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

Iraq aims to lift Exports to post-war Record

London: Iraq aims to sell an extra 125,000 barrels per day (bpd) of northern Kirkuk crude in June, lifting overall shipments to a post-war record, a senior Iraqi oil official said on Monday.

If all goes well, exports of Kirkuk and Basra Light from the south will reach about 2.1 million bpd next month - up from a previous peak of around 1.93 million bpd in February.

"Let's pray," said Falah Alamri, Director General of the Somo. "In June we expect to export around 600,000 barrels per day - up from about 475,000 in May".

Scheduled maintenance at Iraq's Baiji refinery will free extra crude from the giant Kirkuk oilfields for the international market.

"June is a special month because of this," said Alamri, but he expected to see improvement in flow rates.

Tighter security has allowed Iraq to boost exports through its northern pipe-line to Turkey since last summer. Shipments of Kir-kuk are averaging around 475,000 bpd and could rise to 550,000 bpd during the fourth quarter, he said.

Opec meeting: Not before september

Opec members are exchanging ideas about the oil market but will not meet before their next scheduled gathering in September, Opec President Chakib Khelil said on Monday.

"Opec will not meet before September. Opec has decided to meet on September 9. There will be no meeting (before that)," he told reporters.

"Opec members are exchanging opinions and ideas. We will wait until September to make the right decision and see whether we need to increase output," he said.

Gulfnews: Iraq aims to lift exports to post-war record

Update......

Iraq To Accept More Cos To Bid For Oil Deals - Official

Iraq is planning to issue a new list of pre-qualified international companies to bid for future oil and gas deals to develop the country's fields, a spokesman for the Iraqi Oil Ministry said Monday.

Last April, Iraq accepted 35 international oil companies to compete for hydrocarbon contracts out of 120 firms that applied to the ministry to qualify.

"There will be another invitation for companies to submit their qualification documentation to compete for the development of smaller oil and gas fields," Assem Jihad told Dow Jones Newswires.

"There is another chance for companies to compete for the second round of licenses," he added.

Jihad said the 35 companies announced in April would compete for the development of Iraq's large oil fields. The ministry is expected to announce the first round of tenders to develop these oil fields in the second half of the year, Iraqi oil officials have said.

The ministry spokesman didn't specify when the ministry would issue the new invitation for companies to send their documentation for qualification, but said it would be as soon as the ministry finished awarding the first round of tenders to develop large oil fields.

"We don't know yet when we will invite companies for the second round of licenses but it will be immediately after the conclusion of the first round of tenders," Jihad said.

Iraq is currently in the final stages of striking what are called Technical Services Contracts with oil majors to help boost crude oil production in the country's largest producing fields.

Iraqi oil sources said these Technical Services Contracts, or TSCs, could be signed as early as June. Each would last two years and could be extended for another year.

Iraq wants to boost production by 600,000 barrels a day in six producing oil fields in northern and southern Iraq. They are Kirkuk in the north, West Qurna 1, Zubair, Missan, Rumaila and Luhais in the south.

Iraq is currently producing between 2.3 million and 2.4 million barrels a day of oil, a tiny fraction of its 115 billion barrels of proven crude reserves, the world's third largest.

Iraqi oil officials have estimated the value of each TSC to be around $500 million.

UPDATE:Iraq To Accept More Cos To Bid For Oil Deals-Official - Middle East News

Muhammad Ihsan Discusses Article 140 with US Official

Dr. Muhammad Ihsan, the KRG Minister for Extra-Regional Affairs and the Representative of Kurdistan region in the Higher Committee of Article 140 implementation met Mr. Thomas Kregnisky, the Representative of the US Embassy of Article 140 affairs.

They discussed the implementation of Article 140 and the role of (UNAMI) in activating the forementioned article.

Both sides emphasized that carrying out the decisions of the higher committee of Article 140 will lead to the stability of the region. Kregnisky expressed his accord with the equity of this question and pledged to continue the efforts in order to settle it.

PUKmedia :: English - Muhammad Ihsan Discusses Article 140 with US Official

We Are Making Progress in Iraq

While the media offers mostly images of violence, and many Americans have grown weary of the war in Iraq, I bring hopeful news to Washington this week as I meet with the administration and members of Congress.

