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

MENAFN - Middle East North Africa . Financial Network News: 'Left to pay the price'

'Left to pay the price'

Jordan Times - 15/10/2006

Musa KeilaniThings are coming to a boil in Iraq, and the partition of the country along ethnic lines might come sooner than the world expects. That is what was indicated by Thursday's controversial vote in the Iraqi parliament in favour of a provision that allows the formation of further provincial confederacies.Questions about whether the quorum was achieved for Thursday's vote and how many had actually voted in favour have not really been answered. The Shiite-led majority claimed 140 members ? the quorum being at least 138 of the 275 members attended the session, the Sunnis say less than 133 were present. Parliament Speaker Mahmoud Al Mashhadani, a Sunni, announced that a quorum had been reached before storming out of the assembly in protest.There is no independent or recorded confirmation of how many voted in favour because the vote was taken by raised hands. However, the vote in favour of the provision is a reality, and there is not much anyone can to challenge it.Even if there was full participation of members, the vote works against the Sunnis, since Shiites and Kurds hold a majority and could always outvote the Sunnis. That is one of the roots of grievances of the Sunnis, who know well that there is no way they can have their way in parliament.The reality that comes forth is that it is dawning on all the three major sects of Iraq ? the majority Shiites and the minority Sunnis and Kurds ? that it is impossible to coexist and maintain the sovereignty and territorial integrity of their country.The language used by various players after the vote reflected a hardening of positions. Shiite leader Abdul Aziz Al Hakim described opponents of federalism in Iraq as loyalists of the ousted Saddam regime, remnants of the Baathist party and Takfiris.The Sunnis countered that the Shiites were more loyal to Iran and were taking orders from Tehran. Specifically referring to Hakim, they asserted that he holds Iranian citizenship and therefore has no right to speak on issues as vital as Iraq's future.These developments should also be seen against the purported suggestion by James Baker III, a former secretary of state who is close to President George W. Bush, that Iraq be divided into three parts, according to a report in last week's Times of London.Baker heads a US congressional panel which was asked to explore possibilities of a way out of Iraq for the US or at least come up with ways and means to contain the growing crisis there.Subsequently, Baker denied that partitioning Iraq was one of his suggestions. If anything, he said, any talk of such division could lead to an explosive and all-out civil war in the country.One will not know what Baker is suggesting before December. However, the very mention of the word partition highlights that Iraq is sliding towards a split. That concern is not only prevalent among Iraqis and Arabs, but is also shared by Western leaders and observers.To this should be added a draft constitution submitted on an agenda before the Kurdish parliament, calling for adding more territory to the area currently under Kurdish control. A map submitted along with the constitution shows Kurdish borders expanded close to Baghdad, including several districts which are currently within the provincial borders of Nineveh. In its final form, the Kurdish border will stretch from near Baghdad to the Iranian border and Iraq's international frontier with Syria, according to a press report in Azzaman newspaper.The map shows the oil-rich province of Kirkuk as part of Kurdistan, reflecting the Kurdish quest to gain control of oil wealth that could be used to build the independent state they want to create in northern Iraq.Given the publicly expressed Shiite opposition to any division of Iraq, the Iraqi government and parliament in Baghdad will oppose the Kurdish move. However, according to Azzaman, the Kurds, who are part of the ruling Shiite coalition in Baghdad, are reported to have made their agreement for Shiite-initiated moves in parliament and government conditional on the government accepting their new borders.Turkey, Iran and Syria are closely watching the Kurdish moves. So far, the autonomous Kurdish leadership in the north has played it by the ear, but it is only a matter of time before the campaign for Kurdish independence will tip over the scales and catapult the area into chaos. There will be massacres linked to ethnic cleansing and tens of thousands of non-Kurds could die and be forced out of their homes in Kirkuk into central Iraq, or be pushed across the borders.Not helping is the British anxiety to get out of Iraq, as expressed by Chief of the General Staff Sir Richard Dannatt, who went as far as saying that British troops should leave Iraq because their presence only contributes to creating instability rather then ensuring security.Dannatt stood by his televised comment in subsequent interviews and this shows this career soldier's conviction that it would not do his troops and country much good to stay on in Iraq. Beyond that is his apparent realisation that there is not much anyone could do to stop the country from being divided, and it would not be a nice place for Britons to be in when that happens.There is definitely a growing momentum towards the division of Iraq. This was predicted years ago, before the US invaded Iraq in 2003, but the Bush administration chose to ignore it. And the Iraqis and the Arabs are now left to pay the price.

