Truck and Barter

Why not take the chance? The only thing you have to think of, is how much can you afford to "gamble". Myself, I have been to Las Vegas, and lost over $1,000 in two days. No big deal, I knew I could afford to lose it, oh well, it was fun trying.
This dinar is the same thing, in the fact that what if. I would hate to be sitting in my living room, watching the news five years down the road, and see that Iraq has been stable for a couple of years, producing unbelievable amounts of oil, and the dinar is worth 2 dollars for one dinar. Now that million dinar i COULD have bought could have made me a millionair.
The thing is, even if it stays the same as it is now, I am not losing any money, and have just made a possible long term investment. Hey, I will be laughing all the way to the porsche dealership!

I completely agree with Russell. It is a long term investment. I have a Brother working for KBR in Kuwait, and we both purchased 2.5 million Dinars. Even if the currency goes to .02 cents for each Dinar, I am set to make about $50,000. If anyone checks currency rates, the Afghani is currently worth .023 cents per Afghani. I personally thing Iraq has more going for them then Afghanistan.

I'd just discovered that I could purchase Iraqi dinars as a long term investment. So I purchased 125K dinars. Now I wait and see.

It has a great potential now that Iraq is under a new government and is still protected by the US and soon Nato. Reconstruction has begun.

Iraq has a good future and so is the new dinars.

I will be leaving Iraq in a few weeks with 2.5 million dinar. What can I expect from customs in Kuwait and Germany?

i to have bought 1 million dinar when i was over there for kbr and i bought it for 1/10 th of a us penny can you really say im going to take a loss.lets be realistic.i cant wait to be a millionaire

Hello, My name is Joel Klee and I am stationed in Iraq. I am in a Navy unit working with KBR and it wasn't until recently that I decided to buy my Dinar. I have purchased almost 2 million dinar. Read this same post two years from now and see if I made a wise choice. My gut instinct tells me I did. I paid out a total of $1500 dollars, far less than one paycheck here. Now if I only make a fraction of that in profit I will have made a solid investment. There is one very important thing to remember about this country, actually two... There is now an established government and there is a ton of oil that other countries will need. If you bought iraqi dinar an you too become a millionaire, look me up and we can talk about becoming very rich.

HI

I AM ASHRAF FROM PAKISTAN AND I HAVE IRAQI DINAR BUT I WANT YOUR COMMENTS, WHAT IS A FUTURE IRAQI DINAR RATE AND RECENTLY NEW GOVERNMENT WHAT IS POLICY IRAQI DINAR AND RATE.

YOUR EARLY RESPONSE I WAITING

ASHRAF ALI MUHAMMED

Anthony, you can get through both airports without any problems. I have taken 11 mil through there. Yes this is a wise decision to buy Dinar. Hang in there.

I have a very good question here:

When is the "New Iraqi Dinar is to be traded on the new current exchange in the United States?

I'm far from Iraq living in Europe but I'm interested in buying iraqi dinars. Is anybody willing to deal with me overseas ? I'm prepared to offer euros or us dollars, by money order.

Face it guys, In the US, If president Bush does NOT get re elected, the iraqi's new government will fall apart and you can forget about the iraqi dinar!!!

I will bet on freedom every time. Consider the condition of the former Soviet Union in the aftermath of the fall. Now, the Russian economy is growing similar to the strongest in the world. Kevin, I appreciate your opinion and obvious area of expertise. However your opinion is nothing more than an educated guess. Just like mine.

to yall who already bought the dinar from iraq, good job! Thanks guy workin for KBR the food that got to kirkuk was great! The dinar trades online at 550 to 1!! We bought ours at 1450-1475 to 1!! Weve almost tripled just by coming home!!

While working in Afhganistan for a major contractor, my partners and I have agreed to buy the Dinar. Yes it is speculative. But as mentioned in some comments, people should only buy if they can afford the risk. For short term investments, you are better off with penny stocks, but possibly with a long term outlook, the return would be tremendous. There will be stability within Iraq, the question should be is, how stable will the oil flow be to support the economic infrastructure. The answer, do you really think the U.S. and coalition would let Iraq collapse to insurgents..

If president Bush doesn't get re elected and a democrat gets into power in the US, The U.S. will let Iraq collapse. You will soon see my friends.... For the Dinar's sake, just hope that Bush wins!!

JOIN US ON THE OTHER THREAD,, LOT's MORE INFO

http://truckandbarter.com/mt/archives/000098.html

I am in Iraq currently with KBR. I have gotten just a little over a million in Dinar thus far. I plan on getting 2million. Not everyone realizes what Iraq has to offer other than just oil. Iraq has gold, silver, platnum and Coal. There are a lot of things to support the value of the dinar. Iraq is also debpt free! All the countries Iraq owed money to, that debpt has been forgiven. It may take some time for the dinar to reach it's peak but you can bet it will get there. We have all made a wise choice! As for if the Demo's get in office, they will not let this country fall. That will be a sure fire way to breed more terrorist groups and no administration is going to let that happen on there watch.

David, Iraq also has the 11th largest natural gas deposit in the world and the largest source of fresh water in the entire region. Bagdad stock exchange is open for business (ISX) and it seems like pepsico is going to buy Baghdad soda. As far as debt goes its the French that we are waiting on and Russia probably will not waive any debt so will see I hope my boat comes in with the Iraqi dinars I purchased here in Kuwait.

David, I forgot Iraq has volumes of dates and figs as well.

I have recently come back from Iraq working out there for a logistics company. I was sceptical about the immediate boom in the iraqi dinar, as inflation would simply cripple the economy. However I did by 2.5 million simply to put away for my 40th ( 12 years from now ) if I make money fantastic if not it was one hell of an experience working out there..... Sitting back and waiting is the best option, iraqi's are hard workers and its going to take time, but as I said I am no rush.... but you've got to live the dream.

Those of you who believe the Dinar is a bad investment because of the uncertainty of the countries future, think back to what the Dinar rate was before the 1st gulf war. Even with a SOB like Sadam ruling the Dinar was valued at three times that of U.S. currency. I have my 2.5 million and wished I had more. Good luck to all those who dare.

I have been working "Law and Order: here in Iraq for the State Department and I need to say that this country is going to make it. I've never seen such hard working people. During my travels through the streets of Basra, and some of the provinces in the south part of the country, everywhere people are cleaning-up and rebuilding. These people have the attitude that will make things work. These people are unified and determined. NOTE: I do not gamble but during the last 6 months, I have watched things starting to happen and it is good. I have purchased 2.5 million dinar and I have a gut feeling (a cop thing) it is a solid investment. Investors will not be sorry!

Hey Mr. Anti-Arab,
Have you ever thought about even if Bush is not re-elected then Iraq is not gonna fall apart,we are talking natural resources, name me countries that supplies oil, etc., huh!

yes there is very good chance iraqi dinar will go up and up in future.

I have purchased over 2 million in iraqi dinar. the only way for it to go is up. I believe it will happen in the near furture.
For all of those who invested....thumbs up to you. God Bless all you over there putting your life on the lines to make this a better place.

casey - In reference to your post about customs, I am thinking about the same thing here in Bahrain. I plan on doing three things. Fedexing part of it, opening an NBK or HSBC bank account, placing some of it in my check-in luggage in an inconspicuous manner and possibly doing the same for carry-on. I am not sure what postal options you have with base facilities, however, I would just try to split it up somehow. I have heard via another post on another site where Kuwaiti customs took a large sum of Iraqi Dinar and gave the guy $38000 in return. The guy made out in the short term, however, in the long term he may have gotten the short end of the stick. Do you know anyone that you can MPS it to so they can Fedex it back for you? (Not sure how legal that is either, but an option none the less and I wouldn't just send that alone.) Wish I could help more.

All very interesting points. Here is what I have figured out: For those worried about taxes, any gains made when converting IQD to USD will be taxed at the current capitol gains rate, either short term or long term, and thanks to G.W. the long term rate will drop over time. I think it is currently about 15% for long term gains(over 5 years). XE.com has the current exchange rate updated daily, and the federal site has a listed exchange rate that they pay when governments exchange money. What I would recomend for those interested in dinar instead of speculation about the daily rate, research economic factors...availabilty of raw materials, national debt, policys of the central bank ect. discount the power vacuum that has drawn the insurgents in and, then decide if you would like to invest in the sucess of the people of Iraq.

EW,
I will be leaving in a few days..from what I understand, traveling with less than $10,000 USD or eqivalent is O.K.. I've spoke to a few people and they say they went through customs without any problems, but the money has to be declared when entering the U.S.

To be on the safge side, I will split it up. Thanx for the info..

I definetly think that the Iraqi Dinar will go up in the next five years. I have just bought me a million Dinars and I feel really good about my investment. Even if its only going to go up by a fraction I will be making good money. So in the mean time I am going to sit back and watch it grow.

From what I have read the important meeting to (hopefully) wipe clean Iraq's debt will be late October in Tokyo. Expect nothing in the way of appreciation in the NID until at least then in my opinion.

To everyone thinking they will be rich overnight by amassing vast amounts of Dinar, stop now. I currently live in Iraq and it is an unstable situation at best. The Turks, Kurds, and Arabs must first get along and then rebuild the country together. There are many sins to forgive that many simply cannot. If you are a short term investor, put it somewhere else, Dinar is not for you. However, if you can stand to put some back and wait for years, possibly decades, then consider the ramifications. Before the first gulf war, the Dinar traded at USD 3.50 for 1 Dinar. Before the invasion in 2003, the Dinar still traded at .33 cents even with crippling economic sanctions in place. The Dinar now is worth roughly .0007 cents. Iraq has a long way to go before any return on an investment should be considered. Buy a few million, put it in a safety deposit box, and forget about it. In 5 or 10 years when the average Iraqi is riding around in their new Toyota or buying $4 latte's from Starbucks, wait longer. When tourists are flocking to see the cradle of civilization, opened for the first time in modern history to the average person, wait longer still. When you watch a special on T.V. about how Iraq with all of it's resources has flourished under an Islamic democracy, think about trading your Dinar in. In the time being, no U.S. bank will accept Dinar. There is no method to transport the currency back to Iraq. Air, rail, even postal service do not exist in Iraq. Banking, industry, and trade must come back on line before the Dinar can rise in value. When it does, it will do so slowly since the central bank will have a difficult time honoring the 4.5 trillion dinar cashed in by impatient investors. What might be the consequences however if you bought Dinar and held on to it? If you were to buy a million dinar at the current exchange rates on the ground in Iraq at 1400 to 1 USD, you will spend roughly $715 USD. If the Dinar were to raise in value to 1/10th of a penny, you would make $315. If it became worth 1 penny, you would make over $9,000 USD. If it went to pre-war levels of $3.50 USD, consider yourself very wealthy indeed with a nest egg of over $3 million USD. Make no mistake, this is an investment where you could lose all or part of what you put in. Invest what you can afford to lose and use Dinar as a portion of your overall portfolio of stocks, bonds, 401K's, etc. I personally will take a small gamble and bet on Iraq's long term future. Many will not invest in a "pipe dream" that sounds almost too good to be true. Those same people will laugh and say they were right and I have egg on my face if the Dinar never raises in value. To those people, I say you may be right. However if they are wrong, I will take the egg on my face poached and served to me by my butler with a bottle of 1959 Dom Perignon. Investing is always a gamble, sitting on the sidelines doing nothing is an even bigger one.

We should all give ourselves a pat on the back for destroying the bandwith of the first forum unintentionally by packing it with so much info.

Kevin Brancato,
Hey man, no problem. We all understand why you had to close the other page. The huge response and continued discussion has exceeeded everyone's expectations.

What I will suggest to everyone who has been on the original page for some time is to remember Kevin if our investment pans out like we thinkk eventually will. Remember when counting the money we make that he graciously provided the forum that allowed us all to share the information and become more informed collectively their our cooperative efforts.

Despite the probable migration over to an actual message board that is being created as I speak, I know I won't forget Kevin and I'll be sure to send him a token of my appreciation if my dreams come true with this small investment.

So, let's keep the discussion going on this 2nd page for now, and hopefully we'll have the new message board up and running within a week to give Kevin's wallet a breather. But always remember where it all started. My Premature Thanks to Kevin....

sorry for the bad grammar above. I typed it quickly ;)

test

hey it works

hello fellow million dinar "ers" 10 million here,I am a ex kbr employee just back from Iraq am if i can answer any????? fire away.......P.S. jacki2000 rules

M&M,and Tony are you here.

Blake,

The traffic you all have brought to my site is payment enough.

Your speculative winnings--or losses--are your own.

Keep me updated about the progress of the new bulletin board, and I'll direct my Iraqi Dinar traffic back to it.

kbrad,

You speak as if you know all about everything, and with absolute certainty regarding what you commented on. First off, the US banks will honor Iraq dinar exchange in the near future. That is a fact. There has been a presential order allowing US citizens to invest in Iraqi stocks, real estate, currency etc...It will take more time coordinating w/ the international community to remove Iraqi currency from the restricted currency list here in the US caused by past sanctions. As I write this, many foreign investors continue to pour millions into the Iraqi stock market and investments in this country. Secondly, the Iraqi people will not & cannot tolerate a currency worth dog (*&%$#$@!) much longer. Just these 2 factors ALONE (not including the vast wealth in Iraqi resources & US/world financial backing)will create favorable economic conditions more in the short term, rather than your prognastication reaching into the year 2015. All the Iraqi people still holding their dinars that were valued at .33 US cents before this war MUST have it return to or close to this, as to create maximum incentive for Iraqi's to beleive in their new gov't & incentive to have any desire to defend their new found freedom. Anything else would breed an inevitable revolution, and the total collapse of this country. Believe me when I say, the political movers & shakers understand this COMPLETELY.

In addition, If John Kerry was somehow elected (as much as I dread this), he would be commenting political suicide & his political career would be severely effected if he does try to quickly pull our troops out of Iraq, after several US soilders went their for this cause and after several lost their lives. Kerry would then be explaining to the numerous family members losing a son or daughter why they lost their lives for nothing, instead of continuing what they went there for. If Kerry is not thinking about this already, I'm sure he will be briefed countless times IF he beats Bush.

I think M&M went yacht shopping Blake......

What the ?!?!?!?

All that data !?!? This stinks. Kevin said we could post as long as we wanted to, poo!
That's was two months of research....

M&M,
The research is saved. Don't sweat it. go check the original page again. It's saved on a html page.

M&M, it is still there. Go back to the top of the old page and click on the HTML link.

Hope everyone finds their way ok. That little "more" wasn't much of a roadsign. I guess it was eventual after passing that 650 comment mark, oh well...

Whew... I'll take your word for it. Tony should be on around 11 tonight.

I last left off dreaming about a tropical island named Dinartopia... yachts, drinks with little paper umbrellas, and pearl divers...

Pearl Divers!?!

Any late breaking news since dinner?

I pulled the data from the IXS and laid it on a spreadsheet to play with. Looking for trends and big performers. I'm gonna try to track them and post whatever data comes out of it.
We also have to place a late call to Iraq to see how we can get involved with the ISX. Part of the problem I've been having is language...

I have to say I was a little thrown off on the switch to this continuation..but then again I had it saved to my fav.
This is such a great Forum.Thanks for the wealth of knowledge everone has contributed to it..It's funny even the people who speek negatively about the dinnar seem to have some sort of small investment in it (lol)

Iraq reconstruction projects pick up

www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld/myrtlebeachonline/news/nation/9149082.htm

We are definately seeing a trend toward stories reporting Iraqi progress.

Heather == check this out !

http://www.goin2travel.com/islands.htm

Nice commentary by Blake -- Your right, hats off to Kevin for starting the blog and hosting us all for so long ! We may not have found each other without him :)

Again, sorry for the change of venue, but each page load of ~1500 comments was hitting me for about 1MB of bandwidth, with about 1000 hits a day! If I didn't do anything the entire blog would have been shut down in less than 5 days!

I'll make sure to have ample bandwidth to handle the traffic, but at the current rate of commenting, I'll have to post a new forum every week!

Thanks Cap -- Nice to see things are picking up in the re-construction. I was awed by how much fire power they need just to show up to work. That's a really tough job all those folks at KBR are doing. They deserve every penny...

www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=86448&Sn=BUSI&IssueID=27113

Trade tips for Iraqi bankers

Let the modernization begin!

A little editorial comment from a newspaper in California....very funny

http://www.venturacountystar.com/vcs/business/article/0,1375,VCS_128_3034960,00.html

I do like, however, how he readily admits the fact that people have made hundreads of millions of dollars on betting currency will go up or down. Man, is he going to be kicking himself for not taking a $500 flyer on the Iraqi Dinar!

Thanks Kevin!

We are just busy as bees...

agreed!!! I really have appreciated all the ideas/information/ and fellow dreams that will hopefully come true for us all

I don't want to register :(
Blake, be a dear, and please paste the article for us :)

m&m ,

Where that sounds great to own a little slice of heven (island of our own) I don't think our investment of 2 million dinar is gonna get us there..but it is beautiful.

It seems to be just a little weekly "Dear Abby" of sorts for Finance Questions.

VENUTRA COUNTY STAR EDITORIAL
Dinars and all currency a risk
By Bruce Williams
July 14, 2004

Dear Bruce: You previously had an article in your column about the Iraqi dinars with the soldiers/civilians buying them. As soon as I threw the paper away, my spouse called from Iraq and told me he was buying some. My man wants to get on the bandwagon because everyone is doing this. Are these dinars going to be the huge hit everyone thinks? What is the downfall on this? Will they only be good for wallpaper? I told my husband I would send him your response. -- C.S., via e-mail

Dear C.S.: Speculation in foreign currencies is a treacherous road. Some have made hundreds of millions of dollars betting that a currency would go up or down. The problem with the Iraqi dinars is that many have been sold and resold to "investors" with huge markups. The chances of those people ever making a profit are very modest. Like many investment areas, currency speculation is fraught with problems, but there are substantial monies to be made. Would I speculate in Iraqi dinar given the instability in that country? Not on your life. A bet on a currency is a bet on the government of the country. Enough said?
END OF EDITORIAL ARTICLE

www.khaleejtimes.com/Displayarticle.asp?section=business&xfile=data/business/2004/june/business_june328.xml

Iraq prepares to issue first postwar debt

This is old news in a different format. But a couple of sentences stood out to me.

1.)The exchange rate fell from around 10 dinars to the dollar in 1991 to 3,500 just before Baghdad fell to US forces last year

2.)Iraqi officials were wise to resist the "shock therapy" approach to the Iraqi economy pushed for by some in the US-led administration, he added.

I had not read the U.S. was recommending a fixed rate over a float. And 10 dinar to the dollar? Where the heck did that come from? What happened to $3.20 to the dinar?

I disagree with his reply. I would (and have) invest just for the reasons he stated. IT IS UNSTABLE. and that is the reason we are able to get in for so cheap. If you simply analyse risk and reward... this is a no-brainer.

For example:
Risk $1000 to buy approx. 1 million IQD
If it goes to a modest rate of being worth $0.25, you cash in with $250,000 for only a $1000 investment.

That is like buying in on Microsoft or IBM as an IPO.

If the US does get what they want in a fixed rate, what will it be? and what will be the outcome of those of us who have invested in the dinar?

BK,
I think we all disagree with his reply. ;)

Thanks for that post Blake. A slightly weak argument from Brucey if you ask me. I think 75% of those on this blog with dinar could present a more educated defense if we were to try.

Good night all. Early day Thursday.

Ouch !
Maybe he's talking about the prices at Day Star Trading -- 555 usd to the dollar.

Very funny political cartoon animation

http://jibjab.com/thisland.html

Casey or anyone - What value in U.S. dollars can you bring back before you have to declare it? And...You can still bring it in after declaring it right???

I think in time we all will be rich. Iraq will be known as a country that said no to dictaters and
terrerists. Iraq will a model for the troubled Mid-East.

EW the amount is $10,000 US.

Stacey I know who you are, and I know where you work. So don't try to BS me, and yes KBR is paying you to chat.

I have a question.
Has anyone looked at National Bank of Kuwait's Exchange rates?
(http://www.nbk.com/NBK/TopBar/Rates/rates.htm)
The 'selling' column says .0002370.
Now since the dinar is selling at auction right now, and if i assume this is an auction price then, the 25k is selling at auction for???? Or am I missing something? Can anyone explain this to me?

i was wondering what the hell happened to our forum lol

damn most wana put there kids thru college and pay off there house,yall crazy mofus wana buy islands and air strips..lol

HA,the iraqi dinar on there site is going for 1239 not .00002370

Kevin Brancato - Thank you for giving us the opportunity to save the previous archived file. Lots of good info. Would have hated to lose it. THANKS!!!

I know that Tony:}
But can you tell me what the other columns are for?

kbrad,
i'm with you on the poached egg!!
M&M
thanks for picking up the island idea, as i read over and over in the comments--anything's possible!
heather,
shoot for the stars, 2mill dinar may do well
amer is great, hey?

I saw a nice little house I would like to buy with
my dinar when exchanged. It is in Jamica

Hi Jules -- All you need is a Dinar and Dream...lol :)

too tired...can't type...can't see keyboard =(

you sound like homer simpson lol

Man the blog juss stopped... and you all left me...
I'm fileing abandonment charges tomm...:P

Seems like things start hopping around 3 a.m.

I cant belive my post on portal Iraq "Iraqi dinar may appreciate" now has over 3000 views... That just goes to show how many people are checking this.

That is alot of hits. What is the address I would like to read it.

but out of 3000 only 1 person replied..lmao

No TV and no beer make Homer go crazy.... lol

I'm just wondering if anyone's decision here about the election has changed since they invested in the Dinar. Now that I have a stake in the success of Iraq, I'm wondering if there really is only one 'right' way to vote. lol

Jacquie

only 12:52 here,think im gona pop in some disturbed and see if people make some noise on here

im the last person to get political,but where does kerry stand with iraq and whats going on?

Al-Iteman Bank has just been added to the stock exchanged opened at 7 dinars a share.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced the selection of a multi-million dollar Iraq Basic Education contract - otherwise referred to as the Education II contract - to Creative Associates International, based out of Washington, DC. The contract award provides funding up to $56.4 million over the next 24 months.

The Education II contract will focus on providing technical assistance to the Ministry of Education and empower its personnel to deliver quality education in Iraq.

The contract will specifically focus on enabling the Ministry of Education to conduct institutional capacity building of the Ministry of Education; to create model schools in each of the 81 sub-districts; train primary and secondary school teachers; procure supplies and equipment for school children of Iraq and promote and facilitate community participation in the quality of early childhood education

thats incrediable 56 million over 2 years wouldnt be suprised if teachers from here go and teach in iraq for more money

Question:

I am going to start buying dinars. I have read the many posts and plan on using either portaliraq.com or ebay users (dima89, jaki2000, or j.b. trader) to buy dinars. I am still unsure of just how many. I am a college student and can only really afford to spend about $200.

My question is this:

Which way of purchasing Dinars would you recommend (see option above)?

I can have them FedEx to my house right?

Is there going to be a problem with them Fedex'ing that much Dinar? Is it safe? Does it go through any customs over there or over here?

THANKS!

http://www.aljazeera.com/cgi-bin/news_service/middle_east_full_story.asp?service_id=2668 small article on t-bills

no problem with fedex'ing it,only thing with j.b trader make sure he actually has the stuff in stock i heard he doesnt really have what he claims and some people ended up waiting a long time bro

Dima89 has several packages under $200.I have purchased from him several times and was pleased
with the service.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/middle_east/2002/conflict_with_iraq/default.stm

yeah, JBTrader emailed me just a few days ago telling me that he didn't have it in stock. IMO he shouldn't have auctions up for what he doesn't have in hand. I've used Jaki2000 (real name is Fikri Kawar. He's in Amman, Jordan. He is one of the few international sellers that'll take a credit/debit card. He has you check out using the shopping card he has on his website where he sells local art, etc. It worked out great.

I think I will do the Ebay "Buy It Now" option for 125,000 dinar (to start)

I cant find the purchase/order page on Portaliraq.com???

oops. I meant to say the Shopping CART. Cart. heh.

Hi to all!!! Glad to see Tony, M&M, and many of the others from the old board on here and glad that I found my way back to this Dinar Think Tank.I am learning more each day just by keeping up with your posts. THANKS TO EVERYONE!!!

I just started reading. Great info and thanks to all those out there posting any info they may get. Every little bit helps.

Oz

I'm baaaaack. I don't say much, but I'm always here, reading. I'm not an authority and I didn't sleep at a Holiday Inn last night. Just think its better to stay silent and have people wonder how dumb you are than to open your mouth and remove all doubt!lol

That being said, I have over 3 mil nid, waiting on my last mil fron Amer.

See you in the islands...

Oh, I do open my mouth when I have info that no one has posted yet, but that's rare, lots of intelligent and dilligent people on this site.
(sure wish we had spell check)
Henry

Jerry
is my generator still running good?
if not, Clare is the one to see. he is pretty smart when it comes to them. I am relaxing at Walter Reed...and yes I will drink a real beer for you.Copedawg out

Tony said,
"but out of 3000 only 1 person replied..lmao"

What was there to reply about? I made a statement. Hell you wouldont be rambleing on about the ISX if I hadnt posted it any way now your the "subject matter expert" pfffft yeh right.
Suppiez Copedawg?! I'm happy to hear your o.k bro. I'm still at Arifjan same same. I,d say more but you know the security thang and all.... Take care man
Jerry

I,M PURCHASING ANOTHER 2 MIL TODAY FROM IRAQPORTAL FOR 1085.00 PERMILLION 5-8 DAYS DELIVERY GO IRAQ !!!!!

Al here ya go..

There is a chance to make a little money off purchasing Iraqi Dinar. Speculation like the stock market drives prices... When the Dinar is released on the world market the speculation at exchanges will definatly drive the price up. As demonstrated in January when the dinar went 1000 to the dollar. How high would it go up globally? Who knows.. but definatly not near its worth in natural and capital resources.

Iraqs Per Capita income is $400.00 Do you think it will still be $400.00 in 10 years? If you think yes the you might want to look at the more democratic states in the surrounding Gulf Region... Kuwait, UAE, and so on.

Another thing to think about is The Central Bank has allready started selling Dinars. The banks governer said that it helped double its foregin currency reserves to $2.4 billion.

Me personally I invested in the Iraqi Dinar when it was $1000.00 bought 100,000,000.00 Iraqi Dinar. In the ammout of 50,000,000.00 NID

But then again I live in Kuwait and have am working on getting an Iraqi bank account. I suggest all parties interested do the same.

Presidential Order 13303 allows you to do so. "U.S. citizens are allowed to invest in Currency, Stocks, Bonds, Real Estate and Buisness in Iraq."

True it doesnt say anything about banks or having a bank account... but stocks!!! Stocks require a bank account and if you do a little reasearch you can find existing private banks who are brokers for the Iraq Stock Exchange, and their contact info. I did. The idea here is to put a lil in stocks then have the bulk of the cash idle in the account as the economy grows. Unless you want to actually invest in the stock market... thats a whole other subject that makes money, I'll give you a little taste..

Baghdad Soda Company is listed on the "ISX" its not really even moving as the stock exchange in Iraq is about 10 days or so old (just reopening). Lots of web sites list the contracts won and whos bidding on them. I know for a fact that Coca Cola is bidding on Baghdad Soda Company but is hesitant on doing any thing because of the security. If you were to buy shares now and then later Coca Cola buys them imagine the money you make?!

I suppose the Key Word there is "Security"... Well if you been reading the news you might have been hearing the answer to that problem.

Two words... "Martial Law" look it up in history and get a general idea of it. Youll come to find out its pretty effective. Its only a matter of time...
Jerry

Here we go, let's give it a try..

I have set up a new fully featured forum on http://www.investorsiraq.com/

I invite you all to register and have fun. I really hope this will help us disscuss investing in Iraq in a more efficient way!!

Let me know what you think,

Dan

correction to that post...
"Pepsicola signed a contract with Baghdad Soda Company september 23rd 03 and are hoping to employ 2000 plus Iraqis over the next several years.

jerry get real bro wheather you posted it or not eiter I or someone else would have found it bro not like you broke into some government computer and stole clssified stuff,i mean look at this board you can post askin the simplest of things and get 20 replies easily im just saying that board is a waste theres no traffic and if you dont like my rambling on,then dont read what i post lol

hey guys try out dans website it looks sweet,and with this format he has many will get there questions answered im signed up there has my name here tony,jerry you know i screwen with ya man lol

http://www.rebuild-iraq-expo.com/news_details.asp?id=380 60,000 iraqi people employeed now,this is good for the economy

It has a hit meter though... so that tells me 1 of 2 thigs...
1. Alot of people have the NID and are watching
2. Alot of people want the dinar and are extreemly curiuos.
Which kind of foreshadows the whole "Speculation at the open driving price."
Hell if I would have sold at the open when my LGF stock was being pumped by the Farenheight/911 movie I could have made a smooth grand in 3 days.

As for breaking into computers... lets just say I came a long way from vb c++, Back on AOL 2.0 when nukes actually worked. Even though most of my friends abandoned me and went with unix or linux, I chose to stay in the windows os area.
Also those people who are in the middle east out here have a bit more edge on info than you all Fox News watchers back at home.

i dont like fox news lol

Jeez guys, blew up the bandwidth did we? Be prepared to do this again, too many people tuned in to this little saga! Anyone on the ground know what prices for goods and services the Iraqis are paying currently. Price fixing can't last forever, I doubt the powers that be will allow inflation to swamp the Dinar's value at opening. Sooo many variables we're trying to figure out.

C'mon Dinar!....

Jack try http://www.investorsiraq.com

Mahdi wants 95-100% cancellation

Adel Abdul Mahdi, Iraq's Finance Minister, told Gulf News on Monday: "We are asking for some major forgiveness, to wipe off at least 95 per cent of the debt or 100 per cent. We will have hard discussions with the IMF and the Paris Club in the coming months," he said. We are hoping that by the end of 2004, an agreement will be finalised in favour of Iraq and that the country will be cleared of the huge debt that according to Paris Club figures is about $120 billion."

i read most are willing to forget the debt,as long has they are given contracts to do business in iraq and only

Abassador Rahim says aid low and debt demands high

The LA Times reports that only about $1bn of the $13bn pledged to Iraq at Madrid last October has actually been given to the UN and World Bank funds established to manage it. Rend Rahim, Iraq's ambassador to the United States, said the aid "is much, much lower than what Iraq was promised.... We shouldn't be set adrift, on our own." She also told an audience at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington on June 29 that "so far, we do not have any serious pledges for the reduction of Iraqi debt." She criticized countries that have been unwilling to forgive more than a small portion of the debt, saying that the creditors "really want their pound of flesh."

World Bank economist opposes deep cancellation

"If 98% or 100% of the Iraqi debt is simply canceled, then it may be seen by other middle-income countries like Turkey as a kind of unfair treatment, in the sense that they also have a lot of debt and find it very difficult to live with that debt," World Bank Chief Economist Francois Bourguignon said at a press conference in Tokyo.

Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari met with Romanian Foreign Minster Mircea Geoana today. Speaking at a news conference, Geoana said the Romanian debt claim was about $2.5bn. This is a significant increase on the $1.7bn figure which was quoted in April 2003. A small increase might come from interest over the last year and from the devaluation of the dollar (depending on what currency the Romanian claim is denominated in), but the increase of almost 50% is worrying.

Geoana said "It's is important to understand that for the short run, the Iraqis will need all the resources they can get," and he said "creative methods" for dealing with the issue are needed, such as boosting Romanian investments in Iraq, or the import of Iraqi oil. Zebari said that there is agreement that the solution should come through the Paris Club of creditor nations, but that Iraq will need "postponement (of IMF demands $80m from Iraq

The IMF spokesman Thomas Dawson said the Fund will recognition the interim Iraqi government and push new loans provived Iraq pay it $80.5m in outstanding claims.

At Madrdid last October, then-IMF Managing Director Horst Koehler indicated the IMF could make loans of $2.5 billion to $4.25 billion to Iraq over the next three years. The World Bank, has indicated it is prepared to lend Iraq between $3 billion and $5 billion over the next five years.

Dawson refused to confirm published accounts that the IMF's recent report looked at various levels of debt forgiveness, from 67 percent to 95 percent of the arrears. "The scenarios don't contain any recommendations for a particular level of debt relief," Dawson said. "That is a decision for Iraq and its creditors."
June 29, 2004
Saudi & Kuwait demand reparations

Reuters reports that at the UNCC meeting Kuwait and Saudi Arabia continued to call for their pounds of flesh.

Turki bin Nasser bin Abdulaziz, president of Saudi Arabia's meteorology and environment department, declared: "Iraq has the ability and the means to compensate for all of the damages it inflicted on the claimant countries," and failing to hold an aggressor fully accountable would set "a dangerous precedent." Saudi Arabia is seeking more than $28 billion for damage to its environment caused by Iraqi troops setting oil wellheads on fire as they fled the US-led coalition in 1991.

Khaled Ahmad Al-Mudaf, chairman of the Kuwaiti body assessing compensation claims, told the UN commission there should be "no delay or interruption in the receipt of funds". He said he was confident Iraq would abide by the Security Council resolution.

Jubilee Iraq was protesting outside of the UNCC meeting.

The new forum looks great but it is somewhat cumbersome to navigate. Is there a way to see all the contents of the thread at one time?

Dan - I appreciate the effort, however, what makes this board so successful is the fact that like M&M said in an earlier post. We don't want to register, signup or any of that. Yes we want to post anonomously...Until everyone leaves this board...I am commited here.

EW:
The registration process only requires a username and password, which is exactly what you are doing on this board.

the sweet thing is if you have a pirticular quesiton it will get answered cause theres different catigories for everything here alot of the questions dont get noticed

Kevin - Whether you are using ASP or Perl I am sure you are good at what you do. I use ASP because I don't currently have my SGI running IRIX to work with Perl all that much, however, I can think of only two possibilities to cut down traffic:

1. Set cookies somehow so that when a person visits, they only see the posts they hadn't seen before with an optional like to view all posts.
   
2. Display only X number of posts, say 20, with the option of viewing all posts for a day and then "archiving" the posts weekly and putting a combobox on a small top frame or on the page itself to list all the "archived" weekly posts.

   Now the thing here is this: I assume this is driven with a database rearend. If so, you wouldn't actually be "archiving" anything, you would just be modifying the query to pull the applicable data.Just my two cents!!!

   I love the format of this board the way it is, however, I understand the concern as far as bandwidth.

   Don't worry, once the dinar starts creeping up in a couple of years...You will be able to purchase a dedicated T-1...LOL...;>)

Oops:

Paragraph 1) should have read "with an optional link to view posts."

tony - Most questions will get answered if they are serious and ask them again. I just don't like having to click each sub-category to get up to speed on the latest info. I think it is inefficent for us as a whole.

This is my routine. First thing in the morning I logon the the net and click this link, I continue preparing my morning coffee and come back and I can read it like a newspaper (even better because I just scroll down while sipping my coffee.) I read EVERYTHING where as with the sub-categories I have to click and wait for each page to download because I don't exactly have a cable modem out here in Bahrain and I suspect that many of our posters from IRAQ don't have a fast connection either, each time I have to click a subcatergory, I have to wait for a brand new page to appear which cuts my available reading time in half.

This is only my opinion and I love the board the way it is.

Great forum for us...Heck...I wich the intelligence agencies would consider such a forum...LOL

Errr...."I wish the intelligence agencies..." NOT "I wich..."

fsm75 - I have never supplied a username or password for this board. I came across it in a search and posted freely ever since...Maybe to the regret of you all...LMAO!!! :>)

I guess the reason I love it is because it follows the KISS method.

EW:

I understand what you are saying about having to wait for each page to download. I do find the old board to be easier to deal with in that you can quickly read every thing with just one download of the page. But, remember you do have to refresh to see anything that is posted after you complete your first load. However the new board is effective in that you can easily read new posts without having to find where you left off.

We would love you have you join us on the new board. Your opinion and input is respected and needed.

i think weve just grown attached to this board it where we all met,lol but im still gona come here everyday and pass info and get info both 2 boards are better then 1

All,

First, you should all know that although I own this board, I do NOT own the Investor's Iraq Forum. Even though I'll be losing a lot of traffic, I think it is a good idea for people to move to the Forum...

Second, I'm not a programmer, and configuring the comments so that only the last X are viewed is beyond my capabilities at the moment. I'm writing a Ph.D. dissertation, and don't have the spare time to learn the requisite details of Movable Type to make this work.

Finally, I don't actually own any Iraqi Dinar!

kevin i guarntee you,you wont lose traffic this is our home,we all met here we were all educated here were not gona turn our backs to what has helped us get inches closer to invesments potential

fsm75 - I hear what your saying and I have in fact bookmarked the page as I have done with many a page. I will try it for a bit to see if it grows on me, however, the categories need to be explicit to keep us there. He has a couple that are, however, the Forum and the lounge leave people to feel that have to visit both in order to get all the Information.

If it were me, I would do the following:

• No registration necessary.
  
• HTML Allowed for ease of referencing and 'Eye Catching'.
  
• Sub-Categories would be explicit. It is an Iraqi Dinar site...No need to insert the words Iraqi Dinar blah blah blah...
  
• Straight and to the point sub-categories.
  
  
  
  • Taxes
    
  • Rates
    
  • T-Bills
    
  • Stock Exchange (ISX)
    
  • Travel With Dinar
    
  • Speculation
    
  • Opinions
    
  
  
  

  That said, many folks like tony, Jerry, M&M, fsm75 and others have provide valuable info that relates to all topics which may only get posted in one sub-category.

  This is why the intelligence community failed! Not everyone got the same info because they were reading different posts!!!

  Just trying to hold on to a successful board here.

  I hope Kevin will consider my suggestions so we can keep this board open, however, if I am left with no other option, I will be joining you Dan's board.

  Dan - What bandwidth to you have? It sounds like you are not unlimited? What can we do to help?

Major Errr.....Kevin not Dan, What bandwidth to you have? It sounds like you are not unlimited? What can we do to help?

hey guys just got another "package" from Amer he ships fast!! go dinar.

hey Q did you pay by credit card? if so how safe are his transactions?

Q:

Where are you located and how long did it take you to receive the package?

What do you think of a blog devoted solely to the Iraqi Dinar hosted for free? There are no bandwidth limitations, and you could add 50,000 comments without anybody compaining! (Anybody who would like to fully control and manage the Iraqi Dinar Blog, please email me at kevin-at-truckandbarter.com).

I would have let you all post as much as you wanted on T&B, but as the number of comments gets larger, the bandwidth for each page load gets larger too--and yesterday it became exceedingly large, with each page load taking about 1MB. Yesterday, I used 2GB in 24 hours! My plan has only 19GB per month! That's why I had to shut down the other page.

There's nothing that can be done except to shut down comments when they hit a prespecified limit, and start a brand new page. This is very difficult to manage actively, so I regretfully suggest the conversation move to the Forum or the new blog.

i must say this board has really grown and exploded with info

I am new to this and i am curious to know, if the NID is at around 1460 does it need to go lower or higher to be worth something? I hope this makes sense.

It needs to lower. most of the people on this blog have moved to investorsiraq.com. Feel free to join us!

hey Al, i believe it needs to go down....right now it's 1 USD = 1460 IQD. If it goes down to 1 that would mean 1 USD = 1 IQD. make sense? make sure it's converting USD in to IQD not the other way.

Yes it does, thank you. Great site, very informative with some very intellegent people, all with different views to look at Thank you.

Yes it does, thank you. Great site, very informative with some very intellegent people, all with different views to look at Thank you.

oops, double tapped.

most good soldiers do

Those interested in the ISX, here is a list of brokers and email addresses. I am interested, but, honestly, am not that knowledgable about them

B110 Alsinaee Bank alsinaeebank@isx-iq.net
B120 Alzeraee Bank alzeraeebank@isx-iq.net
B130 Rafidain Bank rafidainbank@isx-iq.net
B140 Rasheed Bank rasheedbank@isx-iq.net
B150 Baghdad Bank baghdadbank@isx-iq.net
C160 Okadh Co. okadh@isx-iq.net
C170 Almutahida Co. almutahidaco@isx-iq.net
C180 Alkassab Co. alkassabco@isx-iq.net
190 Alkhaleej (Canceled) Alkhaleej (Canceled)
C200 Babel Co. babelco@isx-iq.net
C210 Alfurat Co. alfuratco@isx-iq.net
220 Altayseer(Canceled) Altayseer(Canceled)
C230 Altemeem Co. altemeemco@isx-iq.net
C240 Alsadoon Co. alsadoonco@isx-iq.net
C250 Aliraq Co. aliraqco@isx-iq.net
C260 Dijla Co. dijlaco@isx-iq.net
C270 Alshimal Co. alshimalco@isx-iq.net
C280 Alrafidain Co. alrafidainco@isx-iq.net
C290 Alhayat Co. alhayatco@isx-iq.net
300 Summer (Canceled) Summer (Canceled)
C310 Albaraka Co. albarakaco@isx-iq.net
C320 Alshorja Co. alshorjaco@isx-iq.net
B330 Altijari Bank altijaribank@isx-iq.net
C340 Aljawhara Co. jawhara@isx-iq.net
C350 Aljazeerah Co. aljazeraco@isx-iq.net
360 Alsibeer(Canceled) Alsibeer(Canceled)
B370 Alislami Bank alislamibank@isx-iq.net
B380 Istithmar Bank istithmarbank@isx-iq.net
B390 Alsharq Alawsat Bank sharqawst@isx-iq.net
C400 Alfawz Co. alfawzco@isx-iq.net
C410 Alhikma Co. alhikmaco@isx-iq.net
C420 Alwafa Co. alwafaco@isx-iq.net
C430 Alhatar Co. alhatarco@isx-iq.net
C440 Alnibras Co. alnibrasco@isx-iq.net
C450 Alrabee Co. alrabeeco@isx-iq.net
C460 Alwaha Co. alwahaco@isx-iq.net
C470 Nainawa Co. nainawaco@isx-iq.net
C480 Alqidwa Co. alqidwaco@isx-iq.net
C490 Alatlas Co. alatlasco@isx-iq.net
C500 Alaseel Co. alaseelco@isx-iq.net
C510 Alkarmal Co. alkarmalco@isx-iq.net
C520 Alaman Co. alamanco@isx-iq.net
B530 Alahli Alirqi Bank alahiraq@isx-iq.net
B540 Almutahed Bank almutahedbank@isx-iq.net
B550 Alaqari Bank alaqaribank@isx-iq.net
B560 Albasrah Bank albasrahbank@isx-iq.net
B570 Dar Alsalam Bank darslambank@isx-iq.net
B580 Babel Bank babelbank@isx-iq.net
B590 Summer Bank summerbank@isx-iq.net
B600 Alkhaleej Bank alkhaleejbank@isx-iq.net
B610 Alietiman Bank alietimanbank@isx-iq.net
B620 Alwrkaa Bank alwrkaabank@isx-iq.net
B630 Alieqtisad Bank alieqtisadbank@isx-iq.net
B640 Albaraka Bank albarakabank@isx-iq.net
B650 Almousel Bank almouselbank@isx-iq.net

you know what alot of people must still be going to the old page and cant post so they thing the board is down it took me awhile to find this new page i think thats why its been slow

Street life revives in Iraqi capital
A reporter sees brisk watermelon sales, and other signs of normalcy on a hot July night.
By Dan Murphy | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor

http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0715/p01s03-woiq.html

Hey EW could you email me your suggestions as to how to make the new forum better?

Also, check this page out:
http://www.investorsiraq.com/search.php?searchid=68

It shows all the new posts in an orderly fashion.. let me know if this looks good.

Dan

hey guys just got back. I am in Texas and my order took 3 days to get here. And yes Amer takes credit cards and ATM {check cards) super fast service plus brand new bills!!!

I got another load of NID in the mail today and they have small amounts of writing on them. Will this matter?

Hey Tony and all,
INFO FROM CENTRAL BANK:
Here is a reply my husband sent me in regard to the source of his information about the dinar notes getting REISSUED and his input:

to your question,it was put out by the powers that be,central bank of iraq,they said that once the 25,000:10,000:5,000:dinar notes get turned in for exchange,they will not reissue them to the general public,but:that is a no brainer,how often do you see,or even hear of such large notes being available to the public?
it only happens when situations like we have here in iraq come about.it happened 12years ago in kuwait,but now only 20, 10, 5, 1, 1/2, 1/4 and change are available to the public in kuwait. so eventually that will happen in iraq too.
but as usual poeple get confused.

I'll catch up on reading the posts in the evening. Even though by then a lot has been said.
Thanks.

Everyone,
Come over to the new message board put online today. We're just getting it started and will trasnfer all the important info over soon, but that's where everyone is going....

http://www.investorsiraq.com/index.php?

P.S. Ha, thanks for officially confirming what some of us have been saying for awhile. See you over at the new board!

Everyone! Please stop telling your friends, family and anyone else about Dinar investment opprtunities!!! Already, half of the Bremer dinars that have been invested have been smuggled out of Iraq AND BOUGHT UP BY SPECULATORS LIKE OURSELVES! For the country of Iraq to flourish in the future the currency must stay in the country!! If we are all to make fortunes we need to shut our mouths and stop telling people about it! SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION CAN RUIN OUR INVESTMENTS!!! Don't you think that if more than half the money gets tied up in foreign investment the possibility of Iraq switching to another currency is impending? I welcome comments.

Noel,
Umm.....no. That is not how commodities markets work. sorry, man The full explananation to that question can be found on the original page somewhere, but I'm running thin on time and can't post it.

Please see ths website all people are interested in new iraqi dinar. This saying about new iraqi dinar will change after iraqi election.

http://usinfo.state.gov/mena/Archive/2004/Jan/30-733354.html

Noel,

I was already schooled on this line of thinking...in short, tell everyone. The more the merrier. It will actually drive up the demand and, ultimately, our bank accounts.

Peter,
It says it "may", NOT "will"....

"Once there have been national elections, and there is a new Iraqi Government, the new Government may introduce new notes, or a new currency. But this will be further down the line."

While you make a point of concern, we have previously listed several detailed reasons why we strongly think that will not happen. And in the unlikely event does, there will surely be an exchange period and we will figure out a way to exchange our dinars within that period.

KEVIN-thank you very much for this web board.fireman from fla doesnt feel alone any more.if ever in fla,ive got the the dinner and drinks.thank you again.

hey guys,
don't forget about the dinar blog (link at top),
has a good format
registered as well at the "investorindinar" sight
later,
jules

i mean the investor's iraq forum:)

OK THIS IS KIND OF IMPORTANT ITS WHAT THE MONEY DEALERS DONT WANT YOU TO KNOW...

Fake Money Undermines Confidence
Even the introduction of a new currency has failed to end the old problem of counterfeiting.
By Mohammed Fawzi in Baghdad (ICR No. 65, 01-Jun-04)
The only thing distinctive about the counterfeit 250 Iraqi dinar note is a slight discolouration of the dye and a missing horse's head watermark.
Slight as they seem, these differences portend the return to Iraq of a problem many people hoped had disappeared with the introduction of a completely new currency last December.
Until then, Iraqis had been using stacks of "Saddamiyat" – 250 dinar notes which carried the portrait of former President Saddam Hussein – whose cheap paper and dyes made them easy to copy.
For many Iraqis, the flood of counterfeit money under the old regime symbolised the weakening of the economy under sanctions imposed by the United Nations Security Council.
Many people are beginning to view the surge of new counterfeits as the latest disappointment in post-war Iraq.
When the Saddamiyat bills were replaced with new notes last year, the Coalition Provisional Authority claimed counterfeit currency would be much more difficult to produce.
But to the surprise of many people, fake banknotes from 250 dinars all the way up to 25,000 dinars (about 18 US dollars) began appearing just months after the introduction of the new currency.
"We didn't believe it when we first heard about forged money, but after a while we found that it was in wide circulation," says Abd al-Hadi Rahma, 32, who owns a Baghdad currency exchange.
"We are back to the same old situation that we had under Saddam, when forged money spread nationwide without anyone doing anything about it," Rahma says.
Officials were reluctant to comment on the new development.
Ghassoun Samuair, director of accounts at the central bank, confirmed that forged currency "is a problem" but he referred further questions to the Ministry of Finance and the CPA.
IWPR’s requests for interviews with the CPA and the finance ministry were turned down.
Neither bank officials nor money changers had any idea who was behind the counterfeiting, but it is assumed that the forged money is being printed abroad.
Wherever they come from, though, the forged bills are depressing the value of the dinar, money changers claim.
In the months since the release of the new currency, the dinar has soared in value to just over 900 to the dollar, only to fall and eventually level off at 1,400 to the dinar.
"There used to be a great deal of demand for the new currency, but now there isn’t any longer," said Taleb Said, who works at Baghdad’s Jamal exchange. "Kuwaitis and Jordanians bought a lot of the new currency, but now the demand is less because of the counterfeiting."
The fake currency has also depressed domestic confidence in the economy, with some people expressing fears that their salary might be paid in the notes, or that they could receive counterfeit money in commercial transactions.
Iranian pilgrim Shiraz Shahinaki, a visitor to Iraq's Shia shrines, was shocked to find that no one would accept the dinars he purchased to go shopping.
"Oh Iraqis, how quickly did they forge your money!" he lamented.
Some people see one silver lining in the new currency, since – real or fake – it no longer depicts Saddam.
"I don't care whether it's forged or not," said taxi driver Riyad Mushtiq Salman, 34. "The important thing is that we got rid of the tyrant."
Mohammed Fawzi is a trainee journalist with IWPR in Baghdad

Jerry - I don't think there's any truth to any "large" widespread counterfeiting problem with this new currency. It is easier to conterfeit US dollars than it is for the new dinar. I smell an altrerior motive behind this story...Perhaps to help stop the problem with smuggling dinars out of Iraq for investment purposes(keeping it in the country)or a terrorist circulated rumor to create panic/shock for the Iraqi peopple and their new found freedom. You will never convince me these notes are conterfeit nor will they be counterfeited anytime in the near future. Too much sophistication & cost behind printing these w/ De La Rue printing co. My gues: Terrorists at it again attempting to instill fear in people, thus creating a break down in confidence/progress. ANY ANY THOUGHTS??

CONTERFEITING ALREADY ??

No way! I tend to agree with Jack on this one. Just matching the paper quality alone would be an enormous, virtually impossible task. This doesn't even include precision of the high-tech sophisticated printing. In addition, after numerous 747 aircraft flew abroad in Iraq to distribute these new notes to banks in late 2003, every single one of the banks & staff members received extensive training on the handling & most importantly on; Detecting conterfeit notes. Any efforts made to duplicate these bills will easily be identified. That is , easily identified by someone with a pulse!

I'm not even concerned about this bogus story: As Jack said, high probability with terrorists playing on the fears of everyone involved. One man writing this article can easily have been compensated nicely by terror thugs and/or connected to them in order to do what they do best. ATTEMPT to generate fear!

ben/et.al.--i must admit that i am increasingly of the mind that not only could such rumours of counterfiet (sp?) bills be a hoax, but so too the rumours of a currency exchange! i'll not re-hash any of the arguments debunking these specious assertions, as i believe them to be, because of the expert way in which those on the blog (and at the iraqi investors forum) have systematically called them into question. but again, comments from people about counterfieting and currency change strike me as scaremongering! you know, a sort of a "stay-away-from-the-currency-scaremongering-so-that-"i"-can-cash-in" scheme! ... or may be i'm just rationalizing things again ... or perhaps preparing my defense when the wife finds out i've spent money on this;-)!!

i have a question, how does the conversion go, for instance, if 1460 NID = .00007(if thats correct) USD, how do they arrive at that number? what is the calculation, does anyone know? i am curious to see where the Dinar has to get to to be equal to .01. or is this a irrelevant question. thanks

to find out what your dinar is worth divide the amount you have by 1460 the lower the number gets the better for us so if it goes down to 25 dinars to 1 u.s currenct then divide the dinars you have by 25,once it reachs 1 then that means for every dinar you have its worth 1 dollar.

I have bought some dinars. And just reading newspaper articles, The new central bank in iraq says that by the end of the year, it will go up at least 17%. Now that is Iraq economy. There is no doubt in my mind that this is a good investment. Many companies have invested millions in dinars. And I bet you that those rich bastards in congress also invested. I'm a believer?? I want more!! There is never a problem of being to rich!!!

Oh yeah to find out what your dinar is worth go to oanda.com or yahoo currency converter. I recommend to go there to see how much your dinar is worth

Hello...... Hello........ is anybody here . Hello. Hey I thought you guys said that two sights were better than one. Well you guys must have forgotten where you all came from. I made one post but I really enjoy reading a constant stream of information. The other sight is OK but it is not the same. Yes, I too am a Dinar junkie. Im addicted but I dont like the new product. I want the old product back.Again someone said that two site were better than one . It looks to me like this one is over.
I'll still be here reading if someone post. and i guess if push come to shove I'll go to the other site.

Kevin B., do what ever you need to do to get you traffic back to this site Bro.

BO,

I am not so arrogant as to believe that I can control my readers. They came by themselves, and will leave the same way...

I agree with you, Bo
I much prefer this stream type format. The iraqi dinar blog is similar, but i expect can take on more volume than this one. hope more people try it.
The other one is cleaner in how it fragments everything, but i can't tell where anybody is and follow conversations:(
jules

Jules
Did u see the time span between post,1:33pm-10:31pm. they all jumped ship. (as if this one was sinking)

yeah,
kevin was having trouble with band width because of the large volume of responses.
That's why you see the links at the top for the iraq forum and the blog. he wanted us to move on,because of the volume,to an area that could handle it better.
unfortunately most went to the forum site. the blog site format is more like this one, which i like.

he mentions the issue in earlier posts

ALL - I am still here!!! I am on the weekend now and haven't been able to post lately, however, I do check it daily and read!

i do my best to stop by and answer what i can

Iraq stock exchange poised to rally in 'Japan' of Middle East -
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20040716/wl_mideast_afp/iraq_economy_stocks_040716161703

Just a reminder - Tomorrows the big day!!! New T-Bills coming out JULY 18TH

Bill from DC,

Posted by: Bill from DC at July 16, 2004 11:34 AM

I expect you to say what you mean... What do you mean???????????????

BF

Tony,
You Da Man, I knew you would not forget where you came from.

Iraq is doing fine. Those who invested will be rewarded... There are NO counterfeit concerns at all...Those who refuse to agree will be financially punished! Keep the dinars rolling...

i doubt anything will happen when the dinar untill late december or early janurary right around elections

i like this site too. i got a few bills in the mail today with a little hand writing on them dose any one think they will be a problem to cash or deposit ?

Q - I think everyone is paranoid right now as far as the writing thing goes. I think in the long run it won't be as big of a deal, however, if the opportunity presents itself and it is a concern then for exchange them if not for any other reason than peace of mind.

could someone tell me what aTBill is and what effect it will have on the Iraq Dinar cus i dont have a clue. From the UK so be easy on me.

Vol XXVII NO. 119 Saturday 17 July 2004

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Iraq 'can become Japan of Mideast'

BAGHDAD: Iraq has the potential to become the Japan of the Middle East, and its revamped stock exchange, which is already trading at record volumes, will soar as a result, executives at the bourse predicted yesterday.

But it will take time, they admitted, as the interim government struggles to end a 15-month-old insurgency that has bred chaos during the US-led occupation.

"Iraq is a very rich country potentially," Talib Al Tabatabie, chairman of the bourse, said at the well-guarded stock exchange building tucked away behind a large hotel in Baghdad.

"It needs only efforts to redevelop it again and you will have one of the richest countries in the Middle East," he declared.

"Iraq is by all means a futuristic country. ... I have a strong faith that the economy of Iraq will be one of the healthiest, strongest economies in the Middle East and that of course will be reflected in the stock exchange," he said.

"If I am to be permitted to dream... Iraq will develop into the Japan of (the Middle East), and it wouldn't take a long time."

The product of more than a year's work by 12 brokerage firms and banks that jointly own it, the Iraq Stock Exchange has 27 listed companies, with about 100 more due to go public in the next month and a half, the executives said.

These firms have an automatic right to float as they were part of the former Baghdad exchange, which was dissolved after the March 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, but new companies are also clamouring for a piece of the action.

"The total number of listed companies by the end of this year is expected to be around 180 or 200 companies," Tabatabie said.

In its first morning of business on June 24, more than 500 million shares were traded - more than the Baghdad Stock Exchange ever achieved - with shares in just six companies changing hands, and the volume is expected to keep rising, said chief executive Taha Abdulsalam.

Twelve companies actively traded on the second session on Sunday, July 4. Their aggregate share price at the end of the morning was $2.66m, up from $2.21m at the start, for a 20pc rise, the exchange said in a statement, adding that 560m stocks changed hands.


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and more ...

The dinar is going up so just buy it and wait...
Just do it

here's the blog kevin set up that can take more volume
http://iraqidinar.blogspot.com/2004/07/open-thread-on-iraqi-dinar.html
format similar to this site
jules

i posted some info there you may or may not have

Jules,lets get everyone over to the blog site if possible. It's much better than the forum site, to me at least.

Tony, do you remember what you posted,

" kevin i guarntee you,you wont lose traffic this is our home,we all met here we were all educated here were not gona turn our backs to what has helped us get inches closer to invesments potential "

Posted by: tony at July 15, 2004 10:28 AM

Not tring to put you on blast bro but lets face it, this blog is done with out you guys. The investor iraq forum is no where like this one. Kevin B (Truck & Barter) has put a new blog together . Just like this one but with different threads. You get the same constant stream of information. much better than the forum. At least I think so. Kevin has a link at the top of this page.
Iraqi Dinar Blog not Investor Iraq forum. try it and see. I just dont like the fact that everyone jumped ship and this one was not sinking. dont get me wrong im not hating on the new forum, not at all. I just like to read the constant flow of information. I dont want to sound like I'm crying but yesterday there was a 9 hour period of no posting.

im here bro,but im not gona lie the other board is nice when you have a certain question or are lookin for certain info you know just where to go to find it or ask it,but i havent deserted this board,,why arnt you over at the other board too you dont have to turn your back on this board just cause your a member over there.

HAVE YOU SEEN THE OTHER SITE . IF SO WHAT ARE YOU THOUGHTS .

HAVE YOU SEEN THE OTHER SITE. IF SO WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS .

IM OVER THER TOO BUT I JUST LIKE THE CONSTANT STREAM OF INFO. CHECK IT OUT KEVIN HAS THE LINK AT THE TOP OF THIS BOARD. THE IRAQI DINAR BLOG

9 HOURS OF NO POSTING THAT TURNING YOUR BACK . (THIS IS NOT DIRECTED TOWARDS YOU. JUST IN GENERAL)

bo, i gave them the url at the forum site, don't know if they looked at it--site won't come up now.
hope to see more on the blog
I agree, tony, i like the organization of the forum, but i miss the collective interaction like in this format
why can't we utilize both?
jules

WATCH , THEY WILL ALL COME BACK HOME NOW.

that seems to complicated entering blog title and blog address what the hell is that..lol and it wont let me use my name say not available...i'll try again later.

WHICH SITE

http://iraqidinar.blogspot.com/

http://iraqidinar.blogspot.com/

http://iraqidinar.blogspot.com/

THE FORUM SITE IS WELL ORGANIZED. THE BLOG SITE IS ALSO. CONSTANT STREAM OF IFO IS THE KEY. NOW I CANT GET ON THE FORUM SITE

INFO !!!!!!

Iraq prepares to launch bond market - July 16, 2004 15:53GMT -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3900627.stm

Dutch to write off some Iraq debt - July 18, 2004
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=87043&Sn=BUSI&IssueID=27120

Any of you folks up north in Iraq heard from your contacts as to how the Bond sales went?

In an effort to keep this board streamlined and so Kevin doesn't have to create a new page every two weeks due to bandwidth restrictions, I am requesting only one response unless your info differs from a previous poster.

Would everyone be so kind as to paste the links versus the stories. I really love this forum format and would like to get the most out of it. Thanks!

IT'S GETTIN' BETTER EVERYDAY...

• 45,000 mobile phone subscribers in S. Iraq - July 18, 2004 - http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/business/2004/July/business_July311.xml§ion=business&col=

  
  

• Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi to seek debt write-off in Mideast tour - July 18, 2004 - http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/business/2004/July/business_July295.xml§ion=business&col=
  

ALL - I have updated the Iraqi Dinar trend data which is based upon CBI spreadsheet. Latest data available is 01 Jan 04 thru 17 July 04.

No suprise here for those that follow.

You will not see much of a change since last update, however, take a peek if you are interested!

http://www.geo(removethis)cities.com/iraqidinar2005/IraqiDinarRate.html

http://iraqidinar.blogspot.com/

when is nid supposed to be traded in the states ? what if they decide to change there currency ?

You people need to relax. The currency will go up. All of us who know currency after post war know that everything takes time. The reason why a lot of people did not make millions of the Kuwaiti dinar after the gulf war was because a lot of people did not beleive that the kuwaiti dinar would never regain its value. During the reconstruction of Kuwait the Kuwaiti dinar was 100 KD to 1 US dollar. Just think about the person that said "screw it I will take the stupid chance and pay $2,500 US dollars for 250,000 Kuwaiti dinars. NOW THOES STUPID 250,000 KUWAITI DINARS MADE THIS GUY OVER 800,000 US DOLLARS BECAUSE THE KUWAITI DINAR IS WORTH 3.38 US DOLLARS TO 1 KUWAITI DIANR. SO JUST WAIT GUYS AND WE WILL GET OURS. And when we do we all have to get together and meet each others Ferraris.

