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

US President George W. BushÂ’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.

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 governmentÂ’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.

But just days after taking control of Congress, Democratic lawmakers warned Sunday that Bush will not get a blank check to expand the number of US troops in Iraq.

Newly-minted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told CBS television that the burden was on Bush to justify any additional spending on the nearly four-year-old war.

"This is new for him, because up until now the Republican Congress has given a blank check with no oversight, no standards, no conditions, and we have gone into this situation which is a war without end which the American people have rejected," she said.

Couching her comments by saying that the Democrats would "always support the troops who are there," Pelosi warned that "the president is going to have to engage with Congress in the justification for any additional troops he may wish."

"Escalation of the war is opposed by the Democrats," she said.

Her top lieutenant in the House, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told the Fox network that Bush's expected proposal for sending some 20,000 more troops into Iraq would be "greeted with great skepticism."

Hoyer said an expected administration proposal for a billion-dollar shot in the arm for the Iraqi economy would also "get careful scrutiny and oversight to see whether or not we believe that is a good expenditure of the taxpayer's dollar."

Some in Congress remained stalwart supporters of a buildup however, including Republican US Senator and likely presidential contender John McCain.

"The presence of additional coalition forces would allow the Iraqi government to do what it cannot accomplish today on its own -- impose its rule throughout the country," McCain wrote in an opinion piece in the Washington Post on Sunday.

A surge of troops, he wrote in the daily, "must be substantial and it must be sustained."

New US Strategy to Call for Benchmarks for Iraqis | Iraq Updates

many measures to treat inflation

The Minister of Planning and Development Cooperation Ali Ghaleb Baban has specified two entrances to treat the consumer price indexes inflation happened in Baghdad.

In statement to as-Sabah newspaper, Baban said: that the first entrance would be on the level of the cash system through rising the interest in the banks. He added that Planning Ministry had approved that the solving of inflation is coming through relive and activity to the productive sectors, referring that the ministry has not found response from the other ministries concerning this project.


Planning Minister: many measures to treat inflation | Iraq Updates

Bush scheduled to speak Wednesday at 9 p.m. EST regarding the new way forward in Iraq primarily MILITARY AND ECONOMIC. Surely we should hear from Maliki on the economic prior to Bush...I don't think the Iraq's want to hear what the economic advancements are from Bush before their own prime minister.

Sotaliraq.com

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 in success.

BAGHDAD, Jan 7 (KUNA) -- As part of a fresh economic opening-up policy, the Iraqi government is determined to make public the establishment of a federal oil and gas council soon, an Iraqi spokesman said here Sunday.

"The council will oversee oil resources nationwide," Spokesman for the Iraqi Ministry of Oil Asem Jihad told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA).

The spokesman quoted Iraqi Minister of Oil Hussein Al-Shahrstani as saying "The council's task is to develop oilfields, and supervise and approve oil projects and deals to be hammered out with foreign companies." "The council is to be the top oil watchdog in Iraq as it will work out and run the country's oil policy," he added.

Failing to reveal whether the council's chairman was named, he said the council could be chaired by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki or his deputy for economic affairs Borham Saleh.

The council will include representatives from the ministries of oil, finance and planning, the Central Bank of Iraq and regional governments, the Iraqi oil spokesman added.

An Iraqi oil committee has almost worked out a draft oil and gas law to be presented to the Cabinet ahead of referring it to the parliament for approval, he said, noting that the draft law would regulate investment in the oil and gas sector as well as the role between the central government and regional governments in the oil sector. (end) mhg.

We heard about this a while back. Nice to see some movement.

09-01-2007
An expert at the Central Bank calls for the restructuring of banks and development services

A weak banking awareness and the need for rehabilitation

Baghdad-Sabah
A person banking some inherent characteristics of the banking system, which is considered one of the most important reasons for failure and called for work to develop their own programs to change radically in order to develop the performance of this system and transform it into the ranks of leading international banks for playing a big role in the activation of the Iraqi economy ...
This came in the search by the assistant general manager of the banking and credit control in the Central Bank of Iraq and Idi Walid Abdel Nabi, which is marked "the most important characteristics of the banking system in Iraq and proposals for development" to a seminar of economic reform, organized by the Ministry of Industry and Minerals last year.

