Thread: Iraq/Dinar News. 09/05 to 01/14/07

Informed Comment
Thoughts on the Middle East, History, and Religion

Juan Cole is President of the Global Americana Institute


Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Brother of Iraqi VP Killed
4 US Troops Killed
57 Bodies found in Baghdad

Reuters reports that 4 US GIs were announced killed by Iraqi guerrillas on Monday. Since the beginning of October, guerrillas have killed 33 US soldiers and Marines.

Gunmen dressed in police uniforms killed the brother of Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi on Monday. The Sunni Arab community interpreted the assassination of Lt. Gen. Amer al-Hashimi, and adviser to the Ministry of Defense, as the work of a Shiite death squad. He was the third of the vice president's siblings to be killed this year. Sadrist Shiites in parliament have accused al-Hashimi and his Iraqi Islamic Party of having links to the Sunni Arab guerrilla movement.

Al-Hayat reports [Ar.] that the assassination has raised the tension level in al-Anbar province, where the Iraqi Islamic Party has a great deal of support. There, it competes with "al-Qaeda in Iraq," which accuses it of collaborating with the Americans.

Some are saying that the assassination and the bad feelings among Sunnis may be the nail in the coffin of PM al-Maliki's hopes for a national reconciliation program.

Sabrina Tavernise of the NYT writes:


' A bomb in a parked car exploded at nightfall on Monday in a crowded market area in Shaab, a predominantly Shiite neighborhood, killing at least 13 and wounding 46, a police official said. It was the first large bombing in the capital in almost a month, and brought the number of Iraqis killed in violence on Monday to 18. In addition, Iraqi authorities said they found 57 bodies in eastern and western Baghdad. '



The Sunni Arab guerrilla movement has found it difficult to carry off the big, spectacular bombings while under pressure from the US military's "Battle for Baghdad," but it seems to be adapting.

Reuters reports other political violence, including a car bombing at Tal Afar.

Aljazeera is broacasting a call from the 1920 Revolution Brigades calling on Iraqis to support them in their struggle against American occupation and against what they called sectarian death squads. (I fear the 1920 Revolution Brigades are themselves a sectarian death squad.)

Aljazeera also showed Iraqi vice premier Salam al-Zawba`i (Sunni Arab) condemning the militia elements in the Interior Ministry (i.e. the Shiite Badr Corps of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq). He said that the Iraqi government needs to stop asking the militias to disband and should rather order them to disband.

Al-Sharq al-Awsat [Ar.] quotes Iraqi PM Nuri al-Maliki as saying that the days are past when order can be imposed by tanks and conspiracies.

Everyone is amazed at the relative passivity of the Iraqi govenment. But you wonder if part of it is that Iraqis were traumatized by Saddam's massive crimes, and fear becoming like Saddam more than they fear disorder.

This article about Iraqi ambassador to the US Samir Sumaidaie and the petroleum industry in Houston will not get much play in the US press. But in my view, this is what it is all about, folks.

Conflicting reports are still emerging about the poisoning of hundreds of Iraqi policemen at the Numaniyah base. Some Iraqi government sources are saying that it was probably a deliberate poisoning, that some have died, and that 4 mess hall workers have been arrested. The provincial governor of Wasit denies that anyone died and denies that the poisoning was deliberate. There appears to have been a riot among the policemen in protest, during which they stoned the car of their commanding officer. One theory being floated is that the food workers used cheap old meat and skimmed from the quartermaster budget. You wonder if the truth will ever be known. One thing is for sure, the incident is eloquent one way or another of broken institutions.

