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

Originally Posted by Mike5200

UAE property developer Damac Properties recently attended an Iraqi real estate exhibition in Erbil, in the northern part of the nation where many believe there is a growing market for residential real estate developments.


Currently, there are 44 private tourist projects underway in Erbil, according to Kurdistan's General Authority on tourism, reported Khaleej Times.



As a result of relative political stability as compared to the southern part of Iraq, oil revenue investments boosting infrastructure and a move on the part of many Iraqis to return to the region after years abroad, demand for residential units is anticipated to reach one million over the next few years.

Furthermore, occupancy rate of hotels in the region is running at 84 per cent, while airport arrivals have also grown exponentially over the past two years.

© 2006 Mena Report (albawaba.com middle east news information

This is EXACTLY what I'm talkin about!!! Now DUBAI is getting involved...kurdistan is setting the example for the rest of the country, showing what WILL HAPPEN once the south gets a grip on security.
Folks--it is articles like this that tell me more than anything that the RV is coming and coming SOON!!!

Iraq and Syrian minister discuss security cooperation

DAMASCUS (AFP) - Iraq's interior minister arrived in Damascus for talks with Syrian officials on improving security cooperation with a country that has been accused of supporting Iraqi insurgents.

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"We will have the opportunity to discuss today matters of interest to both countries with a view to developing security cooperation," Jawad al-Bolani said on his arrival in the Syrian capital.

His Syrian counterpart Bassam Abdul Majid echoed Bolani's words, saying their talks would lead to "accords aimed at achieving stability and security, and we are ready to cooperate in this area."

Bolani traveled to Syria from Amman, where he signed a cooperation agreement with Jordan, said Brigadier General Abdel Karim Khalaf, director of the National Command Centre of the interior ministry.

"Minister Bolani will meet Syrian officials to discuss issues related to security and borders, besides other issues pending between the two countries," Khalaf told AFP.

On November 21, Iraq and Syria announced the restoration of diplomatic ties 26 years after the then Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein broke them off in protest at Syria's support for Iran in its war against Iraq.

The move came at the end of a visit to Baghdad by Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem, the first by a foreign minister from Damascus since the 2003 overthrow of Saddam Hussein in a US-led invasion.

The United States has accused Syria of allowing exiled Saddam supporters and Islamic radicals to send support and reinforcements across its eastern border into Iraq, where insurgents are fighting the US-backed administration.

Nevertheless, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's embattled coalition government has announced plans to reach out to all of Iraq's neighbours in a bid to build alliances to fight violent extremism in the region.

Originally Posted by neno

Not Hardly. You just need to be more Educated to understand how the Decline of the Dollar will totally Benifit most Americans. Now for Corporate America.....Yea it is not good for them unless, they move back home and where they should be and hire the American Workforce back. From what I am learning about Economics of this very situation, the next two Decades could be very good here at Home.

I will point out that if you want to earn more dollars on your Investments Globally, as the dollar does decline, OSW has been saying allong, Point your Dollars in Internation Accounts to earn More Foriegn Currency, then exchange for more Dollars back when needed. Sorry, I had to say this. I am Learning it to be Great for us at Home.

I started to reply to Adam about this when he posted it, then forgot. We might very well be seeing the dollar make some drastic moves not for the better right now, however that leaves the American Iraqi Investor in a very unique position. There are many ways that you can cash in your dinar than just in US Dollars. International accounts as Neno mentioned above also investing in gold, even the Dong! Then only exchanging to Dollar as needed, or when you know for sure it has reached the bottom. It could even leave you much better off than you ever dreamed with just the Dinar!

Good Luck All!

