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Originally Posted by stik

I lack the computer skills to post an article which appeared in today's Washington Times by Austin Bay. It outlines progress under democracy in Iraq for the last two years. I found it helpful and hopeful as well.

Stik

COMMENTARY: Iraqi democracy, two years later

Considering the violent threats, fractured politics and bitter history it confronts, Iraq's democratic government has accomplished much in two short years.

For a variety of reasons - most self-serving, a few disgustingly dishonest - American and European debate over Iraq all too often loses or conveniently discards three pertinent facts regarding the Iraq of May 2008: It has survived in very complex conditions, it is the product of democratic elections, and it has several hard-fought but significant accomplishments in its two bloody years of existence.

Its birth was hard, and frankly, its birth isn't over. The Iraqi general elections of December 2005 - which laid the foundations for the new government - reflected not only the deep and fractured politics of post-despotism Iraq but provided a representative sample of the entire Middle East's fractious ethnic and sectarian divisions.

For at least seven millennia, Mesopotamia has been precious terrain, and that long history involves multiple births, collisions and deaths. The present sectarian and ethnic mosaic is a product of that rich history. Mesopotamia has seen several determinative births, including the Agricultural Revolution and, if you credit Abraham of Ur, the birth of Western monotheism. Empires have expanded and shrunk to ruins, with Babylon (its bricks lie south of Baghdad) a premier example.

Many Mesopotamian collisions remain unresolved - not just between Shia and Sunni Muslims (a product in part of the battle of Karbala in A.D. 680), but between Semitic Arabs and Iranians. And don't forget Arabs encountering Turks, with Kurds in the buffer.

Vicious tyranny put a murderous, exploitative clamp on these people - in Saddam's case an adventurous tyranny willing to invade Iran and Kuwait and wage 12 years of sanctions war with the United Nations. Various terrorist groups promise various utopias (in al Qaeda's case, a global "sectarian cleansing").

The December 2005 elections continued the difficult process of mitigating these collisions and divisions, a process arguably begun when the United Nations-established post-Desert Storm no-fly zones over northern and southern Iraq. Post-election attempts to form a government repeatedly failed. A mid-March 2006 goal for establishing a government came and went. The February 2006 terror attack that destroyed Samarra's Golden Mosque was timed to thwart any parliamentary compromise.

Yet Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki never buckled. In late May 2006, the fractious parliament approved a Cabinet - another step in the birth process of democratic government in Mesopotamia.

Mr. al-Maliki faced repeated attempt to oust him - attempts using terror and violence but also parliamentary means, which are, paradoxically, a positive sign.

The Iraqi government hasn't met American expectations, which are largely shaped by the U.S. presidential election cycle, but dismissing its achievements is arrogant and ignorant. It is also myopic, given the century-shaping regional and global implications of Iraqi success.

The Federalism Law, de-Ba'athification reforms and amnesty laws and the Provincial Powers Act are major legislation, especially when crafted, debated and passed amidst sensational terrorist attacks designed to shake the confidence of Iraqis and keep international media focused on conflict instead of maturing compromise.

Reconciliation and consolidation have not been achieved, though Iraqis clearly know a lot more about reconciliation in Iraq than Americans. The December 2006 ****ution of Saddam, marred though it was, removed the personality from the tyrant's cult of the personality.

Saddam's "former regime elements" believed if they hung on that Saddam would return to power. The dictator's open and fair trial also served as a forum to express the people's shared suffering.

Operation Charge of the Knights, begun in southern Iraq in March, followed by Lion's Roar in the Mosul area, are security operations that have clearly served the larger political purposes of strengthening national support for the federal government. Kurds and Sunni Arabs expressed overwhelming support for Charge of the Knights attacks on Shia gangs. The Mosul offensive was designed to destroy al Qaeda cells that have increasingly focused their violence on Iraqi Sunnis who have joined the political process.

Success over the last two years has been incremental -democracies tend to work that way. There are signs, however that a democratic foundation is being built for a more secure, productive and free Iraqi future.

