For those skeptical about Iraq and investing in the Iraqi Dinar I offer this as proof that those of us invested in the Dinar are on the right track. In my opinion, big movement regarding investment in Iraq will begin once the HCL is passed. Until then it is a waiting game.
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Investors ready for Iraq business as troops pullout
Mon Dec 22, 2008 11:16am
By Luke Baker
LONDON (Reuters) - Major businesses have lined up billions of dollars for investment in southern Iraq, where oil riches and long-term opportunities beckon, preparing to move in even as Britain prepares to pull its troops out.
Foreign investors have earmarked more than $9 billion for the oil-hub of Basra and the region around it in the next three years, according to Michael Wareing, the co-chair of the Basra Development Commission, a British-Iraqi group, and up to three times as much could be invested in the next five to 10 years.
Royal Dutch Shell has signed a multi-billion dollar natural gas deal with the Iraqi government, which will see it capture flared gas released from oil extraction, and ArcelorMittal has plans to overhaul a steel plant in Basra, a deal that could boost employment in the area.
Mittal Investments, an off-shoot of the Mittal conglomerate, is separately looking at investing multiple millions in a petro-chemicals plant near Basra, Iraq's second largest city.
"Iraq has the third largest proven oil reserves in the world, really you almost can't afford not to be involved," said Wareing, who as well as being the international chief executive of KPMG has spent the past year promoting business in Iraq.
"All companies around the world are seeing their revenue falling, so if there's an opportunity like this to grow into a new area -- provided the numbers work and they've got the money -- they're doing it," he told Reuters in an interview after returning from an Iraq investment conference in Turkey.
A year ago, Basra, a city of around two million people, was regarded as far too dangerous for British troops to operate in, let alone foreign businesses to invest in. There were small-scale ventures, but nothing on the billion-dollar level.
But a two-month operation earlier this year by Iraqi troops, backed by U.S. and some British forces, to rid the city of militia groups had a profound impact on security, military commanders say, and has paved the way for an economic revival.
Inflation in Iraq has fallen from more than 40 percent last year to around six percent, according to British economic advisers who visited the country last week, while gross domestic product growth is forecast to hit nearly 10 percent this year.
With the vast majority of Iraq's oil production, currently running at around 2.4 million barrels per day, being processed and exported via the south, Basra and the region around it, including the port of Umm Qasr, have become business magnets.
OIL LAW
Last week Chinese and Indian transport ships were busily unloading goods at Umm Qasr, a port capable of handling about a third of the container traffic of Rotterdam, supplying goods to Iraqi consumers and increasingly to those throughout the Middle East, making the port a growing hub for regional trade.
But despite the growing activity and the investment in the pipeline, there are major hurdles to clear if Basra is to develop into a regional business center in the years ahead.
Many investors are waiting until the Iraqi government has passed a hydrocarbons law clearly defining how oil revenues will be apportioned and the rights foreign investors will have before committing vast sums to a potentially risky venture.
That law is not expected to be finalized for many months, if not years to come, meaning investment flows will be stalled.
"The main reason why there are not other contracts being signed right now... is that most of the other projects need this hydrocarbons law to be passed," said Wareing.
The Shell deal, which has yet to be fully formalized, will give other investors confidence once it is inked, and a further bridge will be crossed once the hydrocarbons law is in place, but both steps are needed to consolidate Basra's development.
"The two really big things, the two big triggers, will be when we start to see multiple contracts being awarded, that will give a strong surge to interest," said Wareing, predicting several major deals in the first quarter of next year.
"Secondly, the hydrocarbons law. Once that's in place, the numbers will start to get really big. You'll see more oil contracts coming through, all of them in the billions.
"You could easily see investment in Basra doubling or trebling from $9 billion in the next five to 10 years."
(www.reuters.com)
Iraq to reach 6.5 million barrels/day within 6 years, says minister 31/12/2008 17:41:00
Baghdad (NINA)- Minister of Oil Hussein al-Shahristani has expressed hope that launching the tow licenses rounds on investing and developing Iraqi oil fields would lead the country to produce 6.5 billion barrels/day within the next five to six years.
(www.ninanews.com)
Cooperation with IMF fruitful – MP
December 25, 2008 - 03:54:49
BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: An Iraqi lawmaker said on Thursday that the government’s cooperation with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was fruitful and achieved several gains and objectives, including recent exemptions from $7.8 billion in debts.
“Some have criticized the Iraqi government’s obligations towards the IMF as far as spending rationalization was concerned but in fact these commitments were very fruitful,” Sami al-Atroushi, a Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) member of the parliament’s Financial Committee, told Aswat al-Iraq.
“These IMF exemptions make 20 percent of a total 80% of exemptions obtained by Iraq in 2004 from the 19 members of the Paris Club,” he said.
The KIU occupies five out of the Iraqi parliament’s 275 seats.
The Paris Club of creditor nations had on Monday written off $7.8 billion (one dollar equals 1,117 Iraqi dinars) of Iraq’s debts due since the time of the former regime.
Atroushi pointed out that among the terms by the Paris Club is to observe the IMF recommendations regarding rationalization of the country’s expenditure.
He said that Iraq needs sound planning and painstaking efforts to refresh the economy that has deteriorated during the past decades.
(www.en.aswataliraq.info)
BAGHDAD, Dec 31 (KUNA) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki said on Wednesday that his country is now safe and able to control the security situation, having gotten rid of sectarian violence, calling on Arab states to increase cooperation with his country.
Al-Maliki's comment came after a meeting held with Arab League Ambassador in Iraq, Hani Khalaf.
The Prime Minister expressed pleasure for Khalaf's visit, noting that such a visit by "the Ambassador or any Arab official is always welcome and we want to boost bilateral relations with Arab states." Al-Maliki added that the Iraqi authorities are now in control of the security situation in the country, after they got rid of sectarian violence, boosted national unity.
Now, Iraq is looking forward for Arab cooperation for rebuilding efforts and investment opportunities.
Al-Maliki also expressed solidarity and sympathy on behalf of his government and the Iraqi people in sympathizing with the suffering of the Palestinian people, pointing out that the presence of Iraq at the meeting of Arab foreign ministers in the Arab League is a confirmation of such a position.
For his part, the Ambassador conveyed through his meeting greetings by the Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa, stressing that the League has several perceptions and ideas for cooperation with Iraq and support the economic and development projects there.
The ambassador also reiterated support by the Arab League to the Iraqi government and its efforts to achieve security, stability and prosperity for the Iraqi people. (end) mhg.mb KUNA 311810 Dec 08NNNN
(www.kuna.net.kw)
Iraq to offer 10 fields in 2nd oil licensing round
Iraq's oil minister says 10 undeveloped or underdeveloped gas and oil fields will be offered in its second licensing round beginning Wednesday.
(www.noozz.com)
Iraq's Central Bank to reduce interest rate
The Central Bank of Iraq says it will reduce its interest rate by 1 percentage point to 14 percent, starting next year.
The decision reflects declining inflation. The bank statement Thursday says that inflation in November sunk to 12.7 percent from the 13.6 percent registered in the previous month.
Inflation roared as high as 69.6 percent at the end of 2006, but fell sharply to 32 percent in early 2007 and then to 11 percent at the beginning of this year when Iraq's central bank adopted a package of financial measures, including high interest rates.
(www.todayszaman.com)
Iraq to Take More Control of Airspace
December 31, 2008
Agence France-Presse
The U.S. military prepared to turn over a swathe of Iraqi airspace on Wednesday ahead of the expiry of a UN mandate in another step that edges Baghdad closer to full sovereignty.
The transfer of airspace was formally to occur at midnight (2100 GMT) Wednesday at Baghdad international airport, about 12 kilometres (7.5 miles) from the Iraqi capital, as part of the landmark security arrangement Washington signed with Baghdad in November.