Because of the ideas aimed at raising the efficiency of performance of the banking sector at a time when the Iraqi economy from the distortions many for his contribution to the solution of important aspect considered "morning" to highlight the salient features of the research in this important.
He sees banking Walid weak awareness of banking and non-arrival of the Iraqi economy and society to the global level in this area is the most prominent feature in this area, which calls for the deployment banking awareness within the Iraqi society and the banks themselves through the development of banking services and dissemination.
Based on this analysis that the density bank in Iraq "the number of banks on the number of people" at the same bank every 46632 people, compared to the standard of banking density banks and one each ten thousand inhabitants.

He pointed out that the actions of Idi fiscal policy to merge government banks and reduce their number because of the security conditions are another indication of deepening awareness of the weakness of the banking emphasizing the necessity of separating the future after the demise of reasons.

One of the characteristics of the predominance of private banks by the family nature, and here is the problem of the narrow interests of the family, which is the result of the ownership and management with this situation caused the loss of banks between the wishes of the owners of capital and banking requirements and this is another factor indicates the weakness of the banking culture.
The absence of public banking strategies actors and the lack of all policies provided by the Banking Act and the Law of the Central Bank of Iraq, and this is another characteristic of the private banking system.

The researcher that the absence of institutions videotapes of the banking system and its insurance company, such as deposits and other insurance loans or offices for the study and analysis of banking and other dangers.
Idi pointed out that many other problems led to the decline of banking work in Iraq, including weak technological means used by banks and the problems of counterfeit currency and documents damaged and the problem of the transfer of money and provide services at the expense of secondary tasks, such as distribution of salaries of retired President and others.

He said : "All these issues are enrolled banking work, and the reason for the delay.
Idi researcher commented on the basic problems faced by government banks reference to the composition of boards of directors in government banks and combine public administration and the Governing Council is to be mentioned that most decisions made of a political and individual and far from the banking system affects the results of the bank.
Go further than that in referring to the method of distribution of profits that impede the access of governmental banks to a minimum of capital because the method of distribution, according to a banking expert opinion does not take into account the actual needs for the development of banking operations.

To reduce these impacts researcher proposes the development of the use of automation in the banking and appropriate software, and the reorganization and rehabilitation of the banking staffing, exempting banks from the burden of secondary services.
It demands a researcher studying the conditions of banks jurisdictional governmental organizations (real estate, industrial, agricultural, cooperative), and an investment bank into one and increase its capital and reconsidering the law on public companies and the breakdown of profits and boards of directors.

And calls to encourage banks to make loans and the establishment of joint bank loans and insurance company for insuring deposits to ensure the protection of depositors and banks.
The impression findings of the "morning" that the banking sector needs to restructure the banking system to the requirements of the current stage of the Iraqi economy.
The question that presents itself when the banking sector can address the challenges facing the challenge of rehabilitation? This is one of the things Page economic during 2007 within its means to highlight economic reform.

Translated version of http://www.kurdistanmot.com/ar/

علىThe Cabinet-Iraqi army forces arrest

(صوت العراق) - 09-01-2007(Voice of Iraq) - 09-01-2007
ارسل هذا الموضوع لصديقThis issue was sent to a friend



جـــــمــهورية الـــعـــراقThe Republic of Iraq
مجلس الوزراء- دائرة الإتصالات الحكوميةCouncil of Ministers-the governmental communications
العلاقات الإعلاميةMedia Relations
Press Release بيان صحفي /Press Release Press release /
الثلاثاء 9-1-2007Tuesday, 1-9-2007

قوات الجيش العراقي تلقي القبض على مسؤول كتائب ثورة العشرين وأمير تنظيم القاعدة في اليوسفية وتحرر 8 مخطتطفين وتعتقل 11 ارهابياً بينهم سوريينThe Iraqi army has received official arrested for battalions Revolution Square, and the Emir of the Al-Qaeda Organization in Yusufiyah and liberate 8 Mkhtttfin and arrested 11 terrorists, including Syrians