Austin Bay is a nationally syndicated columnist.

The Washington Times COMMENTARY: Iraqi democracy, two years later

Iran touts Economic Projects in Iraq

STOCKHOLM - An American pitch to get more countries to invest in Iraq got a positive response yesterday - but from an unwelcome source.

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told participants at an international conference attended by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that companies from the Islamic republic were outpacing most others in the region in their contributions to Iraq's economic development.

The boast prompted a sour warning from a U.S. official that Iraq should take care that Iranian business activities on its territory do not violate U.N. sanctions against Tehran.

"Iranian companies have undertaken some economic projects and public works in Iraq to contribute to the economic development of this country, both in the south and in the north," Mr. Mottaki said at the Stockholm conference.

He did not elaborate on private investment, but he offered more details on Iranian government-funded undertakings in Iraq's railroad, electricity and oil sectors.

"To meet Iraq's intense need for electricity, a contract for construction of nine power transmission lines from Iran to Iraq with a capacity of 2,000 megawatts has been signed," he said.

Earlier yesterday, Miss Rice and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki had urged foreign countries to invest in Iraq and help it build a modern infrastructure now that there have been "significant improvements in security."

"The Iraqis don't need large sums of money," Miss Rice said. "They do need large infusions of technical assistance, project support, helping to build adequate police forces ... an adequate justice system [and] the capacity to ****ute their large budgets down to the provincial and the local levels."

Mr. Mottaki also took a jab at the United States, causing Miss Rice to roll her eyes and smirk.

"Due to the mistaken policies pursued by the occupiers in Iraq, the situation of security in Iraq is now so grave that it has cast its shadow on other areas of life in this country," he said.

The U.S. has accused Iran of providing weapons and support to Shi'ite Muslim extremists in Iraq.

Deputy Treasury Secretary Robert Kimmitt, who accompanied Miss Rice, told reporters that he was not familiar with the investment Mr. Mottaki described but urged Mr. al-Maliki's government to make sure Iraq is not violating U.N. sanctions by doing business with Iran.

"Any activity anywhere in the world, including in Iraq, that could have in any way a facilitating effect on the Iranian proliferation program would be prohibited by the Security Council resolutions, and Iraq is a member-state of the U.N.," Mr. Kimmitt said.

The Security Council has imposed three sanctions resolutions on Tehran for failing to come clean on its nuclear program, which Iran insists is peaceful but the West suspects is an undercover military effort.

The sanctions affect individuals, companies and institutions, and Mr. Kimmitt said the Iraqi government has the right to accept foreign investment that "contributes to the Iraqi economy" as long as it has no dealings with targeted entities.

But Miss Rice said that, even if a company is not on the blacklist, anyone who does business with Iran takes "reputational risks."
She said a stable, democratic Iraq "will be a block against Iranian influence in the region."

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt co-hosted yesterday's conference, the first annual review of the so-called International Compact with Iraq.

Miss Rice and Mr. al-Maliki pressed Sunni Arabs to cancel billions of dollars in Iraqi debt and reopen embassies in the war-torn country, which they promised a year ago but have yet to deliver.

The meeting of nearly 100 countries and international organization ended with no commitments from Iraq's biggest creditors. About $65 billion of Iraq's debt has been canceled, but as much as $80 billion still remains, Mr. Kimmitt said.

The Washington Times Iran touts economic projects in Iraq

Opposition to Article 140 grows
"The longer this article is delayed, the more voices will stand against it"

The October provincial council elections, which are becoming more of a hot-button issue every day, must be delayed, says the Kurdistan Coalition List.

According to the Iraqi Constitution, Kurdistan Parliament has the authority to decide how to hold provincial council elections in the region.

Meanwhile, Iraqi Parliament is seriously discussing the passage of a provincial council law on which different political parties are disputing how to hold the October elections.

"According to the Iraqi Constitution, any federal region can have its own law, and this includes Kurdistan Region; thus, it is possible not to hold provincial council elections in the region" at the same time it is being held in other Iraqi provinces, said Dr. Sa'di Barzinji, a member of Iraqi Parliament, about the Kurdistan Coalition List.