First time: Iraq treasuries - July 18, 2004
http://money.cnn.com/2004/07/18/news/international/iraqdebt.reut/index.htm

Whooohhoooo!!!!!

500 projects for investors identified - 19 JULY 2004
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/business/2004/July/business_July316.xml§ion=business&col=

Nice Currency Converter - http://red.wn.com/currency/?amount=5125000&c1=USD&c2=IQD&s1=&s2=IQD

Scroll down the following page for Great collection of links to regional newspapers.

http://www.wnmideast.com/

HOLY #&%^^#!!!!!! Check out what I found on the Iraqi Stock Exchange info page. Reasons are given as why to invest in the ISX.

1) Operating in a country that will BECOME THE REGION'S FINANCIAL CENTER;
2) Using an EXCHANGE RATE THAT IS INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED as one of the Important emerging markets in the region.
3) Trading in accordance with international standards, in a modern and soon to be fully automated environment.
4) No TAXATION on capital gains.
5) STABLE EXCHANGE RATE LINKED THE US DOLLAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
6) Ability to freely remit funds abroad.
7) Open market for foreign investors
and so on and so on....
http://www.isx-iq.net/page/serv.htm

Iraq's big board back in business - July 19, 2004


http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/07/19/iraq.stock.exchange/index.html

Iraq issues first post-war debt - July 19, 2004
http://www.bahraintribune.com/ArticleDetail.asp?CategoryId=5&ArticleId=38423

man, I check out for 1 weekend and everybody left?

JPMorgan believes Iraq will receive a Paris Club debt write off of 75-80 percent in NPV (net present value) terms and that a Paris Club deal could be signed as early as the third quarter of 2004."

I have also purchased a little over a million dinar for myself and have gotten over 25 million for others in this area. The best site i have found for the rate which is actually 1,239.0295 to one US$dollar is http://www.nbk.com/NBK/TopBar/Rates/rates.htm

this is the national bank of Kuwaits' rate site. they refresh there time at 1400 that is 0500 our time here in central tine zone i check it every morning and it fluctuates from 1239 to 1241.
As to the cpa site it was dissolved on june 28 that is why there site does not show the exchange rate after that date,
I too believe that this is going to be a very very good investment as the once millionaires of iraq will be again and the only way that is going to happen is if the iqd hits for at least prewar amount of 0.33 and i also believe that it will at least go up in value to $1 that is all i can hope for but even at 0.01 i have made money

just my 2 cents

rod

Copedawg everyone is at investorsiraq.com

Baghdad Real Estate Sizzles Amid Chaos - July 19, 2004 -
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/latimests/20040719/ts_latimes/baghdadrealestatesizzlesamidchaos

Iraqi Dinar Rate Is Finally On Yahoo! - It had been sitting at 1455 with no graph. Now it is at 1461.000 and is starting to graph on http://my.yahoo.com/?myHome. If you have Yahoo as your default website and is customized you can put the symbol from the currency converter in as a symbol under Market Summary and you can monitor it each time you open your browser. Cool!

Interesting Read - Pre-New Iraqi Dinar (NID)

Dollar or Dinar? by William L. Anderson

Okay, to put this simply. What is going to happen once the currency is changed out for a new one? We have to wait to exchange it back right now. What happens if the currency is changed? You would have to be in Iraq to change it right? Any comments?

Nice article EW. Look at the date April 2003. Since then the Dinar has changed. We are all buying the new dinars by the truck loads and hoping for riches in the future. Matt do not worry , I bet you already have the new dinar. Once the dinar hits the world market you will be able to exchange it. So sit back and relax for a few years and enjoy this ride that we are all on Wisski in Kuwait

If you haven't heard, FedEx has ceased shipments of envelopes? from Jordan, they are inspecting packages trying to stop the flow of Dinars out of Iraq. If you plan on buying more find a dealer already in the U.S. or find a dealer than can use DHL as they are still shipping without inspection of I guess 'envelopes' that may contain Dinars.
Regarding how to cash in Dinars after the re-valuation process, it's quite simple. There are already banks that have branches in Iraq and BofA, WellsFargo and others won't be far behind as billions of dollars are pouring into Iraq. The Iraqi stock exchange is booming. Trade volume up 4 times in 5 days. Stocks up 600% is some sectors. Lucent, Pepsi, cell phone companies...tons of dough flowing in and you know banks aren't gonna be far behind.
Pray for the safety of our troops and the peace and prosperity of Iraq.

Iraqi PM says Zarqawi is mental - July 20, 2004 -
http://www.news24.com/News24/World/Iraq/0,,2-10-1460_1560439,00.html

wisski - I was aware of the date of the article when I posted. I thought it was a good read none the less.

Matt - I don't forsee that happening, however, in the event it did happen, I am sure you could get a visit visa and stay in Kuwait, U.A.E. or you could even visit us here in Bahrain for a day in order to change you money! LOL!

Transcript of a Press Briefing by Thomas C. Dawson
Director, External Relations Department
International Monetary Fund

"...And as we've said in the past, the aim is to have agreement on an economic program sometime in the fourth quarter of this calendar year."


http://www.imf.org/external/np/tr/2004/tr040715.htm

Statement by the International Advisory and Monitoring Board on Iraq—Release of the KPMG Audit Reports on the Development Fund for Iraq - July 15, 2004 -
http://www.iamb.info/pr/pr071504.htm

HSBC Denies Majority Stake in Iraqi Bank - 21 July 2004 -
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=568&ncid=749&e=4&u=/nm/20040720/bs_nm/financial_iraq_dc

HSBC Buys Stake in Iraqi Bank - 21 July 2004 - http://www.arabnews.com/?page=6§ion=0&article=48688&d=21&m=7&y=2004&pix=business.jpg&category=Business%22

EW, So please tell me what kind of rate are you getting in Bahrain on the IQD. Here in Kuwait I am getting 1600 to $1. I feel that I am lucky for that rate.

dinar hits $3.00 read!!!!

http://mm.dfilm.com/mm2s/mm_route.php?id=1899178

wisski - I will have to get back to you on that. It has been a couple of weeks since I bought. I want to say I was getting 1345/dollar last time. I also purchased at another location in town with Bahraini Dinar. I will check my receipts and get back with you.

tony - That was great!!! LMAO!!! I hope art imitates life!!!

=)

wisski - 1393/$1 was the rate I got at time of purchase.

All - I just read a post on "that other board" (by the way it took me ten minutes to find that damn post again which is why I hate Bulletin boards) in reference to why Chase Bank won't touch "Iraqi Dinar Exchange".

Honestly folks, do you blame them? I wouldn't be suprised if the same "indivduals" you spoke with are buying IQD as much as we are, however, as a corporation, not only would it be irresponsible, I would question the legality of it all.

Not everyone is as confident in the Iraqi Dinar as we are. We are taking individual risks.

As a company, they cannot commit to such a risk. They cannot afford to place their optimism ahead of their clients security. I am sure there have been many risky money making opportunities, however, as a whole, the would lose their entire clientele if they were to fail as a result of one persons optimism.

The main tragedy of Enron was the fact that many lost their jobs, their nest eggs, their investments...

Companies don't want to follow that path...

My point! Don't be suprised if companies/banks are not willing participants...

As far a a corporation is concerned...The proof is in the pudding...And that isn't there right now...

For individual investors - We accept the risk and will continue to invest in Iraq's stabilization.

Enron is a poor analogy...the books were cooked...the SeC under clinton didn't do their job and allowed Anderson to be both accountants and consultants for enron while bill and ken played golf together and ron brown was negotiating enron contracts in india...not even close to the scenario with the Dinar exchange or recognition thereof.

jimbo - You are probably right. The point I was trying to make is companies typically don't want to end up in the position of screwing over so many people due to poor decisions.

Iraq promises to end secret food import deals - July 22, 2004 -
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/business/2004/July/business_July382.xml§ion=business&col=

WAR: TRADE BY OTHER MEANS:
How the US is getting a free trade agreement minus the negotiations - July 20, 2004 -
http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=15&ItemID=5916

New license agreement extends MAXIMO role in Iraq (21/07/04) -
http://www.iraqprocurement.com/docs/new363.htm

folks,

Just made arrangements for another purchase through the foks in Charleston, SC. They are closing a 1 billion dinar deal with an entity in Switzerland........must be all of the currency experts and economists that say 'boo' in public and sneak around the back of the barn to make a buy. Why Switzerland.....wonder if someone is repping a group of investors who don't want any publicity.

what do you mean?

heehee....
yall are sure proof of pt barnums saying theres a sucker born every day!!
the iraq dinar shall be worthless wallpaper by early next year!!
but like aerosmith sang-dream on!!!
haahaaaaaaaa...

sure sure!!
the dinar will reallllllyy go back up to $3+ dollars per dinar!!!
MWAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA
the civil wars and coups will make the bremer dinar burned in bonfires and the new dinar will be a million per dinar!!!
good luck losers!!
wonder why buffet and soros et al wont touch the iraq dinar with a 10 foot pole?
ya community college minimun wagers must know more than them!!
BWAHAHAHAHHAAHHAAAHHAAA

Yamama - If your brain was even 1/10 the size of a flee's, you would be able to comprehend one thing. Warren Buffet did buy Kuwait dinars during Saddams regime. Read it in his second book. I've read nothing to suggest he did NOT invest in dinars. You claim to know for sure he didn't.

Keep your psycho-babbling negativity off this forum. Your lack of intelligence and knowledge preceeds you pal.

JS

Minister of Commerce states policy dependent on financing (22/07/04) - http://www.iraqprocurement.com/docs/new366.htm

IRAQ ARRESTS 270 IN BAGHDAD - See Sidebar -http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/latest/story/0,4390,262974,00.html

Bush green lights arms sales to Iraq - http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20040721/pl_afp/us_iraq_military_bush_040721203308

REPORT: IRAQ’S TRANSITION TO DICTATORSHIP

Michael A. Weinstein: 7/22/04 

A EurasiaNet Partner Post from PINR.

http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/pp072204.shtml

New Government Frustrates Iraq's Kurds (23JUL04)
- http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040723/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_kurdish_fears&cid=540&ncid=1480

U.S. Forces Attack Insurgents in Fallujah (23JUL04) - http://www.tallahassee.com/mld/tallahassee/news/9221899.htm

UN role in Iraq is to support its people, Annan and his new envoy say (22JUL04 -
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=11442&Cr=iraq&Cr1=

Failure in Iraq a grave danger for the entire world: Kerry (22JUL04) - http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20040722/ts_alt_afp/us_iraq_vote_democrats_040722162148

Finally some info about how Kerry feels about Iraq. About time.

U.S. Senators Demand Speed-Up of Aid to Iraq (22JUL04) - http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040722/pl_nm/iraq_usa_congress_dc_3

Iraq National Conference to Convene Next Week -- US (22JUL04) - http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040722/wl_nm/iraq_usa_conference_dc_1

MORE ON: Senators Seek Faster Iraq Reconstruction (22JUL04) -
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040722/ap_on_go_co/rebuilding_iraq_1

Small UN Contingent to Return to Iraq in August (22JUL04) -
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040723/wl_nm/iraq_un_staff_dc_1

Iraqi dinar: Speculators beware (17JUL04) - http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/FF17Ak01.html

:^!)

Dinar boosted by growing confidence in Iraq’s postwar recovery - http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_13-1-2004_pg5_17

Iraq eyes to export oil through Jordan (22JUL04) - http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-07/22/content_1625975.htm

US looks at 'allies only' Iraq contracts (22JUL04) -
http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1087373896193

Question: - Can anyone tell me if these "NEW" Dinar are the same design as those of the pre-1991 Gulf War currency. The currency before Saddam put his mug on the bills?

Iraqi dinar rises amid smuggling scandals (17JAN04)

Whoaaaa!!! This is an old story, however, it is such a large quantity, I thought it was worth sharing for entertainment purposes...LOL

"...The Lebanese authorities on Wednesday arrested three people in the capital, Beirut, for smuggling 1.5 tons of Iraqi currency in a private plane from Iraq to Lebanon, via Jordan, estimated at more than 19 billion new Iraqi dinars (around U.S. $12 million..."

http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20040117-065442-1758r

Dinar Falls Victim to Violence

Folks, I know this is an old story, however, there was some good reading I hadn't seen previously towards the bottom of the article.

"Until now, the government could not legalise dinars because in order to trade in any currency you need to be able to transfer the currency to and from its respective country," said al-Abyad.

http://ipsnews.net/interna.asp?idnews=24196

Good news from Iraq, Part 5 - Article found via post on http://www.investorsiraq.com

http://chrenkoff.blogspot.com/2004/07/good-news-from-iraq-part-5.html

what is good news?

Peter - "Good News" is the title of the article.

Since the post-turnover hype has cooled down, do you think the Dinar prices will go down because of the lack of movement on the world market?

I predict it will probably be available in the neighborhood of $700-800 per mil soon. At least it will be a way for the sellers to hedge their losses and for a few who are lacking confidence to get out while the getting is good.

I feel it may go down, if so, more for me to buy!

I feel the real determining factor for most will be the results of the Iraqi elections, which I believe are scheduled for January. I am not saying immediate results, I am talking 2-3 months after the Iraqi elections. I truely believe it all depends on how well Iraqis embrace democracy. How well they can play together. I can think of three groups that want to ensure they don't feel like they got short changed. Kurds, Sunni, and Shia. Iraq has the suppport they need. It is truely up to them how badly they want Iraq to succeed as a whole.

Im stationed in iraq presently... I just bought 1 million Iraqi dinars for $784.00 american bucks the other day with no prior knowledge of exchange rates or anything a buddy of mine that is pretty well off from his investments said he was doing it so I said what the hell do I have to lose and did it. well I looked up the exchange rate on XE.com and found that I should have only paid $703.00 bucks for a mil dinar according to the exchange rate on their site so the damn haji took me for $80.00 bucks but I dont feel too bad cause other suckers are payin way more than I did. Besides Im gonna go pay him a little vistit for my $80 bucks. I dont play nice when Im angry.

Latest Rate
Yahoo + CNBC arabic financial news

1461 NID = 1 USD

I feel the real determining factor for most will be the results of the Iraqi elections

EW

we said that before when US hand the Interm government the rule but no thing happend. But i found out while reading a book about currency trade that Policies matters takes while to effect currency exchange rate not like new currency trader expect.

abdullah - I am with you there. I question the number of policies this pre-election government can put in place and what changes or additional policies, if any the elected government of Iraq will make that will affect the exchange rate.

I would like to know when they plan on putting the currency on the foriegn exchange. Maybe not so much a date, but, which conditions or goals are they trying to meet before they put the currency on the foriegn exchange and allow the currency to leave Iraq legally.

Well people Im here in Balad and as far as the dinar goes on the 17th iraq sold there gold bonds of 150 billion in a record setting hour, they I believe were in debt of around 120 billion and a few other countries have written off a good portion of debt as well, the world bank is here the ISX is back up and making record sales, now for the clincher, there are numorous countries out here that will not let this countries currency fail, these poeple have waited long enough and have come this far, do you really think
for a momment that it will fail?? Good luck to all those whom invested in the dinar, take care and god bless, it will happen.

FROM THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

To view or print the PDF content on this page, download the free Adobe® Acrobat® Reader®.

April 15, 2004
js-1335

Report to Congress on International Economic and Exchange Rate Policies
April 2004

This report reviews developments in international economic policy, including exchange rate policy, focusing on the second half of 2003. The report is required under the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988, which states that: “The Secretary of the Treasury shall analyze on an annual basis the exchange rate policies of foreign countries, in consultation with the International Monetary Fund, and consider whether countries manipulate the rate of exchange between their currency and the United States dollar for purposes of preventing effective balance of payments adjustments or gaining unfair competitive advantage in international trade.”

For the purpose of assessing whether an economy is satisfying the terms of the Act, Treasury has traditionally undertaken a careful review of the trading partner’s exchange rates, external balances, foreign exchange reserve accumulation, macroeconomic trends, monetary and financial developments, the state of institutional development, and financial and exchange restrictions. Isolated developments in any area do not typically provide sufficient grounds to conclude that exchange rates are being manipulated under the terms of the Act. A combination of factors, on the other hand, can and has in the past led Treasury to find that certain countries had satisfied the terms of the Act.

After reviewing developments in the United States, the report examines exchange rate policies in major economies across five regions of the world: (1) the Western Hemisphere, (2) Europe and Eurasia, (3) Africa, (4) the Middle East and South Asia, and (5) East Asia. To summarize, the report finds that:

Economies around the world continue to follow a variety of exchange rate policies, ranging from a flexible exchange rate with little or no intervention to currency unions and full dollarization. For example, Canada follows a flexible exchange rate regime with no intervention, twelve countries are members of the European Monetary Union, and El Salvador and Panama use the U.S. dollar as their “domestic” currency.
A notable trend observed over the past several years is the move by many economies to adopt flexible exchange rates, combined with clear price stability goals and a transparent system for adjusting monetary policy instruments.
The report finds that no major trading partner of the United States met the technical requirements for designation under the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 during the second half of 2003. The report notes that while a number of economies continue to use pegged exchange rates and/or intervene in foreign exchange markets, a peg or intervention does not in and of itself satisfy the statutory test. Treasury has consulted with the IMF management and staff, as required by the statute, and they concur with our conclusions. The Administration strongly believes that a system of flexible, market-based exchange rates is best for major trading partners of the United States.
Treasury is continuing to engage actively with economies and to encourage, in both bilateral and multilateral discussions, policies for large economies that promote a flexible market-based exchange rate combined with a clear price stability goal and a transparent system for adjusting policy instruments. In this light, the communiqué of the G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors in February of this year stated: “…that more flexibility in exchange rates is desirable for major countries or economic areas that lack such flexibility to promote smooth and widespread adjustments in the international financial system, based on market mechanisms.”
The United States International Accounts

The growth of the U.S. current account deficit over more than a decade has been linked to increasing levels of domestic U.S. capital formation. Perceived high rates of return on U.S. assets, based on strong productivity growth relative to the rest of the world, combined with an efficient U.S. capital market to attract foreign investment. This helped finance U.S. investment and worked to increase the current account deficit.

The current account deficit is conceptually equal to the gap between investment and saving as a matter of international accounting. When investment in the United States is higher than domestic saving, foreigners make up the difference, and the United States has a current account deficit. In contrast, if saving exceeds investment in a country, then that country has a current account surplus as its people invest abroad.

In the second half of 2003, for example, the U.S. current account deficit was $503 billion (at a seasonally adjusted annual rate and on a national income and product accounting, or NIPA, basis) or 4.5% percent of GDP. This $503 billion deficit equaled the gap between $2,079 billion in investment and $1,575 billion in saving[1]. That is, U.S. domestic investment was $503 billion more than domestic saving with net foreign investment making up the difference.

Viewed in these terms, the $55 billion increase in the U.S. current account deficit in 2003, measured on a NIPA basis, was caused by a $91 billion increase in investment outstripping a $36 billion increase in saving. The increase in investment was a key factor in the acceleration in U.S. economic growth during 2003. Overall, real GDP grew at an 8.2 % annual rate in the third quarter and 4.1% in the fourth. Consumer spending increased sharply, but growth became more balanced over the second half as business investment in equipment and software increased at double-digit rates.

The current account was $526 billion in deficit (at a seasonally adjusted annual rate and on a balance of payments basis[2]) in the second half of 2003. How has the deficit been financed? The largest single balance of payments component financing the current account deficit has recently been net private foreign purchases of U.S. securities, which reached $335 billion in the second half of 2003. (Included in these were net private foreign purchases of U.S Treasuries amounting to $141 billion.) In addition, foreign official institutions increased their U.S. assets by $219 billion.

Viewed over a longer period, the U.S. current account deficit rose, as a percent of GDP, from the first quarter of 1991 to reach a temporary peak of 4.4% in the fourth quarter of 2000 before beginning to contract as domestic and foreign activity weakened. The current account deficit began to widen again in the first quarter of 2002 with the recovery of the U.S. economy although it appears to have reached at least a temporary plateau, in the neighborhood of 5% of GDP, over the last seven quarters.

Due to the current account deficit the net investment position of the United States (with direct investment valued at the current stock market value of owners’ equity) fell to a negative $2.6 trillion as of December 31, 2002, the latest date for which data are available, from a negative $2.3 trillion at the end of 2001. Despite a large negative position, U.S. residents earned $22 billion more on their foreign investments in 2003 than foreigners earned on their U.S. investments. These positive net income receipts are the result of large net inflows of income from direct investment offsetting net outflows of income on portfolio investment.

The U.S. Dollar

The Federal Reserve Board’s “broad” nominal dollar index declined 3.9% during the second half of 2003. The dollar declined 7.9% against the “major” foreign currencies (the currencies of seven industrialized economies) while rising 1.2% against “other important trading partners” (largely currencies of emerging market economies). The broad index declined 12.9% from February 27, 2002, when it reached its recent peak, through December 31, 2003.

Inflation remained subdued during this period. The consumer price index rose 1.9% over the 12 months of 2003 and the core inflation rate (excluding food and energy items) was 1.1%, the smallest increase in core consumer prices since 1966. The Federal Reserve has held the target federal funds rate at 1.0% since June.

As discussed below, the currencies of different economies showed varying degrees of flexibility relative to the dollar, as some monetary authorities sought to dampen or prevent movements of their exchange rates against the dollar while others did not intervene at all. The United States did not intervene in foreign exchange markets during the second half of 2003.

Western Hemisphere

Interest rate spreads between the Latin American component of the JPMorgan Emerging Markets Bond Index (EMBI+) and U.S. Treasury securities continued their downward trend, falling from 662 basis points at the end of June 2003 to 518 basis points by year end. The Latin American economies appear to be undergoing a recovery, with regional real GDP growth estimated at around 1.5% in 2003. The region’s current account turned to an estimated surplus of 0.2% of GDP in 2003. Canada’s economy slowed in 2003 with real GDP growth of 1.7%, while its current account remained relatively unchanged at a surplus of 2.1% of GDP.

Middle East and South Asia

Growth in the Middle East and South Asia was robust in 2003, supported by high oil prices and a quick resolution of economic uncertainties stemming from the conflict in Iraq. Oil exporting countries accounted for much of the growth, although non-oil exporting countries also experienced modest growth. With the substantial increase in the average oil price and export production volume for 2003 relative to 2002, current account surpluses skyrocketed in the oil exporting nations. Saudi Arabia’s current account surplus, for example, more than doubled from 2002 to 2003 to reach close to 13% of GDP. The majority of countries in the region maintain pegged exchange rate regimes, with many, including the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, explicitly tying their currencies to the dollar.

The Indian rupee appreciated 1.9% in nominal terms against the dollar and 1.3% on a real trade-weighted basis in the second half of 2003. India’s overall economy grew by an estimated 8.1% in 2003, compared to 4.2% in 2002, while inflation remained low at 5.4%. Despite a significant trade deficit, the current account showed a small surplus of $1.7 billion (0.4% of GDP) in the first three quarters of 2003, due to robust services earnings and transfers, compared to a surplus of $4.3 billion (1.3% of GDP) during the same period in 2002. The U.S. bilateral merchandise trade deficit with India for the second half of 2003 totaled approximately $4 billion – matching the trade deficit for the first half of the year. Foreign exchange reserves continued to increase. Foreign exchange reserves were $96.5 billion at the end of 2003, up from $78.2 billion at the end of June 2003. Indian authorities have also taken a number of steps to reduce upward pressures on the currency. In February 2004, Reserve Bank controls on capital outflows were loosened to allow resident individuals to invest up to $25,000 per year abroad without prior approval. Authorities also used growing reserves to prepay over $3 billion in external debt in 2003.

Turkey and Israel have flexible exchange rates. The Turkish lira was relatively flat between the end of June 2003 and the end of December 2003, but appreciated 17.9% in nominal terms against the U.S. dollar and 6.4% in real trade-weighted terms in 2003, due primarily to large capital inflows as confidence in the government’s economic program increased. Real GNP grew 5.9% in 2003, and inflation fell to 18.4% from 29.7% in 2002. The current account deficit in 2003 increased to 2.9% of GNP from 0.8% of GNP in 2002, with the strong real appreciation of the Lira helping import growth in intermediate and capital goods outpace strong export growth. Gross foreign exchange reserves grew $4.5 billion in the last six months of 2003, reaching $33.6 billion by end-December (or 79% of short-term external debt, residual maturity basis) as the lira’s strength gave the central bank an opportunity to build up reserves.

The Israeli shekel was relatively stable against the dollar in nominal terms, but depreciated 5.8% in real trade-weighted terms, during the second half of 2003, following 8.9% nominal dollar and 1.9% real trade-weighted appreciation in the first half of the year. GDP in Israel grew only 1.2% in 2003, following a slight contraction in 2002. Meanwhile, prices contracted 1.9%. Foreign exchange reserves climbed steadily in the same period, up 4.9% to $25.6 billion by end-December (or 88.6% of short-term external debt) from $24.4 billion at end-June. The increase in reserves was largely a result of an improved current account position and the issuance of dollar-denominated bonds guaranteed by the U.S government. The current account ended the year nearly balanced for the first time since 1990.

The Egyptian pound depreciated 23% in nominal terms against the dollar from January to June 2003, following the Egyptian government's announcement that the pound would float. The pound has remained close to LE6.2/$ since June. The differential between the official and parallel market rates reported in the press widened by 10 percentage points to approximately 15% by year-end. The current account surplus continued to expand during the second half of 2003, reaching 1.9% of GDP in the third quarter compared to 0.1% in the same quarter the year before. The growing current account surplus was due to a strong upswing in tourism receipts and the narrowing of the trade deficit, which resulted from increased oil and gas revenues and the depreciation of the Egyptian pound

Statement by Treasury Secretary John Snow Following Bilateral Meeting with Iraq

Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan and I had a very positive and constructive meeting with the Finance Minister of Iraq, Kamel al-Kaylani, and Central Bank Governor Sinan Al-Shabibi this morning. Both Iraqi officials reported that economic progress continues to take place in their country and I was pleased to hear about the ongoing economic and financial reconstruction.

The Iraqi delegation underlined that their reforms are already bearing fruit, will continue, and will last beyond the transition. Some of the most important achievements include the introduction of a new and unified national currency, increased transparency in economic policymaking, deregulation of interest rates, and the creation of new and growing opportunities for foreign banking activity. Work in progress for the creation of a T-bill market was also very welcome news. I commended Minister Kaylani and Governor Shabibi and the entire Iraqi people for their excellent progress.

thanks for the news breck

thanks for the news breck

I was thinking of looking into opening a bank account in Iraq so as to protect my dinar from a possible currency change after elections. The money would obviously automatically change to the new currency if in the hands of a bank. I'm thinking about putting in half. Does anyone with well-founded knowledge or an opinion think this is a good idea, is it feasible right now and how would I go about doing it safely. It would be earning interest instead of just sitting in my safe-deposit box and I could rule out what I feel is the only threat to our investments. I look forward to a lot of feedback.

if you allready bought your dinars its to late you cant deposit them back in all you can do is open 2 accounts 1 in u.s cash the other in iraqi dinar then wire the u.s cash in your account and they will take it out and deposit it into the dinar account.

Quick question.. what type of taxes will I have to pay when I cash in my Dinar..? I have no interest in avoiding taxes.. Will it be considered income?.. ie. state and fed taxes.. or just capital gains.. which I believe is 15%.. thanks for the help.. You guys have me freakin out about the 25,000 notes .. I have a couple mil. in that .. hope it doesn't go away..

By the way I'm stationed in Iraq right now.. one more freakin month to go and I'm outta here.. I hope the Dinar hits and makes this nightmare all worth while.. It's been one hell of an experience.. Can't wait to get home..

Ian, Don't worry about the larger notes. If there is a time when Iraq plans to phase-out the larger notes for public transactions, you will have a window of time to convert/deposit for face value. The larger notes (25000) are primarily for real estate and other commercial purchases/investments. If Iraq plans on changing currency all together, again - you will have ample time to convert the existing to any newly introduced currency. NOTE: It cost billions to print this currency, so any plans to change it in the near future would be "HIGHLY" unprobable. No worries at all to both your concerns. It would be devasting & insulting to the Iraqi people to do that again, then leave them with worthless currency in the process. It won't happen.

About TAXES: The profit made on a casual dinar sale while traveling is not taxable. Amounts of 10,000 usd and above are reported to the government via a CTR (Currency Transaction Report). This is to prevent money laundering among other crimes.

Here is the IRS link on Capital Gains:
http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article...=106799,00.html

IRS on Currency Transaction Reports
http://www.irs.gov/irs/article/0,,id=112227,00.html

IRS on money laundering:
http://www.irs.gov/irs/article/0,,id=113003,00.html

When you buy and hold a foreign currency with the intentions of an investor you will have to pay the capital gains tax (currently 15%) on any profit you make minus your basis and other transaction costs, etc. This tax was recently reduced from 20% as part of GW Bush's tax cuts.
You pay this tax as part of you annual Federal Tax Return line 13a. You may be required to prepare a schedule D along with your 1040. Any tax preparer can help you with this. H&R Block is an afordable service that provides up to the minute information and consistency in filing guidelines across their network.

GW Bush 2004

Kevin

We just purchased some of this Iraq dinars. How can I find out how it is doing? Where is a good place to see about it? And what is the value now on this? Has it gone up any lately?

Hi:
I need some advice on investing in Iraqi Dinars. I am an Indian living in the UAE. If I buy Iraqi Dinars in what way will I be profited, Since the dollar gives me a better price against the rupee compared to the Iraqi Dinar? When the Iraqi dinar picks up so will the rupee against the dollar. So will it not rather be a waste of money on commissions to agents If I buy the Dinar and then convert it into Rupees? I don't think that it is a very good idea to invest in Dinars, if the same value or better is available in Dollars, is it?
thanks,
Reuel

Kevin,

Thanks for the info.. I appreciate it.. and feel a bit better about the 25k notes..

Good luck to all that have invested in the Dinar!

Dinar Forum:

http://www.investorsiraq.com/

noel - That is an excellent idea! That is exactly what happened the last time they changed from the Saddam Dinar to the New Iraqi Dinar (NID).

Folks had that had Saddam Dinar in hand were given a 3 month period to change it, however, those with money in the bank, it automatically coverted.

I know a lot of folks are getting bank accounts for the purposes of the ISX, however, I don't ever remember seeing anyone mention this as an alternative incase they did switch currencies. I am sure alot of them will feel reassured by this extra benefit.

I am going to submit that info to the http://www.investorsiraq.com/ forum with all due credit.

Reuel - Kasahay! - down in the U.A.E.

You are not making money by converting from one currency to another right away.

I don't know what the Rupee is compared to the dollar, however, it is irrelevant. For explaining the benefit to you, here is an example, the purpose of this forum is this.

Say today: 1 Rupee = 1 Dollar = 1000 Dinar
5 Years from now: 1 Rupee = 1 Dollar = 50 Dinar
Do you see the benefit. This is not an overnight deal. And may not ever come to being. This is risky and you should only purchase what you can afford to put away in an investment for 5+ years or what you can afford to lose altogether (worse case scenario).

MWAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!!
DINAR DUPES!!!
YALL MUST BE WONDERING WHY EVERYONE IN THE MIDEAST IS SELLING DINARS FOR SUCH LOW PRICES!!
THEY ARE THERE YET THEY ARENT HOLDING ON TO THEM BUT DUMPING THEM ON IGNORANT AMERICANS!!!
AT LEAST YALL HAVE COLORFUL TOILET PAPER!!!
BUT BET YALL INVESTED IN THE ARGENTINA PESO A FEW YEARS AGO!!
SUCKERS!!!
KEEP DREAMING!!!
LOTTERY TICKETS HAVE A BETTER CHANCE!!!
AND NAME YALL NEW YACHT THE LEAKY DINGHY!!!
BWAHAHAHAHHAHAAAA!!!

OMG! Did jb.trader on ebay skipped town? :'(

http://feedback.ebay.com/ws1/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback&userid=jb.trader

yes...jbtrader is the latest gossip subject...he had no current member status on Ebay so i'm guessing those that purchased recently may be out of luck...jaki2000 on ebay...don't waste your time with other sellers.

Iraq farm reforms need global support - http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/business/2004/July/business_July492.xml§ion=business&col=

looosers,

How do you like your crow? Well done, medium, or rare! See you in 10 years so I can serve it to you personally!!! LMAO

I was initially thinking about buying Dinars from an aquantance in Kuwait for $750.00 I could have got a Million, now that same Mil goes about $715. Im here in Iraq. The Dinar will lose. Soldiers are being killed. These people are used to tyrants and couldnt begin to even react to freedom. They think freedom is being able to wear a NIKE hat. The people are lazy...lazy....lazy. These people have been fighting forever. They only know fear. They will never let thier Women vote,work, drive or even go outside. They do not value life...only what is thiers. The only Iraqis that pretend to care for americans are those who we employ (hence the KBR blinders)....they would stab us in the back in a minute. (the reason KBR people are touting dinar investment is because they are selling them to you idiots and getting rich.) The terrorist are gaining favor with the populas. Reality is....Bush and the republicans will probably not fight to hard to be reelected as he knows this is a loss, why not just let Kerry get elected, and let the Democrats take the historical blame for Iraq ? Because thats when its going to fall apart. Then after the entire middle east is annihilated by one another fighting for Iraqs oil, who will buy your Dinar? Its worthless....and thats not an opine........its fact.

IM Here,

I'm stationed here in Iraq and run up and down the highways everyday.. I see a crap load of stuff .. You are right about military personel losing their lives.. and I wish Iraq would take more of a role in this situation, however a couple of corrections.. women do work here.. in fact they do 99.9% of the field work.. I've personally seen them harvesting fields every day.. 10,000 women have been hired for the new Iraqi Army and are currently being trained.. The University of Iraq just graduated 32 women doctors, attorneys, acoountants etc. they are moving in the right direction.. slowly ... but they are..

How do you explain the value of the Dinar (Pre-Gulf 1 Dinar = $3.31) ... it is going to go up... bottom line, if it just goes up to 1 dinar = 1 penny we have made a great return on a small investment... Patients is the key..

IAN - Absolutely!

In response to 'Im here'. For those who have been serving SINCE Vietnam........I think there is a 'dink' in the wire.....

Hello all... Just recieved yet another shipment of 25K NID, but unlike the others recieved from our friends in Jordan, these came from Bahrain. They are obviously authentic, but many have staple holes in them and writing upon them. Is this a problem?

IM HERE

Maybe physically but not mentally. Let me guess you were in the Michael Moore Movie crying like a little bitch.

grow a brain suckers!!
am so sure the kurds and shiites and sunnis will iss and make up!!!
and the insurgents and terrorists wont keep blowing things up!!
why not invest in a pawn shop in the south bronx or a candy store in newark?
the bremer dinar will be burned just like saddams was.
whoever comes into power there will choose a new currency.
if america was invaded and the invaders installed a currency,
not many americans would want to keep it!!!
but the americans fighting for their freedom would also be called "terrorists"by the invading country!!

Your a tool getreal. Stay off this blog and go wallow in your own world of negativity and despair, or better yet, just end it all right now. Sounds like you'll be better off that way douchebag!

timmy faggot name tortellini is a typical dumb guinea greaseball wop.
bahfongoo dumb ugly american wop!!!
the whole world chanting osama!osama! and 9/11s every day! must make yall hicks feel good!!
MWAHAHAHAHAAA!!
THE WHOLE WORLD CANT WAIT FOR THE NUKES BURIED UNDER YOUR CITIES AND THE VIRUSES PLANTED ALL OVER YOUR COUNTRY TO GO OFF!!
AMERICA WILL REMEMBERED AS THE ONLY COUNTRY IN WORLD HISTORY THE WHOLE WORLD HATED WITH THE ONLY GENETIC UGLY AMERICAN MUTTS THE WHOLE HUMAN RACE CONSIDERED BORN KILLERS AND RAPISTS!!!
THE DAY YALL INBREDS DIE WILL BE THE DAY THE WHOLE WORLD CELEBRATES EVERY YEAR!!
MWAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAAAA!!!!

man, this is getten ugly! SPRECHEN of UGLY, you are so far off. I am surprised that you are using such big words and have such a big imagination for someone with a 4th grade education and the maturity of a 13 year old. You must have spent 3 days to come up with that. So, looosers or uglyamerican or who ever you will come back as just keep writing so we can trianglate (look it up), then wait for the blue screen.

Everyone - I have to tell you, this UGLYAMERICAN or is it LOOOSERS who has entered his comments makes me laugh very hard. The way I see it, it only makes me feel so good and so much more superior "Intellectually" each time I read this poor souls ramblings. Aside from laughing so hard, I kind of feel sorry for the obvious disability he has (maybe a disabled Vietnam vet who took a mortar on the head or some other form of traumatic brain injury). We really can't be sure. Lets not be too hard on him. Just let it make your day like I do. A good laugh never hurts anyone. Cheers to all those dinar investors. Have a good one.

Does anyone know if there is any changes in the Dinars lately? What is the predictions on this money and where can I find out about their changes and how do I know if the change is good or not. Anyone know anything that can help me better understand about this Dinar money and what the value is to the American dollar.

My brother is over seas in Iraq and I guess the buzz is that in January there is going to be movement in the Dinar, right now you can't do anything with it other than to buy it and sell it in Iraq. However after the elections in January 2005 it will all change, which could mean it starts trading in the public exchanges.

So in 5 months I'll see if my brother is right.

You can find the exchange rate here:

http://finance.yahoo.com/currency/convert?amt=1&from=USD&to=IQD&submit=Convert

The best ways to track dinar and Iraq progress are at these web pages:
www.iraqdaily.com
www.imf.org/external/country/IRQ/
www.khaleejtimes.com/sectionhome
www.isx-iq.net/page/serv.htm
www.portaliraq.com
www.iraqprocurement.com/index.htm

Its sad that cranky old Viet Nam vets that were in this same situation years ago have to take stabs at us fighting this one. Yes there is a "Dink in the wire" and apparently Casca is the Jane Fonda (just a jest, dont get mad) supporter of this one. He dosnt even have the sack to use the term "GOOK" which he knows he used back then....at least he was polite enough to be politically correct...maybe he has matured since the nam?
I do have hope for this country....I pray that it suceeds. It really is great to see the children run out and wave, thumbs-up, and even give the devil horn signs to our convoys as we pass. Never before in history has the chance for freedom and peace been so apparent as today..right now. I just dont believe that we are doing enough to push it over the edge. Yes I did watch the Micheal Moore movie....it was an attack on George Bush and fed the Liberals all the crap they could eat. But it was more than the rest of the media outlets care to show the public. I just dont think that without the rest of the world on our side we (a christian nation)can win over the Iraqi people from the islam based terrorist, and its not about religeon its about affiliations and cultures that we are not in tune with. I dont have an answer or a strategy to win or get us out of here. I do know that our (military) leadership is trying very very hard and communicating with the local leaders,,to have them resist threats from terrorist organizations.
Yes Women work in the fields and are getting educations... in the major cities they even have real jobs. But they still get beat on a regular basis, have to take a backseat to men, it will be a long time before they are treated as equals.
Another thing...The average Joe sees this as a war to support the rich (KBR/Haliburton etc.) as well as a way for has been retirees to get a boost to thier meager retirements. Its real sad to watch these civilian merceneries in thier suburbans roll 70 MPH down Tampa so they can get the next meal in the "Green Zone" and walk around with thier desert eagle on "Red" so they can order the latest gadget from Ranger Joes. Oh yeah...by the way....unless you are totally buff....do not wear the new Under Armour skin tight wick-dry t-shirts. its frigging Hillarious watching some 40 somthing with a spare tire and nipples try to pack his gut into a size XS skin tight t-shirt.

Is there any new news on which banks in the states will be exchanging NID when it opens on the world market. I read somewhere that Chase would not. I have contacted Wachovia in Atlanta, still waiting for a reply. I heard a nasty rumor the other day that the NID was going to open at 2-3 cent(some educated economist).Still a reasonable profit,but not enough for my new boat.

'Im here' apparently doesn't read closely either. I referred to those serving since RVN. That means all of us who served there and continue to serve. You know, Grenada- when you were potty training-, P'ma, Desert Storm (desert one- if you know that one), the Mog and other places. Yea, some guys got out after RVN, did some college and came back. And no, we are not the out of shape troops you described....I wonder just what kind of shape you are in. It is a difficult time sweating it out and sending email. I have enjoyed it since I got back in May, but didn't have the chance while deployed- like some lucky folks. I have to honestly say that I haven't been in a base that had that luxury. Got A/C too? It sucks over there and it is very dangerous in some spots all of the time and all spots some of the time. I guess it just matters where you are.....Oh, by the way, those old fat guys with the gadgets? Those are issued for the most part, and they didn't get those jobs because of their email posting skills, most of them are SOF guys- with a lot of experience. So, if you are looking for a job after you get back, see your Ranger/SF/SEAL recruiter. After you have grown-up there and if you are real healthy, you know what I mean-look good in your underarmor- then go see the boys 'across the fence'. Naw, I apologize, those jobs are for barrel chested freedomfighters. Be careful and be proud of what you are doing over there, we all appreciate your service.

Casca,
No need to get personal, Im sure you are a Barrel Chested Freedom Fighter, and I dont feel the need to justify my career of 19 years to you or anyone else. Its not what you've done so much as what you are doing right now and like you said, I am proud of what Im doing so I will be careful and appreciate your appreciation and am honored to serve, I apologize, I was a little brash when describing the retirees. Its just where the hell do they find the time to put moose in ther hair?
I just dont know about this get rich quick stuff...I hope it pans out as I am considering purchasing Dinar, even if I invest 700-800 i've lost more in a day at the crap table so I guess its worth the risk.
I do have AC but only turn it on when the engins running, MANTECH does an outstanding job of keeping it charged. I just think that no matter how bad I got it some poor SOB always has it worse. Things are improving all the time on the FOBs but the situation on the outside is looking grim. I guess only time will tell, but its looking like its going to get worse for a while.
Saying that I think the Dinar will fall a little more against the dollar. I consider myself to be in great shape but all the guys look at me allready in my normal T-shirt (my nipples get hard really easy) (34C) I wouldnt dare wear one of those tight ones maybe on R&R with some daisy dukes and some pumps. Maybe my email address threw you off.

Im here,

O. K.

Investing in the new currency is speculation, just like any other investment. No one really knows. NO guarantee's...I see it like investing in a particular company (Iraq is our company). Even though there are several challenges that require time to resolve, the LONG-TERM is what each of us should focus on. This is no get-rich QUICK investment, although I truly believe it will produce a nice return in a relatively short-term (12-18 months)- (.05 to .10 cents/$1 US). Iraq sits on an ocean of oil, holds an overwhelming supply of natural gas, figs, palm tree's, water (Euphrates & Tigris rivers), an agricultural potential difficult to compehend and very determined/proud people. Potential for longer-term: .40 cents to $1 plus (2-5 yrs out). The Iraqi Stock Exchange is going crazy with only 27 companies, with another 100 companies jumping on board very soon. Yep, I think this company holds great potential once the current smoke cloud clears. Patients & Time. Good Luck to All Who Invested..

Kevin

ATTENTION EVRYONE YOU CAN START AN ACCOUNT WITH BANKS IN IRAQ. I have started one with Warka Investment bank. LISTEN, If the dinar is change d to a different currency. you will not have to go to Iraq to Exchange it. If you have an Warka Investment Bnak account once the Iraqi dianr starts to gain value HIgh denominations of Iraqi dinar will be be dismised as legal tender such as the 25000, 10000, 5,000 . You will afcourse get a time period of 3 months to do so. If you have an account then The Iraqi Dinars that you put in that account will atamatically will be given to you in the currentcy type that is allowed at that time.
Example:
if you have 1 25000 Iraqi dinar note you would have to go to iraq and exchange it for 2 10000 Iraqi dinar notes and 1 5,000 Iraqi Dinar note. But if you have an an savings account with an Iraq bank like Warka iinvestment bank then it will automatically be done for you. You will not have to go all the way to Iraq. And you know what the best part is. When you open accouns with the bank it is best to open a Dollar savings account and an Iraqi Dinar account. Warka will buy Iraqi dianr at the value that the Central bank if Iraq outs it out for that day. And they are also on the ISX board. I am going to start ivesting in their bank as soon as I am allowed to.
Here is the email address you can use to get a hold of Warka Investment bank warkabank@hotmail.com or warkabank@yahoo.com.

If you want to open any type of account with them you have to send them a copy of your drivers license with your picture on it. A letter that states that you want A dollar account and an Iraqi Dinar account and one nmore thing. Iforget bt if you want to call them Just ask for Randda B. Al-Shakir. The number for the bank Is 964(country code) 1 717-2045. They will answer in their Iraqi language so just keep saying the word English and Randda's name. The bank is also on the cpa.gove page. Oh and by the way teh Iraq Stock Exchange is the fact of the day on thewhitehouse.gov page. Soon all of our money problems will be answerd and we will never have to work ever again. Friends will are creating a great future and in order to acomplish our goals we must stick together.

ATTENTION EVRYONE YOU CAN START AN ACCOUNT WITH BANKS IN IRAQ. I have started one with Warka Investment bank. LISTEN, If the dinar is change d to a different currency. you will not have to go to Iraq to Exchange it. If you have an Warka Investment Bnak account once the Iraqi dianr starts to gain value HIgh denominations of Iraqi dinar will be be dismised as legal tender such as the 25000, 10000, 5,000 . You will afcourse get a time period of 3 months to do so. If you have an account then The Iraqi Dinars that you put in that account will atamatically will be given to you in the currentcy type that is allowed at that time.
Example:
if you have 1 25000 Iraqi dinar note you would have to go to iraq and exchange it for 2 10000 Iraqi dinar notes and 1 5,000 Iraqi Dinar note. But if you have an an savings account with an Iraq bank like Warka iinvestment bank then it will automatically be done for you. You will not have to go all the way to Iraq. And you know what the best part is. When you open accouns with the bank it is best to open a Dollar savings account and an Iraqi Dinar account. Warka will buy Iraqi dianr at the value that the Central bank if Iraq outs it out for that day. And they are also on the ISX board. I am going to start ivesting in their bank as soon as I am allowed to.
Here is the email address you can use to get a hold of Warka Investment bank warkabank@hotmail.com or warkabank@yahoo.com.

If you want to open any type of account with them you have to send them a copy of your drivers license with your picture on it. A letter that states that you want A dollar account and an Iraqi Dinar account and one nmore thing. Iforget bt if you want to call them Just ask for Randda B. Al-Shakir. The number for the bank Is 964(country code) 1 717-2045. They will answer in their Iraqi language so just keep saying the word English and Randda's name. The bank is also on the cpa.gove page. Oh and by the way teh Iraq Stock Exchange is the fact of the day on thewhitehouse.gov page. Soon all of our money problems will be answerd and we will never have to work ever again. Friends will are creating a great future and in order to acomplish our goals we must stick together.

warka has a hotmail email address? is this legit?

Dan,

I agree with Frank. Warka@yahoo.com or warka@hotmail.com ??? Something fishy about that for a legitimate bank... Hope this is not one of those; "here today, gone tomorrow banks"...My gut say's this Warka Investment Bank is not legit, or if it is, it won't be for long! Any other opinions or feedback on this Warka Investment Bank and US citizens being able to open accounts ???

Dan, what makes you think you'll only have 3 MO's to make the transaction from large bills to small? That not even logically thinking. They will stay good just pull out maybe the general common transaction, use with big companies etc. Please don't put that kind of info out unless you have a solid lead to the facts etc. Thanks Breck

Hey All
The Warka Bank is legit.Its even listed on the Iraqi stock exchange.Go over to www.investorsiraq.com and you'll find a thread about it along with alot of other info

Hello, if any one wants you can contact me at chadjohnson4prez@yahoo i like men and will wear whatever you want me too. Send me picks of your fat hairy ass and I will send pictures of my bald litle boy wienie.

I'm pretty sure that the IRAQ internet domain hasn't been approved for use yet, so ALL business's in Iraq will have some external email address like .com .net etc.... Of course be careful, but be educated as well....

I have received an email from Warka investment bank and I have wired them some money via Jordan Natioanl Bank PLC. Warka National bank has an account with them. The way that it works is like this. My credit uunion sends money to Jordan National Bnak and puts that money into an account that is given to warka investment bank. when it is put in warka investment banks' account number they are notified of the transaction. then they take that money and put it in my account that they have set up for me. Look just call them at 964(country code) 1 717-2045 and ask for Randda B. Al-Shakir. She works for the international department. You need to understand that most of these banks are very small. You are investing in Iraq's future. when Iraq becomes stable againg just think about the amountg of money thta you will make. You do not have tgo start an account if you do not want to, There is a risk with every invesment. but this is a risk that I am willing to take.

I meant Warka Invesment Bank.

Dan, How do know that the higher denominations like 25,000 10,000 and 5,000 notes are going to be dismissed as legal tender? Do you know that $10,000 5,000 and 1,000 dollar bills exist in the U. S and are still legal tender but are not available to the public? I'm pretty sure that once the dinar starts to appreciate they will take the higher bills out of circulation when people put them in the banks and replace them with smaller denominations, but this will not devaluate already printed bills. If you know something for sure that I don't know please let me in on it.

Noel
Dan is correct in saying that the larger bills will eventually be taken out of circulation.Once Iraqs economy grows stronger and the dinar value grows it will be harder to use them.Kind of like paying for a happy meal with a 5000 dollar bill.But you are also correct in saying that banks will hold them and replace them with smaller bills.

Two questions actually,

1) Where can I find 20 year charts on the IRAQ Dinar & Kuwait Dinar vs. USD?

2) What is the cheapest SAFE place to get the IRAQ Dinar?
I am getting ready to get another Million and the guy I get it from charges me $1050.
He will not bring the price down to $999 unless I get 25 Million or more.

Your help is appreciated.

Thanks!

Two questions actually,

1) Where can I find 20 year charts on the IRAQ Dinar & Kuwait Dinar vs. USD?

2) What is the cheapest SAFE place to get the IRAQ Dinar?
I am getting ready to get another Million and the guy I get it from charges me $1050.
He will not bring the price down to $999 unless I get 25 Million or more.

Your help is appreciated.

Thanks!

Notre dame
try this site for iqd history--not sure if it goes back as far twenty years
http://www.x-rates.com/d/IQD/USD/hist2003.html

for physical dinar i would got to amer on ebay. his user name is dima89, very reliable
you can also consider an iraqi bank account as dan describes above, and have usd changed into dinar after deposit, at the cbi rate for the day
the cbi auction results are posted daily at
http://www.cbiraq.org/cbs6.htm

investorsiraq.com also has informative info
all the best,
jules

Has anyone purchased dinar from a website and actually had it reviewed for authenticity? If so, can you tell me who to buy it from? There are many sites, however, they can simply have it printed in a print shop and sell it. I believe in this but would like to know that I have the real thing.

To answer both Russ and Notre Dame: Buy from Amer or Jaki2000 on Ebay. Roughly $900 per mil. Regarding the counterfeit, it's virtually impossible to do with this money. Infrared marks, woven threads, raised colored stamps, horse head water mark etc...The Dinar was printed in Britain and not in Iraq. The only counterfeit rumor I've heard was regarding the 250 Dinar in Baghdad, but it was never confirmed by any source.

LISETEN EVERYONE DONOT BUY ANYMORE DINARS FROM THE PEOPLE ON THE IINETRNET OPEN AN IRAQ BANK ACCOUNT. they will give you the best price and they will also invest in the Iraq Stock Exchange if you wan tthem to. Warka Investment Bank is one of two banks that allows foreigners to open Iraq and Us dollar account. They will exchange the US dollar for 1,460 ID to 1 US dollar. these people are just making millions off the honest man. If you do not belve me then just call the Iraq bankj yourself. Ask for Randda B. Al-Shakir she is the international department there. 964 country code of Iraq 1 717-2045.

Making money off honest men? That means what? They provide a service and act as a middle man. Their services only costs less than $300 per order. That is well worth their time and effort. I wouldn't trust any bank account without the currency in my possession. Until international banks are allowed into Iraq, I won't be putting any money in there.

It sure is nice to have the middle man get you what you want, buut whaat happens when the Iraqi Dinar appreciates and they decide to withdrawl high denomination Iraqi Dinars. Lets just say that the 25000 Iraqi Dinar was deemed non legal tender. The Iraqi government will give you three months or so to exchange it. Well lets just say that The Iraqi Dinar was not allowed to be traded in abanks in your country. After those 3 mopnths are up you just got screwed by the middle man. Do you think that the middle man will will exchange the 25000 Iraqi Dinars for the denominations that are still in affect. NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The middle man only cares about him or herself. If you already have an Iraqi Dinar bank account then you wont have to exchange it because those 25000 Iraqi Dinars are already in the Iraq bank. So you will always get the right type of denomination you need without the middleman. Yes there is a risk with every investmnt. But then again that is what we are all doing, putting our money into some thing that could possibly make us millionares. I am just trying to tell you that you can get a better deal somewhere else. So with that said STOP GETTING RIPPED OF AND OPEN AN ACCOUNT WITH AN IRAQ BANK. I have two account with Al-Warka Invesment Bank. One is a US dollar savings account and the other is an Iraqi Dinar savings account. Teh reason why I have a US dollar account is because I wire them US dollars. they exchange the US dollar to the Iraqi Dianr at 1460 ID to 1 US dollar. So you get a hell of a lot more out of it. OH did I mention the fact that Al-Warka Investment Bank has Iraq Stock Exchange brokers that will buy Irai stocks when the ISX allows foreigners to invest in the Iraq Stock Exchange. WHEN WILL THE MIDDLE MAN DO THAT FOR YOU. The Al-Warka Investment Bank website is warkabank.com. If you want to get a hold of them then ust email them at warkabank@hotmail.com or warkabank@yahoo.com. Or you can call them at 964 country code 1 717-2045. You can find their address on the Central Bank Of Iraq website at cbiraq.org. click on Bank menu. when you call Ask for Randda B. Al-Shakir, She is the International department representative.

US has lift the sanction of IRAQ. Time is coming faster than what I thought. I hope everyone is ready!!

Mike who told you about this news US lift sanction from iraq?

go to this site http://www.iraqdaily.com/ and then go to iraq economy. you will read it there. Let me know if you find it. I got excited when I read it. Brazil Here I come!!

Russ/Notre Dame,

I'm a Yank living in Jordan and can get you a good price if interested. $875/million, priority. Good luck to you.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200407/s1165244.htm

actually if you paste this, it will take you right to the US LIFT SANCTIONS ON IRAQ.

2004-08-02 1457.484538 -0.234%
2004-08-01 1460.903646 0.000%
2004-07-31 1460.903646 0.000%
2004-07-30 1460.903646 -1.154%
2004-07-29 1477.953276 -0.095%
2004-07-28 1479.351371 +1.261%

Last Update: Friday, July 30, 2004. 10:10am (AEST)
US lifts Iraq sanctions
United States President George W Bush has lifted sanctions placed on Iraq when Iraq was run by Saddam Hussein, who was toppled last year by US-led troops.

"I have determined that the situations that gave rise to these national emergencies have been significantly altered by the removal of the regime of Saddam Hussein and other developments," Mr Bush said.

US and United Nations sanctions were put into place after Saddam's army invaded neighbouring Kuwait in 1990.

"This action is consistent with United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1483 and 1546, of May 22, 2003, and June 8, 2004, respectively, which substantially lifted the multilateral economic sanctions against Iraq," the statement said.

Still in place are measures such as the freezing of assets linked to Saddam's regime.

The United States transferred power to Iraqis a month ago, putting an end to the US-led occupation.

-- AFP

BAGHDAD, Iraq July 18, 2004 — The miniature Liberty Bell clanged. Elbows flew. Sweat poured down foreheads. Sales tickets were passed and, with a flick of the wrist, 10,000 shares of the Middle East Bank had more than doubled in value. The frantic pace Sunday of those first 10 minutes of trading typified the enthusiasm behind the Iraq Stock Exchange a new institution seen as a critical step in building a new Iraqi economy.
In just five sessions, trading volume has nearly quadrupled and the value of some stocks has surged more than 600 percent, gains traders say reflects the pent up frustration of 15 months of closure.

"Look at these prices," he said, glancing at the board showing offers for one industrial company at about 25 dinars, almost two-tenths of a cent. "These shares are ridiculously undervalued. That's why prices are surging as much as 600 percent from day-to-day."

The exchange was inaugurated last month and is open two days a week for two hours a day. Sunday's session was the first open to the media.

Officials say they hope that in a month they will have all 120 companies previously listed on the old exchange on the new ISX's "big board" actually 27 small white boards, where workers record trades with markers.

The added bonus will be opening the door for foreign investment. The legal framework is in place, but the details have yet to be completed.

"My hope would be that they would quickly encourage foreign investment," Nobel Laureate and University of Chicago economist Gary Becker told The Associated Press by telephone. "Foreign investors often want to make sure they have majority ownership."

Do NOT trust your IQD to an Iraqi Bank! I am in Iraq and the Iraqi customs agents are confiscating IQD from any non-Iraqi trying to leave the country. It is a big thing here for those of us in country. The Iraqis do not want the dinar to leave the country. The BANKS are not to be trusted either! If you pay a little more to go through a middleman, do it! Keep your IQD in a safe and secure place. It is going to explode sooner than people think. Not only are they taking IQD, they are also taking artifacts, jewlery, gold, and anything else they deem to be Iraqs. Unless you are an Iraqi in Iraq, be safe and keep it close! They will not just one day say,"hey all the large bills are no good!" Common, they need large denominations for large buisness transactions. These bills will be in circulation until the Iraqi Government changes all their money to a different note.

Please, can someone tell me where to buy the Iraqi dinar? Thank you, from here in Texas!

jo go to http://www.investorsiraq.com/index.php?
we have a offical board seller named amer we get a special rate cheaper then anyone else and cheaper then ebay but you gotta join up first ;)

Tony,

Thanks. We are in unchartered waters and are in need of help and guidance. May I ask how you paid for your dinar? And thanks again.

Jo

i sent money order

I'm selling IRAQI Dinar for $900/Mil I get it from my brother who is a Marine MP in Iraq it will ake about 2 weeks or so .... if you would like to purchase an amount email me or call me 262-751-5110 my brother buys about a million or 2 a week.

a marine MP?....never heard of one. but i am sure he is in some kind of military service. but what he/you are doing is not legal. i am sure the corp would like to know. thanks for your number bryan.

Buy from Amer at investorsiraq.com, or Jaki2000 on Ebay, both sell for $890 plus shipping. Use your CREDIT CARD, you have fraud protection. both sellers can be trusted if you send a money order, just takes a week or more longer. don't trust other sellers, go back and read more in this forum or the fatwallet theads, there are scam artists out there. good luck.

TO ALL YOU DINAR SPECULATORS

I am working closing with the Iraqi government and am very well connected. I have been reading all of your comments with a great deal of interest. I too am considering buying dinars and at today's rate can get about 100,000 for as little as $170. BUT LETS GET REAL. The first people who started buying substantial amounts of Iraqi Dinars were the Egyptians - last October they were getting about 550 Dinars per $1. Now the Dinar is worth over 3 times less. In a matter of months they have lost a fortune. THE IRAQI DINAR IS WORTHLESS. Forget comparisons with Kuwait in 1992 and forget comparisons with Afghanistan - Iraq has many more problems and issues. Firstly, by buying Dinars you are effectively lending the Central bank of Iraq interest free money, when you might normally expect up to 20%. The value of the currency is entirely dependent on the Central Bank and to cope with instability they might have to resort to hyperinflation (see Argentina and Brazil as recent examples). If hyperinflation kicks in you might as well go down the bank withdraw $1,000 and flush it down the toilet. Secondly, the Iraqi Dinar is not pegged to anything (dollars, euros, commodities such as oil) - their is no stability. Thirdly, for the Dinar to maintain its rate, it is entirely in the hands of the integrity of the Central Bank to maintain its position. Fourthly, this is still an interim government; a new government may step in and devalue or even reissue the currency, hence wiping out all current investment. Next, I hear everyone banging on about oil and that this is what makes investment in the Dinar a guaranteed surefire winner - well take a look at other oil producing countries with dodgy economies and weak currencies - Venezuela, Indonesia and Nigeria. Would you invest in their currencies? And finally, you have all seem to forgotten the ONE BIG SPANNER IN THE WORKS: $120bn of foreign debt Iraq has to suffer. The likes of the French and Russians are not keen to wipe out the debt and generally there is little enthusiasm in the international community (except Great Britain). All in all in the Iraqi Dinar is totally worthless. forget comparisons with the days of Saddam. It is even worth nearly 4 times less than 10 months ago. And if you do buy dinars, who can you sell them to. My instinct is that one day the Iraqi economy economy will be stable and stronger from oil revenues, and hence the currency will be stronger. But it could take as long as 20 years to pay off its international debts. If you buy dinars, who can you sell them back to over the next five years? Beware of web-scams and people jumping on the bandwagon. Remember, in a gold rush its those who make the picks and shovels that make the real money. Happy hunting guys.

