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

Women’s rights essential to Iraq’s recovery
UNICEF Global Report Calls for Full Equality for Women to Benefit Children and Nations

AMMAN, 11 December 2006 - Iraqi women need urgent action to protect and promote their rights, UNICEF’s Iraq Office said today. The call follows the launch of a global UNICEF report saying that equal rights for women is the key to stronger societies.

The State of the World’s Children 2007, released on UNICEF’s 60th anniversary, says that eliminating gender discrimination and empowering women will yield a “double dividend” - profoundly impacting the lives of the world’s women and boosting the survival and well-being of children. It says that despite progress for women in recent decades, millions of girls and women are still overshadowed by discrimination, disempowerment and poverty.

Iraq is a society that has traditionally celebrated and empowered women. But today’s Iraqi women and girls are living in uniquely challenging times. Their rights in the home, school, workplace and political sphere are under threat.

“Women should be equal partners in the future of Iraq, but their rights risk slipping away without positive action to protect them,” said UNICEF Representative for Iraq, Roger Wright. “Now more than ever, equal participation for women is fundamental to Iraq’s recovery.”

Wright said that violence and insecurity in parts of Iraq are curtailing women’s freedoms, while poverty limits their access to basic services such as health care. He stressed that if women are healthy, educated and equal partners in decision-making, children are more likely to thrive and communities prosper.

UNICEF is calling for renewed commitment to protect women’s status in Iraq, backed up by strong action to tackle the five most critical issues facing Iraq’s women and girls:

1 - A lifeline for female-headed households: Approximately 11 per cent of Iraqi households are headed by a woman, numbers are on the rise as a result of the ongoing violence. Every day dozens of women are widowed, and the number of families struggling to cope without a wage-earner is starting to overwhelm local social services. Paid work for women is scarce (only 14 per cent of women between 16 and 60 years old currently employed, as opposed to 68 per cent of men, according to a 2006 World Food Programme survey), and leaving home to find work puts women and children at risk. Pushed to desperation, many women are resorting to charity organisations to care for themselves and their children.

2 - Accelerating learning for girls: Iraq has traditionally had an excellent record on education for both girls and boys. But many girls are now struggling to get to school in an increasingly violent and repressive climate. With threats to girls attending school on the increase, more and more families are being forced to choose between education and safety for their daughters. A 2003/4 national survey indicated that of 600,000 children out of school, 74 per cent were girls. Girls’ attendance rates are falling fastest in the central Iraqi provinces of Anbar, Baghdad and Diyala. The poorer south still has Iraq’s lowest girl’s education rates.


3 - Preserving the health of mothers: maternal mortality rates have risen dramatically in the last fifteen years. In 1989, 117 Iraqi mothers out of 100,000 died during pregnancy or childbirth. Today rates are between 193 and 290 per 100,000 according to recent surveys – compared to 41 per 100,000 in neighbouring Jordan. Poverty and a weakening of local health networks are largely responsible for many Iraqi women entering pregnancy without adequate nourishment or medical support.

4 - Protecting girls from violence: too many Iraqi women and girls have their lives destroyed in the very communities that should protect them. So-called “honor killings” and “convenience marriages” (short term unions that can be dissolved within days) are still occurring inside Iraq - often with impunity. Early marriage rates also remain relatively high. A 2004 national survey supported by UNICEF found that 60 per cent of married women aged 15-24 were married before 18 years of age. A staggering 19 per cent of these young marriages took place before the girls were 15.

5 - More female voices in government: women’s representation in Iraq’s government is still disproportionately low. Among 37 newly appointed ministers only four are women. And only 25 per cent of Iraq’s parliamentarians are women.

“Women must be involved in all key decisions about the future of our country and our children,” said Iraq Minister for Women’s Affairs Ms. Fatin Abdul Rahman Mahmoud. “This is the only route towards a fair society where all citizens can flourish.”

The vitality of the newly-formed Iraq Ministry of Women’s Affairs is just one example of the positive steps being taken by the Iraqi government to take action on behalf of women as a national priority. Working with UNICEF, other UN Agencies and the broader development community, the government has made promising strides to address the needs of women and children.

The Accelerated Learning Programme supported by UNICEF and the Ministry of Education is currently ensuring that girls who have missed out on school can catch up with the curriculum and sit their exams. And a national programme to fortify wheat flour with iron and folic acid is helping to nourish women and prevent anaemia – a leading cause of maternal deaths.

But more needs to be done. In the year ahead, UNICEF will assist the Iraqi government to take three key steps for women:
1. Increase national resources directed to improved services for women and children;
2. Introduce legislation to protect women’s basic legal and social rights; and
3. Promote women’s full participation in local and national decision-making.