Mahmoud Osman, another Kurdish lawmaker in Iraqi Parliament, would prefer if the provincial election included Kurdistan's three provinces as well. "However, it will not be a problem if it is not held since Kurdistan Region has its own law for elections," he explained.

Kurdish leaders care a great deal about the provincial election to be held in the provinces included in Article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution.
The Kurdistan Coalition List in Baghdad and the (Kurdish) Brotherly List in Kirkuk have demanded the delay of the provincial elections in Kirkuk and other disputable areas until all the paragraphs of Article 140 are fulfilled.

"The Kurdistan Coalition List has a unified attitude in demanding the postponement of the provincial elections in Kirkuk until Article 140 is implemented," said Osman. "The longer this article is delayed, the more voices will stand against it." He noted that a large number of Iraqi Islamic Party, Shiite United Iraqi Coalition, and Sunni Accord Front List members now oppose the return of Kirkuk to Kurdistan Region as well as the implementation of the constitutional article.

As for the provincial elections in Kirkuk, "The situation of that city is not suitable now; the displaced people should be returned to this city, while people who were brought in should be sent to their original places," explained Barzinji.

Muhammad Kamal, head of the Kurdish group at the Kirkuk provincial council, declared that they have also asked for the postponement of upcoming provincial elections, which are supposed to be held next October.

Meanwhile, Arabs and Turkmen of Kirkuk are persisting on another suggestion that is unsuitable for Kurds. They seek to divide Kirkuk's provincial council seats between the four main ethnic groups in the city: 32% each for Kurds, Arabs, and Turkmen, and 4% for Christians.

Barzinji described the suggestion as unconstitutional and said that "it is appointing, not electing."

"We, the Kurdistan Coalition List, are against this suggestion and in no way will we accept its inclusion in the electoral laws. If they continue to insist on this, we will take a bigger stance," he clarified.

Opposition to Article 140 grows | Iraq Updates

Oil, housing most sectors of investment in Meisan

Maysan governor has specified oil and housing sectors in the province as most distinguished sectors qualified for investment and expect the receiving of enterprisers' offers over the next period.

Governor of Meisan, Eng. Adel Mahdoor Radhi told as-Sabah, Meisan province depends on oil and housing sectors as they are sectors qualified and encouraged for investment after investment law enters implementation domain.

Oil, housing most sectors of investment in Meisan | Iraq Updates

Sadrists Protest US-Iraq Military Deal
Thousands of supporters of cleric Moqtada al-Sadr demonstrated in Baghdad and elsewhere in Iraq after Friday prayers to denounce a government deal with Washington on US troop levels.

Followers of the anti-US cleric *****ished placards outside mosques in their Sadr City stronghold in the capital as security forces stepped up their presence there.

A key member of the Sadrist movement, Sheikh Mohannad Al-Gazawi, denounced the proposed deal that will extend the US troop presence in Iraq beyond 2008.

"This agreement binds Iraq and gives 99 percent of the country to America," he said.

The faithful carried placards slamming "the disastrous agreement that tears Iraq apart and gives in to the occupying power." Another said: "This agreement surrenders the sovereignty of Iraq."

In Kut, 175 kilometers (109 miles) south of Baghdad, hundreds of Sadrists staged similar demonstrations.

In the southern city of Basra, the spokesman for the Sadr bloc in the Baghdad parliament, Nassar al-Rubaie, joined a protest there, correspondents said.

Friday's demonstrations followed a call by Sadr to protest and force Baghdad to abandon its proposed deal with Washington.

Sadr said the proposed Status of Forces Agreement aimed to give a legal basis to US troops after the December 31 expiry of a UN mandate defining their current status, and was "against Iraqi national interests."

"After every Friday prayers, everyone must protest and demonstrate until the agreement is cancelled," he said in a statement.

Last November US President George W. Bush and Maliki signed a non-binding statement of principles for negotiations which began in March with the aim of concluding a pact by the end of July.