Hi DeepSpace,

What a nice advisment !!! and what a nice article.
but I not convienced by your words.
first, 50-80% of the foreign debt will be canceled due to the mutual gains among the countries (USA, Europe, Middle East).

Its very clear that the oil will play a major role to detemine the NIQD price (ask yourself why America occuppied iraq!!!!).
The oil price today is 44$ and its expected to be 50$ meanwhile OPIC can not control it. (Why).

Deepspace - You need to read and understand more. You are obviously half way informed about this currency matter. The Iraqi Dinar will be pegged to either oil, US dollar, Euro and/or perhaps gold or a combination of). That is still pending and exactly why this is so exciting! The World Bank in Iraq will be the final building block to establish this "pegging" and exchange rate. Once this opening exchange rate is determined, banks will then gradually recognize the dinar for world exchange. Sanctions were just lifted 2 days ago, and Bush has encouraged all other contries to follow the US and start trade with Iraq. This will only happen with an Iraq currency that has reasonable value. You getting the picture yet??? The people also need a currency that is at or close to what it was last year (.31 cents) to give them hope and incentive to want to defend and build their country. That won't happen at the current (unoffical exchange rate) which is close to worthless. Focus on the big picture...

Reply to Kevin & Mons

I thought from my article it is clear that I am focussing on the big picture. That is, profiting from the Iraqi Dinar in the next five years looks like a long-shot (not so long that it wont stop me taking up a few hundred dollars worth - money I can afford to lose). In the meantime the real way to make money is to prey on the extremely optimistic views of nearly all the people on this forum. Hence my quote: make picks and shovels for those digging for gold. I see websites such as PortalIraq are offering IQD1,070 for $1 when the current exchange rate is IQD1,460 for $1. Now that's what I call making a quick buck. As for stating that the IQD will be pegged - that is pure speculation. I met Dr Sinan, Governor of the Central Bank of Iraq 2 months ago in which he stated that the value of the IQD would be maintained within the current framework set-out by the Central Bank Laws. He and no other Iraqi official from the Ministry of Finance have made any statement (public or private) stipulating a strategy based on pegging the currency. Furthermore, The World Bank has made no statements in regard to pegging the IQD (and it does not have the authority to do so). Stories relating to pegging have been doing the rounds amongst international economists, but this is not Central Bank or Iraqi Government policy. In fact the economic argument against pegging is very strong: A currency that is tightly linked to the dollar would also make it harder for the government of Iraq to manage its dependence on oil revenues. The dollar revenue from oil sales is highly volatile, so the government would have trouble paying the same dollar salary when oil is at $30 a barrel and when oil is at $50 a barrel. Rather than matching expenses and revenues by paying dollar salaries that vary in line with global oil prices, it is far easier to pay salaries in a local currency and let the value of the local currency fluctuate against the dollar. Pegging, to the dollar or commodities or any form of "basket" looks very, very unlikely. As for lifting of sanctions, it is not relevant at this stage, as all foreign companies involved in Iraq will simply not accept payment in IQD. In regard to the price of oil - this will certainly help Iraq's foreign currency reserves. But they are still stuck on about 2.3m bpd (same as pre-war). The target is to double that to near 5m bpd by the end of the decade. My question is: If you are so keen to speculate on the strength of the Iraqi Dinar on the basis of the price of oil - then why not just speculate on the price of oil??? At least you have buyers as well as sellers! Finally, I do hope your right about the foreign debt. THIS IS THE KEY TO EVERYTHING. The 50-80% figure has been muted around the world, but in reality there has been no progress on this whatsoever and it is unlikely there will be any until the next G8 meetings in 2005. Hence, my emphasis on similar debt countries as Venezuela and Indonesia. So long as the debt issue is unresolved the IQD will remain extremely weak and vulnerable to hyperinflation. The purpose of my piece(s) is not be half or fully informed or some kind of guru, it is simply to play devil's advocate based on current knowledge against all the blind optimism I hear from soldiers and contractors (and people on this forum) who are buying Iraqi Dinars and effectively lending the country money, interest free. Start a website, get a Jordanian truck driver (with a gun) crazy enough to get the Dinars out of Baghdad and sell them to all the people in the world who dream of turning a few hundred bucks into a few hundred thousand. I believe the word is: ALCHEMY.

Deepspace - Since you have all the answers and the ultimate prophecy on the dinar, Don't buy any dinar then! That's my advise to you. I will be happier, and you obviously will be. Go put your money in a money market account and get 1.5%.

Kevin

Deepspace,

Please don't pay attention to the purile comments of Kevin: I hope this doesn't discourage you from posting your well informed comments that help to establish the dialectic that's nec. to make informed decisions. As you probably know,. there are many who's passion- wants get in the way of their reasoning. I just purchased 5 million IQD and I classify this expenditure the same way I'd classify a Vegas outing-- ie: money that I'm prepared to (relatively) painlessly walk away from. Please keep up your insightful comments!

Thanks,
Jmac

Jmac - "Insightful comments" and BASICALLY -outright negative, pessimistic comments that leads people to doubt this venture are entirely two separate things. If someone has positive news to report, then do so. That's the purpose of this forum. It's always easy to spout negativity & doubt. It takes time & effort to find good things, and then share it with others.

Kevin

Kevin,

My point is that Deepaspace is obviously in a positon to supply us with information about our investments-- he has met with people that have information before we get it through articles many of which have been written by those hawking IQD's. He hasn't said anything that that hasn't been said before in other articles slightly critical of this latest (fools?) goldrush. You'd see this if you'd allowed yourself to track down/take in "fair and balanced" information. Deepspace just gives us more details since he's in a position to do so.

People, especially Americans, like to gamble and that's why the IQD has such a following. However, there are some of us, from the finance sector, who chose to receive unadulterated info about our investments. You're setting yourself (and others who can perhaps less afford it)up for failure if you limit yourself to selective hearing.

I doubt what we talk about here is going to effect the IQD value in the marketplace-- if I thought this true, I'd be extolling it's virtues right now.

Jmac

Jmac,

I will side with Kevin here, simply based on this person casually making the comment; "I met Dr Sinan, Governor of the Central Bank of Iraq 2 months ago in which he stated that the value of the IQD would be maintained within the current framework set-out by the Central Bank Laws. He and no other Iraqi official from the Ministry of Finance have made any statement (public or private) stipulating a strategy based on pegging the currency". Is this person trying to impress us with his contacts and meeting people of great influence inside Iraq?? Is this really true OR is there an ego issue here with a person trying frantically to convince himself he is a very important person in the world community, thus trying to convey his opinion about this opportunity?? We will never know for sure. If a person is REALLY busy meeting & engaging conversation with high ranking officails and discussing finacial matters effecting an entire country such as this individual claims, I find it to be slighty odd he then can actually find time to stumble onto this website, and convey his comments (AKA: overall negative opinion/viewpoint). It is clear he has serious doubts about the currency. I believe it to be equally clear this person is full of %$#@! with his meeting certain officals. We have already made our investments! I concur with Kevin - limit your posts to positive entries that DO NOT create doubt in what we have already done & speculated on. That is parting with our money in hopes to make more.

Yeah, Whatever Kevin and Ben says!! We are goin to be rich BITCH!!! I am Rick James!!! Dinars are going to rise faster then people think.
A) Most important Sanction Lifted!
B) NO SADDAM!
C)Most of the debt if not all, will be wiped away!
D)OIL
E)GOLD
F)Natural Gas
G)Coal
H)New money
I)Many Companies are investing in Iraq
J)Many Banks are trying to get in, but only a few is allowed as of now but more at the beginning of the year
K)Did I mention OIL
L)Look at the other Arab countries They are RICH!!
M)All the money the U.N (United States and Britain mainly) are putting in to rebuild Iraq
N)I Forgot, New Government
O)JOBS JOBS JOBS will be alot of Jobs in Iraq
P)They got their own Stock Exchange
Q)Oh yeah, OIL!!!
R)Relief!!
S)Many, And I do Many, people are expecting the dinar to go up. I am not talking about us the pions. I am talking about..
T)United States
U)Britain
V)Russia
W)Italy
X)France
Y)United Nations
Z)OH yeah, the most important reason why the dinars will rise is because of....OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL!!!!

I rest all the people's case who knows the truth!! ENOUGH SAID!!

Agreed.

Deepspace: If the best you can do is 100k dinars for $170 (that's $1700 per mil) -- how well connected can you be?

Jmac

Mike - Well said brother ! Some people are just not happy unless they can hear themselves talk and attempt to sound intelligent... Some people are just not happy unless they can rain on your parade & make others as miserable as they are. People like Deepshit can't stand it whenever others succeed or if other might do well. ** Bottomline: ** Since all of us already invested in this currency, what did Deepshit think he would accomplish by making these negative-psycho-babble comments??? Was he trying to make us feel good about what we already invested in? I think not. I think his intentions were less than honorable, yet concealed in an attempt to sound well connected & semi-intelligent. **Lets stick to positive news & updates, OK?

Kevin

Hey Mike
You forgot to mention the dates and palm trees. Those are also plentiful in Iraq

I was wondering I have a nephew in the marines and was wondering if it is illegal for him to send me money to sell....or even for him to send me money?? also how are people getting money to iraq cuz fedex wouldnt send cash and how are they getting the money out of iraq???

Thank you,
Jay

Bryan I mean Jay,
ask around in investorsiraq.com maybe you will learn there

Gues what guys,
As you all well know I opened two Iraq bank accounts with Al-Warka investment Bank in Bghdad Iraq. I have wired them money and are in the process to put it in my US dollar account. Warka Investment Bank is swamped with new accounts that they may take up to 7 days to put the money in my account. I can not blame them for taking their sweat time. I do not want them to make a mistake and put the moiney in someelses account. I intend to have Warka Invesment Bnak exchange 500 US dollars worth into Iraqi Dinars which will be put in my Iraqi Dinar savings account. They exchage at a rate of 1460 to 1US dollar. And the best part about me starting bank accounts with an iraqi bank is that when the Iraqi dinar starts to go up in value and the large denominations start to be traded in for smaller denominations due to increase of the iraqi dinar, I wont have to lift a finger because my money is in a bank that automatically changes denominations for me. So keep the dream alive guys and when we are all rich lets have a convention and introduce ourselves each others FERRARIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

Hello to anyone. We have a question. Where or how do you sell the dinar when you are ready?
Thanks, Jo

Deepspace: If the best you can do is 100k dinars for $170 (that's $1700 per mil) -- how well connected can you be?

Jmac>>
I agree, this guy does NOT EVEN KNOW THE CURRENT RATE 1700 PER MILL, HE GOT PHUCKED!!!!

Deepshit moron, for $1,700 I can buy 2 million here in US not 1 million
WHAT KIND OF A FOOL ARE YOU?
WELL CONNECTED? YEAH YOUR ASS IS WELL CONNECTED TO A BIG DICK

I understand the need for negativeness in a forum filled with optimism. I am going to start by buying 5 million dinars, and continue buying until they go up in value, whenever that is. My point is this. I think many people here are TOO overly optimistic with this new currency. There are some that I have seen that EXPECT this currency to hit the pre GWI value of 3 to our 1. As much as I want to agree, and believe that this will be the case, I cannot see it as that looking around at all the other countries in the region, and doing the amount of research that I have done over the past few months. Saudi Arabia is trading at about .26 cents right now, and Kuwait at .29 cents. I am pegging Iraq at about .20 cents in 3 years, and I would say that with all the help they are recieving, in 7 years they could hit about .40 cents or so. Again, this is only my speculation, and. . . I hope that I am wrong. This is still not a sure thing as some people want to believe it is. When you put money into a currency you are betting on a government. The interim government in the country is a big threat to be assasinated at any moment, we can't take our eyes off of that. The biggest fear that I have with this investment is the possibility of an Iraqi Civil war at some point in the next year or two. The chances aren't great for anyone paying attention to the "real" news that is going on in Iraq and keeping their eyes out of the news on t.v. that has to create stories to keep people tuned in. As for the people saying that it has to open at .33 cents because of the prewar value, that is totally incorrect. They have a currency now, what do you expect? the bank to open up to the world and say, our currency is now .33 cents. It doesn't happen that way, it is a slow, steady climb to that, they have their currency, and that is the value of it. If it was going to just "jump" to that level wouldn't you suppose that many investment firms, and even the United States Government themselves would be investing hundreds of millions of dollars into their currency so when it opened they can pay off our national debt? That makes no sense. Many "experts" think this is a huge risk, and that it is, but as I stated before it has much better odds than putting a dollar in a las Vegas slot machine. I don't recommend people put money into this investment unless they have the money, and they don't have to worry about paying their rent or mortgage if they do get involved with this. I want to get as much of this stuff as possible becuase we will never again see the odds this far in our favor to cash in like this. Finally, to get back to why it won't hit .33 cents instantly, I know you say that the rich people will now become poor because of this, and they can't do it. That is the sad effects of going to war. Germany after WWII suffered the same tradgedy. Good luck to all, when we do become rich we need to convene somewhere and have a big party to celabrate our newfound wealth.

good post jamie

Jamie,
The Kuwaiti dinar is worth $3.40, NOT $.26.

These posts the past few days are hilarious. It's a shame what has happened to this board....filled with the beginners being confused by those who proclaim to know it all, spouting off incorrect and outdated information.

http://www.investorsiraq.com/

bad post jamie

Hi I've been reading all your comments and I am about to buy 2 million Iraqi Dinar. Obviously, I want to make sure I am doing the right thing. You all seem keen to slag off the post by Deepspace who is presenting a rounded argument (but still says he/she is going to buy dinars). None of you have answered Jo's post which asks the most important question: "when and where can I sell my dinars"? What is the point of buying the Dinar if I can't sell them. Does anyone know the answer? Name me a bank that will buy Dinars - anywhere in the world?

Thanks Q

BillyBoy, When the currency starts being traded around the world you can sell them at any currency exchange place. Or you can mail me your money and I will fly to jordon and exchange them for you. lol
I must have read the currency backwards, I now want a billion Dinar. :) If Kuwait is 3+ Iraq better get to at least 1

Tony,

I registered on http://www.investorsiraq.com/

then tried posting my comments, but it keeps telling me I'm not authorized to post or the administrator has not activated me. I registered 4 days ago? Any suggestions so I can start posting on this site?

Kevin

Hi,if any person interested in buying anmd invest new iraqi banknotes in MILLIONS ,please do not hesitate to write to us and receive our NEW OFFERS and we shall do our best to fulfill your request ,I am international banknote dealer since 1996 and member of IBNS # 8829 .Thanks and hope to hear from you .

kevin email me your screen name and i will pm our adminstrator and see whats up

telia55528@cyber-rights.net

Guys,
I know you have been suggesting another dealer for dinars but has anyone heard anything about the website SilverDinar? Good things? Bad things? thanks

What is supposed to glow under ultraviolet light on the 25,000 dinar, thanks

This good news is especially for you Deepspace (Deepshit) - The well-connected One ! Who probably walks funny now! Ha Ha Ha...

Iraq confident of $120bn debt write-off
July 9, 2004

Baghdad - The Iraqi government expressed confidence on Wednesday that global lenders would write off its huge $120-billion (R728.4 billion) foreign debt, helping to rebuild Iraq's war-ravaged economy and revive the vital oil sector.

Interim Finance Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi said apart from the United States, other countries had also showed an inclination to forgive the debt completely.

"It is not just the United States which has agreed to write off our external debt, but many others have told us that they are ready to completely forgive the loan," said Mahdi.

But he declined to name the countries which had made such an offer, simply saying, "We are talking to them and they have told us that they are ready to do it."

Mahdi noted that a meeting of lenders has been organised for late October in Tokyo where further progress on the issue would be possible.

A debt write-off would also help the world economy as Iraq would be in a stronger position to exploit its vast oil reserves and thus ease pressure on world crude prices, the minister said.

"Our debt write-off would help in moderating the crude oil prices in the long term as we would be able to exploit our oil resources efficiently," Mahdi told a news conference.

The minister said the government had appointed global professional service firm Ernst and Young as legal advisors in negotiating the debt issue with lenders.

"Forgiving our debt is critical to the economy which has been affected by external and internal wars for many years. We are sure the world would understand this," he said.

Last month world leaders broke up a three-day summit without bridging a rift over US President George W. Bush's proposal to forgive Iraq's debt.

The proposal faced staunch resistance from many countries, especially France, at the Group of Eight (G8) summit in the southern American state of Georgia.

While the United States, which has allocated an $18.4-billion aid package to Iraq, was lobbying for a 100 percent write-off, France expressed willingness to cut up to 50 percent of Iraq's debt.

French President Jacques Chirac said he was prepared to let Iraq off the hook on half the debt, but was scathing about the US request to go further.

"Iraq is a rich country," Chirac said at Georgia.

"How would you explain to heavily-indebted poor countries like Nigeria that in three months we are going to offer more for Iraq than we have done in 10 years for 37 heavily-indebted poor countries? It makes no sense. It is not decent."

Russia and Canada have also resisted the American move to release Iraq from its obligations.

An optimistic Mahdi, however, said Iraq was ready to offer lucrative rebuilding contracts to companies of donor countries, a demand made by Germany at the G8 summit.

"We are having many proposals from companies operating in these countries and their contracts are being looked into. Some of them have agreed to convert their loans into projects," Mahdi told AFP.

Trying to paint a rosy economic picture, the minister said Iraq's inflation was controlled despite salaries shooting up more than ten-fold in the past few months.

"This indicates a healthy situation. Inflation is lower than what it was a year ago. Statistics on this front are being prepared as we have just started work."

Mahdi said his government was willing to open the economy to foreign investors, especially in key sectors such as banking.

"Many banks have shown interest in opening branches in Iraq and we are looking into their proposals," he said. - AFP

Kevin

Here is an e-mail I got back from B of A.. I was once told that they were going to start trading Jan 05. But now it looks like they have changed there mind...

Dear Mr. Troxell,

Thank you for visiting bankofamerica.com.

Bank of America does not exchange Iraqi Dinars.
I have no information on when or if Iraqi currency may become an
exchangeable currency at Bank of America.

Sincerely,
Diana
bankofamerica.com/foreigncurrency

Ian - The bank of American, among other banks simply do not know how they will handle this Iraq currency, and will not give you an answer. First you have to realize there is no way they can give you an answer, much less exchange this currency, because there is no official exchange rate for this currency. (The current exchange rate of 1460/$1 is unofficial with auctions each day until community leaders/world bank/Central Bank of Iraq determine how or if the currency will be backed or pegged). This is certain to happen in order to attract & provide incentive for other countries to trade with Iraq. (who wants to trade with a country who's currency is not backed by anything???)

Bottom line: One reason why I beleive some/most banks will be exchanging this currency is because of the enormous amount of money they will make when they start exchanging. I called Wells Fargo 2 days ago and asked them how much they would give me for the Jordan Dinar (which is currently @ $1.41). They said they would give me $1.26... So they just made .15 cents or 10.6% by exchanging this particular currency. So if I went and exchanged 1.41 million Jordan dinar, Wells Fargo would take approx $149,460... Do any of us really think banks won't jump in on that action once the dinar starts trading internationally ??? 10.6% is Wells Fargo's rate.. Anyone holding 5 million Iraq dinars when it is worth .01 cent: That is $50,000 minus 10.6% currency exchange rate = ($5300)... That's just on this Iraq dinar being worth .01 cent !!! The bank just made $5300... Think if it goes to .31 or higher ???

Do I think banks will eventually stop acting DUMB when people ask them questions about the Iraq dinar... I will bet my next pay check & yours !!! These banks are all about $$$$$$$$$$$

Kevin

I'm a soldier that deployed to Iraq during OIF1. I bought a little over 2 million NID's in Mosul just before I came home a couple of months ago. It was OK to do so then. My best friend is a soldier who is serving over in Iraq now......he's in Baghdad. I was going to get him to buy me some more NID's and send them to me (much better rate than the web dealers offer). He was about to get me some more, but he began hearing rumblings about a crackdown by the military customs folks. So before he inadvertently got into trouble over some brand new policy, he checked it out first with JAG. He emailed me back today and here's what he found out:

John

I did talk to the JAG two weeks ago. They have busted soldiers for trying to ship an AK47 and other toys home. However they busted 2 for trying to mail Dinars, they don’t even allow mailing of the old ones now which are sold as souvenirs. They confiscated money from soldiers going on R&R and are pending some action that they (JAG) don’t even know at this time. They know about the brokers exchanging money in the states because it is legal. However over here it is different (you know how it is) and we live under a separate set rules. They will release guidance at some point but the bottom line is that as of right now, this is not happening.

Sorry

I have been reading posts on this board where folks have been hearing bits-and-pieces of rumors that this may be happening now. Sounds like it is because this is straight from the "front lines". It sounds like a policy is coming out soon from the military channels to stop Dinar trading by soldiers (and it may also have jurisdiction over KBR-types as well). So if you're getting NID's from a buddy over there, you may want them to ship those NID's ASAP before this policy is published and fully implemented theater-wide.

If anyone else has heard details of this from buddies over there, please advise.

Hello everyone a lot of good info. I heard a rumor last night at work here in Kuwait but a fellow noncomissioned officer told me that he read that Wells Fargo bought $6 million worth of IQD I do not know if this is valid but we are trying to find the source document when he read it while online. I will be searching tonight for it. If I find it I will pass it along. If it is true I would like to know what all you think Thanks

Why do people always list Palm trees and figs important resources when speking of the potential wealth of Iraq? I would guess that Nabisco already has a source for fig newtons and what do you do with a palm tree? Oil, Natural Gas...yes! Figs and Palm Trees...I just don't get it. Oh yes, by the way, are you still out there "Deepspace"? Boy was that funny!

Scott - you need to get well-connected with Iraqi fig & palm tree's... Ha ha...

Search Google and enter these resources for more info.

K

DINAR INVESTORS=IMPERIALISTIC VULTURES

WHY AMERICA IS GOING POSTAL

When people around the world are desperate and hopeless and suicidal
they go into their bedrooms and close the door and kill themselves.
When Americans are in the same situation they go outside and try to
take as many people with them.
America is now in the same situation of feeling ostracized and hated
and cornered by the world.With international travel and global
communications Americans are finding out what their reputations are
and what is said about Americans around the world.They are made to
feel unwelcome and unwanted in every country and made to feel
embarassed and ashamed to hear what one hears about Americans in every
country one travels to.People around the world will never think of
visiting America thinking one would just get shot.Satellites and the
internet send what the international community says about America and
Americans into American living rooms today much to the dismay of the
American media which the world always knew were pathological liars.
The world's most hated country with the world's most despised and
ridiculed people is now striking back at the world and is the new
Fourth Reich bent on invading and destroying.America which has been
crumbling socially for decades with all its social problems of
violence,crime,illiteracy,etc.,is going to try to punish the world for
thinking it is a barbaric degenerate dying Rome with its bread and
circuses culture.
The world's shortest and most violent and shameful history on earth is
leading to the fastest decline of any empire in world history,and if
it is going to be hated by the world,it will go outside into the world
with a high capacity semi-auto and take as many people and countries
with it.
Unfortunately as with mass killers and disgruntled Postal workers,they
may take out a few,but the whole world will become a SWAT team.Suicide
by cop.

AMERICAN'S 1ST TIME TRAVELLING THE WORLD

i just travelled around the world for the first time and why do they
hate us so much???
in every country the only thing people talked about is america and
americans and it all sounded the same??
why cant they talk about something else like the weather or sumthing??
how can billions of people in hundreds of countries come up with the
same thing??
we aint the world bully or rabid dog and we isnt all fat illiterate
ugly americans that were born killers and rapists and our women aint
all loose goldigging whores!!!
how can any american visit any country and feel welcome or wanted???

its bad enough we gotta wear all black so as not to appear american
and its bad enough we gotta avoid places americans congregate cause of
the terrorists and the bombs,but this is too much!!
i aint gonna spend my welfare checks in countries that dont treat us
nicely!!!
and they gotta stop using the word american as a curse word!!!
and they gotta learn to speek proper american like normal folks!!!
and stop driving on the wrong side of the road and using that
confusing metric system!!!
we gots enough foreigners here those durned wetbacks steeling our jobs
so we should be able to travel to other countries to git away from
durned foreigners!!!!!
and they need more mcdonalds in other countries!!!
real food for real men!!!

Confused,

I'm confused with your assessment. How does one equate the US responding to a horrific attack on American soil on 9/11 to individuals in the US going postal, to having to be concerned about what other IGNORANT people abroad may think about us. The US did exactly what it had to. The best analogy is this: If some whack job(s) came into my home, and killed my family for no GOOD reason, other than religious/radical reasoning and I then go after them and seek restitution & JUSTICE, why the hell should I give a rats A -- what other people abroad think about me??? When you go out and murder people in cold-blood, you will be dealt with ACCORDINGLY !! Intelligent people refer to this as SELF-PRESERVATION (the #1 law in nature/survival & life)... President Bush did exactly what he should have done & he continues to do what he should be doing. Contrary to popular belief & world views, President Bush is an intelligent individual. And he does not get caught up worrying about what others think when he does make the right decisions to defend our homeland & national security. We call that DECISIVENESS & LEADERSHIP !!!

By the way: This forum is for Iraq Dinar discussions, news & updates. Not for brain-dead,Anti-American, trivial Anti-American concerns, left-wing ideaology discussions or debates. Keep it to Iraqi Dinar topics.

Kevin

I'm confused with your assessment. How does one equate the US responding to a horrific attack on American soil on 9/11 to individuals in the US going postal, to having to be concerned about what other IGNORANT people abroad may think about us. The US did exactly what it had to.

The best analogy is this: If some whack job(s) came into my home, and killed my family for no GOOD reason, other than religious/radical reasoning and I then go after them and seek restitution & JUSTICE, why the hell should I give a rats A -- what other people abroad think about me???

WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT AMERICA HAS DONE WITH ITS MILITARY AND CIA AND FOREIGN POLICIES AROUND THE WORLD.MILLIONS OF HUMANS HAVE BEEN DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY KILLED BY THE USA,MORE THAN ANY COUNTRY SINCE WW2.
THE UGLY AMERICAN WORLD BULLY TRAMPLES AROUND THE WORLD LIKE BULLS IN CHINA SHOPS INVADING AND EXPLOITING AND STEALING AND KILLING LIKE ITS AN AMERICAN PRIVILEGE.

When you go out and murder people in cold-blood, you will be dealt with ACCORDINGLY !!

THE WORLD THROUGH THE TERRORISTS AND THE DOLLAR IS DOING JUST THAT TO AMERICA.RIP!!!

Intelligent people refer to this as SELF-PRESERVATION (the #1 law in nature/survival & life)... President Bush did exactly what he should have done & he continues to do what he should be doing. Contrary to popular belief & world views, President Bush is an intelligent individual. And he does not get caught up worrying about what others think when he does make the right decisions to defend our homeland & national security. We call that DECISIVENESS & LEADERSHIP !!!

DUMB GULLIBLE BRAINWASHED IGNORANT AMERICAN HICKS SURE BELIEVE WHAT YOUR CORRUPT GOVERNMENT
AND MEDIA PROPAGANDA SAYS.HEEHEEE....

By the way: This forum is for Iraq Dinar discussions, news & updates. Not for brain-dead,Anti-American, trivial Anti-American concerns, left-wing ideaology discussions or debates. Keep it to Iraqi Dinar topics.

Kevin

IRONIC THAT THE IRAQI ECONOMY WILL FLOURISH AND THE IRAQI DINAR WILL APPRECIATE WHILST THE AMERICAN SERVICE BIG MAC/COKE ECONOMY WITH 7 TRILLION IN DEBT AND A COLLAPSING DOLLAR BEING DUMPED BY THE WORLD.
NOW ITS BACK ON TOPIC AND YALL UGLY AMERICAN MUTTS WILL BE LIVING IN A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY DEALING WITH A MILLION LA RIOTS!!
MWAHAHAHAHHAHAAAAA!!!!!!!!!

Kevin,

I am agreed with you about what George Bush is doing, he should do what he is doing for protecting our nation and our homeland. All these muslim are terrorist and wanted to kill every one who his other than muslim. These all mulims are bloody evil.

Gimmeabreak - I remember your previous posts. Your the apparent Vietnam vet who caught a mortar on the head or one that has some other form of traumatic brain injury. You always make me laugh. Since it is you, I will just laugh at your psych-babble and take your obvious brain injury into consideration. I'm sure the rest of our readers will to. I will be easy on you.

BUSH 2004 (America Rules)

muslim do desereve for kill. i think all muslim should be killed and than you will seen peace on this whole world

If there was not America world would be like jungle. This is America who control these muslim terrorist:-)

Thanks Peter.

Some people will just never get it ! Some people will never learn or comprehend that there is pure EVIL in the world, and efforts to understand them or attempts to talk with them have NEVER worked & will NEVER be an option.

Kevin

Hey Gimmeabreak,

You speak as if you are from third world shit hole, yet your writing skills are on par with some backwoods, hillbilly 4th grade drop-out...what gives?

REMEMBER THAT THIS IS A FORUM ABOUT THE IRAQI DINAR'S POSSITIVE OUTLOOK IN HTE NEAR FUTURE. this is not a furom about how horrible is. Yes life is not fair and we are more aware about terrorisom than ever before, but you need to understand that evil is not here to destroy us, but to help us survive and that is the reason why it has survived for so long. Remember common sense states that if evil wasn't so needed than it obiously wouln't exist. Life will never change, but it will get better. And peole that take advantage like of opportunities like the Iraqi dinar will continue to be financilaly sucesfull.

Good luck Iraqi Dinar speculators!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hello all,

Who has bought Iraqi Dinar? I bought some as I am overseas in Kuwait. The money exchange dealer went through all the good stuff with a UV light to prove it was real. When I got home I noticed it was a little beat up though. Some has small amounts of handwriting on it. Two bills are torn slightly in the corners.

Does anyone foresee this as being a problem in the future, if I try to exchange? I know there are places giving crisp Dinars out, but I'm sure I would have to pay more money to exchange what I currently have for crisp ones from a different dealer. Am I just worrying about something that's inconsequential? The worst thing in the world would be for it to become worth some money someday and then not be able to exchange it.

Thx

Fred

Gimmeabreak,

This Ugly American Mutt will be sitting in a free country tonight, in an air conditioned room watching the great American past time, Texas Rangers v. Baltimore Orioles, with an ice cold beer in my hand. OH - by the way, Texas is where George Bush is from. Now the President of the greatest land on earth! I think I will have another ice cold beer just because of that. I'll be thinking about you down in rag-head land, with mounds of sand & 120 degree's Daily, with bullets & bombs going off. Oh, this ice cold AMERICAN made beer taste great !!! Sure wish Soriano hits a home run tonight...

Cheers from this happy American Mutt!

I could not agree with you more Jack. Oh, except for one small detail. GO A's! I have been an A's fan since I was 5 years old. Here in Alaska, there is really no "home team". It is fun to talk baseball as there are so many teams that people here follow. I really do wish you and the Rangers well. Soriano was a steal! Who needs A-Rod? I really don't think that you guys have the pitching to keep up with my boys though. I will be joining you in the beer department in about three hours. After work (in an hour) I taking the kids to go get some Salmon. They are in by the millions in the local streams. Come on up and I'll treat you to all the beer and fishing you want!

The racial and ethnic slurs being made by both sides of the argument is quite sad and disturbing.

Stooping down to this type of level is never an excuse to just try and get back at someone for insulting your country. All the arging does is show how prevalent ignorance can be found in all cultures.

It's very embarrassing that people can't summon the intelligence to rise above throwing around such elementary, derogatory comments back and forth.

proof read people,,,, proof read,,,,

Has anyone heard when the NID is supposed to hit the trading block???

I heard Jan. anyone know

>
WHAT EXACTLY IS THE UV LIGHT SUPPOSED TO SHOW, IS IT JUST A LIGHTER SQUARE OR DOES IT ACTUALLY SHOW SOME WRITING THAT IS ILLUMINATED? Thanks

Cut the rude posting, or I will close this thread.

Fred,

Unless the notes are grossly mutilated or torn in half without being connected back together, I have been told by Wells Fargo and the foriegn currency exchnage office there are no concerns. This applies to all currencies. Minor slices, torn edges, etc... should be no problem.

**NOTE TO ALL INVESTORS: I read a Washington Post article mentioning intentions for 7-Up, Pepsi & Coke to seek market share in Iraq. I will try to find the article and share it. Iraq now has 40 companies exchanging on the Iraq Stock Exchange. That number will climb to over 100 by the end of the year. With just 40 companies, the stock market in Iraq is going crazy... That's great news.

Kevin

Dan,
With reference to your comment on Aug 4, investing in the ISX, do you know when foreign investors (you and I) can actually start purchasing ISX stock??

Thanks.

Well, my husband is over in Mosul right now and many soldiers are doing this very thing. I told him just get $1000 every month till he comes home. Which will be in about 3 mos. My family is jumping in and my best friend. Of course not as much as we are, but I have a better gut feeling and possibly have the means to do more. I told my husband we will just sit on them until we are done with school, which will be about June 06.

My question, how long do you think it will take just to get back to the .33c prewar? Or better yet match at $1/1id? I don't plan on exchanging all at once, but in increments.

I tried to find a pattern with the KD from Desert storm, but couldn't find anything. I know this is a win/win situation. Either I make what I put in or I make a ton of money. My gut never felt so right in my life. Good luck to all.

To answer Greg and Kelley: The ISX is 'expected' to open up to foreign investors sometime by the end of August. They're currently working on their computers etc...right now using chalk boards...
The dinar SHOULD Open at least where it was before the war and when sadamn was in power. That makes the most sense, but we'll know soon enough, more foreign investment, foreign ownership of companies, banks deregulated for foreign commerce...sanctions lifted...billions pouring into Iraq...World Bank and IMF working on debt forgiveness...I posted an article way back when from the Asian times business section that said 'anonymous' was quoted as saying they expected it to open at .42 cents
Pray for the safety of our Troops and the peace and prosperity of Iraq.

im gonna be rich!

How can you buy Dinar if you are in the US?

kelly you have a long wait ahead of you to reach 1$/1 Dinar but .31 cents might be able to be achieved in a yr or so.... i put .10 at being able to be achieved with 5 months

if anyone has any info on buying stocks from the isx. please post! ive been searching, but i cant seem to find anything very solid. thanks a bunch, aloha from hawaii!

wil - All the info you need is at http://www.investorsiraq.com/index.php?

Recommend the Bank And The Stock Exchange Forums.

Here is a good FAQ as well.

http://www.investorsiraq.com/showthread.php?p=5174#post5174

Why wouldn't the Iraqi economy get better? The country has too much to offer. Those people deserve to be prosperous after all the years of crap. No matter who gets elected to be president, all the eyes of the world are on Iraq, and too many have too much invested in the country's success to let itwouldn't the Dinar go up? The country's fail. Whoever gets elected President needs to make Iraq a sovereign and prosperous country. America has too much to lose.

Just out of curiosity, what events would keep the Dinar from going up in value? It seems like everything is lining up for the Iraq economy to start getting better. Why wouldn't it?

Purchasing dinars is extremely risky. We know that...it has been said time and time again. Purchase what you can, if you have the means. Use this website to keep in contact with like-minded individuals. We need to know the good as well as the bad news, but turning this site into a Anti-American/Muslim slander fest doesn't help anyone; it actually just wastes your own time. Bigots usually aren't smart enough to invest in anything anyway.

To call all Muslims terrorists is to allow them (terrorists) to win because we continue to breed this stupid cycle of hatred. It is easy to get emotional and type (poorly) opinionated script about "Muslims" or "stupid Americans" or whatever, especially when dealing with the FUTURE, which regardless of who is writing, we all have some interest in.

Let us---typing from the safety of our homes and those serving in Iraq, continue to have faith that this country will solve their own problems their way. Then and only then will any investment anyone has made become worth the time and effort it takes to write and proofread any script to a website, let alone what we can exchange them (dinars) for. If Iraq can not bounce back---I could care less about the money I will lose. I feel for the Iraqi people...have they not endured enough.

P.S.--I just recieved 25k notes and they are absolutely beautiful---I think the next time I am going to purchase another (smaller) denomination just to see how nice those look.

"Just out of curiosity, what events would keep the Dinar from going up in value? It seems like everything is lining up for the Iraq economy to start getting better. Why wouldn't it?"

Start with "stability" and then work your way to "inflation". Along the way, check out the Iranian Rial that was introduced at about 1700 per dollar a few years back and is now trading at about 8000 per dollar. They have just about as much proven oil reserve as Iraq does. Iran is socialistic and has been somewhat isolated by the international community, I know, but if you trace the recent history of the Rial, you'll see that you've asked a really good question in the right place.

This is a highly speculative investment -- don't invest more than you can afford to walk away from.

Creating a Central Bank seperate from the ruling branch of the gov't is a strong step towards keeping inflation in check and they are mindful of their mission to stem rapid inflation. Perhaps we'll see a currency board which will (arguably) be better news. But remember, regardless of what the current administration says, printing more currency for a new gov't is always a huge temptation and the balancing act and discipline required to keep inflation in check has a significant learning curve.

Any other insight into this pivotal question?

I do want to say that I like the fact that this forum is not being supported by/advocating one Dinar trader or another as some others. It still has the ability to allow us to engage in a real dialogue/debate American style.

Jmac

http://www.investorsiraq.com/index.php?

the greatest thing that ever happened to the dinar and the best step to take to educate yourself and to make better choices on your invesment!!!

Tony,

I have to say nonsense to your website; http://www.investorsiraq.com

I registered on this website last week, and to this day, I am unable to post. All I get is the following;

Eagleclaw, you do not have permission to access this page. This could be due to one of several reasons:

Your user account may not have sufficient privileges to access this page. Are you trying to edit someone else's post, access administrative features or some other privileged system?
If you are trying to post, the administrator may have disabled your account, or it may be awaiting activation.

SUFFICIENT PRIVILEDGES ???????? What is this? A Top-Secret, Covert website or what????? Why the hell would I need priviledges to discuss & include important information I have about this currency on this website.???

I think this has been taken too far.

Thoroughly disgusted,

Kevin

how do you not have access when i see your name eagle claw viewing the board? its too bad you say its nonesense we had 70 members join within 2 days and were over 300 members strong a bombshell has just been dropped bout when the dinar opens and at how much and with the info i have bout the iraq stock exchange it all fits together but you gotta go to the board i also emailed the board owner bout your problem a few days ago maybe your just doing something wrong we never had any problems like that

Kevin, are you able to log in as "Eagleclaw" when you come to the site, b/c I don't see that name under the Members List??

Maybe try re-registering? I never heard of a person having this problem....

Tony- Sure I can view all I want. I can't post. I keep getting message I indicated.

If you have any answers, please e-mail me.

Kevin

Did you receive your account activation email and click the link contained within?

Tony - And I just tried registering with my full name and other e-mail.... Same message;

you do not have permission to access this page. This could be due to one of several reasons:

Your user account may not have sufficient privileges to access this page. Are you trying to edit someone else's post, access administrative features or some other privileged system?
If you are trying to post, the administrator may have disabled your account, or it may be awaiting activation.

Blake - No, I never received the intial acct activation e-mail.

Tony & Blake - After re-registering with my full name and differnt e-mail address, I just received the acct activation e-mail, unlike the previous time?

Forgive me for getting overly frustrated.

Kevin

no problem welcome to the board.

Tony and Blake,

You guys do a great job moderating at "investorsiraq.com". Sounds like your guy Amer at Papermoney is a pretty reliable Dinar trader-- I'll find out for sure soon enough.

Check your end...I had the same problem that Kevin had-- ie: No registration email with activation link sent...it's been about 3 or 4 days. I can login and read all I want, just can't post.

Jmac

...And again, this time with a different email address. Message says registration link email has been sent, but no email...

I'm sure everything was done correctly...

Does "investorsiraq" have to individually approve who can post or are they just experiencing technical difficulty?

I am confused to sell my big investment Iraqi Dinars or not. i read alot that it could be risky not only from this blog but from different sources . And even the satuation in Iraq is getting wors today in Najaf alot of confelect bettween. Please does any one knows when it's going to Open in the Market and even the News Doe's not Incourage any one for Invisting i have been watching most the arabic channels but no Indication for fast recovery,and what makes me more confused how come country Like afganistan with no Infrastructer there currency apreciated like it used to be desbit of lack of Oil reserve or gas or even agricultral resources. I start Thiking that satusation in Iraq is uniq and unbredictable. and even the financial currency strep in the news got spider nets on it does.nt move at all dang every day the same rate. what is going on. and what that action that the central Iraqi bank is taking it in daily bases. Any way I hope some people leave the hatered from this blog becuse hatred has exist million years before us and will continu if some muslim commited bad acts that cant be generlized. like in America it self i expect to be alot of heatred as we read here in some articals that has been writen by American authers. Please don't tell me no there is not cause hatred is every where it's matter how do you think it's up to you to be hater or loved person i have seen good christian and bad one also in Other religons you can find that.It's the person inside you. any way i need help on Iraqi dinar and answers for all my questions. Salam Alykum

Okay, a little good news, maybe. I live in Jordan and just had coffee last night with a very wealthy man currently owning over 250 million IQD and he is planning to purchase more. Approx 200M more. You may say, well he can afford it so why listen. I thought the same thing, and don't know for sure, but his opinion was that when the fighting in Najaf ends the stability and value of the IQD will improve. Duh! What would you think would happen?? But I thought I would pass it one.

He also said he was not going to invest in the ISX at this time. Didn't really get into too many details, but he said he was going to wait 6 months. I was bummed, because I wanted to throw in $5K and ride the wave. But I may listen to him. I've got nothing else to go on. Also there was another friend of mine owning approx 70 million IQD. He is planning on buying more, but will not ivest in the ISX at this time. I guess I won't either. But I will probably set up an account.
There you have it.

Abdullah, go to this website for all your info.
http://www.investorsiraq.com

Hey, can someone explain to me the ISX. I know the IQD is the dinars but what is the ISX?? I know it has to do with iraq. (LOL) But serious what is the ISX??

Never mind. I found out what the ISX was. Thanks! Anyways. Anyone have any good news lately!! I am looking around but I don't see anything new. Have any GOOD NEWS post it!!!

http://www.investorsiraq.com/index.php?

look here for good news

Tony
where is good news?

COME ON! I think there is a difference between being optimistic and delusional. I've also invested in dinars but everyone has to know that there is a risk in doing so. It's just as probable that we have all just thrown our money away. I think optimism is great, but how about a little realism too? Deepspace made some comments that to me made a lot of sense. I've already invested in dinars, so of course I want the value of them to go up. But be a little realistic, there is a possibility that they won't. Who know's if Deepspace is legitimate or not, but I did appreciate his comments. I think that anyone who is thinking about investing needs to look at both sides. Even if you've already have invested you've got to know that you've taken a risk.

O.K. I don't know the difference in the dinar and
ISX. Can someone please tell me?
Thanks Jo

ISX=Iraq Stock Exchange

Although there are related concepts, for your needs/interests in the dinar, it would be easier to just think of it as a completely different subject and not worry about it.

dear sir, new iraqi dinars rate is very low why and in future 2005 one new iraqi dinar value one cents please tell me sir.

Bravo James Wilcox!

...And still no registration email from "investorsiraq.com"...

Apparently I don't tow the line as the moderators at "investorsiraq" would wish for. Apparently one REALIST like Notre Dame is more than they can handle at one time. Amer seems to me to be an honorable businessman (as is Antiquesghaith), but come on "investorsiraq"...

Your site is full of dreamers and rumor gossips (observe Jen's latest-- and new folks under different names that support her posts and post suspiciously like her) seems to be what the moderators (heavy handidly) encourage.

If you want propaganda go to "investorsiraq"...If you want REALISM and intelligent discourse, stick with other forums. Straight up.

Jmac

Oh, by the way...

Investorsiraq: Please stop super-spamming this message board-- it's annoying.

jmac
what other forums do you recommend?

Jo:

The ISX, as Blake (Investorsiraq.com moderator) has pointed out is the Iraqi stock exchange. While there are some ostensibly outrageous buys here, you cannot purchase them and they are arguably much more speculative than investing in the Dinar which is the Iraqi currency.

Nadeem: Nobody knows the answer to your question-- if we did have crystal balls and knew the answer to your question, I doubt we would be wasting our time in this forum. But I'll tell you what-- if you find the answer to your question please post it here first.

Jmac

Jm:

That's the problem-- there's Fatwallet and this one that I know of as an alternative-- both pretty much defunct. I think that's precisely why "Investorsiraq" has taken such a turn. We really need to re-launch this site as a site for REALISTS who consider all the risks and do not encourage "selective information". I like to dream as much as the next guy, but my preference is for like minded people who have a thirst for unadulterated information.

I'm no expert, although I do have an MBA-- not in international currency trading-- and understand (to a small degree) the macro political/economic environment that we're all seeking to understand in Iraq. I'll try to answer any questions I come across, but I'm sure I've got more...

Jmac

jmac the members of investors iraq made this board what it is if not for us there would have been no info to look up i suggest you join both board and educate your mind and stop being so ignorant.

jmac,
honestly, there is no conspiracy at investorsiraq to keep you from posting. the entire activation process is automated. you must not be registering correctly like the other person wasn't. try to re-register again and look for the activation email sent to your email address that you list.

I agree that there are alot of "dreamers" on the investorsiraq forum and you do have to muddle thru some misinformation and hyperbole, but there are certain informed posters I look for, and i really only take to heart their posts. i wish we could limit the amount of posts and uninformed posts that occur on the forum, but right now, that hasn't been possible.

Finally, the founders and moderators at investorsiraq were actually the very people that started the thorough discussion on this site at T&B. alot of times at investorsiraq, we just don't feel like repeating our long analyses from the original T&B thread and just give short responses to the same repeated questions. so then its easy to pass over them and just be overwhlemed with the mounds of "puff" on the board.

if you go back and read through the best responses on the original T&B thread in the HTML file, you will see they are from almost all investoriraq members.

Tony: You're an idiot.

Blake: Agreed. But you have to admit, there haven't been a lot of "value added" posts recently to you're forum.

Jmac

That's why I haven't been posting that much on the dinar there lately. ;)

Right now, there just isn't that much new information or new issues that have not been analyzed at some point in my research on T&B or on the investorsiraq forum.

So, unfortunately, I think alot of people on the forum have resorted to posting whatever inane thought that comes to their mind. And that adds up to alot of drivel.

Methinks that this whole bout of "instability" in Iraq is a calculated bid to diminish Sadr's power. Sadr would've played along if he was given the clout within the new administration that he thought he deserved. Fact is Sustani (please don't hold me accountable for Sp.)has a much wider appeal within the majority Shia population and the new administration would rather him (being the relative moderate that he is) be the main Shia man. The new admin probably wasn't big enough for the both of them. How convenient that Sustani leaves 2 days before this "radical mop-up" operation.

Look at Allawi go-- he is the "new Iraqi hard man" as I heard him called several times in the media tonight. I think this vetting of the new administration and simultaneous calculated diminishment of the Mehdi extremist forces bodes well for our dinar investments-- in the long run of course...Just hope that the new administration's calculated risk doesn't foment mass Shia uprising/civil war...

Any other thoughts?

I'm keeping my fingers crossed and my eyes glued to the scene at Najaf.

It does look like they are having more success making strides against Sadr this time, & that there may be a breaking point coming soon in the scale & frequency of the insurgency overall, but I may just be too optimistic in that regard.

I really do like Allawi in charge though, i'll tell you that. He seems unafraid, determined, and possesses the integrity & confidence the region needs right now.

One question I always had, will Allawi be eligible to run for "re-election" in the coming January elections or is he definitely only an interim leader?

Hi Blake,

I'm no expert, but my own thoughts are that Allawi's chances of re-election depend on what he does in the next several months. It was no accident that Allawi was chosen for this job by CPA. Even as 20 year expatriot of Iraq, he always had the reputation of being politically tough/unrelenting. I would bet some US dollars that his popularity with the Iraqis skyrockets if he keeps this "tough as nails" approach up. They are used to and need a strong leader. There is no real Iraqi state right now -- it exists for the Iraqi people in Allawi-- they all want security and a tough leader more than anything-- hey, many beleive that a strong leader is what prevented civil war up to this point.

What he's doing right now is drawing a line in the sand-- he's deviding the extremists from the more moderate... It's do or die for him now. My money's on him-- he's an adept politician as well as a tough man. There are serious risks though: This battle against the Mehdi (SP?) is taking so long because they are literally hiding behind religious artifacts/mosques/etc. The Marines can't just blast these several hundred extremists without perhaps ruining Ali's shrine, etc. This would be the political third rail for the new admin.

Sadr City is also a powder keg. Doesn't seem like there's huge support for Sadr-- most see him for what he is -- a meglomaniacal extremist, but there are enough 17 , 18 year old poor kids without a future in that ghetto who'll trade their lousy future for martyrdom/ a higher calling in a second.

My view is that this is that this whole Sadr thing is no accident-- it's a calculated/ orchestrated effort to destroy as many Mehdi extremists who won't play ball as possible-- I just hope they know what they're going to do in Sadr City or what they'll do if the marines destroy a significant religious artifact during their routing of the Mehdi.

This situation can go two ways: Allawi comes out a winner and Sadr and his Mehdi--the biggest thorn in the side of the future elected gov't-- are too weak to not go along or the thing spins out of control and the greater Shia population is further alienated from the new admin. Either way, the Dinar wait and see game we are playing gets facilitated-- ie: if this thing doesn't spin out of control, I'll have a lot more faith in the stability of the gov't.

Anybody else?

lmao jmac your a fool amazing how no one gave a shit bout iraq but now that they stand to make a penny they all want it to survive your pathetic all you care bout is the money you dont care bout the people there fuckin dork.

On a slight different note, I just purchased another 2M IQD at the local money exchange yesterday (in Jordan). Can anyone confirm the World Bank will "recognize" the IQD on 1 Oct. More mere rumors I suppose and I don't even know what that means. I'm researching it and will post anything I find out. A Jordanian friend mentioned it to me...here we go again.
The feeling over here is, I guess, somewhat positive...some excitement about the IQD. There seems to be a slight mis-trust of Iraqis, when it comes to engaging in business. I give them the benefit of the doubt however, as they have been through a lot recently.

Hi

I am looking to buy 1 million Dinar, can anyone tell me if It is possible to buy from the banks in Iraq from the UK. All of the internet sites selling Iraqi Dinar are ridicuously inflated prices. I want to buy Iraqi Dinar at approximately 1460 = 1USD. Many Thanks

AMERICA'S FUTURE LOOKS...
preeeeeeettyyyy bleak!!

and it aint having to hear what the whole world says about how much
the whole world hates america and about how bad americans are forever.

and it aint being regarded by the entire human race as the worst mutts
genetically born in the history of mankind living in the only country
in world history hated by the entire world.

and it aint having to live with with amber alerts and paranoia and
duct tape and tarps forever.

and it aint knowing that the world's hatred of america and the dehumanization of americans
was done before to the jews in nazi germany.

and it ain't the dollar bubble collapsing and being dumped by the world and the 7 trillion in debt collapsing on a big mac/coke service economy.

and it aint even having every terrorist in the world always targeting
america and americans with dirty bombs and anthrax and cropdusters and
viruses.

its really just having to live in a third world penal colony with a falling
double digit national iq and a third world education and third world religious views filled with millions of illiterate violent murderers and rapists and child molestors forever with a culture of joe millionaire and the bachelor and for love or money and temptation island and
married by america and mr personality and rap music and britney and
nsync and laci peterson and oj and kobe and tonya harding and michael jackson
and mike tyson and paris hilton and susan smith and monica lewinsky and clinton and bush and la riots and sleaze and hedonism and narcissism and bread and circuses and barbarians at the gates and aids and the world chanting 9/11s every day!..........

Hey Kvn,

Move. Land is cheap in Afghanistan.

I think someone is getting a big head

i hate americans especialy white americans!!!
and i praise allah for the day of your extermenation!!!

wow tony and I really liked your comments on this page. this is comming from a white american

Tony
Why you hat American, is all American's fuck your mother in one go?

America is a shining light, the crystal city on the hill. A beacon for all. Stop watching trash television and start reading.

Tony, just so you know it was white americans that helped to develope the software, the programs, and probably the computer your using now. Don't tell me you have Microsoft. You do know Bill Gates is pretty white. :) DON'T HATE!

Tony didn't make the comments attributed to him. Obviously, it was someone who just typed in the name "tony" and plugged an email address to make him look bad.

These angry people just serve as a distraction to the issue...we (as a country) have invested our military, political support, economic support (with more to come for sure), and more sooner than later the rest of the world will join the Iraqi people to help them help themselves.

The Iraqi people have been offered a chance--they can use this chance to help or hinder themselves. If they help themselves, they and those who have invested will reap the rewards. If they fail, who wins then?

The next generations of Iraqis will have to look back at a missed opportunity. Again, the Iraqi people will and must determine their own fate. They will do what is necessary to ensure their interests...Hopefully.

Kevin, I am new to all this, but I went to ebay after doing a little snooping around at the sites and found Amer who sells under the name dima89 and bought for $897 per million. Bought last Friday and they are being delivered tomorrow according to dhl. He was very dependable and had come recommended by people on several sites. Hope this helps.
Jo

GO FOR IT !! DONT BE SORRY WITHIN A COUPLE OF YEARS, WHAT MAKE YOU THINK THAT THE VALUE OF THE DINAR WILL NOT COME BACK LITLLE BY LITLLE, EVEN IF YOU NOTICE THAT IS NOT COMING BACK TO ITS VALUE AS YOU EXPECTED YOU CAN ALWAYS SELL IT AND MAYBE GET MUCH MORE OF WHAT YOU PAID IN THE PAST,FOR THOSE PEOPLE THAT THINK INVESTING IN THE IRAQI DINAR IS NOT A GOOD IDEA , WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THAT IRAQ'S ECONOMY WILL NOT PROSPER??? MAKES NO SENCE TO SEE THE DINAR 5 YRS FROM NOW STILL THE SAME IN ITS VALUE IT WILL MUCH BETTER BELIVE ME, CARO

I have no previous knowledge about any of this, but my question is; How do we know that we are not funding Al Qaida when purchasing the Dinar? I am seriously considering investing. Also, where will we go when we want to cash in?

Although it wouild be impossible to conclusively prove that no dinar sellers is an Al-Queda member, I don't think al-Queda members are showing at the Iraqi gov't daily bulk auctions to purchase the uncirculated currency.

For me and many others, we have gotten to know Amer (Ebay userID: Dima89) very well and I am convinced he is not part of any such conspiracy.

When the dinar opens back up on the FOREX market becoming a tradeable currency again, it will be very easy to exchange your dinars for dollars at several national bankns across the U.S.

>
Well, I got news for you, you cannot buy it at 1460 ANYWHERE, EVEN IN IRAG IT WENT UP TO 1434 FOR A DOLLAR. The link is below. Good luck.

http://fxtop.com/en/historates.php3?C1=USD&C2=IQD&DD1=06&MM1=06&YYYY1=2004&B=1&P=&I=1&DD2=10&MM2=08&YYYY2=2004&btnOK=Go%21

Frank said:
"Well, I got news for you, you cannot buy it at 1460 ANYWHERE, EVEN IN IRAG IT WENT UP TO 1434 FOR A DOLLAR."

So, it went up a little bit. It's been increasing and decreasing in those small increments for a few months now. It's not really "news".

When will the iraqi dinar open up to the markets?

We're not sure yet. the inside info is being kept under wraps for now. Best guess right now seems to be between October-December, but it's just an educated guess.

Hello All!

Guys, your excitement at the propect of iraqi dinar appreciating its value in future is justified. It will definitely go up.... but perhaps it will take time and patience. with the existing law and order situation in iraq, nothing positive can be predicted. So make it a long term investment and hang on till the situation gets better.

How can one expect a stronger currency in a war torn country like Iraq, where everything needs to be revived, every sector needs to be resusitated. If you All guys have the patience to wait till the political and economical stability comes in iraq, you are the lucky one, otherwise keep yourself happy by just keeping those beautiful iraqi notes under your pillow.

"wow tony and I really liked your comments on this page..."

What's there to like? I'll send you 1 mil IQD if you give me just one instance of a value added post made by tony-- on this forum or the other one he's been spamming for.

It may be that somebody posted with tony's username (if that's possible in this forum), but I wouldn't be a bit surprised if "tony's" last lovely post was his.

Tony: Try using some punctuation in your peurile flame needs...

PLEASE SEE THIS LINK.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5648755/

"When will the iraqi dinar open up to the markets?"

Well, if you believe the rumor mills over on "investoriraq", it'll be August 18th.

One KBR spouse over there says she saw some sort of document that she has not yet produced (I still don't know how she can see it when she's in TX and her spouse is in Iraq and still not have a digital copy to produce).

It's not clear if the "memo" came from a "Big Head" (local currency trader) or KBR -- (I still can't post to ask her that question). But my view is, if some Iraqi nationals can forge 250 Dinar notes, they can surely forge a memo from the central bank stating the opening price will be 33 cents to boost sales a bit...

Jmac,

what is KBR and TX. Could you please explain?

Many military and non-military people in Iraq and the surrounding countries are convinced the Dinar is going much higher and are buying. It will be a wonderful windfall and blessing to have all of these people who have sacrificed for Iraqs freedom from the tyrant be rewarded by a higher Dinar. This would be a wonderful extra benefit for them and their families back home.

George Bush will win in a landslide back home if the DINAR takes off before the election!! There will be many rich military and non military made should this occur. It would be interesting to know if Bush owns any Dinar

Peter,
How about doing some minimal research on your own and cut down on the really dumb questions?

It's been going on for waaaay too long. We're not here to spoon-feed you everything ALL the time. Semi-intelligent questions, cool. Insanely stupid questions where it shows you have not lifted a finger to do any research yourself...not cool.

TX=Texas
KBR= Kellogg Brown & Root(subsidiary of Halliburton)

Jmac,
Have you tried re-registering yet? I bet it will work, you probably just made an error the 1st time.

americans at the athens olympics

i wanna go to athens to see the olympics but am always embarassed to
see americans chanting usa! usa! at international events.
am also embarrassed hearing the whole world booing and hissing at
americans and the american flag.
and am embarassed to hear the chants of osama!!osama!! and 9/11s every day!! around the world!
and am also embarassed to see americans being spit on in foreign
countries.
and am truly embarassed to hear what people say about americans in
every country.
being an american is profoundly embarassing!!!!
hahahahhahaahhhhhahahaaaaaa
but being embarassed beats americans being red white and blue targets
around the world!!being spit on beats being bombed or beheaded in every
country!!!
hahahahahahahhhahhahaaaa

Hey JQD,

What the @&%#@ is your point? If your so #&@%$ embarrassed, act like your from France Dickhead!

JDQ,

You want to see someone who obvioulsy has NO LIFE & trips through his pathetic life with an IQ in single digits?? Take a hard look in the mirror! Even a looser can eventually realize what he really is... It just takes a little prompting & acceptance. Acceptance is a wonderful thing.

** All other forum readers, lets continue with dinar updates & news.

Kevin

I know this is supposed to be all about Iraqi Dinars,but as a veteran, I can't let some of the Anti-American comments go. My reply is this: I've got problems with some of the things happening in the country, but the USA is still the greatest place in the world to live. If it were as bad as they say, why in the world is everyone trying to get here?

Hello, I have been contemplating investment in Dinars. I am just unsure which way to go now. I have read a lot of information on buying from Amer which is good. I am very interested in opening the Al-Warka bank account to maximize dollars invested. I have read some post from InvestorsIraq where this lady opened the account and wired money to them, as well as some from this site. Has anyone else opened an account and wired money. I am just concerned about people in Iraq having access to my personal info from my driver's license and signature.

JQD
YOU are embarassing to the whole human race. Grow up, Jr. and get with the program. I sure would like to CATCH YOU up to date. Ignorant people like you are like cancer to society. You are like gasloine on a fire. I can see how people get mad over just words. Listening to your words just make me want to beat the life right of you. My only problem is you just sit in the dark and take dirty pop shots. You are a terrorist! You know americas policy on terrorism! See you on the battle field!

Why don't all of you with a political axe to grind find another spot to do it in? This is for Dinar investment and related topics. If you think investing in Dinar is stupid, the answer is quite simple: Don't do it!
This political ranting on both sides accomplishes nothing other than proving how rampant ignorance is around the globe. Grow up and try reading a book!

See words do make people angry. I think all sides agree on investing in the dinar, so we do have something in common that keeps us here.

Does it make a difference which notes you purchase? Is one better than another?

Yeah, the ones without Saddamn' picture on it.

Seriously though, it doesn't make that much of a difference which new notes you buy. Most people tend to buy the dinars in 5,000, 10,000 or 25,000 notes.

beone,
If you are wondering what the difference between large notes and small notes are, I don't really see much of a difference. Some think the larger notes will be discontinued or will need to be turned in for smaller ones because they will expire. I am willing to bet my mom, my dog and the farm that this will not be the case! People think they will "pull" the larger notes because they may not have enough money to cover what they have printed. The small notes would be nice to exchange if you "cash out" a little at a time depending on the exchange rate. For example; a 10 to 1 rate, instead of burning a 25,000 note for 2,500, you could use a 10,000 for 1,000. This would be benificial if you didn't have alot of dinar and wanted to cash in for a quick buck or to cash in at first to make up for your initial investment to have the selfsaticfaction of knowing you invested and and have broke even.