WaPo says that the US military is playingWhack A Mole in Iraq, and that as they move troops from al-Anbar to Baghdad, the guerrillas are becoming more active in al-Anbar. The article quotes an officer who points out that rotating troops in and out of al-Anbar areas every 45 days is bad counter-insurgency technique. So if they know this, why do they keep doing it?

posted by Juan @

Translated version of http://www.alzawraa.net/home/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id= 22&Itemid=73

The cost of 16 billion dollars and length of 22 km. The introduction of the large port Iraq within two months in Basra
Source : Zawra
10 / 10 / 06
In a gesture of openness big economic occur in the city of Basra, Company is planning ports of Iraq and the Ministry of Transport for the construction of the Port of Greater Iraq, the largest commercial port in the region. the coastal area is estimated at more than 22 kilometers stretching from Ras Al-Faw in the Shatt al-Arab district, near the port of Abu Fulus.
Well-informed sources said that the engineering cadres in the company and the ministry completed the initial topographical surveys earlier in the current year, delivered with the Basic Design Engineering and geographical studies and surveys and the total cost of the project to the Cabinet for approval.
According to confirmed information that the total cost of the project would amount to 16 billion dollars over ten years which will gather large numbers of the workforce, which would help alleviate the unemployment crisis in the country as preliminary estimates indicate that the project provides about 50 thousand job opportunities.
According to an official source at the Iraq Ports Corporation in Basra, in the case of the inability of the State to do the project would cost, we would go to the huge investment companies for the global implementation of the project. While sources say that the works of the project will start the first stage in the course of the next two months.
The sources pointed out that the first stage would be a bed of the entire port ground to determine the trajectories of navigation lanes and groynes and deepen Submersible course and the implementation of the foundations of sidewalks and service utilities and administrative measures.
Sources indicate that the navigational depth of the port somewhere between 11 and 28 meters, what will facilitate the movement of large ships and supertankers in unloading its cargo unhindered in addition to getting rid of the problems of the thalweg line shoaling and openness to the longest range in Iraqi territorial waters.
The port will be a venue where navigational model will include 100 dock navigation and railway network service and network lines ground quick addition to the port of air flows into the port operations, ports and housing complexes in addition to a group of villages and the role of the park, The free trade zones are multiple.

Sotaliraq.com

Council of Ministers-the amendment with the salaries of health professionals

(Voice of Iraq) - 10-10-2006 | This issue was sent to a friend



The Republic of Iraq
Council of Ministers-the governmental communications
Media Relations
A press statement / Press Release
Tuesday 10-10-2006


During his meeting with representatives of the health professions

Minister of Health :-amend the salaries of health professionals from 120 to 200 thousand dinars.

- A new law for people with health professionals and 120 thousand dinars total monthly allocations


The Minister of Health, Dr. Shamari said that the Ministry was serious in its quest to amend the peace salaries of the health professions through the issuance of the decision of the Council of Ministers be implemented at the beginning of next year. by which will be paid 200 thousand dinars instead of 120 thousand dinars. in addition to the allotment which would be approved during the coming period, which would amount to 120 thousand dinars added to the salaries.

He added Shamari, during his meeting with a delegation headed by the chairman of the health professions and representatives of the provinces of Misan, Karbala : with the health professions that are the pillars of the ministry and the work without them, we can not walk properly being complementary to the process of health and medical, noting that the ministry is working on a new law for health professionals.

He explained : There is a plan to revise the job description for each jurisdiction, as well as allowing them to complete their studies through involvement training courses outside Iraq, in addition to the activation of some of the previous laws such as the law of radiation and the granting of compulsory leave, as well as the abolition of some other resolutions of the conflict with the new directions of the Ministry.

increasing salaries, part of the economic plan.

Sotaliraq.com

The Council of Ministers meeting in-service Alozara T.
(Voice of Iraq) - 10-10-2006

The Republic of Iraq
Council of Ministers-the governmental communications
Media Relations
A press statement / Press Release
Tuesday 10-10-2006

In a meeting Alozara T. service

Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Peace Alzobai confirms : the people who elected us expected to change the reality of security and services

Deputy Prime Minister Sallam Alzobai : must all the ministers in our government is to bear their ministries actively and honor and the best in the minister, who does not change or seek to change, and awaiting the people who elected us to do something and change the reality of security and services Almtdenian to a large extent.

He added during a meeting with the ministers of electricity, oil and higher education, science and technology, water resources, a representative of the Ministry of Construction and Housing and a group of advisers Specialist services : we should call ourselves first and the initiative to work in the diagnosis of defect trends and then proceed no harm develop solutions that get involved Kvoein without waiting for approvals legislative and legal consultations, all of this in order to advance the process of construction and the reform front.

