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

Compare the word Yassman in arabic to this word صرف

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Iraq minister resigns in kidnapping dispute
Agencies



Baghdad: Iraq's Higher Education Minister stepped down on Wednesday while at least 70 hostages from Baghdad's mass kidnapping were still missing.

"I have suspended my participation as a minister with the government until those people who have been kidnapped are released," Abed Theyab said.

He said that at least 70 people out of at least 150 are still being held, contradicting a report from a ministry spokesman that 72 victims have been released.

"The latest news I have is that 32 of those kidnapped were released this afternoon," ministry spokesman Basil Al Khatib said.

"Since yesterday 27 employees were released as well as some others. The total was 40 and now we have additional 32," he said.

Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki played down the kidnapping as "due to dispute between militias."

He later said the government's response had been strong and vowed to catch those responsible.

Gunmen in police uniforms reportedly abducted the men during a raid on the Higher Education Ministry office on Tuesday, Theyab said.

The Interior and Defence ministries have insisted that only 40 to 50 people were kidnapped.

Originally Posted by Inscrutable

Compare the word Yassman in arabic to this word صرف

.

I did a translation on google and they look very diffrent

ياسمان --- Yassman

صرف --- Exchange

The committee for reconsidering the constitution called Hamudi Chairman

Baghdad / long
The Commission to reconsider the clauses of the Iraqi Constitution held its first meeting yesterday, Wednesday,, elected Dr. Hammam Hammoudi of the United Iraqi Alliance list as its chairman.
He said Sheikh Jalal Al-Din small member of the coalition, the Committee met with most members except for a small number of passengers.
He added that the committee "approved the nomination of the Presidency, where elected Sheikh Dr. Hammam Hammoudi of the United Iraqi Alliance list as its chairman."
Prior to Dr. Hamudi to chair the committee drafting the constitution.
The subtitle : The Committee "also chose both Fouad Massoum Kurdistan Alliance, Iyad al-Samarra'i from the Accord Front, Vice-President, Abbas was also selected Bayati of the Iraqi Coalition and another high Nassif of the Iraqi List rapporteurs of the Commission. "
The small, "the decisions to be approved by the Committee Chair."
He added, "the Committee decided yesterday to be the 15th of the month of November is the first day of the four-month period given by the constitution of the Commission to submit its report to the House that the holiday did not fall to the House of Representatives, amounting to about two months therein."
The parliament in late September, an agreement between the main parliamentary blocs establishing a committee to reconsider the terms of the Constitution currently in force in the country. The resolve issues where compromise and not vote.
The agreement stipulated that the number of members of the Committee (27 members), coalition common share of (12) members, The list of five members of the Kurdistan Alliance, The consensus of four, two members of the Iraqi list, and one member of the list of national dialogue, The member representing each of the components of the Iraqi society, the other is : Almsehun Turkmen, and Yezidis.

'We are caught in the middle of sectarian strife'
By Barbara Bibbo', Correspondent



Doha: Sectarian tension and mounting violence among Iraqi factions are a matter of concern for the US military which finds itself caught in the middle of fierce internal fighting, a top US commander here said.

Brigadier General Jack B. Egginton, deputy director of operations, US Central Command, said the coalition's strategy to counter the Al Qaida network and insurgency in Iraq was succeeding, but the worsening of sectarian strife represented a matter of growing concern.

As sectarian frictions worsen and insurgents change their fighting methods, the US and its allies will continue to provide training and equipment to the Iraqi police, he told Gulf News at his office in the US Sailiyyah base in Doha.

"The strategy to counter insurgency in Iraq is working fine, what troubles us is the sectarian strife... this internal fighting [between Sunnis and Shiites] makes things very difficult ...and we are caught in the middle of it."

"Foreign fighters, Al Qaida members, the Sunni insurgency, they are much weakened. But there has been a change in procedures as they try to get the Sunnis to inflict damage upon Shiites and then the Shiites to retaliate against the Sunnis. It has been the ever increasing violence of Iraqis against Iraqis," he added.

According to the Brigadier General reconciliation among factions could represent a turning point in reversing the bloodshed.

"There has to be a political and diplomatic solution within the Iraqi population themselves ... the more they become capable [to ensure security], the sooner we pull back."

A change in fighting methods is also contributing to casualties and chaos.

"Most of the attacks inflicted upon coalition forces are not done by direct contact, where the militias are no match for any of the coalition partners. Casualties are rather caused by booby-traps, improvised devices and mines."

Asked whether the US had a time line for handing over security to the Iraqi forces, as Iraqis sought an extension of the US mandate in the country last week, General Egginton said US support to the Iraqis would continue until requested.

"I do not know where the timeline lies [to hand over security control], but we are working toward that goal by supporting the Iraqis with training and equipment."