Originally Posted by DesertNuke

This is big and I mean BIG!!! I have worked in the past in the sales industry and if you want to "get the sale" you throw all your best at him/her in order to capture that client. To have the bank manager go over financial services like that in hopes of keeping the money in house says something........somethings comin' and it's BIG!!!!!

can i get a WOOT???!!!!!

not to throw ice water on this but the only thing that gets me about these type of stories is , if the bank manager really had this kinda (inside) information he and all his tellers would be buying up dinar like crazy wouldnt they?? and everyone else they know.. just seams hard to swallow, I stopped by my local chase and order 1 million more today.. they dont know if it will come in on a saturday or not lets hope cause if it revales b4 monday i doubt very seriously if i would get it for my purchase price..course with sum of these tellers and banks not having a clue whats going on maybe i would..lol they tried to sell it to me at their buy price again..

Originally Posted by MunnyBaggs

4 years back would be more relevant than 10, 20, or 30 years back indeed. But it does not guarantee 110% done deal that the same level will be achieved or is the actual target level. We need to process the most recent information including that from the CBI, IMF, and articles such as we've seen recently from Iraqi Government, financial, and oil ministries. CBI/IMF most recent projections are towards 1345 and will be accomplished in a gradual manner. What do you mean "most recent projections"? That was a suggested rate set back in 2004 Also we've seen recent reports of IQD increase of 8%, 13%, and 100%. We've also got the FIL that needs further implementation and the HCL that needs to be finalized. Don't forget the security plan President Bush intends to introduce in January. We also have indications that this trial gradual appreciation will last until March of 07.Pleas tell us what these "indicators are... March is the next target date of Stand by Agreement with the IMF. The 10,000 Dinar = $6,600 article is great news indeed. But we most likely won't see that handout or loan until March. What would lead you to believe this? Expect gradual increases until MarchWHY??? and then let's continue to dig up new recent more relevant information. Don't hang your dreams on old dated info That is what you are basing all of your thoughts on. (The 2004 IMF suggested rate for the end of '06) , use the good news we currently have and enjoy the ride.

see my comments/questions in red above...

News Release
Iraqi Unions Attack Oil Privatization
December 15, 2006
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United Press International is reporting: "Five Iraqi trade union federations have condemned federal oil law negotiations for being too corporation-friendly."

The wire service quoted Hasan Jum'a, president of the Federation of Oil Unions, as saying: "This law has a lot of problems. It was prepared without consulting Iraqi experts, Iraqi civil society or trade unions." [Full article]

Dow Jones reports: "Iraqi trade unionists criticized the major role for foreign companies in the draft law, which specifies that up to two-thirds of Iraq's known reserves would be developed by multinationals, under contracts lasting 15 to 20 years. The negotiations for a new Iraq hydrocarbon law continued this week with the circulation of a draft law that recommends the government sign production sharing agreements and other service and buyback contracts."

The following policy analysts are available for interviews:


GREG MUTTITT
Muttitt met with Iraqi union leaders while in Amman this week and has just returned to London. He is lead researcher at the British group Platform and primary author of the report "Crude Designs: The Rip-Off of Iraq's Oil Wealth," which outlines the structure of production sharing agreements.

Muttitt said today: "The opposition by Iraq's powerful trade unions will dismay the U.S. government, which is keen to see the law in place by the end of the year. Since the summer, U.S. officials have been calling for an oil law to encourage foreign investment in Iraq's oil -- a call reiterated by the Baker-Hamilton Iraq Study Group in its report last week. ...

"In a joint statement, the trade unions rejected 'the handing of control over oil to foreign companies, whose aim is to make big profits at the expense of the Iraqi people, and to rob the national wealth, according to long-term, unfair contracts that undermine the sovereignty of the state and the dignity of the Iraqi people.' The statement added that this was a 'red line' they would not allow to be crossed."
More Information


SAMEER DOSSANI
Director of 50 Years Is Enough, Dossani said today: "In announcing its agenda for the privatization of Iraqi oil, the Baker-Hamilton report leaves no doubts as to what the U.S. must achieve in order to call its mission successful. It is an agenda laid out by U.S. corporate interests, by what will benefit their bottom line in a world of shrinking oil reserves. By these terms, what President Bush and others are calling a U.S. victory would be a defeat for the Iraqi people who have struggled for decades to control their own fates, their own destinies and their own resources."