Following the 2003-U.S. led invasion, the American military took control of all of Iraq's airspace, radio control towers and the nation's network of airports of which Baghdad and Basra in the south are the biggest.
"According to the security agreement that starts on January 1, our airspace will be returned down to 24,000 feet (7,300 metres)," Transport Minister Amer Abduljabbar Ismail told AFP.
Iraq currently controls airspace from 29,000 feet (8,800 metres) and above. That margin will be now be reduced by 5,000 feet, according to Ismail.
"However, the complete control of our airspace will not be finished until 2011, when the U.S. military leaves," he said, adding that the air control towers and Baghdad airport will also now be placed in the hands of Iraqi officials.
As part of the security deals signed with the U.S. and the British, Basra airport which has been administered by British troops will also be returned on January 1, Ismail said.
Baghdad signed on Tuesday military accords with Britain and Australia that give their troops a legal basis to stay in Iraq after the expiry of the UN mandate at midnight on December 31.
"With the authority of the government of Iraq given to the defence minister, an agreement was signed with Britain ... which will be implemented from the start of the new year until June 30," defence ministry spokesman Major General Mohammed al-Askari told AFP.
A similar deal was signed with Australia.
Under the agreement, Britain, which has about 4,100 troops based at Basra airport in southern Iraq, will play only a supportive role in their area.
"British troops will only support, consolidate and develop the Iraqi security forces without having any combat mission. July 31 will be the last day for the withdrawal of the British forces from Iraq," Askari said.
During a visit to Iraq on December 17, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his Iraqi counterpart Nuri al-Maliki announced the completion of the mission of the British contingent by the end of May 2009, and a total withdrawal by end July 2009.
After British troops leave next year, relations between London and Baghdad will in theory revert to those between any other country.
The same can be said for Sydney, which withdrew a 550-strong battlegroup in June but left a 110-strong security detachment in Baghdad and a group of training and support personnel at various installations.
British troop numbers in the Iraq campaign were the second largest contingent, peaking at 46,000 in March and April 2003 for the invasion, while Australia's topped out at about 2,000, the third largest deployment in the war.
The end of the UN mandate put in place soon after the March 2003 U.S.-led invasion means Iraq will take greater control of its own security although foreign forces will remain in the country.
"The main difference is that UNAMI will increasingly and gradually expect Iraqi security forces to provide security, as in any other sovereign country," Staffan de Mistura, the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) envoy, told AFP earlier this week.
However, deals will also need to be signed by Iraq with Estonia, Romania, El Salvador and NATO, each of whom have small numbers of troops stationed in Iraq.
The United States, which has 146,000 soldiers in Iraq, signed in November an agreement with Baghdad which allows its combat forces to remain in the country until the end of 2011.
(www.military.com)
I can see it all right now! KLM to Houston>Amsterdam>Baghdad....pick up a bucket of money and wire the rest....Return to Amsterdam and party with friends for awhile....then back to Houston and pick the best beach in Thailand on which to build my dream house. I love it when a plan comes together!
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Iraq, Air France-KLM Sign Cooperation Deal
31 December 2008 ( AFP )
Air France-KLM and Iraq's transport ministry have signed a preliminary accord which will see Iraqi Airways taking off for European destinations and Baghdad's airport being renovated, an official statement said Tuesday.
"The memorandum of understanding has three points: first, technical, which covers technically enabling Iraqi Airways to code-share flights with Air France-KLM," said ministry spokesman Samir al-Showaili.
Air France-KLM will, secondly, assist "Iraqi Airways to enable it to fly international flights, including to Europe," he said.
The deal also includes, thirdly, the revamp of Baghdad's third terminal to international standards and the construction of airports in Iraq through investment companies.
Transport Minister Amer Abduljabbar Ismail told AFP that his ministry is also in discussion with German and Danish air freight groups which could provide shipping services as early as 2009. He declined to elaborate.
In the aftermath of the 1991 Gulf War, Iraqi Airways was hit hard by UN sanctions imposed against Iraq and its service declined rapidly.
After the US-led invasion in 2003, the airline slowly resumed flights and today the national carrier flies to the regional capitals of Amman, Beirut, Tehran, Cairo, Istanbul, Damascus and Dubai.
It also undertakes domestic flights to Basra in the south and to the Kurdish provinces in north.
Baghdad International Airport is still controlled by US forces who have a huge base at Camp Victory but as of January 1, under a new military accord governing the presence of US troops until 2011, the airport will be returned to Iraqi control.
For years, the 12 kilometre (seven mile) road from downtown Baghdad to the airport was one of the most dangerous in the capital, until the introduction of huge blast walls in early 2008 to protect against rocket and sniper fire.
Writer Jim Heintz,
Associated Press Writer –
Thu Jan 1, 6:57 pm ET AP –
BAGHDAD – The U.S. formally transferred control of the Green Zone to Iraqi authorities Thursday in a pair of ceremonies that also handed back Saddam Hussein's former palace. Iraq's prime minister said he will propose making Jan. 1 a holiday marking the restoration of sovereignty.
Under the new security agreement between Washington and Baghdad to replace a U.N. mandate for foreign troops in Iraq, the Iraqi government also now has control of American troops' actions and of the country's airspace.
The moves came amid a dramatic fall in violence over the past year. However, insurgents still stage daily attacks and could try to expand the fight now that U.S. troops cannot take unilateral action.
Two Iraqi soldiers and three policemen were killed in attacks Thursday. In the northern city of Kirkuk, Iraqi and U.S. troops killed three suspected al-Qaida gunmen during a raid, police said.
Many of the changes inaugurated on New Year's Day won't bring immediately visible results. The Green Zone, the country's government and military command center, remains ringed by concrete blast walls and off limits to most Iraqis. U.S. troops still man its checkpoints, although now as trainers rather than leaders.
But the Americans have moved out of the Republican Palace, the sprawling former headquarters of Saddam's regime that they took over shortly after the 2003 invasion. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki formerly took control of the building Thursday and exulted over the security pact under which U.S. troops are to leave the country by 2012.
"A year ago, the mere thought of forces withdrawing from Iraq was considered a dream," al-Maliki told reporters afterward. "The dream that no one had the right to think about became true."
He called for making Jan. 1 a national holiday called "Sovereignty Day." Iraq already officially observes New Year's Day as a holiday.
Also on Thursday, British troops turned over to Iraqi officials the airport in Basra, the country's second-largest city. Britain says it will withdraw its approximately 4,000 soldiers in Iraq by May 31.
"Iraq is taking another step toward the future, signaling to its citizens and the international community that it is indeed a new day for sovereign Iraq," U.S. Army Col. Steven Ferrari said at a separate ceremony handing over control of the Green Zone.
The Green Zone was the most potent symbol of the U.S. invasion and occupation.
The 4-square-mile area, which nestles into the start of an oxbow bend of the Tigris River, formally is called the International Zone. Sarcastically, it's called "The Bubble" because the foreigners who live and work there often have little contact with the shabby and violent city on the other side of the 13-foot-high, reinforced concrete blast walls around the perimeter.
But the sense of security is only relative. The zone was a favorite target for rockets and mortars fired by insurgents. In 2007, the attacks were so heavy that the U.S. Embassy ordered its workers to wear flak jackets and helmets anywhere outside.
Asked whether insurgents could resume attacks now that the area is under Iraqi control, Ferrari said, "Common sense says they'll probably test the Green Zone."
The walls and the seemingly endless series of checkpoints inside have been worrisomely porous. A suicide bomber attacked the parliament's dining hall in 2007, killing one person. Suicide vests wired with explosives have been found on the grounds.
