification will fund Versar's international operations subsidiary, Versar International Assistance Projects (VIAP) to provide engineering support, construction management and quality assurance operations at nine (9) additional project sites in Iraq through September, 2008.

VIAP has over 350 American, third country and local nationals providing construction management, quality assurance, engineering studies, feasibility and site assessments for well over 100 project sites throughout Iraq.

VIAP also provides technical training and certification to improve the quality of projects and increase the level of expertise of engineers within Iraq.

Dr. Ted Prociv, Versar's President and CEO, stated, "This award affirms the importance of Versar's continued efforts in supporting the reconstruction work in Iraq. Our team, headed by Bill Johnson and Davy Daniels, has provided innovative solutions to help manage the large number of projects being performed across the country. We will continue to use these tools to diversify our international work."

Iraq Development Program - Versar, Inc. awarded $3.5 million in additional construction work

Oil majors to resume talks on Iraq technology pacts later this month

An Iraqi Oil Ministry delegation completed the first round of talks with senior executives from four oil majors Tuesday and will meet again Feb. 25 to discuss the development of the country's major oil fields, people close to the ministry said Friday.

The talks began in Amman Jan. 24 with executives from Royal Dutch Shell PLC, BP PLC, ExxonMobil Corp and Chevron Corp and covered a template for technical support agreements, or TSAs, for producing oil fields which need further development. These include the giant Kirkuk field in the north of Iraq, and the South and North Rumaila structures in the south of the country.

A person who is familiar with these talks said the TSAs are likely to be signed during a third round of discussions to be held in March.

Iraqi Oil Minister Hussein al-Shahristani said in Vienna last week that development of these fields would increase the country's oil production by 500,000 barrels a day. He also said French major Total SA has entered a joint venture agreement with Chevron to develop the giant Majnoon oil fields in the south.

The people close to the ministry also said Iraq is to start talks with smaller companies Vitol, Dome and a third unnamed firm Feb. 22 in Amman.

In addition, the ministry delegation will hold discussions with China National Petroleum Corp. at a later stage this year to discuss the renewal of a contract to develop the 1 billion barrel al-Ahdab oil field in southern Iraq, which was signed during the regime of former president Saddam Hussein, the people said.

Oil majors to resume talks on Iraq technology pacts later this month - MarketWatch

Geotimes investigates Iraq's oil prospects

In the February issue of Geotimes magazine, now available on newsstands and online at http://www.geotimes.org, Geotimes examines the complicated issues surrounding Iraq’s oil exploration and production.

Iraq boasts the largest untapped oil reserves in the world. Unfortunately, the instability that comes with war, attacks on infrastructure and the outdated technology currently in use in Iraq has led to the lowest reserve-to-production ratio of all oil-producing countries.

Before the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, Iraq was averaging 2.6 million barrels per day (bpd) in oil production. Currently, the average in the country is 2.0 million bpd. What will it take to bring production up to 6 million bpd by the end of the decade?

Exploration and development in Northern Iraq could easily, and quickly, increase production by 100,000 bpd. Because of this, the Kurdistan Regional Government has started the process of setting up oil exploration and production agreements with smaller foreign oil companies. But these agreements are in direct opposition to the wishes of the central government and may not have any legal standing without a country-wide Hydrocarbon Law. Still, will these developments make it easier for other oil companies to invest in Iraq?

Geotimes investigates Iraq's oil prospects

Parliament walkout freezes bill on Iraqi local elections

Dozens of Iraqi legislators walked out of parliament to protest parts of a draft law that would lay out rules for provincial elections later this year.

Thursday's walkout by nearly 90 members of the Shiite Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council and Kurdish allies postponed a planned vote on the measure on redistributing power in Iraq.

The main sticking point was a dispute over whether the authority to fire provincial governors should rest with the prime minister or with the Iraq's governing councils.

Council members walked out after lawmakers approved giving power to the prime minister. Voting on the rest of the 56-point package was scheduled to resume on Saturday.

The draft law, if approved, would set an October 1 date for provincial elections, which the US hopes will empower the Sunni minority and blunt support for the insurgency.

IRAQI NEWS

Iraq Parliament adjourns voting on laws

Despite voting on certain paragraphs of the provincial council in Parliament, the final vote has not been carried out due to the opposition of head of political blocs on prerogatives of governors which delayed voting to the coming session. Voting on the state budget has been adjourned as well for not reaching so far a final agreement according to which Kurdistan’s share is included in the state budget.

On the other hand, Pardon Law is still subject to debate between political blocs despite the formation of a committee charged of reconsidering the law.

Iraq Parliament adjourns voting on laws | Iraq News | Alsumaria Iraqi Satellite TV Network