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

neno, you are right on top of things!
Thanks and keep up the great job
Trapper

Originally Posted by nventr

I sincerely trust the R/V is not eminent; I trust that a compassionate heart within us is eminent.
I can, however, certainly support an imminent R/V like today or Jan 01/07.
No offense meant; I'm just feeling like a grade school kid who used to win all the spelling bees and I just couldn't resist this. Please chalk it up as some light-hearted levity.

We all need some levity now and then.... BTW- It's spelled "Inventor"....

Originally Posted by Hardwood

We all need some levity now and then.... BTW- It's spelled "Inventor"....

got 'im, coach! i will invent a new product called... the Levitator! (sp?)

ALARAB ONLINE | Display Page

Iraq oil could provide $3,500 per citizen


A plan gaining favor in Washington to distribute Iraq's oil revenue directly to its people could put $3,500 a year in the hands of every adult Iraqi citizen, a Texas-based energy analyst said on Tuesday.

Veteran analyst Dale Steffes said his estimate was based on an oil price of $60 a barrel, $10 a barrel production costs, and the assumption that 10 million Iraqis would be old enough to qualify for a share of their country's oil wealth.

Iraq produces 2.2 million barrels of oil a day and exports 1.5 million barrels, according to the Iraq Study Group Report issued earlier this month.

Estimates for current average annual income in Iraq vary widely, but top out at around $1,500 a year.

Steffes, who has been urging the distribution of Iraqi oil money in his reports since 2004, said in an interview the best way to administer the program may be to give the money to those who register to vote and maintain a bank account, thus promoting social involvement and stability.

"Once people understand that the money is coming to them, they will want to protect that income stream and have some kind of government that can settle disputes," he said.

Opponents say distributing the money would be difficult due to logistical and corruption problems, but the idea has picked up advocates as the United States looks for ways to stop the chaos that has followed the 2003 invasion that toppled Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

In an op-ed piece in Monday's Wall Street Journal, two U.S. senators, Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton and Republican John Ensign, urged President George W. Bush to form an "Iraq Oil Trust" modeled on the Alaskan Permanent Fund which gives Alaskan citizens a share of revenue produced from that state's oil fields.

"A distribution of revenues to all Iraqis would mean they have a greater incentive to keep the oil flowing, help the economy grow, reject the insurgency, and commit to the future of their nation," Clinton and Ensign wrote.

-Reuters

http://ca.today.reuters.com/news/new...-BLAIR-COL.XML

Blair urges Middle East states to unite against Iran
Wed Dec 20, 2006 12:02 PM EST

By Katherine Baldwin
DUBAI (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Tony Blair urged Middle Eastern states on Wednesday to help rein in the "forces of extremism" in Iran and to advance peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

Blair, on the final day of what may be his last Middle East tour as prime minister, said Iran was openly supporting terrorism in Iraq, undermining the Lebanese government and blocking Israeli-Palestinian peace.

The Islamic Republic has not recognized Israel and last year President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called for Israel to be "wiped off the map." Tehran said Blair's comments were "hateful."

"Britain's negative and divisive approach and the war mongering and unilateral policies of (U.S. President George W.) Bush and Blair have caused tension and extremism in the region," said Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammed Ali Hosseini.

Blair's spokesman earlier dismissed suggestions his comments on Iran were designed to pit the region's Sunni Muslims against Shi'ite Iran, saying the prime minister worked with all faiths.

Tehran, under Western pressure over its nuclear program, also backs the Lebanese guerrilla group and opposition party Hezbollah, which is leading a drive for early elections after failing to obtain veto power in government.

Blair, who will leave office next year and whose popularity has been eroded by the Iraq war, rejected suggestions American or British action in the Middle East was fuelling terrorism.

"If our policy has a fault, it is that we are too shy of acting boldly to bring about change, to give succor to those trying to live for the better," Blair said in Dubai.

"We must mobilize our alliance of moderation in this region and outside it and defeat the extremists" whose ideas are based on a 'warped' interpretation of Islam," he added.

PIN BACK IRAN

Blair, who believes he has made progress in exploring ways to revive Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking on his trip, said the struggle between "moderates and extremists" would affect the security of the wider world.

He called on moderate leaders across the Middle East to join a "monumental struggle" between democracy and extremism.

"We must recognize the strategic challenge the government of Iran poses; not its people, possibly not all of its ruling elements, but those presently in charge of its policy," he said.

Some Iraqi politicians, mainly Sunni Muslims, accuse Tehran of fuelling sectarian violence by supporting Shi'ite militias.

"Our response should be to expose what they are doing, build the alliances to prevent it and pin them back across the whole of the region," Blair said.