Asked whether the US army would be structured enough to counter other fronts of crises following an escalation of the international tensions with Iran and North Korea he said.

"The capacity exists within our coalition partnership in the Pacific and as well as allies in this region."

Strategy document calls for extra 20,000 troops, aid for Iraqi army and regional summit

Simon Tisdall
Thursday November 16, 2006
The Guardian

President George Bush has told senior advisers that the US and its allies must make "a last big push" to win the war in Iraq and that instead of beginning a troop withdrawal next year, he may increase US forces by up to 20,000 soldiers, according to sources familiar with the administration's internal deliberations.

Mr Bush's refusal to give ground, coming in the teeth of growing calls in the US and Britain for a radical rethink or a swift exit, is having a decisive impact on the policy review being conducted by the Iraq Study Group chaired by Bush family loyalist James Baker, the sources said.

Although the panel's work is not complete, its recommendations are expected to be built around a four-point "victory strategy" developed by Pentagon officials advising the group. The strategy, along with other related proposals, is being circulated in draft form and has been discussed in separate closed sessions with Mr Baker and the vice-president Dick Cheney, an Iraq war hawk.

Point one of the strategy calls for an increase rather than a decrease in overall US force levels inside Iraq, possibly by as many as 20,000 soldiers. This figure is far fewer than that called for by the Republican presidential hopeful, John McCain. But by raising troop levels, Mr Bush will draw a line in the sand and defy Democratic pressure for a swift drawdown.

The reinforcements will be used to secure Baghdad, scene of the worst sectarian and insurgent violence, and enable redeployments of US, coalition and Iraqi forces elsewhere in the country.

Point two of the plan stresses the importance of regional cooperation to the successful rehabilitation of Iraq. This could involve the convening of an international conference of neighbouring countries or more direct diplomatic, financial and economic involvement of US allies such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

"The extent to which that [regional cooperation] will include talking to Iran and Syria is still up for debate," said Patrick Cronin, of the International Institute for Strategic Studies. "Externally, US policy is focused on what is achievable. Some quarters believe Syria in some ways could be helpful. There are more doubts about Iran but Iran holds more cards. Some think it's worth a try."

Yesterday, a top state department official, David Satterfield, said America was prepared in principle to discuss with Iran its activities in Iraq.

Point three focuses on reviving the national reconciliation process between Shia, Sunni and other ethnic and religious parties. According to the sources, creating a credible political framework will be portrayed as crucial in persuading Iraqis and neighbouring countries alike that Iraq can become a fully functional state.

To the certain dismay of US neo-cons, initial post-invasion ideas about imposing fully-fledged western democratic standards will be set aside. And the report is expected to warn that de facto tripartite partition within a loose federal system, as advocated by Democratic senator Joe Biden and others would lead not to peaceful power-sharing but a large-scale humanitarian crisis.

Lastly, the sources said the study group recommendations will include a call for increased resources to be allocated by Congress to support additional troop deployments and fund the training and equipment of expanded Iraqi army and police forces. It will also stress the need to counter corruption, improve local government and curtail the power of religious courts.

"You've got to remember, whatever the Democrats say, it's Bush still calling the shots. He believes it's a matter of political will. That's what [Henry] Kissinger told him. And he's going to stick with it," a former senior administration official said. "He [Bush] is in a state of denial about Iraq. Nobody else is any more. But he is. But he knows he's got less than a year, maybe six months, to make it work. If it fails, I expect the withdrawal process to begin next fall."

The "last push" strategy is also intended to give Mr Bush and the Republicans "political time and space" to recover from their election drubbing and prepare for the 2008 presidential campaign, the official said. "The Iraq Study Group buys time for the president to have one last go. If the Democrats are smart, they'll play along, and I think they will. But forget about bipartisanship. It's all about who's going to be in best shape to win the White House.

The official added: "Bush has said 'no' to withdrawal, so what else do you have? The Baker report will be a set of ideas, more realistic than in the past, that can be used as political tools. What they're going to say is: lower the goals, forget about the democracy crap, put more resources in, do it."

Addressing Congress yesterday, General John Abizaid, the top US commander in the Middle East, warned against setting a timetable for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq, saying it would impede commanders in managing US and Iraqi forces. Gen Abizaid spoke as the Senate armed services committee began re-examining US policy after last week's Democratic election victory. But Gen Abizaid argued against extra troops, saying US divisional commanders believed more pressure needed to be put on the Iraqi army to do its part.