Since 2003, we have built the Kurdistan Region as a model for democracy and a gateway for development for all of Iraq. We are willing partners in this transition toward an Iraqi government that is representative of all its people. Through our peshmerga forces, we provide some of the most effective units against al Qaeda and other terrorist groups. We Kurds are committed to a federal, democratic Iraq at peace within its borders and with its neighbors.

We are working with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and the Iraqi leadership in Baghdad on the difficult issues facing our country. Our relationship with Iraq's federal government has never been better. And progress is being made on an oil law, the status of disputed territories, the proper role for Iraq's neighbors to play, and on relations between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and Turkey.

First, the oil law. We will now start negotiations using a draft drawn up in February of 2007. We'll also establish a process to send the national oil law, the revenue sharing law, and the laws concerning the Iraqi National Oil Company and the Oil Ministry in Baghdad to parliament as one package – to be voted up or down.

New oil contracts will be approved based on agreed-upon guidelines. The oil exploration contracts the KRG has already signed won't present a problem, because they were negotiated based on the highest standards of transparency.

There is also progress in settling the status of Kirkuk and other disputed territories. Previous Iraqi regimes expelled Kurds, Turkmen and Christians from Kirkuk, and gerrymandered provincial borders to change its demography. Article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution establishes a legal process to remedy this injustice. We are encouraged that the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary General is helping to develop a proposal regarding the implementation of Article 140.

As we resolve internal issues, we also understand the importance of a peaceful relationship with all our neighbors, based on mutual respect and noninterference in internal affairs.

To that end, we will continue reassuring our neighbors that a federal Iraq is not a threat. But we will also continue to encourage our neighbors to do what they can to stop terrorists from infiltrating Iraq.

We think it is imperative that Middle Eastern states send their diplomatic representatives to Iraq, and for these states to proactively prevent terrorists from slipping across their borders. Unprovoked and recurring bombardment of the Kurdistan Region by Turkey and Iran must stop.

There has also been a historic step forward in KRG-Turkish relations. On May 1, I represented my government in the first high-level, official bilateral meeting with Turkey. Held in Baghdad, the meeting was conducted in a cordial atmosphere, and both sides stressed similar views on a wide range of issues. We reiterated to our Turkish colleagues our commitment to good neighborly relations, which is underscored by the growing Turkish investment in the Kurdistan Region. Our talks also focused on the need for practical steps and continued dialogue on all outstanding issues, including the problem of the PKK.

We Kurds understand and share America's frustration with the pace of political progress in Iraq. We are doing all we can to create security, stability and prosperity. While progress has not come fast enough, Iraq remains a worthy cause.

As Americans debate the future of the U.S. role in Iraq, allow me to say that America's mission remains vital to the stability and security of our region. A precipitous withdrawal of U.S. forces could be calamitous. We welcome a U.S. presence in the Kurdistan Region as part of any redeployment of forces.

The Kurdish people of Iraq suffered under Saddam Hussein. And we fought and died alongside Americans to liberate our country. There is no ambiguity about the depth of gratitude that Kurds feel for America's sacrifices in Iraq. Americans who have been killed or wounded in Iraq are heroes to me and to all of Iraq's Kurds. We will never forget what you have done for us.

Mr. Barzani is prime minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq.

We Are Making Progress in Iraq - WSJ.com

Inflation rate up by 1.8% in April

Iraq's inflation rate index rose by 1.8% in April 2008, compared to March 2008, while the annual inflation rate jumped by 5.5% in the period April 2007-April 2008, the Central Agency for Statistics and Information Technology said.

A rise in the consumer price index (CPI) reflected an increase in the average price of the following consumer goods and services: foodstuffs (13.6%), furniture (0.8%), medical services and medicines (1.3%), and varied goods and services (0.6%), according to a report released by the agency and received by Aswat al-Iraq, Voices of Iraq, (VOI).

Constituting 20.2% of household spending, the report indicated that the prices of cigarettes and beverages; cloth, clothes and footwear; fuel and lightening; and transport cost were higher by 1.4%, 0.2%, 4.9%, and 2.5% respectively.

