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

Originally Posted by lndmn_01

It's true they substitute commas for periods, and vice versa, when it comes to number, however there are too many zeros after the comma if it was $6.60 USD it would be shown as $6,60 not $6,600 as it is printed..

Agreed. I also found in another article on the same site where the proper conotation is used in regards to monetary figures....


Azzaman in English

For example, he said, U.S. generals in charge of reconstruction would announce a certain project which they claim will cost millions of dollars but “on close examination we find that a particular project for which they say they have allocated one million dollars is worth less than $300,000.”

Originally Posted by Par77

WHEN WILL THIS BE DONE!

Its says 2007!

Interesting,

You would think the reporter would have been just a little more excited than adding nothing to this? Sure is strange, so don't get too excited yet. (g)

Happy Holiday Season to all, Mike

Originally Posted by Par77

WOW! Thanks Mike. I don't think this is a misprint with the $6,600 in Quotes. They are well aware of prices and rates. Sorry I didn't see this posted when I posted the text from the link on the other page. ( I sometimes start reading backwards I got so excited didn't quote the source. Great find there Mike...now the question is WHEN WILL THIS BE DONE!

This must be why the reporter is not Excited about making it the last sentence. I traded PM's with OSW and he says it has ground with the latest News but, believes it might be to high and the reporter is not to excited about Printing this. We need more before our excitment is felt in Iraq before they feel it.

Putting CROWS to work
Thursday, 14 December 2006
Story and photo by Sgt. Cheryl Cox
1st BCT, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs




Sgt. Anthony Marino, a CROWS operator with Co. D, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, uses the Common Remotely Operated Weapons System thermal sights during a route recon along a road in Tarmiyah.AL TARMIYAH — Along a route where their fellow Soldiers were struck by an improvised explosive device later in the day, a platoon of Soldiers attempt to catch insurgents setting up IEDs in the hours before sunrise.

The Soldiers of Company D, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment know the road into the Joint Command Center in Tarmiyah, is known for IED attacks, but they also know that the best time to place the IEDs is under the cover of darkness.

In an attempt to catch the insurgents, the Soldiers conducted a route reconnaissance Dec. 7 to see if they could find locate any insurgents emplacing IEDs along one of the main roads in Tarmiyah.

“The only real way to catch the insurgents emplacing the IEDs to to catch them when they do it,” said 1st Lt. Gwilym Newman, a platoon leader with Co. D, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment. “It is also important that we use the Common Remotely Operated Weapons System (CROWS) while conducting route reconnaissance and when setting up observation points because it gives us the ability to cover a large area regardless of the cover that an insurgent may be using because of the thermal sights that detect heat signatures for a distance (greater than 1000 meters).”

Whether conducting an observation point or route reconnaissance, the Soldiers know that what they are doing is saving the lives of their buddies.

“This time we went further out which gave us a better chance of finding someone setting up an IED,” said Staff Sgt. Daryl Rhodes, a section sergeant with Co. D, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment.

During the route reconnaissance there were two possible targets identified along the route – each identified by a different vehicle within the convoy.

“The first positive identification that was made during the mission was of a person carrying an unknown object through the elephant grass along the side of the road,” Newman said.

“Based on the location of the person and the distance between myself and the person, I was unable to see them with the CROWS,” said Sgt. Anthony Marino, a CROWS operator with Co. D, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment. “However, as we began to leave that position and head toward the JCC I saw what looked like a person lying on the ground.”

Although the CROWS is the best system for missions under the cover of darkness, it can sometimes be hard to get a 100-percent identification of what you are looking at.

“As soon as I noticed the hot spot on the side of the road I told the driver to stop,” Marino said. “I wasn’t entirely sure if it was a person or not, but the area was showing up hotter than even the lights in the area, so I took a little extra time to look at it.”

At the end of the mission, the Soldiers made it back to the JCC without a definitive positive identification of any insurgents trying to place IEDs.

“It was a good mission,” said Newman. “This was the first time this team had conducted a mission like this, and they did a very good job.”

Originally Posted by Pippyman

Its says 2007!

Thanks Pippyman.
Just saw that That's only 18 days away

Originally Posted by Offshore-Wealth.com

Interesting,

You would think the reporter would have been just a little more excited than adding nothing to this? Sure is strange, so don't get too excited yet. (g)

Happy Holiday Season to all, Mike

Down playing the situation, hmmm...?

