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

Jordan to dispatch envoy to Iraq
Jordan's State Minister for Information, Nasser Judeh, says his country is to dispatch an ambassador to Iraq in the 'near future'.

Judeh who was addressing reporters in Amman on Monday declined to divulge the exact date or identify of the envoy, AP reported.

Jordan has a diplomatic mission in Baghdad run by a charge d'affairs. An ambassador to Iraq was appointed nearly two years ago but never assumed his duties because of security concerns.

The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain said last week they will open their embassies in Iraq.

Judeh's remarks came after 10 lawmakers in the 110-member parliament urged the government to refrain from sending an envoy to Iraq.

Press TV - Jordan to dispatch envoy to Iraq

Gates: SOFA still the US focus
US Defense Secretary Robert Gates has brushed aside proposals that the US should quit its efforts to seal a security deal with Iraq.

Gates stated that the Pentagon would not abandon plans for a security deal with the Iraqi government and that it was not ready to ask the United Nations to renew the mandate which authorizes the US forces to stay inside Iraq until the end of 2008.

The United States and Iraqi government have been facing stern criticism over a new pact now being negotiated - known as a status of forces agreement or SOFA.

"I think that we are going to continue working with the Iraqis on the SOFA," Gates told reporters during a visit to Langley Air Force Base in Virginia. "That's still the focus."

"I think there are multiple ways this thing could come out. Right now as far as I know we're still focused on the SOFA, at least from the Department of Defense's point of view," Reuters quoted Gates as saying.

Meanwhile, the US Democrats say the Bush administration could use the agreement to tie the next president into current Iraq war policies, complaining that the administration has not consulted on the issue.

The mandate of US troops in Iraq will expire in December 2008 and Washington has been trying to win the support of Iraqi politicians over the deal which would allow the US military to have permanent military bases and grant American citizens immunity from legal prosecution.

Press TV - Gates: SOFA still the US focus

OPEC reference basket reaches $130.87 per barrel

OPEC's reference basket of crudes from 13 countries was $130.87 per barrel on Monday, compared with $126.11 the previous Friday, the oil cartel said on Tuesday.

In use since 1987, the basket is calculated from the crude prices of: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Oriente (Ecuador), Minas (Indonesia), Iran Heavy (Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Qatar Marine (Qatar), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and BCF 17 (Venezuela).

The chief ****utive of Russia's energy giant Gazprom told a European business forum in France that oil prices could reach $250 per barrel in the longer term. News agency AFP quoted Alexei Miller as saying that rivalry for hydrocarbon resources will continue to grow.

RIA Novosti - Business - OPEC reference basket reaches $130.87 per barrel

Dana Gas Charters World's Largest Aircraft to Iraq
Dana Gas and Crescent Petroleum, has chartered the world's largest aircraft, the Antonov 124 (An-124), to transport a large load of equipment and components from Houston, Texas (USA) to Erbil, Iraq.

Dana Gas, the Middle East's first and largest regional private-sector natural gas company, along with its project partner Crescent Petroleum, has chartered the world's largest aircraft, the Antonov 124 (An-124), to transport a large load of equipment and components from Houston, Texas (USA) to Erbil, Iraq for use in Dana Gas and Crescent Petroleum's projects under implementation in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, at a cost of $1.25m.

The companies' project is being implemented on a fast-track basis and involves a total investment of $650m - the largest single private sector investment in Iraq since 2003.

The project implementation includes upstream development and production, processing with state-of-the-art LPG plants, and transportation of natural gas through a new 180km pipeline, in order to provide urgently-needed gas supplies to cost-effectively fuel new power stations under construction, providing savings to the Government budget of over $2bn annually in fuel costs.

The project implementation will also provide work opportunities for over 2,000 Iraqi nationals of all ethnic groups, and provide comprehensive training in oil and gas operations for Iraq's citizens.

The An-124 shipment consisted of essential project components weighing 58 tons that are to be utilized in the construction of two LPG plants which will be used to transport natural gas to new power stations being built in the Iraqi Kurdistan region.

The equipment was loaded and secured carefully on the An-124 using the aircraft's 10-ton gantry crane and a team of specialized personnel over a period of five hours.

Part of a requirement identified in the later stages of the project to add flexibility to the plant, the components were identified, acquired, airlifted to Adana airport in Turkey, and transported on flatbed trucks to the project site in a record delivery time of just three weeks.