There are currently about 152,500 American servicemen and women deployed in Iraq, which was invaded by US-led forces in March 2003.

The proposed military pact has come under fire from other religious and political leaders.

http://english.alalam.ir/en-NewsPage...20080530182250

This is a couple of days old - I may well have posted it - but I am posting again as I cannot recall.

Interview: Crescent Petroleum's Majid Jafar
SHARJAH, United Arab Emirates, May 28 (UPI) -- In a 20th floor leisure room overlooking the lake in the center of this Emirate's skyscrapers, Majid Jafar talks of matters far up the Persian Gulf, where seemingly every oil company wants to be: Iraq.

Crescent Petroleum, the Sharjah-based oil company of which Jafar is an ****utive director, is already there. Along with Dana Gas, partly owned by Crescent and on whose board Jafar sits, the company is working with the Kurdistan Regional Government to develop natural gas resources for domestic consumption and exports.

This move, however, has kept both companies off the short list of firms eligible to bid in a first round of development deals to be offered by the Iraq Oil Ministry, which thus far has blacklisted the more than 20 international companies that signed deals with the KRG.

Jafar, whose family comes from Iraq, talked to United Press International from Crescent headquarters about his companies' current and future plans in Iraq, and what the future of the country's oil and gas sector should look like.

Q: Why did Crescent, and by extension Dana Gas, choose these projects in Iraq?

A: We were actually approached by the prime minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Mr. Nechirvan Barzani, to address the pressing need for gas supply for power generation, and were uniquely positioned to do so, as a local consortium with capability across all elements of the value chain -- from upstream to downstream, with readiness to start work immediately and deliver results quickly. As you know, ensuring adequate power generation is a primary objective in Iraq today, and especially in the Kurdistan region, where no new-generation capacity has been installed since my grandfather, Dr. Dhia Jafar, as Iraq's development minister inaugurated the two hydroelectric dams 50 years ago. New power plants to produce 1,250 MW, which will benefit all of Iraq, are now in the final stages of construction near Erbil and Suleymaniya, and the gas we will be producing, processing and transporting to fuel them will provide savings to the government of over U.S. $2.5 billion that would otherwise have to be spent on importing liquid fuels. Simply put, these projects will essentially provide sustainable electricity for over 4 million Iraqis in addition to creating thousands of job opportunities.

Q: Where do you see Crescent Group in Iraq in the short, middle and long term?

A: We are proud to have had an uninterrupted presence in Iraq for almost 20 years now, through all the conflicts, sanctions and hardships. As an indigenous company, we have a real long-term commitment to Iraq and the Iraqi people, with offices across the country in Baghdad, Erbil, Suleymaniya and Basra; and we are capable of real work on the ground today. Our current projects in the Kurdistan region see us investing U.S. $650 million in just over a year -- the largest private sector project in Iraq today and the largest energy project by the private sector in decades. The project is well over 80 percent complete and includes shooting seismic, drilling wells, constructing 180km of gas pipelines across difficult and sometimes mine-infested mountainous terrain, and installing two *****-new LPG plants for gas processing. All this is being carried out in just over a year -- a record feat in any environment, but especially in Iraq with all the unique challenges. We are very proud of these achievements and hope to build upon them in all parts of Iraq, especially the south, where we have had a much longer involvement and experience. In the longer term, I hope that Crescent will be one of many Iraqi-owned private companies that are actively participating in the development of the vital oil and gas sector for the national benefit of all Iraqis.

Q: Is there any worry CG will be sidelined from the rest of Iraq because you signed to develop the KRG area?

A: The work we are doing in the Kurdistan region will benefit all of Iraq and is something we are proud of. As I said, over 4 million Iraqi citizens will benefit from affordable electricity as a direct result of this project, with the surplus power supplies going to the national grid as well. In addition, we are providing work opportunities for over 2,000 Iraqi nationals of all ethnic groups and sects, as well as extensive on-the-ground training and community support projects in the areas in which we operate. We are entirely confident about the legal, technical and moral correctness of what we are doing, and as Iraqis, we certainly don't expect any discrimination for providing positive tangible benefits for Iraq at this critical time. In any case, all government revenues from all oil and gas projects in all regions of Iraq are to be shared by all the people in accordance with Iraq's Constitution.