MENAFN - Middle East North Africa . Financial Network News: Iraq to cooperate with Kuwait in developing 3 oil fields

Iraq to cooperate with Kuwait in developing 3 oil fields

MENAFN - 15/10/2006

(MENAFN) - According to reliable Iraqi diplomatic and economic sources, Iraq will sign an agreement of cooperation with Kuwait in the next few months to develop oil fields in Iraq to fulfill its needs of oil products, especially auto fuel and kerosene, which Iraq suffers from a lack in supplying them, Al-Watan reported. The sources also said that the Iraqi Oil Ministry had prepared a plan for the construction of new oil refineries in various governorates, pointing out that the plan includes: building the refinery of Koya in Koysanjak in Iraq's Kurdistan Province at a production capacity of 70 thousand barrels per day.On the other hand, Executive Chairman and Vice-Chairman of Kuwait Petroleum Company said that participation will be limited to the technical aspects only and will not exceed more than that because they did not ask for any other kind of participation. He also confirmed that it is restricted to joint visits between the two sides to determine the extent of needs they require in addition to the exchange of expertise, getting acquainted with work in Kuwaiti refineries, observing some outstanding units in the refineries and how to manage them.

Kuna site|Story page|Iraqi PM vows to wipe out militias, create jobs ...10/15/2006

Iraqi PM vows to wipe out militias, create jobs

POL-IRAQ-MALIKI-CONSTITUTION Iraqi PM vows to wipe out militias, create jobsBAGHDAD, Oct 15 (KUNA) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki said Sunday that the Iraqi constitution, which was not written by a dictator or group, represented an honor code accepted by all Iraqis.Al-Maliki, who was addressing the Iraqi people on the first anniversary of the public referendum endorsing the draft constitution, said the Iraqi people would no longer tolerate a separate group or sect seizing power."The time for communique number one has gone. Such were the dark eras," the prime minister said. He vowed to wipe out armed gangs and militias and provide more employment opportunities.He added that the endorsement of the constitution through a public referendum was a national day in which all cross sections of society took part.He promised that the next few days would witness more effort to restore law and order in some provinces known for their lawlessness.In a related development, the multinational force said the criminal tribunal sentenced to death a member of the Al-Qaeda organization.Another 65 people accused of involvement in terrorist activities were sentenced to various jail terms. They included Egyptians, Syrians, Libyans, Sudanese, Yemenis, Saudis, Tunisians and Iranians.One of the Saudis that were sentenced by the tribunal was known for heading some armed gangs. He had admitted that he came to Iraq to get involved in "holy jihad." (end) aah.ehKUNA 152030 Oct 06NNNN

