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

Iraq: UN refugee agency increasingly concerned at surging exodus due to violence

Displaced families in southern Iraq
13 October 2006 – With tens of thousands of Iraqis fleeing their homes every month because of continuing sectarian violence, the United Nations refugee agency today voiced growing concern over the “rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation” facing hundreds of thousands of displaced people, both within and outside their country.

“Inside Iraq and in neighbouring States, an increasing number of families are becoming dependent and destitute,” UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) spokesman Ron Redmond told a news briefing in Geneva. “Many of those fleeing now have little money, and those who fled earlier are running out of resources.

“The welcome mat is also wearing thin in some of the neighbouring States, which have been extremely generous in hosting so many Iraqis. While they are still tolerated, we're seeing stricter measures being implemented on duration of stay and visa extensions. Rents are high, with Iraqis blamed for driving up prices.

“Market prices have also gone up and health facilities and schools are becoming overcrowded in some areas,” he added, appealing to adjoining nations to continue extending hospitality and temporary protection and for countries beyond the immediate region to help carry the burden.

UNHCR briefed government donors in Amman, Jordan, this week on the situation. The displacement has forced the agency to reassess its priorities throughout the region, shifting from assisting returns and aiding 50,000 non-Iraqi refugees in Iraq to providing more help to some of the tens of thousands fleeing their homes every month. Many are moving on to other countries in what could be termed a steady, silent exodus.

UNHCR’s 2006 budget of $29 million for its Iraq operation is still $9 million short and activities risk being cut before the end of the year if the funds are not forthcoming.

The Iraqi Government, UNHCR and its partners estimate there are now more than 1.5 million people displaced internally, including over 365,000 who have fled their homes and communities since the mosque bombings in Samarra in February.

UNHCR estimates that up to 1.6 million Iraqis are now outside their country, most of them in Jordan and Syria. Others are in Iran, some of whom have been outside Iraq for a decade or more. But many have fled since 2003 and “we’re now seeing a steadily increasing arrival rate,” Mr. Redmond said, noting that at least 40,000 Iraqis are reported to be arriving in Syria each month.
Tens of thousands are moving further afield; of some 40 nationalities seeking asylum in European countries in the first half of 2006, Iraqis ranked first with more than 8,100 applications. “Where last year, we saw more than 50,000 Iraqis go home from neighbouring countries, this year we’ve seen only about 1,000 returns,” Mr. Redmond said. “Far more are leaving.”

Inside Iraq, the Government estimates that up to 50,000 people are leaving their homes every month. “The enormous scale of the needs, the ongoing violence and the difficulties in reaching the displaced make it a problem that is practically beyond the capacity of humanitarian agencies, including UNHCR,” Mr. Redmond said.
“The longer this goes on, the more difficult it gets as both the internally displaced and their host communities run out of resources. Thousands of displaced without family links or money are living in public buildings and schools, in often hazardous improvised shelters and in Government-run camps administered by the Iraqi Red Crescent. There is an urgent need for shelter and aid items, food, access to water and employment.”

Iraq: UN refugee agency increasingly concerned at surging exodus due to violence

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New York Times : Iraq change senior officials of the Interior Ministry
Source : Reuters
14 / 10 / 06
The New York Times on Saturday, Iraqi Minister of the Interior, as saying that he plans to amend the leadership of the ministry to rid it of sectarian influence after pressure from Western officials and political support inside Iraq. The Horse who is in an interview on Friday with several American newspapers that he enjoyed the support of Prime Minister Nour Al-Maliki, which gave the Shiite Or all the necessary changes between senior leaders.
The newspaper quoted him as saying in what Powell dialogue on the depth of Polanyi with the Western media, "We have an urgent need.

"We have to make changes at this level."

His "All senior officials of the Ministry of the Interior in the change." Although he did not release details on any plans for change. And who is to say that a government committee reviewed the recommendations.

The New York Times who is the pledge since taking office in May to conduct a purge of the agency which oversees the Iraqi police forces.

The newspaper added that Western officials and the leaders of the Sunni Arabs accuse the Interior Ministry of harboring Madiririn during the previous Iraqi government condoned or encouraged the Shiite militias to infiltrate the police forces.

It added that the who is achieved some progress in the reform of the ministry such as the dismissal of thousands of employees, but Western officials and some Iraqi leaders say that they did not receive the political support necessary to carry Balttahirat particularly at the highest levels of the ministry.