Four-point strategy

· Increase US troop levels by up to 20,000 to secure Baghdad and allow redeployments elsewhere in Iraq

· Focus on regional cooperation with international conference and/or direct diplomatic involvement of countries such as Kuwait and Saudi Arabia

· Revive reconciliation process between Sunni, Shia and others

· Increased resources from Congress to fund training and equipment of Iraqi security forces



US plans last big push in Iraq | Special reports | Guardian Unlimited

Trust me....the word Yazzman that was used by the CBI means the "Black Market" rate. I stand firm after many many hours of researching it.

Cheers!
DayDream

Health wokers risk lives to go door-to-door in immunisation campaign E-mail this
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Report, IRIN, 15 November 2006

BAGHDAD - The Ministry of Health is in the midst of a five-day national polio immunisation campaign to protect 4.8 million Iraqi children after countrywide security problems delayed it for weeks.


A health worker prepares polio vaccinations for an immunisation campaign to protect 5 million children. (IRIN)
"We were obliged to delay for weeks the immunisation campaign since security issues forced our volunteers to wait for a safer period," Ahmed Obeid, press officer in the Ministry of Health, said. "But we hope this time to reach a 100 percent immunisation in Iraq."

Launched on Sunday and ending on Thursday, the campaign involves more than 5,400 health workers. They are going house-to-house across Iraq to immunise every child under five against polio.

"The situation is critical and because of insurgency in Iraq security concerns over children have delayed what is a serious matter. In addition, 69 percent of the population has no access to drinking water and 19 percent has no sewage access, making the health of those children more vulnerable to diseases," Obaid said.

Obaid added that while general security in Iraq has not got any better over the past couple of months, an awareness campaign of the vaccination programme had gained assurances from tribal chiefs that vaccinators would not be targeted.

The campaign will help to maintain Iraq's polio-free status, a public health triumph for children won through several successful immunisation drives in the past. Iraq's last polio case was reported in 2000.

According to medical staff in the Ministry of Health, the nearly 250,000 children who were born after 2003 in Iraq have not had polio immunisation.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is providing oral polio vaccines for the campaign as well as transport and communication support to help vaccinators reach children in Iraq's most remote and insecure areas.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has provided vital assistance to the Iraqi government for planning the campaign, training local health staff and providing incentives for vaccinators.

WHO states that polio is a highly infectious and incurable communicable disease that can cause lifelong paralysis. Most of its victims are children under five years old.

Although polio has been driven out of Iraq, a recent global resurgence of the virus has brought a renewed threat to the region. Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Sudan have all been re-infected since 2004, making this week's campaign vital to safeguard Iraq's children.

Today I sent a fax to my branch of the CIBC. It is a small branch and I asked some very pointed questions.

1. Are you still selling Dinars?
2. Have you recieved any Information in regards to a reval?
3. What would I expect to be the normal spread on a currency exchange?
4. If currency needed to be verified, how and the length of time before I
see a deposit in my account?
5. Is the spread negotiable, and what would I have to do or expect for a
zero spread. She is well aware of how much I have.

She called me and said it may take a day, two tops, but would answer all my questions, if allowed.

Hopefully, I can post her response tomorrow night.

Gloribee.

Originally Posted by RetMil

I don't post much but have been around the Rolclub for a awhile. But I felt the need to post my thoughts on the part that the CBI Reserves may play in the reval of the dinar. Wm Knowels please correct me if I start heading to another planet here.

Last night I watched a documentry on the US Central Bank and one of the things that caught my attention was a statement that kinda flies in the face of what some have said about the amount of reserves that is required for a reval to a certain amount. The statement was " most of the gold in our vaults belong to other countries. These countries veiw our Central Bank vaults the safest in the world. In fact the US currency is backed up by nothing but the faith that the world has in the US governemnt to stay solvent." We do not back our currency with nothing that can be touched or smelt. Now here is where I get creative in my thinking. Right now not alot of the world has overwhelming faith in the GOI. So the GOI can't have the faith of other countries to build on. But they do have a natural resource that many countries lack but put a high value on and covets. So with that in mind I think, for now, that the so called required reserve to have a reval to a certain level is not as important as some think. They may need a certain amount of reserves for the banking system to function, but I do not know that. Bottom line, I beleive it will be factors other than reserves that will impact the reval level. Oil, currencies of neighboring countries, trade and admission into the GCC. Please straighten me out if I took a left turn there.

Here are a couple of links to Harvard for PDF's by Jeffrey A. Frankel that I posted a couple of months ago. He discusses different options that are available to Iraqi as far as the Peg goes.

http://ksghome.harvard.edu/~jfrankel...M-WP-Mar15.pdf

http://ksghome.harvard.edu/~jfrankel...s_Currency.pdf


One of his proposals was to peg the Dinar on the following formula.

1/3 rd of the Dollar + 1/3 rd of the Euro + 1/100 of the price of a barrel of oil! Which at that time worked out to be right at $1.18 USD