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

Alliance of Kurdistan leader: We decided to wait to take a decisive stand against Maliki

Middle East - ended the Kurdistan Alliance bloc in parliament, which includes 53 deputies meeting, which lasted until late last night, without taking any decisive stand little about the government of Nuri al-Maliki, as had been expected in light of comments by several Kurds in the House Iraq's parliament, who confirmed that the meeting would be crucial and decisive decision-Maliki and the position of his

So, "said Mahmoud Othman, the only independent MP in the Kurdistan Alliance, said the meeting was devoted to discuss the current political situation and the discussions that led to the meeting witnessed the House to wait until the completion of its five joint committees and issue final reports on those issues mandated to find solutions to them. Osman said in a statement to Al «Middle East» committees formed two months ago eve of a visit by regional president Massoud Barzani to Baghdad and his talks with Iraqi Prime Minister on the outstanding problems between the two sides will report the final later to the Kurdish leadership Supreme If the reports included the required solutions to these dilemmas Things go in the normal course and natural If that led to an impasse, the situation might change and they will be in accordance with that », adding that the meetings on this issue will continue at various levels, but crucial decisions will remain subject to the outcome of the reports of those committees and said« We do not want to take hasty decisions without scrutiny Careful of the situation ». The independent Kurdish MP, saying «was to submit a detailed report on the outcome of a meeting yesterday to the Kurdish leadership included the recommendations of the House of the discussions», stressing that the Kurdish leadership reactions will depend on the contents of the reports bring them the five committees mentioned above.

With regard to boards which support the Iraqi government formed in the central and northern provinces, especially in Kirkuk and Mosul, Othman said «that the positions of the Kurdistan Alliance on this issue in conformity with the intransigent position taken by the two leaderships of the two Kurdish parties in their joint statement issued on Monday, strong and tough» He said, «We are very surprised at the positions of State President Nuri al-Maliki, who is supposed to try first to resolve issues and political problems and improve the level of services and the development of the performance of his government rather than create such problems one after another, and in particular the problem of backing boards, which opposed the formation and the National Union Party Democrats and the Supreme Council and the Sadrists insist is on its own ».

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Iraq's cabinet is not concerned with how to pass Security Agreement in Hse of Representatives

Learned - home - that the Iraqi cabinet for file transfer security agreement with the United States to the ****utive »and the Vice-President and Prime Minister« object after a number of ministers and demand the adoption of Arabic text to be used conformity with the English text, with sources familiar with the possibility of the Iraqi Council of Ministers This file within the next week and transferred to the ****utive Board and then to the political council of national security before the Convention as the last of the House of Representatives early next month.

The source pointed out that the general trend goes towards transferring the file from the cabinet to the political council of national security after the adoption of the Convention by the coalition of the five ****utive body »represented by two Kurdish President Jalal Talabani and the Islamic Party, Tareq al-Hashemi, leader of Dawa party of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and the Supreme Council Represented by Adel Abdul Mahdi, leader «.

These sources confirmed that the cabinet was not interested in the differences between political leaders on how to pass the Convention of the Council of Representatives to vote through a referendum and the only access to the best condition acceptable to a parliamentary debate, and suggested that the only differences in how the ****utive Board after Tmreralagip insistence Hashemi transfer it to the Popular referendum, against the Kurds determination to accelerate the passing frequency Shiite access to what it called »accepted the situation« from the religious authority in Najaf.

Contradictory statements

The official Iraqi statements Atbdo agreed on a way to pass the security agreement in the House of Representatives, Valtsribat media and direct statements of ministers, officials and parliamentarians Iraqis in stark contrast to the official Iraqi representation of the position of this Convention.

While reiterating newspaper »morning« semi-official that the Convention vote in the Cabinet could happen next week, and its leader Walid jewelry is close to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's Dawa Party, told »home« she resolved that the government of the Convention and completed the discussion, and the ball is now In the court of political council, saying »that the Iraqi government sent a draft agreement with the U.S. response to the recent political council of national security for discussion and opinion«.

With say a Kurdish lawmaker Mahmoud Othman, the agreement reached a tipping point, said KDP leader Massoud Barzani, he did not expect the resolution of the signing of the Convention in the near future, "We think that» differences among Iraqi political blocs and split the draft agreement on security, make a definite agreement During the period the next few doubtful «.

At the same level, contrary to a statement the ministers of finance and higher education, The former, Bayan Jabr Al-Zubaidi, told Agence France-Presse that the cabinet would vote b »Yes« or »not« the Convention with a view of the Political referral to the national security, while Dr Abdel minister told that Council of Ministers discussed the new request for amendments to paragraphs immunity security and military postal inspection of U.S. troops and the government waiting for U.S. response!!