Jmac
I can 100% assure you that was'nt Tony trashing you.If you look in investors iraq you will see that he speaks with a very level head and doesnt support any kind of inflammatory statements

Blake
I'm glad to see that your back

Thanks Jmac!

If the dinar goes up like the thermometer here in Kirkuk. I'll be home for Christmas...

This is/was a great board for info. Kevin was good enough to create a new board which, given the reason for having created a new board, we tried to trim it down by posting applicable facts.

In the meantime we were adjusting to http://www.investorsiraq.com forum.

Danpeg hooked us up...(Though I am still waiting for the answer to my PM dan!!!)

Initially I didn't like it (we are creatures of habit, we fear change...LOL), however, I got used to it and we have all combined our collective info there. We all so have a place called the lounge to discuss off topic issues.

Note: Many of the posts found in this forum would have been deleted had they been posted in this forum.

That said, if you don't like the http://www.investorsiraq.com forum and prefer this forum, I want you to realize that by filling this forum with garbage you will eventually be killing Kevin's bandwidth and he will either start a new page (Giving you us a third chance [3 strikes your out]), or he will likely close this board.

If you want to argue amongst each other, then exchange messenger ID's.

I enjoy visiting this board every now and then, however, it has turned to CRAP!!! Nothing useful here.

My 2 Dinars.

Speculators pounce on Iraqi dinar in hope of gains

By Zamir Haider

ISLAMABAD: Investment in the Iraqi currency has become the new rage for speculators. Despite warnings that the dinar could fall through the floor, small and big players alike are betting that the currency will shoot through the roof.

“I have all the optimism that I’ll make big gains in my investment in the Iraqi currency,” says currency market player Khawaja Usman. “I have bought with a long term view but I’m skeptical about those who are buying on a short-term basis.”

Mr Usman says he’s already recovered his initial investment on the dinar since he bought it when it was selling for 3 paisas to one Iraqi dinar compared to the current rate of around 6 paisas.

“Now I am waiting for the times when the Iraqi dinar would touch its heights in six months time,” he says.

He says when the Afghani can gain ground on the back of US influence, then the currency of an oil-rich country will definitely gain ground.

“I am confident big investors would make huge profits on a long term basis.”

The dinar has been hovering around the level of 5.5 to 6 paisas against the rupee but had shot up to 9 paisas earlier this week on account of short supply.

An official of the Forex Association of Pakistan says that a total of 500 million dinar have come into Pakistan over the last few months. He says the currency has entered through Dubai since there are no restrictions on currency entering the country. “Dealers have had no problem physically transporting the currency into Pakistan,” he says.

Risk factor: Dealers say investors are thronging to the market in anticipation of the time when the Iraqi dinar will be pegged against the US dollar, which is unofficially hovering around 1,000 Iraqi dinar to a dollar. An announcement to this effect is expected later this month.

“Reports are that the US is already uncomfortable with this parity and when it opens the official parity it would take it to somewhere around 1,200 to 1,400 Iraqi dinar to a dollar, thus bringing it further down against the Pak rupee which is currently hovering between Rs 0.05 to Rs 0.06 against a Iraqi dinar,” says one currency dealer.

If dollar appreciates against the Iraqi dinar, the rupee would depreciate against the Iraqi dinar, he says.

Speculators are also eyeing June when a new political set up would be put in place in Iraq ahead of the US Presidential elections in November.

“Bush has to play this card of strengthening Iraq before his elections and I am basing my optimism on this,” says one investor.

Too much enthusiasm: A report released by AKD Securities, a local brokerage Friday says easy money has also contributed to the general public speculating in the Iraqi dinar. “”[This is} high risk currency speculation in which most investors have little knowledge of fundamentals or risk,” the report says.

But that isn’t stopping speculators. Dealers at almost all the money changers in the federal capital are of the view that they are witnessing “too much enthusiasm” among the general public for the Iraqi currency.

“Almost every second customer is looking for Iraqi dinars and the investments are ranging from thousands to millions,” says Abdus Samad of Khanani and Khalia money changers.

“I believe that the official announcement [of the peg against the dollar] would take the parity between the rupee and the Iraqi Dinar to 12 paisas or more.”

Currency dealers say the interest in the dinar amounts to “panic buying” and is at a far greater scale than the mild speculative interest seen in the Afghani.

Mohammad Qasim, a dealer at Bismillah money changer, is of the view that no one will make a loss.

“Investments in the Iraqi currency for the long term would definitely reap huge profits,” he says.

Mr Qasim says he’s advising investors to sit on their investments till other countries adjust their parity with the Iraqi currency.

A local banker said that once Iraq’s banking sector is established within the next six months, the currency could hit 10 paisas to the rupee. And that’s the sort of hope that’s driving the speculators so far.

—With additional reporting by Kalbe Ali in Karachi

Home | Business

A key decision to the authorities is what kind of currency regime should be in operation for Iraq. Peg to the price of oil? A currency peg to a basket of currencies including the Euroland euro ‘EUR’? Or perhaps dollarize completely with another currency such as the EUR as what has taken place with Montenegro, Kosovo in the Balkans. BI.C believes a fluctuating peg to the price of oil and hard currencies including the yen, euro and USD maybe a viable solution for maintaining currency and price stability for Iraq.

YES SIR! lol

Does anyone have an opinion about this link from Money Magazine 8/10/04?
http://money.cnn.com/2004/08/10/pf/expert/ask_expert/

Here's the article.....
Stupid currency tricks: Iraqi dinar
August 10, 2004: 10:13 AM EDT
By Walter Updegrave, CNN/Money contributing columnist

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - I'm considering buying Iraqi currency as an investment. Is that a good idea?

— Ray Hammond, Dayton, Texas

Judging by the number of pitches I see from Web sites flogging the new Iraqi currency, not to mention dozens of people on eBay, there are at least some people out there who think investing in the Iraqi dinar that was introduced last October makes sense.

My take is unequivocal. Given the difficulty of predicting currency movements, I'm not even a big proponent of investing in established currencies like the euro or the yen.

And when it comes to buying and selling the fledgling currency of a fledgling government in one of the most chaotic parts of the world, that goes beyond mere speculation. I'd call it gambling.

The main argument for buying the dinar, of course, is that Iraq has vast oil and natural gas reserves at a time when energy prices are climbing. If the country gets its political act together, it could profit in a big way.

I hope things work out that way, but it's a big, big if.

And even if it does, there's no guarantee it will be able to run an economy that keeps inflation -- a major risk for currency values -- under control.

Of course, where there's great risk and uncertainty, there's also the potential for great reward. But I'd be wary of some of the information out there.

One site I visited had a chart showing the historical value of the dinar from 1932 through 1982 fluctuating between just under $5 and just under $3 per dinar. Gee, the dinar is now worth only $0.0007. Could you imagine if it made it back anywhere close to its historical range? Why you'd make a killing! Even if the dinar climbed in value to just one cent, that would represent a 1,329% return!!! Surely, it can go up at least a penny.

Really? If that's a sane rationale for investing in a currency, then why not buy the Turkish lira, which trades at $0.0000007?

Fact is, it's the economic prospects for a country that determine the future value of its currency, not the price it trades at now or the price it traded at in the past. And no matter how low a value a currency reaches, it can always go lower.

One final thing to consider if you're still thinking about investing in dinars is liquidity.

At this point, there's not a particularly organized market for them. You can get an exchange quote for dinars by going to the currency section of Bloomberg or Yahoo Finance, but the rate you'll pay varies substantially from one seller to the next.

As for selling any dinars you buy, good luck.

Frank Trotter, an executive with Everbank, the online bank that offers small investors savings and money-market accounts denominated in a variety of foreign currencies (but not Iraqi dinars) told me that his trading desk surveyed several of the online dealers posing as someone who owned dinars and wanted to sell them.

"We received no bids," said Trotter. "We haven't seen a legitimate market in terms of trading it."

That could change, of course, but probably only if the political and economic situation stabilizes. So if you want to sell dinars, for now you're pretty much relegated to eBay.

My view is that if you want to spend a few bucks to acquire Iraqi dinar as a novelty item or you want to gamble with money you can well afford to lose, that's fine. Enjoy yourself. But you shouldn't even think of making something this iffy a part of your investment portfolio.

well, we can write the facts in many diferent ways. In the end, the facts are the facts. That article neither encourages or discourages me. I know what I have and I know that someday it will pay off in a BIG way. I will continue to work and plan out my future without the dinar in it. When the dinar does factor in, well, life will be just that much sweeter! So in the mean time, I will continue to follow my mentor, Enzyte Bob, the happiest guy in the world!

Thanks for your comments. I have every intention of in investing in the dinar myself. After missing out on investing in the Kuwait Dinar in 1991 ..Starbucks...IBM...Microsoft etc, I am ready to take my chances.
John

Hello fellow speculators,

I think we could all benefit from reading or RE-reading Roberty Kiyosaki's "Rich Dad, Poor Dad," where the author admonishes us NOT TO LISTEN TO THE CHICKEN LITTLES of the world!

Remember, wealthy people, and those who will become wealthy will typically buy assets WHEN THEY ARE UNPOPULAR, like Trump bought NYC, or Kiyosaki invested in the Phoenix real estate market while it was depressed. It's not terribly often that NEW MONEY IS MADE, and the potential return (and risk) is enormous!

I think it's most important right now to TAKE A 5-YEAR OUTLOOK on this investment. Iraq's current currency is unnaturally low, but it would be unwise to believe it will rebound to $0.25 - $0.50 in less than FIVE YEARS. Hey, I would love to be wrong on this one, and see the NID hit $0.30 in 24-months but we MUST BE SKEPTICAL of short-term speculation, because that is not a bonafide investing strategy.

Personally, aside from this blog, I *DO NOT* share my beliefs in the NID with others. The people who invest in mutual funds and low-yielding CDs will all tell you the same thing - that it's a "bad, risky" investment.

I believe the wisest course right now would be for most of us investors to safely secure our Bremer currency, and KEEP OUR MOUTHS SHUT! (Except for this blog, of course!)

Can anyone relate? Agree or Disagree?

Aurthur,

You point is very valid. I am going to purchase more because what can I lose 400-900 US dollars--Listen to the voice of reason inside and make decisions accordingly. People who have not stumbled across this opportunity won't get it. Let bankers and professional investors...be cautious.

You seem smart enough to go with your gut instincts and you will be rewarded or disappointed with the rest of us.

Many people who says they are not going to invest in the dinars, are the main people who are investing. What they are trying to do is discourage people from doing it because they don't want anyone else to be as rich as they will be! I believe what Futureseeker says. Go with your heart. Believe because I guarantee!!!! that the dinars will go up in value! And you can guarantee again that investors, government figures. Everybody!! Will be investing in the Iraqi currency. Hell, if the United States invest,(which they probably are)we would be out of the national debt???? HMMM, do you understand the logic in why Countries will not let the dinar fail. Follow me, understand what I am saying. This is way bigger then us! Why do you think they are trying to do peace in NAJAF!! The US and other countries are including Iraq wants to get it started quickly. Hey, I say whatever works! I am still investing and will keep investing until prices get ridiculous. And believe me, You watch, the prices on ebay and other investing company when the iraq dinar starts to rise. There prices for dinars will be high!! Boy, I see the future and it looks real good. Listen to what I tell you. Don't go with the distractions of not buying because the people who are trying to distract you of not buying will be buying TRUST ME!!!

Well said Mike. It just goes to tell you, "Everyone" has an answer. You are absolutely right. Just go with your own instincts & gut... I for one believe there are just too many variables that indicate this being favorable & that this will be a great investment for the 2-5 year range. Maybe sooner.

Kevin

NOTE TO ALL: There are two sides to every coin... There are people with motives to encourage and those with motives to discourage this dinar investment. Again, BOTTOM LINE: always go with your instincts, and weed through all of the educated opinions and articles you read.

Kevin

Hey all,

when investigating this investment I did some research on the currencies of the *TOP 10* oil exporting nations. I pulled these quotes off yahoo.com this past week.

To put the NID in perspective, here is the list of the *World's Top 10 Countries* in Net Oil Exporting:
1. Saudi Arabia - $0.267
2. Russia - $0.034
3. Norway - $0.143
4. UAE - $0.272
5. Nigeria - $0.0076
6. Mexico - $0.087
7. IRAQ - $0.00068
8. Libya - $0.829
9. Algeria - $0.013
10. Oman - $2.597

The skeptic will ask, well why not invest in Algeria and Nigeria? After all, they're not worth much now...but they export a lot of oil! Maybe THAT will appreciate. Well, quite frankly, Nig. and Alg.'s currencies have never traded at high values, and there's no future event (i.e. reconstruction) that seems to improve the situation. Nonetheless, both currencies are worth about a penny, and if the NID appreciates to that you'd have a 1000% return on your investment! Beat that, Wall Street.

Over the next few years, what will determine the where the NID trades for are #1 - Iraq's ability to reach 2.5+M Barrels/day oil output, and #2 - Responsible fiscal policy of the Central Bank.

If Iraq's $120B debt is only partially dissolved, and the country regains its oil output, with moderately responsible fiscal policy I could see the currency between 2 and 10-cents. If more of the country's debt is dissolved, output is increased, and the fiscal policy is responsible, I could see the NID climbing slowly to 20-cents to one dollar. I've been told there will be October talks in Tokyo to discuss how much debt will be forgiven. Let's keep a positive outlook!
Does anyone have the Central Bank of Iraq's official website? That may be useful to monitor from time to time.

Very nice post, Arthur.

http://www.uruklink.net/cbi/index.htm

The website for the Central Bank of Iraq is CBIraq.org
WE ARE GOING TO BE SO RICH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pegging the IRAQ DINAR

The 2004 Budget does not rely on increased borrowing or printing money. The five core principles guiding Iraq's economic policy agenda:
1. Economic openness
2. Private sector development
3. International integration
4. Public sector transparency
5. A safety net for the poor

Included guidance on key assumptions to be used in the preparation or submissions, including a single exchange rate 1500 NID to the US Dollar.

Events that could affect fiscal outcomes include changes in economic and other parameters and matters not included in teh fiscal forecasts because of uncertainty about their timing, magnitude and /or likelihood.
In particular, there are upside and downside risks to the oil price and export volume forecasts. Similarly, there is a possibility that tax revenues will be higher or lower than expected.

Oil revenue pegging the Dinar:
The Budget assumes that the level of oil exports will rise over the forecast period to reach pre-war level of 2.5 million barrels per day in 2005. rather than the production target of the end of 2004. They have reached the level and further gains etc. It also assumes a decline in the oil price from current levels of $21 per barrel over the Budget period. These assumptions reflect the need for Budget revenues to prudently balance risks.

Revisons for fiscal 2004 Budget Increased resources and their use:
The fiscal circumstances for Iraq have changed significantly since the publication of the original 2004 Budget in October of 2003. Greater than expected capital inflows resulted in a higher than expected opening financial capital at the beginning of 2004. A lower-than expected need for central bank reserves and some transfers of assets from abroad have increased net capital inflows.
Buoyant prices and greater outputs have greatly increased oil revenues over expectaions. (21 Us per barrel) and higher production gains. Compensating for a reduction in expected tax revenues. These combined increases in resources have all been allocated in increased expenditures and to a prudent increase in the forecast closing financial capital. Net + 9,822.7 BN.
Projected revenues for 2004 have increased by ID 2470.3 BN over the projection made in Oct These projections come from increases in oil revenues and a proposed Civil Service Pension Contribution. However, expected revenues from state-owned enterprises are not expected to materialise in 2004.
Oil revenues are estimated using a prudent assumption of a gradual fall in net oil price which hasn't happened. US$ 21 per barrel ( ID 31,5000) in June 2004. Oil exports are assumed to reach 1.9 million barrels per day by the end of the year, which have already passed those levels. If oil prices rise significatly or exports are greater than expected then there could be a very notable increase in net revenues-but for budgeting purposes a more cautious approach in need.,

The forecast of $ 21 dollars per barrel was almost less by half. Therefore, production has been increased to per war level highs and we have maintain a level of $ 40 dollars plus per barrel since the rev: June 2004. So what are the net gains going to mean to all of Dinar fans ($$$$$strong net rev.) My question is since they are going to peg the Dinar to the OIL...Why is the oil price jumping to maybe to 50 US per barrel. To peg the IRAQ Dinar for forecasting such large gains for the high peg. Supply and Demand not pushing the oil up!! Anyway hope you enjoy some of this info.

Yo guys,
Ok first of all, lemme tell you all that i already bought 1 Milion Iraqi Dinars, but honestly, things dont look good,

I mean ok even if we see the day when the sites say that NID is worth 0.20$, whose gonna cash it for us ?

the US officials say that the new iraqi gov. can change the bank notes totally when ever ....
YIKES
then wht da we do man ?

hate to be negative on this one people,
any one here who can answer these questions ?

Asad

Asad
Visit www.investorsiraq.com

Hey everyone,

in 2000 I voted for Al Gore, because I was against Bush's special interest agenda, and lack of previous success in business.

This year, however, I still do not see Pres. Bush as the more qualified man, but we now share similar financial interests. I am a firm believer that we're in Iraq to make money, for Halliburton, Brown Root & Kellogg, other contractors, arms makers, and those investing money into a free Iraq.

So now I must ask: How will the 2004 election factor into the NID appreciation? Would Kerry bungle Iraq? Will Bush protect our investments better? The election approaches and I find myself ambivalent, but leaning toward Bush.

What does everyone think about the Kerry/Bush/NID questions?

Although one may be better than the other in Iraq, there are other questions that touble me. Can Bush pursue and really win in the Middle East? Will we really find anything besides the ridding of a morally depraved, paranoid dictator?
And I am glad the crazy man is gone for those peoples sake. However,at this point, I think, I am more afraid of Kerry. He's just a little too far on the far side for me and him wanting to put us under UN control is really a little much. He's not at all moderate.
Bush has had a hard role to play in this world scene. And though I have not agreed with him on many things, he's more moderate to me. But many things are yet to be seen. Boy! I bet I've pushed some buttons!
Bob

Vote Bush. Kerry is in bed with the UN and will hurt our investment, as he openly admits he will reduce support for Iraq, even though he voted for the war as a senator ??????? Kerry will say whatever he needs to to satisfy the particular person asking him a particular question!! He will pull most of our troops, as he openly admits & is more concerned about what France will think about him ????. Bush started this war and Bush needs to finish it. Bush has a vested interest in accomplishing a successful mission in Iraq and that protects our investment (millions of $$$ to build infrastructure/Iraqi econony)... !! Bush is far more decisive and CANNOT & WILL NOT allow Iraq to fail... The UN & NATO have become partners to train Iraqi security forces solely for dealing with these radical insurgeants. Bush needs to finish this mission, and every fiber of my existence say's Kerry will absolutely derail all progress & our investment, and any hope of the Iraqi people becoming FREE...

*** just a question to all: Why would a man (John Kerry) who married into millions $$$ want to be president?? To help you & me ??? I think NOT!!! Oh, by the way - his wife also got her money by marrying into the Heinze fortune...This is all about their EGO and POWER... NOT HELPING YOU, ME OR ANY ONE ELSE in this world !! At least the Bush family earned their wealth by working in oil & building their fortunes in oil... They earned it & didn't marry it !!! VOTE BUSH... Protect Iraq and our investment...

Arthur, I think you could use a dose of reality. kerry has more 'special interests' behind him that you know about. enron? millions to demorat candidates...trial lawyers? john edwards, trial lawyer scum who made millions from fake science by suing hospitals and doctors blaming them for cerebral palsy. kerry and his 'wife' are billionaires, they live in 7 million dollar mansions...the bush family together is worth 'only' one hundred million dollars...kerry is a joke, misses 90% of his senate votes, votes against the military and funding of our intelligence services..for over 20 years...how will he change? kerry will turn iraq over to the un slobs and thieves...we're in iraq for dozens of reasons and you obviously have no clue about geopolitics...go back to commie carter..'79 when the Islamo whack job revolution started..iran? oh yea...called balance of power...a free iraq will counter iran and the other whack jobs that want to murder anyone that isn't a muslim whack job...try learning something beyond what the biased newspapers and mass media tell you...Iraq has more to offer than most muslim nations put together and they've been through HELL...mass rapes..murders..REAL Torture..hands missing etc...Go Iraq, screw joan kerry the commie rat.

Jimbo,
When researching John Edwards's history, try reality and not gospel from the mouth of Sean Hannity. Shit, try turning the channel from Fox News for just a couple minutes.

Jimbo - Amen! Well said.

Blake - FYI, Jimbo is right on, and understands what reality is. Sean Hannity is a very moral & realistic man as well, and backs up what he says with facts...If you're saying John Kerry is realistic, it is you who needs to be realistic mister!!!!!! I have researched John Edwards, and from a quote from my favorite movie- WALLSTREET; " He'd not only sell his mother, he'd send her C.O.D.".. So would John Kerry... Both are no where near being honorable men. Kerry's own commander commented about Kerry's purple hearts & integrity. His commander said; " My wife received worse wounds trimming the rose hedges in the garden !"... And, " He is not fit to be commander in chief"... As did the MANY men who served under Kerry !!!

Reality? Get a clue mister...

Jimbo - Thanks for your realistic assessment.

Kevin
BUSH 2004

I am agreed with all those people who are going to vote G W Bush, I will vote Bush too, because he is the man who is best president for USA. Looking forward him to win this election. WISH HIM GOOD LUCK.

Kevin,
I did not mention John Kerry once. Sean Hannity is a farce. I do know the facts about john Edwards and his career. Maybe if you had some understanding of the legal system, then you would realize his accusations of Edward are completely off-base.

Oh....and George Elliott, Kerry's commanding offier has now changed his story 4 times. sorry i can't keep up with it this week. And Jerome Corsi, the co-author of the book, Unfit for Command, is a complete racist and bigot. Sorry if I'm not so quick to be enveloped by his accusations.

ARTY ARTY ARTY,
When I vote, I dont vote for the best intrest of myself (that would be selfish and not the greater good of OUR country), when I vote, I sleep better at night knowing I voted for the People. If voting for the best intrest for myself....someone can buy my vote...gonna give me a buck? of course not. who ever you vote for, one shouldn't be selfish...but above that....don't vote to ride a winning horse! voting is a responsibilty that many people have given their lives for. dont be ashamed to vote for someone who lost. remember when you dont vote, you have forfitted your right to bitch.
Jerry Garcia for President!!!

Well said Copedawg. I wish more people viewed voting with that perspective. I was beginning to think I was the only one who voted like that.

When I vote, I will vote for the security and betterment of our country, and of course, Iraqi freedom. Without saying, This dinar investment is secondary! Blake - you beleive what you want & I will do the same. This is not the place for a political debate. I beleive in strong leadership, decisive leadership, ethical leadership, leadership that will not cave to N Korea or the UN (ring of international corruption). It makes no difference what your political affiliation is. At this point in our world, if we want a safer America and a prosperous Iraq, ANYONE with pulse or having a double digit IQ knows the man is NOT John Kerry ! And his running mate is one who assualts corporate America & capitalism with erroneous lawsuits to line his own pockets with millions, thus causing thousands of senseless lay-offs. Yea, my vote goes much deeper than what happens to Iraq dinars. Someone who's family worked hard to earn the money they have & someone who is highly ethical & not ashamed to beleive in God to the free world will get my vote... Not someone who spits on his country, tossed his purple hearts on the dirt and ran with the likes of Jane Fonda.

Enough said. Does anyone have any news on Al-Sadr and our troops getting his A -- out of Najaf ??? This whack jobs has to go.

Kevin

Bush or Kerry winning...the whole world has a stake in Iraq. At least Kerry served in Vietnam. I believed Bush used his father to get him into the reserves & then failed to show up for most of his time anyway oh wait we can't prove that because they've "lost" his attendance records.

Kevin,
You're a complete asshole. Good day.

Blake - Coming from you, I'm flattered to be called that.

And I will die an asshole too.

BUSH 2004

Blake,

You are a wimp. Way to bail out of a debate. Are you related to that weenie Kerry, or is it Hanoi Jane that has your balls in her handbag?

Scott - I suspect his full name is Blake Kerry Fonda. I thought I detected a "lisp" in that last insult.

Are you gay Blake?

Maybe we should all hold hands with the terrorists and sing "We are the world"... After all, That's what Kerry wants - As John Kerry strongly suggested: "WE NEED A MORE SENSITIVE APPROACH TO THE WAR IN IRAQ".

Yea Right!, then the terrorists will drop their bombs & guns, and hug everyone around them...

Good day.

Kevin - you will like this website.

Not sure about Blake.

http://www.georgewbush.com/Olympics/

Fellows, Fellows,... please. I know we have strong opinions, and you have pretty much convinced me to go Bush. But we need to remain civil.... Yes? Thanks!

Asad,

in answer to your question, eventually you will be able to convert your NID at a major bank in your area. They may charge a percentage for changing the money, but will perform the service gladly.

Let me ask you, if you had to fly to Iraq to trade in a relatively small investment for six figures, would that still be a pretty good deal?

Citibank works for me, though. :)

I'm back...

Yo thanks arthur my man
Lookin forward to a GREEN future

Cheers

and stop tha goddam political war amigos,
its all good.
who ever's tha president,
i will eat tha same food and go to the same job :D
enjoy the same freedom
so relax men

Asad

Scott Kevin
Thats some nice double teaming you two have going on there.I bet you two were sitting side by side yanking each other off and high fiving while you took turns insulting Blake.That was a hot night for you two huh? wink wink.We all know who the gay ones are.And as far as Bush goes hes a Quack who had to cheat to win an election.He cant run a country.Hell he cant even say nuclear. [Nucular] What a freak lol
Good Day

JLR,

Scott & Kevin were not alone, they were with me, and we had your mom here too. She wasn't that good, but we were impress with her saying " Bush Rules" in between her moaning and groaning. So much for the ole saying; like mother, like son...

Good day & good night!

Blake - If you are the same Blake that happens to be the (self-absorbed) Moderator for the investorsiraq website, I'm appalled that you have the audacity & lack of professionalism to call someone an "asshole" when they simply laid out their personal opinion and/or facts about a presidential candidate (without provocation or insulting you or anyone else FIRST. You started the name calling here! That is fact. I don't agree with any of the other subsequent comments made, but you sir, did start this. Remember that when you call yourself a website moderator. That is nothing less than laughable...

As for JLR - you have the audacity to accuse these two other gentlemen of "tag teaming", when in fact you are doing the same thing with Blake evidently. They call this HYPOCRISY. The rest of your vulger comments are nothing less than disgusting, immature and tasteless. You & the moderator- Mr. Blake perpetuate this nonsense, and it is sad that neither of you have the mental capacity to figure it out. People like you ruin a good thing.

Please move the crass political debate and childish name-calling to another forum, or I will proceed to delete pathetic, irrelevant, and trash-talking comments without notice.

And if this continues unabated, I will shut down this thread.

Besides, ALL politicians are low-lives. :)

Kevin I experiended the same childish crap for a so called "Super Moderator" in the Investors Iraq Forum.

I left for good. Being in the Middle East I intend to build up the Dinar Blog...

Is it possible to create one more category for info provided "From the Horses Mouth".

My only request is that threads don't get closed because "Moderators" disagree with the opinion...

Please email me at iraqidinar2005@yahoo.com if you would like to discuss further....

Tony and Blake- You are running Investors Iraq Forum into the ground!!!!

I can come to no other conclusion than that they are NID sellers looking to profit!

Jack - You are right on the mark with Blake. That goes for Tony as well....I PM'd "tony" (Super Moderator) because I thought someone was using his name in vain, until last night when the same uneducated, sentence structures and assaults came for self appointed "Super Moderator". I told him he is a good poster, however, a poor moderator.

That site would flourish if they took away his moderator priveledges...I don't normally curse online, however, what a JackAss both Blake and Tony have become!!!

I don't have a lot of time when I get on the net.. serving in Iraq keeps me busy. So I am asking to keep this blog to the facts about the Dinar.. good or bad.. but just the Dinar.. I would appreciate it..

I have a lot of faith in the Dinar now that Satar has "surrendered" ... and I see roads getting rebuilt everyday.. infrastructure too.. I'm just not in the know as far as what's happening with currency..

Is the Dinar going to be pegged with the oil?

How far along is the World Bank in Bahgdad?

Any educated guesses on when the Dinar will open?

Thanks for the info and the venue Kevin.

Ian

I'm still here, guys. Cut the silliness, and stay on target. :)

Hi All,
I'm new to this forum but very glad I found it. Does anyone know exactly what are the US economic sanctions that were lifted against Iraq last week?

I am not certain what sanctions were lifted, but I did read that the economic dealings with Kuwait have been rekindled. That is, perhaps, the best news, with regard to the NID, that I've heard in quite a while. Kuwait's economy is propering. If Iraq can model their's to resemble anything close to Kuwait's, we will be in the chips. About the Iraqi Investor's Forum...it seems that the most important chatter on that site is about who has the fanciest avatar next to their name. I have not been able to glean any pertinent, useful information from there in quite a while.
I did find this little blurp. It is useful only to get a look at the "players" in the Middle East Arena.

Here's the site...

http://www.meed.com/nav?page=meed.conflist.conference&resource=1175778

Here's the site...

http://www.meed.com/nav?page=meed.conflist.conference&resource=1175778

Kevin B.-
Go ahead and remove all of the political and socio hate mongering from the website. In fact, bar them from posting in the future.
It is clear that some people are too immature to behave like grown adults when it comes to their politcs (or their bigotry). A compromised, edited blog would be better than the garbage this has turned into.
I want to know anything new that pertains to the Dinar investment. If I wanted anyone to tell me how to vote in November, I certainly wouldn't be taking advice from strangers, let alone from people who have to resort to vulgarity and name calling to get their (tiny little) opinions across.
Today I had to sift through ten tons of this kind of crap just to get some Dinar related info. It is quickly becoming not worth the bother.

I JUST RECIEVED MY FIRST 3 MILLION DINAR TODAY AND ORDERD 3 MILLION MORE ,I HOPE TO AQUIRE 10 MILLION
IT COST ME $ 860 PER MILLION DELIVERD IN 5000 DINAR NOTES.THIS IS AMERICA WHERE DREAMERS AND GAMBLERS DO WELL.WITHOUT THEM WE WOULD BE A DULL BROKE COUNTRY.GO BUSH!!!!!

Just curious Brian, where did you get that kind of rate? It is a lot lower than any of the U.S. dealers seem to be. Plus, they ship in 25k notes.

How can I purchase dinars from a Irqi bank and open an Iraqi bank accout?

To all - I ordered from the great "AMER" several days ago, and you get an e-mail response stating;

Due to heavy demand, we will not be able to get back to you soon. When the "auto acknowledgement does come back, and you click on the secure link to pay by credit card for the currency, you get this;
"Error: Price not valid. Please contact us for a working payment link".

When you attempt to contact the great Amer, by contacting the seller on ebay, you get nothing for three days, then you get an e-mail;'
HURRY, you only have three days to purchase your merchandise" ???????? What the hell? It is BUY NOW on ebay, so what gives?

Be cautious of buying from AMER!! The so-called #1 recommended seller... If he's this damn busy, and he cannot remain organized and respond timely, we all take a much greater risk IF this currency is pegged tomorrow, 3 days from now, next week or sometime soon. My gut tells me something is up, because Jaki2000 no longer has anything for sell on ebay...

This quick, exemplary service I have heard about from this AMER is now just a wishful thought.

Be very careful about ordering dinar this late in the game

Joe

Joe - I orderd half-million nearly four days ago, and have the same problem with AMER ! NO RESPONSE!!! Going on four days with no workable, secured link to pay by credit card so I can get this currency in my hands. I spoke with an attorney, and since this is currency and not other merchandise, people ordering currency from AMER or other sellers are not liable if they cancel their orders. I have been advise that since this is currency with high potential fluctuations in value, I am not liable to the seller who cannot guarantee "timely exchange" for the currency. This does fall into this catagory, and I have been advised, I am not liable to ebay nor am I liable to the seller, dima89.

It is true, jaki2000 is no longer selling ANYTHING on ebay???????? BEWARE people... The dinar craze is getting down to crunch time, and is getting riskier & riskier ordering from anyone on the internet right now. Even the superman-(Amer) who has now resorted to not acknowledging buyers concerns and providing the necessary links to buy. I cancelled my order with him by ebay msg to seller, and I am not liable for anything.

If you have not buyed dinars by now, you may very well be screwed if you ordered recently... It is too late and close to decision time, and these sellers know it.

Kevin

yes on ebay antiquesrus@softhome.net "ABED GHAITH" mine came well packaged delivered by DHL with his bank acct no# in jordan and tracking all the way here

To Joe & all,

I am retracting my last comments & doubts about Amer, as this particular problem was due to e-mail/technical problem. I am very impressed with Amer's professionalism and explanation, as Amer did take the time to explain the exact problem, and sent me another secured link. At this time, with legitimate reasons to be concerned about dinar purchases right now, having more patients with Amer's heavy volume is necessary. It is still pretty good getting an order delivered within 7-10 days from Jordan.

** Again - I think if you want to purchase any or more dinars, do not wait much longer.

Thanks again Amer for your professionalism.

List Of Do's And Don'ts...

I feel that this is necessary given sleeper Cells And all...

Please do not scan your passport. My family and I, not to mention the whole of the U.S.A would appreciate it.

WOuld you provide this information to the public???

Are you willing to give your drivers license info, address and SSN to the public in your local newspaper?

DONT'S

• Do Not: Scan Your Passport Info: This would be foolish and jeopordize American lives.
  
• Do Not: Scan Your Drivers Licenses and send them abroad via internet.
  
• Do Not: Do not sign your signature to a scanned document which can be copied later.s.
  

Don't let greed make you nieve!!!
Many sleeper cells and international folks may be playing on you. Don't become the 'unwitting pawn' because you want to acheive greater weatlth. Purchase your dinar on Ebay and leave it at that.

Don't provide vehicles for terrorists to enter the country by supplying them with your passports and personal info!!! My children and depend on your understanding...DOn't forget, there may be a lot of sleeper cells in the states that we don't know about!!!

Hey EW miss you over at the other forum.

Blake... YOU ARE A DICK... God I feel so much better esp seeing you bashed and put in your place you dorkish moderated fawktard.

Tony U let all that shit go to you head bro sorry. Any ways Im proud to not be part of the cool crowd.

Mr. DAn Peg well well well, he's just raking money in off all of us, and then some the runs both PORTAL IRAQ And INVESTOR IRAQ. He approached me in a pm inquiring about a buisness propisition reguarding the Credit Bank Of Iraq Forms that I received from NBK. Although I never heard anything else from him, all I know is that DAN and Blake are buds and thats that.
Ill try and get Notre Dame over here to post, hes pretty cool and has killer metaphores. Blakes a whiney faggot who with out the support of others or some moderator dildo wielding power couldnt defend himself from a leper in a wheel chair.
Sincerely,
JERRY

BTW I think alot of people like my speculative posts.

Jerry - I can't believe what happened to that board.

I went so far as to PM Tony that someone on T&B was using his

name in vain (It was actually a hint since he was calling the kettle black. Given the preaching over post and closing them on

a whim. ) and that he should post a response. His post was nothing more than, "Hey Someone is using my name if vain on

T&B"!

I have received a lot of disgruntled PM's from posters indicating their discontent since I left whom will remain nameless

because they are friendships I have forged.

It all started when I tried to inquire as to the documents a certain

individual saw from their spouse in Iraq!

I then received a list of profanities in a post which Tony at iraqi dinar

conviently deleted.

I PM'd a "truely respected moderator" (not TONY) and the administrator.

In all fairness, this is what

I PM'd the administrator who is responsible (Though He Doesn't Admit It) to the American People....HIS board!!!

[iraqidinar2005] - As you may know I have left this forum due to a certain moderator cursing and flying profanity at me not

unlike posts in T&B. The mod then conviently deleted the forum.

However, I could not stand by and allow that same moderator to post info which intices folks to scan their

passports...Unacceptable...I suggest you visit our orgin, T&B and see the comments posted by this so called "Super Mod".

If you limit this individual to post priveledges only, I will rejoin the forum, however, if the self-admited steriod freak

that burst out in profanity continues to moderate, I will not return and I will forewarn all my contacts up north in Iraq to

be wary of this posters info.

I will not post, however, I request you provide the following info to members as well as pass this info to danpeg....

List Of Do's And Don'ts...

I feel that this is necessary given sleeper Cells And all...

Please do not scan your passport. My family and I, not to mention the whole of the U.S.A would appreciate it.

WOuld you provide this information to the public???

Are you willing to give your drivers license info, address and SSN to the public in your local newspaper?

DONT'S

• Do Not: Scan Your Passport Info: This would be foolish and jeopordize American lives.
  
• Do Not: Scan Your Drivers Licenses and send them abroad via internet.
  
• Do Not: Do not sign your signature to a scanned document which can be copied later.s.
  

Don't let greed make you nieve!!!
Many sleeper cells and international folks may be playing on you. Don't become the

'unwitting pawn' because you want to acheive greater weatlth. Purchase your dinar on Ebay and leave it at that.

Don't provide vehicles for terrorists to enter the country by supplying them with your passports and personal info!!! My

children and depend on your understanding...DOn't forget, there may be a lot of sleeper cells in the states that we don't

know about!!!

Please email me any questions you may have because after logging in tomorrow in order to log off permanently, I will no

longer see my PM's.

Sincerely,
EW

Manama, Bahrain

The response I got was as follows which were inbedded in my comments.

[danpeg] - You made the choice to leave the forum, not me nor Tony.
[My Response] GOD BLESS AMERICA!!! YOU DAMN

RIGHT!!!

[danpeg] - Please don't give me conditions for you rejoining us. This is a free forum and I encourage you to post meaningful

information. Take it or leave it.

I urge you to post the info your provided yourself. I am not responsible for what people do with their passports.. Frankly

there is much worst information on the Internet.

Thanks,
Dan

[my_reply_to_that] - Believe me...If terrorists take the lives of Americans and the next congressional panel says they

infiltrated our security because they were able to duplicate info, yes, I would question your responsiblity and question your

accountability, for standing by and not raising the flag after we, fellow Americans told you this is not right and you should

delete such posts.

THAT FORUM HAS BECOME AN OPSEC NIGHTMARE! thus my reason for leaving.

I WILL NOT

undermine the lives given to this mission for the sake of a worthless Dinar...

It is foolish to send you personal info

digitally which I have reported time and time again on this site as well as the other site.

You are asking for trouble and

could compromise lives.

By the way, here is my response from Blake -
Don't let the door hit you on the way out. If you keep on disrepsecting moderator's formal requests, you will be banned for

that reason, just like you asked for (i saw it before you deleted it), and your banning will not be b/c we have this love for

rumors being posted.

Respect the moderator's requests, they are not up for debate. End of Story.

Jerry you seem to be right on the money as far as your assesment of Blake.

GOD BLESS

AMERICA!!!

We all know we will hear the "No Shit" info about the Dinar together regardless of where we are in

this world, however, I have many friends up north and I will not only give you no B.S. info, I will give you info and will

let you get a good idea as to the source and the reasoning. I won't leave you hanging unlike some that keep stirring that

other forum up on a monthly basis. Just email me.

Finally, for danpeg, please delete my account on your site. I

don't want any part of a site which respects a self-admitted adict over an 8 year veteran and civilian that continues to

support the U.S. Of A. in the Middle East as well as other soldiers serving up north.

Confusious say: Don't let Greed make you nieve...

I left a comment about two weeks ago on the fact that I wanted to open an Iraq bank account with Warka National Bank and I am happy to say that The accounts that I wanted have been open. Listen I know that it is a risk with skanning your personal information like your dreiver lisence, which is the only personal information that Warka Investment Bank needed to open my accounts, and sending it over theinternet over seas over Iraq is risky.But there is a risk with every investment wheather you send money to feed the children of put money in on of thoes pots so kids over seas can read. PEOPLE ANYTHING IN LIFE IS POSSIBLE, BUT DO NOT LET THESE GREEDY PEOPLE WHO ARE SCREWING YOU FOR YOU MONEY CONVINCE THAT IT IS A BAD IDEA TO OPEN IRAQ BANK ACCOUNTS. I wired my money from my credit union in california and to Jordan national bank PLc in amman jordan and then they sent it to warka investment bank in baghdad iraq. REMEMBER THAT THESE SELLERS OF IRAQI DINAR QILL NOT EXCHANGE YOU THE HIGH DENOMINATIONS OF DINAR FOR DINARS THAT WILL CONTINUE TO BE IN AFFECT ONCE THE DINAR GAINS VALUE. If you have on million Iraqi dinars in an Iraqi bank account then when the value appreciates you will not have to go all the way to Iraq to wxchange them. It took 14 days for Alwarka invesmet bank to get my wire tanfer and the best oart about it is thatsince I also have an iraqi dinar savings account whtey were able to exchange 700 US dollars for 1 million Iraqi Dinar. I am sending them 2800 UD doillar to exchange for 4 more million Iraqi Dinars.

In life anything is possible and anyone could be a terrorist including these Iraqi dinar salesman.

THE QUESTION IS IS IT A RISK THAT YOU ARE WILLING TO TAKE.

I DO NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU BUT I AM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

May not have been a clear statement>

I have received a lot of disgruntled PM's from posters indicating their discontent since I left whom will remain nameless

-- Those statements were in reference to a certain roid head

dan - I have yet to see funds wired back to them in order to see if the account is legitimate...

How does anyone know if Rannaddaa(?) swift code is not her personal bank account?

Yes she may work with the bank, however, if she knows that foriegn accounts are not allowed and thus far there are no laws regulating as such thus far, her bank account may be increasing daily. Until someone can request funds back and witness the originator on their bank account, many remain wise.

"SCREWING YOU FOR YOU MONEY" - ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!

I am no longer affiliated with iraqi dinar forum. While I was a participant, I knew not of any monetary gain.

This is, is nothing more than unregulated opinions and facts

PEOPLE ANYTHING IN LIFE IS POSSIBLE, BUT DO NOT LET THESE GREEDY PEOPLE WHO ARE SCREWING YOU FOR YOU MONEY CONVINCE THAT IT IS A BAD IDEA TO OPEN IRAQ BANK ACCOUNTS.

You want to open accounts, find, FAX info to a certified CPA Bank Fax number. Don't scan you info and send it to a HOTMAIL account.

(Being cynical here) Hell, I have a hotmail account, send all your private bank account information to me as well as your Social Security number, while you are at it, send your name and next of kin....(/Being cynical here)

Hey Everyone,

I just wanted to say that Mr. GHAITH from Amman, Jordan has delivered completely on what he said he would. It took 3-4 business days to receive my shipment of authentic currency, and his prices are fair. Thank you, Mr. GHAITH, and I look forward to continued businss with you.
His e-mail address is: antiquesrus@softhome.net

here again to say that i love the usa but i lost 90%
in my retirement savings through my company retirement fund,so why not take a chance with the dinar.i believe the risk is worth it.all the fat cats on wall street have taken almost everything, at least with the dinars i can paper my bathroom wall and see what i lost.i use mr Gaith on ebay to buy mine he is the cheapest i have found yet,and delivers promptly.

I am no longer going to watch Iraq Investors forum either.

I never registered there but would read quite a bit.

I only liked that guy NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRAQi. He seemed to be quite a funny one. Also the only one that had many qualified opinions. He too would piss off the other ones and that seemed quite funny to me.

From an email I recently received.

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

This is a must see! Make sure your sound is turned up and be prepared for some graphic images. I commend the man, who created this site; it really gets the point across. Click on the address below and wait. It is worth your time.

Freedom Isn't Free

You Basterds !

Makin profits on the lives of helpless iraqis.

They didnt have atomic bombs,
They didnt have any thing to do with 9/11

US bastered bomb them.. kill their economy, take their oil,

Poor people...
Dying girls and small kids...

and all u can think of is

HOW YOU PIGS WILL EARN MONEY THROUGH ALL THIS OUTRAGE !

You are a bunch of Basterds !!!

Johnny, My dear sir! It seems like you are misinformed or you are just not understanding on what the deal is with the Iraq Dinar. Everybody earns money through what you call an "OUTRAGE!!"

Listen hear buddy! Iraqi dinars is just like playing in the STOCKS, BINGO, Betting on SPORTS. What I am trying to say it is nothing but GAMBLING! WE are not robbing the IRaqi's of their money! We have not took their OIL!! And yes we know they are not the one who did 9/11! We are just a bunch of entrepreneurs that are trying to make a better living for ourselves. And the people who invest in the Dinars(probably including yourself) are just gambling!! We are not causing harm to anyone.
Silly Rabbit, tricks are for kids!!

toooo many drugs nut case

Johnny,

I know plenty of bastards, and many small-time foreign exchange speculators may very well be bastards, but not because of their trading. Just how can they make Iraqis worse off? It doesn't make any sense!

Their trades have had no effect on the exchange rate of the Dinar. The big boys--central banks, oil companies, and hedge funds (driven by perceptions of economic growth and macroeconomic stability)--will move the rate.

Americans have not taken Iraqi oil. This is just made-up nonsense--propaganda by those who want the U.S. to be seen as evil. In contrast, it's the propagandists who are evil, and deserve the label "bastards".

Please read Iraq the Model if you want personal experiences about the Iraqi economy before and after the invastion. If you ask Iraqis, you will find mixed opinions, but an economy that is improving. (see this post of mine from a few months ago for polling data).

Iraqis are not poor because of the U.S.; they are poor because they were ruled by a vicious, self-aborbed, socialist tyrant. Did the U.S. drain the marshes? Burn the oil wells? Does the U.S. destroy pipelines? Take enormous taxes from Iraqis? You know damn well they don't.

Oh, Americans are killing Iraqis--lots and lots of them--but only the ones who demand to impose a new tyranny over the Iraqi people. Has the U.S. inadvertently killed innocents?

Undoubtedly.

But the posters on this page haven't killed anyone, so please save your hatred for the so-called "men" like Sadr who deserve it.

--K

jihad johny
get a fuggen grip and a life. you are the reason why people get bunged and others get get killed. breath and repeat. read the whole thread, buttwipe

"Heeeeere's Johnny!"

That cracked me up. Not my comment -- yours!

Johnny, Do you realize that Iraq is on the way towards becomming a free nation?

Do you realize that people were dieing in Iraq long before the occupation by the Alliance of 30 Nations?

Iraq was basically the equivillant of multiple warring factions. In the US, we call them GANGS. Yet, in the US, we still have enough of a stronghold on our society that we can at least keep the gangs somewhat at bay.

Sure, they still kill people, but over all, they are weak. The same thing is happening in IRAQ. By the way, do you think the IRAQI FOOTBALL team would ever be able to pop off about Saddam using them in political ads? While they will NEVER compare to the Four Horsemen, they would certainly be the Headless Horsemen had this happened four years ago!

As long as there is something called peace, there will always be war. I'm sorry, but that is how the universe works. It's basically Quantum Physics at work. In order to fill something in, a void must occur.... in order to have NO WAR, you must first have WAR.

While it would take me about 10 semesters to teach it to you via email, you can get a fair grip on it from a 2 hour movie.... I suggest you go to www.WhatTheBleep.com and find a theatre and location near you. You will then be schooled by some of the brightest minds in science.

Here is further proof that WAR exists everywhere:
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20040823/3b_apple23.art.htm

But then again, you were probably running around Japan on December 8th, 1941 shouting how unfair it was to attack so close to Christmas.

TO ALL OTHERS
I'm done with the other site for the most part. I'm happy to be invited here by Jerry and thank you and Kundar for the nice words. I take them as a compliment.

Too many fragile egos over there. MAN!

I made a comment and Mr. Hell-bent-for-Egoism boy jumps my case. I crack back, and get it from all sides. I then had to have a little fun. ...even made it a hobby.

Glad to be here. I see this as more of a CHEERS kind of atmosphere and everyone gets treated like NORM when he first walks in.

Over at the other place, it was as if you were a 40 something male in a sorority laundry mat!

In either case, I can always make myself at home... here, it seems as there's nothing wrong with having a sensable opinion.

Let's Roll!

NORM! I agree. The other site is fragile. I am not in the "click" so I dont fit. Others will follow, If they havent already. Atleast in here we have fun even with lossers like jihad jonny here.

Hello all,

I am getting 1457 dinars to the dollar from my local exchange.

I would also like to thank everybody here for all the information both positive and negative on investing in Iraq and its currency. I agree its a risk each person has to ask themselves are they willing to take as for me I will take that chance and hope for the best. You will never know unless you try and a small investment is better than no investment. Fingers crossed and good luck to all.

OK
You all idiots :)
tell me.

WHY THE FUCK DID AMERICA INVADE IRAQ ???

DID THEY HAVE ATOMIC BOMB ????

NOOooooooooooooooooo .....

THen Why kill and invade man ?

if a country is ruled by an unjust man. is it the JOB OF US MOTHER-BITCHES to invade it and give people a new ruler by killing 5000000 people ???

demolishing their cities ?

TELL ME>

YOU PUSH OVERS ARE JUST THERE FOR THE OIL, and MONEY
AND YOU KNOW IT.

SO keep the fuckin bull shit and your insulated ideas.

and go watch the movie

"FAREHENHEIT 9/11"

Made by one of you who sees the truth.

JHONNY !!!!!

WOW we killed 5,000,000 people already? Does that mean that the dinar is more valuable because there are less people to spend it? Or does that mean that its less valuable because that is that many fewer people for demand i.e. getting paied? ...whatever Johnny, F/911 is yesterdays T shirt. Todays T-shirt is "Heeeeers Johanny!"

P.S. when adressing a group it's better to open in a proper sentence "OK All You Idiots"

ALSO NO ONE OWES YOU AN EXPLANATION OR ANYTHING!!! OBVIOUSLY YOU HAVE AN EMPTY YET HARD HEAD... AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT I CAN STILL FIND USE FOR IT... AS A CHALK BLOCK FOR AN M1 TANK!

you should be glad that we are sending our american dollar to iraq,and as far as fareinheight 911,it is a one sided stupid movie and i guess you believe everything you see in the movies.i am still buying dinars and if the dinars dont appreciate in value then so be it.if they do appreciate you are not invited to the dinar barbecue.

jihad johnny,
You are like a child. What official goverment report is F/911? I have respect for the camera men in Alien vs Predator, they really risked life and limb, because that is all %100 true, because it was on the silver screen. Oh and I heard something about Godzilla teaming up with Batboy to kick Osomas ass, maybe the US forces should just follow them to lead us to him? Please tell me what you think jihad johnny.

GOOOOO IRISH!!! WB ND! You wont get the fake "Bravo golf clap" here. Here its pretty much say what ya want when ya want with out Blakes whining, Dans moderating, Tonys "I'm too cool for myself" and everyone elses "Make love not war BS"

Here if you talk politics you CAN say YOU SUCK or repley back NO YOU SUCK without having to be trheatend like a child "Or I'll Take It Away"

I LOVE THIS PLACE!!!!!!

GOOOOO IRISH!!! WB ND! You wont get the fake "Bravo golf clap" here. Here its pretty much say what ya want when ya want with out Blakes whining, Dans moderating, Tonys "I'm too cool for myself" and everyone elses "Make love not war BS"

Here if you talk politics you CAN say YOU SUCK or repley back NO YOU SUCK without having to be trheatend like a child "Or I'll Take It Away"

I LOVE THIS PLACE!!!!!!

Since I own this forum, I'll let you all say YOU SUCK all you want, but I'd ask that you please list substantive reasons why.

-----

For instance, Johanny, YOU'RE THE IDIOT! Why? Because you:

1) make up evidence where none exists (5 million?, demolish cities?, you're a real man?)
2) ignore factual evidence presented to you
3) have no clear arguments
4) let your hatred guide your mind
etc.

If the U.S. wanted Iraqi oil, or the proceeds from it, there were far cheaper ways of acquiring it--like buying Saddam off. Why would the U.S. send in the troops knowing many would be killed ad wounded? Do you know how much stabiliing Iraq costs? Do you care? The U.S. is rebuilding non-oil related transportation facilities, water supply, roads, bridges, etc. Why on earth would the U.S. do that if all they wanted was the oil?

The U.S. invaded Iraq because the horrifying rule of Saddam was, in fact, a stable regime that threatened America's interests. America's interests in Iraq are:

1) No safe haven for terrorists
2) No madmen trying to acquire nuclear, radioactive, biological, or chemical weapons
3) An example of peace and freedom to other middle east nations ruled my tyrants.
4) A stable oil supply.
5) Open markets.

So you can take your "IT'S ABOUT OIL" nonsense and shove it where the desert sun don't shine.

And what about F9-11 did you find at all comprehensive, non-selective, compelling, truthful, or otherwise actually dependable?

--

Also, please keep the partisan politics to a minimum.

Kevin - You are the coolest!!!

Jerry, Norte Dame, TrashBucket, Jack and for all those too numerous to mention...I am happy to see that most of the heavy weights that supported that forum with CONTENT realized the B.S. happening on Investors Icrap forum.

Though there are still some good folks over there like M&M and mini and others to numerous to mention, I am glad to see you guys still adding content here!!! Let's Roll!!!

Johanny - Since you seem to be such a well cultured and civilized man, I will humor you...

- Your knowledge and wisdom of foriegn affairs seems to be unparalleled.

- You are the pinnacle of national security intelligence.

- Your inconversant perspective of the "War On Terror" is unquestionable.

- Your presupposition of F/911 is quite intriguing. I am sure you bring comfort to so many working class Americans. Many of whom are descendants of people who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.

If you are an American, please respond and enlighten us as to what your master plan would be to protect your family of countrymen? If you are not American, then you have no arguement.

If in fact you are an American, let me give you two links to provide you with real information and not sliced video tape that any amateur could have put together and sold as a movie and called F/911.

You may consider me more of an independent, vs. a Rep or Dem. Just like religion, I believe in the writingsof a book, not someone elses interpretation of the book because I am wise enough to know that humans may put spins on writings, and as a result you get extremists and as a result, Allah will not only judge them, but, Allah will also judge those that taught them their evil ways. InShallah.!!!

American Soldier - Tommy Franks
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0060731583/qid=1093444621/sr=ka-1/ref=pd_ka_1/002-8244287-8782446

Why were are there is obvious: http://members.cox.net/classicweb/email.htm

Errrr....

were=we're (Last sentence)

I am at home with our roots at
http://truckandbarter.com/mt/mt-comments.cgi

I hated going their in the begining and I realized after Tony's profanity that I was right.

Investors Iraq is a red headed step-child of T&B. Many of the heavy hitters (good info) are going back to their roots. The Investors Icrap forum appears to be infested with midddlemen trying to make a buck and we are wising up to the fact.

No disrespect to M&M and others. M&M is a good mod trying to maintain peace. Unlike others that feel they are the Saddam of their universe and delete posts which are not positive in nature to their beliefs. Isn't that called dictatorship or communism?

I sincerely apologize if I have isolated certain friends with my beliefs, however, I am an extreme patriot. U.S.A all the way!!! I come from generations of folks that have served and some have given their life so that we have the freedom to speak our minds.

Had we lost WWII, what do those folks think would have happened? German or Japanese, which language would you want to learn?

As a result of the hundreds of thousands of Americans which gave their lives to protect their children and decendants...THAT WOULD BE US! Don't let their sacrafice be in vain! WWII was much worse than OEF and OIF as far as American lives lost. Was it nice, NO. Was it necessary? Yes. Were they kids the U.S. President sent to war? No. They were men. Brave and courageous. They knew that America depended on them then just as America knows today.

I think this forum deals with the real issuses and deals with people/crap as it comes, chews them/it up and spits them/it out and waits for more. Thats why I like this forum better! We are all going to get rich at the same time so I don't need to kiss someones ass to hitch a ride on the money train, that would not be an individual, that would be someone with no individual charicter (even if I can't spell). So the "Gods" in the other room can keep worshiping themselves while we keep having fun! Oh yeah, jiahd johnny, I have to agree with kevin B, YOU ARE AN IDIOT!

This message is for the all knowing johanny. First of all, unless you have served in Iraq, you wouldn't have the slightest clue as to what this war is over. I have been there and seen the atrocities that Saddam has committed against his own people and mankind. They are still finding mass grave sights and the number of dead from this tyrant are growing to the likes of Hitler. Do you think Hitler was a good guy too. My point is, unless you have any kind of usefull knowledge on a subject, keep your anti-american slander to yourself. Maybe you would be better off living in a country like that. Sounds about like your mentality level.

well said jj. I for one have been there. and recoveriving now @WRin DC. jihad johnny is really a big piece of WORK

O.K. PLEASE...Can someone tell us how to tell if Iraqi dinar are authentic or not. We have people wanting to buy, but they are very hesitant as they think this is a scam. Please, can someone tell us exactly how to do this??? Thanks.

jo,
check it with this.....
http://www.iraqi-dinar.com/security-features.php
this is the way to tell once you have it....before then...to get it....buy it with credit card to escape fraud.... thats the way I did it

oh yeah jihad johnny,
when your roads are paved and hosptals working and even a "lottery" starts....you know westerners have put you in check. "CHEERS"!

Thanks so much Mr. Trashbucket. Only, I cannot pull up the site on Google. What would you suggest? I really need to see how to find authenticity. Thanks again.

Jo,

Click here.

It's getting harder to weed through all the "i'm so cute, your so cute" and "yah baby, ride me"! stuff at the other site to get to any information at the other forum----annoying.
Now they're talking about how cool it is that "man actually created God"---i'm staying here, i don't want to get struck by lightning. good grief.
keep up the good posts! no bashing needed, you guys are too intelligent and informative to waste your time on it:)

just in case you haven't seen this yet from the waha site:
http://www.waha-stockbrokerage.com/?page=35

click on the analysis link for reviews on companies and market news---excellent info

August 01 2004 Foreign investors are now allowed to hold Iraqi stocks

Foreign investors are now permitted to participate in tradings on Iraqi Stock Exchange (ISX). The legal framework is in place, but the details have yet to be completed and final regulations are awaited.

Kevin, thank you. I have been checking the dinar we have. They look authentic except for the color changing symbol. Mine looks pretty much the same all over. How can I check further? The color is uniform on the "purple flower", is that wrong? Thanks again. Jo

Been holding dinar since April and a first time poster. Notre Dame, Psycho's in town, just busted balls on his majesty the (cough, cough) attorney. Give me a "hell yes" so I know which one you are, I believe I do know but can't ass-u-me. Basically, I see your forum rode that left wing bitch out on a rail so if there are no objections, I may just hang out for a while; if there are, like Notre Dame would say, I guess you'll be on the pissed off list.

A very comprehensive article on how the US can get out of Iraq. Also has an indepth explanation of how the Sunnis and the Kurds and the Shiets are all broken up and what exactly each one of them want and why they fight each other.
GREAT READ Johanny may give it the finger.. But I give it A THUMBS UP!!! Please every one read and give you Input as to if you agree or disagree with Mr. Galbraith....

Jerry

http://www.nybooks.com/articles/17103

I am reading the article you posted closely.

I may be way out in left field here, however, I question some of the article info. Keep in mind that I am only 7 paragraphs into the article thus far...

• "...Focused on winning the political battle to start a war, the Bush administration failed to anticipate the postwar chaos in Iraq...?

  Per news reports as well as a first hand account from Tommy Franks book. I can say that there was planning of what Franks and the administration defined as "Catastrophic Success" with the OIF mission. As far as the article writer calling this a "political battle to start a war". I find that statement hard to believe. The administration knew that it was an unpopular decision, however, he stuck to his guns, knowing that Saddam was a threat and allowing safe passage and harboring terrorist fleeing from Afganistan. That in itself is enough to go to war and that is likely the strategy. This will let the terrorists know that there is no where to hide. We will come after them and anyone that supports them. "You are either with us or your against us." As a result, terrorists are realizing we will chase them down like the pigs they are and rid them of the civilized world. Thus, Iraq appears to be their last stand.



• "Prevention of Genocide Act of 1988, which imposed comprehensive economic sanctions on Iraq for crimes against the Kurds. The Reagan administration opposed the legislation, in a position orchestrated by the then national security adviser, Colin Powell, calling such sanctions 'premature.'"

  Reagan's National Security Adviser was Frank CarlucciLieutenant General Colin Powell was the Deputy National Security Adviser at the time. (nitnoid I know but a journalist should report the facts, not spin them. Know I am not Bill. LOL)
  

Jerry - So far a good article though. Still reading. Pretty busy over here right now and read (and post) when I can. Thanks for the info!!! Good read none the less.

Anyone notice the CBI Exchange rate did not update today? Technical problems?

does anyone know what kind of taxes there would be on any money made on these dinars////capital gains????income:::

Johanny,
I have sat quietly by listning to all your retoric and I have come to only one conclusion, You don't have any dinars and are too skeptical to trust someone to get them for you !!!!! Don't hate because we are able to see the forest and the trees. Don't hate because we can hope for our future and the future of our families..did you get that? OUR FAMILIES. Not yours. This is a forum for to discuss the Dinar. If you think we are all crazy, greedy, or whatever, thats OK. It doesn't offend me at all. So why does our optimism and our hope for the future bother you so much? If you don't believe in it, don't do it. It's that simple. And please whatever you do, Don't Hate !! It is not attractive!!!