Although Baghdad is calmer now, the Green Zone is full of unsettling reminders of war. Duck-and-cover bunkers dot sidewalks under lush date palms. Walls bear signs warning drivers not to stop for any reason and frequent speed bumps force vehicles to a near crawl.
Even before U.S. troops took control of the area in 2003 and put up the walls, the neighborhood had an air of intimidation. Saddam and his sons had lavish residences there and motorists who drove through understood they shouldn't stop.
Now, Iraqi officials have their eyes on making the area accessible, inspiring and educational, even though it's not yet clear when they will feel confident enough to take down the walls.
"It depends. There are many steps to take," Iraqi Security Minister Sherwan al-Waili said when asked about prospects for opening the zone.
In July, the National Investment Commission approved plans to build a $100 million luxury hotel in the zone.
And in the next couple of months, the Iraqi High Tribunal plans to open a museum in the zone detailing the brutality of Saddam's regime. It will include a replica of the hole-in-the-ground hideout where Saddam was captured in 2004, two years before he was executed, tribunal head Arif Abdul-Razzak Al-Shaheen told the newspaper Asharq al-Awsat last month.
Violence around Iraq plunged in 2008, with attacks declining to an average of 10 a day from 180 a year ago. The murder rate in November was less than 1 per 100,000 people — far lower than many cities in the world.
U.S. military deaths in Iraq plunged by two-thirds in 2008 from the previous year, a reflection of the improving security following the American counterinsurgency campaign and al-Qaida's slow retreat from the battlefield.
According to a tally by The Associated Press, at least 314 U.S. soldiers died in Iraq during 2008, down from 904 in 2007. In all, at least 4,221 U.S. military personnel have died in Iraq since the war began in 2003.
(www.news.yahoo.com)
Barazani: Kurds do not seek revenge 01/01/2009 23:07:00
Arbil (NINA) – Head of Kurdistan region, Massoud Barazani, stressed, "The necessity to consolidate joint fraternal and understanding between Arab states and Iraq and to make the relations in the interests of Iraq....
(www.ninanews.com)
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Baghdad, 02 January 2009 ( Middle East Online )
Inadequate funding forces Iraq to look for outside investors to pour money in transport infrastructure.
By Benjamin Morgan
Iraq's dilapidated transport infrastructure is on the road to recovery after decades of neglect but funding is inadequate and the new transport minister is seeking outside investors.
Factionalism and corruption was rife when Amer Abduljabbar Ismail took the helm at a government department considered to be one of the most dysfunctional in the war-battered country, the minister said in an interview.
"It looked like a group of gangs and militias," he said, noting that at one point the skills shortage was such that nearly half the workforce only had a primary education.
Now Ismail has the ministry moving forward again and recently signed a preliminary accord with Air France-KLM which will see Iraqi Airways taking off for European destinations and Baghdad's airport being renovated.
Topping his ambitious list of projects that also includes revamping the nation's bombed out and looted railway network is a 4.4 billion dollar container port in Iraq's Al-Fao in the south.
Despite initial successes the ministry's budget of 450 million is far too small to fulfill Ismail's Iraq's basic transport needs, Ismail said.
"We don't have enough money for our projects, so we will have to go to outside investors for funding," he said, adding that he is already in talks with potential investors from Turkey, Germany and Denmark.
To get this far Ismail, 47, a rotund and small man with 25 years of professional experience in the freight and logistics industry, has had to hone his political cunning as well as wielding his business know-how.
He was not allowed to fire people outright due to the huge unemployment in Baghdad, but the ministry of 45,000 employees still needed to slim down by 30 percent to be efficient.
So he tore apart the ministry's hierarchy instead, moving many self-appointed officials to posts where they could do the least harm and at the same time he implemented rigorous accounting regulations to curtail theft.
It was not a popular move.
"Each person I fired from their position meant that other officials would come to visit me to beg me to bring them back to work," the politically unaffiliated minister said with a sigh.
Ismail's ministry has the unwieldy task of rebuilding a heavily damaged transport system that includes airports, the national airline, ports and buses, and about 2,000 kilometres (1,240 miles) of rails.
In the five months since Ismail took office he has quietly but determinedly tried to turn the corner of the ministry that had been brought almost to a halt by a decade of sanctions followed by war and sectarian strife.
"The most difficult time was when there was no minister for nearly two years between 2005 and 2007," he said, adding that turf wars were still common.
Since taking the helm, Ismail has more than doubled revenues in the national bus system by implementing a simple change in the ticketing system that stopped employees pocketing money from ticket sales.
He also convinced some international shipping groups to take sailors from the ministry's marine shipping company. About 1,500 merchant marines had no work because their ships had all been destroyed in the war.
A top priority for the ministry is to ensure the nation's transport system is expanded at the same time as it gets back on its feet.
Iraq, which has a Persian Gulf coastline of less than 100 kilometres (60 miles), has only one deep sea commercial port, Umm Qasr, and Al-Fao could greatly strengthen the nation's anaemic international trade.
Revamping the rail network is also critical. Sabotage and looting of trains has almost ceased in the south, allowing the 500 kilometre line from Baghdad to the southern city of Basra to start carrying passengers again.
Meanwhile, plans are afoot to replace decrepit lines between Basra, Um Qasar and the Iraqi capital, as well Baghdad to Mosul in north and to Rabia, near the Syrian border.
In 2009, the ministry will build a new line from Baiji, location of Iraq's largest oil refinery, to Aleppo in Syria. Ismail is also hopeful for a line between Mosul and Turkey, where he just signed deals for new coaches.
Urban transport is also part of the programme and three weeks ago a local Baghdad train began running to the district of Dora.
(www.iraqupdates.com)
Finance Minister Baqer Al-Zubaidi has called on Iraqis to reduce spending and save as much as they can.
The minister made the remarks in response to calls to slash public spending and a cabinet proposal to reduce salaries by up to 30%.
The proposal was made by the cabinet’s Economic Committee and sent to the finance ministry.
Amid high unemployment levels, government-salaried workers are currently almost the only people who can afford a decent living in Iraq.
They include teachers, civil servants, police, army personnel and pensioners.
Zubaidi’s 2009 budget which he has presented to the parliament was based on high oil prices and expectations that the average rate for a barrel of oil will not be less than 80 U.S. dollars.
But prices have sharply dropped from their highs on international markets and oil is now hovering at 40 U.S. dollars a barrel.
However, Zubaidi said slashing government workers’ salaries was the last thing for him to consider.
Zubaidi, in the meantime, has called on government departments to revise their budgets and spending in the light of the slump in oil prices which are almost the country’s sole hard cash earner.
(www.iraqupdates.com)
Iraq Opens Up Some Prized Oilfields to Foreign Majors
Baghdad, 02 January 2009 ( Reuters )
Iraq yesterday opened up some of its most prized oil and gas fields to international firms that have been excluded for decades, part of new deals that could more than double its output within a few years.
In a second bid round, following on from one earlier this year, Iraq has put forward 11 oil and gas fields, including super giants. "Under service contracts prepared by the oil ministry, 11 oil and gas fields will undergo complete development," Oil Minister Hussain Al-Shahristani told a Baghdad news conference.
Two of the oilfields-Majnoon and West Qurna Phase II- are classed as super giants and between them could produce 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd) when fully developed.
Shahristani named the other fields as Halfaya, East Baghdad, Gharrafa, Qayara, Najmah, Badrah, Kifil/West Kifil/Mirjan and a group in Diyala province, as well as the Siba gas field in Basra province.
He said the 11 fields could increase production by up to 2.5 million bpd within three to four years of the contracts being completed at the end of 2009. That increase is roughly equivalent to what Iraq produces today. Three of the fields are jointly owned with neighbors Iran and Kuwait. Developing them would require bilateral deals with those states, which were not opposed, Shahristani said.
