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

ICI beginning to help Iraq, says Ban Ki-moon

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday considered the 2nd International Compact for Iraq, or ICI, which opened earlier in the Swedish capital Stockholm, as a beginning to helping the Iraqi people and not a road map, urging the participating countries to help Iraq protect its borders and improve its economy.

In his word at the inauguration ceremony of the conference, Ban Ki-Moon said "Iraq is a rich country with its resources and the international community has to help Iraqis in the stage, mainly in improving services in education and medical fields."

"I call on all participants to stress on helping the country in protecting its borders and improving its economy which would help Iraq and its neighbors," the U.N. chief said.

He vowed that the U.N. would abide by its commitments to Iraq despite the current difficulties.

Ban Ki-Moon spoke about the importance of laws approved by the Iraqi Parliament, mainly the national reconciliation and the general amnesty, because of their importance to achieving political reconciliation in the country.

The International Compact for Iraq conference opened here Thursday, amid calls from Baghdad for more help to stabilise the situation, with the participation of more than 90 countries, the U.N. and a number of international organizations.

The conference will review annual reports, prepared by the Iraqi government and the U.N., which provides a comprehensive evaluation of the progress achieved thus far and the coming challenges.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki left Baghdad yesterday heading for Stockholm accompanied by his deputy Burham Saleh, Finance Minister Bayan Jabr al-Zubaidi, and Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari.

Dignitaries expected to address the summit included U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki along with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt.

Al-Maliki and other Iraqi officials will hold bilateral meetings with Swedish officials and discuss the need for investments in Iraq's infrastructure.

The International Compact for Iraq (ICI) was launched at a conference in the Egyptian resort of Sharm al-Sheikh on May 3, 2007.

The preparatory process on the United Nations-sponsored ICI, began in July 2006 at the initiative of the Iraqi government to establish a partnership with the international community.

It is a five-year national plan to help Iraq consolidate peace, sound governance and economic reconstruction. It includes benchmarks and mutual commitments from both Iraq and the international community in pursuit of political, economic and social development goals over the next five years.

Aswat Aliraq

Raytheon awarded contract with potential value of $70m for Iraq infrastructure services

Raytheon Company has been awarded a contract potentially worth $70m to provide infrastructure services for Operation Iraqi Freedom.

DRS Technical Services, Inc. awarded Raytheon the 2008 $36.2m contract, which includes a 2009 option year worth $33.4m. Raytheon is providing subcontracting services to DRS as part of the Rapid Response contract from the Army's Communications and Electronics Command.

The contract allows Raytheon to continue designing, developing, installing and maintaining state-of-the-art command and control, communications and computing facilities in Iraq. It primarily covers operation and maintenance of existing facilities, engineering and installation of new services, network information assurance and logistics support services.

'We're providing support in real time to our commanders in the field,' said Jack Harrington, vice president, Network Centric Systems' Command and Control Systems, 'Our rapid response and evolving technical solutions ensure our soldiers have the tools they need when they need them.'

Raytheon has provided mission-critical support to the multi-national force serving in Iraq since the beginning of the conflict. The essential capabilities provided under this contract range from the Multi-National Forces headquarters location to the zone around the U.S. Embassy. It also includes enclaves throughout the International Zone and outlying bases throughout Iraq.

Raytheon awarded contract with potential value of $70m for Iraq infrastructure services | Iraq Updates

Senator Obama plans to visit U.S. troops in Iraq

Senator Barack Obama said that he was considering visiting American troops and commanders in Iraq this summer, the New York Times newspaper said on Thursday.

"Mr. Obama declined an invitation from Senator John McCain to take a joint trip to Iraq, saying, "I just don’t want to be involved in a political stunt," the paper added.

In a brief interview here, Mr. Obama said he might take a foreign trip after securing the Democratic presidential nomination. “No details have been set,” he said.

"Iraq would obviously be at the top of the list of stops," he added.
Mr. Obama visited Iraq in January 2006 as part of a Congressional delegation to the Middle East. He has not returned since becoming a presidential contender.

"Mr. McCain and the Republican National Committee have sought to use the 2006 trip to highlight a lack of foreign policy experience," the daily commented.

For weeks, aides to Mr. Obama have been quietly discussing a foreign trip, but the long Democratic nominating contest delayed concrete plans.

"If I’m going to Iraq, then I’m there to talk to troops and talk to commanders," Mr. Obama said. "I’m not there to try to score political points or perform. The work they’re doing there is too important."

