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

Originally Posted by Big Beaut

Exactly....

Well Said.....

Originally Posted by mustang sally

I am a minimal poster and never a commentator, but it seems to me Iraq is moving into high gear, considering their usual snail pace, to get things done before these meetings next week. I have to believe we are getting ready for the gun to go off at the starting gate! I believe-my humble opinion- we will see the hydrocarbon law pass before these meetings...

SGS-does Johnny get to give me a prize too???

having just logged on, I agree with you MS... this train is picking up speed... I can feel another Wooooot coming on........some great news articles on here thanks CP, SGS and many others for all your hard work....

Khaleej Times Online - Rumsfeld makes surprise farewell trip to Iraq

Rumsfeld makes surprise farewell trip to Iraq
(AFP)

10 December 2006



WASHINGTON - US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld made a surprise visit to Iraq to thank US troops for their service just days before he steps down from his post, a Defence Department spokesman said on Saturday.


“The secretary is in Iraq to express appreciation to the troops for what they’re doing as well as thanking the families for the sacrifices they make every day for all Americans,” spokesman Todd Vician told AFP.

He said Rumsfeld had departed Friday for Iraq and offered no more details of the Defence secretary’s schedule.

Rumsfeld resigned in November, the day after President George W. Bush’s Republicans lost control of the US Congress with voter frustration over the Iraq war dominating the election.

News of Rumsfeld’s trip comes nine days before he is replaced by Robert Gates, former head of the Central Intelligence Agency.

Rumsfeld has come under intense criticism at home and abroad over his handling of Iraq and US treatment of detained terror suspects. But he defended the American presence in Iraq on Friday in farewell remarks to Pentagon staff.

He said an early US withdrawal from Iraq would be a “terrible mistake,” which would threaten the stability not only of Iraq but the region.

Rumsfeld urged Americans to show patience with the war in Iraq, saying there would be “dire consequences were we to fail here.”

Iraq and Afghanistan have made considerable strides, he said, but “those countries are not there yet.”

“To pull out precipitously and inject that instability into the situation there in that country, and in that region, I think would be a terrible mistake,” he said.

The outspoken Defence secretary’s visit coincided with more sectarian bloodshed in Iraq. A suspected Sunni suicide bomber on Saturday detonated his car near a revered Shia shrine in the central city of Karbala, killing six civilians and wounding 47 more, medics said.

Another 10 Iraqis were killed in insurgent and sectarian attacks around the country and the bodies of 35 murder victims were found in Baghdad.

The US military also announced the deaths of two more marines, bringing its dead since the March 2003 invasion to 2,927.

The sectarian violence underlined the urgency of a planned National Reconciliation Conference on December 16, though some political groups were threatening to boycott the event.

Rumsfeld’s farewell trip followed the release of a critical report by a high-level US panel, the Iraq Study Group, that described the situation in Iraq as “grave and deteriorating” and urged the US administration to shift course.

Headed by former secretary of state James Baker and former representative Lee Hamilton, the panel said most US combat forces could be withdrawn from Iraq by early 2008 while shifting the US military’s mission to one of training and advising Iraqis.

Rumsfeld did not comment on the report directly at his Friday appearance, but he spoke about Iraq as a largely political — not military — challenge.

Iraq, he said, “is in fact a microcosm of what is taking place in that region: power struggle — partly religious, partly economic, certainly political, ... but in a very real sense not terribly military in its nature.”

He said the US military was doing all it could, but the conflict in Iraq could only be “won” by Iraqis through political reconciliation.

Rumsfeld, a lightning rod for opponents of the war, also expressed concern about “impatience in the United States and in the Congress.”

“We have every chance of the world of succeeding in both of those countries, but only if we have the patience, only if we have the staying power,” he said.

Still climbing, looking good!

Region in critical flux, utmost coordination required

POL-GCC-SUMMIT-CHALLENGE
Region in critical flux, utmost coordination required

By KUNA team RIYADH, Dec 10 (KUNA) -- The region is in the grip of many critical developments that collectively yield instability and this challenge requires utmost coordination by the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Head of Kuwait's National Security Apparatus Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah said Sunday.

Sheikh Ahmad mentioned several most critical developments to KUNA specifying the inter-Lebanese, Lebanese-Israeli, Lebanese-Syrian, and the Iranian nuclear dossiers. He also cited the examples of Iranian-Iraqi issues, inter-Iraqi disputes, Palestinian-Israeli dispute, and inter-Palestinian lack of harmony.

Each of these fronts requires close watch and political insight that would help defuse the tensions pulling on the Middle East from all directions, Sheikh Ahmad said.

On the GCC stance on such situation, Sheikh Ahmad recalled the wisdom of Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud and other GCC leaders which would enable them to see their nation through such times.

He also recalled great achievements in the 27 years since establishment of the GCC council and stressed the region came out of difficulties with stronger foreign policies. This can particularly be seen regarding the eight-year Iraq-Iran war and the 1990 Saddam invasion and occupation of Kuwait, he noted.

Sheikh Ahmad hailed the Saudi presidency of the Jaber Summit and expressed confidence it would further enrich the meetings amid security, geopolitical, and economic tug and pull.

On the gesture of naming the summit after the late Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Sheikh Ahmad said it is in recognition of his great contributions in and support of all GCC initiatives and efforts, and more importantly, to his key role in the very establishment of the council.

The late Amir had throughout his life sought to support efforts to bring onto the gulf nation an urban and economic boom as well as security, stability and prosperity to its people, Sheikh Ahmad further remarked.

The official expressed hope the summit would issue resolutions that prove up to the aspiration of unity and solidarity on all levels and expressed eagerness to see success in this particularly important session of the GCC Summit.

His Highness the Kuwaiti Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah is attending the Jaber Summit accompanied by a delegation of senior officials that include the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior and Minister of Defense Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr. Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, and National Security Apparatus Chief Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah.

The delegation also includes Finance Minister Bader Al-Humaidhi, Energy Minister Ali Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah, Minister of Commerce and Industry Falah Al-Hajri, and senior Amiri Diwan and Foreign Ministry officials.

The summit is due to wrap up at noon Sunday after two sessions, a closed session and an open final session. The issue of the final communiqu{ would follow as well as the joint press conference by GCC Foreign Ministers Council Chairman, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal and the Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary General Abdulrahman Al-Atiyya.(end) kt.

wsa
KUNA 101049 Dec 06NNNN

Kuna site|Story page|Region in critical flux, utmost coordination requi...12/10/2006

Situation in Iraq going beyond sectarian violence -- Al-Ateyyah

POL-GCC-IRAQ-ATEYYAH
Situation in Iraq going beyond sectarian violence -- Al-Ateyyah

CAIRO, Dec 10 (KUNA) -- Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary General Abdelrahman Al-Ateyyah said that the current situation in Iraq has gone beyond the sectarian violence and is indescribable.

Speaking to the Egyptian "Al-Wafd" newspaper, Al-Ateyyah said the current situation has become a dilemma not only for the warring factions but for the coalition forces.

He accused foreign parties, which he did not name, for the escalation of the situation in Iraq.

Al-Ateyyah urged Iraq's neighboring countries to stand by it (Iraq) and support its stability and security.

He added that the GCC states have always stressed the importance of halting the security chaos while calling at the same time for consolidation of all efforts to substantiate Arab affiliation.

Regarding the GCC states' stance towards the Iranian nuclear file, Al-Ateyyah said the GCC states were very keen on establishing good neighborly ties with Iran while eagerly striving to resolve regional problems through dialogue and peaceful manners.

Among these problems Al-Ateyyah said are the UAE's three islands, occupied by Iran, adding that the council believes that countries have the right to possess nuclear technologies for peaceful purposes.

He urged the Arab countries to adopt a unified stance towards the Palestinian cause, and called on the Lebanese people to adhere to their unity for the sake of escaping the current crisis. (end) rg.

tg

KUNA 101057 Dec 06NNNN

Kuna site|Story page|Situation in Iraq going beyond sectarian violence ...12/10/2006

Also discussed Lebanon, Palestine and the currency unit, Peninsula Shield

Lawlessness in Iraq top the agenda of the summit in Riyadh

: Riyadh-12-9 : 27 start of the summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council on Saturday 12-9-2006, which constitute the repercussions of the security situation in Iraq is the chief concern of the state, while it seems that the fears of Iranian threat to the region has become less acute.

