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

Iraq's debt .. Saudi Arabia backed away from its obligations and claims contrary to the assurances of Kuwait

Direct effects of markets ... modern high-ranking Kuwaiti official, expressed his country's debt implications of the "new Iraq" debate in Baghdad, and commemorated by a new issue of external debt, valued at billions of dollars owed by the country to Gulf countries and Arab world. Although the figures are conflicting, estimates "markets. Net" the size of the remaining debt on Iraq between 55 and 80 billion dollars, fell out of 120 billion, after overthrowing the creditors write off the huge sums, according to the statistics of "Paris Club" Based on the figures of the Ministry of Finance of Iraq and press reports , And the statements of Iraqi officials. Iraq questions the validity of these debts, officials say "it paid to the former regime in the form of military aid"; demanding a cancellation of more than one occasion, has found acceptance of their demands in Europe and America have not fallen on Arab ears, but from the United Arab Emirates.

Debt Kuwait .. An old new
After talking to the T.e.l.e.vision Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Mohammed Sabah, who stressed that "Iraq's debts to Kuwait are old and due must be paid, a human Kuwaiti people", was transformed into a modern case of Iraqi attack warned of renewed street nightmare again.

Although the Iraqis looked forward to Kuwait to forget the past, and will tend to write off debts like in the United Arab Emirates (wrote off $ 7 billion), but the Kuwaiti government stressed that it will not drop the debt estimated by observers b 16 billion dollars, and felt that the Iraqi economy in a marked improvement, They will also witness the Iraqi budget surplus this year significantly, it could repay the debt.

Secrets on the table
The Chairman of the parliamentary economic Haider Abadi, the Iraqi astonished by the Kuwaiti minister's statements, and believed "it is contrary to previous assurances Kuwaiti."

In response to a question, "the market. Net", talking about any reassurances? Revealed that it had previously been high-ranking Iraqi officials to discuss the subject of debt and compensation Kuwaiti implications on Iraq in one official meetings with the Emir of Kuwait and Chairman of the Council of Ministers and other Kuwaiti officials, and obtained assurances from them included - according to Abadi - "Silence on this debt and not to ask them."

In the event confirmed that there were pledges from the Government of Kuwait to Iraq regarding the debt without going through the Council of the Nation, such information would cause a sharp contrast between the legislative and E.x.e.cutive branches; because members of the Council stressed more than once to report the fate of Kuwaiti debt on Iraq determined by the Council of the Nation And not the government, which already confirmed by the Kuwaiti government itself and said it "it was back to the Council."

Download Kuwait responsibility
Abadi adds, "The consequences of the debt Iraq is the result of what he described as" rashness "the former Iraqi regime, and" adventures "of war with neighboring states like Iran and Kuwait, and injustice loading Iraqi people dire consequences." He said: "Kuwait, which provided funds to Iraq during its war with Iran also have to bear responsibility." He pointed out that countries far completely from Iraq dropped its debts; therefore expect a neighbor and his brother and a Muslim to be Iraqis mercy of these states. "

The temptation to invest in debt
He added that "Kuwait can get - through good relations - at times the value of debt" in a clear reference to that Kuwait could recruit their participation in the reconstruction.

This opens a new page of words "trading" of Iraq's foreign debts, through the temptation of creditors to obtain a share of the cake reconstruction contracts versus debt cancellation.

The previously spoken Iraqi government and creditors shooting down the bulk of their debts like Russia for example (shot down 12 billion dollars) frankly about trade in the debt which requires dropping the debt in return for oil contracts and concessions in investment.

Abadi believes that this draft as long as there's no corruption, and are legitimate and sound manner; because Iraq's economy needs to write off these debts contrast to the broad investment and quick.

Abadi said that "Iraq does not translate the world to write off its debts; because Iraqis believe that this debt is right; because they were paid to the creditor nations know that oppressive and kill people".

Saudi and Egyptian debt
On the Saudi debt estimated at 15 billion dollars, Abadi said that "Saudi Arabia plummeted - during the Sharm el-Sheikh summit in Egypt late last year - on earlier pledges to write off 80% of the debts owed by Iraq." He added that "no negotiations between Baghdad and Riyadh in this regard." As for Egyptian debt and reparations, he said Haidar Abadi, "that some of them old and could not verify the validity, but there is a possibility to reach solutions with our brothers in Egypt."

The size of the Iraqi debt to Egypt 1.6 billion dollars, of which $ 553 million public debt, and $ 784 million Egyptian workers compensation, and $ 222 million to the owners of Egyptian companies in particular.

