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

Iraqi Council of Representatives Passes 2008 Budget

Iraqi lawmakers voted on the 2008 budget during today’s session. A bill was passed that devotes the %17 of the budget to the Kurdistan region.

Khalid Shwani, Member of Iraqi Parliament told PUKmedia that the parliament passed this bill on condition that a general census will be held by the end of the year.

The voting was postponed several times due to objections by of some Iraqi MPs that the %17 was too much for the Kurdistan Region.

PUKmedia :: English - Iraqi Council of Representatives Passes 2008 Budget

U.S. Attorney General Arrived in Baghdad
Today the U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey arrived in Baghdad to meet with the Iraqi and U.S. officials and discuss joint efforts to promote rule of law throughout Iraq.

In another separate meeting, the Attorney General met with 200 U.S. Department of Justice employees who are currently serving in Iraq.

“The United States is at a critical juncture in Iraq, and the Justice Department is working to ensure sustainability of the freedom and security for which our men and women in uniform have so bravely fought and sacrificed,” said Attorney General Michael Mukasey today in Baghdad.

PUKmedia :: English - U.S. Attorney General Arrived in Baghdad

Barham Salih: Kurdistan Region Budget is about $6 Billion

Iraqi Deputy Premier, Barham Ahmed Salih announced in a press release that the passing of the Kurdistan Region budget which reaches about $6 billion is a great success to the Kurdistan region people.

He indicated that it is the first time in the Iraqi history the Kurds get the greatest portion of the biggest budget that Iraq ever witnessed.

He hoped that the %17 of the Iraqi budget will be used to rehabilitate the Kurdistan region and in the service of its people.

PUKmedia :: English - Barham Salih: Kurdistan Region Budget is about $6 Billion

What We Need Next in Iraq
By Condoleezza Rice and Robert Gates posted on Washington post website

Over the past year, we have seen that Iraqis are committed to affirming their own sovereignty. The Iraqi army and police are taking the lead in providing security over much of the country.

Iraq is building relationships with other nations in the Middle East. The Iraqi people want to meet their own needs and control their own destiny. And they desire a more normal relationship with the United States.

Our troops and diplomats have made untold sacrifices to help put Iraq on the path to self-sufficiency. A crucial phase in this process will unfold in the coming months, when our ambassador in Baghdad, Ryan Crocker, begins negotiating a basic framework for normalized relations with the Iraqi government -- to include what is known as a "status of forces" agreement. We encourage Congress and the public to support the efforts of our senior diplomats and military officers as they forge ahead with these talks -- which we believe are essential to a successful outcome in Iraq and, by extension, the vital interests and security of the United States.

First, some background. Whenever American troops are stationed or temporarily present on foreign soil, a number of legal questions arise, ranging from the overall scope of their mission to the minutiae of day-to-day life -- from authority to fight to rules for delivering mail. In more than 115 nations, we have individually tailored status-of-forces agreements. These agreements are crafted to take into account circumstances in each host country as well as the unique requirements and missions of our forces there.

In Iraq, the presence and role of the United States and our coalition partners have been authorized by U.N. resolutions. The current U.N. authorization expires at the end of this year, and Iraq has indicated that it will not seek an extension. It would rather have an arrangement that is more in line with what typically governs the relationships between two sovereign nations.

There is debate here at home about the future presence, composition and mission of U.S. forces in Iraq. It is clear, however, that U.S. forces will need to operate in Iraq beyond the end of this year for progress in stabilizing Iraq to continue.

In these negotiations, we seek to set the basic parameters for the U.S. presence in Iraq, including the appropriate authorities and jurisdiction necessary to operate effectively and to carry out essential missions, such as helping the Iraqi government fight al-Qaeda, develop its security forces, and stem the flow of lethal weapons and training from Iran. In addition, we seek to establish a basic framework for a strong relationship with Iraq, reflecting our shared political, economic, cultural and security interests.