The newspaper quoted American officials close to the ministry as saying that among the leaders who had dismissed Adnan Alasaadi who is the Deputy Minister for Administrative Affairs, who is suspected of supporting the Shiite militias.

But the paper said that who is denied in spite of the saying that he insisted on trying to change the ministry said that from top to bottom.

The newspaper said that who is to avoid answering questions on the sectarian and political influence in the Cabinet Office, has repeatedly refused to confirm or deny whether there influence of the militias in the security forces.

But the newspaper said it did not agree with the militias, describing it as "a new threat to the political process in Iraq" and mentioning the name of the Mahdi Army is a large force loyal to the Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

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Najaf : Strict security measures to coincide with religious ceremonies
Source : a.. P. B
14 / 10 / 06
Official Iraqi sources announced yesterday, strict security measures include the deployment of 20 thousand soldiers, during three days in Najaf on the occasion of the death of Imam Ali Mosque, which began yesterday.
He said Colonel Abdul Karim Mustafa, commander of the city's police, «been deployed twenty thousand security element to the occasion Astbagal visitors injured and the death of Imam Ali». He added : «we have operations room comprising all security agencies in the province, with a view to formulating a comprehensive plan that would provide security, It has all the organs in the event of high alert ». He continued, saying : «Mustafa authorities decided to impose a curfew from 1:30 until six».

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Muqtada al-Sadr to his followers : Satbra who killed unjustly
Source : Middle East
14 / 10 / 06
Scoffed Dr. Adnan Al-Dulaimi the head of the Iraqi Accord Front in the House of Representatives (parliament) of the Iraqi threat to the radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr that «» Sitbra of his supporters if they were «aggressors against the Iraqi people wrongly».
He said Dulaimi told «» Middle East via phone from his home in Baghdad yesterday, «Who decides that this attack was in the right or not right, It defines the meaning of the right, and how the armed militia and that the illegal attack on the citizens, whether in the right or not right? ». He added «Rather Moqtada al-Sadr to issue orders to dissolve his militia and hand over disarmament and non-use, This is the correct procedure »« stressing that the government is granted a legitimate cover for the work of the armed militias of kidnapping, killing and burning of houses », «adding these militias known and belonging to political parties in Parliament and the government could force them to confront and solve their militia».

The statement issued by Sadr's office and quoted by the French Press Agency had said «may become available that there are groups or members of the Mahdi Army attack on the Iraqi people without right and the book Munir. Although there is no proof so only if it is proved that I Sathia names and Atbra without them not fear ».

Ok, after the last time the useless discussion about the ZERO LOP, I played dummy and send an email to Warka. I told them that I wanted to invest a lot more but the zero lop was holding me back from more investments.

Here is the email that I got back:


Dear Kiko,

It is always a pleasure to be of assistance and support.

These are the words of the Minster of Finance where such a decision has to come from the Central Bank of Iraq as they are the highest financial authority in Iraq. The Central Bank of Iraq has not made any move in respect to this and they did not comment on anything.

There are no official procedures being taken or implemented and our bank has not received any instructions from the Central Bank of Iraq. No official statements from the Central Bank have been issued and no specific date or price has been set regarding such a matter.

As the Government can not control the economy they would be interested in taking such a revaluation step. If such a revaluation is implemented it will only affect the supply of money in the market as everything will be divided by 1000.

In my personal opinion this will not happen as the labor force who represents the majority will not accept such a move.

I hope the above information is clearer than my last email and is satisfactory in meeting your fine requirements.

Manager
International Foreign Relations Dept.

So, let's put the useless ZERO LOP in the closet.

I DON'T WANT TO HEAR "ZERO LOP" AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!

Getting this information and the talk about a government that want such a revaluation I think we are very close.

I got this email today on Saturday. I never got an e-mail on saturday from Warka because of the weekend. Maybe they are preparing a REVALUE!!

Now, there is only thing left called the "exchange rate".

WE ARE GOING TO BE VERY RICH SOON!!!!!!!!!!!!
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Shamari : referendum is the basic pillar of legitimacy

(Voice of Iraq) - 10 - 14-2006 | This issue was sent to a friend

Shamari : referendum is the basic foundation of the legitimacy of the Territories
Member of the Legal Committee in the House of Representatives Hussein Shamari said that "the referendum is the basic foundation of the legitimacy of the territories."
Shamari added in a press statement that "the Territories includes a request to the prime minister, and then forwarded to the Office of the Independent Electoral Commission, in order to take the necessary action within a period not exceeding three months. "
He pointed out that "the rate of participation in the referendum, which will be held in the province should not be less than 50% of the number of voters. although the proportion of majority voting for the participants. "
Radio Tigris

Sotaliraq.com

Originally Posted by kiko

Ok, after the last time the useless discussion about the ZERO LOP, I played dummy and send an email to Warka. I told them that I wanted to invest a lot more but the zero lop was holding me back from more investments.

