Thread: Archive Latest News - Think Tank - 15/04/08 - 26/08/08

Iraq seeks 6.5 million bpd in 2015

The Iraqi Minister of Electricity revealed a long-term plan to push up the country's oil production to 6.5 million barrels per day (bpd) and natural gas to 4,500 million standard cubic feet.

"The energy committee, led by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, has set a plan to develop Iraq's oil production until 2017," according to a ministerial statement received by Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq - (VOI), quoting Minister Kareem Waheed.

On Monday, the Iraqi premier led a large and official delegation to the German capital, Berlin, on the first leg of a European tour that includes Italy and the Vatican.

Following official talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Maliki announced that investment in Iraq is open to all Arab and German businessmen.

Disclosing short-term plans, Waheed said that the ministry is currently working to increase oil production to 3.5 million bpd in the coming three years.

"The government will set up three new refineries: one in al-Nassiriya city (380 km south of Baghdad) for export with a capacity of 300,000 bpd, and two in Karbala (110 km southwest of Baghdad) and Amara city (390 km south of the capital) with a capacity of 130,000 bpd for local consumption and export.

Iraq currently produces nearly two million barrels of oil a day, the highest production since the U.S.-led invasion of the country in March 2003. Most of the production comes from fields in the southern province of Basra and the northern tips of the country.

Aswat Aliraq

OPEC meets to discuss rising oil prices

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries "OPEC" an extraordinary meeting in Algiers on December 17 to discuss the next high world oil prices. An official at the Algerian Ministry of Energy, told KUNA that, Chakib Khalil, Minister of Energy and Mines of Algeria and current President of OPEC has contacts with Member States aimed at an extraordinary meeting discussed the rise in oil prices and the current developments in oil markets.

And Saudi Arabia held a joint meeting between the Petroleum Exporting Countries and consuming countries last June aimed at manipulating the index rising oil prices.

On the other hand, the report revealed that U.S. oil refined oil revenues that its member states of the Organization "OPEC" amounted to 645 billion dollars during the first half of this year, supported by high oil prices to record levels.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration, the statistical arm of the U.S. Department of Energy in its report for the current month under the title "Energy Outlook for the short term," that its "OPEC" in the first half roughly equivalent to the total income achieved by the "OPEC" in the past year as it reached about 671 billion dollars.

The Department noted in its report that the financial revenues of Saudi Arabia jumped dramatically in the first half in 2008 to 192 billion dollars, which equals almost achieved in Saudi Arabia in 2007 in full, which hit 194 billion dollars.

The Department also raised expectations for next year, where she said: "It continues to expect earnings" OPEC "climb in the coming year 2009 to 1322 billion dollars.

It is noteworthy that Algeria currently holds the presidency of the organization to the end of the current year ago Angola to assume the presidency next year.

Translated version of http://www.aljeeran.net/economic.html

Inform the House of Representatives: Law provincial assemblies, which reversed the presidency did not go to parliament after

An official at the Media Relations Office in the House of Representatives Iraqi Abdullah zinc, today, Thursday, that the Iraqi Chamber of Deputies did not receive until this moment, the provincial law which revoked the presidency yesterday, Wednesday, evening. "

He added zinc in an interview with "Uzmatik" that "acknowledges the law may take hours or days by mail of the Presidency of the Republic, there is no specific time of receipt."

The zinc that "there is a meeting of the House of Representatives will be held today, Thursday," without clarifying the agenda of the meeting, saying only that "the list of today's meeting did not include up to this moment."

It is noteworthy that the Iraqi Presidency issued a statement yesterday, Wednesday, reversed the evening when the law governing the Iraqi governorates approved by the House of Representatives the day before yesterday, Tuesday, and the objection raised by the Kurdistan Alliance bloc which refused to vote on the law and deemed approved by secret vote "a coup for Iraqi constitution."

Translated version of http://iraqalaan.com/bm/Politics/3937.shtml

economic progress and "breakthrough" investment in Iraq last June

A member of the economic expert committee overseeing the auction Central Bank of Iraq, Tuesday, the month of June last saw progress in the Iraqi economy and the "surge" in attracting many of the huge investments, because of the security evolution witnessed in the country.

Said Dr. Mohammad Saleh appearance of the Independent News Agency (Voices of Iraq), "The month of June last, has witnessed a shift in capacity to implement projects in Iraq, also saw a surge of investment in attracting many of the huge investments into the country."

Saleh pointed out that these economic developments "have made increasing demands on the auction Central Bank of Iraq to grow significantly during the last two months, recording very high levels of demand."

He added that "the average demand for the auction did not exceed ten million dollars a day, at the opening of the auction four years ago. While increased to (60) million last year, hitting an average of fewer than a request (100) million dollars a day, during the months of June / June and July of the year (2008) instant. "

He pointed out that the economic expert in high rise in demand "was also due to the large budget for the year (2008), in addition to the supplementary budget, which is the lifting capacity of spending in government departments and the private sector."

He stated that "the growing demand placed on the bank responsible for providing the dollar for daily dealings with the Iraqi market."

The budget, during the current year (2008), about (48) billion dollars, an increase of (18%) from last year's budget (2007). The government referred to the parliament a supplementary budget is estimated at (21) billion again, what makes the budget is the biggest in the history of the Iraqi state.

The statement said the Iraqi government, early in June last, to balance the current year, which was approaching (70) billion dollars after the addition of the supplementary budget, constitute "an important breakthrough in the history of the budgets of the Iraqi state," pointing out that the budget was "a result of the rise Iraq's resources from oil exports, and that will effect positive changes in concrete economic movement and services in the country. "

Saleh said that the auction bank Summers "be allocated limits (80) percent of the foreign currency remittances of Foreign Affairs, as most transfers are to cover the import process for the Iraqi market, which is witnessing the largest active. Addition to other external obligations which require the transfer of large amounts of foreign currency more than Domestic spending of those currencies."

Sotaliraq.com -

A Political Agreement on compromise to pass the election law within 7 days

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In another framework, a senior source told "morning" about reversing the election law by the Presidency of the Republic, and returned to Parliament for approval and voting on it during one week, before the start of summer vacation Parliament. The Taliban have rejected the election law yesterday, calling on political leaders to review And corrected a compromise, Parliament voted yesterday to the election law, by 127 deputies out of 140, and saw a voting bloc withdrawal of the Kurdistan Alliance and Vice others. For his part, said the leadership of the Alliance of Kurdistan, Dr. Mahmoud Othman said that there endeavours made by several parties, pointing out that President Massoud Barzani's Kurdistan province, will visit Baghdad and will be extensive talks with President Jalal Talabani, leaders of political blocs, the law on elections and other outstanding issues.

On The same level, informed sources told "Assabah" The coming hours will witness a summit meeting involving a number of political leaders, pointing out that during the summit will discuss developments adoption of the electoral law and other issues in the Iraqi arena. In another file, preparing a strong and prominent political clan and to participate in a conference Cairo for national reconciliation will be held during the coming period to discuss a number of hubs task. His deputy coalition Qais Al-Amri told of the "morning" that the conference was scheduled for over a month ago, but it was postponed to a later date during the coming period not determined until Now. He pointed out that the main axis will be at the Cairo Conference is to provide legislation law the supreme body of reconciliation, in addition to agreeing on a working paper includes several items most important to speed up constitutional amendments and address the effects of the former regime and the repercussions of the political situation after his collapse and subsequent formation of a supreme body of law for reconciliation. Amri and that the Conference Attended by a group of personalities, political and parliamentary offices and the awakening of attribution and a representative of the Turkomen, pointing out that the meeting will be sponsored by the American Studies Center (sustained dialogue) and attendance figures from the British Foreign and Italian.

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Deputy Speaker of Parliament threatened to kill the deputies voted to the Law on Local Elections

President criticized the Arab bloc of the National Dialogue Saleh overlooking the Kurdish alliance not to accept the asylum MPs to vote on secret ballot election law provincial assemblies.

He said "we asked our brothers in Kurdistan Alliance sit down to negotiate, what wrong in this law, it told us to be consistent with you. But they insisted they would not accept this law will not accept the subject of a secret ballot, which means Louis arms, especially considering that a section of Deputies, Such as MP Mohammed Amin threatened before the 20 Deputy, by Deputy Speaker of Parliament of the Kurdistan Alliance, threatened to kill him. "

The overlooking that only three deputies who refused to vote on the law against one hundred and forty deputies voted to approve it, saying, adding: "What happened in Parliament that there are those who have been given the temptations they withdrew from the Hall, who feared threats of intimidation is given a white paper to swear oath For others they did not vote, others voted in a confidential manner did not disclose their names and, unfortunately, that the principle of intimidation used by the Vice-President Aref criminal Tifour al parliament when it began depicting each of the vote in parliament, has turned to the photographer to intimidate Iraqis. "

Translated version of http://wasatonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10091&It emid=126

The impact of corruption in the Sovereignty and Debt Repayment

Talk about sovereignty and external indebtedness and the impact of corruption which is the importance of privacy. Axis of sovereignty and foreign debt if they will be hit by disorder reflected the internal environment of the community and the State

To bring about imbalances can not measure the size of influence in that environment is at the same time affecting the environment of State for Foreign Affairs and International relations in the surroundings as well. To share the nail on the head and show the impact of corruption in sovereignty and its relationship with repayment of foreign debt must show the meaning of sovereignty in a simple first.

(Sovereign state) means that the State is a woman and she has absolutely dispose of their own affairs, and the Supreme they are subject to the citizens of the country, which conduct their affairs externally and internally, where enact legislation and impose taxes and declare war and establish peace and conclude agreements with other sovereign nations Or bodies of a legal personality.

That is why it is clear that sovereignty is a condition of political independence enjoyed by the state when those countries recognize it as the sole source of legitimate exercise of power within its territory. The concept of national sovereignty faces problems when the state is bound by a treaty to obey the decisions of its political system outside the national (as is the case in the European Union for example), or to obey the decisions of State for Foreign Affairs about the obligations upon application by borrowed for the need of foreign aid (as is the case in loans International Monetary Fund IMF).

It is noteworthy that the agreement with the International Monetary financial institutions require the approval of the borrower (ie the state) to enforce the terms of those institutions is politically and economically allows for interference in the sovereignty of that State (application component penalty) if they breached abide by those conditions imposed upon in the event that domestic commitments State's weak enable them to repay loans.

After the introduction, we have to put the question lies in the fact answered the parking problem between the (corruption, sovereign debt) and the question is:

If the state is borrowing the same obligations that restrict lending institutions are imposing conditions violate state sovereignty in need, let alone be the case if the rampant corruption in the joints that State? How matter if they were loans to non-core function? What if the money is released that the state repay the loan?

Frequently we will reply to a problem that we have in progress.
Where he is noticeable that many of the nations of the world (that are in need of loans, mostly) have recourse to international financial institutions to borrow them, and that these institutions made loans to several countries during crises encountered evolution, but noticeable or defect in the States and Governments borrowing it would direct Those loans to businesses or others were not relevant to the development and evolution so that the statistics refer to direct some (25%) of those loans to arm only, and this is not happening on the development Mtalagafdila that a large proportion of those loans went to special accounts for members of political elites . That many of those funds borrowed by the State directed to projects of poor quality resulting in the diversion of many of the costs (bribes to public officials added to the value of those projects) are paid by implementing these projects useless.

All these reasons are paid international lending institutions to dictate conditions on state borrowing in anticipation of the diversion of funds of the loan, which could be paid off like an impossible situation in light of the mechanisms that we have a corrupt and especially the situation involving countries that are basically being poor.

The past century (the twentieth century) saw the end of cases in which become poor countries even poorer result of factors (natural, economic, or political) is what makes a lot of countries around the world accelerate moving towards international financial bodies to obtain new loans in addition to loans, which destroyed the former According to the mechanisms referred to, as called for those bodies, especially the International Monetary Fund to demand harsh conditions to ensure repayment of loans.

For that emerged prescriptions, which calls for structural adjustments and advocacy to reduce government spending on services, and raising interest rates, opening markets to foreign investors, whose weight basis with the citizens who live in many countries in the world, either on or below the poverty line or slightly higher than the extent that , Which makes life for them almost impossible.

This suffering has led in many cases led to social unrest (in countries that went on a deadly recipe for lending) is destabilizing, and increased the size of a lot of suffering.

All of this was the product of the mechanisms of corruption that accompanied these funds, which made many of the state is on a recipe provided by the Fund for its economy in a state of deterioration and escalating problems.

