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

10 November 2006 (AP Worldstream)

U.S. soldiers strolled through neighborhoods in troubled north Baghdad, poking their heads into storefronts and delivering the same message all day: Donald H. Rumsfeld's departure does not mean American forces will abandon efforts to stabilize the capital.

Yet, as they walked the dangerous streets Thursday, the soldiers carried with them their own and varied opinions of the war and the man who ran it from the Pentagon.

Spc. Wayne Thimas, a 32-year-old with the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry, 172 Stryker Brigade Combat Team, said Rumsfeld's departure meant nothing to him.

"It's kinda weird, but this is just another day for us. Nothing changes here. You hear explosions and gunshots, you feel the explosions, and you don't even flinch _ it's just another day in Baghdad," Thimas said.

Sgt. David Alberg, a 22-year-old, said the hard-driving Rumsfeld wouldn't be missed:

"I don't think you'll find many people around here who have anything good to say about him. Last summer people were really upset when two days before we were supposed to leave for Kuwait (en route home), he extended us another 120 days."

Ammar Kajjo, a 34-year-old Kurd under contract as an Army interpreter, found a middle ground.

"I think history will remember him as the engineer of the Iraq war, and a lot of people don't like him because of it. For some reason, for the American people, the positive sides of the war don't sell," said Kajjo, who lives in Florida.

The 172nd Stryker Brigade's chief, Col. Al Kelly, sought out Iraqi opinions on Rumsfeld as he gave wintergreen Lifesaver candies to children near a Shiite mosque where troops recently uncovered a large hidden weapons cache. Posters of anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr covered a cement barrier around the mosque.

"How are you feeling today? Did you hear the news about Rumsfeld? What do you think about it?" Kelly asked residents.

"I'm curious about what they're thinking today. It's a leading question that gets to deeper security issues, and the reassurance they get from us being out here today is a byproduct," he said.

Soldiers waded through a busy outdoor vegetable market in Hurriyah, a formerly Sunni neighborhood now dominated by Shiites. It's part of a crescent of Shiite dominance stretching from Sadr City in Baghdad's northeast across the Tigris River to neighborhoods like Hurriyah in the west, where U.S. forces have seen increasingly sophisticated attacks.

A man selling live carp from the Tigris held one up for the soldiers, its mouth gaping. The owner of a fruit stand flagged down the soldiers to tell them he had heard the news but didn't think a new defense secretary would make much difference here.

"His resignation won't affect the situation in Iraq or the United States, and it won't affect Washington's support for the government of (Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri) al-Maliki," said 55-year-old Abdul Zahra Kabi, wearing a red-checked Arab headdress and sitting on a wood crate.

"I don't think it will either," Kelly said.

In these neighborhoods where anti-American sentiment runs high and sectarian vendettas run even deeper, any shift in U.S. policy _ perceived or real _ could set off a surge in killings. Rumsfeld's resignation had the potential to set off a violent response, but U.S. troops said they were determined to prevent it.

"It would be a problem if the new guy wants to leave Iraq soon," said Kamel Tahar, 48, the town council chief in Salam, just north of Baghdad. He was referring to President Bush's nominee to succeed Rumsfeld, former CIA director Robert Gates.

"We look at you as the freeing forces of Iraq, and your presence is still needed," he told American soldiers overseeing the unloading of food aid at a community center in Salam. "I don't think it's (Rumsfeld's resignation) the right step, but it's probably related to the Democrats' victory."

Members of the 172nd Strykers, part of the Army's 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry unit, chatted with Tahar over tea at the community center, where they were flooded with requests from Iraqis.

One woman needed a rare medicine for her son, a man complained a relative was unfairly detained, and others said the community center needed a conference room. Many residents rattled off unfinished business for America in their neighborhoods.

While many soldiers said the U.S. elections didn't mean much to their daily lives, many Iraqis _ whose infrastructure has been pummeled and access to electricity severely diminished _ knew of the Democratic takeover.

"It doesn't matter who's in power, because Americans enjoy democracy. It's not a matter of who's in power, the country will stay the same," said Said Haki Ismail, 60, who shared tea with the U.S. forces.

Asked whether he thinks Iraq can one day emulate American democracy, Ismail said: "Human nature is democracy, but ours was cut from us for so long. We're born with rights, and if you can't enjoy democracy, you'll feel like a slave."

But as he stuck his head into barber shops and bakeries across north Baghdad, Kelly knew he faced danger as well as Arab hospitality.

"There's not an (Iraqi) official that I deal with on a daily basis, like any of these neighborhood council guys, that would not just as soon see me dead. But they know I can bring money into their communities, projects and stuff _ that's why they tolerate me and need me here," he said.

In a city where sectarian differences have spiraled into bloodlust, being tolerated was sufficient for Thursday.