"The institutions that the report suggests should enforce these policies are the same institutions that are in charge of ensuring that corporate profits take priority over public need in the rest of the world, namely, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank."
Iraqi Unions Attack Oil Privatization -- Institute for Public Accuracy (IPA)

In what may well be a marriage of convenience, arch-rivals Reliance Industries and OVL - adversaries in the new oil hunt - have found common ground in Iraq. The Mukesh Ambani company and ONGC's overseas investment arm propose to undertake joint exploration and production activities in that country.

Noozz.com | IRAQ

Iraqi Army catches Baqubah insurgents
Friday, 15 December 2006

Soldiers from 4th Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 5th Iraqi Army Division get ready to enter a suspected insurgent's home during a massive cordon and search operation conducted in a neighborhood in Baqubah, Iraq, Dec. 2. Official Department of Defense photo.BAQUBAH — The Iraqi Army led a successful offensive operation here recently, capturing 10 suspected insurgents and rescuing a kidnapped 16-year-old Iraqi boy being held for a $150,000 ransom.
Iraqi Soldiers from 5th Iraqi Army conducted searches, while the U.S. Army’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, from Fort Hood, Texas, cordoned off several neighborhoods.

Maj. Kalil Malek Ahmad, commander, 4th Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 5th Iraqi Army, said his Soldiers identified insurgents with the help of intelligence sources.

Lt. Col. Morris Goins, commander, 3rd Brigade’s 1-12 Combined Arms Battalion, which provided the cordon for the search, said the operation gave the Iraqi Army an opportunity to demonstrate it’s capability to play a primary role in military operations.

“Iraq is a sovereign nation. They have an Iraqi Police department. They have an Iraqi Army,” said Goins, a native of Southern Pines, N.C. “It’s important for them to conduct these operations. They are in the lead and we assist when needed.”

This most recent search for insurgents, which is part of a larger effort, “will help local residents by driving a wedge between the Iraqi people and al Qaeda,” said Goins.

Al Qaeda operatives are attempting to disrupt Coalition Forces and have threatened local residents in the neighborhoods of Khatoon and Mufrek, he said.

Capt. Scott Steele from the U.S. Army’s military training team in Baqubah, and native of Faripault, Minn., said it is important for the Iraqi Army to lead such operations in anticipation of full autonomy.

“If the Iraqis take over, the United States can leave,” he said. “We’re just helping them along so that they can secure their own country by themselves.”

Goins said his unit was presented with some challenges while working with the Iraqis, such as language barriers and differences in communications platforms, but those obstacles were overcome with prior coordination.

“As with any brand new government, you have challenges,” said Goins. “People often think the United States was born yesterday. It’ll take a little while. There’s a lot of promise here. The work is hard but it’s good.”

By Mariam Karouny 14 minutes ago

BAGHDAD (Reuters) -
Iraq holds a national conference on Saturday designed to halt mounting sectarian violence that has raised fears of civil war and been a major issue behind U.S.
President George W. Bush's decision to review his strategy.
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Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi said on Friday Bush had called for decisive action to halt the sectarian bloodletting when they met in Washington this week.

"
President Bush is very worried and annoyed (about the sectarian violence)," Hashemi told Al Jazeera television.

"He made it clear to me saying, 'We cannot remain silent toward the situation, we cannot accept that Iraqis kill each other. Decisive measures are needed to stop the killings. Iraqis are facing a limited chance'," said Hashemi.

The conference will bring together Kurdish, Shi'ite Muslim and Sunni Arab politicians from the ruling coalition in Baghdad and figures from
Saddam Hussein's former Baath party who have been living abroad since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.

They are expected to discuss issues ranging from the presence of U.S. and other foreign troops to sectarian militias.