I am currently stationed in Iraq. We are up and down the MSR's everyday and get to see all the good things going on. I think this country will eventually make it. Has anybody else heard this gossip? I was talking to some KBR truck drivers in the chow hall and they were all excited about the possibilities of what was going to happen to their dinars. They are saying it will open in January(not hard to believe) at 33 cents and within hours of opening fall to a penny. THis is the best part. They said they had read where the USA, Britian and a unnamed third country were going to subsidize it(in exchange for oil) so it would stay at around 33 cents. They swear they read this is a reliable publication. It seems a little far fetched, if it were this easy everybody would be investing.

Good to see a lot of you coming back here again. Like I said last week, very difficult to glean any usefull information from IIF. Now the babble has resorted to "boob jobs". DOOO BOOYY!

You asked "Has anybody else heard this gossip?" Though not comforting, I had a coworker that went into the Green Zone a year ago. He came back with a lot less hair and what was left was recognizably more grey.

I didn't let him know that I was a dinar investor or anything like that.

I asked him point blank. "Do you think the situation is improving?" "Do you think Iraq will make it?"

Though I consider the fact that the individual was just a technical worker bee, I was discouraged when his answer was "I am hopeful, however, I don't think so."

Not to rain on anyones parade (It won't stop me anyway). Keep in mind that his view is only one of many and he gave his thoughts on Iraq as a country from his perspective. He is not in the political or economic ring. He was a tech-worker bee.

Again, don't be discouraged. I am sure I will be able to purchase former believers Dinar for less than they purchased it at originally if I end up back in the states. Until then, I will continue to purchase at regional rates.

This is my first time commenting at this site... I've been checking in here from time-to-time to see what the good/latest word is on the future of the Iraqi Dinar. Lots of good discussion/info here; lot of worry venting too; sprinkled with a bit of controversy every now-and-then ...in other words "it's intersting".

I'm not unlike the rest of you folks that have purchased Iraqi Dinar with the expectation of making a tidy profit in the somewhat near future (I'm a club member too). I'm active duty military (USMC) with several friends and acquaintances serving in Iraq, or due to rotate over there soon.

Reading "Jihad Johnny's" (as he was refered to) comments, something about; "dinar investment being blood-money", etc. caught my attention...

After I purchased my dinar I had the same feeling myself when I saw a Marine that returned from Iraq grossly disfigured from an IED explosion, while in country, during a routine convoy patrol. Looking into his eyes and speaking to him, while trying my best not to appear horrified at the consequences facing him, was almost too much to ask of me. I was so disturbed by it that I was ready to sell my new Iraqi Dinar at a loss, just to wash my hands of it.

We Marines are funny like that - seeing this young man in his condition, all-the-while knowing that I am schemeing to make a small fortune on the Iraqi condition, made me violently ill and shook me up for several days there after. ...(it even bothers me now as I'm writing about it)... It took some friends calming me down and talking me out of getting rid of my investment.

My solution (as insignificant as it may be) is to give a handsome portion of any profit I make to the Disabled Veterans Association to somehow help ease their suffering.

For the Iraqi people there isn't much I can do. I can only hope that their shot at democracy works out for them, and that all this turns out to be worth it in their eyes. They, their children, and generations of Iraqis to come deserve prosperity so very much, after what they have suffered through for so long. Liberating them is something that we as Americans can take pride in ...even if the rest of the world doesn't quite get it.

I'm not a warmonger, or into human suffering of any kind, but I see an opportunity here to increase my family's standard of living, and I'm going to go for it; ...and, I don't feel the need to apologize for it.

The war in in Iraq was not my doing, and I'm genuinely sorry for the outcome; as far as human injury/loss is concerned, the destruction to the Iraqi nfrastructer, and the general impact to their overall quality-of-life. Yeah, my conscience gnaws at me at times, but it's a clear conscience. And, I'm not one for being left behind when the best opportunity of my life comes a knock'in!

In my gut, from all that I hear and know, I'm certain that--in the end--we'll all prosper from this venture--no doubt about it. The only unknown here is "how much" we'll prosper. ...(???)... Worse case scenario is ...we'll break even. And, if that's all we have to worry about, then I wouldn't worry that much at all.

Consoling one another at websites like this until the "Pay-Day" arrives, early next year some time -if not sooner, is a good thing though...(!)

Best of Luck to all of us! ...(you too Johnny)

HELLO ALL! ITS BEEN AWILE SINCE I HAVE POSTED BUT FROM WHAT I HAVE READ THIS BOARD HAS GONE TO THE SHITS..
IT ONCE HAD GOOD INFORMATION.
I'M HOLDING ON TO MY 8 MILLION AND CHANGE ..
BEST OF LUCK TO ALL OF US DINAR-A-HOLICS
ROBERT
16 MONTHS IN IRAQ AND I'M HOME!

hellooo! :o) Hey EW, Jerry, ND, Larry, etc. :o)

I came from here, and Fat Wallet over to the IIF but had only been on either for a short time. The forum does have it's annoying aspects for sure - but there is also some good info if you can duck the poo flinging and boob jobs! :op (in other words, skip the political threads and the lounge.) You're right EW, there are some smart informed people there - RogerL is my hero.

I think the creation of the politics area might have been a mistake. It's drawn too many people who just want to fight about politics. That being said, I can be selective about what I read - and I have to or my head might pop clean off!

I'm a die-hard patriot like EW, living in a liberal wasteland in MN, so I don't really need to go to IIF to get my dose of political spats. :O)

I'll never leave there, simply because I'm up all night at work and I work alone so I like being able to stay in contact and catch the daytime posts from our friends in the mideast region.

Anyway, keep up the informed and fascinating posts - I'll be here reading - and promise to never mention boobs. :oD

Jacquie

What's the latest on the World Bank in Iraq? Has anyone heard of a possible open date for the Dinar?

Posted by: Johanny at August 25, 2004 05:28 AM

SO keep the fuckin bull shit and your insulated ideas.

and go watch the movie

"FAREHENHEIT 9/11"

Made by one of you who sees the truth.

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

Minigirl says:

BWAAHHHHAHHHAAAAAAAAAA HA AHAHHA HA HA AHA AHHHHH ahhh ah. ah. ohh. oh. oh. hee hee... he. oh.. that's funny. ohhh my. heh.

Hiyaz Mini :)

EW... I too do not agree to the article in certain aspects. However I did find it informative and this guy is just a small part of the many think tanks. Heres the complete list.

http://www.cfr.org/reg_index.php?id=6|35||1#13

Much longer reads, but none the less informative :)

hey Jerry, hey, quite posting stuff that'll keep me from doing my work. lol ;o)

First, I come here not with warm fuzzies, but with a warning to all... Is it just me or does Al-Sadr's act seem a bit too much like Lucy Van Pelt telling Charlie Brown that this time she's really going to let him kick the football?

Too many times, good ol' Uncle Al has gone back on his word. I think we should scurry on over to Grandmother's house and warn big red on this one. We ain't out of the woods on this one yet!

JIHAD JOHNNY
If you're into the F-911 movie, here are a couple of movies that you ought to see, followed by another site that is a must see:

www.davekopel.com/Terror/Fiftysix-Deceits-in-Fahrenheit-911.htm

www.KerryOnIRAQ.com

http://ice.he.net/~freepnet/kerry/staticpages/index.php?page=20040531140357545

And please remember this my friend, more people are still trying to get in to the USA everyday than anywhere else in the world. .... now, will you go in Peace?

JERRY
You bastard! The only reason I came over here was for the fake golf clap!

SID
Don't buy into the rumors. If the IQD opened at even HALF of a penny to the dollar, that would be a miraculous thing. The scenarios you have painted are not just unlikely, they are unrealistic. If currencies were able to be manipulated, then the Big 3 automakers would have been able to do so in the late '70s when they flew to Japan with Richard Nixon, Henry Kissenger and other world dignitaries and pled that Japanese autos not be allowed into the USA. Soon thereafter, Toyota and Honda were introduced into the United States.

You may not immediately get what this has to do with Forex, but if you had a couple of semesters, I could explain why you often hear about the dollar getting stronger/weaker when the talking heads rip and read on the nightly news.

BILL
It's only my humble opinion, but you are a disgrace to all that have fought before you. I'm sure that if you had looked that young man in the eye, he sure as hell would have said, "Go get them. Think of me, but mostly, think of the motherland!

Like EW, I too, come from a long line of military. A great-great-great uncle who was a general and messanger for George Washington, and an uncle who was a 3-star general and was General MacArthur's right hand man. My father served in WWII and Korea and to this day would not talk about his experiences. I never understood why until I sat in a dark crowded theatre and after the first five minutes of "Saving Private Ryan", I fully understood.

I also recall the fight that my parents had with two of my brothers that said they would go to Canada before vietnam. One's number never came up. The other's number was to be called a few days after we pulled out of Nam. Those were unique times in our home.

I never had the priveledge nor the responsability to fight for the Stars and Stripes. I did however, call a recruit post within days after 911. They would not take me due to my age.

Duty, Responsability, Honor.

I doubt that ANYONE actually wants to kill or harm another in combat...that's probably why the fighting is no longer done hand-to-hand and technology allows so no one sees the "enemy" who is actually a teamate in the human race.

HOWVER - others before you, and certainly will after you, believe in "certain unailianable rights" and the freedoms that our country stands for, and are willing to die for our country, because we wish that our children shall live to be free.

There will be no freedom without war. Never has, never will be. Much like there never will be cold without hot.... it's the ying/yang. It's how the universe works.

I understand that none of today's soldiers ever expected to go to war when they signed up. Many, perhaps yourself, just wanted a free education on the military bill or retirement benefits, or a truck with a bitchin' sound system and some nice rims and a few dollars in their pockets so they can get laid and or drunk on their leave.

We may in fact, be fighting for oil. We could be fighting because someone honestly believed there were actually WMDs. There may even be WMDs. My sources tell me that we actually took out Saddam due to the fact that he made a move on the Bush family. We all know about the attack on George H., very few may know about the interception of an attack on a plane by Hussain in which Gge H., Barbara, and Laura were flying.

We may even be there for that small reason as a final straw. Love, Honor, Responsability.

Whatever the reason, the result shall be the same.... freedom for the people of IRAQ. You and I and some other good folks may be rich in a few years. Not because of this war.--but because we saw an opportunity and acted upon it.

It's called FREE enterprise. If we are more wealthy because of it, it can only mean that the children of the people of IRAQ know FREEDOM. That is an HONORABLE outcome. From your own admittance, you are ashamed of Honor, and do not recognize Responsability. I pitty you and those who serve with you.

Nothing in life is free, my friend. Nothing but the air you breathe.

Johnanny,
Look for the truth, join the military and find out what is realing going on over here. If not, then shut up and sit on your couch and watch the news. I sense that you are too much of a coward to find out what is really going on over here

Dear Mr. GO IRISH,

I sincerely thank you for publicly stating your professional opinion of me; as well as your complete and utter pity for the poor souls that have the gawd-awful misfortune to serve with me.

Not quite sure what I said with my comments to cause you to write the matter-of-fact statements that you did, but... I suppose, as long as you feel you know what you're talking about - in your eyes - that's really all that matters. So, I'll just leave it at that.

Rather than belittle you, as you tried to belittle me, using this forum with your, "humble opinion"; all-the-while relying heavily on your unflinching wealth/breadth of knowledge of me, and my 23(+) years of honest and faithful service to Corps and Country; ...I'll simply and sincerely wish you Health, Prosperity, and All the Best this World has to Offer.

Semper Fidelis,

Interesting reply.

According to my neighbor, whose opinion is probably more weighted than mine on the matter since he's a USMC Retired Lt. General, my opinion was spot on in his eyes. As he said -

Semper Fidelis is a complete contradiction to:
"...The war in in Iraq was not my doing, and I'm genuinely sorry for the outcome; as far as human injury/loss is concerned, the destruction to the Iraqi nfrastructer, and the general impact to their overall quality-of-life. Yeah, my conscience gnaws at me at times..."

Perhaps you meant:
Simmer down Fido?

While I can respect anyone who serves for 23 years doing anything, I can only react to your above words much like the Vietnam veterans are reacting to John Kerry's actions and words bashing them when he came home.

I'm a soldier currently in the Green Zone in Baghdad; I have the opportunity to recieve dinars at the Rasheed Bank , much less than online; I plan on investing about $5000; can anyone tell me what they've heard regarding when the dinar will be recognized by internation banks? thanks

Hello there all...I am new to this...Just bought 3 million IQD. Can anyone give me some insight on how to exhcange this if it does increase in value. Do we have to claim it when entering the US? Will not claiming it keep us from converting it when it increases in value? Just curious..Ciao for now!

J

As I understand it Brandon -from what I've read and heard [someone correct me if I'm off the mark].

Early next year, once the U.N. has lifted it's sanctions imposed on Iraq after the invasion of Kuwait, and recognizes the new government in Iraq, the NID will be available for trade on the world markets. I've heard that it will begin trading at 33 to 40 cents on the U. S. Dollar. My guess is that somewhere between 20 to 30 cents U. S. will probably be more like it.

Not bad- if that holds true.

Hope that helps,

Mr. GO IRISH,

Please sir, "Go" ...in Peace.

This forum is not for verbal duels between the likes of you and I, or anyone else. But, if it'll entertain the bulk of us as we impatiently wait for our Iraqi Dinars to increase in value
...then, so-be-it!

With all due respect to the virtual Lt General you touted in your reply, the two of you have taken my comments out of context and missed their intended communication ...(now I understand - empathetically - why politicians consistently reply, "No Comment".)

I'm a patient person sir, but your misguided attacks of me, and feeble defense of them are trully testing my limits.

If it was up to you I'd be tarred-and-feathered and fired out of a cannon in the general direction of the Iraqi wastelands, without the benefit of an ounce of jurisprudence, what-so-ever.

Before you condemn me to indefinitely sail around the world, and to never be allowed to set foot on earthly soil again, "Your Honor" ...I ask your permission to clarify my original statements?... "Thank you."

"...1) {The war in Iraq was not my doing}, and 2) {I'm genuinely sorry for the outcome; as far as human injury/loss is concerned, the destruction to the Iraqi infrastructer, and the general impact to their overall quality-of-life.} And, 3) {Yeah, my conscience gnaws at me at times..."}

("Touch`e" by the way. Your technique of taking "a mere fraction" of my commentary to bolster your position didn't go un-noticed, ...but I'll humor you just the same.)

AGAIN; These comments were directed at the gentlemen deemed "Jihad Johnny", addressing the dinar investors at this site, with his extreme, out-of-left-field, scripted assaults.

1) The war in Iraq was not mine, nor any other Marine/servicemember's doing. Once the President says, "Go!", there are no, ..."Oh, by the Ways"...; we "Go!", and what happens next isn't pretty.

[So, (to: Jihad Johnny) don't blame "Us". We're simply doing our jobs, and trying to make it home in one piece to our loved ones.]

2) Talk to any Marine, or other servicemember, that's ever had to take another human beings' life; let alone - destroy the homes, schools and hospitals of the innocent, and they'll tell you - POINT BLANK - they "wished" there was some other way. ...BUT, if it comes down to either them, me, or one of my Marines (or sister servicemembers), then I/we will do our damndest to put "them" down first -period!

[Again, (DIRECTED AT JIHAD JOHNNY!) American servicemembers are human too! We're not mere robots programmed for destrucion, and genuinely hate the fact that we have to destroy personal/community property and take the lives of others. We "do" wish that there was another way. But, they/I will follow our orders first, strive for all we're worth to accomplish our missions. Then, if we're inclined to do so, we'll cry in our beer at the VFW [when no ones looking] - for the friends/comrades we lost, and at times, even the poor soles that forced our hand/s on the battlefield. Heck, I'm certain that in most cases we're "more human" than the majority of two-legged, vertically-postured mamals aboard this planet.

And, 3) As far as my conscience is concerned (I'm glad I have a moral compass), it does bother me that some get killed and maimed and have their physical and mental quality of life turned up-side-down while others go unscathed. It comes with the uniform, and I'll deal with it in the end.

[Again, talk to any servicemember who's survived the seemingly "unservivable" and see if they aren't humbled - in some manner - by the fact that they made it home, or escaped injury, but some of their friends and comrades weren't so lucky. At that point, I'm certain I'll cease to seem like such an Enigma to you.]

There! That's it Mr. GI (GO IRISH ..."what an irony that is."). I've made myself as clear as I can on this issue.

Lastly sir, I'm an honorable man/United States Marine - period!!! I do not owe you one red, American cent. BUT!... (justice be served), I will FINALLY put you in your place! If you've earned nothing else sir, you've - most definitely - earned that!...

How dare your pompous, buffoonish rear-end challenge me, on any level - let alone - attempt to publicly discredit and disgrace my military service!!! I'll excuse the Lt General (S/F Sir), he obviously (and most conveniently) didn't get "The Rest of the Story".

...And then, with the flying colors of a coward streaming before you; you run and hide behind the coat-tails of someone who served with distinct and dedicated service to our country. "I certainly hope the medication - you must be on to have such gall - came with a prescription!"

You can save the public apology I'm owed by you. Coming from the likes of you, it wouldn't be worth the keystrokes it took to type it!

OOOORAH!

Hotel-Charlie ...Out!

hello all!!
it has been a few months since i was last on this site, becuase the first blog got shut off and then i had no where else to turn (b/c all of the other blogs SUCKED!!!) so i am THRILLED to find that there is another blog!!! so i am a little bit out of the loop on the dinar...but having read the posts here, it seems like people think that the dinar should hit the world market beginning of next yr?? is this correct?

i look forward to checking this site daily, and Bill AWESOME post!!!

So is there going to be like a duel or something?
I got a 10 spot on ND.

I'll take Bill then - you mean 10 IQD? heh

LOL... no Duel Jerry.

You should know by now that as soon as this raggamuffin Bill tries to dig his foot back out of his mouth his had already put up his back peddalling white flag, yet try as he may, digs himself deeper.

Bill
Young man, it matters not with whom you spoke. You spoke the words.

It matters not which side of your mouth you're speaking, you're still speaking out of the side of your mouth. (That hole is your mouth, is it not?)

The Lt. General has seen each reply. In fact, he had me walk it into the Coranado Post 2422 this evening and here's some reaction for you from the rest of the boys:

"He is right about one thing, nearly any man that's ever had to kill another does regret to ever do it and wishes there were another way, but HELL, you told him that the first time."

"He says here you challenged him... looks to me like you merely challenged his words and he took offense to it. Can only mean a fox got caught in a henhouse."

"What a disgrace this one is, I'd like to have a word or two about Honor and respect with him. He'd probably beat my ass, but he'd have his hands full. Afterall, I'm 82."

"Sounds like Hotel Charlies been drinking Whisky without the Tango"

The Bartender:
"This guy either didn't think before he wrote the first time, or he didn't think before he wrote the second. I'd have to say this one put himself so high up he needs to be knocked down."

This from the QuarterMaster seemed to give everyone a huge laugh:
"Yup, a year or two of war time after 20 some odd years of peace time will make any lad crap in his boots....tell this one he better change his shoes!"

So there you go sadsack. Not from me, but from men I would call TRUE soldiers.

Just remember Bill, should what I type get to you, it's about you, it's not what I type - it's what you internally represent it to mean that twists you (I'm sure it didn't help to realize after it was too late that you wrote something that woefully may show your true colors.)

By the way Jerry, MiniGirl sent me a private message saluting my post prior to betting you the 10 spot. I guess it's her way of hedging her bets. ;o)

I just said it was a nice rant, and gave you that golf clap (attention) that you're so desperately seeking. I'm finding Bill to come off much more mature and intelligent. I think I'll stick to my original opinion of your prattle.

And don't you have anything better to do than go down to the local and get opinions on some other anonymous posters comments? No date tonight?? lol

And about that email - nice reply. Thinking with our LITTLE head are we? ;o)

HI YA ALL

WAS WONDERING WHY THIS FORUM SITE IS ALLOWED
TO GO BACk so far in timeline. seems to me the
entries past aug. could be deleted, so the forum
could concentrate on current events with the
iqd. the political garbage is irrelivent to the
vast investments that have been made by all.
The only relevent thing politically (with regard
to the thousands, or millions that have been
invested in the dinar is that one or the other
candidates that wins is, WHICH ONE WILL STAY THE
COURSE AND NOT PULL OUT AND LET THE SQUABLING
TRIBES REVERT TO PREWAR STATUS. IE: BACK TO THE
STONEAGE....

I intend to invest in the iqd eventually, but
don't intend my hard earned funds to be flushed
down the toilet.

thanks for all the neg and pos input, its an
education.
tinkerbell, retired navy scpo

Tinkerbell,

The software I use to power the site is not meant to host a forum--I'd have to delete the comments one at a time. I can create a new thread for you all to post on, but that might be hard to find. When the post hits about 1000 comments, I'll have to shut it down and make a new thread anyway...

good morning kevin
tks for input, was unaware of the limitations
regards
tinkerbell

For those of you who buy dinars and have them shipped or smuggled out of IRAQ, how do you propose to exchange them for US dollars several years from now?

To my knowledge the only legal way to own dinars is by currency exchange through and approved bank, but this still does not allow one to take the currency out of Iraq.

good evening pete

just checked in, there are several sites
in USA that sell iqd. I would stay away
from E-bay from the negative reports i have
on this forum, I have not purchased any as
yet, but intend to soon, one site I am
checking out is Silver Dinar.com...supposidly
located in Illinois. ( but the location in
the U.S. dosen't mean much until they are
checked out by BBB, or state attorney general
in that state. lots of sharks in the sea.

If there is anyone on the forum that has
delt with "silverdinar.com " I would welcome
any comments. ( but then u mite be an agent
of "Silver Dinar.com ) yes I am paranoid at
this point in the game.

Tinkerbell

amer on ebay---user name dima89---has proven to be reliable by many, as well as antiquesgaith. their track records are excellent and dinar arrive within days.
silverdinar has gotten a bad rap from a few.

Hello everyone, check out the CBI's website. they have added other currency to their auction board. http://www.cbiraq.org/cbs6.htm

This is my second tour in Iraq. Its hot, its frustrating sometimes, but...over all its worth it. I extended my contract to come over here one more time before I get out and move on with my life. I can say I did my part to protect my county and I help liberate a country from Tyranny. Things never go as planned especially with situations as complicated as this. The point is that no matter what we have to have hope. Hope is the basis for everything over here The dinar is a way to start who cares if people thing "it wont work." its about the coalition getting together to bring this country back to its feet. Yes it may take a while but eventually it will happen. "ITS A START." Ive bought a million dinars and I plan to purchase more because I can afford it. With the Dinar its one big gamble. If you can afford to lose 735 dollars for a million dinars then go for it its just a gamble being over here my money just sits in a bank account so its not like im going to be hurting over the money if i were to lose it. The point is that the coalition is involved and will not let this country fall into tyranny and violence once again. They are rebuilding this country from scratch and their alot more good guys than bad guys over here so no matter what the country will suceed and the dinars value will go up because the oils is still there, the natural gas is still there, and all of their other exports waiting to be distributed accross the globe. The insurgents will not stop this country from getting back on its feet. They are merely making a little more difficult. My prediction is that the dinar will AT LEAST go back to .33 cents. What it was right before the war. Alot of countries are putting alot of time and money to see that this country suceeds and they wont just give up everything they invested because someone placed an IED on one of our convoy routes. We are alot smarter than the insurgents and we are all certainly better equipped. I ask that before people start bad talking what we are doing. Do something to say you did your part. To the people working for KBR I salute you. You are just as brave as any man or woman wearing our uniforms. Wether you came here for the money, to help help restore this country or what ever other personal reason you may have it really doesnt matter the point is we risk our lives everyday to make all of this work and it will

listen EVERYONE. You can open an iraq bank account with either Investment bank of Iraq or Warka invesment bank. I have and the money that I wire transfered to abghdad iraq was legit. MY credit union verified that the money went from jordan national bank and then to Warka Invesment Bank in Baghdad Iraq. I wire transferred 1000 US dollars to Jordan Naitonal bank which was then transferred to Warka Investment Bank. The website for Warka Investment bank if warkabank.com

This is a real bank that will open Iraqi bank accouts for foreigners like you and I. Since I sent 1000 us dollrs, 31 dollars were taken out by jordan national bank PLC for fee purposes, and the remaining balance was 969 dollars. I put 369 in my US dollar savings account and exchanged 600 US dollars for a little bit over 900,000 Iraqi Dinars.

The bank exchanged my US dollars for the exchange rate that the central bank of Iraq issues foir that day. Right now the exchange rate is 1460 to 1 US dollar.

Here are the steps to opening an Iraq bank account with Warka Invesment bank. If you do not belive me look it up for yourself. your picture ID like your drivers licernce is the only picture ID you need to open any account.

Dear Dan
Thank you for your e-mail dated July 17, 2004. If you want to open only Dinar account , where I will deposit your funds ( Dollars ) when you transfer it to our bank ? it뭩 better to open a Dollar account .

You can send ( copy of your passport or any official document, specimen of your signature duly attested, full address, small picture ) by e-mail , but if you like to mail it ,our address is :

Head Office
Baghdad Iraq
Hay Alwihda ?Sec. 902 ?14th St.
Tel: 7174970 , 7172828 , 7178444
Fax : 7179555
P.O. Box : 3559 Elwiya
E-mail: warkabank@hotmail.com
warkabank@yahoo.com

My phone number is : 00964 1 7172045
00964 1 7193555
Mobil: 00964 1 7901 403659

When the account open ,I뭠l notify you by e-mail .

Whenever you need bank statement , just notify me and I뭠l send it to you by e-mail .

We don뭪 have an ATM or credit card or money machines in Iraq but we are working in it .

Also we must inform you that any drawing from your account should be made by you personally or by written authorization from your goodself , and please be informed that you can not transfer any Iraqi Dinars out of Iraq because it뭩 not allowed by the regulation of Iraqi Central Bank .

You can contact me be e-mail or phone .

When you transfer your funds , deposit in our account in one of our corresponding banks that I gave you before and write to be paid for ( your full name ) ,A/C no. ( your Dollar account no ) , Warka Investment Bank ?main branch?
You can transfer your funds from your bank in your country to our corresponding bank .
Dear Sir , we are a very known , respected bank in Iraq and out of Iraq too .

Best regards .

International Relationship Department Randda B. Al-Shakir

HERE IS MORE ON OPENING IRAQ BANK ACCOUNTS

Thank you for your 2 e-mails dated July 17, 2004 and July 17, 2004 .

Thank you for choosing our bank to be your assistance for your financial needs
in Iraq, and it give us a great pleasure to deal with you in our bank . Sorry
for the delay , we have a day off in Friday

You can open two accounts, one in Iraqi Dinar and the other in US Dollars.

For this we need copy of your passport or any official document, specimen of your signature duly attested, full address, small picture , once the account is
open you can transfer your funds to our bank through one of our corresponding banks:

Housing Bank for Trade and Finance
Swift Code: HBHOJOAX
P.O Box 7693
Amman 11118 Jordan
Our A/C No. in US Dollars../ 0019583140201

Fransabank S.A.L
Swift Code: FSABLBBX
P.O Box 11-0393 ?Beirut 11072808 ?Lebanon .
Our A/C No. in US Dollars../ 00500304?3-93002098

Jordan national bank P.L.C
Swift Code: JONBJOAX
P.O Box 1578
Amman 11118Jordan .C.R.6
Our A/C No. in US Dollars../ 98-02-303123-967322-02

International Bank for Trade and Finance
Swift Code: GBTFSYDA
P.O Box 10502
Syria ?Damascus
Our A/C No. in US Dollars../ 601-11300-2-3510-0

For exchanging your funds into Iraqi Dinar we ask you to sent an authorizing letter to our bank signed by your goodself ,to enable the bank to
exchange Dollars to Iraqi Dinars . The form of this authorizing letter is as follows:

밒 ---------------- authorize Al-Warka Investment Bank to draw from my Dollar
account ( current or saving ) in the above Bank and exchange the Dollar into Iraqi Dinar according to price fixed by the Central Bank of Iraq at that day ,
and then deposit it in my Iraqi Dinar account at the said bank?.

Also we must inform you that any drawing from such account should be made by you personally or by written authorization from your goodself , and please be informed that you can not transfer any Iraqi Dinars out of Iraq because it뭩 not allowed by the regulation of Iraqi Central Bank .

Kindly inform me what kind of accounts do you need (is it current or saving ?).

Please find below our charges:
?Transfer fees 0.125% .
?Open Dollar account ( saving or current ) 2$ .
?Open saving Dinar account 1000 ID .
?Open current Dinar account 1500 ID .
?Account statement 2$ .
?Purchase Iraqi Dinar 1.5 ID for each Dollar .
?Purchasing Iraqi Dinar the Central Bank of Iraq take 1 ID for each Dollar

Kindly be informed that , we will draw these charges from your goodself account
.

The amount of exchanging Iraqi Dinars against the Dollar is variable
depending on the market but you can follow the changes through this web site:
http://www.iraqdirectory.org.

Once your goodself send the informations I need , the accounts will be open .

Thank you again for contacting us and if you need any further information , please do not hesitated to contact me .

Dear sir , we remain .
Best regards .

International Relationship Department
Miss Randda B. Al-Shakir

DO THIS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SO THAT WHEN YOU WANT TO INVEST IN THE IRAQ STOCK EXCHANGE YOU CAN. REMEMBER THAT WHEN YOU INVEST IN THE IRAQ STOCK EXCHAGE ANY CURRENCY YOU US WILL AUTOMATICALLY HAVE TO BE EXCHANGED TO IRAQI DINARS AND THAT IS A AN IRAQI LAW. LOOK IT UP IF YOU DO NOT BELIEVE ME.

---

Note that this post was modified by the owner of the website for clarity--no content was changed!

I have an Iraqi dinar savings account and US dollar savings account with warka invesment bank in baghdad iraq. Yes it is true that they can not send you any iraqi dinar, but that is only because it is for your protection. It is well known that the iraqi dinar will eventually gain value and as that happens the high denominations will be taken aff that public market. Even if you can exchange the Iraqi Duianr you will still have to give up a certain percentage to the exchange banks. If you have an iraqi dinar savings account with you money in it already you will not have to exchange anything because it will automaticcally be done for you. I have actually been to Warka Investment Bank myself. It looks a lot like Bank of baghad. You need to understand thta I am investing in Iraq's banking sector. And it might look like a whole in the wall bank, but in a few years or less that bank own a new business building and the iraqi dinar will be at .33 on the market. The people in the bank speak mostly Arabic, but there are people who speak english. The business section in this part of baghad is mojoraly christian and jews. Look I am not trying to be racial but as we all know these particular religious people are very business and money orientated. The people that work there are great and willing to help me anyway I can. Especcialy becuase I am an American. Teh bank also has stock brockers that are willing to help me when the Iraq Stock Exchange opens its doors to foreign investor. I have put 20 million Iraqi Dinars in my account and the Exchange rate is great 1460 to 1 US dollar. The only thing that I have to do with my US dollar savings account is have 300 US dollars in that account for the year. I do not mind. I consider myself a Very lucky man with an apportunity of a life time.

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey People !

Please tell me when is the iraqi dinar bound to go up.
any dates, any events ???? i mean upcoming events.
PLEASE TELL ME, I AM DYIN TO KNOW.

if an event or something is about to happen than i will buy more IQDs

Helpp :S

Hey dan just got the news yesteday from my bank of america that my wire transfer to Warka Invesment Bnak was legit. And yes they do exchange your US dollars for 1460 to 1 US dollar. I send them 5000 US dollars. I figure that the possibilities of me being a millionare is worth investing in. I was going to buy dinars over the internet,but they chanrge way yo much. Another thing is that I get hunderds of thousands of Iraqi dinars more if I let WArka Investment bank exchange the dollar for me. I think that everyone should open an account with an Iraqi bank. everone needs to uncerstand that the Iraqi banks needs the US dollar more than the dinars salessman. I understand that even the iraqi dinar dealers have to make a buck, but I am not the one to just give away cash that I could be investing in to some thing else like more iraqi dinars. By the way I did my homework and verified that everyhing was legal. I even contacted the Central Bnak of Iraq and they told me that the corresponding banks were legal. I sent my money throush JOrdan Naitonl Bank PLC and they received it in about 7 days from my bank in california. then it took about 3 days for it to be send to Warka Investment Bnak in baghdad iraq. I intend to have them exchange some US dollars for about 3 million Iraqi dianrs because i want to invest in teh iraq stock exchange. If anyone has any questions please do not hesitate to email me. note; When you call WArka Investmtent bank remember that they speak mostly in arabic adn that theey are swormed with forerigners wanting to open bak account. Keep asking for RAndda B. Al-shakir. She is the one who most people epeak to when ir come to opening accounts. could you imagine the amoount of accounts that are being opend daily by foireiners. They will definately peg teh dinar to the dollar now. and when that happens we are going to be so rich.

Najaf is cooling down--good news for the iraqi people--good news for the dinar.

After waking up this morning to perform my usual post-wakeup ritual, I browsed to CNN to see what is happening back home. There it was, the most uncouth image I have seen in some time. Political protestors mocking the lives of fallen Americans with coffins. Words cannot describe how shameful these people are. On behalf of all the courageous men and women how fight bravely today and have served in years past...Shame On You!!!

Dont know if anyone posted this before but its a wealth of info...

Iraq

Iraq is estimated to hold 115 billion barrels of proven oil reserves, and possibly much more undiscovered oil in unexplored areas of the country. Iraq also is estimated to contain at least 110 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. The country is a focal point for regional and international security issues.

Note: The information contained in this report is the best available as of March 2004 and can change. Also, please click here for a complete chronology of events pertaining to Iraq from 1980 through February 2004.

GENERAL BACKGROUND
In the aftermath of war in March and April 2003, Iraq now finds itself in a period of uncertainty and transition after more than three decades of Ba'ath party rule. The events of 2003 mark the latest upheaval which Iraq has faced in its recent history. During the 1980s and 1990s, for instance, Iraq experienced two major wars (Iran-Iraq and the Kuwait war of 1990/1), plus more than a decade of economic sanctions. As a result, the country's economy, infrastructure, environment, health care system, and other social indicators all deteriorated sharply.

Iraq also assumed a heavy debt burden, possibly as high as $116 billion if debts to Gulf states and Russia are counted, and even more if $250 billion in reparations payment claims stemming from Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait are included. It is possible, however, that much of Iraq's debt will be written off in the end, and that reparations will be capped at a certain level, possibly around $40 billion. In December 2003, former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker was sent as an envoy to several of Iraq's major creditor nations, attempting to secure pledges to write off some of Iraq's debt. Russia stated that it would be willing to write off part or all of the $8 billion it is owed in exchange for favorable consideration for Russian companies on Iraqi oil and reconstruction projects. In January 2004, Kuwaiti Prime Minister al-Sabah announced that his country would be willing to waive some of the $16 billion owed by Iraq, and would help reduce Iraq's overall foreign debts as well. Under U.N. Security Council Resolution 1483, Iraq's oil export earnings are immune from legal proceedings, such as debt collection, until the end of 2007..... (for further reading)

http://www.marcon.com/print_index.cfm?SectionListsID=93&PageID=398

good afternoon
from Denver.

Need a small arithmetic problem solved that
my son and I are having a knockdown dragout about
the Dinar... Here it is.
We have 4 mil. in dinar, how much have
we made if the Dinar ever goes to 1 usd = .33 dinar. I do it one way, he does it another.
he multiplies, I divide. Which is it??

Thanks for resolving this for us. Right
now I feel as ignorant as a popcorn fart.

thank you
in advance....

good afternoon
from Denver.

Need a small arithmetic problem solved that
my son and I are having a knockdown dragout about
the Dinar... Here it is.
We have 4 mil. in dinar, how much have
we made if the Dinar ever goes to 1 usd = .33 dinar. I do it one way, he does it another.
he multiplies, I divide. Which is it??

Thanks for resolving this for us. Right
now I feel as ignorant as a popcorn fart.

thank you
in advance....

to tinkerbell. if you divide $1.00us by .33d you
will get $3.03us. then multiply $3.03us by $4,000,000. and you have 12,120,000.00. fro it is only 1/3 of a dinar that you get for $1us dollar. does that help? i.b.

for ibocanegra
thanks very much for the input, all cleared
up. thank u thank u thank u

tinkerbell

Tinkerbell,

IF:

IQD 1 = $.33
IQD 10 = $3.3
IQD 100 = $33.
IQD 1,000 = $330.
IQD 10,000 = $3,300.
IQD 100,000 = $33,000.
IQD 1,000,000= $330,000.
IQD 4,000,000= $1,320,000

Make sense?

to trashbucket, pls don't confuse tickerbell.
pls understand that $1.00us dollar will buy-
.(point)33 of 1 dinar. that means simply that
$1.00us dollar would buy only 1/3 of one dinar,not the whole dinar.
so if you have 4,000,000.00 dinars to trade @ a rate of 1.00us=.33(or rather)1/3 of a dinar then
you would divide .33 into 4,000,000.00 to find how many .33's are in that 4,000,000.00 dinars.
the total would be 12,121,212.12 . i know i write in simple terms and i don't mean to knock you down. if it seems that way i apolize. if i'm wrong pls correct in simpicity.

God bless our troops!

I think when people say it will start at .33. They mean $.33=IQD1 or 1IQD is worth 33 cents

IB,
I'm sorry but you are incorrect. Trashbucket is right, but he even confuesd his figures in his 2nd to last post saying this..."I think if it goes up IQD3=$1 then IQD4,000,000=12,000,000." That is what IB said, which is wrong

When we say that we think the dinar may open at .33, we mean the value of 1 dinar is equal to 33 cents, that it would take 3 Iraqi Dinars to equal 1 U.S. dollar, so 1 USD=3 IQD.

Now, if the dinar ever got back to the 1980 values of 1 Iraqi dinar being equal to 3 US dollars(notice the complete flip in value), only then would 4 million iraqi dinar be equal to 12 million U.S. Dollars. And that isn't happening for a very long time, if it ever does.

So for Tinkerbell, if the dinar opened or returned to a value of .33, your 4 Million Iraqi dinar would be worth $1,320,000 U.S. dollars, NOT 12 MIllion US dollars.

Tinkerbell, you and your son were both kinda right, just take the number of dinars you have, and divide by 3, OR you can multiply the number by .33, you get the same result.

While deleting spam comments, I inadvertently deleted an unobjectionable comment on this post. My apologies.

good afternoon all
thank u very much for all the input, boy what
a bunch of nice guys. never expected such
a large response.

any comments on " Dinar Merchants.com "
nice website, but dosen't mean a fart in hell
if they are not legit....

thanks again
tinkerbell

I wonder if this guy slipped...
Iraq to auction $10 million of treasury bills
7/9/2004 7:20:00 AM GMT

In a bid to establish a bond market and kickstart Iraq’s local capital markets, Iraq's Finance Ministry intends to auction 150 billion dinars ($10 million) of treasury bills on July 18.

"It's a way to recover the economy," Adel Mahdi, Iraq's finance minister, said.

The T-bill issue will be used to repay outstanding debt issued by the ousted Baath regime. It also aims at bringing funds back into Iraq's banking sector, much of which would otherwise face bankruptcy.

The minister said he predicted that the T-Bills, which will have a 91-day maturity, will yield between 5 and 8 per cent annual interest.

Iraq's domestic debt is less than 1 per cent of an external debt the finance minister valued at between 120 billion-130 billion dinars, prior to any debt-forgiveness.

Notice it says 120 to 130 bil Dinars! Not Dollars!!!

Heres the link see for your self...
http://66.218.71.225/search/cache?p=Iraq+Treasury+Bills&ei=UTF-8&n=20&fl=0&SpellState=n-585927043_q-owNYvys0ONE.RnLn86yMCAABAA%40%40&u=www.aljazeera.com/cgi-bin/news_service/middle_east_full_story.asp%3Fservice_id%3D2668&w=iraq+treasury+bills&d=940A09DF7C&icp=1&.intl=us

Ok check this out...

entral Bank's assets grow 9.5pc
BY A STAFF REPORTER

1 September 2004

ABU DHABI - The UAE Central Bank has reported a 9.5 per cent increase in its assets during the first half of this year to Dh59.6 billion from Dh54.5 billion at the close last year.
During the first six months of this year banks' cash and savings with the Central Bank increased from Dh421.1 million to Dh9.4 billion at the end of June. The bonds assets of the bank increased from Dh11.2 billion to Dh14.8 billion.
Loans increased from Dh50 million to Dh500 million. Fixed Assets increased from Dh38.9 million to Dh81.5 million.

That means UAE Central bank Reserves are at about
$16 billion... with me so far? Ok now check this out...

Date: Jul 19, 2004 - 03:00 PM
Healthy demand as fledgling government, battling a bad history, launches first debt issue.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq issued its first post-war debt on Sunday as it tries to shed a legacy of disastrous economic management and regain credibility in financial markets after decades of war and sanctions.

The government raised 150 billion dinars ($104 million) in three-month treasury bills carrying an interest rate of around 5.5 percent through an auction organized by the central bank.

"Demand was healthy," the bank's Chief Economist Mudher Kasim told Reuters.

"This was an attempt to explore the market," he said. "The plan is to issue six-month and one-year maturities too." He added that a stable dinar and growing foreign reserves had encouraged buying.

Iraq's foreign currency reserves stood at more than $2.4 billion last month.

Most of the new treasury bills were bought by local banks. Foreign banks were theoretically allowed to buy, but settlement and taxation mechanisms were not ready for such a move, Kasim said.

"We are aware there is international interest. It will take time before foreign buying is possible."

"Iraq's foreign currency reserves stood at more than $2.4 billion last month."
2.4 billion is not far from 16 billion considering that Iraq hasnt opened up to the world yet. Now $1 U.S. buys 3.6410 Dirhams on NBK site... So I would think that If Iraq reaches $16 billion in cash reserves that would be an indicator that the Iraqi Dinar would go atleast for 3 to the dollar...

Any input out there?

http://www.ameinfo.com/news/Detailed/44423.html

As individuals, I don't think anyone of us can afford to purchase T-Bills.

If anyone has any questions about investing in Iraq T-Bills, I will pose them to the locals (Bahrain).

After reading the link above, I have not found said Arabic Bank or Institution. I did a directory search and thus far have come up with nothing.

I am not a sales man. I am offering this...Take it for what you will...

I will do my best to obtain the answers to any questions you have regarding T-Bills.

Don't expect an answer tomorrow. I will try my best...

How about a COOP?

Hello everyone, I'm new to this post. I just found it today. There is some good information here about the dinar. I was wondering, do you all think we will be able to exchange the high notes such as 25000 and so on before it is pulled from the market? I believe that these notes will be pulled because at $.33 one note will be worth $8250.00 US. Do you think it is smarter to invest in smaller notes that might not be pulled? I am looking to get a Iraq bank account soon, but what about the Dinar that I have on hand now? Any advise please! Thanks

Good Article/s Jerry!

I was just recently calling around to see what financial institutions are planning to trade/exchange the NID once it's available for open and full trade on the world markets, so that I'll know where to cash them in; and sadly, every one of them that I spoke to (five in all) couldn't have been more skeptical/negative.

So much so, that one of them offered to send me a couple of links to "good speculative research information" on the subject of the future value of the NID.

I offer them for your review here:

1) http://yahoo.usatoday.com/money/world/2004-08-03-dinars_x.htm?csp=1

2) http://www.cato.org/research/articles/hanke-031107.html

3) http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000039&refer=columnist_derosa&sid=asFK.vOLlqHc

The first article printed Aug 3rd, I personally clipped when it was published by USA Today and I carry it in my wallet for reference when I'm discussing the NID. It was the article that sparked my interest in the NID in the first place. (Thank you USA Today!!!)

The second link, an article printed Nov 7, 2003 (much outdated), goes into a lot of technical detail (over my head), and sounds pretty "matter of fact", but I'm savvy enough to get the bottom line. And still, with all of the gentleman's credentials behind him, it's not enough to shake my faith in the positive future of the NID. For every negative view point on the NID out there, there's at least one other - if not more -positive one. Good insight none-the-less.

And the third article, published Feb 27, 2004 (outdated too), it seems to go either way on the subject of the NID and Iraq's economic prospects.
...(???)...

So, basicly the gentleman (with good intentions I'm sure) sent me a bunch of outdated info to support his company's reasoning for not wanting anything to do with the NID. I plan to refer him to this web forum to help remove some of the wool from his eyes, or at least offer him another entree to include in his diet of food-for-thought.

I was a little disheartened not to be able to find an institution - albeit with a very limited search - that could say to me, "Yes, we'll be available to you for the exchange of your NIDs when you're ready to make your transactions."
Oh, well...

Doesn't really matter to me at this point. I'm just going to patiently wait until the day comes when all the "Nay Saying" currency exchange institution representatives change their tune/s, and are clamoring to exchange NIDs - let alone, competing with one another for the business.

Funny thing too. One woman that I spoke to at one financial institution, when I mentioned why I was calling, she actually "snickered" over the phone.

Just goes to show that our perspectives are shaped solely by the amount and quality of information we receive.

This forum continues to remain highly relevant, and is high on my priority list for good/current info on the NID and it's future.

"Snicker" at the NID, indeed. When I asked her what she was snickering at, she became irritated and defensive. She couldn't offer me one plausible reason for her amusement at the thought of someone investing in the NID. As far as I'm concerned; she - and many like her - may chuckle today, but investors in NIDs - in the next six months--if not sooner - will laughing out loud all the way to the bank! ...(probably their bank too)

Keep up the good work/research!

Bill

Michael,

You bring up a good point.

For everyday trade on the streets of Iraq, as well as in other countries, carrying and purchasing small routine items with large bills is not an option.

But, remember too, that market prices - goods and services - in Iraq will remain quite high in the near to short-term, so the use of large bills such as the 25,000 dinar note, on the street and over the counter, will still remain relevant for quite awhile. Or, at least a long enough period of time for us to make our exchanges for U. S. dollars, or (if we choose) into smaller dinar notes for future holding.

Hope that makes sense...

Bill

Good point Bill about people thinking we are crazy. I called the HSBC Bank/Investment firm in NY because I was told you could open a Iraqi bank account through them. They transfered me from phone to phone and each Rep. didn't know what I was talking about, even though they said they had banks in Iraq and Jordan. They thought I was crazy! I hope it is true about what you say about the 25000 dinar notes. It worries me because I wonder if we will be able to exchange the notes here in the US before they change the currency if they ever do. I'm just wanting to get a head start on my childrens future!

For those of you that run into folks that are having a hard time 'making a
decision.'

Father-Daughter Talk

A young woman was about to finish her first year of college. Like
so many
others her age, she considered herself to be a very liberal
Democrat, and
was very much in favor of the redistribution of wealth. She was
deeply
ashamed that her father was a rather staunch Republican, a
feeling she
openly expressed.

Based on the lectures that she had participated in, and the
occasional chat
with a professor, she felt that her father had for years harbored
an evil,
selfish desire to keep what he thought should be his.

One day she was challenging her father on his opposition to
higher taxes on
the rich and the addition of more government welfare programs. The
self-professed objectivity proclaimed by her professors had to be
the truth
and she indicated so to her father.

He responded by asking her how she was doing in school. Taken
aback, she
answered rather haughtily that she had a 4.0 GPA, and let him
know that it
was tough to maintain, insisting that she was taking a very difficult
course load and was constantly studying, which left her no time
to go out
and party like other people she knew. She didn't even have time for a
boyfriend, and didn't really have many college friends because
she spent
all her time studying.

Her father listened and then asked, "How is your friend Audrey
doing?"

She replied, "Audrey is barely getting by. All she takes are easy
classes, she never studies, and she barely has a 2.0 GPA . She is so
popular on campus, college for her is a blast. She's always
invited to all
the parties, and lots of times she doesn't even show up for
classes because
she's too hung over."

Her wise father asked his daughter, "Why don't you go to the
Dean's office
and ask him to deduct a 1.0 off your 4.0 GPA and give it to your
friend who
only has a 2.0. That way you will both have a 3.0 GPA and
certainly that
would be a fair and equal distribution of GPA."

The daughter, visibly shocked by her father's suggestion, angrily
fired
back, "That wouldn't be fair! I have worked really hard for my
grades! I've
invested a lot of time, and a lot of hard work! Audrey has done
next to
nothing toward her degree. She played while I worked my tail off!"

The father slowly smiled, winked and said gently, "Welcome to the
Republican Party."

Bill- Good point about the snickering bank rep. about NID... I too called Wells Fargo weeks ago, and received a similar response, with no information to give me. I said, OK- What is the exchange for Jordan dinar & what will you give me for Jordan dinar if I bring some in. She said; we will give you $1.26 for the Jordan dinar, which was currently exchanging for $1.41 on the international exchnage (www.xe.com).

I did the math, and Wells Fargo would be taking .15cents for each Jordan dinar or (10.6%). That is nearly 11% for simply exchanging the currency. SO if I brought in 1.4 million Jordan dinar, Wells Fargo would kindly take approx $154,000 for their exchange fee....Interesting Huh?

You and everyone else owning Iraq dinars will be amazed how much information these bank reps will know later about the NID once they are exchanging it internationally and making a fortune on the exchange fee's... Let them snicker now, because you can bet your last buck these banks are all about money $$$, and all of these banks will want in on some of that action!!!! Then it's our turn to snicker!!

Kevin

JERRY
Good stuff.

KEVIN
From my experience, 11% spread in an exotic currency is pretty damn good!

MICHAEL
As long as you hold them (if they do not do away with the current monitary system - which would mean death to us all!), you will ALWAYS be able to redeem them.

Much as if you had a $500 USD bill today, you would be able to tender it. Granted, in all likelyhood, it would take some doing and I doubt that any bank would be able to handle your transaction, many would get you on the right track.

For example, a credit union or small local bank would probably turn you away without knowledge of how to assist you; let's say that you bank at Wells Fargo. Your local branch will not be able to assist you right that day, though they will probably be working with their currency desks in NYC or San Fran and probably someone in the publicity department and after a few tours of Television shows and Rotary Club speaches, you will be able to exchange your currency.

With regard to your direct question concerning the IQD 25,000s, this scenario is probably a good 10-20 years away.

TINKERBELL
The easiest thing to do when determining the value of your Dinar, is to take it into your local currency exchange about 7 or 10 years from now and tell them you'd like to exchange it. They will do all the math.

As far as wanting to know how much you have when/IF the Dinar ever gets to .33 or vice versa, we are all simply putting the cart WAY before the horse.

Rumor has it Oct. 18th .. Dinar will open at .43cents.. Anybody have anymore info on this..

Hello Ian,

Such rumours are prevalent since the introduction of new iraqi dinar. how can such rumors be trusted... not a single speculation so far about NID has proved accurate.... is there anyone who can say anything about NID with authority... i bet i will him send a couple of million NIDs

I think there will be a currency change in 5 yreas. Every thing in Iraq is pegged to a 5 year plan. Form occupation to funding to the oil sector pumping out 6 mil bpd. Iraq is despreatly trying to join the GCC ( Gulf Cooraptive Council which consits of Saudi Oman Qtar Bahrain UAE Kuwait and Dubai....

Common currency for Gulf states?

Sunday 14 December 2003, 10:34 Makka Time, 7:34 GMT

GCC is planning to have a single currency by early 2010



Related:
OPEC set to cut oil output
Bahrain opens up to foreign investment

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Gulf Arab finance ministers are expected to meet in Kuwait City soon to discuss progress made in the planned monetary union and in enforcing a customs union treaty.

The ministers will review on Wednesday a report by the monetary union committee of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states which meets 15 and 16 December in Doha, said Adnan al-Khudair of Kuwait's finance ministry on Saturday, quoted by the official KUNA news agency.

The report focuses on bridging the gap between GCC economic performance, working out the basic guidelines for setting up a GCC monetary union by 2005 and introducing a single GCC currency by early 2010.

The currencies of the GCC member states are at present pegged to the US dollar.

Customs union

The finance ministers of the six-nation alliance will also look
into ways to better enforce a GCC customs union, launched in
January, Khudair said.

The customs union is an important step for moving to the next phase of establishing a Gulf common market, for which a timetable will be worked out.

The meeting, which comes ahead of the GCC summit on 21 and 22 December, will also discuss the oil-rich alliance's ties with international blocs, especially the European Union.

The ministers will approve a mandatory anti-dumping law in an attempt to help implement the customs union, which aims to create a single customs zone with a uniform 5% customs duty on foreign imports.

The GCC groups Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/6F05C5CC-4C12-45AD-9DC3-E0A0A4F09274.htm

United Arab Emirates: Tuesday, December 17 - 2002 at 09:01

GCC single currency on schedule
The GCC states are on schedule to align their economies by 2005 so that a single currency can be introduced by 2010, Governor of the UAE Central Bank Sultan bin Nasser Al Suwaidi told a seminar in Abu Dhabi. But he said the currency was not the only goal, it was rather a way to achieve concrete integration and better use resources. He noted that the GCC currency could be a nucleus for a common Arab currency.

IF THIS DONT SAY IT ALL...

Al-Ateyah: Iraq can join the GCC
Gulf-Iraq, Politics, 5/27/2003

The secretary general of the Gulf Cooperation Council GCC Abdul Rahman al-Ateyah said that there is nothing that prevents Iraq's gradual joining of certain offices of the Gulf Cooperation Council after stabilizing of its conditions and forming its legitimate government.

In a press conference he held on Sunday evening on the occasion of the GCC secretariat's celebration of its 22nd anniversary, al-Ateyah said that "Iraq can join certain offices of the GCC, the same as Yemen which is now a member in many of the GCC offices," adding that Iraq was a member in all commissions and councils in the context of the Arab Gulf states and it is its right to play its due role in these organizations and also in regional and international organizations.

Al-Ateyah noted the participation of the GCC member states in rebuilding Iraq through measures taken by the Gulf Ministerial council in its two meetings in Kuwait and Riyadh to provide relief aids and humanitarian support for the Iraqi people. He stressed the participation of the GCC in any program set for rebuilding of Iraq due to the relations of neighborhood and partnership in the Gulf region.

Concerning the GCC role in fighting terrorism, al-Ateyah said that the GCC is a coordinative system and that there are Gulf security meetings to fight it.

He noted the GCC achievements in the political side, include the way it dealt with the Iraq- Iran war, and avoiding the region its negative reflections and unifying the Gulf position concerning Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990. Al-Ateyah said that the Palestinian question was and is still of great focus in the interests of the GCC members states which support the legitimate rights of the Palestinians to establish their own independent state with Jerusalem as a capital, adding that the GCC position concerning the Roadmap complies with the desire of the Palestinians.

As for military cooperation among the GCC member state, al-Ateyah commended the role played by the " al-Jazeera Shield" forces, which is ready to defend the security of the member states.

Al-Ateyah also disclosed the intention of the council to execute the project of founding a Gulf Satellite to be used for security purposes, adding that this large project is still under study by specialized committees and falls in the course of renovation and development of the joint Gulf forces, providing it with advanced technologies and linking it in secure telecommunications.

In the economic field, the GCC secretary general explained that the new Gulf economic agreement came in compliance with the development of the economic work in the member states and to cope with economic development. He added that a leading Saudi company was chosen to renovate the organizational structure of the GCC general secretariat which was issued since 22 years.
Iraq 'not healthy enough' for GCC

Thursday 15 July 2004, 11:56 Makka Time, 8:56 GMT

Yawar doesn't want Iraq to be a burden on neighbours

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Don't expect Iraq to join the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), says Iraq's president. At least not yet.

It is unrealistic for Iraq to ask to join the six-member council due to the current political situation said Iraqi President Shaikh Ghazi al-Yawar on Wednesday.

"I believe this request is unrealistic," Yawar told reporters in Baghdad after meeting with members of the country's new appeals court.

"We in Iraq are not in a position that would allow us to impose upon our brothers (such a request)."

He said Iraq faces a lot of problems and is in no position to join "a very organised and healthy body," like the GCC, which groups Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Economic quarantine

Yawar likened a request by Iraq to join the GCC to someone with a severe cold asking to come into your home.

"Maybe, in the future, when Iraq recovers, by then, these countries will be ready to accept the democratic Iraq. We will play an important role," he said.

The GCC and its member countries have welcomed the interim government installed by US-led occupying forces.

Before Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait in 1991 and the end of diplomatic ties between Iraq and the GCC states, Baghdad was granted the status of observer during some of the council's summits and meetings.

"AT LEAST NOT YET" = 2010

WHAT YA THINK ND?

NOW THE GRAND FINALE!!!

NBK Was awarded the contract from JP morgan to run the Trade Bank Of Iraq. (As well as purchased 85% of Credit Bank Of Iraq) NBK has awsome turn overs and have proven to be THE bank in the Middle East.

Heres NBKs Estimates for Iraq in 2009

http://www.diht.de/inhalt/themen/in.../irak_ws3_3.pdf (IRAQ BANKING LANDSCAPE 2009-by NBK)

This was really hard to get but I'll share lol

Seems as though I cant copy and paste the link however the link works on the Investor Iraq Forum

http://www.investorsiraq.com/showthread.php?t=117

1st page 3rd paragraph last link. Its a PDF file that NBK made up reguarding the Banking sector in iraq 200, however it has projected GDP also..

Let Me Know What Ya Think...

Great info/research Jerry!

Lot of Geo-Political hub-bub associated with that part of the world, and that coalition of Arab States too. But, the bottom line is (I think): in-the-end, it's all good for Iraq and their economy.

No country is an island (well... OK, some are in-fact "Islands", but you get my drift...) Iraq becoming a member of the GCC has it's ups and downs. For Iraq - economically and diplomatically - to (at some point) be considered healthy enough to join that union of Gulf States is a positive motivation for Iraq, with the help of stable countries in the region, to get itself on it's feet sooner--rather than later.

At the same time the union of the GCC will be a force to be reckoned with, as they consolidate their collective clout with healthy/oil-laden countries joining their ranks, as time goes by. ...not unlike the NATO alliance. Funny how the board game "RISK" comes to mind here. Definitely something for the world to keep an eye on though.

"fms",

Hate to bring up politics, but I feel compelled to ...forgive me my political friends. In my view, you're dead on the money! There "are" people out there that "should" and rightfully receive Govt. subsidies and assistance; the disabled/afflicted, the elderly and the like, etc. But, reinforcing the lazy nature of the majority of humans, by taking from the well-to-do (who worked hard and "Earned" what they have), and arbitrarily turning that over to the so-called less fortunate (more like The Severely Unmotivated) is an illogical form of charity, and it's simply of no benefit to anyone.

"Give a man/woman a fish and they eat for a day; Teach a man/woman to fish and he/she eats for life." ...and - at the same time; once taught how to fish, if they take it upon themselves "not" to be self sufficient - for some morally bankrupt/self-pitting rational - then, as far as I'm concerned, they can endure the pain of starvation until the little light bulb of "survival/self preservation" magically appears atop thier heads and shocks into consciousness.

Sounds rather harsh and unkind to some - I know -, but we've all witnessed (at some point and time) how an overextended stay on welfare, and other associated freebies solve absolutely nothing ...and only serve to bring out the worst in human nature! ...(note: I said an "Overextended" stay)

There's too much opportunity in our country (for Every motivated soul). If it's not as easy for some; in most cases, it's merely due to generational hand-me-down baggage in the form of "Woe-Be-Me/Us"/self-pity, which then gives way to shiftlessness laziness, etc. ...then-so-be-it. Ultimately, we're all responsible for our actions/inaction.

Life's adversity causes one to experience real "growth" and maturity, the kind of traits that make; good & decent/respectfull citizens, parents, and neigbors; the kind of people this world needs more of.

I'm not a Democrat or Replublican. I currently do not claim one or the other, but my belief (for what it is worth) is this: by blending the best ideals of both parties we end up with a political posture that most effectively supports the great majority of us. No such thing as perfection. An 80% solution is about as good as it's ever going to get.

My hope in this election is that Mr. Bush continues to serve us another four years. He broke the eggs; let him finish making the omlette.

(too many chefs spoil the sauce anyway)

...And, I'm not too confident Mr. Kerry is apt enough to even boil water, when it comes to finishing the mission in Iraq. Too much is at stake to change leadership now. ...and don't think the terrorist aren't tuned-in/watching the presidential election ...and - most likely - trying to influence it's outcome in some manner.

As always,
Thanks for the gouge on the NID, and your toleration of my $.02.

Bill

To All,

If my above comments caused anyone any heartburn, I humbly apologize and offer this in consolation:

(I just received it via e-mail, and it's the first I've seen it. ...hope it's worth a chuckle, or two)

Title: Investment Advice for the New Millenium...

"If you had purchased $1,000.00 of Nortel stock one year ago, it would now be worth $49.00. today."

"With Enron, you would have $16.50 left of the original $1,000.00."

"With Worldcom, you would have less than $5.00 left."

"...But, if you had purchased $1,000.00 worth of Miller Genuine Draft (the beer, not the stock) one year ago, drank all the beer, then turned in
the cans for the aluminum recycling price, you would have $214.00."

"Based on the above, my current investment advice is: 'To drink heavily and recycle.'"