The religion of Saudi and Kuwaiti largest external debt on Iraq, The Emirates had cancelled last year, all debts owed by Iraq, estimated at about $ 7 billion, including interest.

Debt figures
According to our estimates and follow-ups, the Iraqi debt declined significantly one year after the fall of Baghdad and even now to between 55 and 80 billion dollars, the largest share condemned by Iraq to the Arab Gulf states.

Larger sums that have been put out: -
19 countries in the Paris Club; dropped about 44 billion dollars include: Russia (shot down 12 billion dollars), Latin (4.1 billion dollars), Japan (6.8 billion dollars) and Germany (5.1 billion U.S. dollars), France (5.1 billion U.S. dollars), Bulgaria (3.1 billion U.S. dollars), and others.

Commercial creditors; shooting down of 16 billion dollars according to the requirements of the Paris Club.

Other countries outside the Paris Club; dropped 8.2 billion dollars.

United Arab Emirates; dropped to $ 7 billion is all debt with interest.

Remaining debt include: -
The largest of the Gulf states (Kuwait, Saudi Arabia) about 31 billion dollars.
Paris Club ..7.6 billion dollars.
Other debts outside the Paris Club 15.9 billion dollars to 16.2 billion dollars.
Debt of billions of dollars to other Arab and foreign countries not disclosed.


Translated version of http://www.hewarat.dk/hewarat_data.php?sid=9224

Of the parliamentary committee Territories: semi-final agreement on the issue of Kirkuk and Nukhayb aimed to create tension between members of the Iraqi people

Head of the Committee on Territories in the House of Representatives from the Iraqi Accord Front MP Hashem Al-Taee as an agreement semi-final between the political blocs on the issue of organizing elections in the city of Kirkuk, "including passing the electoral law will allow the Iraqi parliament during the next legislative term."

And between Al-Taee in an interview with "Uzmatik" today, Wednesday, that "agreement was reached by 75% on safeguards that must be submitted to political parties to ensure the holding of elections in the city of Kirkuk just ensures approval of all components of the city."

He added that Al-Taee "political blocs agreed on all the paragraphs of the electoral law and was ready for a vote in Parliament, if it was agreed that the issue of elections in the city of Kirkuk final."

The Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mahmoud scene, the adjournment of parliament, on Wednesday, the sixth of this August, declaring the end of the current legislative without voting on the law of provincial council elections, identifying the ninth of September next date for the start of the new legislative chapter.

The Al-Taee, "The political blocs even objecting to the electoral law is trying to accuse any dimensions on the same disable the passing of the bill, so the next legislative vote will see all the blocs on the law, fearing that might draw criticism from grass-roots" as he put it.

He accused the Chairman of the Committee on Territories in the Iraqi parliament some political actors to "raise the subject area Nukhayb disputed area between the provinces of Anbar, Karbala and to divert the attention of the Iraqi people away from the issue of Kirkuk."

Al-Taee, warned that "further raise the subject of Nukhayb complexities facing the solution to the issue of Kirkuk city, and that he would return to the resentment of the new Iraqi street" as saying.

Al-Taee said that "political actors, which raised the subject of Nukhayb trying to suggest that the Iraqi street disputed areas do not include the subject of the city of Kirkuk, but a number of other cities of Iraq to alleviate the popular resentment toward what is happening in the city of Kirkuk."

It is noteworthy that the Chairman of the Board of Karbala Governorate, Abd Al-Yasiri, said in an interview earlier told "Uzmatik" that "Nukhayb deducted from Karbala to include the province of Anbar, according to the policies of demographic change that had prevailed earlier, despite the Iraqi governorates, but this does not preclude the existence of overlapping Administrative, must be resolved through recourse to article 140 of Iraqi constitution to resolve administrative disputes. " Warned the Chairman of the Board of Anbar province, Abdullah Abdel-Salam Al-Ani in an interview earlier told "Uzmatik" hand of the deduction of Nukhayb administratively to the province of Anbar, Karbala Governorate to the annexation, accusing some of the parties as "trying to spread division and strife between the spectra of the Iraqi people, by raising this issue ".

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Receiving salaries from cash machines by the Smart Card

The director general Abdul Hussein Al-Rafidain Bank Yasiri to work smart card will provide a first stage, staff and retirees covered by the network of social protection could receive their salaries from any ATMs.

He added Yasiri, in a statement singled out by today, Wednesday, Radio Dijla to receive salaries will be available from any province where a staff member present during the disbursement of salaries.