Coalition hopes for safe Hajj season
Thursday, 14 December 2006
By Lt Cdr H Tuppen, UK Royal Navy
MNC-I PAO Plans


Millions of Muslims each year descend upon Mecca for the Hajj pilgrimage.For centuries, untold millions of Muslims, men and women from all over the world have made the annual Hajj pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Today in Iraq, eligible Muslims aspiring to complete the Hajj apply through their religious endowments to receive official Hajj visas through a lottery process run by the Hajj Committee in the Department of Religious Affairs. The number of visas available to Iraq is determined by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and in 2006/7 is expected to be about 30,000. Priority slots in the national lottery for Iraqis selected to go to the Hajj will go to elderly Iraqis starting with 80-year-old citizens.

In Arabic “Hajj” literally means “to set out for a place.” In the Islam world, it refers to the pilgrimage that all physically and financially able Muslims aspire to complete at least once in their lives, in order to perform religious rites (Umrah) in accordance with the method prescribed by the Prophet Muhammad in the Quran.

The Hajj is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, rituals and duties that are woven into the daily lives of Muslims. The other four pillars are Shahadah (Declaration of Faith), Zakat (Charitable Giving) Sawm (Fasting) and Ramadan (a period of abstinence and prayer)

The fifth and last Pillar is the Hajj pilgrimage. This event occurs between the eighth and thirteenth days of the last month of the Islamic calendar - Dhu'l-Hijjah - of each year. Beginning around Dec. 11, Iraqi Muslims will travel overland to Saudi Arabia where they will spend 5 or 6 days completing the treks between the holy sites of Mecca, Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifa and then celebrate the Festival of Eid Al Adha between Dec. 28 and 31. The return journey from Saudi Arabia is likely to commence on or around Jan. 1 and could take as long as two or three weeks for those traveling over land.

Today, the vast majority of pilgrims from Iraq (up to 20,000) will use specially contracted flights from the key hub airports of Baghdad, Basra, Irbil and Sulaymahniya into the KSA airport of Jeddah. Security is provided at assembly points to process and protect the organized groups of pilgrims prior to embarkation at their various points of departure. Those who choose to travel independently by road across Iraq to the main border crossing of Ar’ar on the KSA/Iraq border face a number of challenges consistent with traveling through a region in conflict.

Security is provided at assembly points to process and protect the organized groups of pilgrims prior to embarkation at their various points of departure. Those who choose to travel independently by road, not in organized groups, face a number of challenges consistent with traveling through a region in conflict. In the isolated areas to the West there is the raised potential of criminal or terrorist activity.

The road networks in Iraq will see significantly more bus traffic from 10 – 16 December 2006 as pilgrims depart from the urban areas in and around Baghdad city and along the main trunk routes heading West to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The Hajj Committee is planning to route the bulk of the bus traffic away from Baghdad where the security situation is tense, while directing the majority of the large groupings of tour buses south onto the 160km stretch along the isolated main Highway 22 that leads down to the border crossing point at Ar’ Ar. Pilgrims traveling overland from Basra and regions to the East are also expected to be routed via these main trunk routes avoiding Baghdad networks.

In the prevailing security climate, the bus and other vehicle convoys are expected to be accompanied by private security details (militias) affiliated to the religious groups providing additional protection to their own people. Currently there are plans being made to identify traveling dates according to religious groupings in order to defuse potential tensions en route.

The Government of Iraq has full responsibility for the arrangements of the planned moves of pilgrims to the Hajj, coordinating requirements for additional support as required with the Multi-National Forces affected by the areas through which Hajj pilgrims are expected to travel.

So how will this affect Multi-National Force - Iraq?

The aspiration of both the Government of Iraq and Coalition Forces is that the Hajj pilgrimage is conducted peacefully without incident. However, prudent joint planning has been conducted to address a number of potential incidents that may possibly arise. The processing and screening of pilgrims at assembly points remains a function entirely organized and executed by the Iraqi Government and its security forces. The Coalition Forces wish to keep a respectful distance from the Hajj pilgrims and there is a requirement for all CF soldiers to understand the deeply spiritual significance of this journey for the Muslim people of Iraq.

Information is being distributed to drivers and road travelers in several languages to advise on procedures with respect to encountering military vehicles and supply convoys on the roads. CF are fully aware of the Hajj key dates and will be de-conflicting the timings of their routes with the Hajj key travel times and dates although traffic on Route 22 is unlikely to affect the schedules of most military convoys.

The Hajj period has been noted as a period of increased trade as both pilgrims and ordinary Iraqis purchase more food and goods. Prices of goods tend to rise according to demand as more shoppers venture into the markets stocking up on items both for the journey and for those families who stay at home and celebrate the Festival of Eid Al Adha exchanging gifts and hosting meals with friends. Those Iraqis who are unable to make the Hajj will wish to visit their mosques during this heightened period of spiritual reflection. The mosque’s peak times are likely to be on Arafat Day, Dec. 29.