“Women of Iraq cannot wait for more stable times to receive the support they need,” said Roger Wright. “We must act now to empower them towards realizing a brighter future for the nation as a whole.”

Originally Posted by mike brown

i have heard this a couple of times... can you explain " seperate set of books " ??

I would to inform all the stockholders of Baghdad Bank that the report of the managing council 2004 was prepared according to the demands of Central Bank of Iraq to balance US dollar price to0.310 ID instead of its real value (1460) ID per 1 US dollar, so, the report and general budget do not necessarily reflect the actual situation of Baghdad Bank and the volume of economical incoming indexes, so, this report was issued in order to meet the demands of the rules and instructions.

page From Bank of Baghdad

CapeK

Originally Posted by worf

I was corrected a while back by SGS when I brought up the same point. She informed me that when the budget is quoted in usd then that is what they are using and are not converting into dinars. In other words they are on a dual currency system. Some things are quoted in dinars other things quoted in dollars because they use both. Now if the r/v is 1/1 or more, then they can drop the usd and quote exclusively in dinars.

worf

I believe you were right originally because Jabar specifically said the $41 billion budget "is based on a 1260 dinar rate". A $41 billion dollar budget is realistic once the dinar is approaching or passing parity.

Originally Posted by artin

HI WORF,

Kan you please explein to me how kan i buy a iraq dinar?

Thanks

Sorry I wasn't able to get back to you sooner. It appears our fellow rolclub members have already responded for me. Good luck and welcome aboard!!!

worf

Originally Posted by cigarman

Let Jabar talk all he wants. We KNOW the rate is DEFACTO. The only reason the defacto rate was put into place was for the CBI to prove that they knew how to make adjustments and what to do to keep the rate stable. They have proven that up to this point. The inflation is due to growth and lack of goods. The powers to be will do away with this defacto rate because we know the rate has increased lately even when a auction didn't take place so we know the auction has nothing to do with the rate they post. We're letting them get us all worked up over nothing! Just remember about the second set of books and a smile will come upon your face. Enjoy the moment people because we are at the end of this ride.

I think we need a new woot word, fymtGe. Sounds Norwegian or something. Means, from your mouth to God's ear.

Hakim told (time) : Visit Washington positive results

(Voice of Iraq) - 12-12-2006


For London Nidal Al Behira Cairo-time : Abdel-Aziz Hakim, chairman of the Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, said that his visit to Washington resulted in positive outcomes transnational his talks with the American President George Bush and added in a statement to Zaman Following the lecture he gave in the the al-Khoei Foundation in London yesterday that he expects reflected the positives of this visit to the situation in Iraq, while affirmed Hammam Hamudi leadership role in the Council that there was agreement with American officials during the talks that the government of a national unity Iraqi non-sectarian representing all segments of Iraqi society from non-the exclusion of will lead to the improvement in the security situation, and added that the coalition Shiite not solely responsible for the the failure of the imposition of Security, but the Parties participating in the government too. An Egyptian official said yesterday that the visit of Iraqi President Jalal Talabani in Cairo was postponed after was scheduled to be carried out by today. The source said the visit had been postponed for an indefinite period because of the lack of agreement between the two sides on the agenda of the visit, without any further explanation but informed sources in Cairo said that the reason for the postponement sine die. Return to Baghdad's insistence on not holding the reconciliation conference under the auspices of the Arab League and seeking to be excluded from it. The Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said last week that the Taliban will discuss with his Egyptian counterpart Hosni Mubarak in Cairo developments of the situation in Iraq amid increasing sectarian violence in Iraq.
He added Zebari, on the sidelines of his participation in the meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Arab Committee on Iraq in Cairo last week, that the increased Iranian role in Iraq "due to the retreat of the Arab role." The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Commission issued a statement which warned of the growing cultural influence of the neighboring countries of Iraq, in an implicit reference to the Iranian role in the escalation of the country controlled by the Shiite-Kurdish coalition since the fall of the regime of deposed Iraqi president Saddam Hussein in April 2003.
The Arab ministers also called on the Iraqi government to hold a national reconciliation conference in Iraq, which is torn apart by sectarian killings pace escalates dramatically since the bombing of the tombs of the two Imams in Samarra, the military in February last March.
However, the doubts surrounding the possible convening of the reconciliation, especially as the Sunni Muslim Scholars announced last week its refusal to participate in the conference, and called upon the government of Nuri al-Maliki to step down. The reports say that the Arab countries fear of the growing Iranian influence in Iraq.
The Arab League had hosted in November 2005 a preparatory meeting for the reconciliation of Iraq but failed to convince the various Iraqi parties to achieve calm and stop the bloodshed amid increasing rates and the explosion of sectarian killings and forced displacement.