Blair plans to hold talks with world leaders in early 2007 on delivering a package of aid for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Abbas has called for early elections after failing to form a unity administration with Hamas, which won elections in January but is being boycotted by the West because of its refusal to recognize the state of Israel.

Blair listed three priorities: to give Abbas's office the capacity to improve Palestinians' lives; to engineer an early meeting between Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, and to relaunch the political process for a two-state solution.

Originally Posted by jsfletcher

I picked up my order from chase yesterday, and got "gently used" 10k and 5k notes. BTW Kristen/Ourhouse BE CAREtheurFULL out there with UPS. I live in Denver also and it is BAD here

Picked up 2 orders today. One was new 25k notes, the other was new 5 k notes. I asked for small notes for both orders.

Also asked my friendly teller to look up rates.. current rate is $791/M ( up from 782.50). The buy rate today was $664/M

Randy

OPEC basket price down to USD 57.44 - Zawya.com | Middle East Business News

OPEC basket price down to USD 57.44

VIENNA, Dec 20 (KUNA) - The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) said here on Wednesday its basket prices went down on Tuesday by 96 cents to USD 57.44 per barrel (pb) from USD 58.40 the day before.

The average basket price of the cartel for 2005 was USD 50.64 pb, the OPEC monthly bulletin of December said, estimating the average price for 2006 at USD 61.22 pb.

The state of instability of the oil market will reach its peak in the first quarter of 2007, the bulletin anticipated.

The Abuja Accord defined measures for stopping any potential nosedive of oil prices, it added.

The accord provides for cutting down oil output by half a million barrels a day in a second such move by the cartel to stop the sharp decline of oil prices in less than two months.

The accord contributed much to the stability of world oil market in December, according to the bulletin.

The total output of OPEC after the move stood at 32.6 million barrels per day (bpd), excluding Iraqi oil output.

The new OPEC Reference Basket (ORB), implemented as of 16 June 2005, is made up of eleven blends as follows: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Minas (Indonesia), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Qatar Marine (Qatar), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and BCF 17 (Venezuela).

Article originally published by KUNA (Kuwait News Agency) 20-Dec-06

20 December, 2006

President Talbani Receives New Brazilian Ambassador's Credentials


H.E. Jalal Talbani, President of the Republic of Iraq, received on 19 December the credentials of Mr. Bernardo de Azevedo Brito, the newly-appointed ambassador of Brazil to Iraq. He reiterated Iraq's willingness to develop relations and bonds of friendship and cooperation with Brazil, citing its supportive stands towards the people of Iraq.

President Talbani called on the Brazilian government to stimulate investment in Iraq, particularly, now, in safe areas, stressing that the Iraqi government would provide a proper atmosphere for the investors and extend to them all possible facilities, all for promoting the country's economy. He also touched on the security situation and the development course of the political process aimed at shoring up democracy in the country.

Meanwhile, Ambassador Brito renewed Brazil's stance in support of the Iraqi people and desire to sustain relations with Iraq and to offer support to its government.

Mr. Hoshyar Zebari, Minister of Foreign Affairs, attended the meeting.

Originally Posted by Adster

Guys, the NY Post has been so anti Iraq all this time, do we see a turnaround in thinking??? Do I hear a Wooottttttttttttttttt?

Amazing, we know so much more than these knobby reporters on $80k plus a year!


BAGHDAD ECONOMY STARTING TO BOOM


By NILES LATHEM



December 19, 2006 -- WASHINGTON - Iraq's economy is starting to blossom, providing an underreported success story for a war that has seen little else but bloodshed and chaos, according to a new report.
A story published on the Newsweek International Web site said that despite the sectarian violence and political chaos engulfing the country, there are signs that many sectors of Iraq's economy are healthy and growing.
Citing studies conducted by the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the report said Iraq's economy grew 4 percent, by one account, and 17 percent, according to another.
The fact that Iraq's economy was able to grow at all is a major accomplishment - as well as what Newsweek called "the mother of all surprises."
Among the recent findings:
* Real estate, construction and retail sales industries are booming in Iraq.
* The number of registered companies in Iraq grew from 8,000 in 2003 to 34,000 this year.
* Iraq earned $41 billion in oil revenue this year.
U.S. officials cautioned that it's too early to call Iraq an economic miracle.
Unemployment remains at 30 to 50 percent throughout the country, and many experts believe that's contributing to the sense of despair among the population that is in part resulting in the violence.
Sources told The Post that the White House is considering proposals from U.S. military leaders to create an FDR-style public works/jobs program for Iraq as part of the new initiative that President Bush will unveil next month.
The report also said reduced customs restrictions and fees have made imported goods more accessible and affordable to many Iraqis.
Other studies showed a growth of almost 100 percent in salaries for those who have jobs.
And Iraqis have even had American-style tax cuts, the report said.