IRAQ THE MODEL
Sunday, October 15, 2006

There are heroes, and there are criminals. The two never equate as victims.
There is one video I wish I can find on the web. It's a short video that was shown on al-Iraqiya last Friday evening and was replayed several times that night.Until I can find a way to get a copy of the video and put it up I will try to share with you a description of what I saw…It's about a police station somewhere in Iraq, the place was about to be hit by a suicide bomber riding a vehicle laden with explosives.The driver approaches the entrance to the station which is surrounded by concrete walls. Several police officers open fire from their ak-47's on the incoming suicide bomber but he keeps closing in.As the vehicle passes through the gate and past the last barricade all of the officers run away seeking shelter…except for one extraordinary man.One police officer held his position and was still standing in the way of the terrorist and kept on firing his rifle at the windshield until the vehicle was just meters from the officer, then…BOOM.End of video….I watched the video over and over again and my amazement grew with every time I watched it…this is incredible…this is heroic…this is happening.2 dead, (n) injured in a car bomb. That's what we would read in the news next day and then someone would come to make a body count and make a study about the human cost of the war and list the two men from the two extremes of this conflict, both as victims of the war!So the policeman is a victim and the bomber too is a victim?…it sounds so cruel and unfair. A man who died to save his colleagues and a beast who killed himself to kill others cannot and must not be both counted as victims.One is an anti-life criminal while the other is a hero, but on paper, some *****s describe them both as victims of the war.Who knows?! Maybe there are some other *****s who count the 4,000 foreign terrorists whom al-Qaeda confessed were killed in Iraq as victims too!

News is great but it should have to do with reval or our investment and i wish people would have important parts highlighted to save space. i can hear about all the people dieing and car bombs and attacks on CNN or and news chanel
JMHO

Originally Posted by CORY

News is great but it should have to do with reval or our investment and i wish people would have important parts highlighted to save space. i can hear about all the people dieing and car bombs and attacks on CNN or and news chanel
JMHO

1:30 pm S-226 Press Conference: Mr. Georg Kell, Executive Director of the UN Global Compact Office, to brief journalists on the World Investment Report 2006
(UN PHOTO,INTERNATIONAL MEDIA)


I think this one is the one that was embargoed. 1.30 pm, I don’t know what time zone this is but it is in the UN building. You smart people can work this out. It is set for Monday, October 16. Here is the link.

Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit - Media Alert

Originally Posted by Webster

1:30 pm S-226 Press Conference: Mr. Georg Kell, Executive Director of the UN Global Compact Office, to brief journalists on the World Investment Report 2006
(UN PHOTO,INTERNATIONAL MEDIA)


I think this one is the one that was embargoed. 1.30 pm, I don’t know what time zone this is but it is in the UN building. You smart people can work this out. It is set for Monday, October 16. Here is the link.

Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit - Media Alert

Well, if it is in the UN building in NY, I would think it would be Eastern time.

Originally Posted by Vipor

Well, if it is in the UN building in NY, I would think it would be Eastern time.

Not to excited about this! This is about that 300+ page embargoed report we have already seen! Unless there are any surprises!!!!!!!!!

Judge in Saddam trial to set verdict date on Monday
Judge in Saddam trial to set verdict date on Monday - Yahoo! News

I'm sure this will bring about more violence, and is probably a big part why the violence has picked up so much,
And I'm sure we'll see a celebration by majority of Iraqi's.

I heard drudge talking about this tonight...
White House Upbeat About GOP Prospects - washingtonpost.com


Amid widespread panic in the Republican establishment about the coming midterm elections, there are two people whose confidence about GOP prospects strikes even their closest allies as almost inexplicably upbeat: President Bush and his top political adviser, Karl Rove.

Some Republicans on Capitol Hill are bracing for losses of 25 House seats or more. But party operatives say Rove is predicting that, at worst, Republicans will lose only 8 to 10 seats -- shy of the 15-seat threshold that would cede control to Democrats for the first time since the 1994 elections and probably hobble the balance of Bush's second term.

In the Senate, Rove and associates believe, a Democratic victory would require the opposition to "run the table," as one official put it, to pick up the necessary six seats -- a prospect the White House seems to regard as nearly inconceivable.

The Mark Foley page scandal and its fallout have many Republicans panicked, but Rove professes to be taking it in stride. "The data we are seeing from individual races and the national polls would tend to indicate that people can divorce Foley's personal action from the party," he said in a brief interview Thursday.

The official White House line of supreme self-assurance comes from the top down. Bush has publicly and privately banished any talk of losing the GOP majorities, in part to squelch any loss of nerve among his legions. Come January, he said last week, "We'll have a Republican speaker and a Republican leader of the Senate."...(continued)