Thread: Archive Latest News - Dinar Think Tank - 27/08/08 - 15/01/09

President of Provincial Assembly opens Warka Bank for Investment & Finance

The President of the provincial council in Basra (Mr. Mohamed Saadoun Al-Abbadi) Warka Bank for Investment and Finance Department southern region, the Middle Euphrates, the opening was attended by Professor Jaafar Abdul Karim Basra Governorate Council member and director of the Central Bank Mr. Zuhair Ali Akbar, and many other bank managers. Gave the President the province of Basra in which a word: The opening of this bank is the economic front, the task of wealth is in the interest of the citizen Basri, the Warka Bank is the task of the banks ... And the President of the provincial council in Basra, the need to expand banking, and wished Mr. Abadi, the bank's progress and success of the process for Alallomn banking, and boasts vast in Basra.

Said Zuhair Ali Akbar Director of the Central Bank .. The banking operations of the difficult tasks which we seek to maintain the secretariats, and that requires a computer service modern equipment to maintain and ensure the rights of our citizens, he has hoped to be in each district bank, in order to serve the citizen visual and meet the requirements of investors.

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Emir of Qatar and Prime Minister of Kuwait to visit Iraq soon

According to sources «Gulf News« that the expected visit will be very close to the Prime Minister of Kuwait Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah in Baghdad, followed by unexpected visit from the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani..These developments come after resolution of Iraq's neighbors to support signs of stability, have visited the President of the Republic of Iran Ahmadinejad escape Baghdad and was followed by Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish President and Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and visiting Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi recently and important visit to Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit. Together with the companies that responded to the demands of the Gulf to support stability in Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Issa was the first company to sign a memorandum of understanding for joint cooperation with the Department of Babil province, include: the establishment of a commercial airport in the province, and investment in agriculture, the development of the industrial sector and the development of the Euphrates to the chemicals.

UAE companies have worked since 2003 on the Iraqi market with caution at the beginning of it, given the conditions of security and bring investment to the north and south of Iraq away from areas of tension .. The company signed the Crescent UAE energy company in cooperation with the Turkish «Turker Lear« for a project «Angie gas« which will get three and a half billion cubic meters of Iraqi gas beginning to invest in central Iraq .. Followed by a new contract for the marketing of Iraqi dates where it will be, as Aalmtna Iraqi sources and specifically the Department of the Iraqi company for the manufacture and marketing of dates, aimed at the inside and outside Iraq, where Dubai factory decided to provide dates, half the total Iraqi production of dates A total of 200 tons to the Dubai plant manufacture and export of the global market. After Kuwait was appointed ambassador in Baghdad is working on the insured chief of staff, former Kuwaiti, has worked to increase the effectiveness of the Iraqi - Kuwaiti to sign a joint Kuwaiti Prime Minister during his visit to Baghdad a memorandum of understanding with the Iraqi government covering all areas, including the signing of contracts for supplying Iraq Electricity and water use of the surplus, which is Iraq in the Shatt al-Arab for purposes of agriculture. However, stressing that the Iraqi government to resolve the issue of Kuwaiti debt on Iraq is a thorny issue.

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Differing expectations of possible Ratification of Convention security and Pentagon is confident of passing

Informed sources said that the current government is determined to sign a security agreement with Washington in the days after agreement on most of its mixed amid speculation Parliament could ratify the agreement on the controversial government source said the cabinet will announce the official endorsement of the security agreement with the United States during the next few days With the Pentagon said on Tuesday he was confident that the governments of the United States and Iraq Sttfaqan to keep U.S. troops in Iraq after December 31 December but did not say that that agreement is necessarily a formal part of a far-reaching.

For his part, predicted the coalition bloc, MP Hamid Malp parliamentary approval of the agreement if approved by the government and said the government approved the terms of the security agreement would mean no consensus among the majority of components and thus bearing the parliament to ratify it without political or controversial parliamentary objections. MP Qassem Daoud, but the bloc forces on July 22 said that the Council of Ministers approved the agreement does not necessarily mean approval of all the parliamentary blocs on its deputies. The positions of blocs and political forces of the agreement is open to a large extent. The expected approval of compromise and the Kurdish Alliance bloc and most of (Shiite) of the agreement, if passed, compared with the refusal of some members of the coalition and Sadr's faction.

Daoud called on the parliamentary blocs to pass the agreement It is in the interest of the country. He added that the controversial points in this agreement can be overcome or find alternatives pointing to the absence of fears the accord immunity with respect to the scheduling of the withdrawal of soldiers and the fact that the validity period is not long and can be adjusted later. He predicted that the Council of Ministers to approve the agreement soon without condition to adhere to lift the immunity of U.S. soldiers have will be to determine the powers of these forces.