Translated version of http://www.sotaliraq.com/

Originally Posted by Dinar Cha Ching

I believe you were right originally because Jabar specifically said the $41 billion budget "is based on a 1260 dinar rate".

Thanks for your reply. It certainly gets confusing. Hey I have an idea.... how 'bout they r/v the thing above 1/1 and then they don't have to worry about it!!!. Your math is correct. If they don't significantly raise (1/1 or higher) the exchange rate, they have'nt got enough dinar printed to meet their stated budget if they are saying the 41 billion is based on a 1260 dinar to 1 dollar rate. I don't know if we are losing something in translation, or they don't do the math with their figures or what is going on. All I know is all these apparant problems could be easily solved if they would just r/v at 1/1 or higher!!!

worf

sorry I don't have the links to these so I will try and go from memory.

Let's go back to the article about bringing the rate down to 1000:1 in line with other countries. We know that this is not in line if you look at the exchange rates. But the other countries have 'fils' correct? (ie 1000 fils=1 dinar) we have read that the dinar is made up of 1000 'fils' but at this moment there are no fils, so the Dinar is the lowest denomination.

Moving on, remember the article about "introducing new categories of currency"

Could it be lost in translation, or a 'slip' that the 1000:1 was actually 1000 'fils':1. And now this 13% crap is just double talk to cover up an oops statement.

Soooo, they bring the rate down to 1000:1, introduce the 'fils' or new categories, making 1000 'fils' = $1 (ie $1=1NID)

I know, it's thin. Just trying to think outside the box

Army provides engineer instruction in Iraq
Monday, 11 December 2006
Story and photo by Betsy Weiner
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers


John Briggs, a resident engineer with the Fort Campbell Resident Office of the Louisville District, teaches contract decision making to Iraqi and U.S. engineers and construction representatives in the Construction Contract Administration course at Camp Adder in Iraq on Dec. 3-6.AN NASIRIYAH — Twenty-four Gulf Region South District Iraqi engineers joined six of their American counterparts here in the U. S. Army Corps of Engineer’s Construction Contract Administration class Dec. 3-6.

The class provides project and resident engineers with information about day-to-day job duties, according to Russell Holeman, chief of the Engineering and Construction Division, GRS. This is the first time the instruction has taken place in Iraq.

“The training was conceived by my predecessor, Andy Adams,” he said. “We provide a lot of information to the engineers in the field, but realized that we send our people in the States through a lot of training courses to be in (project and resident engineer) positions. Why not do the same thing with the Iraqi engineers?”

He said the class, as taught in the United States, stresses information on contract administration and the roles and limitations of engineers administering those contracts. “The class gives them an explanation of how to interpret drawing and specifications and how to present that information to a contractor,” he said.

“The class also teaches engineers about conferences - preconstruction conferences – and the meetings throughout the life of a contract. It presents general information about construction quality management; what to look for and how to ensure quality. The contractor is responsible for achieving that quality, but the engineer needs to understand his or her role making sure we get a quality product that we can turn over.”

Holeman contacted the Huntsville Training Center in Alabama and coordinated to export the classes here.

Instructors Alex Herrera and John Briggs with the Fort Campbell resident office, Louisville District, volunteered to come to Iraq and present the course for GRS and the North and Central districts.

“We both served in the al-Hillah area doing assessments and then we traveled to Basrah to set up the original GRS office,” Briggs said. “I got the call a month ago from Marilyn and both Alex and I decided to come over. We believe in the mission and this is something we really wanted to do.”

Briggs said the course focuses on the rules and regulations surrounding contract administration and the responsibilities of the project, area and resident engineers.

“I took the course five years ago and it is the same course,” he said. “It explains how the Corps deals with its contractors – from estimations to negotiations, and how to get the quality we need from them.”

Both men recognized many of the Iraqi engineers from previous tours, which made the experience even more gratifying. Herrera commented about the high quality of their work and their efforts to get the right information.

The instruction materials, from the manuals to the final exam, are on the leading edge of the Corps’ technology – and the feedback Herrera received from the students was “they are learning a lot. We have asked for their feedback throughout the whole course.”

“The training sessions are so useful and concentrate on the daily methods of dealing with construction projects administration,” said an Iraqi architect, who works with Thi Qar Area Office. “The U.S Army trainers gave us the solutions and the answers for all the problems and the questions that could face us at any construction site in the future.”