Alzobai and listened to the views of the ministers about the problems facing their ministries and discussed solutions affordable and fast in order to overcome the difficulties and upgrade services to an acceptable level at this stage at least, focused Minister of Water Resources on the issue of water scarcity and purity addition to the troubles faced by the citizens, asserting that our problem does not lie in the shortage of water, but the possibility of distribution.
For his part, Minister of Electricity and request further support and cooperation of the Ministry of Water Resources, pointed to the dramatic lack of power and the possibility of dealing with the future.

I read all the posts about protection and about some people that are saying that a revalue never is going to happen.

I look at the global lines here. These are always the lines that makes the detailed roadmap.

If we look back then it the whole setup of Bush was to get Iraq into the WTO from the first moment. 2004 Observer status and they want and will get a full membership in 2007 and I think in the first quarter of 2007 because they are already making everything in compliance with the WTO (read USAID report). Therefore an international exchange rate is needed.

Then we are all speculating negative or positive but sometimes we forget the current economic situation. That is 20% poverty that lives on $1 a day, a whole bunch of people that lives on perhaps $2 a day, prices of goods and consumption that keeps on rising and an inflation level that is out of control.

These are only the numbers that are known recently and they know it is a starting point. It means if there won't be taken any actions it only is getting worse and worse and worse.

Then we know that inflation only can be tackled with monetary actions or action in the exchange rate. The CBI has already taken monetary actions, like raising interest with no effect or little effect. Besides this their hands are tied by the IMF. Only action left, again the exchange rate.

Then to start and boost your economy you need job creation so that all the money earned will flow back into the economy. At this moment to government may and cannot create jobs by the IMF. Theirs hands are tied.

So job creation is very difficult but so important. The only way to do this is by opening the doors for foreign investment. Doing this the oil production will be raised and it creates jobs. But we aren't there yet. If this is going to happen I read in a document of the World Bank that their will be a job creation of only 1% for iraqi people.

That is the problem with countries that only depend on their oil. Therefore the oil revenue has to take care of creating jobs in the downline sectors. Then again producing more oil is increasing = increasing revenue = creating more jobs.

Well knowing this, I cannot make another conclusion that we are in a very important stage right now. Doing nothing means bringing the whole country in poverty and a complete failure or iraq. I don't think that the world let that happen.

I agree on the people who are saying that the iraqi dinars true value needs to be set by their economy. But before we can do that, their must be set a real exchange rate, because the current is a program rate.

Iraq has a big potential and can achieve in my opinion an exchange rate of $3/$4 within the next 3-5 years. This must be achieved by their economy. But there must be set an exchange rate that tackles the inflation, opens foreign investment and kick-start the whole economy.

If we call it a revalue or whatever it's about that number that needs be on the scoreboard.

Then we also have the facts from the ministry of finance that the dinar must be equal to the dollar, must be like the value of neighboring countries and that we cannot sell our oil for 0.25ct if the neighbors are selling it for $50ct.

Those are facts and hints of what will happen. A zero lop is not an option because it don't create buying power and don't tackle inflation. The iraqi people are more and more realising that is only getting worse and worse and blame the government for this. A zero lop barries the government and whole iraq.

Well knowing that there will not be a zero lop and an CBI that urges the iraqi people to use the coins (from an article this year) is in my opion that they are trying to prepare the people for using small money. Well, if you plan to stick on your current exchange rate or a low exchange rate then you don't do this. You only do this when it has "a value" to buy bread, cola or whatever.

So I have to agree on Adster and others that the FIL is very important in the whole picture because it is the only door to go from hell to heaven.

Everybody is entitled to an opinion positive or negative but we have to focus on the facts and information that is given to us.

I hope that Iraq will take actions and very soon to save their own people and not to make us a millionaire!






Some people are saying that the exchange rate needs to be appreciate by ongoing economy. I agree, only most of them cannot let go the current rate.