"This is now my new retirement program; I call it my 401-Keg!"

...Based on the above, I suppose that if our dinar investments don't quite work out for some reason ...there's always the "401 Keg Recycling Business"... ;^)

Bill

NOW HEAR THIS!...

All,

Just doing my daily reading on the evolving Iraqi condition, and I came across this:

(IT'LL BLOW YOUR SOCKS OFF!!! ...it directly/indirectly affects the short-term future of the NID too)

http://www.washtimes.com/commentary/20040826-084244-2493r.htm

I can't believe the contents of this article!!! It's a sad day indeed, when those authorized and entrusted to enforce and uphold international law are found to be criminals themselves.

Shame on thye U. N., those responsible, and those that took part in this.

Humanity has just sunk to a new low.

(...turns my stomach... Where's my 401 Keg?!?!?!?... I feel the need to make an investment!)

Bill

All,

Here's some good news to off-set the bad...

(concerns Japan's investing in the reconstruction of Iraqi Oil Infrastructer)

http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=16035

Bill

It is interesting to hear all of you bashing Farenheit 9/11. That movie was the final catalyst to make me decide to buy the Dinar. Although the mere existence of the film may make you irate, you need to look beyond the political message. Don't you realize that one of the main concepts is that American business interests in Iraq are poised to make a great deal of money? Why else would these conglomerates be investing over there? Certainly not for charitable reasons.

inside word has it that sep 6th the dinar will open against the kuwait dinar at $3.72. any other info guys?

Pipe dream alert. It is not opening anywhere near $3.72

inside word? I would like to know "inside word" and "rounor has it" addresses. Where do they live? What do they do? How do they know so much? How can I talk to those 2? I have alot of questions for them

I'm stationed in Iraq (outta here in just a couple more weeks, so damn short I could parachute off a dime!).. and investing in the Dinar.. I posted the comment of .43cents starting the the 18th of Oct. Rumor started from some KBR employees.. just trying to find out more info.. I would be happy if it opened at a penny! (Heck I'll be happy if opens at all) I would have made one heck of a return in record time.. that beats any stock of the day...

Ian,
(Cool name by the way, thats my name too) I am going to assume (i know the joke already so i dont need to hear it again) that you are getting your dinar from KBR people, could maybe just maybe they are trying to get you stoked/primed up to buy more? they are making money each time you buy (and i would do the same prolly) let me guess $1,000 for a mil? its not going rate but what can you do?....I bought my dinar from the KBR guys also and I am very grateful to have the oppurtunity to do so. but dont think that they are there to rip you off, because they are not!...we are all going to get rich at the same time and to squabble over 50,000-500,000 dinar isnt my game at all but maybe just maybe they are trying to get cigarette money for the rest of their "deployment"? I am not taking anything away from KBR they are all kick ass people and do a outstanding job and help us out alot furthermore I dont think they are the type to sit around and say "yeah, we really ripped off that chump, Ian, what an idiot"....I think its more easier for them to consider its more of a "keep the change" type transaction, never the less a profit.
KBR and the military are like God and govement
like affes, they go where we go.....but KBR doesnt rape you like affes

Heres an updated PDF file from the Brookings Inst which has the last census asking Iraqis their opinion/(s) on a wide variety of topics, also has progress of the Dinar, Electricity sector Oil sector and so on. Very good read might want to save it to favorites as it gets updated 3 times a week.

http://www.brookings.edu/fp/saban/iraq/index.pdf

Explanation of the above post

IRAQ INDEX
Tracking Reconstruction and Security
in Post-Saddam Iraq
Iraq Index PDF

Download a PDF version of all charts which includes complete source information.
(PDF-305kb)

The index will be updated every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

The Iraq Index is a statistical compilation of economic and security data. This resource will provide updated information on various criteria, including crime, telephone and water service, troop fatalities, unemployment, Iraqi security forces, oil production, and coalition troop strength.

The index is designed to quantify the rebuilding efforts and offer an objective set of criteria for benchmarking performance. It is the first in-depth, non-partisan assessment of American efforts in Iraq, and is based primarily on U.S. government information. Although measurements of progress in any nation-building effort can never be reduced to purely quantitative data, a comprehensive compilation of such information can provide a clearer picture and contribute to a healthier and better informed debate.

Michael O'Hanlon spearheads the Iraq Index project at Brookings, with assistance from Senior Research Assistant Adriana Lins de Albuquerque. O'Hanlon is a Foreign Policy Studies senior fellow and recently served on a U.S. government delegation to Iraq to review post-war progress.

And Shibibi said...

BAGHDAD, Apr 18, 2004 (Xinhua via COMTEX)

The governor of the Iraqi Central Bank said they will use a system for the bank to link with more than 7500 financial institutions in 200 countries, said local newspaper Sunday Al Nahdha.

Sinan AL Shibibi said the system known as the Social International Guaranteed Communication is used to sending financial messages for the central banks and big commercial banks, including the US federal reserves which keeps the Iraqi development funds.

Updated: 8:52 a.m. ET Jan. 15, 2004BAGHDAD, Iraq - Bank notes printed with the face of Saddam Hussein ceased to be legal tender in Iraq on Thursday, as the new currency soared to fresh highs against the dollar, forcing the Central Bank of Iraq to step in.
The Central Bank of Iraq said it had intervened on Thursday to counter the dinar’s swift rise, buying dollars at 1,350 dinars each after the currency hit 1,100 on Wednesday -- from 1,500 last week and a low of 2,200 last year.

Dinar's strength 'not justified'
Iraqi Central Bank Governor Sinan Shibibi told reporters the strength was “not justified.”

“There’s probably some kind of speculation, people have bright prospects for the Iraqi economy...It is now a trustworthy currency, but it’s not justified because it’s a big jump, you really want something smooth,” he said.

(this part just pisses me off...)
“Today (the bank) bought dollars in the auction at 1,350 and it stands ready to intervene further in order to ensure it meets its primary objective of exchange rate stability,” Nell said.

Sept. 22, 2003, 12:52PM

IMF agrees to help Iraq, but with caveats
Associated Press
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- The International Monetary Fund assured Iraqi officials today that it was committed to helping the country's reconstruction, but some officials said no loans can be made until a government is created.

IMF deputy managing director Shigemitsu Sugisaki issued a statement of support after reviewing developments in Iraq and the fund's work there with Iraqi Central Bank Governor Sinan Mohammed Rida al-Shibibi and Trade Minister Ali Allawi.

(this just shows that the IMF is pimping Shibibi)
hopefully they will not let the IMF continue to devalue Iraqs currency for cheap exports... GRRRRR

IRAQI CASH TRICKLING BACK

Gailani said Iraq was finalising details with Lebanon over returning some $500 million of Iraqi cash frozen in 17 local banks.

"We'll have it in a partial transfers, $100 million every two months when some technical issues are finished," he said. "We're trying to keep $100 million here in Lebanon because we have claims from Lebanese companies and traders."

Jordan has paid back more than $100 million of about $500 million in frozen Iraqi assets.

Gailani hoped to discuss Iraqi funds held in Damascus with the Syrian economy minister on the sidelines of an Iraq Economic Forum opening in Beirut on Wednesday.

Baghdad has said Syria owes it up to $3 billion in Iraqi cash, but Damascus says the amount is in hundreds of millions.

Gailani said a new taxation law was ready and authorities would begin collecting corporate and personal income tax, with a 15 percent ceiling, within one or two months.

Iraq also hopes to begin collecting a five percent customs levy at the start of April after a three-month delay, he said.

The minister said Iraq was trying to boost economic growth, which he declined to forecast, by encouraging new private banks, and urging banks to open all over the country and provide microcredit to small firms to help the private sector develop.

"We have lots of proposals in the central bank, maybe from 27 banks, Iraqi and joint ventures," he said.

More "And Shibibi said...

Elements of the economy strong despite violence
By James Drummond in Baghdad and Roula Khalaf in London
Published: June 28 2004 20:05 | Last Updated: June 28 2004 20:05


Despite the violence that continues to plague Iraqi cities, many economic indicators are booming. Real estate prices and rents in Baghdad, for instance, have more than doubled since the fall of the Ba'athist regime, says Faiq Abdul Rasool, Iraq's deputy planning minister.

Sinan al-Shibibi, central bank governor, says the Iraqi dinar exchange rate has remained relatively stable in recent months, despite the influx of coalition dollars into the economy.

But core sectors of the economy - notably manufacturing and agriculture, which would help soak up unemployment - are "down - definitely", Mr Abdul Rasool admits, hit by shortages in electricity and fertilisers.

Officials from the Coalition Provisional Authority, who went to Baghdad full of optimism they would turn Iraq into a model of free market democracy, are now leaving a violence-torn country with a far from certain future.

As an occupying power, the US-led coalition has been legally constrained in the economic prescriptions it can impose on Iraq.

Problems such as hugely subsidised prices for petrol and food that have created a thriving black market and depress incentives have yet to be tackled.

Mr Abdul Rasool believes that no Iraqi government will be able to broach these issues this year or next until the first administration is elected under a new constitution.

There is also concern about the administration of Iraq's oil revenues, which are estimated will reach $20bn this year.

Control over the Development Fund for Iraq, into which oil revenues have been channelled, has now passed to the government of Iyad Allawi, who took office as interim prime minister yesterday.

But auditors working for the International Advisory and Monitoring Board, which monitors the DFI, last week described CPA accounting methods as "inadequate" and "prone to error".

Elsewhere Iraq's debt of $126bn has also to be rescheduled and an accord with the International Monetary Fund agreed by the end of this year when a moratorium on interest payments is due to end, according to Mr Shibibi. So far negotiations have focused only on debt sustainability analysis, he said.

"Sovereignty will make all the difference because it will be Iraqis doing the negotiations," Mr Shibibi told the FT before yesterday's handover.

"In August we are going to have very serious discussions for an IMF programme for Iraq.

"Then of course an IMF agreement paves the way for a Paris Club agreement," he said, referring to the group representing richer country creditors.

Thomas Foley, who recently ended a seven-month stint as director for private sector development for the Coalition, said this month it would be several years before the Iraqi economy could be reformed.

The most deep-seated problems, he said, were security and a change in attitudes on the part of the Iraqi public.

"Iraq's per capita income is now at $1,800 [a year]. A $4,500 threshold is required to support sustainable democratic institutions," he said.

The country's oil income stream has been repeatedly undermined by sabotage of oil industry infrastructure. Exports resumed this week after another attack on southern oil pipelines.

Mr Foley said recent surveys suggested unemployment had dropped to around 20 per cent, from more than 50 per cent a year ago.

There were even signs of skilled labour shortages in northern Iraq, he said.

When will these uneducated itiots learn?

Terrorism against innocent people only weakens their cause

Our prayer's go out to the families of all parents how have lost their children.

There is nothing I can say to comfort you.

Through the cold war we were suspicious oof one antoher, however, in this time of crisis, we stand by youu, human to human.

Your affection and emoution are NOT any different.

We love our children as much as you do.........

With All Of Our Love..,

The Watson Familly...

Latest from http://www.iraqprocurement.com/docs/new.htm

- Summit to discuss greater EU involvement in Iraq (03/09/04)

- Germany offers Iraq financial aid (02/09/04)

- Experts proclaim southern oil exports at full capacity (01/09/04)

- Russia and Jordan call for the achieving of stability in Iraq (01/09/04)

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/AfpNews/200409051000131094349613.06/indexb_html

Polish arms firm Bumar has signed a 10.5-million-dollar (8.7-million-euro) contract with the Iraqi authorities to supply weapons and ammunition to the war-torn country's army and police, the company said.
Last week Bumar chief executive Roman Baczynski had said the negotiations with Baghdad concerned the delivery of pistols, machine guns and ammunition worth a total 20 million dollars.

Representatives of Iraq's defence and security ministries who were attending the arms fair in Kielce have also expressed interest in the possibility of Bumar upgrading the Iraqi army's T-72 assault tanks, according to Polish public television.

In May, Bumar lost a 425-million-dollar (353-million-euro) Iraqi army contract to ANHAM, a joint venture based in the US state of Virginia.

Poland, a staunch ally of the United States in Iraq, heads a multinational force of 6,500 soldiers that is administering a swathe of Iraq south of Baghdad. The force includes around 2,500 Polish soldiers.

Iraqis 'will pay price of democracy'
Iraq's greatest enemies are the extremists who have turned it into a battle ground, says a senior envoy in Bahrain. ABDULRAHMAN FAKHRI reports.

IRAQ is rising out of the ashes against all the odds, says a senior envoy to Bahrain.

But insurgents, nationalistic or Islamic militants and the last remnants of toppled dictator Saddam Hussain's forces are trying to destroy it, says Minister Plenipotentiary at the Iraqi Embassy Ahmed Agha.

Factions with their own agendas have picked Iraqi soil on which to fight for causes which have nothing to do with Iraq or its recovery, he told the GDN. "The country does not belong to these people, it belongs to the 25 million Iraqis," said Mr Agha.

He said Arab nationalist and Islamic extremists, such as those who kidnapped the French journalists to demand that France reverse its ban on had scarves in schools, were the biggest threat to Iraq's recovery.

"In the oil sector, they are attacking our pipelines on a daily basis. Who is benefiting out of this? Definitely not the Iraqi people, but only the enemies of Iraq," said Mr Agha.

If Iraq manages to maintain its national interest above everything else, it will be able to succeed in its efforts to create a democratic country, he said.

"But if we act in Iraq in the manner the extreme religious people or Arab nationalists act, we will not reach a conclusion," said Mr Agha.

"We are facing difficulties with all these terrorist activities and all the outside forces who are trying to make the process fail.

"These people claim that what they are doing is resistance.

"We don't call this resistance. These are groups of terrorists and supporters of Saddam.

"They know nothing but how to kill and how to take things by force."

Iraq is working hard towards creating a democratic system.

"Democracy is not an easy thing and it comes with a high price to pay," said Mr Agha.

"All countries in the world pay a high price to achieve democracy, such as in America and Europe or any other part of the world."

He said that the Iraqi people were willing to pay the price for democracy and were working towards it for the benefit of the country.

"It is a big challenge for us and we spent quite a lot of years fighting the most brutal regimes in the world," said Mr Agha.

"Now, these terrorist groups and extremists will not stop us from achieving our objective.

"If these people are really patriotic and care about Iraq, where were they before?

"Why have they never opposed the regime or said anything about Saddam's brutality before?"

He said that at the heart of Arab attitudes there was still a profound mistrust of America's intentions in the region, particularly its policy in Iraq.

But he said that the Iraqi people did not view America's presence as an invasion of Iraq.

"When the US came to Iraq, they liberated the country from the regime of Saddam Hussein," said Mr Agha.

"Later on, the situation changed and they became an occupational force for a while.

"However, that has ended and as we all know, less than a few months ago, we formed a legitimate government in Iraq to manage all local issues."

He said that what Arab people in the region needed to understand was that American troops were still in Iraq because the Iraqi people needed them - largely because of the activities of terrorists and other factions.

"Iraq is becoming almost like one of those video games for everyone to show off their muscles - to use Iraq to promote their radical beliefs," said Mr Agha.

"We have quite a large number of terrorist groups in Iraq due to the borders being open for quite a while and these people think they have found the right place to fulfil their agenda.

"Iraq has not yet been stable completely and still lacks Iraqi security forces and army."

Many in the Arab world wrongly believe that US policy in the region alone is behind the deterioration of the situation in Iraq, he said.

Large sections of the Arab world, led by nationalists and Muslim scholars, believe the aim of the war in Iraq was to weaken Arabs and Muslims.

"We have got used to Arab nationalists attacking. They are attacking everyone and so far have done nothing for the Arab world," said Mr Agha.

"Are we as Muslim people - who are more than a billion - are so weak that a war in Iraq or an American war on terrorism can weaken us?

"If that's the case then maybe we really deserve it. But I don't think that this should be the case."

He said that such issues raised by nationalists and scholars kept people's attention away from the real issues.

"We have so many intellectuals that can help the region take steps forward and a rich civilisation that, if utilised correctly, would further create progress and development," said Mr Agha.

But nationalists talk much and do little, he said.

"What have they offered the Palestinians so far ? They have a major issue in Palestine and have already forgotten about it to focus instead on Iraq," said Mr Agha

He said that 25 million Iraqis were more than capable of running their own affairs and were making good progress.

He said that the Iraqi people were trying their best to live peacefully after years and years of suffering and destruction.

Iraq faces a long haul in building a true democracy, said Mr Agha.

"Iraq never in the past 35 years practised any form of democracy. Our people not only don't know about the process, but also the basic principles of human rights," he said.

"Right now you can travel out of Iraq with no restriction. Iraqis can stand for their beliefs, speak out their minds and are beginning to have the basic necessities that were not allowed by the former regime.

In a promising development, Arab countries in the region have grown more concerned with the welfare of the Iraqi people, particularly in view of the violence, said Mr Agha.

"We welcome any help from our neighbours and look forward for a better and solid relation with countries in the region," said Mr Agha.

"However, due to sensitive issues in our country, we have always refused direct interference or armies from neighbouring countries in Iraq, because it might create some sensitivity."

He said, there were many other means for neighbouring countries to help, such as guarding borders, or the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad.

Mr Agha also highlighted Bahrain's efforts to help by training Iraqis in the banking sector and participate in the training of the coastguards.

"Such initiatives are welcomed because they prove that our neighbours genuinely want to help Iraq," he said.

On the future of his country, Mr Agha said that the Iraqi people were working to have a free, democratic, federal and constitutional country.

"Iraq is a nation of various ethnic backgrounds," he said.

"We cannot go back to what we had before, being ruled under a Ba'ath party."

Mr Agha said that each Iraqi valued their newfound freedom and life was definitely better than before, with the majority of the country safe, despite media reports otherwise.

"The problems we have in Iraq are mainly covering a third of the country and the rest of it is quite safe.

"There are so many positive things that have happened which the Iraqi people thought would never be achieved."

Mr Agha praised the Iraqi government's ministers, who face the risk of assassination each and every day.

"The ministers continue to be targets. These people show the courage and patriotism of the Iraqi people," he said.

Thanks to their efforts and of other Iraqi citizens, many cities have improved by 70 per cent since last year, said Mr Agha.

"With construction and new roads, people continue working very hard," he said.

On the international level, he said that Iraq had made many achievements.

"We are back in the international community," said Mr Agha. "Iraqis, unlike before, can gain entry visas to countries all over the world."

This would be a great Christmas present. Even better than the Dinar opening at $0.31!!!!

U.S. Near Seizing Bin Laden, Official Says

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=516&e=1&u=/ap/pakistan_bin_laden

Iraq is begining to grow financially. Just think this is how much they have sold off so far because they have made 6.9 billion dollars from the opening of the iraq stock exchange. I amagine what they can sell of once it is open to foreign ivestors. The Iraq stock exchange opened up on june 24 2004 and has already made 6.9 billion in capital. Could you imagine when it opens up to the world.Government Securities Auctions

Government Securities Auctions:

Announcement Number( 4 )

The Ministry of Finance is authorized under the Public Debt Law to issue obligations guaranteed by the Government of Iraq. The Central Bank of Iraq, as fiscal agent of the Ministry of Finance, is authorized to conduct auctions for Government Debt Securities on behalf of the Ministry of Finance. The Ministry of Finance issues Government Debt Securities to finance the Government of Iraq, subject to the limits of the Annual Budget Law.

To achieve this financing objective, the Ministry of Finance determined a system and mechanism for Government Debt Securities auctions that will be held periodically, with the results announced at [eleven] in the morning after the close of the auction.

Details (amount in Iraqi dinars)Notes

Securities Offered Bills
Total Public Offering 150.010.000.000
Uniform or Multiple Price Auction Uniform
Term of Security 91 Days
Coupon None
Settlement Date 08-30-04
Maturity Date 11-29-04
Total Non-Competitive Bids Awarded 3.450.000.000
Total Valid Competitive Awarded 178.500.000.000
Total competitive Bids Awarded 146.560.000.000
Range of Yields of Successful Competitive bids [ 2.00%-5.00%]
Cutoff Yield ( Highest Yield of Successful Bidder ) 5.00%
Percent of Bids Awarded at Highest Yield 65.25%

VIsit the Cental bank of iraq webpage if you do not belive me. at CBIraq.org

When the Iraq stock exchange opens up it is an iraqi business that that states that any currency that is used to buy any type of shares from any iraqi or forein company share country that is on the iraq stock exchange bourse MUST BE BOUGHT IN RAQI DINARS. The Central bank of iraq also has stated that the iraq doimestic currency reseves are at 2 trillion. Just thing if the iraqi dinar went head to head with the US dollar. These people could pay off their 250 billion dollar dept in no time. What we need to happen is to introduce foirein invesment into the country.

I also need to tell you guys again to open iraqi bank accouts. I have said it numerous timese in this forum on how to do that and with whhich bank. The bank that I have bank accounts with is Warka invewsmetn bank. Their website is alwarkabank.com. The Iraq stock exchange did a shares analysis off all of the companies that it holds on its bourse. Warka Investmetn bank had 20018 shares in 2002. In 2003 they had 249,652 shares. NOW IN THE YEAR 2004 THE HAVE 10,260,243,023. the cank has gained millions of shares in only over a month becsue the iraq sxchange has opened. They are also a licenced stock bockerage firm. When the ISX opens up to forein investors it will be people like that will have the upper hand because I will already have my accounts set up. And people like you will still be thinking about it. Look I know that it is a risk to send some small part of your personal information over the internet, but sometimes life trhows opportunities that only come once in a life time. I am also taking the risk, but to possibly become a millinare before the age a 30. I cant afford not to take that risk.

Good luck everyone

And just as a reminder you can learn how to open an iraqi bank account with Warka Invesment Bank on this forum Just scroll back to AUGUST 29, 2004. I even give you what you need to send and teh form you need to sign.

REMEBER THAT THE ONLY ID YOU NEED TO SEND THEM IS YOUR STATE ID OR DRIVESE LICENSE. NOTHIG MORE THAN THAT TYPE OF PICTURE ID.

GOOD LUCK AND HOPE TO HEAR FROM ALL OF YOU WHEN WE ARE RICH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I greatly appreciate all of the info I have received hereand feel it's time to give back.

A sobering but not discouraging note

http://www.economist.com/finance/displayStory.cfm?story_id=2792407

and a more encouraging piece

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_22-9-2003_pg7_1

Along with another interesting site that I haven't been through fully yet

http://www.jubileeiraq.org/blog/index.html

Cheers, all. with hope for the future of Iraq (and for us as well)

Mechtech

Iraq border security boost
Posted: Sunday, September 05, 2004

Baghdad

Members of the Iraqi Border Patrol in Diyanah and Rabiyah, Iraq received 90 sets of night vision goggles and 55 new Jeep Libertys in recent handover ceremonies in Mosul.

The new equipment increases the level of security along Iraq's northern border.

Border patrol guards in Diyanah received 32 new Jeep Libertys and Border patrol guards from Rabiyah also received 23 new Jeeps and 90 sets of night vision goggles.

Forty-three additional vehicles are awaiting to be picked up by the Rabiyah-based border patrol unit at a later date.

The increased number of vehicles, purchased by Multinational Corps-Iraq, will allow border patrol units to conduct multiple patrolling missions along the borders simultaneously.

Because of previous equipment shortages, border patrol guards were limited in the number of patrols that could be conducted at any one time.

The goggles, provided by Multinational Brigade-Northwest, headquartered in Mosul, were purchased from the Commander's Emergency Response Programme, a program that allows military commanders and Iraqi community leaders to identify key spending priorities in communities across northern Iraq.

The total cost of the goggles was more than $400,000.

Until now, the border patrol guards didn't have access to night vision equipment, making it very difficult to monitor movement along the border at night.

Iraqi government officials have long recognized Iraq's border regions as the entry point for militants, weapons and money funding terrorist activities across the country.

Increasing the border patrol guards' ability to successfully monitor the border will decrease the number of terrorists and smugglers entering the country illegally.

This is a good THING

NOW THIS KICKS TOTAL ASS!!!

Foreign banks eye Iraq
Posted: Sunday, September 05, 2004

Baghdad

Iraq's central bank has approved applications for Middle East banks to take stakes in two Iraqi private banks, marking a step towards the return, after 40 years, of foreign institutions to the country's banking sector.

Deputy Central Bank Governor Faleh Selman, quoted by Press reports, said the central bank issued the approval for the National Bank of Kuwait's stake in the Credit Bank of Iraq, and the Export and Finance Bank of Jordan's 50 per cent holding in the National Bank of Iraq.

Once the banks are fully capitalised at the minimum level of 50 billion dinars, the banks will become operational, said Selman.

The chief executives of both foreign banks said they could pay half the capitalisation requirements next year.

National Bank of Kuwait, which is expanding into other markets across the region, will own 75 per cent of the Credit Bank of Iraq, NBK Chief Executive Ibrahim Dabdoub said.

The International Finance Corp, part of the World Bank, will own 10 per cent of the bank, he said.

IFC spokesman Ahmed Badawi-Malik wouldn't confirm the IFC's involvement, saying: "There is no board approval for investment in any Iraqi commercial bank."

Iraqi investors will hold the remaining 15 per cent of the equity in the bank, said a Credit Bank of Iraq official in Baghdad.

Dabdoub, quoted by media reports, said NBK would invest in the bank's existing facilities, focusing on improving the IT infrastructure and training Iraqi staff at NBK's base in Kuwait.

The Credit Bank official said the bank, revitalised with an influx of foreign capital, planned to expand its operations over the next five years.

The bank plans to build 30 branches to add to its national network of 14 offices, he said.

But Dabdoub said expansion would depend on a more stable security environment.

The Western banks, however, have been slow to begin operations, reflecting the dangers of operating in Iraq.

Standard Chartered Bank says it won't be able to meet the year-end deadline for opening branches in Iraq.

The London-based bank, a specialist in emerging markets, has asked the central bank in Baghdad to discuss alternative arrangements for its entry into the country.

HSBC, the other London-based bank planning to open branches in Iraq, hasn't asked for an extension to the deadline, said Dubai-based spokesman Steve Martin.

"HSBC is considering its entry strategy into Iraq - we are still in talks with the central bank," he said in remarks published in a news report.

Banking has proved to be the hottest sector on the Baghdad stock exchange, which restarted trading in June.

Analysts, quoted by media, say expectations of rapid growth in private-sector banks as economic reform and foreign investment take root have pushed up share prices.

Under banking laws ushered in by the civil administration before the handover of power to an interim Iraqi government this summer, up to six foreign banks will be allowed to open for business in Iraq over the next four years.

Someone Please Correct Me If I Am Wrong In My Research!!!

The following site seems to be an outlet for Al Jazeera.

Allow me to advise these folks...The constitution was written to protect the U.S. of A.

http://www.allied-media.com/aljazeera/

Let us go back to Dec. 07, 1941.

We know history and we will crush and defend for the sake of peace!

Idiots/Extremists/Terorists give us no choice.

So called leaders promise them virgins in the after-life, however, what the idiots don't tell them is that they will be condemned to hell for killing innocent people.

I am happy to know that Atta from 9/11 is burning in hell and regretting is decision....

Being fearful is nothing compared to your worst pain. I am sure the 19 9/11 terrorists are experiencing their eternal punishment of being set on fire for eternity has made them realize their mistakes. Yet, they are condemned for eternity and will suffer in a life of fire forever more....

Main Office:
M. Saout
Sales & Marketing Manager
5252 Cherokee Avenue, Suite 105
Alexandria, VA 22312
Tel: (703) 333 2008
Fax: (703) 783 8627
Info@allied-media.com

This Guy Thinks The Security Situation Will Be Resolved With in 9DAYS!!!! CRACK MUST BE REAL GOOD UP THER...

Iraq rebuilding forum set
Posted: Monday, September 06, 2004

Manama

The Iraqi Reconstruction Conference and Exhibition is expected to have around 115 representatives of various industries from the Middle East, Europe and the US.

The expo will open at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre on September 13.

The three-day event will be held in conjunction with the Power-Gen Middle East 2004 and Water Middle East 2004, under the patronage of the Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa.

The events are also being endorsed by the Commerce Minister, Electricity and Water Ministry and the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Britain's Prince Michael of Kent is also supporting the events and will be a participant.

The Iraq reconstruction conference, organised by PennWell Corporation, will focus on the role of international petroleum, fire and safety, water, power and telecommunications industries in re-building Iraq. The other conferences and exhibitions will serve executives and professionals interested in exploring business opportunities in the country, said Minister Plenipotentiary at the Iraqi Embassy in Bahrain Ahmed Agha.

"Any support for the re-building of Iraq is exactly what the Iraqis need," he said. "Bahrain's initiative is not the first, since the country had hosted a number of conferences on re-building Iraq since last year." Agha said that the Bahraini government had always been ready to help and had showed its willingness to co-operate.

"Having the conference under the patronage of the Bahraini Prime Minister gives it a very significant meaning, thanks to his keenness in the success of such an event," he said. "The conference is important to us because it will further enhance the relations between Iraq with other countries. It will also have other political and moral meaning to the Iraqi people."

Agha hoped that the conference would encourage countries in the region and others in Asia to enter Iraq through a new channel.

"The only problem we have right now in Iraq is the security issue which has stopped many countries from entering Iraq," he said. "However, I am sure that the security issue will be solved in a very short time by the time the conference is held."

The conference's topics will cover governance and the work of reconstruction, fire and safety services, Iraq's economy, legal framework and working practices, telecommunications, petroleum, security, risk and finance, water and wastewater and the power sector

Then again maybe he knows something we all dont?

When will the investing into the ISX open up to other investors?

Hello everyone, I read an article yesterday that our gas prices may drop in the near future, because of oil output coming from southern Iraq! I think this is a little good news for ID. Also, I read that some of you are afraid to buy dinar from Ebay, but there is one seller that I trust very much. Here user name is floridadinar! I have purchased around 200,000 from her and just purchased 100,000 from her today for $112.50 in 1000 dinar notes. She is quick with shipping and also answeres email fast. Check her out on ebay. The notes that I purchased from her, all have the security markes when held under a black light. Here is another site you might look at www.ArmenStamp.com he has 100,000 for $99.00 including shipping, located in Kansas. I plan to buy 100,000 from him next week. His website says that he will keep you informed on ID progress and will buy back your dinar if the currency changes???????????? Just some interesting things I have read in the past few days!

Hello Does anyone know the current dinar rates that are being sold from sellers here in the states and in iraq?

What other web sites are people using to keep track of the ID. I like all the info on T & B. Just curious if there are others forums set up like this.

sid
investorsiraq.com
i find it too jibber jabber and run to much little stuff ie what kind of car are you going to get? how many dinar do you have? should i buy new tits with my new money? there is good info there but you have to wade through the crap to find it. All the important info that is there is put out over here. when you visit there and become a member, dont piss off the moderators, they whine like 5 year old girls that have just seen a bee in their birthday cake. enjoy

sid - Hear, Hear!!! Ain't that the truth...

Hey Guys,

The best/most reputable dealer of NID that I know of [w/ the best price to boot] is "dima89 on eBay"! His approval rating on almost 5000 NID transactions is 99.8% positive. He lets you purchase using your credit card, so the transaction runs fast and smooth. His price on 1,000,000 NID is $879.00, and he sends you the DHL ttracking number (w/ insurance on the shipment too) so you can track the shipment and know when to look for it at your mailing address.

Can't say enough good things about this guy!!! Do your homework and check him out...

Bill

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Iraq achieves stable currency, sound fiscal policy with U.S. help
Iraq-USA, Economics, 9/9/2004

U.S. Treasury Under Secretary John Taylor said the United States has helped Iraq introduce a new unified and stable currency to replace the two separate currencies used before the toppling of former dictator Saddam Hussein.

"Iraqi citizens have welcomed their new currency," Taylor said in a speech to the Central Reserve Bank of Peru in Lima September 7.

Before the fall of Saddam, the Kurdish region in the north of Iraq used "Swiss" dinars while the rest of the country used "Saddam" dinars, Taylor said.

Taylor said the exchange rate of the new dinar appreciated about 25 percent in the months following its introduction in late 2003, while prices have been stable and inflation low.

"This stability is providing the basis for much-needed public confidence in the management of its currency," Taylor said.

The under secretary said at the time that the new dinar was introduced, the Central Bank of Iraq was made independent of the Finance Ministry, which had been under the control of the Baathist Party.

Taylor said major challenges lie ahead for the Central Bank of Iraq, which are exacerbated by a very difficult security environment.

"We are continuing to provide assistance to the CBI to help it put in place a sound monetary policy," Taylor said.

Following is an excerpt from Taylor's speech containing his comments about Iraq's monetary issues:

(begin excerpt)

The Introduction of a New Currency For Iraq In 2003 And 2004

When the decades-long Baathist domination of Iraq ended in the spring of last year, the country had a fragmented monetary system, a central bank under the control of the Ministry of Finance, and a legacy of monetary mismanagement and inflation. Two separate currencies existed, old Iraqi (or "Swiss") dinars in the Kurdish region and "Saddam" dinars in the rest of the country.

The stock of Swiss dinars had not increased since the embargo of the early 1990s, while the stock of Saddam dinars had soared as Saddam's Baathist regime issued money in volume to finance its budget. Excess bill printing led to a sharp depreciation of the Saddam dinar relative to the Swiss dinar. To compound the problem, only two denominations of the Saddam dinar (250 and 10,000 dinar notes) and three denominations of Swiss dinars (one, five, and ten dinar notes) were in circulation. The absence of many security features and very low quality of Saddam dinar notes made them ripe for counterfeiting.

It was clear to us as early as December 2002 that a new unified, stable currency would be needed in Iraq, and we therefore developed a contingency plan. After the fall of regime, the difficult job of economic reconstruction in Iraq began. The situation was complex because the recognized governing authority of Iraq was the transitional Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA). While the CPA could issue an order establishing a new currency, the currency conversion process demanded Iraqi input and buy-in throughout and required that the Iraqi public embrace the new currency.

After an enormous amount of policy analysis, options memos, and diplomacy by U.S. Treasury staff, I flew to Baghdad in June 2003 to review the currency situation with the CPA officials and our Treasury staff. Shortly thereafter, the CPA announced, in early July 2003, that a new currency would be introduced. The new currency would have six denominations and would be based on designs that had been used historically for the old Iraqi dinar, in a more glorious era when Iraq was seen as an advanced nation in the Middle East. The currency conversion period was to last three months, from mid-October 2003 through mid-January 2004.

At the same time as the new currency was announced, the CPA issued an order making the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) independent of the Ministry of Finance. The CBI had suffered from a long period of domination by the Baathist regime and isolation from the international community, and needed much assistance to rebuild. The CBI's monetary policy function required special attention. It lacked a modern statute to facilitate monetary stability, a coherent framework for conducting monetary policy aimed at achieving price stability, and corresponding instruments for implementing monetary policy.

The CPA and other coalition governments responded by assessing the needs of the CBI and providing technical assistance. Treasury sent a large team of experts to Iraq and provided reach back through a newly created Task Force in Washington. The Treasury team worked with the CBI to develop: (1) a monetary framework that emphasized growth of the monetary base; (2) systems for producing necessary monetary data; and (3) new monetary instruments. The consumer price index (CPI), produced by the Ministry of Planning, also has a major role in assessing price movements, but has serious weaknesses. As a result, Treasury advisors helped the CBI interpret price trends and recommended improvements in CPI methodology.

Just ahead of the currency conversion, in early October 2003, the CBI began holding daily currency auctions. Meanwhile, a new central bank law, based on international best practices, was completed. The law established price stability as the primary objective of monetary policy and authorized a wide array of policy instruments to achieve that goal.

The printing of the new Iraqi dinar in the time frame announced by the CPA was an enormous and unprecedented undertaking, involving printing facilities in seven countries. Indeed, the original order of 2 billion notes filled more than twenty-five 747 airplanes.

With the currency printing completed on schedule, the conversion to the new Iraqi dinar went remarkably well, especially considering the tenuous security situation. This largely owed to careful planning and diligent project management, again with significant input from the Treasury team.

Iraqi citizens have welcomed their new currency, and the exchange value of the dinar appreciated about twenty-five percent over the fall and early winter, even as growth in the new currency was brisk. The exchange value of the dinar has been quite stable over recent months, despite further growth in quantity. The earlier strength in the dinar helped hold down prices over the first several months of this year, and it seems quite likely that inflation will end up low this year, especially compared to the double-digit or higher rates that had characterized the Saddam era. This stability is providing the basis for much-needed public confidence in the management of its currency.

Still, major challenges lie ahead for the CBI. It is now the independent central bank of a sovereign Iraq. It has a new governing board that has a daunting agenda in the months ahead, and must build on the gains made to date. To foster its monetary policy mission, it needs to implement a number of new policy instruments to complement the daily currency auction, like the capacity to conduct regular open market operations in Iraqi government securities. And all of this needs to be done in the context of a very difficult security environment. We are continuing to provide assistance to the CBI to help it put in place a sound monetary policy

http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/040909/2004090935.html

Hey, I have been reading this forum for a long time now. And I have also posted some things on this forum. From what I have been reading my hopes were real high on the dinars. But I started diggin even further to make sure my dreams were going to come true.

I HAVE SOME BAD NEWS, but It is needed news because some of us are blind with blinders and don't want to see the truth.

I wrote this guy and he has dealt with currency for over 20 years. He has seen everything about foreign currency, the ups and down. Well, here is the email he wrote me back with:

Prior to invading Kuwait the Iraqi Dinar was around $3.20 for many years. I know this well because I was dealing with Iraq and Kuwait and used to buy their currency for collectors. A banknote like Pick #73, the 25 Dinar with the portrait of Saddam, which now sells at $1.00 or $2.00 was worth close to $100.00 and I have bought and sold these notes when they were issued, that is 1986. I have customers who have paid around $100 for this note.

When Iraqi invaded Kuwait two things happened.

1) Iraq looted the Kuwaiti Banks and hundreds of Kuwaiti banknotes came to market at cheap prices (a 20 Dinar worth $80 and more was retailing at $15
to $20.00) Kuwait immediately issued new notes, (same notes which were in
circulation but with a different color) and declared all looted banknotes worthless. The whole thing took 3 months (that is reprinting of new notes, since they were already designed and they just reprinted with different color). So Kuwait did not suffer much, in a few months the system was back and Kuwaiti Dinar was back to its strength which continues up till now. This was Kuwait.

2) Iraq is different, after Iraq invaded Kuwait and the embargo started, Iraqi Dinar started loosing value (from the Pick of Dinar being worth $3.25). In 1996 I bought large quantities of Saddam banknotes at 50 cent for Dinar, and it went even lower and sometime in 1999 was the worst time when every 5000 Dinar was worth $1.00. I have Registered letters sent from Iraq at that time with 4000 Dinar stamps on it, this is at a time when the highest currency in the country was 250 Dinar.

So in reply to your point, THE IRAQI DINAR NEVER LOST AND REGAINED ITS
VALUE. It has been loosing its value since the embargo started.

When this new banknotes were placed into circulation - October 15 of last year, considering that the Iraqi Dinar at the time was about 4000 to 5000 to one US$. The Central bank established an official exchange rate of 2000 Dinars to $1.00. Which means your $1.00 could buy 2000 Dinars. Immediately Dinar started going up in price, in 2 months time your $1.00 could buy 1600 Dinar, and now 1200 Dinar. This is simple because of World Wide interest in investing in Iraq and Iraqi dinar and US backing. It is believed that this trend will continue as we approach US election in Nov. and Iraq election in January.

So to conclude and looking from the purchasing power of ONE US DOLLAR: Before Kuwait your $1.00 could buy only 1/3 of Iraqi Dinar (not even a whole Dinar), then in 1994-5 your $1.00 could buy 2 Dinars, at the worst time of 1999 you $1.00 could buy 5000 Dinar, then came the fall of Saddam and the new Dinars where your $1.00 could buy 2000 Dinars. in about 7 months your $1.00 buys 1400 Dinar, and this trend will continue and in a couple of years your $1.00 can buy maybe 200 Dinars (which means your $1000 investment will be $10,000), and Optimists look forward to 4-5 years when your $1.00 can buy only ONE DINAR.

Will it ever get to $3.25 No. NO. Not at least in the next 5-6 years,
regardless of how peaceful Iraq is and how many barrels they export.

THINK FOR A MINUTE.

The largest bill in Iraq now is 25000 Dinar (which you have already purchased and it is red in color). Do you believe in a few years time this piece of Paper will be worth $75000 ? Remember this is not a stock that can go up and up and up. This is the currency of a country. Could you imagine a person in Iraq with a few bundles of 25000 Dinars in his pocket each worth $75000. What would be the economy of a country where the highest denomination is $75000.00 ??

The highest denomination in USA is $100
In UK it is 50 British Ponds which is $80
In Europe is 100 Euro which is $115.00
In Jordan it is 50 Dinar which is $72.00
In Kuwait it is 20 Dinar which is $65.00
In Iraq is 25000 Dinar which is 75,000.00 !!!! So you see it does not
work this way.

Do I believe the Iraqi Dinar will go up. YES, and YES. DEFINITELY.

No not to $3.25, but to 5-10 cents in 2 years and to maybe 50-60 cents in 5-6 years.

After all you are paying now one tenth of a cent for these Dinars, that is
0.1 cent if it goes up to 1 cent, that means your investment has gone up
10 times, and if it goes up to 5 cents, that means your investment has gone up 50 times. Your $1000 today will be worth $50,000 in 3-4 years.

This e-mail is getting too long, and I doubt if you have read up till here, but let me just add that once the economy gets better in a couple of years, THEY HAVE TO ISSUE NEW BANKNOTES with lower denomination, Look at the neighboring countries, Kuwait largest denomination is 20 Dinars, Jordan is 50 Dinars, what Iraq will do in 2-3 years, is this.

They will issue new banknotes, say with the denominations of 1, 10, 50, 100 and 500 New Dinars and they will exchange every 25000 US Occupation dinars for 500 New National Dinars, this is when Dianr will be 10-20 cents, and then once again after another 4-5 years, if the economy is still improving, maybe yet another set.

IN ANY CASE, you do not have go worry that far in future. Right now you are buying Iraqi Dinar because your bank pays you 0.5% interest, or if you are lucky Fixed Deposit which pays you 1.5% in one year. Your Iraq Dinar will pay you back much much more if you are willing to hold for 2-3 years.

Mike,
That's pretty much what I felt, as others did, was going to happen anyway. Granted some were being way too optimistic & unrealistic, but not all of us.

And judging by his reply to yoour questions, it seems you might have had a few concepts or statistics confused yourself.

The currency trader stated:
"So in reply to your point, THE IRAQI DINAR NEVER LOST AND REGAINED ITS
VALUE. It has been loosing its value since the embargo started."

We all knew this already, but I'm trying to figure out why it appears you thought the Iraqi dinar had lost its value after the 1st Gulf War and regained it during the 90's?

Hey Blake, if you look at this site and convert the dinar to dollar, stroll down and look from year 2000 to now. You will see the fluctuation of how it regain its value and went down numerous time. This is the site

http://fxtop.com/en/historates.php3?

Mike,

Just read "all" of your post of 040910 (10:16AM), discussing future denominations of the Iraqi Dinar, some 2/3 years down the road.

Good info, that seems to make good sense too.

If it plays out that way, then it would seem that all we "hold it for the long-term" investors of the NID need do is: trade our 25,000 NID notes in for the smaller denominations once they become available in the next 2, 3, or 4 years - most likely through some dinar exchange trader of banking institution.

I think we all hope for things to happen sooner, rather than later, and at a reasonable rate too. But, if it goes to a 1:1 ratio - five to six years in the future, which I don't see why it wouldn't (as long as we don't pull out of Iraq and let the whole thing go to hell-in-a-handbasket) - then I have no problem holding on to the bulk of my NIDs and patiently waiting.

It'll still be the best investment that I ever made. My mutual fund/s earnings still stink to high heaven, and my other investments are merely crawling along at best; so, to cash in my 5,000,000 NID - less the 1,000,000 that I'll cash in early w/ the five to ten cent on the dollar earning in the next one to two years - in five to six years, and become a Mini Millionaire in the process, suits me just fine. (...providing I don't get hit by a bus crossing the road between now and then...)

...but, I still can't help thinking positively about how the short-term future of the NID...

Thanks for the sanity check,

Bill

Mike,
The currency charts should not be relied upon for accuracy concerning the abnormal situation of the Iraqi dinar since the 1st Gulf War. Guess ya didn't know that. ;)

Nope, didn't know that, I just was trying to put 2 and 2 together. and finally I realized that is was 4 not 420 :)

Mr. Dawson of the IMF (who has one of his associates at the CBI) said the following in a press interview...

QUESTIONER: Tom, how close are we on the—or how close are you on a financing deal with Iraq?

MR. DAWSON: Ah, I could just tell by the lead-up of your sentence, so I started turning to the right tab.

QUESTIONER: And obviously you're going to [inaudible]—

MR. DAWSON: No—who knows? That's for you to determine. I recall the first briefing I did, which is almost five years ago, at the end of the briefing, I think Mike Phillips said, "But, Tom, you didn't make any news." And I said, "I didn't know that was a requirement."

But, in any event, a mission visited Paris September 4th and 5th and met with senior Iraqi authorities. The mission made good progress in its discussions of policies that could form the basis of an economic program that could be supported under the Emergency Post-Conflict Assistance Facility sometime in the last quarter of 2004. And staff will have further discussions with the authorities at the time of the Annual Meetings in a couple of weeks.

QUESTIONER: [inaudible].

MR. DAWSON: No, but this is—I mean, I will draw you again to the words "good progress" and "further discussions at the Annual Meetings."

QUESTIONER: [inaudible].

MR. DAWSON: And reiterating "last quarter of 2004," if you want me to—

QUESTIONER: [inaudible] was always—
MR. DAWSON: No, but this is—you know, we're getting closer to 2004, the last quarter of 2004, and it is still the line.
QUESTIONER: This emergency—what's the official title?
MR. DAWSON: Emergency Post-Conflict Assistance.

QUESTIONER: Does that require the arrears situation to be resolved first, or is that something that can—
MR. DAWSON: The arrears to the Fund, certainly. And it requires—you know, there is an iteration between Paris Club and the Fund, but there is no requirement for a debt deal in that sense.
QUESTIONER: So it doesn't have to be—the Paris Club doesn't have to be sorted out for this to happen.
QUESTIONER: Going back to Iraq, I wonder if outside the financial and economic issues the IMF mission is also considering the security issues, especially since we have seen that the country is not, you know, fully stabilized. There are acts of violence almost every day. So I just wonder if, you know, this is a separate issue on these talks or this is something that in some way the IMF is considering to, you know, going further in these talks.

MR. DAWSON: I mean, it's obviously a factor in what's going on, but the nature of emergency post-conflict assistance is that there are those sorts of risks and concerns. But obviously it's a factor. But it is not stopping us from doing the work that we need to do.

QUESTIONER: Does it mean that you don't plan to send any staff to Iraq in the next month?

MR. DAWSON: I have no indication that the staff, you know, of what the—other than the mission—I'm sorry, their mission to us in October, that's the only additional visit I have in mind, and I think it's obvious for security reasons we do not discuss in general when and where meetings are taking place. The fact, however, that we're having an Annual Meeting is, I think, a reason to give a little more guidance. An Annual Meeting here.

QUESTIONER: Always on Iraq, but the IMF, does it plan to be part of the meeting in Tokyo at the middle of October, the meeting of donors announced two days ago?

MR. DAWSON: I'm not aware. I think in the past we have tended to attend those meetings, so Bill will have to get back to you on that. The earlier sessions like that we have attended, but I don't know.

QUESTIONER: Staying on Iraq, I just want to find out, the IMF did the debt sustainability assessment. Is there follow-up to that at all? And how far are those debt talks, do you have any idea?

MR. DAWSON: The debt sustainability analysis was provided to the Paris Club, and I think major donors have it as well. I believe the Iraqi authorities have it as well. And it presented, as we've indicated before, a broad analysis with a number of different scenarios and assumptions, no recommendations, and that was sort of an input to the Paris Club. And I think the—beyond that, your question is better directed toward Paris Club, which, as I'm sure you know—AFP can confirm—is meeting to discuss this issue today, or toward the donors. I mean, we provided technical input to this process, and that's where I dealing with want to leave it.

QUESTIONER: This is on the same subject, but I just want to clear it. You said that, you know, for IMF to provide post-conflict aid, you'd have to clear up the arrears, Iraq would have to clear up—

MR. DAWSON: Our own arrears.

QUESTIONER: Right.

MR. DAWSON: Which are relatively minor, because we never—we have not had a loan outstanding to Iraq. What we have is something in the so-called SDR account.

QUESTIONER: Right, but the Paris Club does not have to be sorted out, but—

MR. DAWSON: The Paris Club—we need to have—you know, we look to the Paris Club, the Paris Club looks to us, to make sure that going ahead is something they're comfortable with and we are comfortable with their state of play. So there is an interrelationship with that. But you're not going to have a signed, concluded debt deal. That's the issue. I mean, maybe you will, but the post-conflict assistance is intended to go forward as soon as the conditions are adequate. But it does require, you know, communication and understanding between the major donors, the Fund, and the Paris Club.

QUESTIONER: Okay. But to turn that around, I mean, you didn't—you said the IMF doesn't have to have a side debt deal, but does the Paris Club have to have an IMF program to—

MR. DAWSON: You'd have to talk to the Paris Club about that because that's their—those are their—you know, that's their remit.

QUESTIONER: Is there some indication yet that they're going to settle those arrears pretty soon, or have they settled them already with the IMF?

MR. DAWSON: I do not believe they have settled them. You can check on the web because that's there. But, no, as I say, it's not—the size of arrears to the Fund is not a significant issue. I mean, take a look at the website. I don't have the numbers in front of me, but as I say, it stems from the SDR account, which is they're drawing down their SDR—I mean, they're turning their SDRs into currencies and then being able to—and then using the proceeds, and they were unable to make payments on the SDR account over the years when the embargo was in effect because the transfers couldn't be made. So it's not a debt issue in a practical sense.

MR. DAWSON: They don't have to reach a conclusion, no.

Seems to me that He was indiacting that The Paris Club is going to reach a conclusion here shortly but is reaffirming the impression that the IMF in no way has anything to do with the Paris Club. I think hes bullshiting and knows EXACTLY what ammount of debt Iraq has been forgiven. IMF wouldnt make a move with out them knowing.

Lets Face It... when it comes to the IMF and the Paris Club everyone knows that are together on EVERYTHING... just like 2 girls who just got up to go to the bathroom together holding hands, so is the same with these guys.

I dont care much for the IMF as they are known for DEVALUATING CURRENCY so they can keep exports cheap in developing countries. How ever they are always a good surce for news from the Paris Club.

Looks like debt forgivness (or trading debt for contracts) is just a stone throw away.

Jerry

"I dont care much for the IMF as they are known for DEVALUATING CURRENCY so they can keep exports cheap in developing countries."

Correction (I know sometimes I have to be spacific fo those who are with the ATP "Analy Attentive Perfectionists" gestapo).

I dont care much for the IMF as they are known to make Central Banks DEVALUATE THEIR CURRENCY so that they can keep exports cheap in devleoping countries.

Mike,

In response to you post dated 10 Sept, which I found very educational. What options do we as holders of the 25K dinars have for exchanging them for smaler bills? Or is there a need to?

Looking for clarification on an earlier post this week.
"They will issue new banknotes, say with the denominations of 1, 10, 50, 100 and 500 New Dinars and they will exchange every 25000 US Occupation dinars for 500 New National Dinars, this is when Dianr will be 10-20 cents, and then once again after another 4-5 years, if the economy is still improving, maybe yet another set." Did he mean the would replace a 25,000 note for 50 500 dinar notes or will they downsize so to speak replacing a 25000 with one 500, and for one 10000 you would get two 100 dinar notes, etc. If so, just using .10 as a refences for easy math and the 25000 was worth $2500. Would the single 500 dinar note be still valued at $2500? If they replace a single 25000 note with 50 500 dinar notes you are talking about producing 50 times the amount of bills they currently having to produce. If an exchange is required, will we be able to goto Bank of America for example and request to exchange the 25k notes for equal value of smaller bills? (for a fee) Or will we be forced to find a source in Iraq? One more question. Are there any american banks that allow you to have accounts in foriegn currency? Thanks

Bruce,

Here's my plan:

When the Dinar hits the market (0-1year).. SELL.. get US Currency.. wait for the next set of Dinar to come out and invest my profit back into the "new" Dinar.. (I'm sure Amer69 on EBAY will be selling the next set of Dinar as soon is it is available).. hold onto the "new" Dinar (2-3years) until it spikes again... SELL... and repeat the process until the Dinar gets to a floor such as 1, 5, 10, 20's so forth.. Hopefully by then (4-5 years) the Dinar will be worth close to a dollar if not more.

This keeps it simple and how ever much Dinar you get, will be based on the US Currency you get back..

As far as selling it.. you will be able to go to a "Flagship" (any major city) Bank of America and sell the Dinar when it hits the world market.. Of course you'll have to pay Capital gains and a currency exchange fee.. but you are always coming out on top..

Good luck to you all..

Ok, here is clarification for the message I posted on Sept 10 2004. This is another email sent to me by this currency trader. He has been in the business for over 20 years, so I really see this as credible. But, take it as you wish!!

Let me give you the case with Yugoslavia.
Yugoslavia currency up to 1978 was 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 Dinara and due to inflation in 1985 the added higher denomination of 5000, 20000, 50000, 100000, 1Million and 2 million.

But inflation was still going up so in 1990 they issued new currency called Dinaris and every 1,000,000 Dinara became 1 Dinaris, so people went to the banks gave their Dinara and for every one million they receive a new note, the exchange rate vs $ improved for a few weeks and again due to the political reasons the inflation started. And the Dinaris was: 1, 10, 200, 500, 1000, 5000, 10,000 and 50,000 then in 1993 the printed more: 100K, 500k, 1 mill, 5 mill, 10 and 50 mill.

Come 1994 we saw new denominations they were Dinaris: 100M, 500, 5000m (this is 5 billion), 50000M and the highest was 500000m that is 500,000,000,000 Dinaris. A 5 with 11 zeros I do not know the English term, but in Europe it is Million, Billion, Trillion, so it was 500 Trillion. I have seen the 500 Trillion being retailed at $30-$40 each, so even this very high denomination was worth not much.

Then in 1995 we had the Reform Issue where the currency name was changed back to Dinara, and again every 10,000,000 Dinaris became a new Dinara and again they printed a bunch of notes.

Russia went through the same changes, so did Poland most of South America, Afghanistan and almost any country (3rd world) which goes through major political/economical changes. So producing new money, changing the name, dropping zeros is very common way of facing inflation or change of government.

In case of Iraq, it will be the reverse, because there is no inflation to add Zeros.

My guess is that they will print new notes and every 25000 old will be equal to 25 New National Dinars, however, the exchange rate will be the same so if 25000 (which you have paid $25.00 now and hopefully will be worth $120.00 then), the 25 New National Dinars will be worth $120.00 also. So when you go shopping you can either give an old 25000 Dinar or a new 25 National Dinar, and gradually the Central Bank will recall and collect the old notes, as the US Treasury does with the old 10 and 20 Dollars.

If the economy improves the exchange rate will get better and once the 25000 Dinar is worth $200 or so, they will introduce new banknotes so the people have to deal with smaller denominations.

You do not have to worry at this stage what currency they are going to print, what the exchange rate will be etc.

THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION AT THIS STAGE IS;

Will Iraq's economy improve, get better, oil production increase in the next 2-5 years or not. If not, then Dinar will stay at this level or even loose its value. if YES, then Dinar will get stronger.

If and when they come up with new banknotes, that is something we can deal then, the important thing is the exchange rate. When they issue new banknotes, it does not affect the exchange rate (which is based on the national wealth, import export, reserves etc), it is just using one piece of paper instead of other.

Here is another possibility. I know they are planning to issue new smaller denominations, say 10 and 100 Dinar. If Dinar becomes stronger and stronger, they may gradually recall the 25000 Dinars (that means whatever comes to the bank, they don't give out) or maybe even the 5000 and 10000 Dinars), then in exchange they can print 1 and 5 and 20 Dianrs, so you do not have to carry a 25000 Dinar which by then could be $1000.

As to US banks, they will only start accepting (buying from you Dinars) if they have bank branches in Iraq. Same way that you take 700 British Pounds to your bank and they buy from you and pay you $1249.50, it is possible that you can take your 25000 Dinar and get US$ in exchange, but that will not be in the next 2-3 years unless the US banks have branches in Iraq and Iraqi Dinar is exchanged in the International Airports.

Hopefully this answers some questions for some people!!

I have seen the Fatwallet site mentioned for info on the Iraqi Dinar. What is the complete web address.

There are many calculators and currency conversion tools out there, but this one covers global currency.

It also attempts to figure out what you should pay for the Dinar and I would love feedback on making this better!

Thanks!

http://www.iraqidinar.org

Hey now...

It's easy to pick this apart...from any and every angle for and against the value of the dinar. I believe that it will increase in value...but as in any investment it will require monitoring and adjust as needed. It would e nice if we woke up tommorow and it was worth .31/dinar. But it usually doesn't work that way. Be patient and keep looking at it the way you do your stocks and MF's...it'll pay someday. Just sit back on the porch with your lemonade and watch. Ciao all...

John

The kiliings and bombing continue in Iraq everday and the interim govt. and the United States seem helpless to stop it. The oil pipelines are attacked all the time. There is no end in sight for this violence. The Dinar looks like a lost cause.

It is really looking bad here lately for our dinar. I just read that a main oil pipeline junction exploided today and our dinars went flowing down into the river!!!!!!!!! while cutting electricity off in the whole country! until the interim government and the US restore security to iraq, I think this dinar craze will never happen. I am really begining to worry!

Not Good in Iraq!

There are three main indicators that drive the value of any country's/government's monetary currency: 1)A country's national debt, 2) The civil and economic stability of the country, and 3) The unemployment/inflation rate of the country. There are certainly other "micro" factors that go into determining the market value of a particular currency, but these are mostly considered the main three (depends on with whom you're speaking too).

Iraq is looking good on one out of the three; i.e. their National Debt. The other two - the stability and infaltion rate - of the country are directly linked. As long as "no one is safe" in Iraq, then that disrupts people going to work, let alone, having a place to work, etc.

These "new" soldiers (terrorists) are being allowed to be more formidable than the professional soldiers we fought during the ground war.

There's a lot that has to happen in Iraq - SOONER RATHER THAN LATER - before we can even hope for things to get better. I'm not so much concerned about my dinar as I am about the conduct of this campaign. Since when did policy become more important than people. Without people "policy", any policy regarding any subject, is moot.

"Weapons of Mass Destruction" ...didn't find them; "Treat prisoners/detainees no different than Saddam" ...did that too; "Completely bungle/miscalculate the 'After War' management and rebuilding of Iraq" ...hey; why not?, ...we'll take credit for that too.

The NID will go up in value and will be traded openly one day ...we don't need to worry about that. And, even if it doesn't, I don't really care at this point. What I "do" care about is the fact that we've gone from "Leader of the Free World" to "Grim Reaper of the Free World".

Everyday innocent people (in uniform and out) are being allowed to be slaughtered in Iraq by highly effective terrorist operations. If we; i.e. the current American Presidential Administartion, doesn't stop turning a blind eye to what's going on over there - and take some form of corrective action, we are going to "Loose Iraq" to a bunch of Farm Boy Fanatics, and (mark my words) it will take decades for the U. S. to regain it's once high moral standing throughout the world.

to all gloom and doom bloggers!!dont rain on our parade.just because you stump your toe deasen't mean you cant go swimming.ok ok i will gladly take all of your usless dinars off your hands if you are sure the atom bomb has hit iraq and you are goin to throw them in the trash.i never did like being around negative people.why in the world would people invest in dinars if there was any doubt to the appreaciation of them? {{{{greed}}}}} i bought 6 million and hope they do ok,but if they don.t so what.i am sure most everyone here has more income and money than me {i am retired for health reasons from commercial fishing,with no retirement,but that doesent dampen my spirit.the world has not ended with the dinar,it is just an investment.please don't gamble money you cant afford to lose.on the other hand good luck to all the positive iraq dinar holders.jeeeeezzzz!

Brian, I know it's nice to be positive about dinars, but when you get up every day and see on the news that more inocent people and our troops are being killed, without end, reality begins to show. What I'm saying, is the US better open it's eyes before we have a man even more crazy than suddam to deal with. We are loseing a little more of iraq everyday!

we are not losing iraq! we are demonstraiting our comitment. we will endure this operation. DONT GET SHOOK! stay focused

Remember that the main stream press looks at Iraq through a soda straw and that their overall mantra is "If it bleeds, It leads."

There are many internet sites where good news about Iraq can be found. Here's just a few.

http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110005610

http://iraqthemodel.blogspot.com/

http://www.investorsiraq.com/

http://www.jubileeiraq.org/blog/index.html

Times are tough right now, but we need to look for the BIG picture where our investment in Iraq as individuals and as a nation is concerned.
The security, success, and prosperity of the Iraqi people is the goal that we seek and there are people who desire the opposite-but their numbers are falling as they grow more desperate in their attacks.

The essence of terrorism is to cause us to lose our motivation and become fearful. Remember that the movie "Blackhawk Down" was used for training by Saadam and they expect us (US) to become weak and fold as happened in that terrible incident. They know they cannot challenge us in the open, so they hide among civilians to make their attacks.

But as Colin Powell stated : "...even in Iraq we now all agree that failure isn't an option. It isn't a good option for America; it's not a good option for the Iraqis. It's not a good option for NATO or for anyone in Europe. And so all of the nations are now helping in one way or the other."

http://164.109.48.86/is/Archive/2004/Sep/13-226652.html

"It is therefore our obligation to understand and defeat terrorism as a tactic in a newly dangerous technological environment. But that's not enough," he said. "It is also our obligation to understand and defeat the ideology of the small fringe groups of evil doers who have deeply distorted the principles of great and profound world religious traditions. Weapons of mass destruction are animated by ideas of mass destruction and we must defeat both."
-----------

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-09/15/content_1985024.htm

Iraq's interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi said in an interview published on Monday in several western daily newspapers that Iraq's elections would go ahead as scheduled even if some Iraqis were unable to vote due to the security situation there.

The security problems in Iraq, especially in the violence-stricken city of Fallujah, would not hinder the coming elections, Allawi said.

Hold fast to your optimism and courage. This is not an "add water", "Resolved in two episodes", or "microwave ready" situation. Difficulties lay ahead, but the goal ahead for the Iraqi people will be worth it. (and I consider it a privilege to tie a bit of my future and fortune to their success and security)

Nice Post Mantech. Very well thought out.

Good words from good people! But...

I can appreciate optimism, but let's not slide into the realm of denial. My concern is this:

CNN, in the U.S., is a Democartic leaning TV Station, and by the same token, Aljazera is an Islamic Fundamentalist leaning Broadcasting Company/TV Station in the Middle East - where the majority of Arabs and Muslims get their news. If we choose not to take some form of Corrective Action (and at this point CA seems to be to get more troops in country to sustain/assist those already on the ground) to counter what is currently taking place in Iraq, public/world opinion of us (the U. S.) is going to reach "Rock-Bottom" / "Critical Mass"; and, at that point we stand a good chance of loosing what limited control we currently have over our destiny and the outcome in Iraq.

No matter how conveniently we choose to view this situation from the comfort of our warm, cozy, and secure living rooms, all eyes are on what we "do" and "do not do" in Iraq.

In layman's terms: Stop pussy-footing around and get the damn situation resolved. Now is not the time to be Half-Assing our way through this. Our actions are not backing our words (the NID is worth more than "Talk"), and the rest of the world isn't as stupid as belive them to be. They, and their opinion of us, is only as good as the information they get.

In the court of public opinion we're not what/who we say we are. Kerry? ...Bush? ...don't care! Take all necessary measures to finish the job and stop the senseless carnage!

We can't stand back and delagate our security responsibilities to young, unprepared / untrained Iraqi Patriots, attempting to enlist as part of their country's security force/s, while they get slaughtered right before the eyes of their mothers and fathers, and fellow countrymen; and expect the citizens of Iraq and the rest of the world to view it all through rose colored glasses.

JEEEEEEEEEEEZZZZZZZZZ!

Just wanted to say that I am glad to have this outlet to read. It is very informative. We have invested quite a bit in the dinar and are hoping to make a good return on it someday. Better sooner than later, but looks like it will be later. I think we should hang tough in Iraq, and support those who are willing to fight for their country and it's freedom. God bless all of the soldiers, workers, and others who are there to help. DJ

I think anyone who invests in this is DUMB, it is a SCAM, Hello People!!!!!!!

Sue,

It is, in my opinon, long-shot speculation, but it is no way "a scam". The money most of these people are trading their dollars for is real Iraqi Dinar. No scam here, just a lot of risk.

Hello Suzy,
I see you are very interested in the Dinar! If you were not interested, you would wouldn't be here looking around. Perhaps you are to chicken to invest? Perhaps you don't have enough money to invest? Perhaps you don't know how to invest? Well, what ever the reason is, you are jelous that we have invested in the Dinar and it makes you feel at ease calling us dumb and saying we are wasting our time and and money. The truth is in a short time we will be very well off and you will not. So, instead of saying "HELLO PEOPLE", perhaps you should be saying "GOODBYE"

HEY SUE TAKE A LOOK AT THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!
THE WEBSITE IS
http://www.securitiesindustry.com/article.cfm?articleid=13765

Home Breaking News Current Issue Original Sources Press Release Ticker Supplements




BREAKING NEWS


RFP Deadline Extended for Iraq Exchange

By Shane Kite, Correspondent

September 2, 2004 - The deadline to respond to the request for proposal (RFP) to modernize the Iraq Stock Exchange (ISX) has been extended from Sept. 6 to Sept. 20, said Air Force Reserve Major Charles Hurry, the contracting officer on the project, in a telephone interview from Baghdad.

Major Hurry said the Army's project and contracting office in Iraq planned to award the $750,000 to $1.5 million hardware and software deal not long after the deadline--in late September or thereafter--so that it could quickly enter the first phase of the plan to automate the ISX. Hurry had yet to receive responses for the new deadline.

The first phase of the plan calls for simple desktop computers to drive the exchange. "That's not a huge amount of computing power," Hurry admitted, but added that desktops are enough to make the current paper-intensive system more efficient.

"We're just trying to get a very basic level of automation over there to be able to execute trades and record them, instead of using whiteboards," Hurry said. "The idea is to get this thing off the ground."

If a PC-based electronic exchange will make the ISX leaner, it remains to be seen if it will make it meaner: Only 47 companies were listed at press time. And it is unclear how many Iraqis are aware of the ISX project--most remain focused on basic infrastructure needs and security. "It's just not something that the people have had access to before," said Hurry, a certified financial planner with American Express Financial Advisors, who plans to return in a few weeks to St Paul, Minn., after a four-month tour in Iraq. "It's my understanding that the previous stock exchange was Saddam's personal financial playground, and it wasn't reputable."

The ISX--which has been trading manually between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon on Sundays and Wednesdays since reopening on June 24--operates as an independent, self-regulated, not-for-profit institution, under an interim securities rule, codified on April 19. Among other things, the interim rule established an Iraq Securities and Exchange Commission to oversee the exchange.

Reforms--which were instituted by the CPA and passed on to the interim government through a clause in the interim constitution--include removing the intraday price controls that formerly restricted price changes to 5 percent, and establishing a business conduct investigative committee to uncover fraud, manipulation and undue influence.
Other plans for the exchange, such as turning state-owned businesses into listed firms, remain hazy.

Privatization schemes are part of a $9 million USAid package for economic rehabilitation and reform, awarded to BearingPoint in July of 2003, within which ISX modernization plans are included, according to Atlas Investment Group, an Amman, Jordan-based investment bank. The idea is to fund privatization of state-owned companies and list them on a rebuilt, modernized ISX.

The first year of the contract is worth up to $79 million, but according to the Center for Public Integrity, the overall estimated value of the contract--including two option years--is $240 million. BearingPoint expects to hire more than 30 subcontractors to finish the project.

The plans stem from a directive released by the former Iraq Governing Council, designed to speed Iraq's reintroduction into the international marketplace. The directive allows 100-percent foreign direct ownership of companies involved in all sectors, except natural resources.

Foreign banks can establish subsidiaries, branches, representative offices and joint ventures with local banks in Iraq. Six foreign banks, according to Atlas, will be allowed to purchase up to 100 percent of local banks within the next five years, after which a limitation on entry expires.

The ISX Web address, www.isx-iq.net, was registered by a Wall Street investment bank, Diehl & Company, and was designed by a Silicon Valley Web developer. Diehl managing director Russell Diehl is also a privatization and commercialization specialist for Seer Market Systems, whose co-founder Bill Gorman authored the RFP for ISX.

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Hey Sue, I like a women with enough guts to tell a man he is dumb! Will you spank me with some of my Dinars if I give you a 100,000 or so? OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Baby!

Hey, does anyone want to buy some of my dinars, I have a little to much and I need to sale some just if this thing was to fall through. My dinars have all the security marks under the black light, I have checked every note I have! Let me know if anyone wants some!

Mike,

I'd try and hang on to those extra dinars if at all possible.

More news on Iraq:

Allawi says Iraq caught in vicious circle...

Iraq's stagnant economy and lack of employment opportunities are feeding instability in the violence-torn country, hindering prospects for prosperity, Prime Minister Iyad Allawi has said.

Writing in the Independent on Monday he said international donors must honour their aid pledges and Iraq's foreign debt should be forgiven as a means to kick-start growth.
"The economic and security situations are intertwined: without peace and security there can be no sustainable reconstruction ... yet what is feeding the instability and chaos is the lack of jobs and economic opportunity," Allawi said.

Foreign help was also needed to improve security in Iraq where hundreds have of people have been killed in violence in the last two weeks.
In Britain for talks with Prime Minister Tony Blair, Allawi wrote in the newspaper that the vast majority of Iraq's foreign debt had been built-up by Saddam Hussein's military spending sprees and would have to be waived if the country is to succeed.

"Iraq's inherited national debt level is the highest in the world as a percentage of GDP and of exports, and to service it would be unsustainable for its fragile, fledgling market economy," he wrote.
International negotiations on debt relief are currently in deadlock because lenders cannot agree how much of the estimated $120 billion should be waived.

On the security front, Allawi said the interim government intended to re-establish control over the whole country. He said that while steps were being taken to strengthen the security forces, help from NATO and the EU was still needed in terms of "expertise, training and equipment".
Allawi said the economic priorities were to "tackle joblessness, rebuild the national infrastructure and restore basic services and rapidly boost oil production".

Key to achieving these goals would be the "swift and efficient disbursement of pledged reconstruction funds".
Allawi said that less than five percent of the $18 billion pledged by the US and the $13 billion promised by other countries had been received and disbursed.

He said a secure and economically viable Iraq was needed in order to ensure "forces of global terrorism" do not use the country to destabilise the region.

On Sunday, after talks with Blair, Allawi declared elections would be held on schedule
in January.

There it is straight from the Head Honcho himself!

Good news!...
Military scuttle-butt has it that there may be a plan in the works for a major offensive to help stablize the country soon, to enable the elections to take place in January as scheduled. We'll have to wait and see, but it wouldn't surprise me.

I think that IPM Allawi is correct in his assessment of the situation in the country. We need "Good-Do'ers" to hear what he's saying, heed his words, and take action.

And, Sue...

You have an open invitation to vist us here at the Truck and Barter in the next 90 to 180 days, or so, and kindly apologize for the uneducated / misinformed comments you made towards the lot of us earlier.

No guarantee we'll be here though. I'm quite certain we'll all be busy tending to currency exchange / taxes and tax shelter/s type matters, and the like, regarding our newly acquired small fortunes.

Or, you can check w/ Mike, if you're willing to take a small risk. Looks like he'd like to lighten some of his load of NIDs.

Cheers all.

WORLD NEWS

U.S. and Europe Expect to Reach
Pact on Iraq Debt by End of Year

By MICHAEL SCHROEDER
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
September 20, 2004; Page A2

U.S. and European officials said they expect to hammer out a deal by year-end to forgive most of the loans Iraq owes industrialized nations, giving a big boost to the new Baghdad government's ability to sort out its tangled finances.

At recent meetings in Paris, the group of 19 wealthy nations known as the Paris Club edged closer to a deal involving the more than $21 billion (€17.2 billion) in loans they are owed by Iraq and a like amount in interest. The issue is expected to be a high priority at a series of meetings among the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the Group of Seven major industrialized countries in early October.

The U.S. is urging the cancellation of at least 90% of the Paris Club debt, while Britain would prefer an 80% write-off. Other nations are holding out for a more-modest package. Russia has offered to cut 65% contingent on certain Saddam Hussein-era contracts with Russian interests being honored, and France has urged a 50% reduction.

France argues that Iraq, with its vast energy resources, shouldn't get better treatment than the world's poorest nations. As a way to entice Paris, the U.S. recently proposed that poor nations in Africa, Asia and Latin America should also get debt relief comparable to Iraq's.

The U.S. took that position after an intra-administration dispute among the Treasury Department and White House security and budget advisers. Some administration officials worry that writing off too much poor-nation debt will reduce fiscal discipline in borrower nations. But the Treasury, which is in charge of getting Iraq's debt in order, prevailed, according to individuals with knowledge of the debate.

A Paris Club agreement, which applies only to Iraq debt owed to wealthy nations, would be the first step in a wide-ranging process to reconfigure Iraq's more than $150 billion in debt. Iraq hasn't paid any of its debts since before the first Gulf War more than a decade ago. The U.S., with a relatively small Iraq debt of $2.19 billion, believes a Paris Club deal could serve as a relief model for other major creditor countries, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Eastern European states.

Iraq owes other nations about $65 billion, including $25 billion in principal and interest to Saudi Arabia, and an additional $15 billion to private lenders, according to the IMF. Iraq also must use its oil revenue to pay a further $30 billion in war reparations, mostly to Kuwait, approved by a United Nations special court. The U.N. says it has yet to rule on an additional $98 billion in reparation claims.

Resolving the mountain of debt is essential for rebuilding Iraq's war-torn economy. Companies are wary about investing in Iraq until it gets its economic house in order. "Every day there is no agreement on lending will slow down efforts to rebuild the economy," said Bathsheba Crocker, co-director of the Post-Conflict Reconstruction Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

A Paris Club debt-relief pact can't be completed until the IMF signs off on its own economic review of Iraq as a condition of awarding the country some postconflict development loans, totaling about $850 million.

To earn the IMF's seal of approval, Iraq must show that its new government has put in place credible budget and central-bank systems. Iraq also must make arrangements to settle $80 million in unpaid IMF fees that have accrued since 1990.

IMF officials met in Paris recently with senior Iraqi officials and "made good progress," said an IMF spokesman. John Taylor, U.S. Treasury undersecretary for international affairs, said the IMF could complete its Iraq review during the IMF and World Bank annual meetings beginning Oct. 1.

The Bush administration would like to announce a Paris Club resolution before the Nov. 2 election, but odds of that are slim. Mr. Taylor and two other people close to the talks said a debt-forgiveness deal is on course to be completed by the tight year-end deadline set by G-7 country leaders at a June meeting in Sea Island, Ga.

--Jo Wrighton in Paris and Marc Champion in Washington contributed to this article.

Write to Michael Schroeder at mike.schroeder@wsj.com

I am so glad to finally here some good news guys after weeks and weeks of bad. I think I will indeed hold on to my surplus dinars and SUE can go jump in the lake! LOL

DOES ANYONE KNOW WHEN THIS DINAR THING WILL GO GLOBAL?

Not sure when the NID will go "Global" Julio Rod. But, all indications point to sometime early next year, most likely after the elections in Iraq.

Here's another article on Iraq... It's a very good read, and helps us to refocus on why we must succeed in the rebuilding of that country:

http://www.nypost.com/postopinion/opedcolumnists/30613.htm

More to come...

Want to see if anyone else feels the same way. I am currently in Iraq(in the middle of the Sunni triangle)and see all the good and the bad everyday. One day I am counting my millions and the next I feel as though all my dinars are going to be a flop. I know that this is an long term investment, just seems as everything is taking a turn for the worse here lately.

sid,
STAY FOCUSED! We have made a great investment. This oppertunity only happens once in every 10 lifetimes! stay on track and dont get complacent. Keep Hadji at bay and we'll see you home soon. Motovation is the key!

Roger that TB!

Hang in there sid - we feel your pain! It's true that we've allowed the insurgents to take the initiative (lesson learned), but I'm certain that there are plans underway to counter that. Stay motivated, try your best to turn the negatives into positives, and try and keep everthing in perspective too.

If we're doing this for nothing else we're doing it for the "children of Iraq" and their future, and that's worth fighting for. Your cause is a just one, and we will prevail in the end.

If you're a fellow Marine... then of course "Semper Fidelis" is your mantra. And know too, that you and your comrades haven't been forgotten. America prays for you eveyday, and we're extremely proud of you too. Keep up the good fight!!! ...and continue to look out for one another.

The thing that burns my britches in all of this
is that we have the people, the know-how/savvy, and the resources - we want for nothing - but, somehow we allow ourselves to become complacent, and as soon as we fall into that trap we allow our enemies sieze the initative, and end up paying a heavy price for it.

May sound silly and trite, but I've learned from playing chess to always figure out what my opponent's objective is first before making my move. If I can do that then 9.9 times out of ten I can stay one step ahead of him/her and eventually win, or draw the game.

From what I see, we're currently not doing that in Iraq and it's biting us in the rear. We need to get off the ropes and start counter punching.

Take care sid, and be safe!

You and your guys/gals keep your spirits up and your heads down!

Sid hang in there buddy. I got down too a few days ago and even considered selling my dinars, but these guys brought me back from the slum. I want to tell you that me and my family love you and god loves you and We will pray for you all everyday. Please just watch out for eachother and use your heads. Thank you for helping the iraqi people and thank you for giving us all the chance to change our lives and iraqi lives. Without you guys, I would have no hope! Hang in there dude and be strong! America loves U !!!! Keep in touch

Does anyone feel that the dinar will make some quick strong moves as soon as it goes global? Or is it going to be more of a slow upward trend against the dollar?
Don't you think it's better to wait until we see how things play out in Iraq before making a purchase? It's reported that we may see a civil war break out soon. If that happens, we could see the Dinar back to 3000/$1. Any thoughts?

Here's a good source of daily info on what's going on in Iraq. I read it every morning and I'm sorry to say it's consistently bad news.

http://www.iraqdaily.com/

Tommy,

There's really no iron-clad way to tell what's going to happen with the NID at this point. It is obvious that we've lost control of the situation. ...(if we ever had control in the first place)

At this point the world community needs to come together to help settle the unrest in Iraq. Simply throwing money at Iraq is not going to solve an ounce it's political turmoil. It'll just be good money thrown after bad.

There needs to be a cooling off period and a meeting of the minds, with representation of all factions at the bargaining table. Otherwise, the body count will just continue to rise with no real solution in the near-term.

If I had to guess, right now I'd say that the situation is just about at Critical Mass. Allawi is currently on a whirl-wind tour to enlist world support and intervention in his country. Once that happens - and it will happen - we can possibly achieve a cease-fire by all combatants. At that point we can let the dust settle some, and then allow cooler heads to prevail. They can then begin some form of political resolution.

If that can take place our NID will have a serious opportunity to flourish on the world markets, and in a reasonable period of time.

I think we're still on course for early next year, or worse case scenario sometime late next Sring or Summer.

Any idiot can point a weapon at someone and pull the trigger - that never solved anything, and in most cases just added fuel to the fire. But, sitting down at the bargaining table and giving full representation to all interested, civilized, parties is the only thing that's going to put an end to this civil unrest.

Wednesday, September 22, 2004

If America were Iraq, What would it be Like?

http://www.juancole.com/2004_09_01_juancole_archive.html#109582366638394688

If you haven't read the post made by "x" above, please take the time to read it. If it doesn't put the situation in Iraq into a perspective comprehendible to all, then I don't know what will.

And, based on the article, we can all stop worrying about the value of our NID until the problems "we've" created in Iraq have been rectified.

Bush / Kerry in 2004?!? ...don't care! We are morally and financially obligated to bring peace, and some form of democracy, to Iraq.

Since when did innocent people; i.e. women, children, and the elderly become so expendable????????

If I have to hear another person try and tell me everything's, "A-OK in Iraq", I think I'll personally escort them into downtown Baghdad, toss them a couple of MREs, wish them luck, and bid them fairwell...

be sure to toss them a slinkie and a paper sack to keep there dinars in.

I don't think you pessimists understand what we mean when we talk about LONG TERM investment. What has happened in the last 6 months, a year, who cares? what happens in the next year? who CARES. It is the on going effort of everybody involved in making the country a better place to live that we need to think about. You guys are getting mad because of a weeks worth of news. It has already been stated that it is going to take a few years for us to see our investement blossom into a fortune, yet you let one weeks worth of news get in the way of our dreams. Don't do it. It is a long bumpy road ahead, The world is much stronger than idiots with outdated weapons at some point we will take control, and the economy will grow, and we will see our investment pay off, but for now, don't worry what the news says from day to day. It will be alright, and just remember what a long term investment is, its not a weeks worth of news.
Thanks

Everyone needs to keep in mind that most of the 'pessimists' up here lately preaching the 'doom & gloom' scenarios in Iraq are NOT in Iraq, nor are they in the military. The only 'source' they likely have is Kerry's campaign 'talking points' sheet issued over this past week. They have a vested interest, not in dinars, but in furthering their (Kerry's) political agenda, and NOTHING else! And right now, Kerry is in 'sabotage mode', telegraphing to the insurgents every shread and bit of U.S. military plans he can get away with. He's holding true to form, betraying his own country while the REAL heroes are still over there in harm's way...just like he did with VietNam. Do NOT be fooled! (Neither by him OR Bush!)

If you want the 'real scoop', the only two things fully trustworthy are your common sense, coupled with the reports from the soldiers actually DOING the job of rebuilding. Or, if you're fortunate enough to have 'inside sources', either friends or relatives actually native to the areas over there, ask THEM which way they are betting their future to go.

Investing in dinars now, for short-term purposes is rolling the dice on two elections...Ours in Nov. and Iraq's in January.

If you're investing for long-term gains, 5 years or more, your chances of your dinars showing significant gain are extremely good...regardless of how EITHER election turns out.

As for me, $2 mil NID...the first mil to be cashed in if/when it spikes shortly after the Jan. election in Iraq, the 2nd mil to hold for long-term gains...And if the election doesn't come to pass in Jan., no prob...I'll just hold on to BOTH mil and wait the 5 years...Really almost a no-brainer.

The only possible thing that would FULLY suck would be if unrest and/or a coup results in the NID currency being recinded/replaced by a NEW despot's 'funny money'...But history suggests that those nations presently 'onsite'will NOT be inclined to allow that to happen, not with the amount of oil that lies beneath Iraq. The U.S. did not pry Saddam's grimy hand off the oil tap just to let some French or Russian 'puppet dictator' take it over again...

And at the present rate of attrition, the Islamo-Fascists are going to run out of fighters a heluva lot sooner than the U.S.-led coaltion!

Again, don't fall for the U.S. mainstream media bias! They report DAILY about every single soldier or civilian killed or beheaded, while glossing over the fact that we took out another 40 'key personnel' here, or captured another TWO DOZEN terrorist leaders there...

They are provided extremely high media visibility as they attack us 'retail', while the media sees fit to 'backpage' the 'wholesale' successes we are achieving throughout that country...But our soldiers know the truth, because they're seeing it 'up close and personal', and THEY are buying DINARS, aren't they?!!!!!

"Nuff said!"

what is all this about the Dinar? what is it and what benefits does or will it have on me? clueless in cyberspace........ PLease Advise

I have been reading this board for the last few months and I have noticed a trend here.

How many dates are going to be hyped up before the real spike happens. Is it possible that these supposed dates are being speculated on by people who have a vested interest in getting you to buy more dinar now?

The spike in the value of the dinar is not going to occur because of some election in Iraq. It will only occur when the overall economic conditions improve. Sitting back and waiting for the magic date might not be the best thing to do.

Cyberian- Well said!

I hope the naysayers aren't also churning their stock holdings at every little tic in the market also.

If anyone is feeling distressed over this, step back and get involved in something more enjoyable until real news appears. Get a hobby, visit friends and family, find a way you like to support the troops or hurricane victims.

Do something positive to refresh yourself an look back into the dinar situation in a month or two. Just stay away from the main stream media!

Cheers!

i wonder what is going on???i notice dinars are getting a little more expensive and chancy to get.i have a friend that ordered dinars and were stolen or dissapeared at our local us post office here in nc.they are getting wise when they see a express mail from aman jordan and know what is in the envelope.this incident happened this last week,it is getting riskier to buy them now.i also notice my source of dinars has dissapeared ,unless you really search hard and then i dont know if he will deliver anymore.before on ebay he was always on the front pages just selling away,but now i have to go at least six search pages to find one add for dinars for sale from this particullar seller.also i notice amer isn't as easily available .this can only mean one thing.taaa daaa!!! if you know what i mean.hopefully within a few months.if you order be careful please.remember all some of the sellers have to do is take your money and dissapear if they know something is soon to happen.it makes sense...why would someone sell for a $150.00 profit per mil dinar, if in the near future they know somethings up.i sincerly hope the people of iraq get a fair shake and if my dinars are toilet paper to help them so be it.the folks over there deserve to have a chance at living somewhat normal at least one time and if it takes america to help them bravo!for us ,and great for them.you are a great bunch,and i really believe deep in our hearts that greed is not the only motive for buying dinars.deep within our souls we want that country to suceed,that is a thought imbedded within all of us by our ancestors for our lives,and we wish it for others too.thank you all,by the way does anyone know where the big dinar profit barbecue is going to be held ?????and are we all invited???

Some Promising News

23 Iraqis to begin course on stocks

Iraq's investment potential 'is huge'

Marhaba. Isme Expat Investor. Where might our investment lie?

Investment Potential I Huge!!! -

http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/story.asp?Article=92547&Sn=BUSI&IssueID=27190

Everyone's hoping for a big spike on the dinar. Currently it's about 1452 per $1US. For us to make a real profit in this, the dinar has to rally to at least 3 or 2 per $1US. It's possible but it's also a long ways. If the Dinar rallys to
300 or 200 per $1 US, you're not really making any money.
Anyone have any thoughts as to how much the Dinar will rally in the next 3-5 years?

It's all relative.

I have approximately 5 million at a cost of roughly $4,000 dollars. At 300 to a U.S. Dollar, that is about 16,000. At 200/dollar that would be 25,000. If that were to happen in about 5 years, they one could argue, show me a high risk stock or mutual fund that would give %300 return in just five years and I will show you a list of many rich investors investing much more than I can afford. I believe it is called high stakes gambl(ing)...Just my 2 cents.

you heard it here first!!!
the bush administration has made a deal with allawi for the dinar to open on oct 15 at 50 cents per dinar!!!
this would assure bushs reelection and allawis election and be great pr for both for the world to see iraqis celebrating!!
this is supposed to be super secret but my friends in the commerce dept have whispered it to me and are buying up tens of millions in dinars for themselves!!!
you heard it here first!!
and can thank me by sending me airfare outta here!!!!

Cut the crap, cat.

READ THIS

http://www.abc.net.au/insidebusiness/content/2004/s1202382.htm

Transcript
ISX keen to expand

Date : 19/09/2004

Reporter: Peter Cave



ALAN KOHLER: The investment principle of risk and return takes on a entirely different meaning in Iraq. Despite the violent insurgency that's making a hazardous struggle of daily life there the Iraq Stock Exchange has reopened and will welcome foreign investors early next year. The ABC's foreign affairs editor, Peter Cave, sent this report from Baghdad.

PETER CAVE: 10:00 and the ISX is open for business. The opening bell is a modified house buzzer and the highest technology on the trading floor is a mobile phone and a clipboard. That may be a good thing because like everywhere else in the country the electricity supply is not very dependable. It was a stock exchange under Saddam Hussein but it was subject to the whims of the dictator and his family who decided how much share prices could fluctuate and were not beyond creaming off the profits for themselves and their friends by ordering special share issues to line their own pockets. The new exchange is a baby by world standards but it's expanding rapidly with daily trading often topping three billion dinars or $A3 million.

TRADER ONE: You can sell, buy anything, anything you want.

TRADER TWO: I'm selling Baghdad Azzi and it's a soft drink company.

PETER CAVE: Is trade good today?

TRADER THREE: Yes.

PETER CAVE: Are you making some money? Are you making some money?

TRADER THREE: Making some money?

PETER CAVE: Are you making money?

TRADER THREE: Yes.

PETER CAVE: There is nothing flash about the Iraq Stock Exchange. The trading floor here used to be a Chinese restaurant at the Al Mansour Hotel which was looted after the war. They trade two days a week, two hours a day. But what they lack in sophistication they more than make up for in enthusiasm. Abdul Salam is CEO of the stock exchange which he started up with a grant from the Finance Ministry. He says 65 Iraqi companies will soon have their own whiteboards.

ABDUL SALAM, CEO, IRAQ STOCK EXCHANGE: You see, this is the money one way - each company has a board, the board has two sides, one for sell and the other for buy. That will be all gone when we have an automated system.

PETER CAVE: When do you think that might be?

ABDUL SALAM: In the next year, maybe that will happen.

PETER CAVE: Are you open to foreign traders at this stage?

ABDUL SALAM: We hope so, but we didn't have yet the procedure to arrange their business with us. You know, we must have international banks, we must have international systems, trading systems, depository centre - many things we have to do it before we allow to the foreign people to get here and invest their money.

PETER CAVE: Not all Iraqis though are keen to open the ISX to foreign investors.

PROFESSOR HUMAM AL-SHAMAA, ECONOMIST, BAGHDAD UNI: I don't think at the moment it's a good idea. Because I think it will affect the price of the exchange, the stocks. That will affect also the rate of exchange in Iraq and perhaps the price will be affected. I think we're in a very bad economic situation, we have to wait now. It's early to liberate the exchange, the stock market now.

PETER CAVE: We are speaking to the distinguished economist in his carport because the power has failed, the lights don't work and his office is unbearable in the 45 degree heat. He says despite the shattered infrastructure and unstable security situation, there are bargains to be had.

PROFESSOR HUMAM AL-SHAMAA: Hotels, Sheraton and Meridian, the real price of those real estate is very, very high as comparative with actual price which is very low now. And if investor, foreign investor, can buy shares of those company, the price will be jumping up.

PETER CAVE: The plum investment opportunity in Iraq is, of course, oil. But at the moment the oil industry belongs to the government. And under constant attacks from insurgents, it's in desperate need of renovation - it's a basket case.

PROFESSOR HUMAM AL-SHAMAA: The reality - the Iraqi reserve is the first in the world. I think it's more highest than the army issue than reserve. But when the Iraqi reserve will be available to be exported in a level which is appropriate to the level of reserve, it depends on the politics and social and economic factor which affect the stability in Iraq. I think we need more than five years to have real stabilisation, political and economic social stabilisation in Iraq.

PETER CAVE: Are you trading oil at the moment?

ABDUL SALAM: No, not yet. We don't have oil companies.

PETER CAVE: Why is that?

ABDUL SALAM: Because it doesn't established before. Maybe if there is any company established in the next year or after that, we will accept it here.

PETER CAVE: How safe is in investment in Iraq?

ABDUL SALAM: I believe people feeling safe here. In Iraq and in the stock market, we have feeling of fear from something but it's not the usual way. You see, there is different kind of fear outside, but our economy is good.

PETER CAVE: Iraq's potential is limited only by the ever-present security situation overshadowing every sector of the economy. Unemployment is feeding insurgency and insurgency is crippling the economic renewal which many believe would bring the insurgency to an end. To be an investor in Iraq requires an ability to see the sunshine beyond the shadows.

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

Please note: Transcripts on this website are created by an independent transcription service. The ABC does not warrant the accuracy of the transcripts.

VIDEO:

The ABC's foreign affairs editor Peter Cave takes a look at the Iraq Stock Exchange. [Real Dialup][Win Dialup]

Lost 4 dinar: 1461 to 1465. Time to sell and save face...

expat?
time to sell??? LOL I HOPE THAT IS A JOKE!!!

how much you want for dinars expat? You should keep faith man. We are going to make some money just not today. It could be tomorrow or next year who knows. All I know is a country sitting on billions in oil cannot keep their economy at the bottom forever. It will happen! I just read that 8 hostages were released today in iraq, and us forces struck a big blow to the inhuman bastards who behead innocent people. So there is some good news comming from iraq today!!

Read this expat!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=11000561

AFTER THE WAR

The Caravan Moves On
A roundup of the past two week's good news from Iraq.

BY ARTHUR CHRENKOFF
Monday, September 13, 2004 12:01 a.m. EDT

Last week the Center for Strategic and International Studies released its long-awaited report on Iraq. The Washington think tank's assessment, titled "Progress or Peril? Measuring Iraq's Reconstruction," was summed up by one newspaper in a sentence: "Iraqi Optimism Endures but It Is Fragile."

Coincidentally, a similar headline about American attitudes would not be out of place. But whereas the fragility of Iraqi optimism is a function of continuing violence and reconstruction pains, American optimism is under the constant assault from negative media coverage, nowadays amplified in the political echo chamber of the presidential election campaign.

For the media, the past two weeks in Iraq have not been good: more hostages taken and executed, continuing sabotage of oil infrastructure, military clashes and terror attacks, and the U.S. death toll reaching 1,000. But a lot more has been happening in Iraq every day--the steady progress towards normality that does not make for snappy headlines and exciting news footage. The Arabs have an old saying: "The dogs bark, but the caravan is moving on." The Iraqi caravan is certainly on the move, and here are some of the stories you probably didn't hear amid all the barking.

• Society. Elections are still a few months away, but the people of Iraq are already looking forward to the opportunity of electing their own government. The Iraq office of the International Republican Institute recently released the results of an August poll of Iraqi attitudes, conducted by the Independent Institute for Administrative and Civil Society Studies (the International Republican Institute, by the way, is not a part of a vast right-wing, neocon conspiracy, but a " non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to advancing democracy, freedom, self-government and the rule of law worldwide"). Among the results:

More than 77% of respondents feel that "regular, fair elections" would be the most important political right for the Iraqi people and 58% feel that democracy in Iraq is likely to succeed. When asked about the upcoming elections, 62.2% expressed confidence that their ballot selection would be kept secret and above 75% felt that the elections would reflect the will of the Iraqi people.
Iraqis remain optimistic about the future and committed to seeing Iraq through her democratic transition. 50% disagree with the statement that "my life was better before the war." In contrast to daily media reports of the hardships of today's Iraq, more than 70% of respondents would not leave their country if given the opportunity to live elsewhere. An overwhelming majority express an optimistic streak that belies foreign naysayers, with 75% expressing hopefulness about the future. . . .

Government officials and governing bodies have also earned the trust of the Iraqi people. President Sheikh Ghazi al-Yawer and Prime Minister Ayed Allawi are "completely" or "somewhat" trusted by 68% and 60.6% respectfully. While IRI's July/August poll showed that Iraqis were concerned with security, the Iraqi Police and Army are well-placed to deal with these concerns, with 80.3% and 71.6% of respondents expressing trust for the Iraqi men and women trying to bring about peace. The Interim Government of Iraq (IGI) is trusted by 65.1% of Iraqi citizens. Iraqi courts and judges--critical in implementing the rule of law in Iraq--maintain the trust of 64.4% of respondents.

Arguably, the Iraqi people would have a far more pessimistic attitudes had their been exposed to the same media diet as we are in the West (for the complete results of the poll, see here).
While the Iraqis will not have a chance to vote for another few months, progress toward democracy and good governance continues. On Sept. 1, the new Iraqi National Assembly officially sat for its inaugural meeting. Chosen from among 1,300 delegates to the national conference only a few weeks ago, the 100 members of the Assembly were sworn in during the meeting and Fuad Massum, a Kurd, was chosen as the Assembly's first speaker. Also, four vice presidents have been appointed by the Assembly: "They are Shiites Joad al-Malaki, from the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq and Rassam al-Awadi, from Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's Iraqi National Accord, along with Nasser al-Aani, a Sunni from the Iraqi Islamic Party and Hamid Majid Mussan, who chairs the Communist Party." The Assembly has decided that in the future all decisions will be taken by a simple 50% plus 1 majority.

The January balloting will elect a 275-member National Assembly, which will in turn, among other tasks, draft a new constitution. As they elect the National Assembly, Iraqis will be also asked to vote for 18 provincial governments, and in the north for the Kurdistan regional assembly. The preparations for this historical event are already well under way:

Iraq's electoral commission is confident polls will go ahead in January, even if it means using Saddam-era ration cards to help draft voter lists and shipping ballot boxes in from Mexico.
"We face great challenges but we are trying our best. We have a lot of work to do but postponing the elections beyond January 31 does not even pass our minds," said Farid Ayar, one of eight members of Iraq's Independent Electoral Commission. . . . "[The terrorists] can do whatever they want with their bombs but we are not moving the elections."

The commission is expected to launch an advertising and educational campaign to teach Iraqis about elections. Says Ayar:

Iraqis never voted under Saddam. It was all rigged. He won referendums by 110 percent. Now we have to use ink, voting ID's, booths. We brought ballot boxes and booth curtains from Mexico as samples because we don't have ballot boxes in Iraq. If our factories can't make them on time we will have to buy them abroad.
The commission is also investigating the ways to allow Iraq's prominent expatriate community to participate in the elections.
On behalf of the world's largest democracy, the Election Commission of India has signed a memorandum of understanding with the United Nations to assist the Iraqi electoral commission with the conduct of the elections. "In line with the agreement, the Indian Election Commission will help the UN with personnel and expertise to build and administer institutions that can conduct regular elections. Assistance would include procurement of election material, voter registration, training of officials and dispute resolution." The German government is one of many around the world donating money to the United Nations for the election-related tasks ($6 million in Germany's case).

Meanwhile, as preparations continue at home, two Iraqi women, Surood Ahmad and Tagreed Al-Karakoly, are thanking America for making it all possible. Ahmad and Al-Karakoly are currently touring the United States on the invitation of Iraq-America Freedom Alliance, a nonprofit organization that attempts to build goodwill between the two countries. "During a news conference, Ahmad said she and her family suffered under the deposed dictator's regime. Her sister, aunt and stepmother were killed when they tried to flee Ahmad's hometown of Kirkuk in 1991. Ahmad was able to reunite with the rest of her family only after the liberation of Iraq, she said. 'For the first time, I can say I'm a Kurdish,' Ahmad said. 'I can say that and not be afraid.' Ahmad, 33, said watching American soldiers drop from helicopters during the war in Iraq 'was like angels coming from heaven.' Al-Karakoly said she is pleased with the progress women are making politically."

And on a lighter note, intragovernmental relations in Iraq are bound to improve, as Iraqi President Ghazi al-Yawer marries the Kurdish minister Nisreen Barware. Speaking of marriage, the institution is now thriving, in another sign of growing optimism among the Iraqi people:

"Today I am free, and I will marry the woman I love," declared 28-year-old Baghdad baker Mohammed Abdullah.
Soon came signs that the wedding had taken place: the zaghrouta--the traditional ululation of joy--sounded from the courtroom, and a shower of chocolates was tossed into the street by Abdullah's relatives.

Abdullah is one of the many Iraqis who have got married in what officials say is a post-war wedding boom brought on by rising salaries and the end of restrictions on marriage imposed by the former regime. Before the war, Abdullah could not get married because--like thousands of other young men--he was dodging military service.

Abdullah is just one of many happy newlyweds in Iraq today:

Salih Thabet al-Azawi, who head a court in north Baghdad's Kadhemiya district, said that between April and June this year, just over 1,100 couples tied the knot in there, compared with the figure of around 200 which would have been average for the same three-month period in previous years.
According to Azawi, in past years twice as many people were divorcing as marrying. But today, some of the reasons for divorce--such as money problems or the emigration of one of the partners--have faded, and in the last three months only 48 cases have come before him.

After decades of enforced silence, the Iraqis are relishing a chance to speak out. Radio Dijla (Tigris), which went on air in April, continues to go from strength to strength. One of 15 new private radio stations, Dijla is the only one so far to pursue the talk-radio format. It broadcasts for 19 hours a day and receives 185 calls an hour--more than the station staff can handle--mostly about everyday life's big and small problems:

Beyond easing the frustrations of daily life, the station provides a chance for Iraqis to talk publicly about politics for the first time in decades. Listeners' calls open a window onto the lives of ordinary Iraqis, whose opinions often go unheard in the frantic pace of bombings, kidnappings and armed uprisings.
"After 35 years of people not being able to say what they wanted, we need something that can translate our feelings," said Imad al-Sharaa, a news editor at the station.

One such program was broadcast June 30, on the day before Saddam first appeared in court. The program director and host, Majid Salim, asked listeners what they wanted to see happen to him. The answer was something of a surprise for Salim. "Most people wanted him executed," Salim said.

Another time, Salim asked listeners what they thought about the violent insurgency that has railed Iraq. "We asked them, is it terrorism or is it resistance," Salim said. "A very large proportion--almost 100 percent--said terrorism. They did not like it."

On Iraqi TV, the sign that the broadcaster has truly come of age--an aerobics show. Overall, communications throughout Iraq are improving:

Under Saddam Hussein, the government saw Iraq's postal service as a great way to spy on its citizens. Receipt of an overseas letter was often accompanied by a summons from authorities asking about foreign contacts. Mail was frequently censored or went missing.
After a $20 million renovation--half the funds from Iraqi oil proceeds and the rest from the U.S. Treasury--mail service in Iraq now is creeping into the modern world.

There is still a long way to go--as the article notes, "Iraq has only 208 mail carriers to cover its 168,754 square miles. Compare that to the 10,000 letter carriers who serve New York City's 320 square miles." But the Iraqis now have lot of other, previously unavailable communication options open to them in addition to traditional mail:

Internet cafés are sprouting everywhere, though connectivity in the home is rare. Telephone service, devastated by the war and subsequent looting, is returning. Cell phone service is available now in Baghdad. Satellite dishes are on virtually every home and apartment building, bringing in Arab and foreign language television stations.
After years of neglect, the education sector continues to revive. Foreign assistance is often vital; Italy, for example, is donating 100,000 computers, photocopiers and lab equipment for Iraqi universities. The grant is worth 300 million euros ($365 million). There is also some good news for these gifted Iraqi students: "Nine Iraqis have arrived in Doha to study at Qatar's private 'Education City,' which includes top tier US colleges, under scholarships granted by the Qatar Foundation, a statement said. The group, which studied together for the past six years at Baghdad's School for the Gifted, will begin with a one-year course at the Academic Bridge Programme, said the foundation. The eight hope to study medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College, while the ninth is seeking to join the petroleum engineering program at Texas A and M University."
Meanwhile, Hussain Shahristani, an Iraqi nuclear physicist, is trying to rebuild Iraqi science. "The most unlikely element in Dr. Shahristani's quest may be his decision to undertake it in the first place. He came within a hair's breadth of being named prime minister of Iraq last spring. He was tortured by Saddam Hussein's government for refusing to work on an atomic bomb and spent 12 years in prison, much of it in solitary confinement, before escaping during the Persian Gulf war of 1991." Now, Shahristani has founded the Iraqi National Academy of Sciences and with 16 other members is trying to resurrect what once used to be the country's thriving scientific culture. A hint for Western scientists: this might be a good cause to support. Read also this series of posts by an Iraqi-American blogger Fayrouz about the work of Father Yousif Thomas who is building the Popular University of St. Thomas Aquinas For Human Sciences Studies in Baghdad. The university will be open to "all adults regardless of social or religious status and with no personal restrictions nor fear for taboos." Father Thomas needs your help too.

More resources, too, become available to preserve Iraq's historical heritage, as Polish archaeologists donate over $13,500 worth of archeological research tools to the Iraqi Antiquity Office in the Babil Province. "The high tech equipment includes multi-media and technical research and collection items which supports the Babylon museum works as well as country-wide archeological efforts."

In sports news, while the Iraqi soccer team failed to win the Olympic bronze medal, falling to Italy 1-0 in the playoffs, its unexpectedly successful quest for glory still manage to provide a lot of joy and inspiration to supporters back home:

At the Babylon Hotel, the electricity stayed on long enough Friday night to watch the entire game. None of the players on the field were going to be tortured afterward. Most important of all, the team actually was allowed to play in the Olympics for the first time since 1988. . . .

"There is no fear," said Wasim Sadoun, 23, a ventilation contractor [while watching the game]. "The most important thing is the players are not afraid. So they're taking risks." . . . After one player missed a goal with a high ball, Sadoun wryly noted that under the old regime, "Even if they win, he would go to prison. Now he would be thinking only of prison."
The consensus was that, whatever the match's outcome, the team was improving. The equipment is better. New blood is joining the team. And the players are more daring. "This is a first for us," Jabel [another spectator] said. "We are playing for a medal against a European team. In the future, I am sure we will get better, day by day."

The efforts of the soccer team, while in the end not rewarded with a place on the podium, did receive an official recognition, as "Argentina and Iraq have jointly won the Olympic Fifa Fairplay award which rewards loyalty and good conduct on and off the pitch." The team also received a heroes' welcome on their return to Iraq: "Players were showered with sweets and school boys lined up to have their photos taken with their heroes at a ceremony in Baghdad." The team is looking forward to the next challenge, says its coach, Adnan Hamad: "Now we have the World Cup [in 2006] mission and we have to prepare very well, despite the difficult conditions in the country. . . . I think the participation in the Olympics has given extra strength to the players and hope for the future." Playing in the Asian group World Cup qualifiers, Iraq defeated Taiwan 4-1.
And in another victory for Iraqi civil society, the Boy Scout movement is slowly reviving too, with some essential help from their American counterparts. Young Iraqis will finally be able to enjoy a youth movement in their country that is not an indoctrination vehicle for a dictator.

• Economy. Good news for the Baghdad stock exchange, which will shortly undergo much-needed modernization: The Army's project and contracting office in Iraq is planning to award the $750,000 to $1.5 million hardware and software deal to automate the ISX.

In oil sector news, some rationalization is now on the way: "Iraq plans to set up a single national oil business which will incorporate the four existing state-owned operating companies. . . . T he Supreme Oil and Gas Council (SOGC) proposed the establishment of an Iraq National Oil Company (INOC) during its first meeting in Baghdad under the chairmanship of interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi on August 23. . . . The purpose of establishing the INOC was to enable the oil industry to be managed professionally, enhance oil production and de-politicize oil sector operations."

Meanwhile, the sector is attracting increased foreign interest: "Arabian Oil Co., Japan's largest oil supplier, plans to launch a project to rebuild oil facilities in southern Iraq with a state-run Iraqi oil company. . . . Initially, Arabian Oil will accept trainees from Iraq and begin giving them technological expertise. Arabian Oil aims to use the oil reconstruction project as a stepping stone toward acquiring an interest in a future oil development project in Iraq after the country's political situation stabilizes. If the reconstruction project is realized, Arabian Oil will be the first Japanese company fully engaged in any oil development project in Iraq since the end of the 1991 Gulf War. According to the Arabian Oil officials, a consortium is expected to be formed with Japanese businesses in the steel, construction and civil engineering sectors as the reconstruction work would likely involve crude oil pipelines, storage tanks and oil-shipping ports."

Iraq's foreign trade is expected to receive a long-term boost through this infrastructure project: "A foreign company will start next year a project to construct 'the Great Harbor of Iraq' in Basrah Governorate with a cost of 14 billion dinars. The Minister of Transportation said that this project is considered one of the biggest Commercial Harbors on Arabian Gulf that will be located on 'Fao' and 'Rass AL- Beesha' area. The first stage is of 20 km length will contain 40 commercial quays that work together to receive big ships. The project will include a free zone, residential and tourism complexes, buildings for employers, buildings for administrations of passports and customhouse, and buildings of services. The harbor will be connected to a net of roads and railways."

In other trade news, the U.S. is placing Iraq on the Generalized System of Preferences list, which will give preferential, duty-free status to some goods exported by Iraq. Iraq is also preparing to join the World Trade Organization, with an intragovernmental committee being formed to facilitate that end.

A boost for Iraq's booming construction sector, too, as three recently rehabilitated factories of prefabricated building materials open for business in Baghdad, Kirkuk and Nineveh. In other construction news, Iraqi authorities continue to work on a whole range of smaller but nevertheless important local projects, such as paving countryside roads in Dyiala governorate, bridge construction in Wasit governorate, building more dams around the country, and more housing construction in Baghdad.

There is also some good real estate news. Mustapha Abbas, the British-born son of Iraqi immigrants who manages a real estate Abbassi Web site, is seeing business pick up: "Under Saddam Hussein's regime, few foreigners were able or willing to invest in Iraqi real estate, and citizens were eager to sell properties at any reasonable price. Now, more than a year after Saddam's ouster, Abbas concedes he's seeing a bit of a real estate bubble. Prices in some neighborhoods have gone up 500 percent since last summer. Foreign companies and Iraqi citizens who fled the country under Saddam's regime are eagerly eyeing land and buildings in central locales. 'Everyone's got this idea in their head that despite the craziness, the properties in the prime locations in Iraq are worth a lot to foreign businesses,' said Abbas. 'You can say to someone that there's so much instability and violence in their area. They say, 'So what, it's going to calm down.' "

Such optimism will get a boost from the Real Estate Bank of Iraq, which has commenced providing loans to Iraqis who want to buy their own home. In other banking news, the Central Bank of Iraq has recently approved the operation of three new foreign banks in the country--the Iranian National Bank, Commercial Housing Bank and Bahraini Arab Banking Institute--bringing the number of foreign banks approved over the last three months to 12.

Another opportunity for Iraqi officials and businesses to showcase and network with foreign companies is coming up soon: "The Bahrain Conventions and Exhibition Bureau (BCEB) is gearing itself up to host three world-class events next month. The combined events--Water Middle East 2004, Power-Gen Middle East 2004 and Iraq Reconstruction 2004--will be held under the patronage of Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa. More than 350 international exhibitors will take part in the events, scheduled for September 13 to 15, at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre."

As for another one of Iraq's neighbors, "at least 350 Iraqi companies have joined a new business centre to be set up in Dubai soon. . . . The centre is being launched under an initiative by General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and UAE Defence Minister, to help the Iraqis still struggling with the reconstruction of their war-torn country." Meanwhile, the Destination Baghdad expo is on line to take place in December, with Motorola, Halliburton and CH2M Hill among those participating in the event.

In transport news, Iraq's national air carrier, Iraq Airlines, is commencing daily flights between Baghdad and Amman, Jordan. "The airline will be flying a 118-passenger Boeing 737 recently purchased by the company, which has been grounded since international sanctions were imposed on Iraq in 1990." And on land, the cooperation between Iran and Iraq is extending to the rail sector, with Iran offering substantial practical assistance in design and construction of new railway links between the two countries.

• Reconstruction. This should help a bit: the Jordanian government recently unfroze Iraqi funds deposited in the country's banks by Saddam Hussein. After deducting some $250 million owed by the former regime to various Jordanian businesses, Iraq will still be getting back another $250 million to spend on new infrastructure.

The European Union is slowly starting to come on board with reconstruction assistance. "Now that the security conditions have improved, it is easier to provide this aid," said the EU's Foreign Minister Ben Bot during his recent visit to Baghdad. "Bot said he will meet with his European counterparts next week to push for increased EU involvement in the country, including efforts to train Iraqi police and civil servants and assist with reconstruction, administration and preparations for elections scheduled for January. . . . The EU has committed $371 million in humanitarian and reconstruction aid for Iraq this year. A similar commitment is expected next year."

Britain recently committed £50 million ($90 million) to specific bilateral aid projects: "Some £20.5m [$37 million] will be spent on capacity building for local government in southern Iraq, where some 8,000 British troops are deployed, and 16.5m [$30 million] on job creation and restoring essential services. Three million pounds [$5.4 million] will go on supporting central government efforts on economic reform particularly with respect to debt relief. . . . Ten million pounds [$18 million] will be split between a civil society project and another on engage citizens in the political process." This new commitments takes to £380 million, or $680 million, the total amount earmarked by Britain for specific projects in the liberated Iraq. South Korea, meanwhile, is planning to shortly activate its $2 billion aid package. And Japan will be hosting international donors' conference in October this year.

In the region, the government of Kuwait has committed $65 million in assistance (including $5 million specifically for Najaf) to go toward construction of new schools and hospitals around Iraq. Since March some $34 million collected in donations from a Kuwaiti-based humanitarian organization have been distributed to Iraqi government authorities, hospitals and medical clinics, schools, orphanages, and nongovernmental organizations. Meanwhile, "more than 4,000 Iraqi firemen will begin training in Bahrain later this month, in what is believed to be the biggest project of its kind in the world. The Bahrain government is providing the facilities, but the actual training is being carried out by an international company."

Speaking of Najaf, $500 million ($400 million from the U.S. and $100 million from Iraqi authorities) has been earmarked for reconstruction of the city, which suffered considerable damage over the weeks of recent fighting.

It's also the Iraqi expatriates who are returning back to help rebuild their country:

For the engineer from Reston, taking a job in Iraq this year meant carrying an AK-47 for protection. It meant working 12-hour days, sweltering through nights with no air conditioning and enduring terrifying, window-rattling bomb explosions. He couldn't wait to go back.
Ezzeldin Ezzeldin is one of dozens of Iraqi Americans from the Washington area who have been returning to their homeland to work on its rebuilding.

Business people and engineers, journalists and professors, they are trying to lend their U.S.-honed skills to a country ravaged by war.

Iraq's health sector has also been receiving some practical foreign assistance: A team of nine British doctors, organized by the Management of Obstetric Emergency Trauma (MOET) and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, has been teaching some valuable lessons around Iraq, while at the same time saving lives:

A team of UK doctors has helped reduce infant and maternal mortality in Iraq following a pioneering project to improve midwifery practices in the war-ravaged country. They have taught consultants and midwives how to deal with medical emergencies that can arise during childbirth without the need for expensive equipment, which they do not have. It is thought that hundreds of women's and children's lives have been saved since two successive training courses were held in Basra in April.
In electricity news, "U.S. engineers have helped place seven generators on line this month in Iraq, bringing the national electricity capacity to more than 5,300 megawatts--a level that exceeds the country's pre-war capacity of 4,400 megawatts." Said Raad Shalal, a senior Iraq Ministry of Electricity official: "This is very good news. This will help to reduce the shortage of electricity across the country." This 33-megawatt generator started operation on Aug. 30 at the Qudas Power Station north of Baghdad and is now producing enough electricity to service nearly 100,000 homes in the central area of Iraq. A day before, another generator was restarted in northern Iraq, powering 17 megawatts and supplying electricity for 51,000 homes. The two new generators are part of 202 megawatts added to Iraq's national grid in August and 1,574 megawatts since the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers started working on the country's electricity system last year.
In other power news, $200 million has been allocated towards a new power generating plant in Najaf. In the capital, the authorities are buying small diesel and gas generators to supplement the electricity supply during periods of high demand, and three districts in Baghdad will be the first ones to shortly get the continuous 24 hour electricity supply.

Meanwhile, water projects worth 13 billion Iraqi dinars ($9 million) are being implemented in and around Nasariyah.

• Humanitarian aid. Assistance continues to flow in from around the world. Sometimes thousands are helped at any one time, sometimes it's simply needy individuals. For example, the people of Cincinnati have recently provided for some good news story for one little Iraqi girl:

The 4 1/2 hours of open-heart surgery performed Wednesday for an 8-year-old girl from Iraq was declared a success. Fatma Saad Abdulaziz was brought to Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center last week after months of effort for treatment of a life-threatening heart defect and infection. In early May, her father had brought her to a U.S. military base outside Baghdad seeking help. "Things went very well," said Dr. Peter Manning, director of cardiothoracic surgery at Children's, who led the surgical team.
Fatma is now out of the hospital and will spend the next five weeks recuperating with a local family. As the Cincinnati Enquirer writes:

Fatma's is a remarkable story. Even more remarkable, though, is that it is far from unique. It is being repeated almost daily. For example, the Miami Herald reported Wednesday that an 8-year-old Iraqi boy was recovering from surgery in Tampa for a heart defect discovered by U.S. military doctors while treating the boy for accidental burns from a pot of boiling water. On Thursday, seven Iraqi children were taken to Zagreb, Croatia, for operations paid for by the Croatian government.
Post-war revelations of the horrors wrought by Saddam Hussein--and, yes, of the suffering caused by the U.S.-led military invasion of Iraq--have been leavened by tales of generosity and caring. In Framingham, Mass., a "moms' club" is organizing a drive to send toys and medical supplies to a town in Iraq where one club member's husband is with a U.S. medical unit. Operation Iraqi Children, founded by actor Gary Sinise and Seabiscuit author Laura Hillenbrand, assists U.S. soldiers who are building schools in Iraq. It is only one of many volunteer groups that have stepped in.

Clearly, Fatma's journey to Cincinnati is only a little corner of the Iraq picture, part of a larger story that should not only make us even prouder of our soldiers serving there, but more determined to support efforts that reflect America's best values.

Meanwhile, the American troops coordinate more humanitarian operations with invaluable assistance back home. The residents of Belfast, Maine, have been helping Capt. David Sivret of Calais, the chaplain of Maine's 133rd National Guard Engineering Battalion based in Mosul, to collect backpacks and school bags for Iraqi children. "Recently, Sivret reported the Guard's Alpha Company held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new high school with six classrooms, a teachers' room and--something new for students--indoor plumbing with running water. It replaces a small one-room, mud-walled structure. Sivret said Guard units will be building at least three more schools in coming weeks. 'The people there [in the northern rural communities] just love what we are doing for them, in contrast to the rockets and mortars we get here (in Mosul),' he wrote. 'For once it would be good for the news to report the good things that are happening here.' " Check the link above if you can help.
The troops of the 1-150th Armor Battalion of the National Guard from West Virginia are also involving their local community: Their Operation School Lift is collecting school supplies for the numerous schools that the battalion has recently renovated in Iraq. Money is also being raised to ship over the supplies, particularly heavy items such as desks. If you would like to contribute, see the story for collection points.

Civilians are helping, too, of their own initiative. Connecticut's 16-year-old John Clancy has been motivated into action after listening to news stories from Iraq: "Hearing about the schools in Iraq and how they're all broken down, it made me feel a little overprivileged," he says. John decided to become a part of Iraqi Children, a program founded by actor Gary Sinise and author Laura Hillenbrand:

[He] submitted a proposal to Office Max on the Post Road, laying out his plan for a sort of partnership with the store. Office Max approved the project and last weekend, Clancy and a few family members went to work. They set up a table outside the store and handed out flyers to customers asking them to pick up one or more of the needed school supplies while inside the store, and to put them in Clancy's baskets on the way out.
The project proved successful beyond John's wildest dreams. "Clancy's mother, Carol, said that she was amazed at how willing people were to help the cause, saying that 'pretty much anybody who went in' the store came out with supplies for the Iraqi children. 'You wouldn't believe the response,' she said, explaining that her dining room is now filled with boxes of school supplies."
• Coalition forces. International help in security and reconstruction continues to expand. A 12-nation, 57-man NATO team has started training Iraqi security forces. "This is a long-term implementation mission, which means that tailored to the needs and tailored to the decisions of NATO authorities, the mission in the future will probably expand to meet the needs of the Iraqi interim government," says Maj. Gen. Karel Hilderink, commander of NATO's training force in Iraq. The contingent is based in Baghdad, but its members are sent out to conduct training in various military basis around the country. "The Iraqis being trained are senior officers and commanders who co-ordinate operations between the U.S.-led coalition and the budding Iraqi military." On the training menu:

While NATO has yet to announce its ultimate strategy for training security forces in Iraq, the alliance already has begun a pilot project schooling dozens of Iraqi senior officials in the ancient art of military management. About 40 alliance personnel--about half of them American--are in the Baghdad area training top-tier military and police leaders on how to lead forces and keep Iraq's new structures from falling apart.
As John Kerry keeps on disparaging America's allies, the Republic of Georgia will double its contingent in Iraq by October, from 157 to 300 troops. It may not sound like much, but the sentiment behind the deployment is clear. In the words of Defense Minister Giorgi Baramidze: "We are strong allies of the United States and we want to become a really strong partner. We are seeking NATO membership so we want to prove that we are there. . . . It is really a necessity to fight against terrorism. . . . Georgia is much closer to Iraq than other European countries and the United States so we do care about the situation. . . . We have many brave people, but not many resources. . . . In these circumstances we are only able to send what is most dear to us, live soldiers."
Alongside the civilian reconstruction effort, coalition forces continue with their own tasks. In Baghdad, troops have recently renovated Abu Nawas Street, one of the capital's once great thoroughfares: "The U.S. Army's 1st Calvary Division have undertaken an ambitious $1 million project to renovate a two-mile stretch of street and park, creating a pedestrian mall with large grassy meadows, lively restaurants and fountains. Every day for a month, soldiers have worked alongside Iraqi laborers hired for $5 a day, shoveling dirt, clearing trash and removing an outdated irrigation system." Elsewhere:

Marines put aside their rifles and broke out their rulers Aug. 26, 2004, as they checked up on one of their investments in Iraq's future by paying a visit to a small local elementary school. The Marines, reservists from the 3rd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, wanted to see the harvest of more than $5,500 they gave the Iraqi government to spend on making improvements to a school in Al Kabani, a fishing village near Camp Taqaddum.
Purchasing the school supplies was part of an ongoing effort by the unit aimed at improving the quality of life in the village near Camp Taqaddum, the headquarters to the 1st Force Service Support Group, which elements of the battalion provide security for. For years, the children in the town have been using the same makeshift desks and sheets of painted wood used as blackboards, things that if replaced would improve the learning environment for the students, the village's teachers told the Marines in March.