But leaders of the six members of the Council who will attend the summit, which will last all day, will also discuss the situation in Lebanon and the Palestinian territories in addition to a series of joint economic projects between their countries. He was on the summit called "cycle Jaber," the proportion of the late Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah

An official source at the Gulf Cooperation Council, told Agence France Presse that "the recommendations by the competent ministerial committees to the summit reflects the major concern is the repercussions of the security situation in Iraq."

The source, who preferred to remain anonymous, that the recommendations would be discussed by the leaders of the six countries called for "directing the security services work on a joint plan of action to face the repercussions of the deteriorating situation and lawlessness in Iraq."

He added that the recommendations identify these threats as "human displacement and acts of terror and the smuggling of weapons, explosives, drugs and infiltrate between Iraq and the Gulf Cooperation Council."

The source pointed out that the recommendations call for "fortified any repercussions as a result of sectarian civil war in Iraq," which is doctrinal fighting between Sunnis and Shi'ites, and to the "joint coordination to protect the border of the council with Iraq and the development of a contingency plan for that."

The Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Abdul Rahman al-Attiyah told France Presse that "the grave security situation in Iraq" will be the subject of discussion between the Gulf leaders in the summit's agenda to be discussed based on the "Kuwaiti paper."

The Saudi Foreign Minister, Prince Saud Al Faisal, in a speech to his counterparts in the Gulf, the opening of a preparatory meeting for the summit on Thursday that "the deterioration of the situation in Iraq remains a serious challenge to the security of the region and the safety of its future."

The Saudi minister to "stop all forms of intervention against Iraq." It seems that the fears of Iranian threat to the region has become less severe in this session, despite continuing annoyance to the Gulf of Tehran role in Iraq.

The Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council said France Presse, "We do not feel that there is a risk threaten our Iranian military."

He added that "Iranian officials are working through bilateral contacts with us to reassure the Council that their nuclear program is peaceful in nature and do not threaten anyone." He expressed hope that "only things with Tehran to the extent of imposing sanctions that is why we always call on resolving the issue of Iran's nuclear dossier and peaceful negotiations."

An invitation from Tehran

In a meeting with journalists, al-Attiyah disclosed that he had received an invitation to visit Tehran, stressing his readiness to meet them. However, it emphasized that it remains "at the disposal of leaders of the council," which includes Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman.

Iran was expressed on more than one occasion their desire to rapprochement with Jeranhaalkhalijiin.

After the Iranian Defense Minister, the Gulf States to the signing of the Treaty of collective defense security, the head of the Supreme Council of the Iranian National Security Ali Larijani in Dubai this week that the regional convergence at the heart of "Iranian national project."

The Gulf leaders will also look at the Lebanese and Palestinian, which he considered the Saudi Foreign Minister, on Thursday "the best evidence of the interconnectedness of the challenges and crises overlap."

It also will discuss a series of topics in the process of rapprochement between the Gulf of maintaining the schedule for the adoption of unified Gulf currency (2010) and the achievement of the Gulf Customs Union (2007). It also will discuss the issue of deciding on the future of the Peninsula Shield joint defense system Gulf, through their current.

الرافدينRafidain
www.alrafidayn.comWww.alrafidayn.com

Welcome to ALrafidayn: The Iraqi information service

http://news.scotsman.com/internation...?id=1832952006

Iraqis near to a deal on sharing oil wealth
EDWARD WONG
IN BAGHDAD
IRAQI officials are near agreement on a national oil law that would give the central government the power to distribute current and future oil revenues to the provinces or regions, based on their population.

If enacted, the measure could help resolve a highly divisive issue that has consistently blocked efforts to reconcile feuding ethnic and sectarian factions. Sunni Arabs, who lead the insurgency, have opposed the idea of regional autonomy for fear that they would be deprived of a fair share of the country's oil wealth, which is concentrated in the Shi'ite south and Kurdish north.

The Iraq Study Group report stressed that an oil law guaranteeing an equitable distribution of revenues was crucial to the process of national reconciliation, and thus to ending the war. Without such a law, it would also be impossible for Iraq to attract the foreign investment it desperately needs to bolster its war-ravaged oil industry.

A deal could be reached within days, according to officials. The major remaining stumbling block concerns the issuing of contracts for developing future oilfields. The Kurds are insisting that the regions reserve final approval over the contracts, fearing that if that power were given to a Shi'ite-dominated central government, it could ignore proposed contracts in the Kurdish north while permitting them in the Shi'ite south.

The national oil law lies at the heart of debates about the future of Iraq, particularly the issue of a strong central government versus robust regional governments.