The impact of that to make the States to accept the principle of the status quo and to succumb to external application of those decisions (which the state would lose its independence and sovereign in their own pursuit of the policy) is not the country into economic crises, separatist tendencies and movements mutiny erupt from time to time, linking the country's external financial decision Does not tend to view any link procedure shall impair the stability of those countries.

The simple comparison between the situation in Indonesia and its neighbor state of Malaysia shows the adverse impact of foreign intervention on the sovereignty of the state where Malaysia refused to establish an agreement with the International Monetary Fund and comply described to overcome its financial crisis, there was not that her Government had developed a plan to move toward economic policies based on sound foundations certified The development of exports quickly and was able to result from any other exit from the crisis of non-problems and social unrest as Head of Government called on to say (if we followed the plans to fund the recession was part of our economy while we believe Indonesia has submitted to IMF conditions).

To lose money on the vision that many countries suffer from the weakness of many factors, diagnostic, corruption is one of them, plus a factor that makes these countries resort to borrowing to meet their basic needs under the terms of lending arbitrary and intrusive, and under such conditions that States need to loans Although it lacked the capacity to pay, what makes them a mortgage does not allow it to the accumulation of domestic capital can lesson (those States which are often poor) to build production bases giving real help generate income to meet the necessities and the same time help to pay out of those loans And their consequences, which is the aspiration elusive about the potential of these countries, causing forced to accept conditions for lending, which often lose in the privacy of sovereignty over territory and natural wealth, which requires that some of these countries to reject the loans in order to preserve the balance of the diaspora.

After this presentation of the problematic relationship between corruption, sovereign debt crisis, the statement of what breed corruption problems (outside interference in the policies of the national government and dictate the conditions are indispensable if the members of the political elite and public officials far from the mechanisms of corruption) requires States to draw Sttrutejiat and develop internal and external economic policy making to ensure their governments not to prejudice the sovereignty and independence of the political resolution and protection of national economy and stimulate domestic production and identification of investment or import external serve the national interest and the country's economic policies.

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Higher demand for the dollar on Thursday

Demand for the dollar was up in the Iraqi Central Bank's auction on Thursday, reaching $153.240 million compared to $114.525 million on Wednesday.

"The demand hit $27.320 million in cash and $125.910 million in foreign transfers outside the country, all covered by the bank at an exchange rate of 1,192 Iraqi dinars per dollar, unchanged for the fourth session in a row," according to the central bank's daily bulletin, which was received by Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq - (VOI).

None of the 17 banks that participated in the auction offered to sell dollars.

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

Aswat Aliraq

Talabani and Crocker looking to pass the Election Law the issue of Provincial Assemblies

Search President Jalal Talabani in Baghdad, Thursday, with the American ambassador in Iraq the way through which to pass the election law provincial assemblies in the House of Representatives. According to the statement of the Office of the President.

The statement received by the Independent News Agency (Voices of Iraq) a copy of it, "Talabani met at his residence in Baghdad today, Thursday, the American ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker and exchanged views on the election law to pass the provincial assemblies and parliamentary blocs reactions to the manner in which the pass Law in the parliament. "

The statement added that "Talabani pointed out that there were extensive consultations and meetings are now ongoing between representatives of parliamentary blocs to address this issue and reach a formula acceptable and reasonable law on the provincial council elections, commensurate with the spirit of the Constitution and national harmony and to the satisfaction of all parties."

The Congress approved the Iraq Tuesday, the last provincial council elections law, counties and wards by 127 votes in favour of the law out of 140 votes of the votes of those present, amid the absence of the Kurdistan Alliance list of the second largest parliamentary bloc, which pulled out of the Hall of Parliament against the backdrop of objections to the vote the way confidential Article 24 concerning the development of Kirkuk in the law.

The issuance of the law raised angry reactions among the Kurds, who regarded the manner in which the law passed in parliament as a "coup against the constitution" and threatened to "veto" provided by the Iraqi constitution to the Presidency, which is headed by Talabani (a Kurd) to override the law, and returned to The House of Representatives.

The president, Jalal Talabani, yesterday, Wednesday,, rejection of the way by which to pass the law, describing it as "a constitutional violation," saying they were "the enemy" will of the second basic component in the country (the Kurds), and contrary to the principle of national consensus, and called the Presidential Council to Non-ratification of the law.