And it's not just education: "Working to rebuild Iraq one village at a time, Marines and a local Iraqi government official here signed several contracts, valued at $146,000, to improve the quality of life for residents of a nearby community Aug. 25, 2004. Marines from the 3rd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, awarded the contracts to Thayer Hamdallah, the district manager for the Khalidiyah district, to pay for the construction of a water purification system, outdoor lighting, a large generator and even a flagpole with an Iraqi flag for North Al Majarrah, Iraq."
In Baghdad's Sadr City, U.S. forces supervise, finance and often participate themselves in the work to improve the suburb's rundown infrastructure. Just one of many initiatives: "Comprising a huge ditch, two backhoes and a score of Iraqi laborers, this vanguard operation, in a stronghold of the rebel cleric Moktada al-Sadr, is undertaking the repair of a cracked sewage line that pours rivers of slime into nearby homes." As the Army commander for Baghdad, Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli of the First Cavalry Division says: "If you make Sadr City look wonderful, you're still going to have 2 percent of the people who want to kill us. We need to kill or capture them. But we also need to make sure they don't have the support of the rest of the people."

Sometimes, the reconstruction is less tangible than new buildings or pipelines. Take, for example, the work of Debbi Heffinger, deployed with the Pennsylvania National Guard's 28th Signal Battalion. Heffinger, who in civilian life is a primary-school teacher, has been working with Iraqi education authorities through special conferences to develop education programs and provide assistance in "lesson planning, educational standards, curriculum and methods of teaching." Heffinger, and other American personnel involved in the project, have been receiving assistance from schools back home, whether in the form of valuable know-how or actual school supplies.

Heffinger "is working with other battalions to create similar education conferences throughout the Iraqi capital region. Thus far, her group has worked in the southeast district, which includes about 1,300 teachers. The next phase is to turn much of the responsibility for planning and organizing over to the Iraqis. 'We are working with the university here in Baghdad to develop a program where they go out into the schools and teach their own citizens,' she said. 'People within Iraq are stepping up to make their own country a better place to live, and that's what is most important here.' "

In addition to official security and infrastructure work, many soldiers find themselves providing humanitarian assistance to those in most need. Timothy Mullett, a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserves who served as a surgeon with the 874th forward surgical team, took on some additional duties during his 90-day service around Kirkuk in the Kurdish north:

Mullett and two other military doctors spent three days in a mobile clinic near the town of Dibbis, in a predominantly Kurdish area of the country. With three Iraqi doctors, they examined some 800 people, treating everything from diarrhea and dehydration to high blood pressure. Mullett also helped put on a daylong medical symposium for 10 Iraqi doctors, who came to the Kirkuk base to learn about trauma treatment.
In a similar action, the Army has recently conducted health screening in the city of Al Kush, which, in addition to treating Iraqi patients, has assessed the medical needs of the community. It's just one of many similar examples.
Meanwhile in Baghdad, Iraq's first safe house for battered and abused women is now open, thanks to the initiative of Army Capt. Stacey Simms, who had worked for the 352nd Civil Affairs Command. With a $75,000 annual budget, this facility, which can house up to 16 women, is providing aid and comfort at an undisclosed location in the capital. "The safe house not only provides temporary protection, but also educates the family that abuse is not acceptable. If an Iraqi woman is raped, the shelter can protect her from honor killings--an accepted cultural practice in some parts of Iraq. To date, five women, including one with five children, have taken advantage of the shelter."

Also in Baghdad, the 478th Civil Affairs Battalion--attached to the First Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division--has started distributing humanitarian aid among the population of suburbs most affected by the recent fighting. Says Sgt. First Class Felipe Azua, who is in charge of the projects: "Many people in Iraq are unsure of what we are doing here. So, they go by what other people say. When they see us out there repairing their electric stations, sewer systems or passing out food, they can actually see for themselves that we are here to help and that has a huge impact. . . . The food drops that we do are a good example of how we get the word out."

Finally, read this story of a group of hospital corpsmen, from the K Company, Third Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, who for the past six months have been providing medical care for the 7,000 detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison. "The corpsmen gave the same quality of care to the detainees that they would normally give to American service members. The Army doctors they worked for even went out in town to purchase medications that they did not have on-hand. . . . 'We were dealing with detainees that the day before were possibly blowing up or killing Americans,' said [Petty Officer Second Class Travis R.] Neher. 'You were staring that person in the face and you knew what they had done because sometimes they would tell you.' Nevertheless, the docs still had a job to do. 'You had to go around that . . . and actually treat them as a human being instead of looking at them as the enemy.' "

• Diplomacy and security. As free Iraq resumes normal relations with other countries, an encouraging sign of future possibilities:

A powerful lobby is developing in Baghdad to promote the idea of diplomatic relations with Israel, the new Iraqi ambassador to Great Britain told Haaretz on Thursday.

Dr. Salah al-Shaikhly, who was appointed two months ago, said that the issue will be raised after the general elections, and "now is not the right time." Al-Shaikhly told Haaretz that he did not have "any problem with Israel or Israelis who wish to visit Iraq," but he also noted, "I really don't know what is the position of as yet, but you should know there is a strong lobby working for you in Iraq."
When asked if he was referring to the Americans, Al-Shaikhly responded, "No, I mean Iraqis, in Iraq, who want to establish relations with Israel, who are in favor of this idea. But the current situation is so uncertain, so volatile that any attempt to push this through, at this point, will most certainly backfire."

On the security front, while sporadic fighting and terrorist activity continue, there are also some positive developments. In Baghdad, there are indications that the public support for insurgency might be waning: "Overwhelmingly residents of the war-torn area voiced their frustration and anger at the militia, noting that they were tired of the civilian casualties, tired of being without basic services and wanting nothing more than to get back to their normal life," says Cpl. Benjamin Cossel with the First Cavalry Division.

From Najaf, more evidence emerges of the behavior of Muqtada al Sadr's militia during the recent fighting--see this post by Iraqi blogger Zeyad. And another Iraqi blogger, Omar, reports on the recent statement by Iraqi clerics condemning the atrocities committed by al Sadr and his followers while in control of Najaf.

The Iraqi security apparatus is playing an increasingly important role. The Iraqi police force is at the forefront of struggle for better order, most of the time under difficult conditions and at great personal risk:

Iraqi police cadet Meqdad al-Izzawi once served Saddam Hussein as a navy officer. Now, he says he is taking one of the most dangerous jobs in the new Iraq because he wants to serve his people.
"My hope is to execute the law in Iraq and restore stability to the Iraqi people, because we never enjoyed security, even under Saddam Hussein," said the 28-year-old al-Izzawi, one of 1,559 Iraqi recruits attending basic police training at a U.S.-run camp in the Jordanian desert.

Like al-Izzawi, fellow Iraqi recruit Abdul-Razzaq al-Qaissi signed up for the new police force because he was incensed by growing terrorism at home by insurgents and foreign fighters, including Jordanian militant Abu-Musab al-Zarqawi.

"Al-Zarqawi and other terrorists are a source of concern to my countrymen and we have to put an end to their actions," said al-Qaissi, 28, who served as a soldier in the domestic security division of Saddam's dismantled army, guarding vital institutions, like government offices and diplomatic missions in Iraq.

With Western assistance, more and more Iraqi police officers find their way onto their beats. Says a British brigadier who is helping to rebuild the force:

Why would anyone want to be a police officer in Iraq? It's dangerous, no question. But there has never been a problem recruiting. We're training 5,000 new officers every eight weeks.
Obviously, one reason is the pay: $220 a month is a lot here. But most officers say they want to serve their country. They want to build a better Iraq. Their nation has such potential; fulfilling it requires security, and they want to be part of that. . . .

We were late to recognize that without an effective police force, we're going to be here a lot longer. But now we have 500 international police advisers and 200 police trainers. The FBI and DEA have arrived to teach intelligence. We've put 23,000 officers through leadership courses at three different levels.

Meanwhile, the police force is chalking up some successes, like breaking up the biggest kidnapping ring in Baghdad, responsible for taking several government officials and scientists for ransom. The gang was composed of criminals amnestied by Saddam Hussein in 2002. In a related, albeit this time moral, victory, the most senior Sunni religious body in Iraq, the ulema, has issues a fatwa, declaring hostage-taking to be un-Islamic and ordering that all hostages be released.
It's not just the police, but also the army, which is proving their worth. "The Iraqi security forces, every day, are proving themselves more capable and more fit," says Air Force Brig. Gen. Erv Lessel, the multinational forces' deputy operations director. The report notes that "besides being called in to restore law and order in Najaf and elsewhere across the country, Iraq's security forces also have been responsible for discovering a number of explosive devices and weapons caches in recent weeks. For example, Iraqi National Guard members found a huge cache of weapons and ordnance Aug. 26 during a joint raid conducted with U.S. Marines on a home near Haswah, according to a Multinational Force Iraq news release. About 132 107 mm rockets were seized during the raid, the release stated, as well as seven 57 mm rockets, 10 AK-47 assault rifles, seven 125 mm tank rounds, five rocket-propelled grenade launchers, 124 RPG rounds, 200 mortar rounds, bomb-making materials and improvised explosive devices."

Another report notes: "Joint U.S. and Iraqi forces have arrested 500 suspected insurgents in a major raid in the majority Sunni town of Al-Latifiyah, south of Baghdad. The raid--the first undertaken in the Sunni triangle by the new Iraqi interim government--highlights the increasingly frontline role of Iraqi forces in security operations." Meanwhile, a new Iraqi army base reopens:

The Iraqi flag was raised over the newly refurbished and rebuilt forward training base here Sept. 1 in a ceremony on the station's parade grounds, signaling an end to the roughly $165 million coalition project. The opening coincides with the arrival of the Iraqi Intervention Force's 3rd Battalion recruits, who join two other battalions currently training at the base. Numaniyah will serve as the Iraqi army's 2nd Brigade headquarters. The base is a step toward rebuilding the nation, said the 5th Division commander. . . .
In addition to serving as a much-needed training base for the Iraqi armed forces, the base employs roughly 2,000 workers from surrounding areas. Local citizens have been in on the project from the ground up, helping or employed in many critical aspects including school construction and refurbishments, medical assistance and water projects. Joining bases in Kasik, Kirkuk, Taji and Kurkush, Numaniyah may also include base housing for soldiers' families. Two base dining facilities will be complete in the coming months, as well, with the capacity to feed roughly 3,000 soldiers each.

There are also signs that strengthened border security and greater cooperation with neighbors is paying off. Saudi border guards have recently arrested a number of Saudi as well as other Arab nationals attempting to illegally cross into Iraq. Meanwhile, members of Iraqi border security forces have received some valuable assistance: "Members of the Iraqi Border Patrol battalion in Diyanah, Iraq, received 25 sets of night vision goggles and 10 Jeep Libertys August 28 from Multinational Forces. The night vision goggles were purchased by Task Force Olympia with funds from the Commander's Emergency Response Program and cost approximately $101,000. The goggles will be used to assist the IBP in conducting night patrols to capture smugglers near the border. The vehicles were donated by Multinational Corps-Iraq so the IBP soldiers will have enough vehicles to conduct multiple missions at the same time." And the Iraqi pilots who will fly surveillance missions over southern Iraq, monitoring oil and power installations, have commenced training in Basra.
American officials are also conducting talks with authorities in Iraq and Afghanistan to involve these countries (as well as other Central Asian states) as part of the national missile defense initiative.

And so another two weeks pass in Iraq, with media attention largely diverted away from the positive and the encouraging and towards the sensationalistic and the tendentious. I'll leave the last words to Mohammed A.R. Galadari, writing in the United Arab Emirates' Khaleej Times:

Highlighting violence alone is not the role of the media. We have to see the brighter side too, and report them faithfully. That is how the reader/viewer gets a clear picture. Our effort should not be to create situations in which people are carried away by their emotions. What helps people in the long run is important. That needs to be projected. There comes the question of professional integrity and responsibility. Can the Arab media claim to be conducting itself in a fully responsible way, in relation to the developments in Iraq?
An important question that needs be asked not just in Arab newsrooms, but everywhere else around the world.
Mr. Chrenkoff is an Australian blogger. He writes at chrenkoff.blogspot.com.

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did anybody really read all that???

What the crap was all that about?

More good News!!!!!!!!!!

http://windsofchange.net/archives/005438.php#economy

Good news from Iraq: 2004-08-30
by Arthur Chrenkoff at August 30, 2004 06:13 AM

Note: Also published in the "Opinion Journal" and at Chrenkoff. Thanks to James Taranto for his continuing support.

Reporting from Iraq often reminds one of the old adage about the glass - in Iraq it seems to be half-empty at best; at worst, broken, with water fast sipping into the sand. The past two weeks have not been an exception. Whether covering the on-again off-again al Sadr uprising in Najaf (the glass half-full, excessively stirred), latest kidnappings (the glass missing altogether), interruptions in oil production (glass half-empty, but priced as if full), or the meeting of the Iraqi National Conference (too many half empty glasses, all clinking together), there was no escaping the continuing negativity of the mainstream media coverage.

Experts might debate exactly how much water there is in the Iraqi glass, but there is little doubt that - yet again - while the cameras and microphones were pointing towards the carnage, violence and corruption, Iraq has continued its slow and steady march out of its three-decades long nightmare into a much more normal tomorrow. Below are some of the positive developments and good news stories of the past fortnight that for most part received very little media attention. It's a pity because the story of "Iraq, the phoenix rising from the ashes" is in many ways a lot more interesting, not to say consequential, than the usual steady media diet of "Iraq, the Wild East."

Sports

Society

Economy

Reconstruction

Coalition Troops

Diplomacy & Security

SPORTS

While important political events were unfolding in Iraq, overseas the spotlight was firmly on Iraqi athletes. The new Iraqi team finally made its debut appearance at the Olympic opening ceremony: "The U.S. team were greeted with cheers at the opening of the Athens Olympics on Friday but Iraq's squad won an even warmer reception."

Iraq's new sporting heroes are the soccer team, which initially managed to get into the final eight, after beating Costa Rica 2-0. The reaction back home was predictably ecstatic: "Shooting is all too common in Baghdad, but on Sunday night it was in a good cause... As the Iraqis secured their quarter-final spot, gleeful residents of the capital opened up with weapons of all calibers and tracer bullets could be seen streaking through the sky." The team has quickly become an international sensation and the pride of fans back home. Ahmed Al-Samarrai, the president of Iraq's Olympic Committee thinks there is a message in the team's success that all Iraqis should take to heart: "There are a lot of stupid people in Iraq, like Muqtada al-Sadr. They don't think about the future. I am asking the Iraqi people to look at this Olympic experience. This is life. This is how to live it."

Iraq's soccer dream run was to continue with a quarter-final 1:0 victory over Australia, which was again greeted by scenes of wild jubilation back home. In the words of the Qatar-based midfielder Emad Mohammed, who was responsible for the winning goal, "People where I live (in Iraq) have suffered so much... It's very confusing for us and hard to keep our minds on the game. But we hope we can give a little happiness to our country." As the report noted, the advancement into semi-finals was "an almost fairytale achievement for a team that shares a training pitch with grazing sheep in Baghdad."

While the team eventually went down 3-1 to Paraguay in the semi-finals, just getting that far had proved an inspiration for most Iraqis: "I'm very proud of my team. It's great that the world got to see that we are not just people with AK-47s and rocket-propelled grenades. We also know how to compete in the Olympics," said Rasheed Rumayed, who watched the game back home. And Adnan Khadin, who owns a sidewalk cafe in Baghdad had this to say: "It's still a great achievement even if we don't get a chance to win the gold... No other team in the world could have done half of what Iraq has done in the circumstances in which we are living."

Iraqis have also been following with keen interest the efforts of Mohammed Ali, the 23-year old weight lifter from Sadr City in Baghdad. "I'm optimistic because things have changed, (with more) financial support and the general standard of living. I'm encouraged," Ali says. His namesake, Najif Ali, has also given his fellow Iraqis reasons to be celebrate, with his stunning 21-7 boxing victory over North Korea's Kwak Hyok Ju: "With his nation's flag on his chest and his American coach's chosen slogan - 'Iraq Is Back' - across his back, Ali punched, feinted and danced across the ring for four impressive rounds." And while Ali lost his next round's match with Aleksan Nalbandyan of Armenia, he is not too despondent: "All the people shouting my name was even bigger than winning. I know that people like me and like the way that I fight." Ali is now hoping to begin graduate school at the University of Houston while preparing for his professional debut.

One of the people credited with the success of the Iraqi Olympic team is Mark Clark:

"He is being hailed as a national hero by the Iraqi people. After almost single-handedly rebuilding the sports network in the war-ravaged nation, he has been credited with ensuring that Iraq fielded a 25-strong team for this year's Olympic Games. And the man who is at the centre of the praise was born in Scotland.
"Mark Clark, a 30-year-old Edinburgh lawyer, is now Iraq's team manager and even helped the country's Olympic committee draft its constitution when the International Olympic Committee lifted a suspension in February on the country taking part in world athletics events...

"It was because of the Iraq war that Mr Clark ended up in the country. He had given up his job with Dundas & Wilson, an Edinburgh law firm to take up his posting in Iraq as a Territorial Army reserve officer. Last July, he began working with the coalition provisional authority, the temporary governing agency in Iraq. But with a degree in intellectual property and sport-related law, Mr Clark was invited to take on the role of adviser to the CPA on sport."

It's not just the Western assistance that got the Iraqi Olympic team to Athens; the Jordanian government has underwritten housing, training and equipment costs for the 25-member Iraqi squad. Says Prince Faisal bin Al-Hussein, the younger brother of King Abdullah: "Peace is greater than gold. But sometimes you have to restate the obvious."

Back home, sport and physical exercise are already breaking down barriers:

"At the Arnold Classic Gym in Baghdad, two things matter: Arnold Schwarzenegger and bodybuilding.
"No matter what's happening outside - Moqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army, mortars, kidnappings - this shabby gym is an island of civility. Under hundreds of pictures of oiled and bulging Arnolds, Kurds train next to Christians, Sunnis spot Shiites, and foreigners pump iron with the toughest Iraqi strongmen (Nick Berg used to be a regular). If you show up at the right time, you can even find a couple of Shiite women who come all the way from the distant and devoutly Shiite neighborhood of Kadhimiyah to bench press right alongside men. Here, at least, Iraq is one nation under maximum intensity training."

SOCIETY:

It's not often that an Arab newspapers editorialises about virtues of democracy and praises the march of freedom in Iraq, but this is exactly what the Saudi "Arab News" has recently done:

"For the past month or so, while the media have been obsessed with the activities of Moqtada Sadr and his fighters in Najaf, much of the really important news about Iraq has gone largely unreported...
"[L]et us not begrudge Sadr's 15 minutes of fame... Students of journalism, however, know the difference between the events that furnish most of the daily headlines and the undercurrents that shape the broader context of a society's political life. Now what are the undercurrents that, with eyes fixed on the current events, are largely ignored?

"The most important is that post-liberation Iraq, defying great odds, has succeeded in carrying out its political reform agenda on schedule. A governing council was set up at the time promised. It in turn, created a provisional government right on schedule. Next, municipal elections were held in almost all parts of the country. Then followed the drafting of a new democratic and pluralist constitution. Then came the formal end of the occupation and the appointing of a new interim government.

"Earlier this month, the political reconstruction program reached a new high point with the convening of the National Congress."

The meeting of the National Congress has, indeed, been the most significant event, political or otherwise, in Iraq over the past two weeks. In the scenes reminiscent of deliberations of America's Founding Fathers, 1,300 delegates representing the widest possible cross-section of Iraq's political, ethnic and religious groups have met in Baghdad "to form a 'people's' council that will advise the interim government."

In the course of its often stormy sittings, the Iraqi National Conference has selected delegates to fill 81 seats on the new 100-member Interim National Council, with the other 19 spots reserved for members of the former Iraqi Governing Council. The Interim National Council, expected to operate until the elections of January 2005, will advise the interim government on policy issues and approve the 2005 budget; it will also the two-thirds veto power over the decisions of the Iraqi cabinet.

Most international media couldn't wait to find faults with the Conference. Typical of the coverage, Agence France-Presse noted "poor preparation" and "charges... of behind the scenes manipulation", and went on to describe it as a "foreign-inspired gathering", "just a colorful photo opportunity", and "one big talk fest". The minority of reporters, however, chose to provide a far more positive way of looking at the event: "the conference... turn[ed] into a vociferous political convention of a kind unimaginable in the Saddam era."

For too long, the government of Iraq consisted of a room-ful of uniform-clad Saddam look-alikes listening attentively to Hussein's every word. Robust debate, controversy, and vehement disagreements - all present in large quantities at the Conference - are novel political experiences in Iraq. For the media, they are symptoms of political chaos and disorder, unless they take place in the West, in which case they're just called democracy.

Iraqi bloggers, as always, had a much better perspective on events than most of the Western media. Wrote Ali of Iraq the Model:

"For the first time we saw free discussions with the absence of fear. No one man talking and the rest just listening and nodding their heads in approval. Many members were so eager to talk and show their opinions, interrupting each other many times and of course this is all natural as a result of being forced to silence for such a long time."

And Zeyad at Healing Iraq reminded his readers of just how much catching up the Iraqis still have to do in their march to democracy:

"[T]he majority of Iraqis are unfamiliar with the rules of parliamentary sessions. The closest thing we had to a parliament was abolished in 1958 with the introduction of 'Revolutionary' Republican rule. Whatever the level of political maturity Iraqis had accumulated at that stage, it slowly disintegrated year after year under the successive totalitarian ('Revolutionary') regimes. Today, 45 years later, we are back again at point zero.
"Under Ba'athist rule, proceedings from the so-called National Council were televised from time to time. The Revolutionary Command Council was the sole source of legislation, so basically the National Council had no other function but to approve and stamp the endless amendments. Votes were always unanimous. It was a joke really. A farce."

To their credit, some media outlets were able to recognize the reality. This NBC report had this to say about the Conference:

"They yelled and cursed, waving their hands in angry gestures. Surrounded by heavily armed American troops, they were holed up for days, with Iraq's future in the balance. But no one got killed. In scenes unimaginable under Saddam Hussein, and in sharp contrast to bloody battles in the holy city of Najaf, Iraqis this week formed the country's first representative council in three decades...
" 'We had no freedom to talk under Saddam,' said Dr. Raja al-Khuzai, a moderate Shiite taking a seat on the new assembly. 'Now I can stand and talk in front of 1,300 people.'

"A senior U.S. official described the formation of Iraq's interim National Assembly as an 'eye opener' in a region long governed by authoritarian rule. 'I have never seen a group (in the Arab world) speak so freely and so unconsciously,' the official said speaking on condition of anonymity. 'Clearly the reason was because there was no 'big brother' watching. There was no party line to follow'."

The new interim Iraqi National Council selected at the Conference is expected to have its first sitting on September 1.

Iraq's democratic elections are still a few months away, but the supporting infrastructure is now starting to come together in time for January 2005. Iraq's Project and Contracting Office is currently completing a $3 million, thorough renovation of the building which formerly belonged to Saddam's Governing Council, but which will now house 600 employees of the new Iraqi Independent Electoral Commission. The United Nations, too, is sending in the first of the teams to assist with election preparations.

One party contesting the January election is Iraqi Pro-Democracy Party, the brainchild of Ali and Mohammed, the creators of the very popular Iraqi blog, Iraq the Model. Ali and Mohammed explain the decision to throw their hats into political ring:

"For sometime we thought that we can help by doing our jobs and by posting our opinions here on the blog, and while we still think it does help, the battle against tyranny and fanaticism in our country demands more than that. It demands that each one of us put all the effort he/she can make and take an active stand regardless of how difficult or dangerous it may seem. We simply cannot just stand and watch and we hope that we will encourage others also to do their best in order to achieve our freedom and establish democracy in a country that suffered more than enough from wars, dictators, terrorists and fanatics. We believe that democracy is the only cure to all those diseases and the only answers to all threats. As hard the battle seems now and as far victory may look, we believe in our people and we believe in our friends and we know we will win."

Iraq could do with more people like Ali and Mohammed. Let's hope that the elections will bring forth many others who want to see Iraq become a safe and normal country that is no danger to its neighbor or its own people.

Not just sporting life, but culture, too, is reviving. The Iraqi arts community is finding some previously undreamed of outlets for its creativity, expanding into the cyberspace. Meanwhile, a theatre group is bringing Baghdad to Japanese audiences: "The troupe had written a play about actors, whose activities were prohibited under the regime of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, who took up arms to protect a theater from being plundered."

Lastly, Iraqis are now free to get a tattoo - a practice that was banned under Saddam. "Now people have more freedom, people have a choice about what they do, there's no laws to restrict them," says Sarmad Shamael, a tattoo artist who himself now sports Celtic crosses, screaming eagles and death's heads.

ECONOMY:

In Baghdad, the Ministry of Trade has recently announced that the city's old central markets, damaged during the 2003 fighting, will be converted into modern shopping malls, due to a high demand from Western and Arab companies looking for commercial opportunities and more shopping space.

In manufacturing news, turning swords into ploughshares will soon become a reality in the new Iraq, as Ministry of Industry is developing plans to convert the country's once significant armaments industry into civilian production. Meanwhile, the Destination Baghdad business expo (DBX), scheduled for later on this year, is gaining momentum as foreign corporations announce their intention to participate (Motorola being the latest one). DBX follows in the footsteps of the successful business opportunities showcase organized back in May in Turkey by the Iraqi-American Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which attracted some 1,500 Iraqi businessmen who used the opportunity to network with 120 foreign companies.

Some welcome efforts to modernize Iraqi banking system are also taking place:

"With limited capital and investment, the majority of Iraq's banking processes are fairly primitive. Banking services are limited to deposit taking, cash withdrawals and manual cheque clearing, while newly printed Iraqi dinars are convoyed between bank branches, government buildings and businesses. Salaries are paid in cash, while most transactions also use hard currency.
"However, the situation does appear to be changing, with the implementation of a new inter-bank and intra-bank payment system controlled by the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI). This system allows for money transfer using a mechanism called original credit (OC), which is transacted through Visa's global processing network - VisaNet.

"The VisaNet system currently links together 20 state and privately-owned commercial Iraqi banks. To side-step problems with poor terrestrial communications networks, each of the banks' branches are able to access the network via a laptop-sized satellite communications receiver and satellite dish. Originally conceived as a mobile Internet connection tool by its makers Inmarsat, the satellite communications box links to VisaNet for payment processing, acting as a payment host terminal for the bank."

One of the foreign experts who has been helping Iraq to modernise its economy and banking system is Michael Silva of Little Silver, New Jersey. SIlva, an employee of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, had for three months acted as an advisor to the Central Bank of Iraq. After returning from Baghdad, Silva is optimistic about the country's future: "The Iraqis are very educated, and they are very entrepreneurial, very hard working. They're tough because they've lived under 25 years of brutal dictatorship. You've got capital, you've got education, you've got a work ethic."

In transport news, "Iran's semi-privatized shipping line has offered to help develop the Iraqi economy by using its shipping and land links to open a transportation route to the war-torn country." In the air, "[a]n Iraqi Airways Boeing 737 made a test flight from Amman to Baghdad on Monday for the first time since the airline's planes were grounded in Jordan by UN sanctions in 1990." The resumption of normal services is planned in the near future. And on the land, 137 kilometers of the new railway line between Baghdad and Baiji have been finished so far. New materials used in manufacturing the tracks will make travel safer and faster, up to 120 kilometers per hour. In Baghdad, meanwhile, the work has started to modernise the hub:

"The Iraq Republic Railway (IRR) recently held a ceremony to celebrate the start of the Baghdad Central Railway Station rehabilitation, with the aid of the PCO/US Mission-Iraq. The building is badly in need of repair from years of neglect, according to the Project and Contracting Office (PCO). Approximately 200 Iraqis will work to make the facility comfortable, clean and safe for employees and railway customers alike.
"Construction on the station began in 1916 by the Germans and was completed by the British in 1948 on an art deco structure. All train movements through Iraq are controlled, monitored and coordinated from this facility. Although the railway system is only operating at 43 per cent of its total capacity currently, it is the most economic way to transport Iraq's grain, oil, and containerised construction equipment. The railway system is part of a 2,400 km track network which goes from Port of Umm Qasser to Turkey.

"The renovation, which began on 12 August, will restore all building systems, including heating, ventilation, air conditioning, plumbing, electrical and power, as well as fencing and lighting. The non-construction portion of the project will include spare parts for the diesel locomotives which come from England, the Czech Republic, Poland, China, Russia, Germany and France.

"Trains will be equipped with VISTAR tracking device, which will track all engines at any one time to enhance safety and security. 'It's one thing to do the work and another to do it well,' said David Nash, director of the PCO. 'With state of the art technology, Iraq makes the jump from massive disrepair to modern safety and design'."

In communications news, Ray Murphy, a New York postal employee who has led the American team working with Iraqi counterparts to restore the country's postal system, has some good news to report:

"Murphy said in a recent interview that circumstances were grim for the mail when his five-member team arrived there six months ago. Domestic mail that once took weeks to reach its destination is now getting delivered in days, and the time for international deliveries has gone from months to weeks.
"Murphy said the economic neglect over the last 30 years was 'horrifying,' and the system had deteriorated so much under Saddam Hussein's government that a letter from abroad took three to six months to arrive.

"The team found that of 375 post offices, 275 were functioning with limited coverage. Only an estimated 13 percent of Iraqis use the mail.

"Murphy's team helped establish postal codes to improve speed and reliability and negotiated with the Universal Postal Union to get Iraq full voting-member status. The organization coordinates postal policies among its 189 member nations."

The normal postal service between Iraq and the United States, by the way, has now been restored.

As its economy grows, Iraq is starting to experience economic immigration: the Iranian "government's policy of not hiring Sunni Iranians in mid-level and high-level management positions, even in their own areas, has driven educated Iranian Kurds to northern Iraq, where they are hired in managerial and administrative positions by the local government and industries." Kurdistan is also attracting more regional development opportunities, as South Korean businesses follow in the wake of the local deployment by the South Korean troops:

"Latif Aref, general director of the Kurdistan Regional Government's office for registering companies, said there had been a 25 percent rise in new registrations of Kurdish companies since Arbil was formally selected as the location for the Korean deployment.
" 'We are going to see much wider export and import trade with the Korean market,' said Aref, adding that a long-awaited foreign investment law would soon be put into action.

"Sitting outside Arbil's unfinished airport terminal with his Kurdish mobile phone glued to his ear, Jeong-Hee agreed that the Kurdish zone could be ripe for foreign investment - provided the investment laws provided guarantees for foreign firms. 'The region does have good advantages - like easy access to Turkey, Syria and Iran. The Kurds could make this area into prosperous free-trade zone,' he said."

More good news for the Kurds, as global shipping firm Transoceanic opens its second (after Baghdad) Iraq office in Mosul: "the office will cater to the needs of companies focused on construction efforts in northern Iraq. The Mosul team is available 24/7 to supervise cargo transports and to provide ongoing status reporting."

There are positive developments on the agricultural front, too, with the announcement by Iraqi Minister of Agriculture, Dr Sawsan Ali Al Sharifi, of numerous new projects, including new cattle breeding stations, which will in addition supply manure to private sector farmers. "The ministry is [also] working on importing cows and the rehabilitation of an artificial fertiliser centre. It has also prepared a plan to establish new fish aquariums in the Baghdad area while many foreign and Arabian companies look to rehabilitate the Al-Soeira center." In order to provide a fresh start for its agriculture industry, Iraq is currently importing 360,000 tons of seeds. And in the area of Research and Development, the Agriculture Ministry is conducting more valuable research on the use of salt water in irrigation. This is part of an overarching effort to develop greater agricultural opportunities in areas of high salinity, a problem common in many areas of the country.

RECONSTRUCTION:

The international efforts continue to bring the Iraqi infrastructure into the twenty first century after the destructive hiatus of Saddam's rule. As one report notes:

"After long delays and broken deadlines, there are signs that the largest reconstruction effort since World War II's Marshall Plan is poised to explode. New and refurbished power stations are starting up weekly. Contractors are finishing plans for building thousands of schools, clinics and infrastructure projects. Iraqi jobs have soared from 5,300 daily employees to more than 88,000."

Let's hope that the pace does indeed pick up. The World Bank has now come onboard with some hands-on reconstruction assistance:

"The World Bank is aiming to embark on its first reconstruction projects in Iraq since the overthrowing of the previous regime, the head of the bank's Iraq program declared on Monday. Faris Hadad-Zervos said that the projects would improve infrastructure within Iraq, helping to provide water and sanitation and to rehabilitate schools.
The bank's interim reconstruction program for Iraq estimates projects for Iraq, which also include labor-intensive irrigation schemes, are likely to cost between $400 and $600 million. The World Bank officially recognized the new Iraqi government on 29 June, the day after it was sworn in, opening the way for money to be loaned to the country."

Other governments, too, are providing reconstruction assistance to Iraq: over the next three years starting in 2005, Japan is expected to contribute some $3.5 million in loans and $1.5 billion in direct grants towards modernization of energy and water infrastructure, as well as health system. The Japanese government is also planning to provide some practical training assistance for Iraqi professionals: in September, about 40 Iraqi health workers and between 20 and 30 diplomats will come to Japan to learn and update their skills. Japan will also pay Egypt to conduct in September and November this year training programs for 375 Iraqi doctors and medical workers and 75 Iraqi electrical engineers.

The World Bank is also contributing to the training effort: "Up to 30 civil servants from various Iraqi ministries were recently awarded certificates at a small graduation ceremony, marking the conclusion of a two-week training course on financial management, procurement and project management. Financed by a European Union grant contributed to the World Bank-administered Iraq Trust Fund, this course represents the latest in a series of 20 training activities launched since February with the intention of gearing Iraqi civil servants to manage internationally funded reconstruction projects." So far, the World Bank has provided for training of some 600 Iraqi officials and professionals as part of its capacity-building program.

On a somewhat smaller scale, though just as usefully, a group of 25 Iraqi agriculture delegates will be attending a four-and-a-half month training course organized through Western Australian Department of Agriculture and Curtin University. The course will bring the Iraqis up to speed with the world's best practices and update them on the latest research to help them re-establish a successful agriculture industry back home.

The Russian government, too, has offered to train Iraqi teachers, hospital staff and rescue workers, in addition to oil industry workers already receiving training.

Elsewhere, vital infrastructure is being created. A small Utah firm, Altiris Inc, for example, is building and managing the growing computer network used by the Coalition forces and Iraqi authorities. Says P.J. Bulger, senior vice president of Altiris' partner 3HT: "Our efforts do not even compare with what the men and women of the Coalition Forces, Iraqi government and Iraqi people are doing... Hopefully, we made their jobs a little bit easier as they move forward - but the people that remain in the area working day to day with the rebuilding are the real heroes."

In education news, Iraq's regional neighbors continue to contribute towards rehabilitation of Iraqi schools: "Dubai TV is airing a six-hour live telethon on September 3 as part of its fund-raising efforts for schools in Iraq. The telethon is in cooperation with Unicef and Dubai Aid City (DAC). Funds will go towards the Getting Iraqi children back to school campaign, launched by Unicef in June." The international community, too, is providing considerable assistance to Iraq's education system. UNICEF, which targets its efforts at improving the lot of children has no illusions: "[R]eversing the trends towards degradation of the last two decades will be one of the major challenges of the reconstruction effort." UNICEF has already helped rehabilitate 220 schools, and distributed teaching materials to 18,000 schools country-wide. In addition, "UNICEF also helps deliver water to 350,000 people every day. About 200 projects are underway to repair pumping stations, treatment plants and sewage works that will improve the lives of millions of people."

Meanwhile, new technology gives hope and opportunities to Iraq's gifted students:

"A room full of teenage girls in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, are chatting with each other during the last five minutes of class, practicing their hard-learned English. In the classroom next door, teenage boys are designing logos to put on posters they will make to explain computer projects. After a 15-minute break, the two groups switch - the girls clustering around the 10 or so computers, the boys in the English-language class.
"After months of planning and red tape, the al-Amal Association, an Iraq-based aid agency, has started working with a group of students chosen for their leadership abilities and their smartness. More than 40 boys and 40 girls attend the enrichment classes at the al-Amal office three days a week.

"Students will learn how to use the computers, correspond with teenagers in Canada and other places by Internet and sharpen their English language skills, Laith Salman, a computer teacher, told IRIN. They'll also learn about how to deal with the conflict still going around them and other 'social phenomena,' Salman said."

After three decades of wasted opportunities there is a lot of catching up to do.

In the health sector, one Iraqi sub-contracting company working on air conditioning units in Sadr City Hospital reduces the temperature inside the building from 38º C to 24º C. Great Britain, Italy, India, Croatia and other countries are providing medical assistance to Iraqi children who cannot get necessary treatment in Iraq. And down south, Basra Health Administration has recently started the construction work on eleven new clinics, including a new training facility. Challenges abound, but significant progress has already been achieved, as this expert who helped to rebuild Iraq's health system testifies:

"Michigan's former top health official wants Americans to remain patient. It takes time to rebuild a country. James K. Haveman Jr., who served as director of the Michigan Department of Community Health during the Engler and Granholm administrations, had a firsthand look at Iraq's rebuilding process as a senior adviser to the Iraqi Ministry of Health...
"Iraq's health care system was in a shambles when Haveman arrived in 2003. The twin, 11-story towers that served as Iraq's Ministry of Health were looted and 65 percent of the equipment in hospitals didn't work, Haveman said. Yet there was no shortage of technology or expertise. For instance, Haveman said the coalition authority found 55 X-ray machines in a warehouse still in their crates.

"Why? The regime wanted the country's health care system to deteriorate so it could blame United Nations sanctions, Haveman said. Of particular importance to Haveman and the provisional authority's health team was addressing Iraq's high infant mortality rate, which Haveman said was deliberately ignored for political purposes.

"By the time Haveman left Iraq, he said 240 hospitals and 1,200 clinics were back on line. The Ministry of Health had its first real budget in years, spending $1 billion, or about $40 per capita, compared to a health budget of $16 million during Saddam's reign. Doctors, pharmacists and other health professionals were making a living wage -- $383 a month for physicians -- for the first time in years. Authorities are aiming to reduce the infant mortality rate, at 130 deaths per 1,000 births under Saddam, by half."

In electricity news, more power will be available for the south of the country, with the opening of the new 52 Megawatt generator at the Khor Az Zubayr power plant, 40km south of Basra. The generator will be producing enough power to supply an extra 156,000 homes. According to the Iraqi Electricity Ministry, more generators are expected to come online over the next few weeks to satisfy growing demand for electricity: "With more than half a million new jobs created, new industries and new factories coming on line and with the sale of thousands of home appliances such as washing machines and air conditioners, Iraq has experienced a rapid increase in electricity demand. The increase in demand is a good sign of a thriving economy emerging from three decades of isolation." This is the first new power generator to be opened in Iraq since 1976.

A second new generator has also now started operation: "The Iraq electrical grid will be able to service an additional 84,000 homes... thanks to a new generator in southern Iraq. The 28-megawatt generator at the Nasiriya Power Station near Al Amarah came online over the weekend and is the second new power station in the country built from scratch by Iraqi and American engineers. 'This is very good news,' said Raad Shalal, an official at the Iraq Ministry of Electricity. 'This will help to reduce the shortage of electricity across the country.' Iraq and US engineers have reduced the shortage this month, adding 152 megawatts to the national grid to bring the national total to more than 5,200 megawatts - enough to service 15.6 million Iraqi homes." You can read more about the new generators here.

Overall, the Ministry of Electricty has recently allocated $1.5 billion for the reconstruction and development of the electricity sector. The Iraqi authorities are also working to protect country's electricity assets, cooperating with Jordanians who are supplying equipment and the Thai who are providing training for security staff. You can also read this story of how the Coalition authorities have poured resources and effort into the Baiji power station north of Baghdad to now watch five stacks of smoke shooting into the sky, instead of just one or none back in February.

The water supply around Baghdad is improving, too, as 35-year old water networks are undergoing some much needed upgrades, thanks yet again to American funds. More on that here.

You might also recall the international efforts to restore the marshlands of southern Iraq, which have been destroyed by Saddam in revenge for the Shia uprising in 1991. Japan will now provide the necessary assistance for the project: "Japan will provide environmental protection technology as well as necessary funds to develop human resources in the environmental field."

THE COALITION TROOPS:

The Coalition forces have a lot more on their plates than just their essential security role. Every day around the country, civil affairs detachments of Army and Marine units are working hard on reconstruction and aid projects. These are people like Major Harry Klein:

"Klein leads a team that works for 3rd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery, normally based in Fort Hood, Texas. The battalion has completed 62 projects at a cost of more than $4 million and has requested another $4 million."

Meanwhile, soldiers from the Alpha Battery of the 3rd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery are helping to save the Dina Institute, a private hospice which cares for around 60 Iraqi children with Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and other developmental disabilities:

"The institute was on the verge of collapse a couple of months ago, with too many children and rent three months overdue. The prospect of sending children home or closing altogether loomed...
"The unit commander, Capt. Mike Burgoyne, had heard about the institute from local leaders and decided to check it out. Jawad told him the institute had no money, and food was scarce. They had had no meat for more than a month.

"Moved to action by what he had witnessed, Burgoyne worked with Hanson, the battalion's civil affairs officer, to tap the Army's civil affairs funds and give the institute $3,000. They brought a pallet loaded with food and supplies."

And they also arranged for the Institute to be transferred to a house that used to belong to one of Saddam Hussein's wives.

It's not just construction and infrastructure work - the troops are also helping individual victims of war or circumstance. Ma'rwa Ahteemi, Iraqi girl who was wounded in a Coalition artillery strike, received medical treatment in Iraq and the United States thanks to the chain of US military personnel and civilians, which started with Lt. Col. Nate Sassaman, commander of the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, and soon grew into a full-fledged charity operation. There is also this story of an Iraqi boy:

"Several weeks ago, life looked bleak for young Abdul Jabur Raid Jabar. The 8-year-old was in a small, war-torn Iraqi town with little hope of getting treatment for his life-threatening heart condition.
"Then, coalition forces came through his town and his father asked for help. The U.S. military sent out information about the boy, which caught the attention of Heidi Hess, a Tampa nurse practitioner at St. Joseph's Children's Hospital.

"Working through the Gift of Life program, which Hess and her late husband, Gary Haas, established at St. Joseph's eight years ago, Hess arranged to bring Jabar to Tampa, where he arrived Thursday."

The troops' families, friends and neighbors back home also continue to bring assistance to people of Iraq. Homewtown families attached to the Army National Guard base in Paris, Arkansas, for example, have been collecting and sending over "back to school" gifts for Iraqi children. Others have been organizing some much needed help for victims of war:

"Iraqi civilians who've lost arms and legs in the war will soon get new prosthetics from Methodist Rehabilitation Center's Operation Restoration program.
"A truckload of amputee supplies will leave Jackson on Wednesday, heading to the U.S. Army base in Fort Hood, Texas, where the supplies will be shipped to a free amputee clinic in Baghdad.

"Certified prosthetist Steve Lindsley, who's serving in Iraq with the Army's Canton-based 112th Military Police Battalion, came up with the idea after seeing a great number of Iraqi amputees."

And sometimes in Iraq, soldiers even fall in love, like Robert Hall, of the 402nd Civil Affairs Battalion, who has just married Vivian Mansour, a Christian Kurd from Baghdad.

DIPLOMACY AND SECURITY:

After years of tense relations, Iraq is slowly normalizing relations with its northern neighbor: "Ankara and Iraq's interim government entered a new era in their bilateral relations when Iraqi President Ghazi al-Yaver arrived... for a two-day visit to Turkey. This is the first postwar high-level contact between our neighboring countries, a development which is expected to speed the normalization of bilateral relations. It is also al-Yaver's first visit to a foreign country. His choosing Turkey for his first state visit shows that Baghdad places a high premium on its relations with Ankara. In addition, as Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi is also expected to visit Turkey next month, our two countries seem to have plans to improve their relations further."

Meanwhile, some positive words from the European Commission President-designate Jose Manuel Barroso: "Some people in Europe may think that it is good that things are going badly for the US. I really think that is an irrational and a bad policy." Barroso also called on his fellow Europeans to "leave behind our disagreements on Iraq" and "give a positive, strong contribution to the Iraqi problem." Barroso has always been pro-American and a supporter of war in Iraq, so his statements are not surprising, but hopefully under his leadership more time and attention will be given to the voices of reason within Europe.

Security situation inside Iraq is still precarious, of course, but are some positive developments, too. In Najaf, Iraqi army has been fighting alongside the American forces to crush the al Sadr uprising. Meanwhile, the Iraqi air force, trained by the Americans and the Jordanians, has taken to the skies, with the maiden flight of two Seabird Seeker SB7L-360 reconnaissance aircraft. The once 750-aircraft strong Iraqi air force, destroyed in wars and through neglect, is expected to soon grow from 162 to 500 personnel and take over some of the surveillance missions over Iraq.

NATO's 50-strong Training Implementation Mission in Iraq, led by Dutch Major General Carel Hilderink has began their task of helping the main Coalition forces to train the new Iraqi army: "The mission's tasks include liaising with the Iraqi interim government and US-led multinational forces, helping Iraq establish defence and military headquarters and identifying Iraqi personnel for training outside the country." Germany has also pledged to assist in a separate program, training Iraqi military personnel in the United Arab Emirates.

While the NATO partners are only just beginning their involvement with Iraqi security forces, the Coalition troops already on the ground in Iraq continue to train Iraqi personnel:

"Next to a dirt-packed soccer field on an island in the middle of the Tigris River, the men who represent the long-term U.S. exit strategy for Iraq crawl through the dirt.
"Taking shelter behind a makeshift barricade of stacked sandbags, one of the Iraqi National Guard trainees aims his AK-47 and fires at an invisible enemy. 'Bang, bang,' he shouts, mimicking the sound his rifle would make if it were loaded. After firing several imaginary rounds, he ducks his head back under the sandbags. 'That's bull,' U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Haily Darnell, one of the ING drill instructors, shouts - along with several colorful expletives - at the trainee prostrate in the dirt. 'That's just bull. Go back and do it again'."

Read the full story of how American soldiers at the "ING Island," a 25-acre facility inside the 1st Infantry Division's headquarters in Tikrit, are training Iraqi recruits.

Other allies also contribute in vital security roles. Bosnia-Herzegovina, also a scene of war not that long ago, is planning to send a mine clearing unit to Iraq. "Defense Minister Nikola Radovanovic said... the Balkan country has a moral obligation to help in Iraq after all the international assistance it received during the conflict of the 1990s in the Balkans."

Iraq's 3,500 kilometer long, porous border has in the past provided little by way of obstacles for foreign insurgents crossing over to fight the Coalition forces. Now, "Iraq is training 15,000 new border guards and hopes to have them in place within six weeks." There are certainly some signs of better controls already in place, as border guards confiscated 100 tank-containers and 20 ships that were used to smuggle oil. As well, "Iraqi border and customs police foiled an attempt to smuggle weapon production lines to Iran in eastern Iraq of Diyala... The productions lines, remains of the former Iraqi institution of military industry, were disassembled and hidden under heaps of junk in six 16-ton-cargo cars. The haul included complete lines for manufacturing different kinds of weapons, explosives and small arms."

Next time you have a drink, make sure you invite Barakat Jassem for a glass of water. Jassem, a native of Baghdad and a one of 18 children, has been until recently working as an English translator for Iraqi TV. Once, when working on a Bette Davis movie, "The Virgin Queen," a mistake he made had angered Uday Hussein so much that Jassem was thrown into jail for 30 days. Jassem is now studying at Dartmouth College under the newly reinstated Fulbright program. He has this to say:

"I see the Americans working hard day and night to establish the basic needs for the Iraqi people... I think people (in America) are divided because it's a war. War is always a bad idea. [But] I want to emphasize this point. For me, it was 100 percent a liberation. There's nothing worse than a dictator."
It often happens that the people who have been thirsty for a long time can tell you the most about water.

If you have any tips for future instalments of “Good news from Iraq” please email the to goodnewsiraq “at” windsofchange “dot” net.

WOW WEEE!

boy has this place been quiet all week!!
burnout?

have question, Have been trying to call
Rannda Al-Shakir at Warkabank, to no avail.
someone on this site gave phone nr as
1-914-360-4286,
phone nr for Warka bank on their website is
011-964-1-717-2828, (one of the numbers)

I am wondering, why the difference in
country code ? ie: 914, is what country?
964, is code for Iraq

also the difference in incountry prefix
360 for Rannda
717 for WarkaBank !!

Does someone have the answer?

tink.

i am glad to see the rate drop to 1460 on cbi website, it was up to 1460 for a week. It was stuck at 1460 for so long prior, i thought it was broken

Is Dan just trying to fill cyberspace????
I request links to stories...I don't ask for the entire story to be posted...

Howdy folks,

Haven't been here in awhile... took the sound advice of some of the posts following my last one, and it was the right prescription for me.

Anyway,

Just wanted to mention that, as I surf the web for real-time info on the NID, I keep running into old news, verses new/fresh info.

What I'm seeing is beginning to demonstrate somewhat of a pattern to me.

In summary, what I see is this:

When the NID hit the street last October it's initial value was approximately 1830 NID:1 USD. Interest in the new currency was very high and continuing to grow.

As time went by, leading up to the hand-over of power to the New Iraqi Interim Government the value of the dinar continued to rise in popularity and value from 1830 to it's present approximate value of 1460 NID:1 USD. And, since the handover of power back in late June, it's value has remained stagnant at it's present rate, and the majority of interest in investing in the currency has all but stopped too.

With that being the case, it would be safe to say that; had forward reconstructive progress in Iraq continued, instead of the escolating violence that we've all witnessed over the last 90 days, or so; the value of the NID might have been somewhere around 720 NID:1 USD today, and continuing to climb...

Nothing else has changed in Iraq with regards to it's natural resources, etc. - except the violence, which undermines everything else. Interest by investors and overall positive speculation has dropped off, due solely to the constant violence in the streets of Iraq.

Free elections in January, etc, etc, will not serve to increase the value of the NID. Even open trading on world exchange markets won't help to increase the value of the NID. At some point, the violence will slow, and eventually stop - it has to ...today, tomorrow, whenever.

When "THAT" happens the NID will take off in value.

My speculation has now shifted to when the violence will possibly end in Iraq, or at least simmer down some. If reasonable people can sit down at the bargaining table, and compromise a little here and there, I think the sun will finally have a chance to shine on Iraq's future.

...and then we can all let the Champagne Corks fly!!!

Just my $.02

This message is for tinkerbaell.

I do beleive that we have spoken before,. You are interested in opening an Iraq bank account with an Iraqi bank so you can have your iraqi dianr in an iraq bank account so that you can get the better exchange rate. Well email me at mcleron5@hotmail.com and I will give you all the informaion you need to open an iraq bank accout. As far as your question about calling Randda B. Al-shakir. If you are calling from the United States call 964(this is the only country code for iraq) 1 717--2045 or 8444. The best time to call is at 8 am Iraqi Time. Remember that the baking system is very primitave and they do not have as much personal that speaks english as you would like them to have. I have all the information that you need to open an Iraqi dinar savings account. I have had mine for over 1 month now. The exchange rate is great. 1460 to 1 dollar and yes there is a small fee afcourse.

ALL THE INFORMAITON THAT YOU NEED TO OPEN AN ACCOUNT WITH AL WARKA INVESTMENT BANK THAT IS LOCATED IN ALWIYA BAGHDAD IRAQ IS ON THIS WEBSITE.

GO TO THE POST THAT I PUT OUR ON AUGUST 29 2004!!!!

Keep your heads up guys and we will prevale. And just to let all you guys now, the Iraq Stock Exchange was grated a governmental grant for 1.5 million dollars. 500,000 is now being used to educate all of the stock brokers on how to deal with automated stock systems. And 1 million is going to used to build the Iraq stock exhcnage building, computers and software. If you do not beleive me then just look it up yourselves.

the iraq banks that open foreign bank accounts are Al-Warka Investment Bank and Bank of Baghdad. Al-warka investment bank website is alwarkabank.com and Bank of baghdad website is bankofbaghdad.net. If you have any questions about anything that pertains to this post then just email me.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=564&ncid=564&e=3&u=/nm/20040930/ts_nm/iraq_allawi_dc

Iraq trying to break apart? lets hope allawi is correct or this points twoard civil war!

Well stated Bill the violence must stop. If iraq oil companies begin to go their own ways like reported in the financial times, it's going to be bad boys! I wish one media group would report some of the good news from iraq instead of focusing only on the bad to influence up comming elections!!!!! Dam something good must be going on in iraq! surely

Thanks Dan.

Got -mail from Randda this morning, should
be getting my routing and acct nrs for
Jordan routing in next couple days.
when I read that bs post about opening iqd on
the 4th, almost had heart attack, but ended
up only hyperventilating, come on,!! I'm 74
now, can't take that crap anymore, 22 yrs
in navy taught me I can take anything in stride.
setting up account for my kids.
THANKS AGAIN DAN CUDOS

TINK.

I am writing this post because I receive about 26 emails a day about opening an Iraq bank account. I am not writing this email to complain,but to congratulate the almost 167 people that I have convinced to open an Iraqi bank account with an Iraq bank. Remember that the Iraqi dinars that you have in your homes will eventually appriciate and thhe denominations lowered. If you have an Iraqi bank account and the denominations change for the cuurency or they decide to have all new notes all together there is no better place to have your Iraqi dinars thatn in in Iraqi bank account. Whenever they decide to modify the iraqi currency it is automaticaly done to your iraqi bank account. REMEMBER THAT WHEN YOU OPEN AN IRAQI DINAR SAVINGS ACCOUNT YOU ALSO HAVE TO OPEN A US DOLLAR SAVINGS ACCOUNT. You can exchange the US dollar into Iraqi dinars or exchange iraqi dinars foir the US dollar whenever you want. If the iraqi dinar appreciates to 1 against the US dollar. All you have to do is get a hold of the iraqi bank like al-warka investment bank and have them make the conversion. REMEMBER that you are investing in a country that is richer than Kuwait and yes it will take time for it to show how wealthy it is, but you have to have patience. We will prevale and become millionares, but we have to do things right. And the right thing to do is have your money in an iraqi bank such as bank of baghdad, If you have anyquestions I will help you as much as I can. Remember that I am not here to sell you anything or give you anytype of advise. I am just a regular guy who is trying to make my dreams come true just like you.

Thank you and good luck!!!!!!!!!!!1

Dan,
How do YOU KNOW the larger notes are NOT going to be honored later? How do YOU KNOW iraq WILL change there currency? You make it sound like if we do not get accounts we will not be able to exchange our dinars. I am weary of the angle. I do understand how there COULD be an advantage (I dont like the idea of giving a credit card or currency to someplace else with nothing to show) BUT dont understand why you are so persistant in getting people to open an account, please help me see through the muddy water. Thanks

this message is for trashbucket. People are right when they tell me that I can not tell them the future,but ceratain things are certain. Such as the value of the Iraqi dinar appreciating. Take a look at the currency bank accounts in America right now. Think about all the banks in America where you can have foreign currency fromn any country and you will find that there are only a few type of banks that will allow you to open a bank account with any other wype of currency besides the US dollar. The reason why this is beccause the United States needs to mainly keep their Federal currency reserves in its own type of currency which is the American dollar. Now look at other banks all over the world and you will find that they will not open an Account that has the currency of their country but also the currecy of the united states. The reason why this is is because reguardeless of how low or high the US dollar sells on the world market, the US dollar is backed up with so many foreign ncapital ventures that it gives the dollar so much lequidity. With that said. When the Iraqi Dinar is worth exchanging lets say at 100 iraqi dinars to 1 US dollar the denominations for Iraq will have to change because when people of Iraq go shopping there will be more of a need to use the 250 iraqi dinar note then the 25000 iraqi dinar not. When the Iraqi Government issues out new iraqi dinars your 25000 iraqi dinar note will be honored for during the exchange period which can be anywhere from 1 week to typeccaly 3 months. After the echange period evends the Iraqi dinar that has been exchanged for a lower denomination because of the appreciation of its note, that high denomination note will no longer be offered jto the open public or mostlikey be ordered to be illigal tender. The reason why the government issues an order to have people excnage their high denomination notes for lower denomination notes is because they want people to have more their money in bank. Remember that the reason why a country has financial stability is because of its banking secort.

Just think If the 25000 iraqi dinar note wasnt ordered to be taken off the open market. If that 25000 iraqi dinar note is worth 25000 US dollar then people would realy have a hard time buying something like a chair which is being sold for lets say 1000 iraqi dianr. When the iraqi government takes high denomination notes of the market their goal is not to have you exchange it for lower denomination. Their goal is for you to put your money in the bank. If you have a 25000, 10000, 5000, 1000, and/ or a 250 iraqi dinar note and the the 25000 iraqi dianr note was taken off the market it is only going to be legal tender untiil the exchange period is over. Remeber that thier goal is to have you put your money in an Iraqi bank account and not under your mattress.

THINK ABOUT IT! IF YOU HAVE A 25000 IRAQI DINAR NOTE AND IT GETS TAKEN OFF THE PUBLIC MARKET BECAUSE OF ITS APPRECIATION THEN YOU HAVE TO EXCAHNGE FOR IRAQI DINAR NOTES THAT ARE STILL LEGAL TENDER. AND IF PUSH COMES TO SHOVE AND YOU CAN NOT FIND SOMEONE IN THE STATES THAT IS WILLING TO EXHCANG IT FOR YOU THEN YOU HAVE TO GET ON A PLAIN TO JORDAN OR IRAQ AND GO TO A BANK OR EXCHANGE HOUSE IN THESE COUNTRIES AND EXCHANGE YOUR 25000 IRAQI DIANR NOTE FOR NOTS THAT ARE GOING TO BE CONSIDERED LEGAL TENDER AFTE4R THE ECAHGNE PERIOD.

Remember that when you have a bank account in a type of currency whether it the kuwaiti dinar, euro, pound, iraqi dianr us dollar, or canadian dollar, all it is is a number. The iraqi dinars that you have in your hands are the type that you have to manually exchange. If you have a bankj accoiunt it is automatically done for you.

Here is an example.

lets just say

The 25000 iraqi dinar note is orderd to be taken of the market because the iraqi dinar has just appreciated to 100 iraqi dinars to 1 US doillar. You have two choses
1. find someone to echange it for you for the denominations that you can enachange it for.
21. go to Jordan or Iraq and go to a bank or financuail exchange house that will give you the denominations taht you need for your 25000 iraqi dinar.

Now just think If you have an Iraqi dinar savings account with an iraqi bank. Like me, I have an iraqi dinar savings account with al warka investment bank. If your 25000 iraqi dinar gets taken off the publ;ic market because the iraqi dinar just went to 100 iraqi dinars to 1 US dollar then YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DO ANYTHING BECAUSE THAT 25000 IRAQI DINAR IS NOT A NOTE, IT IS JUST A NUMBER.

Remember that any bank account in any type of currency is just a number note a note. When you go to the iraqi bank and take money out it or they becomes a note.

If any of this confuses you then just keep asking questions and I will try to helo you.

Good luck and open an Iraqi dinar saveng account.

OH and by the way the iraq banks are also license to buy and sell stocks on the iraq stock exchange. al warka investment bank is a licensed by teh iraqi interm government to buy and sell stoks for me when the iraq stock exchange opens up to foreign investos. And that will happen early next year becuase they are now automating the sestem and also have to build the stock exchange facility.

ANY QUESTIONS JUST EMAIL ME. I WILL TRY TO HELP.

GOOD LUCK TRASHBUCKET.

dan,
i undersatnd ALL that, i have heard you say ALL that before. What makes you think that they will not exchange the larger notes in the future? before you write a novel, maybe you can explain why they wont, if needed, just take out of curculation as they come across them. I find it hard to believe that in 20 years my large notes will be worthless.

Can somebody get this Dan guy off this board? Is there a moderator or someone?

This guy's an idiot. NOBODY listen to what he says. I've been in the markets too long to know that this guy's trying to take somebody for a ride. You're an ignorant asshole. Take your misspelled words and go to some other board with your stupid comments. Don't fill up this board with your bullshit.

actually i think dan is a smart guy. i also think he rambles on sometimes at uneccesary lengths and xplains in to much detail. I think he may be the moderator. he can take critisism and is fair...unlike the little girls on that other page. but he does post useful info....its just hard to find the 2 sentences of useful info in the novel he writes as posts.

All,

I am the moderator, not Dan. I don't follow this board closely. Email me at kevin@truckandbarter.com if problems arise.

Dan: please proofread, or at least spellcheck!

Others: If you don't like Dan, ignore him. I will not block him or delete his comments unless he starts harrassing others.

But, personally, I find his explanations ludicrous.

For instance, Iraqi bank accounts are denominated in Iraqi Dinar. The only difference between holding the note and holding the bank account is that the money in the account is tied to the solvency of the bank. Unless the Iraqi banks are reinsured, if they go belly-up, you lose your Dinar! If you hold notes. you lose your Dinar only if your currency is literally destroyed.

Also, in my mind there is no reason to expect a call of the large denominations right now; since Iraq has a well-managed central bank, extreme deflation, making large notes unweildy, is an extraordinarily unlikely outcome.

Why should you believe me? Who the hell am I? I'm a Ph.D. economics student, not a speculator, nor a professional investor. I do not make money by selling Dinar; I only make money when people voluntarily click on the advertising.

Thanks for your patronage.

Note that when this board hits 1000 comments, I'll close it down and start a new thread.

thanks kevin, for clearing thiings up....when the board reaches 1000 will you put in the 1001st post with new address?....last time i had a hard time finding the new one, thanx man