Mr. McCain responded to the possible trip by saying he was "glad to hear that Senator Obama is now, quote, considering a trip to Iraq."

"It’s long overdue," Mr. McCain told reporters in Los Angeles. "It’s been 871 days since he was there."

Aswat Aliraq

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Delegates at UN-Iraq conference urge support for Iraq - Summary

Efforts by Iraq's government to increase security for its citizens were welcomed Thursday by speakers including UN Secretary General Bank Ki-moon at a UN-Iraq conference, but major concerns remained - including the plight of refugees. Ban Ki-moon said "notable progress" had been made in security, political and economic areas, but cautioned that "Iraqi people continue to suffer from acts of terrorism, sectarian violence and criminality."

However, there were signs of "hope," he said and that "Iraq is stepping back from the abyss we feared most. Nevertheless the situation remains fragile."

Late Thursday, delegates from some 90 countries were to issue a declaration on the follow-up to the International Compact for Iraq (ICI) launched a year ago at a summit in Egypt.

The ICI process aimed at increasing international support for Iraq's commitment to improve security, human rights and economic development.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said his country had "achieved progress", and remained "optimistic". He called on "sister countries to forgive debts" and stated Baghdad was committed to tackle corruption.

Debt relief was also mentioned by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who said the US "would encourage other countries" to write off their debts like Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia, Slovenia and Russia had since the ICI process was launched a year ago.

Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh later told reporters that "we are waiting for Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait as well."

The International Monetary Fund has estimated that Iraq in 2007- 2008 settled 23 billion dollars of its 75-billion-dollar external debt burden.

Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said his country had provided a soft loan to Iraq and signed contracts to provide electricity, and underlined Iran's participation in regional efforts to support the people of Iraq and al-Maliki's government.

In his opening remarks, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt underlined the importance that neighbouring countries have had in hosting the flow of refugees from Iraq, and cited the need to let "the UN take the lead in our engagement with Iraq."

Barham Sali, deputy Iraqi prime minister, told delegates that Baghdad "has allocated 195 million dollars to help with the settlement of displaced people back to their homes."

Expressing his government's optimism Sali ended his statement that he was "hoping to meet you for the next annual review in Baghdad."

Reinfeldt also highlighted the role of the European Union in Iraq as did Slovenia's Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, whose country holds the six-month rotating EU presidency.

Shortly before the opening of the conference, Reinfeldt met with Rice, who cited progress in terms of security in Iraq at a joint news conference with Reinfeldt.

"The Iraqis themselves are making considerable progress toward the achievement of an Iraq that is more stable, that has functioning institutions and where security is improving," Rice said.

It was not a donor conference, Rice said, adding that Iraqis "do need large infusions of practical assistance, project support" and help to build up its police forces and justice system.

Rice also gave credit to Sweden, which since 2003 has received some 40,000 refugees from Iraq.

Delegates at UN-Iraq conference urge support for Iraq - Summary : Middle East World

Iraq re-considers oil deal with Jordan

Iraq's vice-president Tariq al-Hashemi expressed Thursday his nation's desire to re-consider the memorandum of understanding signed in 2006 with Jordan, stipulating to provide the latter with oil at preferential prices.

He told a meeting here with representatives of the Jordanian private sector that a revision of the oil agreement with Jordan was appropriate in view of the latest spikes in the price of oil.

Emphasizing the close ties between the two countries, he noted Iraq's appreciation to Jordan for having taken in large numbers of Iraqi refugees who had to flee their country due to security concerns.

He asked the Jordanian private sector representatives to provide Iraqi officials with a list of any impediments standing in the way of smooth and brisk commerce between the two countries.

Al-Hashemi emphasized that the Iraqi marketplace was in dire need of all kinds of investments in light industries and technology and services, and impressed upon his Jordanian hosts to bring their investments to Iraq.

Trade between the two nations has picked up in recent months, with Jordanian exporters feeling the most gains. Jordanian exports to Iraq last year stood at USD 526.8 million as opposed to USD 12.2 million in imports.

كونا : Iraq re-considers oil deal with Jordan - الشؤون الإقتصادية - 29/05/2008

ISX index higher on Thursday

Iraq's Stock Exchange (ISX) index rose by 0.235 percent to settle at 38.350 points at the closing of Thursday's session, the 11th this month.

Traded shares in Thursday's session exceeded 564 million at a total value of over 750 million Iraqi dinars (1 U.S. dollar= 1,221 Iraqi dinars) by implementing 144 contracts. Non-Iraqi investors participated by implementing 27 contracts.