Q: What would CG like to do in the rest of Iraq? What are some projects you're thinking about or have already proposed?

A: Our relationship and experience with the Oil Ministry in Baghdad goes back a long way. In particular, our focus has been on the Ratawi oil field in Basra governorate, for which we formed a consortium and negotiated a detailed development plan and contract with the Oil Ministry in the 1990s, but chose not to sign out of respect for the international sanctions at the time. We have fully updated the plan and budget, and are ready to implement it straight away, with first oil in production within 18 months, and adding 250,000 barrels per day of new production capacity for Iraq faster and more economically efficient than could be achieved by any foreign company. In addition, we have carried out an exploration study in the south at the ministry's request, and carried out training programs for personnel of the ministry and state-owned companies. Our success and proven capability in the north have already resulted in requests by officials in Baghdad and the southern governorates to replicate such projects for local benefit as well.

Q: Crescent and Dana were not part of the 35 pre-qualified companies. Why do you think that was?

A: As we all know, there is a lot of politics in Iraq at the moment -- with statements by the current oil minister, the third in Baghdad in four years, that he wants to exclude companies investing in the Kurdistan region, and counter-statements not just from the KRG but from other ministers in Baghdad also. The irony is that not one of the so-called qualified companies has any recent experience in Iraq or even a presence of any kind in the country today, and it's not clear what the process is all about. For our part, we focus on results and stay out of short-term politics: Crescent is the oldest private-sector oil and gas company in the Middle East, and we have been qualified for oil and gas operations by many countries, including the (United Arab Emirates), Qatar, Iran, Egypt, Yemen, Pakistan, India and, of course, by Iraq itself for almost 20 years, as I mentioned. Dana Gas is the largest regional publicly listed energy company operating in the Middle East, with 300,000 shareholders and is a major gas producer in Egypt. Both companies have already proven an ability to deliver real results on major integrated energy projects in Iraq, quicker and more cost-effectively than any foreign company could. At the end of the day, results speak for themselves, and we are confident in our ability to play a real and positive long-term role in the development of the Iraqi oil and gas sector. The Iraqi people are tired of politics and unrealized plans, and don't need more technical studies but rather real rapid results delivered by companies willing to invest in Iraq and work on the ground immediately.

Q: Crescent and Dana's plans appear to be focused on domestic use. Why is that?

A: Quite simply, because that is what Iraq needs today. Especially for natural gas, the highest economic value for any country comes from displacing liquid fuels for domestic power generation. Thereafter, local industrial use guarantees higher economic value and job creation, and we are addressing this need through the development of the Gas City in the Kurdistan region -- which will utilize additional gas supplies beyond the needs of the power plants to encourage local industry and hence spur economic growth, foreign investment and job creation. We are actually developing this unique concept in multiple other locations across the region, and have plans to offer it for southern and western Iraq as well.

Q: Most companies trying to get work in Iraq are focused on exploring, developing and producing for export. Is this the wrong course for Iraq?

A: It is not wrong to export the crude oil or natural gas, but only when domestic requirements are met, of course. As a tragic example, Iraq is currently flaring over 1 billion cubic feet of gas per day in the south and has been since at least 2003. Apart from the environmental catastrophe and loss of potentially billions of dollars of value, this gas could fuel 6,000 MW of power generation -- all of Iraq's current needs -- while Iraqis continue to suffer on only a couple of hours' electricity supply per day. Even on the oil side, we export crude but continue to import billions of dollars' worth of oil products!