Nothing to be negotiated will mandate that we continue combat missions. Nothing will set troop levels. Nothing will commit the United States to join Iraq in a war against another country or provide other such security commitments. And nothing will authorize permanent bases in Iraq (something neither we nor Iraqis want). And consistent with well-established practice regarding such agreements, nothing will involve the U.S. Senate's treaty-ratification authority -- although we will work closely with the appropriate committees of Congress to keep lawmakers informed and to provide complete transparency. Classified briefings have already begun, and we look forward to congressional input.

In short, nothing to be negotiated in the coming months will tie the hands of the next commander in chief, whomever he or she may be. Quite the contrary, it will give the president the legal authority to protect our national interest -- and the latitude to chart the next administration's course.

There is wide recognition of the need for a normal bilateral relationship of this type. It has the support of moderate political forces from all of Iraq's communities -- Sunni, Shiite and Kurd. A bipartisan group of senior senators have called for it -- among them Carl Levin, John Warner and Richard Lugar. And it has been promoted by bipartisan panels such as the Independent Commission on the Security Forces of Iraq, chaired by retired U.S. Marine Corps Gen. James L. Jones. Similarly, the Baker-Hamilton commission advocated a series of longer-term missions that would require an agreement of this sort.

There is little doubt that 2008 will be a year of critical transition in Iraq as our force levels continue to come down, as our mission changes and as Iraqis continue to assert their sovereignty. But to continue the success we have seen in recent months, the Iraqi people and government will continue to need our help. Iraqis have requested a normalized relationship with us, and such a relationship will be part of a foundation of success in Iraq -- a foundation upon which future U.S. administrations can build.

PUKmedia :: English - What We Need Next in Iraq

Minister admits difficulties in distributing ration cards items

Iraq's Minister of Trade Abdul Fattah al-Sudani said on Wednesday that his ministry faces big problems in distributing rations card items to citizens.

"The ministry encounters enormous difficulties in distributing the items," the minister said in a statement received by Aswat al-Iraq, Voices of Iraq, (VOI), citing the rise in international prices, and storage and transport problems as the main impediments.

"These problems affected the distribution process in the second half of 2007," the minister explained.

"The government will keep its subsidies for the next six months until a mechanism for determining the standards of living of Iraqi families is provided," he added.

"The ministry is currently signing big contracts through which it will be able to provide most of the ration card items in 2008," according to the minister.

"The poor constitute 70% of the total population of the country, a huge number that requires great governmental care…," the minister added.

The ration card system was first introduced in the country in the aftermath of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August 1990 and subsequent international sanctions.

Aswat Aliraq

Hike in dollar demand, exchange rate stable

Demand for the dollar rose dramatically in the Iraqi Central Bank's auction on Wednesday, registering at $134.65 million compared to $27.85 million on Tuesday.

"The demand hit $8.135 million in cash and $125.930 million in money transfers outside the country, all covered by the bank at an exchange rate of 1,210 Iraqi dinars per dollar, unchanged for the sixth consecutive session," according to the central bank's daily bulletin which was received by Aswat al-Iraq- Voices of Iraq- (VOI).

None of the 14 banks that participated in the auction offered to dollars.

Speaking to VOI, Ali al-Yasseri, a trader, attributed the higher demand for the dollar to the increase in forward remittances. "Cash bids remained almost the same as in the previous two sessions," he added.

The Iraqi Central Bank runs a daily auction from Sunday to Thursday.

Aswat Aliraq

Iraq to buy 40 Boeings

Iraq will sign a contract with the U.S. Boeing to buy 40 of its passenger aircrafts and will re-open several airways between Baghdad and a number of Arab and foreign countries, Iraq's deputy transport minister said on Wednesday.

"The ministry will soon sign a contract with the U.S. company to buy 40 Boeings of different sizes that will be added to the Iraqi Airways’ fleet," Bankin Rikani told Aswat al-Iraq, Voices of Iraq, (VOI).

Iraqi Airways will receive the planes in 2013 and 2014, the minister said, adding that the contract is worth $6 billion.