ÊÍÊ ÇáÖæÁ

Under the light
Search for price reform economy

The economic situation in Iraq today is akin to a patient man who is not thinking only recovery regardless of the quality of treatment and the means to his recovery. and sometimes that means repercussions on the health side in the long run.
Food, fuel and essential goods and services, employment opportunities, housing and other belongings of the economy. all need to address the drastic and recovery, and during the past years, not the Iraqi citizen in a whirlpool and the plight of the poor condition of these items, , but in the vortex solutions, is witnessing the successive failure of one after the other, and also said that the latest treatment (branding), the government has revealed weapon capital firm, , has allocated $ 117 million to cover the ration card items and is reflected positively and quickly to the street as people witnessed a marked improvement in this aspect, and what the fuel hikes, and yet the government has allocated an amount least, in hard currency to cover the needs of fuel and control of chronic fuel crisis.
But is this everything? ... Do the Iraqis want and spend in Jabthm of cash liquidity backed oil exports to meet their needs, without being compensated by new financial Bmurad? , exile is the obvious answer of course, but another question shows us is how to achieve economic recovery Iraqi hands?
A few days ago, a delegation of high-ranking economic meetings in the country, IMF and the World Bank in Singapore. , was chaired by the Minister of Finance and the Central Bank of Iraq President, and in this meeting the Iraqi delegation to the so-called International Decade with Iraq, which represents the slogan underneath several countries and international economic institutions to help Iraq to advance economically, and what we are interested in what happened in Singapore, a recent World Bank President Paul Olfotin assistance and is the former Minister of Defense during the military invasion of Iraq - which he said : "The International Decade will support reforms in the social and economic major would reopen Iraq fully to the regional and international economy."
The economic reforms which spoke about Olfotin, Abragheion know it had a bit when the government responded to pressure and fuel prices rose several times, But social reforms do not have entrusted, note that the Iraqi people and may not conceal officer and others in the world that the Iraqi people have a long and bright history in the (social reform) in support of the wheel of economic and social integration with the adoption of the concepts and moral values and religious Semitic ensure a decent living, . And also another question : we wonder whether the Iraqi people will find something new - which contains over the years? yes determined by the Iraqis themselves first.
Muhammad Ali Jawad

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117 million to support the components of the ration card

Karbala / Huda
The distribution of the ration card items marked improvement with the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, have been distributed share some of the articles, for three months or four months to come in the holy city of Karbala, comes With the evolution in the allocation of new payments to cover the costs of importing items ration card.
The government announced the allocation of $ 117.25 million to cover financial shortfalls in financing the purchase of the ration card. .
The earlier study, released by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs Iraqi cooperation with the International Monetary Fund and the United Nations Development Program, 20% of the population suffer from Poverty, said Director-General of the Department of the Ministry of Social Affairs Laila Kazem said that about two million Iraqi families live under the poverty line.

Originally Posted by kiko

I read all the posts about protection and about some people that are saying that a revalue never is going to happen.

I look at the global lines here. These are always the lines that makes the detailed roadmap.

If we look back then it the whole setup of Bush was to get Iraq into the WTO from the first moment. 2004 Observer status and they want and will get a full membership in 2007 and I think in the first quarter of 2007 because they are already making everything in compliance with the WTO (read USAID report). Therefore an international exchange rate is needed.

Then we are all speculating negative or positive but sometimes we forget the current economic situation. That is 20% poverty that lives on $1 a day, a whole bunch of people that lives on perhaps $2 a day, prices of goods and consumption that keeps on rising and an inflation level that is out of control.

These are only the numbers that are known recently and they know it is a starting point. It means if there won't be taken any actions it only is getting worse and worse and worse.

Then we know that inflation only can be tackled with monetary actions or action in the exchange rate. The CBI has already taken monetary actions, like raising interest with no effect or little effect. Besides this their hands are tied by the IMF. Only action left, again the exchange rate.

Then to start and boost your economy you need job creation so that all the money earned will flow back into the economy. At this moment to government may and cannot create jobs by the IMF. Theirs hands are tied.