In June, Iraq announced a first bidding round for long-term contracts for eight big oil and gas fields, which could add a total of 1.5 million barrels per day to the nation's output.
The oil ministry is expected to announce the results of that round by the middle of next year. When all the new fields are fully operational, in theory within six years' time, Iraq's output could be more than 6 million bpd.
Iraq has the world's third largest oil reserves, but its infrastructure has been shattered by decades of war and sanctions and it is in need of massive investment.
Under the rule of Saddam Hussein, some foriegn oil firms were on the brink of gaining access but potential deals never came to fruition.
A Russian consortium headed by LUKOIL had even signed a deal to develop West Qurna, but it was cancelled by Iraq in 2002. France's Total had initialed a deal for Majnoon and Bin Umar, another major field.
By now allowing international firms to help raise output at its key fields, the Iraqi government is breaking with the policy of neighbors such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, where state firms keep tight control of oil.
However, the proposed Iraqi deals take the form of service contracts, in which Iraq owns the oil and foreign firms are paid for their work, rather than the production-sharing deals foreign firms prefer because they give them a share of the output.
In September, Iraq's cabinet approved a $3 billion oil service contract with the Chinese National Petroleum Company (CNPC), restoring a deal originally signed in 1997.
Royal Dutch Shell is finalizing details of a multibillion-dollar joint venture with an Iraqi state-run firm to capture gas produced as a by-product of oil production in southern Iraq, for export and domestic power generation.
Oil is Iraq's main source of income and boosting output is vital to earning the cash needed for reconstruction, especially as plummeting oil prices have shrunk existing revenues.
(www.iraqupdates.com)
Sons of Iraq Transfer New Year's Day
December 31, 2008
Army News Service
BAGHDAD - Along with a new year, Iraq is ringing in an important step toward national reconciliation and sovereignty on Jan. 1 as the nation's government takes over control of the Sons of Iraq from Coalition forces in four provinces.
The turnover includes Diyala, one of the most diverse provinces, where al-Qaeda in Iraq once terrorized and intimidated local residents.
In all, 76 percent of the nation's SoI members will be under Iraqi government responsibility by New Year's Day.
"We are beyond the tipping point with the Sons of Iraq," said Lt. Col. Jeffrey Kulmayer, the chief of reconciliation and engagement for Multi-National Corps - Iraq.
"They have invested in the future of Iraq. And the Iraqi Government is offering them hope in the future. They're going to be part of that."
The transfer marks a dramatic turnaround in Diyala province in particular.
"Diyala is a small Iraq," said Iraqi Army Maj. Gen. Muzhir al-Mawla, vice chairman of the Iraqi Follow-Up Committee for National Reconciliation. Home to Kurds as well as Sunni and Shi'a Iraqis, the region is more varied than Baghdad, he sadi, where SoI members have already been successfully transferred to Iraqi control.
In 2007, the mostly Sunni area of Diyala, northeast of Baghdad, had been considered one of the most dangerous provinces in Iraq, and it lacked an infrastructure to support many basic services for its residents. But, as AQI's targeting of innocent men, women and children in areas like Diyala took its deadly toll on residents, concerned local citizens joined a movement called the "Awakening" and organized neighborhood watches to roll back terrorist gains in their communities.
The following year, the movement's members -- who came to be known as the Sons of Iraq -- joined forces with the Coalition to fight AQI, with spectacular results, officials said. The addition of more than 100,000 SoI members helped to thicken the security forces and enabled the improved security environment experienced today.
"They have been critical to finding caches, bringing down IEDs, keeping al-Qaeda out of the towns, because they know everybody," Kulmayer said. "They know who's who in their towns and villages."
Now, after helping bring greater stability to the region, 20,000 SoI members in Diyala, Babil, Wasit and Qadisiyah provinces will have opportunities to serve their country in new roles.
In early December, they began to register with the Iraqi government to receive their regular paychecks. As responsibility for the SoI transfers to the government on Jan. 1, the group's members will transition into a variety of meaningful jobs intended to secure the nation's future. About 20 percent are slated to join the Iraqi Army or Police; the rest will enter public or private employment in a variety of roles, from civil engineering to electrical maintenance to working in the government's multiple ministries.
"The goal of this program is to eventually hire these people into meaningful jobs," said Lt. Gen. Lloyd Austin III, commanding general of MNC-I. "While many of them are working in security positions right now, ultimately they'll transition and go into other meaningful jobs, and that's the goal."
The program has met with a number of challenges. Before working with the Coalition, many of the SoI actively resisted it. Some members worry that their previous activities might be held against them.
So far, though, the SoI and the government have interacted well, confirming that this is "the leading edge of reconciliation," according to Maj. Gen. Michael Ferriter, deputy commanding general of MNC-I.
In the past three months, more than half of the country's SoI have already been transferred smoothly to Iraqi control, including all the group's members in Baghdad. SoI registration in Anbar Province is nearly complete, in preparation for a Feb. 1 transfer to Iraqi control. Ninewa, Kirkuk and Salah Ah Din provinces are scheduled to transfer in early spring. Authorities said a rehearsal of the Diyala transfer on Dec. 23 went off without a hitch.
"Diyala is considered to be a very complex province, but in fact the registration of the SoI has gone very well," said Kulmayer, adding that nearly 9,000 SoI members would register with the government in the province. "We have a very large turnout there. It's exceeding the expectation of how many would come in and register."
"The Sons of Iraq feel as if they're being taken care of," Austin said. "They're apprehensive, but that's to be expected. This is new and building trust takes time."
Civil Service Corps projects continue to be the main focus of non-security job efforts, with more than 4,100 SoI currently enrolled in various apprentice programs. Iraqi-led jobs programs for the SoI, such as CSC and public works projects, remain in development. The government of Iraq is also looking at opening a number of job-training centers around the country to address the needs of unskilled SoI members.
"Those results have come about because of determined leadership," Austin said.
Ferriter echoed those comments, adding that, at the end of the day, all the parties were on the same page. "We have a common goal: We don't want the Sons of Iraq to turn to al-Qaeda," he said.
"The Coalition forces don't want that; the Iraqi Prime Minister doesn't want that. Together, we'll make this work."
(www.military.com)
PARIS, Jan 2 (KUNA) -- France on Friday said it welcomed the transfer of authority for the Baghdad "Green Zone" to the Iraqi government from control by US-led coalition forces and said this was in line with French wishes for Iraq to recover its full sovereignty.
"France welcomes the transfer yesterday of responsibility of the international zone in Baghdad to Iraqi authorities," the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
"France has always supported recovery of full sovereignty by Iraq and this is a new and important step which has been made on that path," the statement added.
"This evolution is part of the logic of a progressive and organized withdrawal of foreign forces in consultation with the Iraqi government," the French Foreign Ministry said.
According to an agreement between the Iraqi government and the United States, a full withdrawal of US troops is scheduled for 2011. (end) jk.rk KUNA 021638 Jan 09NNNN
(www.kuna.net.kw)
GCC investments flow into Iraq''s Kurdistan in 2008 -- official
IRBIL, Jan 2 (KUNA) -- GCC investments to Iraq's Kurdistan had increased in 2008 with about USD 16 billion invested in the region, said an official here on Friday.
Herish Muharam Mohammad, head of Kurdistan's investment authority, told the press that such facts came after the vast security improvements in Kurdistan, adding that the flexible commercial laws also played a role in attracting these investments.
According to Mohammad, the leading investors in the region were the UAE followed by Kuwait.
Local investors in the region had launched several real estate projects which helped elevate the commercial activities in the region. (end) sbr.gta KUNA 021519 Jan 09NNNN
(www.kuna.net.kw)
Danish plane touches down at Baghdad airport 1st time since 18 years
BAGHDAD, Jan 2 (KUNA) -- A plane flying from Denmark touched down at Baghdad airport on Friday, marking the first such flight since 18 years ago.