The report, which is based on field data about the retail prices of goods and services in local markets, revealed a 20.1% decrease in lightening and fuel prices in April 2008, compared to the same month of last year.

Aswat Aliraq

Hike in demand for dollar at daily auction

Demand for the dollar was up in the Iraqi Central Bank's auction on Tuesday, registering at $127.485 million compared to $74.155 million on Monday.

"The demand hit $5.195 million in cash and $122.290 million in money transfers outside the country, all covered by the bank at an exchange rate of 1,199 Iraqi dinars per dollar, unchanged for the fourth session running,” according to the central bank's daily bulletin which was received by Aswat al-Iraq- Voices of Iraq- (VOI).

The 14 banks that participated in the auction offered to sell $5 million, which the bank bought all at an exchange rate of 1,197 dinars per dollar.

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

Aswat Aliraq

PM receives official apology from Bush over insult to Qur'an

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki received an official apology from U.S. President George W. Bush on a U.S. army soldier's use of a copy of the holy book of Qur'an as a shooting target, according to the semi-official al-Iraqiya TV station.

Earlier, the commander of the U.S. army in Iraq, General Lloyd Austin, apologized for Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani and Vice President Tareq al-Hashimi over the incident.

"Mashhadani received at his office in Baghdad the commander of the U.S. army in Iraq who apologized for the conduct of a U.S. soldier that opened fire at a copy of the book of Qur'an," according to a statement by Mashhadani's office as received by Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq – (VOI).

"General Austin stressed that the U.S. soldier was suspended and is now under investigative custody," the statement read.

For his part, Mashhadani said the U.S. soldier's conduct was "personal and individual but there are concerns that this incident might be misused for ill purposes," hoping "such incidents by some foolish soldiers would not be repeated."

Another statement by Hashimi's office noted that Austin has also apologized for Hashimi over the same incident.

"Feelings of bitterness and anger could not be alleviated except by a deterrent penalty and real guarantees this would not happen again in the future. This is what we expect from the U.S. army," according to a statement by Hashimi's office as received by VOI.

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, expressing appreciation for Austin's initiative, called on the U.S. army to issue a written apology for the incident.

Aswat Aliraq

Yet when we read of insurgents urinating on a captives Bible or beheading him on camera, do we see such an uproar. Just sad in our Politically correct world. Was the Soldier right to use the Holy Book for a target, not in my opinion. But I have seen and read so much from the other side that turns my stomach that I haver very little tolerance left. Come on RV and let us turn a new page in the book of Iraqi Freedom. Wish every one a Blessed Day. Warrior

Originally Posted by 67 warrior

Yet when we read of insurgents urinating on a captives Bible or beheading him on camera, do we see such an uproar. Just sad in our Politically correct world. Was the Soldier right to use the Holy Book for a target, not in my opinion. But I have seen and read so much from the other side that turns my stomach that I haver very little tolerance left. Come on RV and let us turn a new page in the book of Iraqi Freedom. Wish every one a Blessed Day. Warrior

i have to agree with you there Warrior...not enough uiproar when they do things to us but a big ole hoopala when a soldier reacts this way....our soldiers are paying the ultimate price for Iraq's freedom and that corrupt government sits on their you know what stealing everything they can under the table without passing the laws they need for an RV and stability...hopefully one day soon....Pat

Thousands of former Army personnel to return to service in Mosul

The government has allowed more than 5,000 members of the former army which the U.S. had disbanded to return to service.

The move comes as part of government efforts to deny rebels and the al-Qaeda group the means to use popular discontent as a means to raise recruits.

It is the largest single batch of former army members to be allowed to return to service and it signals the government is finally keen to appease Arab Sunnis.

The batch which includes many officers will certainly make the city notables among them tribal leaders happy.

A Defence Ministry spokesman said the members “volunteered to join the armed forces” and that the government was pleased with the move.

“The return of this large group of members and officers will boost the strength of the armed forces,” Lt. Gen. Mohammed al-Askari said.

The move also indicates that the government campaign to pacify Mosul, one of the most restive cities in the country, has been going well.

Analysts said the government in this campaign was not solely relying on military force but also trying to respond to popular demands for better services and new approach and policy.

Azzaman in English