Thomas Watts, Project Director for the project in Iraqi Kurdistan, explained the rationale behind chartering the Antonov 124 for this task, and said, 'Chartering the largest plane in the world at a cost of $1.25m to move urgently needed equipment from Houston to Iraq shows that Dana Gas and Crescent Petroleum are going the extra mile to get the job done.

'We have a mandate to expedite the implementation of this project in order to meet the needs of the Iraqi economy and to deliver much-needed gas supplies that will fuel power generation and industry, resulting in major savings for the Iraqi economy and a catalyst for industry and resultant job-creation,' Mr. Watts added.

The An-124 has been the largest plane ever mass produced in the world since 1982, with a capacity of up to 150 tons of cargo. It can also carry up to 88 passengers in its upper deck, and is able to kneel in order to facilitate front loading through its nose.

The An-124 has been used to transport some of the largest and most delicate cargo in the world, including large industrial equipment, train locomotives, small aircraft, archaeological treasures, and animals like elephants and even whales.

Dana Gas charters world's largest aircraft to Iraq | Dana Gas

Chinese firm explores for oil in Kurdish plateau

A Chinese firm is excavating for crude oil in Kurdish plateau of Harir, a Kurdish government official said.

Razkar Nasser, the official in charge of the Kurdish district of Harir, said the Chinese were working in the area and initial reports “are very encouraging.”

He said he was instructed by the Kurdish regional government in Arbil to provide the Chinese with “the means that will make their stay in the area peaceful and comfortable.”

Harir plateau is said to be the Kurds’ breadbasket. The narrow plain almost bisects the Iraqi Kurdistan as it extends for hundreds of kilometers.

Nasser said several villages will be affected by the excavation and that a committee has been formed to assess damage and determine financial compensation.

Digging and excavating for oil by foreign firms is proceeding in Kurdish areas, which are relatively quiet in comparison to other parts of the country.

At least 15 foreign oil firms are working in the region and the Kurds say they now have the potential to export up to 150,000 barrels of oil a day.

However, differences with the central government in Baghdad have made shipping of Kurdish oil difficult. The Oil Ministry says it will not allow the Kurds use the country’s export pipelines.

Nasser declined to say which Chinese firm was involved in the excavation.

Baghdad has vowed to punish any foreign firm working in the Kurdish region without central government approval by denying it Iraqi contracts.

Azzaman in English

Huge demand for dollar at daily auction

Demand for the dollar was higher in the Iraqi Central Bank's auction on Tuesday, reaching $ 113.055 million compared to $84.635 million on Monday.

"The demand hit $15.865 million in cash and $97.190 million in foreign transfers outside the country, all covered by the bank at a stable exchange rate of 1,197 Iraqi dinars per dollar," according to the central bank's daily bulletin which was received by Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq - (VOI).

None of the 16 banks that participated in the auction offered to sell dollars.

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

Aswat Aliraq

Originally Posted by Seaview

Britain could announce Iraq withdrawal by end of the year

The final withdrawal of the remaining 4,000 British troops from Iraq could be announced by the end of the year in order to step up troop levels in Afghanistan, reports said Tuesday. The BBC said discussions had begun about forces pulling out of southern Iraq if the security situation continued to improve along current levels.

The government was under pressure from the military to release the troops, now stationed at barracks just outside Basra, while pressure was mounting in Afghanistan.

The reports, which have not been confirmed, come after a flare-up of violence in Basra forced Prime Minister Gordon Brown to go back on an earlier announcement that troop levels would be cut to 2,500 this spring.

Commentators said the timing of a final troop withdrawal from Iraq by the end of the year would fit in with a change of US president and possibly less opposition from Washington to such a move.

Britain, which currently has 8,000 troops in southern Afghanistan, announced the death of its 100th soldier in the fighting last weekend.

Britain could announce Iraq withdrawal by end of the year : UK World

British spokesman dismisses withdrawal before comprehensive security evaluation

A British military spokesman in Basra on Tuesday ruled out any plans for troop withdrawals in 2008, adding that the British command will prepare a thorough evaluation of the progress it has achieved in the province by the end of this year.

"There are no plans to cut British troops in Basra in the current year," Captain Chris Ford told Aswat al-Iraq-Voices of Iraq­- (VOI).

Ford dismissed reports by the press about a U.K. troop pull-out by the end of 2008.

The London Evening Standard, an English tabloid published and sold in London and surrounding areas of southeast England, said in a report published yesterday that the British government is likely to announce "the withdrawal of British troops from Iraq by the end of the year."