Iraqi Security Forces may request support from the Multi-National Forces in the event of an incident causing mass casualties in Iraq over the Hajj period. In such an event, Coalition Forces are preparing to support in the provision of humanitarian aid or emergency medical support as specifically requested by the Iraqi Government. Quick Reaction Forces will be maintained to cover the region. This may present challenges in the remote and isolated areas in the West but prudent planning has already been made to address such requests.

All Divisions will be aware of the passage of the Hajj travelers but those most likely to see a noticeable impact are Multi-National Division - Baghdad and Multi-National Force - West. Security surrounding the mosques and churches of all faiths in the key cities continues to be important during larger prayer gatherings on the key dates. The fact that the Christmas holiday season coincides with the Hajj this year is also a factor to be considered. There are still small groups of practicing Christians located in regions of Iraq and the combined traditional increase in trade will cause a greater demand for gifts and food with the correlating factor of more people in the streets and markets. There will be a real desire for a decreased curfew over this period as people attempt to meet with friends and family. Coalition Forces will need to remain vigilant and focused throughout the holiday festivities despite the distractions they may encounter.

When vast numbers of people from all parts of the world come together the risk of the transmission of infectious diseases is raised significantly. In order to counter these risks, the Saudi Ministry of Health has enforced high standards for the temporary Hajj immigration demanding that all prospective pilgrims are vaccinated for yellow fever, meningitis, polio and influenza before issuing them an entry visa. Travelers must carry vaccination certificates with them for inspection by the Saudi Authority at port of entry. The risks of the spread of Avian flu at the Hajj have been assessed as low in 2006/7 although the long term view is that an influenza pandemic remains possible if not inevitable in the future. The Iraqi Ministry of Health is responsible for assisting Hajj pilgrims in obtaining the correct immunizations and paperwork.

In ancient times pilgrims carried no food or provisions with them and relied on the generosity of the villagers as they passed on their way, however, the Prophet Muhammed stated in the Quran that provisions should be carried on the long journey. Interestingly, in modern times, now that travel times have decreased significantly, the Saudi Authorities have prohibited the import of food products into the Kingdom in their latest guidance.

When a Hajj pilgrim enters the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the purposes of the Hajj they must surrender their passports to a Unified Agents Office and receive a receipt which they then subsequently exchange on their exit from the country. There are strict controls on the flow of the millions of Muslims into the country. The last day to enter King Abdulaziz Airport in Jeddah for the purpose of Hajj is 4 Dhu Al-Hijjah of each year (Dec. 24).

All pilgrims must leave the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia after Hajj no later than the 10th of Muharram (Jan. 29) of each year. The rules and regulations of the KSA forbid any pilgrims from staying in the country after the completion of Hajj. Furthermore Jan. 29 is also the height for the Ashura commemoration for the Shi’ites.

It is anticipated that despite the ongoing tensions in Iraq there will be a number of foreign nationals attempting to travel through Iraq on the ancient pilgrimage routes from countries such as Iran and beyond that Azerbaijan, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan.

These pilgrims are likely to encounter problems at the border crossing points if they do not have the required documents and it is understood that even if they do manage to cross the porous borders through Iraq to Saudi Arabia it is unlikely that they will be permitted to return through the Saudi Border Points to travel back through Iraq.

The likelihood of higher numbers of foreign national pilgrims remaining in Iraq is therefore considerable particularly since they may remain in the country for the Shia observance of Ashura in the regions of An Najaf and Karbala.

An Najaf province is transferring to Iraqi Provincial Control over the Hajj traveling period, therefore the responsibility of maintaining security in this region will then fall to the Iraqi Government and security forces.

Originally Posted by Offshore-Wealth.com

Interesting,

You would think the reporter would have been just a little more excited than adding nothing to this? Sure is strange, so don't get too excited yet. (g)

Happy Holiday Season to all, Mike

Agreed that we shouldn't get too excited about this until we can have an Arabic translator read this for us, at the same time I don't see any reason why the reporter would get excited. It's a story about loans being made available, the change in the value of the dinar would not be cause for excitement either as it would have little effect on the average Iraqi seeing as most have no savings and are living day to day...

Originally Posted by Inscrutable

The translated version doesn't show the $6,600 and I can't get my Arabic friend on the phone to read the Arabic version.

Azzaman in English

Your not trying to take your woot back are you? I'm in shock over the .66 and in more so because inscrutable said woot! But next time try....

WOOOOOOOOTTTTTTTT!!!!!

That felt soooo GOOD!!

Cheers!
DayDream