ألقت قوات الجيش العراقي الباسل يوم أمس القبض على المدعو (عبد الله كاظم جدي الزوبعي) قائد ما يسمى كتائب ثورة العشرين في اليوسفية.Cast valiant Iraqi army forces yesterday arrested the named (Abdullah Kazim serious Alzobai) commander of the so-called Al-century revolution in Youssifiyah.
كما ألقت القبض على المدعو ( إبراهيم حسين عنيزان الجبوري ) أمير تنظيم القاعدة في اليوسفية .Police also arrested one (Ibrahim Hussein al Nizan) Prince Al-Qaeda organization in Youssifiyah.
وفي شارع الشيخ عمر تمكن أبطال الجيش من تحرير ثمانية عمال مختطفين والاستيلاء على ثلاث سيارات للإرهابيين.In Street Sheikh Omar able heroes of the Liberation Army kidnapped eight workers and the seizure of three vehicles for terrorists.
وباشرت قوات الجيش البطلة بتطهير منطقة شارع حيفا من جيوب الإرهاب وألقت القبض على 11 إرهابياً من ضمنهم 7 يحملون الجنسية السورية.The heroic army forces began clearing the Haifa Street area of the pockets of terrorism and arrested 11 terrorists including seven without Syrian citizenship.

Reconstruction & General Commerce

ID148b to achieve projects in Wassit this year

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

09 January 2007 (Al-Sabaah)
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Central government in Baghdad has allocated 148 billion diners of allocations of developing regions and accelerates reconstruction to achieve building and services projects in Wasset province.

Member of province council has informed al-Sabaah that 80% of these allocations will goes to services departments

LOL, ok how the heck they gonna do that on a budget set at 100 billion less?

ID148b to achieve projects in Wassit this year | Iraq Updates

The Iraqi government does not object to the Bush plan to increase forces
(Voice of Iraq) - 09-01-2007
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BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A spokesman for the Iraqi government that it supports the increase in the number of American forces in Iraq expected to be announced on Wednesday, the American President George W. Bush.

He said to Skinner in a press conference in the first official comment by the government to step America expected that the Iraqi government would not mind an increase in the coalition forces and that it supports this trend.

He also said that Iraq is expected to increase in economic support.

Just as debate rages over sending more U.S. troops to Iraq, there are differing views about whether economic incentives such as micro-loans and U.S.-funded jobs programs would coax militiamen to trade guns for tools.

Some reconstruction experts say giving Iraqis jobs that include clearing streets and fixing water and sanitation systems would produce little economic benefit for a country on the brink of all-out civil war.

Others say civilian jobs programs _ an idea President Bush is considering _ are designed to build security. Only when violence is under control, they say, can business flourish.

Details have not ben disclosed about the economic incentives Bush will announce as early as Wednesday. But those familiar with the plan say he is favoring short-term jobs programs, extending micro-loans to small business and increasing the amount of money that military commanders can spend quickly on local projects to improve the daily lives of Iraqis.

"Job creation is the most promising," said Michael O'Hanlon, a foreign policy analyst at the Brookings Institution. "I don't know why we haven't done it before. It's not the best way to build a new economy, but we need to address security even if that doesn't conform to Econ 101."

Military analysts say Army Lt. Gen. Peter Chiarelli, who recently finished his tour as the No. 2 general in Iraq, has recommended a short-term jobs program.

In a classified memo Donald H. Rumsfeld wrote two days before he resigned as defense secretary, he told the president: "Initiate a massive program for unemployed youth. It would have to be run by U.S. forces, since no other organization could do it."

Keith Crane, a senior economist at the RAND Corp., is skeptical because such programs employ insurgents but have little effect on their political activities. "In some instances, insurgents have participated in make-work schemes during the day, then fought the coalition at night," he says.

Bush also is considering allocating more money for a program established in 2003 to give field commanders money to solve local problems quickly _ and show American compassion and good will. The program was allocated $753 million in the 2006 budget year.

The Iraq Study Group recommended that Bush find ways to give U.S. officials in Iraq the authority and flexibility to quickly fund projects that would help rebuild the nation.