He explained that the Smart Card 250 and indispensable means including the use of use tariff and health.

Translated version of http://www.radiodijla.com/cgi-bin/news/news_item.pl?id=2008-08-13%2012:58:13

Oil delegation heads to China to develop Ahdab oilfield

A senior oil delegation headed by the Iraqi minister oil and Wassit governor will head to China by the end of this month to discuss means of developing the Ahdab oilfield in the province.

"The visiting delegation will also include officials from the ministry's contracts department and several local officials," an official spokesman for the Iraqi Ministry of Oil, Aasem Jihad, told Aswat al-Iraq -Voices of Iraq - (VOI).

"Talks will focus on the establishment of al-Zabidiya electricity station, which is expected to be fed with fuel from the field," the spokesman noted.

Ahdab oilfield is one of the largest fields in the country, whose capacity is expected to reach 200,000 barrels per day (bpd) once rehabilitation work is completed, Jihad added.

Wassit, 180 km south of Baghdad, is in the east of the country. Its name comes from the Arabic word meaning "middle," as it lies along the Tigris about midway between Baghdad and Basra.

Its major cities include the capital, Kut, and al-Hayy. Prior to 1976 it was known as Kut Province.

Aswat Aliraq

Lower demand for the dollar in daily auction

Demand for the dollar was lower in the Central Bank of Iraq's (CBI) auction on Thursday, registering at $104.345 million compared to $114.095 million on Wednesday.

"The demand hit $21.535 million in cash and $82.810 million in foreign transfers outside the country, all covered by the bank at an exchange rate of 1,187 Iraqi dinars per dollar, unchanged for the third session in a row," an official source from the bank told Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq - (VOI).

None of the 13 banks that participated in the auction offered to sell dollars.

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

Aswat Aliraq

About 374 Iraqi companies registered at MOT-statement

Iraq’s Ministry of Trade (MOT) on Thursday said that 374 different Iraqi companies were registered as violence has seen its lowest ebb in the conflict-racketed country.

"The department of companies registration at the MOT recorded 374 different Iraqi companies," said the National media Centre’s statement received by Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq - (VOI).

The announcement "220 Iraqi companies were referred to the public notary, for violating the companies' law,".

"287.091 million Iraqi dinars have been collected from companies that violated the law as fines," it added.

Iraq lacks flexible rules for open-market economy and many companies called for more transparent legislations to regulate business activities in the country.

Aswat Aliraq

Iraq Minister: US Combat Troops to Pull Out in Three Years under Deal

American soldiers will withdraw from cities across Iraq next summer and all US combat troops will leave the country within three years, provided the violence remains low, under the terms of a draft agreement with the Iraqi Government.

In one of the most detailed insights yet into the content of the deal, Hoshyar Zebari, the Iraqi Foreign Minister, has also told The Times that the US military would be barred from unilaterally mounting attacks inside Iraq from next year.

In addition, the power of arrest for US soldiers would be curbed by the need to hand over any detainee to a new, US-Iraqi committee. Troops would require the green light from this joint command before conducting any operation.

The Pentagon refused to comment last night on the proposals laid out in the draft agreement between Baghdad and Washington that covers the status of US forces beyond 2008. Britain will strike its own deal with Iraq but Gor-don Brown hopes to withdraw most British troops from Iraq by next summer, reducing the number of soldiers from 4,100 to “a few hundred” by then.

Mr Zebari said in an interview: “Our negotiators and the Americans have almost brought it [the accord] to a close. It is not a closed deal but it is very close.”

After five months of sometimes heated debate, the technical part of the job – drawing up a legally sound document that contains various compromises and is written in the right language – is over.

Next, Nouri al-Maliki, the Prime Minister, Jalal Talabani, the President, and other Iraqi leaders must give their approval – something that could happen this month, although Mr Talabani is in the United States recovering from a knee operation.

The so-called strategic framework, which includes a temporary status-of-forces agreement (Sofa), would then be put before parliament, which returns from a summer break in early September.

Asked if the deal was acceptable to Iraq, Mr Zebari said: “I think we can defend it, yes. I would say that it is the most advanced version of a Sofa ever that the United States has done with any other country . . . because [of] the areas of compromises, of concessions, of understanding.

“This is not a recolonisation as some of our critics say, or another Anglo-Iraqi treaty of the 1930s that will bind Iraq.” The terms of the deal can be reviewed within one or two years, subject to the approval of both sides – which ensures that the next US Administration will not be bound by the conditions.