Cheers!
DayDream

From elsewhere:

OK, I am not really into rumors but this one caught my eye. I was bored yesterday so I decided to contact my local BoA branch. I asked to speak with the manager but was told she was unavailable but she can call me back. Was I agreed to have her call me back I decided to ask the employee about the IQD (I did not mention the word "Iraq"). I asked if she was aware if BoA is or will be trading it. The employee stated that she has heard about IQD around the bank, but is unable to find any information in her computer. I that point I thanked the employee and ended the call. About 30 mins later, I received a call from the BM. I asked the same question. The BM, "chuckled" and said that has multiple account holders and investors are asking the same question. She then stated "I have heard about the IQD and the possibilities of selling and buying via BoA, but at this point I can't give you a confirmation". I also asked the BM if she would be able to call me ones she does, she agreed.

What I got from this call does not confirm this rumor, but it does confirm that BoA is talking about it. For me this is a nice surprise as I asked the same questions a month ago inside the branch and got the "look" (WTF are you talking about?!)

Get in there the Japs!


Main > Japan to stick to Iraq policy, U.S. realignment plan TOKYO, Nov. 9, SPA--Japan remains committed to assisting in Iraq's reconstruction and implementing a plan to realign the U. S. military presence in Japan despite U. S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's resignation, Tokyo's top spokesman said Thursday, according to Kyodo.
Similarly, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters separately that bilateral relations will not be affected, saying, ''The Japan-U.S. alliance from now on will remain firmly in place.''
''I believe there will be various kinds of debate in the United States (on the Iraq issue) from now on,'' Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki said.

''But regarding Japan's decisions, we are carrying out reconstruction assistance for Iraq based on policies we decided on independently from the viewpoint of our national interest,'' Shiozaki said.

''This basic stance will not change.''

I'm sure that the bank (CIBC) where I got my Dinar from ordered them from BoA, and that would explain the 7 day turn around to when I received my Dinar. Shortly after I ordered them they started a $45 fee for ordering Dinar. The Scotia bank charges an $8 fee.

So...with the rumour started by Stephanie F at IIF who says she works for the BOA and has always claimed to be a bank employee long before she started this rumour, that they will start to sell, buy, exchange
Dinar on the 13th, plus I think this is the week (week of the 13th) that the bank employees are sent to Bahrain for formal training (foreign banking procedures) plus it could very well be the week that the 10,000 dinar checks are sent out, and if they all of a sudden open up ISX to foreign investors with a FIL implemented....well it could very well make for very interesting week....I'm sure there are others here who can add to this list and if I made any mistakes...well I'm sorry.

Originally Posted by garthstar

i think because B of A staff have told many people from this and the "other place" that they will not be dealing in Dinar until it is an internationally tradeable currency, launcehed on the forex.

this makes some dinar investors excited because most of them believe that iraq must revalue their currency before launching it on the forex, otherwise they will sell themselves out to overseas interests way too cheaply.

launching the IQD on the forex at the current artificially low rate would risk their entire country being the target of extreme speculation, causing maybe fatal instability.

Not only that, but it would keep the people of Iraq mired in poverty.

Voices of Iraq: Basra-Parks
Posted by: nadioshka on Friday, November 10, 2006 - 01:03 PM


“The engineering units of Basra municipality have finished putting the layout of al-Khura and al-Seraji parks plus several cafés and an open air cinema,” head of municipality Ismail Ghazi Ouda told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
Work will include planting trees in the parks and building facilities to serve the visitors, he added.
“All work would be assigned to local contractors and companies,” Ouda said.
Basra lacks public recreation places as the former regime took over most such places including al-Seraji park where presidential palaces were built on. Other such places were victims of subversion and neglect.

Basra-Parks :: Aswat al Iraq :: Aswat al Iraq

I love reading stuff like this....this is reconstruction that counts...parks, cafes, an open air cinema...it is these sorts of things, a rebuilding of their CULTURE, that make going out and blowing up one's self less and less attractive.

Happy Birthday Susie!

wOOt!

Originally Posted by shotgunsusie

ÔÈßÉ ÇáÒæÑÇÁ ÇáÃÚáÇãí&# 201; - ÑÆíÓ ÃãäÇÁ ÇáÈæÑÕÉ ÇáÚÑÇÞí&#201 ; íØÇáÈ ÈÊÝÚíá ÓÑíÚ áÞÇäæä ÇáÇÓÊËãÇ&# 209;

whoever has the basra stock right now is rockin already, lol!!

Shoot Susie, I only bought 50,000 shares of that one. hehehelollol
LMDAO.

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOTTTTTTTT

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to You, Happy Birthday To Youuuuu.

Originally Posted by shotgunsusie

ÔÈßÉ ÇáÒæÑÇÁ ÇáÃÚáÇãíÉ - ÑÆíÓ ÃãäÇÁ ÇáÈæÑÕÉ ÇáÚÑÇÞíÉ íØÇáÈ ÈÊÝÚíá ÓÑíÚ áÞÇäæä ÇáÇÓÊËãÇÑ

whoever has the basra stock right now is rockin already, lol!!

Are you saying Basra is about to split or what? If so, I'm set.

nearly there then

happy birthday SGS