Unfortunately, most of the foreign companies, and especially the majors, are most interested in booking reserves and exporting production to developed markets -- partly because they have no capability or understanding in developing the local market or economy. The Western majors have a colonial legacy in Iraq that many Iraqis resent. My grandfather as the Iraqi minister responsible at the time negotiated against the Western majors over 50 years ago, but back then they were the only companies around and had a dominant position. Today, and despite their size, they mostly have falling reserves and production figures worldwide, and are desperate to re-enter Iraq, which is the last high potential oil and gas play, though they would rather sit on the sidelines for now and do studies from outside the country due to security fears and perceived political risks. There will be a role for them, I am sure, but there are also other reputable companies capable and willing to invest and work in Iraq today, and Iraq also needs to develop its own private sector, like all developed economies, so as not to be dependent on foreigners anymore. They will benefit Iraq more in terms of employment, GDP, re-investment, and will also have better advantages in terms of lower costs and local knowledge.

Q: What's Crescent Group's policy for local content in its projects?

A: We see ourselves as a local company, so it is not even a matter of having a policy for local content actually: All of our offices in Iraq are staffed 100 percent by Iraqi professionals -- many of them with distinguished careers and extensive experience working in the state oil sector. On our current projects, only a small number of temporary staff with specific technical expertise might be foreign, but almost all are Iraqis, and from all the ethnic groups and regions and faiths represented in Iraq. Even with the contractors we have used, except with some specialized drilling services, they are all local, though they sometimes partner with Turkish or other contractors. Indeed, maximizing local content is an obligation on our contracts with the KRG and should be in all the contracts Iraq signs.

Q: Is there a role for the oil unions?

A: The right to organize as labor is enshrined in Iraq's Constitution and must be respected. There has, however, been some unnecessary controversy, with some scaremongering that somehow private companies investing in Iraq will lead to unemployment of state employees. This is of course a fallacy -- the experience of all other countries in the region and internationally has shown that having more private companies working and investing in the oil sector will actually significantly increase both the number of jobs and the level of salaries paid, in addition to other benefits such as training and development of local staff.

Q: What are Crescent Group's thoughts on whether Iraq should privatize, or denationalize the energy sector and to what extent and timeline? Why?

A: Privatize is the wrong word -- as it implies the selling of state oil companies to the private sector, which is not what is being talked about. However, after decades of neglect and unfulfilled potential, there is a real and urgent need for private sector investment and management in the Iraqi oil sector. Because of the socialist and centralized legacy of the past and the sensitivity to colonialism, there has been some negative response to this, but observing the achievements of other countries in the region that have had success in developing their oil sectors should allay any fears: Syria, Egypt, Algeria, Libya, the UAE, Qatar, Yemen, Oman, Sudan and many others have all managed to retain full sovereignty and regulatory authority over their oil and gas sectors while having many private companies of different sizes investing and working in competition to maximize the benefits to the state. Iraq's history in the oil sector is a tragedy of political interference and lost opportunity: It has probably the largest oil reserves in the world, yet production today is still below the levels at the time of nationalization over 35 years ago and still not even consistently at the levels at the time of the invasion. Apart from the Kurdistan region more recently, there have been no new discoveries or reserve additions in decades, and, in addition, the state oil sector has been suffering from a brain drain with most of the expertise at or close to retirement.

Iraq will continue to have a need for state involvement to manage and expand potential from the existing fields, which should be brought up to produce 4 (million) to 5 million barrels per day -- a huge feat and operation in itself, and one which may require partnership with private companies. In parallel, however, Iraq's undeveloped fields and exploration areas require urgent private sector investment and management, so that total production can reach 10 million barrels per day and more, which should be well within Iraq's grasp. The gas sector and downstream activities should not be neglected either, and, of course, for all oil and gas activities, including upstream, Iraq needs to develop its own private sector companies, as I have mentioned.

Interview: Crescent Petroleum's Jafar - UPI.com

India's Essar Oil eyeing Kurdistan oil blocks

Indian oil refiner Essar Oil Ltd is keen to own oil and gas blocks in Iraq's largely autonomous northern Kurdistan region, a senior official said on Friday.