Anthony Cordesman, an Iraq watcher at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the president is expected to propose a significant increase in discretionary funds available for the type of activities under the commanders" program. But he said the real question is how much and who would hand it out.

"The difficulty you have with almost everything that comes out of the Bush administration is that there's a concept, but there's never a plan and there's almost never any real details in it," he said.

Crane, an adviser to the Iraq Study Group, said it is unclear how effective this money is in countering the insurgency or fostering conditions for economic growth and permanent employment.

He said funds in the military commanders' program are best used in moderation because commanders are not specialists in development projects.

"In some cases, the commanders have been manipulated by the local sheiks, in essence ripped off," he said.

On the positive side, he said, commanders often have a good idea, after talking with Iraqis, about what is most needed _ or even what would help soothe their devastation and loss.

"A lot of the money has been used by commanders to compensate people whose homes have been destroyed," Crane said. "Commanders have ended up paying Iraqis for pets that have been killed as well."

In Najaf, one coalition commander shelled out $100 for the death of a dog, he said.

As Bush prepares to detail his economic incentives, the Pentagon is moving ahead with a program to help reopen factories that were owned by Saddam Hussein's government and abandoned after the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003.

Defense officials have declined to identify the facilities for fear the factories, or their employees, could be attacked.


Iraq Experts Weigh Jobs Program | Iraq Updates

Posted by: saleem on Tuesday, January 09, 2007 - 02:09 PM

Baghdad-Press
Baghdad security plan dominates Iraqi newspapers of Tuesday
By Hamid al-Hamarani
Baghdad, Jan 9, (VOI) – Iraqi newspapers of Tuesday focused on the new security plan for the capital Baghdad, prospects of its success and risks of its failure.
Baghdad newspaper, the mouthpiece of former Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi’s National Accord movement, says "much was said about the new Baghdad plan to wield power over security affairs and eliminate violence."
In an editorial by Dr. Akram al-Mashhadani, a researcher in legal and security affairs, the paper wondered "as long as everyone is wearing the same uniform and using the same vehicles and weapons, how should a citizen then tell armed gangsters from security men?"
The writer says "there has to be high-level coordination among all organizations concerned with interior ministry choppers ready to interfere to deal with any security breaches and having only one official media organization to avoid bewildering the public opinion."
The independent newspaper al-Dustur showed optimism for the plan's success as editor-in-chief Basim al-Sheikh said in an editorial "perhaps the most prominent thing in this plan was that political parties were not allowed to be part of it so as to guarantee the plan would not be used for political liquidations."
"One of the most effective aspects of the plan was the decentralization of field commands of the nine precincts of the capital, which would help commanders carry out their tasks quickly and accurately," added al-Sheikh.
Al-Mashreq newspaper, chaired by Ghandi Mohammed Abdul-Kareem, quoted National Security Advisor Muwaffaq al-Rubaie as saying "Iraq has waged an operation against the Sunni and Shiite militias in an attempt to end sectarian violence rampant in the country."
"We will never discriminate between extremists, be it Shiite or Sunni, when it comes to sectarian sentiments and violence in this country," Rubaie indicated.
The paper also quoted a minister in the government of Iraq's Kurdistan region as stating "Kurdish brigades in the Iraqi army, not the peshmerga militias, will take part in the plan."
The region's minister for peshmerga affairs, Sheikh Jaafar Mustafa, affirmed that "the peshmerga forces will not participate in the Baghdad security plan's operations."
On the political and legal haggling over the plan, al-Mada newspaper said in a standard column by Ahmed Essam that Iraqi Parliament Speaker Dr. Mahmoud al-Mashhadani had criticized the government for announcing the plan prior to referring it to parliament for legal and constitutional approval.
The columnist said that Mashhadani's position is unfair, adding the parliament has failed for several weeks to hold a single ordinary session because half the deputies were busy performing the rituals of hajj.
Essam noted that the government, in light of the universal row made by the United States on its new Iraq strategy, cannot remain silent about its plan for the sake of a parliament whose members are absent.
AE