"The BBC said discussions have begun about pulling forces out of the country if the security situation continues to improve. The broadcaster said the next announcement on troop numbers by Defence Secretary Des Browne will be made in July, but is unlikely to be the moment when full withdrawal will be announced," the paper said.

At present, there are nearly 4,000 British soldiers concentrated at the Basra air base.During a surprise visit to Iraq in October 2007, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown revealed his country's plans to withdraw 1,500 troops from Iraq, which were put on hold in early April after fierce battles broke out between Iraqi security forces and Shiite militia groups.

Aswat Aliraq

Oil Ministry to buy 5 Tankers

The Iraqi Ministry of Oil plans to buy five tankers from Japan, Korea or Europe this year, the general director of the Iraqi Oil Tankers Company said on Saturday.

"The company has decided to buy a chemicals tanker with a tonnage of 15,000 tons, in addition to two oil tankers with a capacity of 7,000-10,000 tons each," Aamer Abdul Jabbar Ismail told Aswat al-Iraq-Voices of Iraq- (VOI).

"The company will also buy two water tankers with a tonnage of 1,500-3,000 tons each and a navy boat that accommodates 20 passengers," he noted.

"An amount of 98 million U.S. dollars has been allocated for this purpose," he added.

Oil Ministry to buy 5 tankers

Euro company to build residential compound in Diwaniya

GEM Euro Group on Tuesday signed a contract to construct a residential compound in Dewaniya, the province's governor announced.

He added that work in the project will commence in early August 2008.

"After four days of negotiations, a contract with the Euro GEM was signed to invest in constructing a residential compound in Dewaniya city, and work in the project will commence in early August 2008," Hamid al-Khdhairi said in a press conference in Diwaniya, which was attended by GEM's representative.

"This compound will be built according to high quality criteria, with a power system separate from the city's, in addition to water and cooking gas supplies, furniture, and advanced services, such as mosques, markets, schools, and others," he explained.

"It will be called 'The New City of Diwaniya,' and it will occupy an area of 80 donams (1 donam = 1,000 square meters)," he said.

"The compound will consist of two separate units, and each ground floor flat will have an area of 200 – 250 squared meters, while flats at other levels will have an area of 100 – 120 squared meters each," he added.

"Green spaces will occupy 40 percent of the total compound's area," he noted.

He did not mention how many flats the compound will embrace, or where it will be constructed.

He noted that there is an international agreement with this company to construct an oil refinery, a concrete factory, in addition to other projects proposed by the company to Diwaniya's local authorities, such as an investment bank to fund the residential houses that company builds.

Al-Khdhairi stressed that the Euro GEM will sell or rent the flats in coordination with Diwaniya local authority.

From his side, Habib-Allah al-Jazaeree, GEM's representative, said "we will complete the project's designs next week, and work will commence in early August."

"Work will be finalized within an exceptional period of time," he added.
"After we thoroughly examined the security situation in Diwaniya, we found that the situation allows companies to ****ute projects in the city," he noted.

He highlighted that there are other agreements to be signed with Diwaniya's local authorities to ****ute other large important projects.

Local authorities in Diwaniya signed a memorandum of understanding with GEM Group that belongs to five Euro countries, during the second investment conference that was held in Cairo two weeks ago.

Aswat Aliraq

D-Sheikh. Hammam Hamoudi: Iraq will witness a significant movement of investment in the next near
Disclosure of understanding international recognition of the remarkable progress in Iraq

Dr. Sheikh said. Hammam Hamoudi left Iraq that the political task of reviewing the outcome of the world in all its institutions to the International to find out the extent of commitment by Iraq and materials and that there is a positive assessment of the evolution of the great Iraq witnessed at various levels.

Hamoudi added in an interview with Radio Sawa today, Tuesday, 10 -6-2008 that the principle of the audit itself a good sign to see how the decisions of international commitment to Iraq, adding that "everyone is Pttoaloda Iraqi progress Ktirorn attributed to the success of security operations and low level killings, economic growth and increase areas Investment as well as progress in the economic process.

The Head of the Foreign Relations Committee in the House of Representatives who took part in the work of the Stockholm conference and questioned the possibility of a continuation of this progress and whether it made an emergency or it is built on the foundations correct.

Legislators are indications that many of them the Secretary-General's speech at the conference and expressed the hope for holding the next conference in Baghdad, as well as visiting Emirati Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iraq and accelerating the Arab and international companies to invest in Iraq and clearly the reality of government for others it was not a sectarian government..All this is a great indicator of progress.

Translated version of http://hamoudi.org/arabic/news_view_16.html