On the drafting committee, Sunni Arabs have allied with the Shi'ites against the Kurds, who have sought to maintain as much regional control as possible over the oil industry in their autonomous northern enclave. Iraqi Kurdistan has enjoyed de facto independence since 1991, when the American military established a no-flight zone above the region to prevent raids by Saddam Hussein.

General George W Casey, the senior US commander in Baghdad, and Zalmay Khalilzad, the US ambassador, have urged Iraqi politicians to put the oil law at the top of their agenda, saying it must be passed before the end of the year.

The drafting committee is made up of politicians from the main Shi'ite, Sunni and Kurdish blocs in government. They began talks months ago, but the pace picked up recently.

At the start, the Kurds fought to ensure that regional governments had the power to collect and distribute revenues from future fields. They also proposed that revenues be shared among the regions based on both population and crimes committed against the people under Saddam's rule. That would have given the Kurds and Shi'ites a share of the oil wealth larger than the proportions of their populations.

But those demands have now been dropped, said Barham Salih, the Kurdish chairman of the drafting committee. "Revenue sharing is an accepted principle by all the constituent elements of the Iraqi government, including the Kurds, and that is the unifying element that we're all hoping for in the oil law."

The Kurds are willing to make concessions because a national oil law could attract more foreign oil companies to exploration and development in Kurdistan.

Some Kurdish leaders also believe that the concessions are a worthwhile price to pay for having a stake in the much larger revenue pool of the country's oil industry. The southern fields accounted for 85% of Iraqi crude production last year, partly because northern production was hampered by insurgent sabotage. The south has an estimated 65% of the country's 115 billion barrels of proven reserves.

The working draft of the oil law re-establishes the state-run Iraq National Oil Company - founded in 1964 to oversee oil production but shut down by Saddam in 1987 - and sets production thresholds for creating new regional companies.

Report: Security impeding progress of Iraq's economy

MENAFN - 10/12/2006

(MENAFN) The Iraq Study Group said that the Iraqi people are struggling financially as the war goes on, facing high unemployment and surging prices, AP reported.

The group said that Iraq's economy won't likely improve until security and corruption problems are fixed and the country pumps up its oil production.

The report released by the group said that too many Iraqis do not see tangible improvements in their daily economic situation, as inflation is above 50 percent, unemployment range is from 20 percent to 60 percent, and foreign investment is less than 1 percent of gross domestic product.

According to the report, Iraq produces around 2.2 million barrels of oil a day and exports about 1.5 million - production below the level before the U.S.-led war and below the Iraqi government's target of 2.5 million barrels per day, the report said.

MENAFN - Middle East North Africa . Financial Network News: Report: Security impeding progress of Iraq's economy

A new draft law gives the government the power to the distribution of oil revenues in Iraq
المصدر: الشرق الاوسطSource : Middle East
10 / 12 / 06
Official sources said that the Iraqi officials and Americans on the verge of reaching agreement on a national law, whereby the central government to the Iraqi authority to distribute the proceeds of Iraqi oil, current and future, to the provinces and territories, depending on the number of inhabitants.
The officials said the Iraqis and Americans, who stated this news, that the agreement, The Sunni Arabs had become allies in the Drafting Committee with the Shiites against the Kurds, who sought to buy control of the oil sector in the Kurdish self-rule areas. The region of Iraqi Kurdistan has been autonomous since the actual 1991 when the United States had established a no-fly zone there. He urged both General George Casey, commander of the American forces in Iraq, and Zalmay Khalilzad, the American ambassador in Iraq, Iraqi politicians on a law of Iraqi oil at the top of their agenda, stressing the need to leave before the end of this year. An American official beginning, who requested anonymity, that the Drafting Committee was formed of ministers and politicians from the Sunni and Shiite bloc and the Kurds in the Iraqi government. The talks began a few months ago, however, the Commission has accelerated its steps in recent times. Officials said American and Iraqi Kurds have strongly favors, the start of the talks, stressed the need to give regional governments the authority to collect and distribute the proceeds of oil from the fields to the future, as also suggested revenue-sharing between the provinces, on the basis of population and the crimes committed against the people during the rule of Saddam Hussein. The aim of this proposal is to give the Shiites and the Kurds share of the oil wealth more.


* خدمة «نيويورك تايمز»* New York Times service «»

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