According to the daily analysis of the capital market, 22 companies were traded in Thursday's session out of 94 companies registered in Iraq's stock exchange, of which six indexes went up, two dropped, and 14 maintained their previous price.

The Iraqi Stock Exchange, established under Law No. 74 of the year 2004, held its first session on June 24, 2004. The stock market holds three sessions a week: Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday.

Aswat Aliraq

ICI strong message from int'l community to support building Iraq - PM

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Thursday considered the International Compact for Iraq conference, which opened this morning in Sweden, as a strong message of support from the international community for the building of a unified Iraq, and an opportunity to highlight the "current achievements" realized by his government in various domains.

"We are optimistic with what we have achieved since the Sharm el-Sheikh conference last year," al-Maliki said, noting that the data and information prepared by Iraqi experts in the annual report, which will be presented to the conference, "show our achievements in a year full of challenges."

"The Iraqi people believe in the importance of the national reconciliation which we have considered from the beginning as a 'lifeboat' and boosted our belief that Iraq would remain unified," he added.

He asserted that the government adopts the national reconciliation initiative as "a strategic vision, not a political slogan," underlining that this was the main reason civil war was averted in the country.

The International Compact for Iraq conference opened here Thursday, amid calls from Baghdad for more help to stabilize the situation, with the participation of more than 90 countries, the U.N. and a number of international organizations.

The conference will review annual reports, prepared by the Iraqi government and the U.N., which provides a comprehensive evaluation of the progress achieved thus far and the coming challenges.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki left Baghdad yesterday heading for Stockholm accompanied by his deputy Burham Saleh, Finance Minister Bayan Jabr al-Zubaidi, and Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari.

Dignitaries expected to address the summit included U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki along with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt.

Al-Maliki and other Iraqi officials will hold bilateral meetings with Swedish officials and discuss the need for investments in Iraq's infrastructure.

The International Compact for Iraq (ICI) was launched at a conference in the Egyptian resort of Sharm al-Sheikh on May 3, 2007.

The preparatory process on the United Nations-sponsored ICI, began in July 2006 at the initiative of the Iraqi government to establish a partnership with the international community.

It is a five-year national plan to help Iraq consolidate peace, sound governance and economic reconstruction. It includes benchmarks and mutual commitments from both Iraq and the international community in pursuit of political, economic and social development goals over the next five years.

Aswat Aliraq

INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND - UPDATE

International Compact with Iraq
Statement by Adam Bennett
Senior Advisor, Middle East and Central Asia Department
International Monetary Fund
Stockholm, Sweden, May 29, 2008

Mr. Secretary General, Prime Minster Al-Maliki, Deputy Prime Minister Barham Saleh, your excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, it is a great pleasure for me to address this first Annual Review Conference of the International Compact with Iraq. I would like to congratulate Prime Minister Al-Maliki, his government, and its international partners on the achievements that have been made so far toward building a more secure, stable, and prosperous future for the Iraqi people. Many challenges undoubtedly remain. The establishment of the Compact on May 3, 2007 was an important reminder that Iraq's efforts to overcome these challenges has the support of the international community. I am pleased that the Fund has been able play its part in this process.

Briefly, on the recent history of our relationship with Iraq, the Fund began to reengage with Iraq in the summer of 2003. As well as providing extensive technical assistance, the Fund has provided financial support for Iraq's economic programs, with Emergency Post-Conflict Assistance in September 2004, a Stand-By Arrangement in December 2005, and a second Stand-By Arrangement in December 2007. From its inception, the objectives of the International Compact with Iraq and those of the Fund's two Stand-By Arrangements have been consistent and both are based on the same medium-term macroeconomic framework.

The main objectives of Iraq's Fund-supported economic programs were to: (i) achieve macroeconomic stability; (ii) promote growth; and (iii) begin the process of structural reform. Much has been achieved. These successes are all the more remarkable in view of the very difficult security situation in Iraq. For this, the Iraqi authorities deserve our congratulations.

Let me note a few of the achievements of the past year. First is the impressive reduction in inflation, from 65 percent at the end of 2006 to 5 percent at the end of 2007, a rate at which it has remained so far in 2008. Second is the increase in oil production and exports since the last quarter of 2007. Having remained virtually constant at 1.4 mpbd for four years, oil exports have averaged 1.8 mbpd in the first four months of 2008. Third, explicit fuel subsidies have been all but eliminated. Domestic fuel prices were further increased in 2007, after earlier adjustments in late 2005 and in 2006.