The minister revealed plans for re-opening several airways between the Iraqi capital and some Arab and European cities, including London, Frankfurt, Karachi and al-Manama.

Established in 1945 in Baghdad, Iraqi Airways is the national carrier airline of Iraq and is one of the oldest in the Middle East. It operates domestic and regional services. Iraqi Airways is a member of the Arab Air Carriers Organization.

Aswat Aliraq

Security plan, ratification of laws in press

Iraqi newspapers gave prominence in their Wednesday issues to the enforcement of the rule of law in the country, calling on the security apparatus to develop a strategic plan to encounter sleeper armed cells, with a newspaper criticizing the parliament's failure in approving crucial legislative items.

The government-funded al-Sabah newspaper published an article entitled 'The enforcement of the rule of law' by its Editor-in-Chief Falah al-Mashaal in which he examined the so-called "struggle" between the Iraqi people and the forces of terrorism.

The author stressed that the battle will eventually end in favor of the Iraqi people who will be the main victim of the conflict.

On the postponement of the approval of key laws, the independent daily al-Dustour newspaper published an opinion article by its Editor-in-Chief Bassim al-Sheikh under a headline that read 'Crippling laws…till when?'

"For the fourth time, the Iraqi parliament has failed to approve three significant laws for the continuation of the new construction stage. Each of the laws on budget, provinces and general amnesty represents a basic step for rising up to a higher level…," the author said.

"Postponing the enactment of these laws will cripple all aspects of life. The failure in approving the budget law does not only indicate a financial or economic loss for the country, but is a hindrance to a sound governmental performance," the author explained.

Al-Iraq al-Yawm, another independent daily, discussed in its editorial the value of integrity, criticizing the performance of the Commission on Public Integrity (CPO), which it said is not above suspicion.

"We all know about the integrity commission, its formation and budget…, but we have never seen its achievements," the newspaper wrote.

The newspaper said that the commission should demonstrate integrity and justice and then ask others to follow suit.

Aswat Aliraq

Secret ballot on 3 crucial laws in parliament

Parliamentary discussions over the vote on three controversial draft laws continued on Wednesday, with news of a proposal for holding a secret ballot to pass the legislative items away from any influence from political blocs.

Some parliamentarians from various blocs submitted a proposal to the parliament's presidency in which they suggested a secret ballot, MP Sirwan al-Zahawi from the Kurdistan Coalition (KC) told Aswat al-Iraq, Voices of Iraq, (VOI).

"Ballot boxes have been brought in the parliament's hall to enable parliamentarians to cast their votes freely," the parliamentarian indicated.
The Kurdistan Coalition objects to the proposal because it seeks "a transparent and public" voting process, al-Zahawi said, adding that the coalition will boycott the session if the proposal comes into force.

The parliament adjourned its evening session on Tuesday during which a vote was scheduled to be held on three bills: the 2008 budget, provinces not affiliated with a region and the general amnesty after the withdrawal of members of the Sadrist bloc, Fadhila party, and the National Dialogue Front (NDF).

The NDF, which is of secularist orientations, is the seventh largest bloc in the Iraqi parliament with 11 out of a total 275 seats. The Sadrist bloc, or Iraqis loyal to Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, has 30 seats; while the Shiite Fadhila Islamic Party has 15 seats.

Aswat Aliraq

Parliament starts session on pending bills

The Iraqi Parliament under Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani held on Wednesday a regular session to vote on the three important bills; 2008 budget, areas not classified within provinces and the general amnesty.

Sadrists and a number of members of Fadhila party, Iraqi National List (INL), Unified Iraqi Coalition (UIC) and the Iraqi Accordance Front (IAF) withdrew from the session.

"The withdrawal of those members did not affect the quorum," a parliamentary source, requested anonymity, told Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq (VOI).

The Iraqi parliament's chairmanship on Tuesday announced the adjournment of the evening session, which had to witness the voting on three important draft laws until tomorrow after the withdrawal of members of the Sadrist bloc, Fadhila party, and the National Dialogue Front (NDF).

Aswat Aliraq