A spokesman of the ministry of transports told KUNA Minister Amer Abdel Jabbar was on top of officials who wlecomed the plane, of Nordic Airways.
The aircrat boarded Iraqis who reside in Scandinavian countries, he said, adding that Baghdad would expand the network of air navigation with many states of the world. (end) mhg.rk KUNA 021646 Jan 09NNNN
(www.kuna.net.kw)
We are beginning a new year as investors in the New Iraqi Dinar. At the end of 2007 Al-Malaki stated 2008 would focus on the economy of Iraq. It looks as though the economy in 2008 was a major focus of the Al-Malaki government.
From the articles I and others of you have posted in 2008 we are seeing Iraq begin to recover in major sectors such as transportation and farming. Iraq's oil production is at pre war levels though the price of oil has fallen sharply. As I have stated, I believe with the passage of the HCL this sector will explode with new growth and new investment. The Public Works sector still need investment. Basic water and electrical services are far from what they need to be. In this respect Iraq is still a thrid world nation.
The year 2008 ended with the passage of the SOFA agreement and lifting of article VII. The new year begins with Iraqi forces taking control of the Green Zone and the responsibility for the Sons of Iraq. What will the remainder of 2009 hold for Iraq? We do not know We know (to my utter dismay) Barack Hussein Obama will have a direct effect on U.S./Iraqi relations. What this effect will be we do not know?
We also know provincial elections are scheduled for the end of the month. It will be interesting to see whether the Sunnis can hold on to governmental power; or, will the Shiites sweep Al-Malaki out of office. If the majority ethnic group in Iraq comes to power what effect will this have on pending legislation; specifically, the HCL? What effect will this have on our investment in general?
I still believe that the Iraqi Dinar is an undervalued currency that will be backed by Iraqi's cash reserves, gold reserves and monetized oil; leading to a fully convertible currency traded on the foreign exchange market. In my view this is still a once in a lifetime opportunity. It is my hope that the Al-Warka/Citi Bank relationship continues to progress where those of us holding physical dinars can open an Iraqi bank account with Al-Warka via Citi Bank and by pass FEDEX.
We are closer to the conclusion of this investment than we have been before. I believe the GoI and the CBI are interested in tighting monetary further in the short term to collect all of the outstanding monetary units it can. These entities also want to stem the outflow of Dinars from Iraq. It is my belief that Chase, B of A, and Scotia deciding not to buy or sell Iraqi Dinars is either directly or indirectly related to this tightened monetary policy. I also believe we will the supply of Dinars through dealers, ebay, and banks in UK lessened because of this tightening. Ultimately, this bodes well for those of us that have Dinars on hand.
None of know what the future holds for Iraq and we Dinarians but 2009 has the potential to be very very profitable.
Yes,this could be the year we get a good return on our Dinar investment. If you have more than $10,000,or earn interest, in a foreign bank account you need to read this article titled "Report your foreign bank accounts or go to jail". When the Dinar RV's at a decent rate, and we all cash in, it's highly probable that our tax returns will be audited. As the Boy Scouts say....be prepared!
Iraq's dilapidated transport infrastructure is on the road to recovery after decades of neglect but funding is inadequate and the new transport minister is seeking outside investors, AFP reported.
Factionalism and corruption was rife when Amer Abduljabbar Ismail took the helm at a government department considered to be one of the most dysfunctional in the war-battered country.
Now Ismail has the ministry moving forward again and recently signed a preliminary accord with Air France-KLM which will see Iraqi Airways taking off for European destinations and Baghdad's airport being renovated.
Topping his ambitious list of projects that also includes revamping the nation's bombed out and looted railway network is a US$4.4 billion dollar container port in Iraq's Al-Fao in the south.
Despite initial successes the ministry's budget of $450 million is far too small to fulfil Ismail's Iraq's basic transport needs.
U.S. moo-ve to rebuild Iraq's dairy herds
Jan. 2, 2009
BAGHDAD, Jan. 2 (UPI) -- The U.S. Marines are buying cows for Iraqi women, whose husbands died in combat, to help rebuild the country's dairy economy, a military spokeswoman said.
A request by an Iraqi women's group lead to the Marine's bovine distribution to 50 women in Anbar province, the Los Angeles Times reported.
"It was an easy sell," said Maj. Meredith Brown, part of the Marines' outreach program for Iraqi women.
The need to beef up Iraq's dairy industry was argued in a report by Land O'Lakes Inc., the Minnesota dairy company hired by the Marines to examine the Iraqi dairy industry. It concluded the industry had great growth potential in Iraq, which produces enough milk to satisfy only 5 percent of the demand.
The cow distribution program is one of several U.S. initiatives to help revive Iraq's dairy and beef industries, officials said. The United States also is leading a project to rehabilitate a milk collection center in Fallujah, and is working with dairy farmers in Wehida region south of Baghdad.
Najaf refinery's production up by 71-100% in 2008
01 January 2009
NAJAF / Aswat al-Iraq: The Najaf refinery's production has jumped by an amazing 71-100 percent in 2008, compared to 2007, according to figures announced by the refinery.
"The refinery's production of kerosene reached 90.23 million liters in 2008, 100 percent higher than its production in 2007," a statement released by the refinery and received by Aswat al-Iraq quoted Engineer Ahmed Abdeljabbar Razj as saying.
On October 7, 2006, the Iraqi Ministry of Oil inaugurated the refinery, which it said will meet the province's needs for oil derivatives.
Najaf, about 160 km south of Baghdad, has an estimated population of 900,600 in 2008, though this has increased significantly since 2003 due to immigration from abroad.
(RTTNews) - ONGC Videsh Ltd., or OVL, the overseas investment arm of India's Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd., or ONGC, is planning to bid for a few of the 19 exploration blocks being offered under two bidding rounds by Iraq, reports media.
Iraq opened the second round of bidding on December 31, 2008 offering 11 oil and gas exploration blocks for global oil companies. The oil fields will be offered on long-term contracts basis by paying a flat fee for their services instead of production-sharing contracts. Iraq has roughly 115 billion barrels of oil reserves, making its the third largest in the world.
OVL, along with 35 global oil companies, is the only Indian company that has been qualified by the Iraqi government for bidding in its auctions. The oil and gas fields are distributed around Iraq. They include blocks that lie along Iraq's border with Iran and Kuwait.
The same 35 foreign companies, including global majors such as ExxonMobil, Royal Dutch Shell, British Petroleum, Chevron Corporation and Chinese company Sinopec that qualified to take part in the first round are involved in this one, release said.
Iraq hopes to sign the contracts for the latest round of auctions by the end of 2009. The results for the first round are scheduled to be announced in May 2009.
State-owned OVL has the mandate to buy oil and gas assets overseas, as part of the Indian government's plans to attain energy security. Presently, the company has 39 oil and gas properties in 17 countries. It had just one property in Vietnam seven years ago.
New round of oil field deals to double Iraq's output
Reuters
Published: Friday, January 02, 2009
Iraq has opened up some of its most prized oil-and-gas fields to international firms that have been excluded for decades, part of new deals that could more than double its output within a few years.
In a second bid round, following on from one earlier this year, Iraq has put forward 11 fields.
Two of the oilfields -- Majnoon and West Qurna Phase II -- are classed as super giants that could produce 1.2-million barrels per day when fully developed.
"Under service contracts prepared by the oil ministry, 11 oil-and-gas fields will undergo complete development," Oil Minister Hussain al-Shahristani said.
With the beginning of 2009 and the U.S.-Iraq Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) on the U.S. military presence going into effect on the New Year's day, Iraq faces a crucial year for the reviving of the country.
A series of votes in Iraq this year will re-configure the nation's political map, including the provincial elections on Jan.31 and the nationwide parliamentary elections at the end of the year.