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Iraq's top Shiite cleric to let govt decide on US pact

Iraq's top Shiite Muslim cleric will leave it to the government to decide on a controversial US military pact, but associates of the reclusive leader said it must respect Iraqi sovereignty.

Grand Ayatollah Ali Husseini al-Sistani -- revered as the highest religious authority by Iraq's Shiite majority -- rarely involves himself in politics and usually communicates his views only through associates. "The Guide (Sistani) called for general elections which produced the country's government and the parliament," a religious official close to Sistani told AFP on condition of anonymity.

"It is their constitutional responsibility to decide on the agreement." US and Iraqi negotiators have been struggling to conclude a wide-ranging accord to govern the presence of more than 150,000 US-led troops in the country after their current UN mandate expires on December 31.

Sistani's opinion on the pact could be decisive for the country's main Shiite political bloc, which holds 86 seats in the 275-member national assembly and has expressed reservations about the draft agreement. Another official close to Sistani insisted that the cleric had not seen the agreement but that he was familiar with its main points.

"The Guide has not received a copy of the agreement and is not going to intervene on its components. He has only received the key points, and the rest is for those who will make the decision," the official said. "But if the agreement touches the sovereignty of Iraq the Guide will intervene and make his opinion clear," he added.

The cabinet was expected to vote within days on the latest draft of the agreement, which would have US-led forces withdraw from all Iraqi cities by June 2009 and from the rest of the country by the end of 2011.

The two sides have gone back and forth on other key details of the accord, including legal immunity for US troops and contractors and demands that the United States promise not use Iraq to launch attacks on neighbouring states.

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

Iraqi Oil Ministry to buy two helicopters

Iraq's Oil Ministry has invited bids from international companies to buy two helicopters to boost its oil industry.

It says the helicopters will be used by the state-run Iraqi Drilling Co. for transportation and emergencies.

The bidding period for the five-seat helicopters closes on Nov. 30.
Iraq sits on the world's third-largest proven oil reserves with more than 115 billion barrels, and the country depends on oil revenues for more than 90 percent of its budget.

Boosting production and efficiency is seen as crucial to rebuilding the country after the 2003 U.S.-led war. But the industry is crumbling after decades of wars, UN sanctions and sabotage.

Iraqi Oil Ministry to buy two helicopters - International Herald Tribune

Talabani and al-Maliki discuss U.S-Iraq security pact

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani met with Iraqi Premier Nouri al-Maliki on late Thursday in Baghdad.

Iraqi premier briefed President Talabani about the amendments which the Iraqi government called for in the U.S-Iraq security pact.

President Talabani expressed his support for those amendments, saying that he has told the US ambassador in Iraq, Ryan Crocker, about his stance towards the U.S-Iraq security pact.

President Talabani also called upon President Bush to help the Iraqi people through accepting those amendments which were proposed by the Iraqi government so that the U.S-Iraq security pact to be presented to the Iraqi people.

http://pukmedia.com/english/index.ph...=7572&Itemid=1

Shahristani, opened the first phase of the oil refinery Diwaniyah

Hussain al-Shahristani, opened the oil minister said Friday the first phase of the oil refinery in Diwaniyah on Shinafiyah which the capacity (10) thousand barrels per day, Shahristani said in a speech at the opening ceremony of the refinery, which was attended by Mr. Hamid Moussa Ahmed al-governor of Diwaniyah and a number of general managers in The oil ministry was the opening day of Diwaniyah oil refinery and production capacity of 10 thousand barrels per day and added that the refinery currently produces in its rule Alkasulin first oil in black and white will be the penultimate stage to the production of benzene, pointed to the al-Shahristani

That the cadres that have contributed to the design and construction of the refinery was 100% Iraqi refinery said the pipeline linking the carrier's strategic crude oil from southern fields, pointing out that the second phase of the refinery business, which will expire mid-2009, will double the amount of production of oil derivatives in the refinery For his part, Mr. Hamid al-governor Diwaniyah that the refinery will meet the needs of more than half of the province's oil derivatives, pointing to the need to expedite the completion of the second phase of the project

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Turkey talks on the Shell oil projects in Iraq in final stages

President of MTV. Me. Epson. Turkish government or oil, told Reuters on Friday that Turkey reached the final stage of talks with Shell about the progress in joint bids for oil exploration bids in Iraq. The company has said previously told Reuters it was interested in the opportunities that have Iraq's oil sector. In April, the Turkish company was added to the list of companies pre-qualified to participate in tenders for oil exploration in Iraq.