“The Corps also supplied us with data books which will be our references to accomplish correctly our site missions. This training should have been done before now, but overall, we are so thankful and grateful for all the people who participated to set up this training. And we hope to get more training in the future,” he said.

An Iraqi civil engineer who works with Basrah Area Office said, “The training is very interesting. It added lots of information to what we know. It has enhanced our engineering experiences and helped develop our technical skills to be able to handle any engineering difficulty and to fix any contracting violations in accordance with the project engineers."

Briggs explained that this course was the first of its kind taught in Iraq and GRS Commander Col. Gary Johnston will evaluate feedback from instructors, Holeman and the students to determine whether he needs to bring more classes or offer other internal training here.

“GRS is at the spear point to bring in the Iraqis engineers and train them to be able to take over our work in the future and to get them all here,” Briggs said.

“This group is amazing. GRS is leading the way in transferring our responsibilities to them – the Iraqis. One of the engineers said to us, ‘Now you are giving us the road to get to the end.’ It is exciting to be a part of it,” he said.

Iraqi Police take reins in SE Baghdad
Monday, 11 December 2006

Soldiers are joined by Iraqi troops from 1st Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 4th Iraqi Army Division. The Iraqi soldiers kick in a door to a building suspected of being an IED manufacturing plant. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Michael Guillory.BAGHDAD — For the past five months, the Iraqi National Police received a great deal of specialized training from Coalition advisors, with the INP taking on a little more responsibility each time out.
The Soldiers responsible for the training, from 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, focused much of their efforts on the training, and are seeing growing results.

“Up to this point, we’ve been planning all the operations,” Troop C commander, Capt. Adam Grim explained of the partnership between his Soldiers and the INP.

However, the focus of these operations has shifted recently with increasing efforts concentrated on turning over added security responsibilities to the Iraqi Force.

Police officers with the National Police’s 6th Brigade took major steps toward this goal during missions Friday and Saturday. While members of the INP were involved in the execution of previous missions, these cordon-and-search operations were planned exclusively by the INP.

“The National Police have planned this operation and they want us to assist them by doing the outer cordon mission,” said Grim.

Both days, 1-14 Cav. Soldiers secured the objective areas chosen by the INP while the Police Officers went from house to house searching for weapons and suspected insurgents. While small teams of Soldiers accompanied the INPs during the search operations, they were there merely to observe and provide feedback if asked.

The first target area the INPs selected to search was a small section of the Abu Dischir neighborhood Friday.

“It’s mainly Shia,” Grim said of Abu Dischir, “and there’s been a high level of sectarian violence in that area.”

The INPs, accompanied by Soldiers form Troop C, spent several hours searching homes and talking with the local residents. While the searches turned up nothing on this morning, the mission was deemed a success as the Police Officers were met with little defiance.

Grim said this was important, as the Coalition and INP continue to build relationships with locals and show them their dedication to providing a secure environment.

The next day, the INP forces targeted a much larger area in the neighborhood of Heg al Seha and were assisted by Soldiers from Troop A.

According to one National Police Officer, 1st Sgt. Firas Kalel Abrahem, it’s a challenging area, with a large amount of sectarian violence. “We want to clean up this area and help these people,” he said through an interpreter.

The mission ran much like the one the day before, with the Coalition Force providing external security and small teams of Soldiers accompanying the Police Officers through the neighborhood. This time, the INP detained four suspected terrorists and confiscated several rifles, and miscellaneous electronic equipment that could be used for bomb making.

“They’re really good at searching these homes,” said Capt. Patrick Patterson, platoon leader, Troop A. “They know where insurgents typically like to hide things and so they go right for those places first.”

While this self-reliance is what the Coalition Force works for, Patterson said sometimes it is hard for his Soldiers to step back from a situation and take on the role of an observer.

“We’ve been doing it for so long that sometimes it’s a bad habit of ours to take charge,” the Canton, Ohio native explained. “So, we’ve got to kick the crutch out from underneath them and let them walk on their own.”

The Police Officers did not appear to mind, and seemed excited about their mission and their added responsibilities.

“They’re minds are in the right place,” said Portland, Ore. native Staff Sgt. David Forney, a section leader with Troop A. “They’re really motivated and eager to learn.”

With the enthusiasm they have demonstrated, Grim said he believes the

INP will continue to make steady improvements as they now focus on turning away from training on simpler tasks and concentrate on more complex ones, such as mission planning.

“It started off with simple things,” Grim explained. “We first had to train them not to have their weapons on fire or their fingers on the triggers during patrols. Now we don’t have these problems, and we’re progressing to the higher level things like training them to plan and then executing that plan.”

(By Cpl. Robert Yde 2nd BCT, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs)