Thread: Archive News - Iraqi Dinar Think Tank - 08/09/09 - 09/01/10

Iraq, Kuwait discuss border oil fields

Iraq and Kuwait discussed in Baghdad the issue of mutual border oil fields, the Iraqi Oil Ministry said on Thursday.

The two sides agreed to have another meeting before the end of Nov. 2009, according to a release issued by the Ministry.

“The meeting will occur on Nov. 24, 2009,” said the release received by Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

It said that a third party will be introduced to make an accurate technical evaluation for the issue of those fields.

http://en.aswataliraq.info/?p=122252

Interview - President Talabani fears power vacuum if vote delayed

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani told FRANCE 24 in an interview on Wednesday that he feared a power vacuum if January elections are delayed following a veto from an Iraqi vice-president on a key electoral law. Iraq's general election was thrown into doubt on Wednesday after a law governing the planned January vote was vetoed, creating what the prime minister termed a "dangerous threat" to stability.

Iraq's presidential council, composed of President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, and two vice-presidents, one Sunni and one Shiite, has demanded a greater say in the election for minorities and for nationals living abroad. The insistence on securing the relevant change in the law governing the vote led Tareq al-Hashemi, the Sunni vice-president, to veto the legislation.

“When parliament adopted this law, Mr. Hashemi and I saw some drawbacks in the law. But we thought we must adopt it and then write a letter according to our rights as presidency,” Iraqi President Jalal Talabani told FRANCE 24 on Wednesday.

“Mr Hashemi was under pressure from his society, so he asked parliament to change some articles and to amend some of it. When the committee refused, he was obliged to reject and refuse the law,” he said.

Read the full transcript:

FRANCE 24 - Why are you here? Has your trip gone well?
Jalal Talabani - It's true, this is my first state visit, although I have visited France in the past. We reached a kind of mutual understanding and agreement to turn Iraqi-French relations into a strategic relationship. We got on well with President Sarkozy and Prime Minister Fillon and all those who we met - the heads of the national assembly, and the senate. We also had good meetings with French businessmen and companies."


F24 - So what contracts did you sign?
JT - There were many agreements signed by ministers of foreign affairs, of finance, of (...) ministers of defence from both countries - and some other agreements underway.


F24 - What guarantees can you give to foreign investors though given the current security situation there
JT - I think the security in Iraq is not as bad as exaggerated propaganda makes it sound. We have places that are fully secure like Iraqi Kurdistan, and south of Basra and others. Najaf and Karbala are fully secure. The activity of the terrorists is now limited, not like it was a year ago. So we are going to take measures against terrorist activities and I think we can guarantee the safety of all business and companies who want to come to Iraq to work.


F24 - So welcoming French companies...
JT - We are welcoming French business people and also French companies to come to Iraq. We are encouraging them, we will facilitate things for them to try to encourage them to come to Iraq.


F24 - On a diplomatic note - you say Nicolas Sarkozy is a great friend to Iraq...
JT - Yes...


F24 - Previously through, Dominique de Villepin stood up in front of the UN and said he was opposed to the war in Iraq...
JT - You know, Mr Sarkozy was a good friend of the Iraqi people. When we were in opposition he was so kind to receive us in his office as interior minister, and he was always supporting our democracy and ending dictatorship in Iraq. Although France didn't vote for war against dictatorship, because they think that it was not according to the international law. But in reality, after the collapse of the dictatorship, they helped us: they recognized our constitution, our election, our government, our presidency, and they tried to have good relations with us. So France was not against the desire of the Iraqi people for having democracy and having a government elected by the people.


F24 - Issue of democracy - can I get your response to Tareq al Hashemi's vetoing of the parliamentary vote?
JT - You know, when parliament adopted this law, we in the presidency - both me and Mr. Hashemi - we saw some mistakes of some shortages in this law. But we thought we must adopt it and then write a letter according to our rights as presidency. Mr Hashemi was under pressure from his society, so he asked parliament to change some articles and to amend some of it. When the committee refused, he was obliged to reject and refuse the law. The law will go back to parliament and it will be reviewed and discussed again at ending the shortages of the law...


F24 - Will that be in time for elections in January?
JT - You know, I am afraid... The reason why I didn't reject it is because I didn't want to see any delay in the election - because if the election is delayed after the time that was decided by the constitution, then there will be a vacuum of power in Iraq. This was the main reason. The second reason was because the Kurdish deputees in parliament unanimously voted for this law. So I cannot reject the desires of the unanimous Kurdish deputies in parliament.


F24 - Which begs the question - and we're running out of time. Are you first and foremost a Kurd, or an Iraqi
JT - I am an Iraqi Kurd!

http://pukmedia.com/english/index.ph...14629&Itemid=1

Following Iraqi presidential veto, Ban hopes elections can be held promptly

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon voiced the hope today that Iraq would move forward on holding national elections slated for January after the Presidency Council’s decision to veto the electoral law.

The law now goes back to the Council of Representatives.

“He hopes the Council of Representatives will move swiftly to ensure that the law is adopted and the elections can go forward,” spokesman Farhan Haq told a news briefing.

“The Secretary-General also reaffirms the United Nations commitment to support and assist the Independent High Electoral Commission in preparation for the forthcoming national elections,” he added.

http://pukmedia.com/english/index.ph...14622&Itemid=1

Iraq president invites Total to work oil fields

Iraq's President Jalal Talabani struck an optimistic note on French Oil Company Total's chance of winning an oil contract Wednesday, saying that figures aren't everything in winning a contract.

"The figures don't give a privilege to one company." Talabani said at a meeting at the French employers union MEDEF. "You present the best offer.... We are good friends and I'll say it again. You are very welcome to work in the country of Iraq."

Talabani met with French president Nicolas Sarkozy on Tuesday and had a meeting with Total E.xecutives on Wednesday morning. At the MEDEF meeting he fielded questions from E.xecutives at French companies Areva, GDF Suez and Alstom, all of whom are working in Iraq or hoping to.

Total, in particular, wants to tie up its first oil contract with the post-war Iraqi government and said it will submit second-round bids December 10 or 11 to develop the Majnoun field.

A spokeswoman for Total said the bid would be evaluated according to price and volume of oil Total promised to extract.

http://pukmedia.com/english/index.ph...14619&Itemid=1

House of Representatives postponed a vote to withdraw confidence from the minister of electricity until after the Eid al-Adha

Chairman of the Board decided to Iyad Samarrai, Iyad al-Samarrai, to postpone the vote to withdraw confidence from the Minister of Electricity to the vote until after the Eid al-Adha, at the request of a number of deputies to submit to the Commission on the work and services in the Council a report on the subject.

Samarrai said at the regular open-fifth session, held on Thursday that the responses of the Minister of Electricity on the questions addressed to him in the interrogation sessions of the Council and distributed to MPs for consultation.

With regard to the budget bill, the federal public in 2010 between the President of the Council that there will be another round of discussion by the House of Representatives that the vote will be after Eid al-Adha.

The council ended the second reading of the draft Law of Trademarks and trade data and the Iraqi draft law ratifying the Convention in the Iraqi-Syrian cooperation Alkmarki and the first reading of the draft housing bill Iraq.

Then the chairman of the Council meeting to remain open on Saturday.

http://translate.googleusercontent.c...qpa-QGoDQ2Vjhw

Iraq ambassador & Shabibi in Beirut to attend opening of Annual Arab Banking Conference

Attended by the Ambassador of the Republic of Iraq in Beirut, Mr. Omar Ahmad on the morning of 19/11/2009 Barzanji opening of the Annual Arab Banking Conference in 2009 which was held under the title "inter-Arab investment in light of an emerging global economic system" for the period 19-20 November 2009, in the Lebanese capital Beirut, organized by the Union of Arab Banks in collaboration with the International Union of Arab Bankers and the Bank of Lebanon and the Association of Banks in Lebanon and a number of regional and international organizations, and under the auspices of the Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri in a hotel in Venice - Intercontinental.

And Iraq participated in the conference be a large delegation of 35 people from the private sector representing seven of the largest Iraqi private banks in addition to d. Shabibi Iraqi Central Bank Governor and representatives from the Trade Bank of Iraq.

Participated in the conference, which takes place the first of this size and at this level after the global financial crisis, representatives of each of the Prime Minister of Bahrain HH Alomiraheik Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, Secretary General of the League of Arab States Amr Moussa, the presence of Provosts of diplomatic missions accredited in Lebanon and many governors of central banks.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Prime Minister Sheikh Saad al-Hariri and Gentlemen, representatives of the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Secretary General of the League of Arab States, and Chairman of the International Union of Arab Bankers Dr. Joseph Tarabay.

At the end of the Conference awards were given to some participants.

http://translate.googleusercontent.c...r0s7YiHa2AyHJQ

Iraq and Kuwait agree on the use of a third party to assess the joint oil fields
Met with Undersecretary of the Ministry for oil extraction (Abdel Karim Laibi) in Baghdad, the Kuwaiti ambassador to Iraq (the insured), to consult on the subject of joint oil fields between the two countries and ways to cooperate in the areas of oil and other fields ...

Reviewed Laibi the reality of Iraq's oil industry and its developments, particularly in the development of oil fields in the two rounds of licensing the first and second to increase production and consistent with the location of Iraq for countries producing and exporting oil.

And Kuwait and Iraq have agreed to hold the fifth meeting between the Iraqi-Kuwaiti Joint Committee in Kuwait on 24 November to discuss the current oil fields, the joint border. The parties also agreed on "a third party being technically accurate assessment of these fields and then presented to the Committee to take the appropriate decision thereon."

He was ambassador to Kuwait Kuwaiti companies are willing to work in the oil sector and contribute to the development of Iraq's infrastructure and reconstruction of Iraq.

In turn, welcomed the Deputy Minister of Oil desire of the Kuwaiti side to contribute to the development of the oil sector, pointing out that Iraq "welcomes all Arab and international companies specialized in the oil industry to take advantage of their expertise in the development of its oil industry."


http://translate.googleusercontent.c...R42-EfOJyYeSZA

Talabani: US pressured Parliament on poll law

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani revealed that US officials pressured Iraq’s Parliament and political powers to approve the election law.

In a press conference he held at Sulaymaniya airport, which Alsumaria News attended, President Talabani affirmed that US Ambassador Christopher Hill put great pressure on Parliament and senior officials to approve the election law in what serves all parties interests.

Kurdistan Leader Massoud Barazani received three phone calls from US Vice President Joseph Biden ahead of election law ratification urging him to find quick solutions thereto, Talabani said.

Iraqi President said he approved the election law after Kurds representatives approved it in Parliament.

Iraqi Vice President Tarek Al Hashemi’s decision to veto the law is a constitutional right, he added.

http://www.alsumaria.tv/en/Iraq-News...-poll-law.html

Odierno: US has time to reconsider Iraq exit

The U.S. military does not have to decide until April or May whether to push back the end of its combat operations in Iraq due to a possible delay in the country's next election, US top commander General Raymond Odierno said on Wednesday.

Investigations into Baghdad recent bombings indicated that explosives or fighters were coming across from Syria, U.S. General Ray Odierno also said.

Al Qaeda in Iraq has transformed significantly in the last two years. It is becoming more Iraqi and less dominated by foreigners as the insurgent group increasingly joins forces with outlawed Baath party, the commander of U.S. forces added.

"There's still a small foreign element to al Qaeda, there are some who used to be Sunni rejectionists or ex-Baathists who are involved in this because of course they don't want the government to succeed."

http://www.alsumaria.tv/en/Iraq-News...Iraq-exit.html

MP Falah Shanshal: Denunciation of the election law will be presented next Saturday on Parliament

A member of the Iraqi parliament Falah Hassan Chanchal from the Sadrist bloc has been postponed discussion session set aside the election law By Tariq Al Hashimi on Saturday for a demonstration of the veto in parliament.

The Chanchal In a telephone conversation with News Agency "It will be the parliamentary blocs An opinion on this veto That the Constitutional Court To my knowledge, she said that the veto Unconstitutional Being the event of one party and this Was confirmed by Legal Committee Parliament, stating that this requirement will be discussed Saturday And we will, God willing, the outcome of the About how to answer this veto.

http://al-iraqnews.net/new/siaysiah/43242.html