The Presidency Council decided unanimously President Jalal Talabani and his two deputies Adel Abdul Mahdi and Tariq Hashimi, yesterday, Wednesday, reversing the law of provincial council elections, one day after the approval of Parliament in the meeting raised a lot of controversy about the constitutionality and the reinstatement of parliament for a vote again.

The statement added that "Talabani stressed during his meeting with American Ambassador determination to respect the Constitution and work hard to protect it and not allow for a breach of its clauses."

The statement continued "Talabani also stressed the importance of respecting the choice of the citizens of Kirkuk, Kurdish and Arab and Turkmen, Caldoachorier in their right to elect their representatives to the provincial council like other other provinces."

And demands that the Kurds to postpone the elections in Kirkuk, the oil-rich, pending resolution of outstanding problems. Which opposes the rest of the city's population of Arabs and Turkmen, who proposed the division of maintaining the four electoral areas, to grant each of Arabs, Kurds and Turkomen rate (32%) of the seats in district councils and wards of the province, giving Alcaldoachorien (4%) of them.

At the end of the meeting pointed out that "The two sides also broached the subject of bilateral relations between Iraq and the United States and ways to develop and expand these relations on the basis of mutual respect and serve the mutual benefit and joint supreme interests of the two countries friendly nations."

http://www.aswataliraq.info/look/art...=1&NrSection=1

Massoum describes CONGRESSIONAL BILL provincial elections as "a detour to the Kurds" and warns of another presidential veto

The head of the Kurdistan Alliance bloc, the Iraqi Chamber of Deputies, the deputy Fuad Masoom how they were voting on the law of provincial council elections, at a meeting last Tuesday, as "a detour to the Kurds."

He explained in an interview infallible "Uzmatik", today, Thursday, "It was supposed to attend and read the names of all those present definition of the identity of its own member parliament, and this did not happen during the meeting vote", pointing out that "chaos has prevailed in the House Chamber when the vote on Law, and the entry of protections and staff members of Parliament to the Council Chamber, which caused an upheaval of the voting process. "

His infallible "The exit of the Kurdistan Alliance of the meeting was to install a political position to reject the vote and not allow us to impose law j.a.b.r.a," noting that "the Kurdish people be asked members of the bloc on the reasons for their survival in a vote, despite their opposition to the voting mechanism."

He warned of infallible "method of repeating the previous vote and pass the law without the consent of the Kurds, because of the Presidency of the right to be overruled again presidential veto," pointing out that "in case the second veto, the law would require the proportion of three fifths the number of members of the House, not the majority Attendance ".

President of the Kurdistan Alliance bloc, the Iraqi Parliament said that "the rest of the political blocs knows that the vote on the law, again, without our consent, will not be easy acceptance of the form in which some people imagine," as he put it.

Infallible and revealed that "important meetings will be held next two days, to find a definitive agreement to the law," stressing "the necessity of agreement the leaders of political blocs on a compromise formula, before the passing of the bill in parliament."

A member of the House of Representatives from the United Iraqi Alliance list Hassan Al-Sunaid said in an interview earlier today, Thursday, for "Uzmatik", that "the parliament revoked the Presidency received a law for electing provincial assemblies, which relied on the constitutional and legal evidence," explaining that the two sides were Alnicod , The first motion, on the voting process, which ranged between public and private, and the second on the failure to ensure the law's ratio set by the Constitution for women's participation in political life, amounting to 25% of the total members of provincial assemblies.

He pointed out that Al-Sunaid "operational issues of law contained no right to intervene where the House of Representatives, or included as part of the law, the process of transfer of military forces and identify the region ahead of them and number, which is the prerogative of the general commander of the armed forces only as a purely military matter, not Regarding the legislative side. "

It is noteworthy that the Iraqi parliament voted, last Tuesday, the approval of the provincial council elections law despite the withdrawal of the Kurdistan Alliance bloc of the parliamentary session, as well as the vote on postponing the elections in Kirkuk, a term not exceeding the end of the month of December of this year, and the Kirkuk Governorate Council resolutions During the period of deferral compatibility between key components "Arabs - a response - Turkmen", and the division of power in Kirkuk between the three main components by 32% each composed of key components and 4% for Christians, and transfer the security file in the city to military units from around the southern and central Iraq, Instead of the military units currently operating.

Translated version of http://iraqalaan.com/bm/Politics/3951.shtml