So job creation is very difficult but so important. The only way to do this is by opening the doors for foreign investment. Doing this the oil production will be raised and it creates jobs. But we aren't there yet. If this is going to happen I read in a document of the World Bank that their will be a job creation of only 1% for iraqi people.

That is the problem with countries that only depend on their oil. Therefore the oil revenue has to take care of creating jobs in the downline sectors. Then again producing more oil is increasing = increasing revenue = creating more jobs.

Well knowing this, I cannot make another conclusion that we are in a very important stage right now. Doing nothing means bringing the whole country in poverty and a complete failure or iraq. I don't think that the world let that happen.

I agree on the people who are saying that the iraqi dinars true value needs to be set by their economy. But before we can do that, their must be set a real exchange rate, because the current is a program rate.

Iraq has a big potential and can achieve in my opinion an exchange rate of $3/$4 within the next 3-5 years. This must be achieved by their economy. But there must be set an exchange rate that tackles the inflation, opens foreign investment and kick-start the whole economy.

If we call it a revalue or whatever it's about that number that needs be on the scoreboard.

Then we also have the facts from the ministry of finance that the dinar must be equal to the dollar, must be like the value of neighboring countries and that we cannot sell our oil for 0.25ct if the neighbors are selling it for $50ct.

Those are facts and hints of what will happen. A zero lop is not an option because it don't create buying power and don't tackle inflation. The iraqi people are more and more realising that is only getting worse and worse and blame the government for this. A zero lop barries the government and whole iraq.

Well knowing that there will not be a zero lop and an CBI that urges the iraqi people to use the coins (from an article this year) is in my opion that they are trying to prepare the people for using small money. Well, if you plan to stick on your current exchange rate or a low exchange rate then you don't do this. You only do this when it has "a value" to buy bread, cola or whatever.

So I have to agree on Adster and others that the FIL is very important in the whole picture because it is the only door to go from hell to heaven.

Everybody is entitled to an opinion positive or negative but we have to focus on the facts and information that is given to us.

I hope that Iraq will take actions and very soon to save their own people and not to make us a millionaire!






Some people are saying that the exchange rate needs to be appreciate by ongoing economy. I agree, only most of them cannot let go the current rate.

Thanks for the brilliant post Kiko.

Originally Posted by shotgunsusie

ÊÍÊ ÇáÖæÁ

Good find Susie!

The article is dated 26-09-2006, I think they now know what to do after these meetings.

I only can say: hurry up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AL-MADA Daily Newspaper...ÌÑíÏÉ ÇáãÏì

The House of Representatives approving the prosecution Deferred in the modulation

Baghdad / long
Hesitation in the House of Representatives during the meeting held yesterday that the next two days will attest to form a committee constitutional amendments to be able to direct its holding after Abd al-Fitr holiday.
This announcement was told (long) MP from the Iraqi Accord Front Hussein Alvluji said that the task to be undertaken by the Commission is to introduce amendments to the Constitution, all paragraphs in the text of Article 142 paragraph five, which allowed the introduction of these amendments as of the end of the preamble and another article in a compromise politicians j between blocs that participated in the formation of this committee, expressed his belief that the process will be difficult and very complicated especially that there is difference in their views on the draft constitution and attitude.
For his part, the United Alliance MP Abbas Al-Bayati, the leaders of the bloc met yesterday to agree on the nomination of the Chairman of the Committee, which will be during this week is supposed to complete its work within a year of its composition.
And the Congress voted yesterday in its proposed law on the public prosecution (No. 159) by an absolute majority and the postponement of the vote on the law implication to the meeting today, Tuesday, which was scheduled to vote in yesterday's session only because there are some fundamental differences in terms of the law called the presidency of the Council to postpone the vote to a for the next session after the introduction of the necessary explanations for it by the Legal Committee.
The Council heard a second reading of the proposed bill on the cancellation of warrants removal of judges, The second reading of the draft law on accession to the Convention on the fight against organized crime. "

gettin lots of laws started and finished up. now where are those big buggars?? hmmm