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The Presidency Ratification waiting for implementation of the E.x.e.cution of the offender Chemical Ali

Prosecutors said the High Tribunal, Jaafar al-Moussawi of the rainbow that the prime minister awaiting ratification by the Presidency on death sentences issued against the number of convicts in order to carry out the death sentence a criminal Ali Hassan al-Majeed, for their part called for the citizens of Basra to speed up the implementation of the death sentence passed against him regardless of the Ratification of other provisions.

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Parliament: a new government plan the next budget to reduce the expenditure

Head of the Finance Committee in the House of Representatives, Iyad Samarrai, a new plan will be followed by the government in next year's budget based on 2009 spending and reduce waste.

Samarrai said in an interview with "Uzmatik" on Friday, said that "because of export problems and oil prices, we decided to move towards the compression of expenditure," pointing out that "there is wasteful government services in the many facets to give additional allocations and the purchase of cars and furniture."

The al-Samarrai, who belongs to the Accordance Front, a "consensus of the Finance Committee in the House of Representatives and the Ministry of Finance to control spending," pointing out that "the expenditure does not affect the employee and citizen, but reflected only on the upper ministries and government institutions."

Samarrai also appealed to "stop the creation of additional bodies", criticizing the creation of a body as the "fund of funds recovery of Iraq."

The head of the Finance Committee in the House of Representatives that "there is some doubt the possibility that this body nothing," he said, referring to "the existence of solutions easier and more secure for the recovery of Iraqi funds."

He pointed out that "The Ministry of Finance proceeded to contract with the competent bodies, and these actors do not take any fees, but take a percentage of funds that can recover," asserting that "many countries follow this method, including Kuwait."

The government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said on Tuesday that the Council of Ministers approved in its regular budget of the Federal Assembly of Iraq in 2009, amounting to 79 trillion Iraqi dinars, distributed over 62 trillion dinars Kmoisnp operational and 17 trillion dinars Kmoisnp investment. Dabbagh stressed that the draft budget law will be submitted to the House of Representatives for approval.

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Oil due to the $ 200 barrier and the wealth of Iraq wait

cnn ... The International Energy Agency forecast that the price of a barrel of oil could reach up to $ 200 in 2030, likely to be most potential oil at that time had been confined to the hands of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries "OPEC", with the start of the depletion of most of the fields Located outside the States. However, some warned that the continued decline in oil prices will be spent producing enough to increase production

Him, which reflected a lack of energy, compared to the expected increasing global growth, leading to a question on the stock and real possibilities of oil to some countries, notably Iraq and the oil-rich city of Kirkuk.

Kirkuk is known to be in flames land for thousands of years, the phenomenon was're ancient civilizations, which in reality due to natural gas from the Earth's rushing through cracks in the surface layers, and these reasons housing Arabs and Kurds, who are fighting today on identity.

In this regard, "Sheikh Obeidi Manna, director of NOC:" Iraq did not fully explore oil reserves, and the priority for us today is to maintain current production levels. " Obeidi likely that Kirkuk containing 40 per cent of Iraq's known reserves, estimated at approximately 115 billion barrels, making Iraq the fourth largest arsenal in the world, according to a study took place four decades ago, says the Iraqi Oil Ministry that the stock may be true that times.

Three years ago production ceased entirely because of the attacks, before re-building pumping stations, which expired in August, but production remains at about 500 thousand barrels per day. But Obeidi said that the rehabilitation of those stations could raise production to 700 thousand barrels per day, however, pointed out that the development of new fields could raise the region to produce 2.5 million barrels a day.

And to develop new oil fields, Iraq needs the support of large international companies, although China signed a contract to work in the field of small north, the major companies continue to distance itself from the investment in the country. Obeidi said: "Despite the improvement in the security situation, continue to (those companies) hesitant," This may be logical, since the United States deployed its troops in Iraq describe the security developments as fragile and reversible. "

The International Atomic Energy Agency had forecast in a report this week, achieving the price of a barrel of oil in 2030 to $ 200 barrier, with the decline of stocks and expected to rise on global demand, which could mean an increase in the influence of the "OPEC."

The agency warned that the continued decline in prices will encourage producers to increase funds allocated for exploration and production, which means that the required quantities may not be present when the world needs, especially since stocks of non-OPEC countries back the rate of six per cent per annum.

The Richard Jones, ****utive Vice President of Energy Agency to "the Middle East CNN", saying: "There is still a margin of profit for oil prices, which means that production will continue in some fields, which Stajaf eventually dry out, however, will not return There are fields other than those working in the OPEC countries. "

OPEC has a 78 per cent of the newly discovered oil reserves in the world, the equivalent of nearly trillion barrels, a figure likely to rise with Iraq to recover its full capacity, that is the world's need for oil will be produced by the organization.

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