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

Zebari: Iraq studying SOFA implications
A top Iraqi official says Baghdad will send team to four countries that have military pact with the US before inking any deal with Washington

Iraq's Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said, "We dispatched four technical teams to Germany, Turkey, South Korea and Japan to see how they did in these countries."

Speaking to reporters on the sideline of a visit by French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, Zebari said they expected a political consensus in Iraq before finalizing the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) which gives a legal authority to US operations in Iraq beyond 2008 when the UN resolution allowing the US military forces presence in Iraq dies out.

The Iraqi government also in a separate statement said it was too early to set a timeline for finalizing the pact. "It is too early to talk about dates or the terms to be agreed upon," said the statement, adding that Baghdad will dismiss any pact which overshadows Iraq sovereignty.

Zebari said because of the continuing military operations, Iraq's situation is different from other countries with those who had signed military pacts with Washington before.

"There are still ongoing operations by the US army," he said. "We need this strategic agreement. It is an Iraqi need, but it will not be open-ended."

Zebari also assured Iraq neighbors that the pacts will not threaten their national interests.

"There is no hidden agenda," he concluded.

Press TV - Zebari: Iraq studying SOFA implications

Iraq allocates USD 200m for repatriation
The Iraqi Ministry of Refugee Affairs has allocated some USD 200m dollars to repatriate Iraqi refugees from abroad.

The plan was unveiled after the ministry and the prime minister's office agreed to work out the repatriation of the refugees, according to the daily al-Sabah newspaper.

The ministry had previously consulted with international medical organizations on conducting an assessment of the refugees' intentions about returning to Iraq, especially those in Syria and Jordan.

94 percent of the refugees stated that they would return to Iraq if the security situation for women is improved and job opportunities were available.

The ministry so far has registered the return of 10,000, with 6,000 of them residing in Baghdad.

Meanwhile, sources said that the ministry has established two new units to receive applications of refugees wishing to return.

According to statistics, officials says the number of the Iraq refugees surpass four million with half of them in Syria, and more than 1.25 million refugees in Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt.

Press TV - Iraq allocates USD 200m for repatriation

Electricity "almost stable" in 3 years- minister

The Iraqi Minister of Electricity Waheed Kareem expects that Iraq will have a reliable supply of electricity in three years' time, revealing ministerial plans to set up more power generating stations in the country.

"The ministry plans to sign contracts with foreign companies to establish huge stations," Minister Kareem said during a press conference held on Sunday in the Iraqi capital Baghdad.

"Electricity will be almost stable in Iraq in the coming three years," the minister said.

When asked about the finance of the project, the minister said, "We have a budget surplus from the previous year because some projects have not yet been implemented in light of the security situation, in addition to the budget allocated for the ministry in 2008."

The minister said that his ministry had signed a contract with a U.S. company to set up electricity generating stations with a capacity of 12,000 MW.

The minister attributed frequent power outages in Baghdad to the stoppage of several stations in the capital and Basra due to military operations. Maintenance workers have been absent from work for almost a month because most of them are residents of Baghdad's Sadr city and Basra province, where security operations are currently taking place, the minister explained.

In late March, Iraqi security forces launched a wide-scale operation codenamed Knights' Assault with the aim of tracking down armed groups and outlaws in the southern Iraqi province of Basra. Another operation dubbed Lion's Roar has taken place in Baghdad's eastern city of al-Sadr with the same purpose.

Power supplies in Iraq have been sporadic since the second Gulf war in 1991 and the U.S. bombing of Iraq's main power generating plants. The shortages across the country became even worse in the aftermath of 2003 U.S.-led invasion of the country because of insurgent sabotage, rising demand, fuel shortages and provinces that are unplugging local power stations from the national grid. Outages make life almost unbearable in the summer months, when daily temperatures reach over 50C.

Aswat Aliraq

Basra's ports witness boom

State's company of Iraqi ports declared increasing ships' number that reach to the Basra's ports

and opening modern communications unit in Khor Alzubair port, relations and media director at the company Abdulkareem Albasri said

http://www.alsabaah.com/paper.php?so...page&sid=63322

Iraq conducts huge technological project

Senior official and legislative delegation begins a visit to UK at next week to discuss political, economic and security developments with British and American officials

as well as ****uting huge technological project throughout country by cooperation with Intel Company to provide PC set and Internet service for each Iraqi house.Speaker's advisor, Intisar Alawi, said that the legislative delegation will leave country on June 6th to take part at workshop and holding talks with Intel to carry out this strategic project that named "PC and internet for each Iraqi house". Alawi added that the project's aim to develop the technology's using at all fields, as the American company will provide all technical issues and selling the PCs and internet service at suitable prices and by installments for the Iraqis as the Iraqi Govt. will provide moral

http://www.alsabaah.com/paper.php?so...page&sid=63323

PM confirms Iraq's interest to develop relations with France

PM Noori Maliki described Govt.'s effort to reconstruct Iraq and provide services, particularly electricity, as race with time to achieve that

Maliki's speech came at his meet with French FM Bernard Couchner, as PM confirmed the Govt.'s will to hold best relations with France at all arenas and he expressed the country's desire to supply armed forces with modern French weapons as well as strengthening cooperation at medical field suggesting opening center to heart surgery for children in Baghdad.

PM called the French companies to invest at rebuilding and reconstruction campaign after security successes in Baghdad, Basra and Mosul and political improvement currently

http://www.alsabaah.com/paper.php?so...page&sid=63325

Major investment contracts signed

Iraq signed with many foreign companies' contracts to build projects worth more than $63B.Head of national investment institution,

Dr. Ahmed Ridha, said that most important projects are Basra Harbor $12B, Baghdad Airport $17B and build 200 thousand apartments, hotels, tourism cirt in Najaf worths $34B and new Kut city that costs $650M.Ridha added that second reconstruction conference in Cairo was turnpoint at rebuilding Iraq, as it witnessed signing big contracts to invest in many provinces

http://www.alsabaah.com/paper.php?so...page&sid=63326

Parliament discusses boosting political status quo

Parliament had formed a committee to focus on a strategy of three aspects to strengthen political situation and exploit security improvement to approve laws that get world interest.

The parliament's Speaker, Dr. Mahmood Mashhadani, set this strategy that includes political, legislative and economic aspects. The legilative aspect it’s the most important issue for the Speaker, as he would work to accelerate approving constitutional amendments and oil law as well as elections and parties laws, familiar source at the parliament said.

http://www.alsabaah.com/paper.php?so...page&sid=63324

Well it looks good on accelerating the oil law!! Maybe just maybe they will get everything done soon. Looks like we're not the only ones wanting this to take off.

Originally Posted by Seaview

Parliament discusses boosting political status quo

Parliament had formed a committee to focus on a strategy of three aspects to strengthen political situation and exploit security improvement to approve laws that get world interest.

The parliament's Speaker, Dr. Mahmood Mashhadani, set this strategy that includes political, legislative and economic aspects. The legilative aspect it’s the most important issue for the Speaker, as he would work to accelerate approving constitutional amendments and oil law as well as elections and parties laws, familiar source at the parliament said.

ÌÑíÏÉ ÇáÕÈÇÍ - Parliament discusses boosting political status quo

I really hope this is not just more talk.