The Kurdistan Regional government has already awarded production-sharing contracts to foreign companies including India's top listed company Reliance Industries Ltd. The move has angered Iraq, which has threatened to blacklist the firms.

"The prospects for the blocks in the region are very good," S.R. Agrawal, Chief ****utive of Essar's exploration and production unit said on the sidelines of an analysts' meeting.

Essar Oil has a 210,000 barrels per day refinery which it aims to expand to 1 million barrels a day within three years.

It hopes to own oil blocks that would supply nearly a third of the refinery's capacity in about seven years, Agrawal said.

Essar currently owns a few blocks, largely exploratory, in India, Vietnam, Nigeria and Madagascar and has also bid for blocks in Australia.

The company, which started commercial production at its refinery on May 1, was also looking at buying crude from Cairn India Ltd, an unit of UK's Cairn Energy, its Chief ****utive Naresh Nayyar said.

"Their pipeline is only 10 km away from our refinery," he said. Cairn will start production at its oil field in the desert state of Rajasthan in the second half of 2009.

Essar now sources crude from the Middle East and Venezuela, Nayyar said.

Shares in Essar Oil ended 2.8 percent lower at 223.65 rupees in a firm Mumbai market.

India's Essar Oil eyeing Kurdistan oil blocks | Industries | Energy | Reuters&

Iraq's KRG to create new Energy Ministry, Hawrami to head

Iraqi Kurdistan's ministries of Electricity and Natural Resources are to be merged, and current oil chief Ashti Hawrami is likely to be named minister.

Sources here told United Press International that Hawrami is the front-runner for the soon-to-be-established post of KRG minister of energy.

Hawrami, currently minister of natural resources where the hydrocarbons portfolio falls, negotiated and signed nearly all the dozens of deals the KRG has inked with international oil firms to explore for and produce oil and gas.

He's often had public disagreements with the federal Oil Ministry over the deals, which Baghdad calls unilateral and illegal. But he's popular here in Iraq's north and is praised for his leadership by oil companies and politicians.

"He has been doing some good work professionally. He's experienced and talented, and we benefit from his experience. He's professional," said Falah Mustafa Bakir, the head of the KRG's Department of Foreign Relations.

Bakir confirmed the new Energy Ministry but deferred comment on Hawrami's post.

"Nothing is final; therefore I don't like to go into the details," he told UPI, adding "most probably" Hawrami would receive the position. "He is the one. From our side, he is the one."

The KRG has more than 40 ministerial posts, including four with two ministers -- one from each of the two main, and rival, parties: the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and the Kurdistan Democratic Party.

This would be condensed to 23, according to a recent plan approved by political parties but not yet finalized. The PUK and KDP will have eight ministries each. The Kurdistan Islamic Union, Kurdistan Islamic Group, Communist Party, Turkoman Party, a Christian Party, Kurdistan Toilers Party and Kurdistan Democratic Socialist Party each would have one ministry.

Iraq's KRG to form new Energy Ministry - UPI.com

Iraqi American Convention expanded at a symposium of the Iraqi Center for Development Information

Mr. Hussein al-Sadr: Iraq shackle Convention and diminish the sovereignty

Citizen / special
The Centre for the Development Iraqi media and citizen cooperation with the newspaper yesterday organized a discussion forum entitled Convention (Iraqi American strategic interests or instruments of custodianship?) Symposium was moderated by writer and researcher at Al-Saadi, when he referred at the beginning of his speech to the importance of establishing such symposiums in the presentation of important issues in the political, economic and social And clarification of ideas that will help those responsible in issuing the appropriate decision .. The generosity of Mr. Hussein al-Sadr member of the National Assembly prior to the rejection of the agreement between Iraq and the U.S. saying it wants the erosion of Iraqi sovereignty .. For his part, stressed the writer Adli Hussein Darwish, secretary-general democratization of the Islamic trend, it is necessary not to pre-empt things and build on the visions set assumptions Iraq is a powerful country and across all times and is not obliged to accept the Convention without access to its items ..
Details of the symposium page Sweeteners

جريدة المواطن العراقية