PROVINCIAL ELECTIONS IN JANUARY
The provincial elections will be the first major poll in Iraq since 2005. The elections will bring new blood into local governing bodies and will serve as a dry run for the nationwide parliamentary elections in December.
More than 400 parties have been registered and more than 14,500 candidates will race for 440 open seats on provincial councils.
"Iraq will witness a dramatic political change during the provincial elections, because many politicians and parties which had not participated in the past elections will join race for the seats this time," said Dr. Sabah N Noori al-Shiek, a professor in Baghdad University.
As Iraq's security gains grow more sustainable, provincial elections become essential for integrating important social groups into the political process. An important change will be towards much stronger representation for Iraq's Sunni who did not participate the 2005 elections actively but remains a huge influence in the central and western provinces of Iraq.
NATIONWIDE ELECTIONS IN DECEMBER
The nationwide elections are widely seen as a major step in forging power-sharing agreements in central governing bodies among Iraq's religious and ethnic communities and are key to lasting peace and reconstruction of the country. The nationwide parliamentary elections will, for the first time in three years, offer Iraqis a chance to choose leaders who they believe represent their interests.
"The elections in December are expected to have the major impact on Iraq's future at least in the coming four years, because there would be a new parliament and a new government." said Professor Shiek.
The votes in the year will re-balance political powers from local level to central level and make 2009 a crucial year during the interim period in Iraq. The year will tell whether Iraqis could grasp the chance to end violence and create a lasting peace. If things go well, Iraq could be on its way to ethnic reconciliation, national integrity and reconstruction of the country.
On January 20th, 2009, a man will raise his right hand, place his left hand on a holy book, and swear to uphold the Constitution of the United States. "I, Barrack Hussein Obama, do solemly swear, upon the Q'ran, that I will faithfully execute the orders of retreat, so help me Allah"...
An Explanation for the Republican Loss of the Presidency and Congress to the Democrats And how to prevent a nuclear holocaust as a result on US soil
I know the level of frustration and intolerance for talk on Obama has been high for some on this site, but I must take it up one more time, because it not only affects the Presidency but the direction and security of the nation. You may skip it if you wish (no dinar), but I feel I must speak now because this fits far too well not to speak of it, and I feel there is too much at stake. See if this makes any sense to you, it is in parts due to url limits and not wanting to wait for DA's approval.
The Puppet Presidency of Barack Hussein Obama
Suppose Islamic Fundamentalists wanted to take over the Presidency of the United States, and have a puppet in place who would do what they wished him to do.. How would they do it? First of all, they would need someone they could manipulate, one who had similar goals or at least ones not incompatible with their own, sympathetic toward their agenda. Barack Hussein Obama is such a man. He has been raised with Muslim upbringing, though he does not now profess that faith, and he has a great deal of sympathy toward the Hamas and other groups so that they said they were hopeful of his becoming President.
QUOTE:
In Indonesia, the young Obama was enrolled in a Madrassa and was raised and educated as a Muslim. Although Indonesia is regarded as a moderate Muslim state, the U.S. intelligence community has determined that today most of these schools are financed by the Saudi Arabian government and they teach a Wahhabi doctrine that denies the rights of non-Muslims.
===
Did Barack Obama Ever Attend A Madrassa?
From Insight Magazine:
Hillary’s team has questions about Obama’s Muslim background
1/17/2007
Are the American people ready for an elected president who was educated in a Madrassa as a young boy and has not been forthcoming about his Muslim heritage?
This is the question Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s camp is asking about Sen. Barack Obama.
An investigation of Mr. Obama by political opponents within the Democratic Party has discovered that Mr. Obama was raised as a Muslim by his stepfather in Indonesia. Sources close to the background check said Mr. Obama, 45, spent at least four years in a so-called Madrassa, or Muslim seminary, in Indonesia.
"He was a Muslim, but he concealed it," the source said. The sources said the background check concerned Mr. Obama’s years in Jakarta. In Indonesia, the young Obama was enrolled in a Madrassa and was raised and educated as a Muslim. Although Indonesia is regarded as a moderate Muslim state, the U.S. intelligence community has determined that today most of these schools are financed by the Saudi Arabian government and they teach a Wahhabi doctrine that denies the rights of non-Muslims.
Although the background check has not confirmed that the specific Madrassa Mr. Obama attended was espousing Wahhabism, the sources said his Democratic opponents believe this to be the case—and are seeking to prove it.
"Obama’s education began a life-long relationship with Islam as a faith and Muslims as a community," the source said. "This has been a relationship that contains numerous question marks."
Mr. Obama says his father was "raised a Muslim, but by the time he met my mother he was a confirmed atheist…." Mr. Obama also describes his father as largely absent from his life. He says his Indonesian stepfather was "skeptical" about religion and "saw religion as not particularly useful in the practical business of making one’s way in the world …."
Mr. Obama graduated from Columbia University and Harvard Law School; he became the first black editor of the Harvard Law Review. He later settled in Chicago, joined a law firm and began attending and helping local churches.
Mr. Obama is married to Michelle Robinson and they have two daughters, Malia and Sasha. In 1996, he was elected to the Illinois state Senate. Eight years later, he became a U.S. senator from Illinois.
===
We should bear in mind the famous quote from St. Francis Xavier: "Give me the children until they are seven and anyone may have them afterwards."
And the Muslims could teach the Jesuits a thing or two about inculcating beliefs.
Hamas 'in crisis' after report of Obama-aide meetings
"We were in contact with a number of Obama's aides through the Internet and later met with some of them in Gaza, but they advised us not to come out with any statements, as they may have a negative effect on his election campaign and be used by Republican candidate John McCain (to attack Obama)," Ahmed Yousef, Hamas' chief political adviser in Gaza, told Al-Hayat.
Yousef referred to an interview he gave to WND and WABC Radio in April in which he praised Obama and then found his comments had fueled a firestorm of accusations in the presidential campaign.
In April, Yousef stated he hoped Obama would become president, comparing the Illinois senator to President John F. Kennedy.
"We like Mr. Obama, and we hope that he will win the election," Yousef told WND at the time.
"I hope Mr. Obama and the Democrats will change the political discourse. ... I do believe [Obama] is like John Kennedy, a great man with a great principle. And he has a vision to change America to make it in a position to lead the world community, but not with humiliation and arrogance," Yousef said.
Sen. John McCain repeatedly used Yousef's remarks to criticize Obama's judgment and foreign policy.
Those who rejoiced in the streets when he became President Elect were the terrorist nations, though it was not covered greatly over here on the newswires, including those who are terrorist enemies within Iraq.
===
Enemies in Iraq rejoice at Obama win
Saturday, November 08, 2008
NY Times:
The leader of a jihadi group in Iraq argued Friday that the election of Barack Obama as president represented a victory for radical Islamic groups that had battled American forces since the invasion of Iraq.
In his address, Mr. Baghdadi also said that the election of Mr. Obama — and the rejection of the Republican candidate, Senator John McCain — was a victory for his movement, a claim that has already begun to resonate among the radical faithful.
---
The main reason this story was buried is that these guys have so decisively lost the war in Iraq that it will be hard for even Obama to to reverse that for them as badly as he and many Democrats wanted to lose the war in Iraq. But it does show how Obama and the Democrats had a shared goal with our enemy in Iraq (pullout). They may have had different reasons for that shared goal, but it is clear to me how disastrous it would have been to follow Obama's policy in Iraq the last two years.
it does show how Obama and the Democrats had a shared goal with our enemy in Iraq (pullout). They may have had different reasons for that shared goal, but it is clear to me how disastrous it would have been to follow Obama's policy in Iraq the last two years.
