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

New US strategy to call for benchmarks for Iraqis
(AFP)

8 January 2007



WASHINGTON - US President George W. Bush’s new Iraq policy will establish a series of goals that the Iraqi government will be expected to meet to try to stabilize the country politically and economically, The New York Times reported on its website on Sunday.


Citing unnamed senior administration officials, the newspaper said these “benchmarks” will call for drawing more Sunnis into the political process, finalizing a long-delayed measure on the distribution of oil revenue and easing the government’s policy toward former Baath Party members.

Without saying what the specific penalties for failing to achieve the goals would be, US officials insisted that they intended to hold the Iraqis to a realistic timetable for action, the report said.

The Americans and Iraqis have agreed on many of the objectives before, only to fall far short, The New York Times pointed out.

Bush is expected to refer to the benchmarks in a much-anticipated speech this week outlining his new Iraq strategy, including plans to send as many as 20,000 additional troops, according to the report.

Administration officials plan to make the benchmarks public sometime after the address, the paper said.

“This is not an open-ended commitment,” the newspaper quoted a senior administration official as saying. “We are putting real specific requirements and expectations on the Iraqi government.”

Some of the goals that are to be incorporated on the list of benchmarks have been carried over from an earlier list that was hammered out with the Iraqis, made public in October, but never met, the report said.

They include, for example, a previously stated promise to set a date for provincial elections or adopt a national oil law that would give the central government the power to distribute current and future oil revenues to the provinces or regions, The New York Times said.

The benchmarks will also deal with settling a new policy on de-Baathification, according to the report.

POL-TURKEY-IRAQ-TALABANI
Talabani urges Iraq neighbors not to intervene in Iraq's internal affairs

ANKARA, Jan 8 (KUNA) -- Iraqi President Jalal Talabani Monday urged neighboring countries not to intervene in Iraqi internal affairs.

In a statement to Turkish Ceyhan News Agency after a meeting in Sulaymaniyah, northeastern Iraq, Talabani said relationships between Iraq and Turkey should be based upon mutual respect, non intervention in others' affairs, and understanding that Kirkuk has a special status among Iraqi cities.

He called on all Iraqi factions to cooperate with the coalition forces in Iraq in combating terrorism, asserting the importance of forming a committee to combat corruption in the Kurdistan National Union party.

President of the Kurdistan Region Masoud Barzani indirectly criticized Turkey for allowing a meeting for Iraqi Sunnis to take place in Istanbul last month.

Barzani said some regional countries hosted a meeting for individuals and groups executing violent acts in Iraq and spreading new thoughts about Kirkuk, which only contributes to escalating the war in Iraq.

Meanwhile, Turkey's Special Representative in Baghdad Oguz Celikkol said the Kurdistan Workers Party's (PKK) issue negatively impacted relationships between Iraq and Turkey and the Kurdish groups in northern Iraq.

Celikkol said a number of procedures by the Iraqi government and the Kurdish authorities in northern Iraq against the separatist party would reinforce bilateral relationships.

He added that Turkey aims at guaranteeing security and stability in Iraq, expressing hope that 2007 would bring an end to sectarian violence there.

He also said Turkey does not desire discussing non-guaranteed scenarios like dividing Iraq, noting that Iraqi interior minister will visit Turkey this year to discuss issues of common concern.

On Kirkuk, Celikkol said the conditions to hold a referendum are not available yet, stressing the importance of resolving the issue through negotiations and understanding between the concerned sides. (end) tb.

fhd

are we back up now??

Bush holds key to progress of world trade discussions, Mandelson

ECO-TRADE-EU-US
Bush holds key to progress of world trade discussions, Mandelson

LONDON, Jan 8 (KUNA) -- Global trade negotiations designed to improve the lot of millions of the world's poorest people stand "on a knife's edge" at vital talks between the EU and US Monday, according to European Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson.

Mandelson was meeting US President George W Bush in a bid to persuade him to put his weight behind efforts to reach agreement on cuts to tariffs and agricultural subsidies that would open up world markets to developing countries.

If Bush declines to give his commitment, the so-called Development Round of talks launched at the World Trade Organisation summit in Doha, Qatar, in 2001, could be stalled for as much as three years and may never be revived, he warned.