Mr Zebari said that the agreement also made no provision for permanent US military bases in the country – a point of contention for the Iraqi public. The United States has scores of sprawling military camps up and down Iraq. Both sides “have managed to make some compromises on all the sticky issues or problematic areas of any Sofa, which are universal – jurisdiction; detention; powers of authorisa-tion to launch military operations; issues of sovereignty,” the Foreign Minister, speaking at his office at the Foreign Ministry in Baghdad, said.

The “time horizon” for the exit of US troops would depend upon the ability of the Iraqi police and army to maintain security gains in Iraq after a surge of US forces in 2007 helped to push violence to its lowest levels in 4½ years.

“We are talking about combat troops, maybe in 2010-11, there could be drawdowns,” Mr Zebari said, confirming that this was referred to in the draft accord.

The strategic framework provides a legal basis for US forces in Iraq after a UN mandate expires at the end of the year – another contentious notion for the many Iraqis who oppose the continuing presence of foreign troops.

President Bush has long resisted setting a firm timetable to pull out the remaining 145,000 US servicemen and women in Iraq but the White House has begun referring to a general “time horizon” and “aspirational goals” in recent weeks.

The draft accord also refers to the prospect of US troops beginning to exit small bases set up inside various cities in Iraq to larger camps outside from next summer – which could be as early as June – depending on the security situation.

“The idea is really to keep these forces outside the main cities, the population centres. It doesn’t mean that they could not enter or come through,” the Foreign Minister said. The US Embassy in Baghdad declined to comment on the content of the framework accord, while describing the continuing talks as “constructive”.

The Iraqi Government must also sign a status-of-forces agreement with Britain and all other countries with troops in Iraq.

British and Iraqi officials have held discussions on the matter but no negotiations have started.

PUKmedia :: English - Iraq Minister: US Combat Troops to Pull Out in Three Years under Deal

KDP and PUK Appreciate Sistani’s Position on Kirkuk

Today the PUK and KDP political bureaus held a meeting in Erbil. KRG prime minister briefed the bureau members on his recent visit to Iran. After the meeting, they issued a statement recalling the catastrophic Shangal explosion which left hundreds killed on August 14th 2007 in Shangal district.

According to the statement, both political bureaus appreciated the Shiite spiritual leader Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani’s position on the issue of Kirkuk and article 140.

The recent tensions between Kurdistan peshmarge forces and Iraqi army were also another topic of the meeting.

“Kurdish Peshmarga forces have tirelessly fought against terrorists particularly in Mosel, Diyala and Kirkuk even before the Iraqi army begun to get on its feet. Fortunately Iraqi army could get considerable achievements across Iraq, now it is time to weep out terrorists in Diyala. Meanwhile, the Iraqi Prime Minister should take the particularity of the territories and other disputed areas (in Diyala) into consideration. KRG and Peshmarga forces have done a lot there.” The statement was quoted. The statement called for mutual cooperation between KRG and Iraqi government for combating terrorists. Both bureaus decided to send a delegation to Baghdad to meet the Iraqi prime minister in a bid to address those concerns.

PUKmedia :: English - KDP and PUK Appreciate Sistani’s Position on Kirkuk

Egypt Expected to Name New Ambassador in Iraq

Egypt is expected to reopen its embassy in Baghdad following security improvements in Iraq, Egyptian diplomats said.

According to The Media Line website, Egypt sent a delegation to Iraq this week to check the diplomatic compounds and examine the technical, managerial and security aspects of reopening an embassy in Baghdad.

The Egyptian government decided to close down its embassy in Baghdad after its ambassador Ihab A-Sharif was kidnapped and killed in 2005 in Iraq.

PUKmedia :: English - Egypt Expected to Name New Ambassador in Iraq

President Talabani Leaves Mayo Clinic after Heart Surgery

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani Thursday has left the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, US and is recovering from heart surgery, Iraqi presidency website announced.

“President Talabani has travelled to the Mayo Clinic on August 2 for a surgery on his left knee. But while conducting general medical tests, the medical team perceived that he suffers narrowness in a valve of his heart which required a heart surgery. The Surgery has been undergone and that it was successful,” the website said.

Talabani has received several congratulation cables and call p.h.o.n.es from Iraqi leaders, world presidents, political and party leaders, and social figures directly or through his office.

President Talabani expressed his gratitude for those who called him hoping for good health .President Talabani will return home to perform his duties after the recovery period passes.

Aswat Aliraq _ Economy