Negotiators are trying to U.S. and Iraqi months ago to reach an agreement on a new treaty to replace the troops to the current United Nations mandate governing the presence of U.S. troops, which expires by the end of the year.

Both sides said the deal is imminent. But some key issues remain unresolved, including whether it could prosecute U.S. soldiers or others to commit crimes against Iraqi courts.

He said Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman told reporters "remain confident that we will have arrangements to allow military forces to continue in the future to help the Iraqi government."

Whitman was speaking after the Washington Post reported that negotiators who fear running out of time started looking for alternatives to a new convention to put the troops.

The newspaper said that one possibility is to extend the UN mandate, which needs to vote in the Security Council, where it is likely to face resistance from Russia and other countries opposed the US-led war.

She said that could also agreed President George W. Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to leave the negotiations for the next U.S. president will take office in January in January.

Asked about possible alternatives Whitman declined to say whether the arrangements are expected by the end of the year will necessarily be a new convention to put the troops. "How will shape the final version .. we'll see. We continue to work on the convention, similar to the Status of Forces." Spokesman dismissed U.S. State Department Sean McCormack declined to comment to the Washington Post.

He said in another place "in order to do everything, nothing has not been yet. So I have any comments about that. Work is continuing. We will continue to work on a new treaty to the troops." There are 154 thousand U.S. troops currently in Iraq.

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E.x.e.cutive Board discussed the latest version of Security Agreement for submission to Parliament

News agency reported - Baghdad

The head of the Secretariat of the Presidency Naseer al-Ani, said the E.x.e.cutive Board held a meeting late yesterday, Tuesday, at the Peace Palace in Baghdad attended by President Jalal Talabani and his two deputies Adel Abdul Mahdi and Tariq al-Hashemi and Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.

Ani said in a statement (News) a copy of the meeting, which lasted several hours discussed the latest version of the Security Agreement between Iraq and the United States and exchange views. And the President of the Office of the President that the Council has depth and detailed study of this issue, which he called important And sensitive, adding that it was agreed to brief members of the Political Council for National Security and members of the Council of Ministers on the final draft of the Convention, for the purpose of scrutiny and opinion, before being presented to the House of Representatives.

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Blocks to learn what is happening inside the room negotiations on Convention secretary

Rep. Jaber Jaber Khalifa of the Fadhila bloc, parliamentary majority of parliamentary factions to know it is happening inside the room, including the negotiations between the Iraqi government and the U.S..

The backdrop for the Independent Press Agency (Iba) today, Wednesday,: "blocs do not have a final position of the Convention and once read the text of the Convention will be our position is clear, but we are with the general principles of the need to respect Iraq's sovereignty.

Jaber said that there is national consensus that the Convention is not violating the Constitution or influential Iraqi sovereignty and when this coincided with the interests of Iraq certainly will not be rejected there was large parliamentary blocs within the Council of Representatives ratified.

Jaber said that in the absence of supplements secret security agreement

The E.x.e.cutive Board had discussed the night of the final draft security agreement between the Iraqi government and the United States.

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The Committee of the prime minister for the rehabilitation of the major tourist hotels

Director of the inspection and follow-up in the spring of Salem tourism office to form a higher committee for the purpose of the study, assessment and practical proposals and the current reality of hotels operating in major provinces across the country. This was told (long) and Rubaie said that the committee formed for this purpose seen directly and in detail the current reality of each hotel and to solutions for the rehabilitation of major hotels, hotels in addition to the mixed sector. Rubaie added that the committee formed for this purpose has conducted a detailed study to demonstrate Actual need, and damage to this important sector and the possibility of rehabilitation through the provision of material support, where the proportion of the damage varied from hotel to another, referring to the current reality of the performance of the hotels do not meet the level of ambition, or rather does not constitute any percentage of hotel service available for this vital sector.

Translated version of http://www.almadapaper.com/paper.php?source=akbar&page=107

Iraq leaders mull new Draft of US Military Pact

BAGHDAD, Iraq, Oct 15, 2008 (AFP) - Iraqi leaders are pouring over a new draft of a proposed military pact with Washington that would set the terms of a US troop presence beyond this year, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's spokesman said on Wednesday.

"We are talking about the draft today and yesterday and we will talk about it tomorrow. Then it will go to the Political Council for National Security before going to parliament," Yasin Majeed said, adding that he expected the discussions to continue into the first half of next week.

Last week, Maliki said that Washington had made "huge concessions" on the planned Status of Forces Agreement but that the issue of immunity from prosecution under Iraqi law for US troops remained a bone of contention.

The prime minister's spokesman said that further changes were likely to the latest text. "We cannot say it is a final draft," Majeed said.