Mandelson told The Times newspaper here today "We are on a knife's edge. We have to engage President Bush personally, because this deal can only be done with his authority".

But speaking to the Financial Times newspaper, he made clear he had not given up hope on a deal.

"After a series of meetings of senior officials, it is clear that the gap between us is no longer such as to dismiss hope of a successful outcome. We are not that far apart to give up on the process", the European Trade Commissioner said.

The EU wants America to reduce its maximum annual spending on farm subsidies from 23 billion US dollars (12 billion pounds) to 15 billion dollars (eight billion pounds) in return for further reductions in European trade tariffs.

Although Bush has repeatedly stated his commitment to the Doha Round, there is a tight deadline for agreement, as Congress is due to set farm subsidy levels in March.

Bush's own mandate from Congress to negotiate on the deal runs out in June.

Unless a commitment to extend the mandate and an indication of White House support for subsidy reductions can be secured this week, Mandelson told The Times that "it means putting Doha on ice until at least a year into the next President's term".

He added "We would be talking about a delay of three to four years from now. Even reviving it then would not be a quick or easy thing to do because the confidence of the developing countries in the multilateral system would be greatly damaged".

The World Bank has estimated that a successful conclusion to the Doha Round could generate additional global wealth totalling 150 billion pounds by 2015.(end) he

Originally Posted by jsfletcher

are we back up now??

SINCE WE ARE READING YOUR POST I GUESS WE ARE BACK UP

Crocker replacing Khalilzad in Iraq

By Khalid Hasan

WASHINGTON: Ryan C Crocker, the US ambassador to Pakistan, has been appointed ambassador to Iraq in place of Zalmay Khalizad, who is being sent to the United Nations to replace John Bolton.

The announcement was made by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Monday. The appointments must be confirmed by the US Senate. Daily Times broke the story of Crocker likely replacing Khalizad in Iraq a month ago.

This will not be Crocker’s first official association with Iraq, having served there as the first Director of Governance with the Coalition Provisional Authority from May to August 2003.

Crocker, an Arabist, who was born in 1949, has been in Pakistan since 2004. He entered the US foreign service in 1971 and was made a “career ambassador,” a select category of diplomats, in October 2004. He has served as ambassador to Afghanistan (January to April 2002), Syria (1999-2001) and Lebanon (1990-93), as well as chief of the economic-commercial section at the US embassy in Iraq (1978-81) and in the same section in the US embassy in Qatar (1974-76). He also served in Cairo as political counsellor (1987-90). He was US vice consul in Iran in 1972. He also served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs from August 2001 to May 2003. He was assigned to the American embassy in Beirut during the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982 and the bombings of the embassy and the Marine barracks in 1983. Crocker grew up in an Air Force family, attending schools in Morocco, Canada and Turkey, as well as the US. He received a BA in English in 1971 and an honorary Doctor of Laws degree in 2001 from Whitman College (Washington).

some info on ICI


International Compact with Iraq

Iraqis urged to reject sectarian practices
Last Updated(Beijing Time):2007-01-08 14:24

Speaker of the Lower House of Jordanian Parliament Abdul Hadi Majali on Sunday called on Iraqis to rebuff sectarian practices and protect national unity, Jordan's news agency Petra reported.
All Iraqi Sunnis, Shiites, and Kurds should avert all sectarian practices to protect Iraq's unity, Majali said at the opening of a House session, adding that the sectarian and reprisal practices which accompanied Saddam Hussein's execution contravene with all religious rules and doctrines.

He also called upon the Iraqis to stand against external interference in their internal affairs.

Meanwhile, he criticized the timing of Saddam execution, saying that it did not "take the slightest regard to the feelings of million of Arabs and Muslims."

"Saddam Hussein's execution was carried out at the start of a key holiday of Eid Al-Adha (Islam's feast of sacrifice). It seems that the place, time and circumstances were all deliberately chosen to hurt the feelings of Arabs and Muslims", Majali was quoted by Petra as saying.