"Around 200 figures have been invited to this conference," government spokesman Ali Dabagh said on Friday.

The Shi'ite-led coalition government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, who took office seven months ago, has said it would not talk to armed groups with "Iraqi blood on their hands."

SECTARIAN ACCUSATIONS

Insurgents draw for support from Iraq's minority Sunni Arab community, once dominant under Saddam. Sunni leaders accuse militias from the Shi'ite majority of infiltrating the police to carry out kidnappings and killings.

Since the bombing of a Shi'ite mosque in February, thousands of Iraqis have been killed in sectarian attacks and this has complicated U.S. troop withdrawal plans.

Bush is expected to announce his new policy on Iraq early next year. His Republican Party lost control of both houses of Congress in November mid-term elections partly due to voter disillusionment over Iraq.

"As we've said many times, reconciliation is obviously one of the key challenges the (Iraqi) government faces," White House spokesman Tony Snow told reporters in Washington on Friday.

Among issues to be discussed in a series of workshops on Saturday will be a process known as debaathification, which bans former members of Saddam's party from taking part in public office and the military, a major Sunni complaint.

"The main goal is to reduce the circle of those included in debaathification to include ... only those who committed crimes against Iraqis," said Abbas Bayati, from the powerful Shi'ite Alliance.

Iraq has held conferences before designed to bring about reconciliation but they failed to stop sectarian bloodletting or bring into the fold some Sunni groups who have boycotted the U.S.-backed political process.

Some Iraqi officials said they did not expect the conference, which takes place a year after Iraq's first elections for a full-term parliament since the U.S.-led invasion, to produce firm results.

"This conference is just a waste of time," one government official said on condition of anonymity.

"Let them talk. More talking will not harm anyone. But I doubt there would be results," said the official.

(Baghdad newsroom, editing by Ralph Gowling)

Iraqi Army provides health care for citizens
Friday, 15 December 2006
Story and photo by Pfc. Shea Butler
7th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment



Iraqi army 1st Lt. Harith, medical doctor, 3rd Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, examines a local Iraqi boy’s ear at a school in Bakariya village, Dec. 9. Official Department of Defense photo.BAKARIYA — Residents of Bakariya village, young and old, with ailments from the common cold to chronic strokes, gathered in a local school to seek medical attention from the Iraqi Army and Coalition Forces Saturday.

The Iraqi Army set up a makeshift clinic to provide extra health care to the locals with the support of U.S. troops. This medical operation provided medicines that aren’t readily available at the local clinics.

Iraqi and American military physicians were present to treat the locals. They gave out medicine and hygiene products. There was also a dentist available to treat toothaches and pull teeth.

“They (the Iraqi Army) aren’t just a warfighting mechanism. They are just like us. They have to take care of the people and they are learning quickly how to do that,” said Sgt. 1st Class David Tunison, a medic with 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division.

Long after Coalition Forces leave Iraq, the Iraqi Army will still need to do civil missions such as medical operations

Capt. Robert Callaghan, a fire support officer with 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, and his troops are usually the ones who set up medical operations like this. They do planning for transportation, security and intelligence. This time, they had more help and direction from the Iraqi Army.

“This time, an Iraqi Army major came to me with a plan,” Callaghan said. “He set his guys up for security and provided Iraqi Army medics,”

Iraqi Soldiers were patrolling rooftops surrounding the school and searching people before they entered the school. They were handing out personal hygiene items to residents and the Iraqi medics saw and treated patients.

“My goal for the future would be to see the Iraqis be able to plan a medical operation from start to finish without any help,” Callaghan said. “They are well on their way to accomplish that.”

Missions like this are for the people, so locals can put a face with the Army that is serving them.

“The purpose … was to show the locals that the Iraqi Army wants to help,” said Iraqi 1st. Lt. Harith, a physician with 3rd Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division. “We have to make a connection to the people.”