Here is the email that I got back:


Dear Kiko,

It is always a pleasure to be of assistance and support.

These are the words of the Minster of Finance where such a decision has to come from the Central Bank of Iraq as they are the highest financial authority in Iraq. The Central Bank of Iraq has not made any move in respect to this and they did not comment on anything.

There are no official procedures being taken or implemented and our bank has not received any instructions from the Central Bank of Iraq. No official statements from the Central Bank have been issued and no specific date or price has been set regarding such a matter.

As the Government can not control the economy they would be interested in taking such a revaluation step. If such a revaluation is implemented it will only affect the supply of money in the market as everything will be divided by 1000.

In my personal opinion this will not happen as the labor force who represents the majority will not accept such a move.

I hope the above information is clearer than my last email and is satisfactory in meeting your fine requirements.

Manager
International Foreign Relations Dept.

So, let's put the useless ZERO LOP in the closet.

I DON'T WANT TO HEAR "ZERO LOP" AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!

Getting this information and the talk about a government that want such a revaluation I think we are very close.

I got this email today on Saturday. I never got an e-mail on saturday from Warka because of the weekend. Maybe they are preparing a REVALUE!!

Now, there is only thing left called the "exchange rate".

WE ARE GOING TO BE VERY RICH SOON!!!!!!!!!!!!
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

WHAT IN HELL ARE THEY DOING WORKING ON A SATURDAY??? EARNING THAT COMMISSION?????????? LMDAO!!!!!!

the following tells me the revalue will be much higher than expected.
MENAFN - Middle East North Africa . Financial Network News: Dinar 'undervalued' -Bahrain
The Bahraini dinar is the most undervalued currency in the GCC region, according to a new survey which has again raised the wisdom of the six nations' insistence on keeping their currencies pegged to the US dollar.

The Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) used an infamous and informal system devised by the Economist magazine two decades ago to ascertain whether the currencies of the GCC were over or undervalued in relation to the US dollar.

The published results make grim reading for Bahrain - its currency emerging as the most undervalued in the region with the survey concluding the dinar is a significant 27 per cent undervalued.

The Economist's 'Big Mac index' was designed to informally measure the purchasing power parity between two currencies and provides a test of the extent to which market exchange rates result in goods costing the same in different countries.

The index is based on the idea that a basket of goods should cost the same in two currencies and takes the fast-food restaurant McDonalds' Big Mac sandwich as an example.

By dividing the cost of a Big Mac in one currency by its cost in another and comparing the figure reached with the actual exchange rate between the two analysts have a broad insight into whether a currency is correctly aligned with another.

The DCCI admits the 'Big Mac index' is not a precise forecasting tool and as a model has limitations, but the published results provide have sparked further debate on the continuing policy of pegging Gulf currencies to the US dollar.
The study showed the least undervalued currency on this ranking was the UAE at 12 per cent, while Kuwait and Oman scored 16 per cent, Qatar 20 per cent, Saudi Arabia 23 per cent and Bahrain 27 per cent.
Following the logic of the exercise Bahrain emerges as the country in the GCC most in need of re-evaluating its currency.

In a statement accompanying the survey's findings the DCCI said: "What has happened to the GCC currencies is that the 40 per cent devaluation of the US dollar over the past five years conflicts with a surge in oil exports and the requirement for huge imports from Europe priced in euros, distorting the valuations of local currencies and causing inflation."

It suggested that a "re-alignment" by GCC central banks now could smooth the path for the introduction of a joint currency in 2010this tells me it's not going to be 5-10 years as the nays say, but acknowledged the problems in such move including the fact that such a move, while making everything in local currency more valuable, would make assets held in dollars less valuable.

The statement concluded: "The fact remains that the US dollar's recent devaluation in no way reflects the buoyancy of the GCC economies and could be corrected by an adjustment to the currency peg."

Originally Posted by shotgunsusie

...they gotta have the value changed by monday morning their time when they start handing out those cheques.