I believe we are going to see a huge amount of good news reported from now on because the democrats won the house and senate. In the past everything is always rosey as long as the democrats get the credit. It's just the way it works with the liberal media. For the first time I am actaully glad!

Al-Zawahri: U.S. talking to wrong people - Yahoo! News


Al-Zawahri: U.S. talking to wrong people

By MAGGIE MICHAEL, Associated Press Writer
13 minutes ago



CAIRO, Egypt - The deputy leader of al-Qaida said the United States was negotiating with the wrong people in Iraq, implying in a video broadcast Wednesday on Al-Jazeera that Washington should be talking to his group.

"I want to tell the Republicans and the Democrats together ... you are trying to negotiate with some parties to secure your withdrawal, but these parties won't find you an exit (from Iraq) and your attempts will yield nothing but failure," Ayman al-Zawahri said on the video.

"It seems that you will go through a painful journey of failed negotiations until you will be forced to return to negotiate with the real powers," he said, without elaborating.

In Washington, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said: "There is no negotiating with al-Qaida and terrorists."

"Al-Qaida is completely irreconcilable to a political process," the U.S. official said.

The video — which bore the logo of al-Qaida's media production house, al-Sahab — was the 15th time this year that Egyptian-born al-Zawahri has sent out a statement. In Wednesday's tape, he appeared exactly as in previous videos that have been authenticated by CIA analysts. He wore a black turban and white robe and pointed his finger at the camera for emphasis. As usual, he had a rifle behind his right shoulder that was leaning against a plain brown backdrop.

Al-Zawahri appeared to be trying to mobilize support against a range of Middle Eastern players — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, his Hamas opponents, Iran and its Shiite allies in Iraq and elsewhere.

He attacked Abbas' proposal to hold early elections to resolve the increasingly violent rivalry between his moderate Fatah party and the militant Hamas movement, which dominates the parliament. The situation has degenerated to daily gunbattles in the streets of Gaza.

In the clips broadcast by Al-Jazeera, al-Zawahri did not say how the two parties should settle their dispute, but he scoffed at elections, saying: "Any way other than holy war, will lead us only to loss and defeat."

He did not say whom the Palestinians should fight, but previously he has always recommended "holy war" against Israel and the West.

He described Abbas as "America's man in Palestine," and warned that if Palestinians accepted him as their president, it would be "the end of holy war."

In what appeared to be a reference to Abbas and his Fatah party, al-Zawahri said: "Those who are trying to liberate the Islamic territories through elections based on secular constitutions, or on decisions to hand over Palestine to the Jews, will not liberate one grain of sand of Palestine."

He also criticized the militant Hamas party — although he did not name it — which has condemned the proposal for early elections. He accused Hamas of making a number of concessions that would ultimately lead to "the recognition of Israel."

He said these concessions began with Hamas' signing "the truce" with Israel last year, then the group took part in the January elections "based on a secular constitution," and recognized Abbas as the head of the Palestinian authority.

Al-Zawahri rebuked Hamas particularly for not pushing for an Islamic constitution before it contested the elections.

"Aren't they an Islamic movement? Aren't they campaigning for the word of God to be supreme?" he said, adding the party should have insisted on the drafting of "an Islamic constitution for Palestine."

In Gaza, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum brushed off al-Zawahri's criticism and defended the party's electoral policy.

"Our Palestinian institutions are in need of reform, and to fix them we need to participate in the parliament and other institutions," Barhoum said.

"We are not responding to al-Zawahri so much as we are affirming who we are as a movement," Barhoum added.

Al-Zawahri's comments were expected to have little influence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Hamas has distanced itself from al-Qaida, saying its struggle is against Israel, not the West at large.

"I don't think it would have any impact," said analyst Diaa Rashwan of the tape.

Rashwan, an expert on militant groups at the Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies in Cairo, said Hamas is a strong critic of al-Qaida, although both groups call for Israel's destruction.

Abbas has accused al-Qaida of infiltrating the Palestinian territories, but Palestinian security officials say there is no hard evidence of that. They accuse local groups of fabricating links to al-Qaida as a diversion.

Al-Zawahri criticized Iran and Shiites abroad who supported the U.S.-backed governments in Iraq and Afghanistan while they also backed the anti-Israeli forces in Lebanon and the Palestinian territories.

"How come the rush to deal with the two governments appointed by the occupier in Iraq and Afghanistan — support them, celebrate them, defend them, challenge their oppositions — while cooperation with the Zionist enemy in Lebanon and Palestine is labeled a betrayal?" he said.

Al-Jazeera staff declined to comment on how and when they obtained the tape.

The broadcast came two days after a posting on a militant Islamic Web site said a message from al-Zawahri was coming.