There is no need for Obama to be mindful of how his goals further the cause of terrorist Islamic fundamentalists for him to be furthering their aims - as is mentioned here with his goal of precipitous pullout from Iraq. My concern is his being manipulated.. and how that could cost American security and lives.
Once they were assured that they had someone sympathetic toward the Islamic world and viewpoint, a person not willing to fight against it (as President Bush has) or declare war against it (the Global War On Terror) but a person willing to appease it and "sit down unconditionally" with such people in the Middle Eastern world, the next step would be to qualify him by getting him the "right kind of education" to be able to be accepted by those upper political circles. Barack Hussein Obama was a very poor man, raised by a single mother. Yet he managed to go to the most prestigious Harvard Law School and became the President of the Harvard Law Review. The man in this youtube clip says he knows that Obama was helped/funded by the Saudi Arabians.. and got into Harvard (to become President of the Law Review 2:28) by the instrumentality of Khalid Mansour:
Why are all Obama's college records closed and unavailable to public scrutiny?
Including those disclosing how he managed to afford and who paid for his education?
Shouldn't we know if he is beholden to anyone for getting where he is in life?
By what merits did he become President of the Law Review and where are the records of what he did at that time?
Saudi Arabians have many radical links - such as those which helped Bin Laden and his 911 group to attack the United States. The suicide bombers on 911 were from Saudi Arabia. Who is to say there is not another such radical "prince" with a lot of wealth behind Obama?
===
The Saudi Arabian Enigma
By Jim Kouri
Nov 24, 2008
(The following article is based on reports obtained by the National Association of Chiefs of Police.)
US government and other terrorism experts continue to report that Islamic extremism is on the rise and that the spread of Islamic extremism is the preeminent threat facing the United States. In addition, various sources alleged that Saudi Arabia is one source that has supported and funded the spread of Islamic extremism globally.
A number of sources have reported that Saudi private entities and individuals, as well as sources from other countries, are allegedly financing or supporting Islamic extremism.
For example, in July 2005, a Treasury official testified before Congress that Saudi Arabia-based and -funded organizations remain a key source for the promotion of ideologies used by terrorists and violent extremists around the world to justify their agenda. However, according to the 9/11 Commission Report, the Commission found no persuasive evidence that the Saudi government knowingly supported al Qaeda.
The government agencies also told GAO staff that Islamic extremism is being propagated by sources in countries other than Saudi Arabia, such as Iran, Kuwait, and Syria. The agencies are still examining Saudi Arabia's relationship, and that of other sources in other countries, to Islamic extremism.
The Saudi government has announced and, in some cases, undertaken some reform efforts to address Islamic extremism. For example, the government is undertaking educational and religious reforms, including revising textbooks and conducting a 3-year enlightenment program, to purge extremism and intolerance from religious education. However, US agencies do not know the extent of the Saudi government's efforts to limit the activities of Saudi sources that have allegedly propagated Islamic extremism outside of Saudi Arabia.
Sources: General Accounting Office, US Department of State, US Department of Defense, National Security Institute, National Association of Chiefs of Police Terrorism Committee
After 911, America in its own defense invaded Iraq, and now poses a closer and more direct threat to Radical Islamic beliefs - a threat they might Westernize the radical Islamic world, making it more tolerant and removing from power the terrorist stronghold and viewpoint. Also, the President of the United States - when asked, would not say that if the US was attacked again he would not retaliate against Mecca (which is located in Saudi Arabia) and actually wipe this most holy site of Islam off the face of the map. This was a great deterrent which has contributed greatly to keeping America safe from terrorist nuclear attack for his entire Presidency. Because of this strong position militarily, the Islamic fundamentalist terrorists in the world felt threatened by Bush or any other similar thinking persons like McCain. The man they were grooming hasn't yet the experience and qualifications to take over legitimately, but with a little help (and a lot of money) they decided this development was enough to make them attempt to back their candidate for the Presidency "early." But..
How do you get a totally unqualified person for Presidency elected? Well, first of all, this person must have the total support of all the media.. the media can no longer be unbiased, so you must practically OWN the networks. The vast majority of the American public understands there is media bias.. those sympathetic to terrorist interests. Some see even more clearly than that..
===
Subject: End of Journalism as we knew it Thoughts, Past and Future
November 17th, 2008
There is now no journalism as we knew it. It died during the campaign. And so we have no mainstream media audit of politics other than the vestigial shrill warnings about the last three months of the dangerous Bush administration. From the New York Times, NPR, PBS, or Newsweek, we will hear little whether Obama is choosing a good or bad team, or said silly things or contradicts what he promised. They simply have lost all credibility and now the republic is left largely with bloggers, talk radio, and a few newspapers as mostly partisan auditors. Again, traditional journalism as we knew it —the big dailies, the weekly news magazines, the networks, public radio and TV—no longer exists. Death by suicide. RIP—around March, 2008. http://pajamasmedia.com/victordavishanson/thoughts-on-past-and-future/
Also, more than practically owning the media, you must have a lot of Washington willing to support your man.. greasing their wheels with a little of that cold, hard cash as well. The fact of Blago trying to sell the seat of BHO shows us where a lot of money can get you.. and how so many are truly willing to be led there so long as the carrot is dangled before their undiscerning eyes. (Other instances of corruption abound, take your pick.. it wasn't a campaign issue for McCain/Palin that they would go to Washington and clean it up for nothing.)
===
Blagojevich Caught Selling Obama’s Seat
From a distraught Associated Press:
Ill. Gov. arrested in Obama successor probe
By MIKE ROBINSON, Associated Press Writer
CHICAGO – Illinois Gov. Rod was arrested on Tuesday on charges that he brazenly conspired to sell or trade the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by President-elect Barack Obama to the highest bidder.
It said Blagojevich also talked about getting his wife placed on corporate boards where she might get $150,000 a year in director’s fees.
He also allegedly discussed getting campaign funds for himself or possibly a post in the president’s cabinet or an ambassadorship once he left the governor’s office. He noted becoming a U.S. senator might remake his image for a possible presidential run in 2016, according to the affidavit. And he allegedly said a Senate seat would also provide him with corporate contacts if he needed a job and present an opportunity for his wife to work as a lobbyist.
“I want to make money,” the affidavit quotes him as saying in one conversation.
According to Tuesday’s complaint, Blagojevich schemed with Rezko, millionaire-fundraiser turned federal witness Stuart Levine and others to get financial benefits for himself and his campaign committee.
According to the affidavit, agents learned Blagojevich was seeking $2.5 million in campaign contributions by the end of the year, with a large part allegedly to come from companies and individuals who have gotten state contracts or appointments.
===
Funny how Mr. Blagojevich got arrested just as a certain king-maker got into the “bidding”:
From the Chicago Sun-Times:
Jones joins bidding for Obama Senate seat
December 8, 2008
For the first time, outgoing Illinois Senate President Emil Jones is saying he would like President-elect Barack Obama’s U.S. Senate seat.
“Yes, I am interested,” Jones said on WBBM-AM’s “At Issue,” which aired Sunday. Obama’s replacement should be black, Jones said, because otherwise the U.S. Senate will be all-white.
“Barack would not be there had [it] not been for an Emil Jones,” Ald. Carrie Austin (34th) said at a Sunday news conference to push Jones.
Gov. Blagojevich decides who gets the plum. Besides Jones, political chatter is focusing on U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, state veterans’ affairs chief Tammy Duckworth, U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan and U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky.
===
Lest we forget, Mr. Jones is the man who made Barack Obama a US Senator.
This article was posted by Steve Gilbert on Tuesday, December 9th, 2008.