Iraqi officials have said that the two sides have agreed that the pact will set a June 2009 deadline for a US pullout from Iraqi cities and a June 2011 date for a full withdrawal from the country. But the two sides have disagreed on the precise powers of US troops in Iraq after the expiry of the UN mandate at the end of the year, particularly their authority to detain Iraqis and the command structure of military operations.

http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm/sidAN...ilitary%20pact

Iraqi-Lebanese deal to avoid dual Taxation

The Iraqi minister of finance has agreed with his Lebanese counterpart to sign an agreement to avoid dual taxation between the two countries, an Iraqi ministerial source said on Tuesday.

The agreement has been made on the sidelines of a meeting of the Arab ministers of finance with the president of the World Bank, his deputies and heads of the bank's agencies in New York.

"Today, Finance Minister Baqir Jabr al-Zubeidi and Arab ministers of finance participated in a New York-based meeting held by the president of the World Bank, Robert B. Zoellick," the source told Aswat al-Iraq.

"The Iraqi and Lebanese ministers of finance agreed to set a date and place for the meeting, during which an agreement to avoid dual taxation, which has been finalized by financial experts from both countries, will be signed," the source added.

The source did not provide further details of the scheduled time and place.

http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm/sidZA...%20taxation%20

Zubaidi participate in the expanded meeting with World Bank President

Co-Minister of Finance Bayan Jabr with Arab finance ministers in the plenary meeting held with Robert Zoellick, President of the World Bank and his deputies and heads of agencies of the bank .. This came in a statement issued by the Information Office in the Ministry of Finance acquired (long) a copy of it. The statement said the President of the World Bank reviewed the financial crisis plaguing financial markets, banks and financial institutions in European countries and Japan and the United States and its negative effects on the economies of the world, especially developing countries, including Arab countries.

Referring to the action which resulted in alleviating the negative effects of this crisis actions, including the World Bank, which has capital and good cash flow in addition to high strength and financial position in line with the desire of States will provide the potential to support developing countries and poor.

The statement noted the head of the World Bank, the Bank's own resources and can provide resources from other sources, particularly the donor countries which try to provide the necessary funds to help countries affected by the result of higher oil prices and food commodities that contributed significantly to the shortage of oil and food from those countries And depriving millions of people to receive it.

The statement pointed to discuss the activities and financial assistance provided by agencies and organizations including the World Bank Institute (IFC) provided in cooperation with the banking system and the private sector financial resources individually or jointly to finance the financial institutions and the implementation of investment projects and to assist small and medium private sector to create opportunities Work and the development of this sector to take active role in the process of reconstruction and investment, as has been discussed topic of the International Foundation for Development (IDA) which provided soft loans to many countries including Iraq, which previously was paid (500) million dollars to finance five projects in various service sectors Iraq.

On the protection of foreign investors discussed the issue of international investment agency (mica), which provided cover to ensure the rights of foreign investors in order to polarize income markets of developing countries and encourage them to invest in it since Iraq became an active member of this agency to joining in 2007.
Among the areas the meeting had examined the issue of technical assistance and capacity development of the self-Arab countries to assist them in the events of structural and regulatory reforms and develop their own capabilities in various areas where Arab countries are market and economic trade with its significant economic benefits contribute actively to support the global economy.

In addition, the interventions by the Ministers focused on the need to broaden the bank's activities in various Arab countries, particularly poor to increase their share of the potential of this bank has promised to the President of the World Bank to work to respond to these demands.

On the sidelines of the meeting, the Minister of Finance Gentlemen number of Arab finance ministers and discussed with them bilateral relations and enhance the prospects for economic and financial cooperation with them has also been agreed with the Lebanese Minister of Finance to set a date and place of meeting, which will be the signing of the agreement to avoid double taxation between Iraq and Lebanon, which ended experts In the two countries prepared for a final signature.

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Bank discusses ‘irrecoverable debts’ Thursday

Al-Khaleej Commercial Bank will discuss on Thursday the irrecoverable debts in the Iraqi banking system, which will be attended by representatives of the Central Bank and specialists in the Iraqi economy.

“An economic forum “The irrecoverable debts in the Iraqi banking system” will be held tomorrow at al-Khaleej Bank’s Headquarters with the attendance of a group of specialists and economists,” a source told Aswat al-Iraq.

“The irrecoverable debts consider one of the most important problems facing banks now as debtors currently are not able to pay, mainly after several businessmen left the country after the deterioration of security condition,” he explained.

“The Iraqi economic system in Iraq seeks to turn from the comprehensive system to the capitalist system, the matter needs a great role of banking loans which consider the main pillar of the economic movement in different industrial, trade and agriculture fields,” he also said.

Bank discusses ‘irrecoverable debts’ Thursday : Aswat Al Iraq