Just curious as to why they HAVE TO "have the value changed by the time they start handing out the cheques"? Believe me I definately want you to be right... but just because these cheques and cards arent really worth much to us they are at least worth a little to the Iraqis.
But I do see what you are trying to say. I just wanted to ask if there is more that you may know here or you are just making an assumption that the value of these items are sooooo worthless to the Iraqis that a rise in the dinar is only option for the Iraqis to accept these items? Thanks!

Originally Posted by Pippyman

Just curious as to why they HAVE TO "have the value changed by the time they start handing out the cheques"? Believe me I definately want you to be right... but just because these cheques and cards arent really worth much to us they are at least worth a little to the Iraqis.
But I do see what you are trying to say. I just wanted to ask if there is more that you may know here or you are just making an assumption that the value of these items are sooooo worthless to the Iraqis that a rise in the dinar is only option for the Iraqis to accept these items? Thanks!

More people mad about only 10,000 dinar

Voices of Iraq : Wasit-grant (report)
Books : nakr06 on Friday, October 13, 2006 9:01 AM-BT
Grant Feast of anger and fears of many people in the Wasit
Abdel Jabbar Safrani
Kut - (Voices of Iraq)
When the Iraqi government announced a grant everyone the occasion of the Eid al-Fitr holiday, this announcement caused considerable controversy among residents Wasit governorate, their reactions varied around the fact that the grant can be raised prices. As it was not what was hoped for many especially those with limited incomes.
Fhideh Eid al-Fitr holiday, as they called government, mean giving every Iraqi citizen ten thousand dinars, which is considered by some a curse, not a blessing because of the repercussions in the local market. while others called for increased value, and expect a third party to form two plus when they receive it from banks because of the routine procedure, while not wanting the importance of the citizens.
He said Mr. Ali Hussein al-Tamimi broadly used (Musharraf educational retired) News Agency (Voices of Iraq) Independent, "This action is considered as serious as ten thousand dinars are worth nothing in the market which is a very small amount."
Tamimi added, "It is not possible that they violated happy this is not worth anything as it would cause much trouble for most families, particularly some of it justified to raise prices."
He explained, "the disparity in the amount of the grant between families seems clear, it is calculated on the basis of per capita as well as elsewhere between rich and poor and this is not reasonable There is no need originally. "
He pointed to "the importance of the establishment of controls and reasonable standards, according to the differences, particularly as the cons will be more of the positives."
He added : "Ftdaayat market and the rise in prices which occurs generally reflected on everyone without exception, as long as the ration card standard adopted with regard to the number of families and individuals, it should be a lump sum calculated according to the family and not the individual."
He said, "what it described as the government grant or grant feast or violated is not a blessing but a curse to be happy, we will have solved many negative returns starting to increase prices if hearing the news of this grant."
In the same context, Abbas asked Qarishi (owner of Electronics) whether the Iraqi citizen equal to the value of ten thousand dinars at the government or that the decision was made in haste.
He told Qarishi (Voices of Iraq) "did not have in mind the amount of the grant to begin that very cheaply, especially that the decision of the government is still in the beginning."
He added : "The Iraqi people deal with the realities existing in the country is under the pressure of severe conditions, known negative effects left by the day."
He said that "the psychological repercussions of the citizen took the negative trend and not positive about this grant," pointing out that "some people considered it a mockery of the Iraqi man."
He said Haji Aziz Faraj, an employee "families consisting of 17 individuals, and this means I Satselme amount of 170 thousand dinars, but my sister, the widow of the deceased and her husband have three children, which means they receive only 40 thousand dinars."
He added, "We can not get rid of the psychological factors due to these differences."
He pointed out that "this grant made way for the employee and retired, who had hoped to receive a lump-sum grant from the elections as was the case in previous times."
He said that "ten thousand dinars fill the eighth suit a small child or a model can be purchased for Eid," expressing his hope to increase this amount.
For his part, Aziz Kazim (a form contract), "not equal to the amount anxieties, which awaits the Iraqi citizen, especially at this stage where there is a lot of problems and complications exist on the ground."
It was Dr. Skinner, spokesman for the government had announced a week before the Cabinet for the payment of the amount of ten thousand dinars each citizen the occasion of Eid al-Fitr.
He pointed out that "the amount paid by check according to the ration card, and the disposal of banks in Baghdad and other governorates."
Sources at the Ministry of Commerce, said that the ministry was preparing a thorough and urgent to implement the decision of the Council of Ministers Judge regardless amount.
It is estimated that the number of individuals covered by the ration card, according to the ministry's statistics, the same 29 million people who constitute the approximate number of the Iraqi population.