LEADING STORY Noozz.com

Iraq Allocates US$8 Billion for Housing Projects

The Iraqi government has endorsed the allocation of USD 8bn to the Real Estate Bank to be distributed by the bank as easy-term loans for citizens who received plots of land from the government, reported Al-Hayat. Read

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Bush paints »« road map for the owners of the strategy
(Voice of Iraq) - 09-01-2007
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Ignoring the Iranian and Syrian roles. The media
Bush paints »« road map of the owners in its new strategy
Washington home :
Attention focused on Washington, these days, anticipating that the American President Bush the details of his plan, or its new strategy, in Iraq, amid opposition advance from the Democrats, and the doubts of the possibility of the success of the plan that was described as an attempt »« years to save »« mission in Iraq, and amid doubts similar in the ability of the Iraqi party, representing the government of Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki, on the completion of the paragraphs related to the plan.
The attention the military side of the plan, which is to raise the number of American forces in Iraq, adding about 20 thousand soldiers, and in the quality of the tasks that will be carried out there, in addition to increasing the participation of Iraqi forces in the plans of new security, in the framework of an overall objective : to protect the citizens, on the one hand and working to quell sectarian fighting on the other hand, the elimination of the rebel »« Sunni from the point of the third.
Faced with a greater number of troops to two problems : the first to provide the necessary funds to cover its expenses, and this requires the approval of Congress, which is controlled by Democrats opposed to the idea, and the second to provide the required number of recruits, at a time when the leaders and military experts that the American army greatly extend almost to the point that they fracture.
Observers put high hopes on the new commander of the American forces, General Berríos, to be replicated, then the fourth star generals in full, and many of those trusts the ability of the new leader to save Iraq »«.
The military action only face of the Bush plan, there is political and economic aspects to it.
In the political part, the Bush plan new need to move the political process dormant due to the boycott by the Sunni parties in practical terms, in spite of their participation in the process through the government and Parliament, but without leading to contain the sectarian fighting, not to limit the military operations carried out by armed groups, mostly school of thought belong to the Sunni sect, entitled »resistance to the occupation«.
Will Bush Maliki several major steps in this area :
The first step : the formation of a government of national reconciliation, which means beyond the term »government of national unity«, which was known by the government of Maliki so far, with two Shiite key, namely : the Supreme Council (Aziz al-Hakim) and the Al-Dawa (Party Maliki) with the two main Kurdish parties, namely : the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (Jalal Talabani) and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (Masoud Barzani), in addition to the Iraqi Islamic Party (Tariq Al-Hashmi). The objective of the government of national reconciliation marginalization of the current year Sadri, which is accused of waging war against sectarianism in Baghdad, which retains thirty seats in parliament and six ministers in the current government.
Step two : speed up the identification date, and the holding of elections in the provinces, so as to enable the people of the Sunni provinces (Mosul, Salah al-Din, Anbar) of the formation of local administrations in their region.
Step three : Reconsidering the policy of uprooting the Baath, which was the former civil administrator Paul Bremer had been enacted, and that led to the expulsion of thousands of Baathists from positions of the state, and the reintegration of restructuring of the state and government facilities.
The fourth step, a speedy constitutional amendments, which were supposed to take place four months after the meeting of the parliament, in order to calm the fears of Sunni, and create an environment of confidence in the new system.
On the economic side, will be requested from the government of Maliki several similar steps, in the forefront :
First : expedite the enactment of a law to solve the problem of how oil distribution of oil resources manner that does not raise fears of individuals, and allay the fears of a second year, that does not raise new fears among Shiites. The International Committee of the Cabinet subcommittee to consider the draft law, but did not reach a final draft of the agreement because of differences between the three blocs.
Second : the rehabilitation of government factories, which stopped working after the war topple Saddam Hussein's regime, which led to a left hundreds of thousands of young people without work, Bremer had neglected these plants in return for seeking to build a market economy and privatization, which did not succeed either.
Third : The launch of small, close-range, through the provision of loans to promote such projects.
Fourth : The American government will also expand the scope of the work of the United States Agency for International Development, USAID in order to do other projects, lead to the provision of job opportunities for the Iraqi labor.
Fifth : pay greater attention to the establishment of economic projects in Sunni areas specifically in order to provide work for inhabitants, and the American administration notes that most of the funds allocated to these areas have not been disbursed so far, because of the security situation, where, which led to the lack of development and improving the standard of life.
The plan ignores two things, namely :
First turnover : Syrian and Iranian in solving the Iraqi problem.
Second : the role played by the media and culture sector in Iraq




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