Progress has also continued to be made in structural reforms. The amendments to the new pension law, putting the pension system on a sustainable fiscal footing, were passed in October last year. In the financial sector, audits of the country's two largest state banks (Rafidain and Rasheed banks) are underway, as a first step to developing a restructuring program for the two banks. The Central Bank of Iraq has meanwhile been making progress in improving its accounting and governance structure.

Of course, in highlighting these successes, we must acknowledge that serious challenges remain. First and foremost is the continuing challenge to improve security. In addition, it will be important to maintain a stable macroeconomic environment, strengthen the rule of law, and improve the business climate. This will be crucial for the implementation of investment plans, and for the development of the private sector, which is what will be needed to sustain economic growth and to provide jobs for Iraq's many unemployed. It will be important not to allow the achievements of the past year to be endangered. For example, wages and other current public spending must be kept under control and at levels that the economy can sustain without reigniting inflation.

Looking ahead, discussions on the first review under the current Stand-By Arrangement are scheduled to begin shortly. We hope that these discussions will have a positive outcome, and that the Fund will be able to complete this review. Keeping its IMF-supported program on track will help Iraq to secure its economic reform objectives and achieve long-term debt sustainability. The third and final stage of the Paris Club debt-reduction agreement is scheduled for December 2008, and is contingent on completion of the second and final review of the Stand-By Arrangement. In this context, it remains important to continue to make progress in reaching bilateral debt agreements with Iraq's non-Paris Club creditors. The debt relief is fully justified in order to secure the fiscal space needed to finance Iraq's reconstruction.

The Fund will continue to support the International Compact with Iraq through the medium-term macroeconomic policy framework supported under the Stand-By Arrangement. We will also continue to provide policy advice and technical assistance. Over the course of the past year, the Stand-By Arrangement and the Compact have worked together to help the Iraqi government achieve its economic goals. As these two programs are jointly carried forward, we can expect more successes on the economic front.

In conclusion, we wish the Iraqi authorities much success in further implementing the ambitious work program of the Compact.

International Compact with Iraq, Statement by Adam Bennett, Senior Advisor, Middle East and Central Asia Department, International Monetary Fund

Little action on Iraq debt relief at conference

Sweden (AP) -- A U.N. conference on Iraq ended Thursday with a declaration encouraging debt forgiveness but without commitments from its biggest creditors.

Iraq has at least $67 billion in foreign debt - most loaned by Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar during the rule of Saddam Hussein. The Geneva-based U.N. Compensation Commission says $28 billion separately remains to be paid for Saddam Hussein's 1990 invasion of Kuwait. Iraq gives 5 percent of its oil revenue to meet the compensation claims.

The country is expected to reap tens of billions of dollars in oil revenue this year because of worldwide record-high fuel prices. Oil brought in $16 billion in the first quarter of the year and $5.9 billion last month alone.

But the Iraqi government maintains it should not be obligated to repay obligations incurred by Saddam's dictatorship, which denied basic rights to its own citizens, including any say over government policy.
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki called on neighboring countries to forgive debt and compensation payments, saying they are hindering Iraq's road to recovery despite a reduction in violence.

The declaration at the end of the meeting outside Stockholm encouraged creditors to "consider resolving outstanding debts to Iraq." However, there were no vows to do so from Arab states, most of which did not send any senior officials to the conference.

"Of course we would have wished to have senior representation of the Arab states ... because Iraq is an Arab state," al-Maliki told reporters. "But this has not affected us and we did not consider that there was any negative impact of the conference."

The conference was the first annual review of the International Compact with Iraq, a sweeping five-year economic and political reform package that Ban helped broker last May in Egypt.

The compact defined international help for Iraq - including debt relief - but also set tough commitments on the Baghdad government, particularly carrying out reforms aimed at giving Sunni Arabs a greater role in the political process.

Iraq's Sunni Arab minority has long felt it is being sidelined by the majority Shiites and Kurds and the largest Sunni Arab political bloc pulled out of the 39-member Cabinet in August. On Wednesday it suspended talks about returning.

Sunni-dominated Saudi Arabia announced last year it would forgive Iraq's debt but so far has failed to implement that decision. Sunni-led Kuwait still insists that Iraq pay compensation for damages from the invasion.

"Compensation has been forced on Iraq as a state, not on the previous Iraqi regime, so legally they are obliged to pay," Kuwait's representative, Undersecretary Mansour Al Otaibi, told The Associated Press. He added that Kuwaiti and Iraqi officials need to meet to agree on exactly how much is owed.

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