Comments:
1) Media_man
I wonder how people in Blue states like Illinois (or NJ, or NY, or CA) continue to vote for proudly corrupt politicians who fleece their tax payers like sheep and don’t seem to mind. I suppose it has something to do with the taxeaters out numbering the the taxpayers in those respective states whereas in Red states it remains the opposite. Blue states have a relatively steep level of tolerance for corruption so long as the gravy train continues to roll. Red states less so (Ted Stevens not withstanding).
They’ll replace Guv Blag with another corrupt machine pol who will be just a bit more careful about the graft he solicits.
2) curvyred
Isn’t amazing that they keep the party affiliation buried in the third paragraph when it is a democrat, but name the affiliation in the headline when it is a Republican.
3) proreason
“I wonder how people in Blue states like Illinois (or NJ, or NY, or CA) continue to vote for proudly corrupt politicians who fleece their tax payers like sheep and don’t seem to mind”
Where are the politicians NOT corrupt? They must all be so rich because they are so smart.
But the key thing to note here is when this is revealed. What a surprise, huh? Any chance Blago did anything wrong BEFORE the election?? Guess not. LOL. Kind of looks to me like Obamy is covering his tracks by purging the weak links in the Family back home.
So far we have….supression of voter registration fraud, supression of donor fraud, supression of reams of information about Obamy, instigation of the CRP crisis immediately before the election, manipulation of the markets in September and October by Soros and crew, patently false claims of racism in the campaign, and untold lies about Sarah Palin…..and now the belated revelation the purge of Obamy’s weak link partner in crime.
Oh - but of course the country had a fair election, very fair, and Obamy is the duly elected representative of the people.
And all conservatives need to do is field a more centrist candidate to get back in the game.
4) proreason
SG: how could you miss highlighting this in the story about Obamy friend Blago?
“He noted becoming a U.S. senator might remake his image for a possible presidential run in 2016″
Whew! No more worries about an Obamy successor. If the One can’t get the worrisome term limit “mistake” removed from the Constitution, well-qualified candidates are already emerging to carry the movement forward.
5) proreason
Tapper says “And, it should be pointed out, Mr. Obama has a relationship with Mr. Blagojevich, having not only endorsed Blagojevich in 2002 and 2006, but having served as a top adviser to the Illinois governor in his first 2002 run for the state house.”
There are a couple of areas where i’m wishy-washy in my support for Obamy, but you have to give him credit for consistency in judgement when it comes to selecting his allies.
6) 11ten1775
“Kind of looks to me like Obamy is covering his tracks by purging the weak links in the Family back home.”
That’s gotta be it. No one is surprised he was trying to sell the Senate seat; the only surprise is that he actually got arrested for doing it. It just goes to show how insane Chicago politics are… He was being investigated already, and yet he felt perfectly comfortable putting the word out that he wanted to profit from this selection, plus he knew full well that the whole country was watching this decision closely (ie. whether or not he picked a black guy). And yet, he didn’t feel the need to be discreet. Why is that?
Wonder how long it’ll be until they take his name off those huge I-Pass signs. Three guesses as to whose name will replace it…
Anyway, this makes me smile. Great story.
7) Lipstick on a PIAPS
I also love the way the media is doing backflips about Obama’s relationship with this Chicago slimeball. No matter what happened and who was in the room, OBAMA had nothing to do with it! LMAO
8) Anonymoose
Is there anyone Obama is “associated” with who is not a crook or terrorist?
9) GuppyNblue
I’d like to thank Blagojevich for being such a blabbering idiot. With todays media it’s hard to come by evidence so blatant that they can’t protect their party. But IMO he has exposed exactly the way business is done in Illinois and Washington.
I’m sure the media will focus on distancing Obama and discredit anything incriminating Blagojevich might say about him. They’re already pushing his “misspoke” excuse - just like his routine “I was taken out of context”.
10) 12 Gauge Rage
Obama will do to Blagojevich the same thing he’s done to others when they became a political liability. He’ll throw him under the bus and move on. But what’ll you bet that somehow when all this blows over, Blagojevich will come out smelling like a rose? The Dem’s take care of their own, whereas the Republican party tends to eat their own.
The point is.. the terrorists could quite easily make inroads into a structure so corrupt they only have to throw money at it to get their blind cooperation.
The next step is getting their candidate to have a LOT of money during the campaign in order to dominate all media and sway the voting public.. "he who has the most gold rules the world" is the saying - and there is no exception in America.
===
2008 campaign costliest in U.S. history
By JEANNE CUMMINGS
11/5/08
The 2008 campaign was the costliest in history, with a record-shattering $5.3 billion in spending by candidates, political parties and interest groups on the congressional and presidential races.
The party presidential nominees – Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain – together spent more than $1 billion, also an unprecedented figure.
The inflation in presidential fundraising was due in large measure to Obama’s decision to finance both his primary and general election with private donations. He was on track to raise more than $650 million.
His success has prompted many observers to declare the death of the Watergate-era, taxpayer-supported presidential financing program.
The small number of candidates who had success outside of the public financing system suggests it may require a unique candidate, or one with a unique and compelling message. Filthy rich could work, too.
Obama’s fundraising apparatus also was unique in that it attracted more than 3 million donors, the vast majority of whom never gave him more than a total of $250.
But the Illinois senator also employed a more expansive big-donor base than his predecessors.
According to White House for Sale, a nonpartisan group that tracks political giving, Obama had 605 bundlers, or donors who collect money from friends and associates and bundle them together. Four years ago, Democrat John F. Kerry had 588 bundlers and, in 2000, Al Gore had none.
Republican bundling also grew this cycle.
The financial dominance of the Obama campaign at the presidential level was mirrored by Democrats in the congressional races.
“The Republican Party’s long-time lead in the campaign finance game has been erased in this election due to the Democrats’ control of the congressional agenda and their side’s more skillful use of online fundraising,” said the center’s director, Sheila Krumholz.
One other notable campaign finance surprise in the 2008 campaign was the decline of the so-called 527s, the independent groups that ran some of the most negative and effective ads in the 2004 presidential campaign.
As the 2008 campaign came to a close, federally focused 527s had raised $185 million, a significant drop from the $338 million they raised and spent four years ago, according to a Campaign Finance Institute study.
The decline was attributed to several factors, including a Federal Election Commission crackdown on the groups and decisions by both Obama and McCain to discourage their involvement in the presidential campaign.
Consequently, some groups shifted their focus to House and Senate races, diffusing their presence and influence. Others have shifted from the ad wars to the ground game.
Filthy rich could work, too. ... Obama’s fundraising apparatus also was unique in that it attracted more than 3 million donors, the vast majority of whom never gave him more than a total of $250.
Is this OIL MONEY?? - Overseas funds?? From whom did these monies come?
The financial dominance of the Obama campaign at the presidential level was mirrored by Democrats in the congressional races... due to the skillful use of online fundraising
WHERE did the money from "online fundraising" come from? Your neighbors .. or overseas, do you think?
the decline of the so-called 527s, the independent groups that ran some of the most negative and effective ads in the 2004 presidential campaign... was attributed to several factors, including a Federal Election Commission crackdown on the groups...
So the strategy was to take the effective and independent American voices in the 527s down - including by the use of a Federal Election Commission crackdown - and then fund the Democrats and Obama by the wealthy overseas whose viewpoints they mirrored, as well as getting domestic funding from wealthy people whose goals for political power didn't mind who was in the Whitehouse so long as their pet projects were completed.
Again, money talks:
===
GOP-killing juggernaut puts bull's-eye on states Millionaires, billionaires donating to takeover plan
December 05, 2008
By Bob Unruh
A Democratic juggernaut of local and regional organizations that blast Republicans and promote Democrats using money donated by hundreds of millionaires and even billionaires was a key to President-elect Barack Obama's win over GOP candidate Sen. John McCain last month. And a new report warns the same attack strategy now is being implemented in states, targeting especially the offices of secretary of state, where elections are managed.
"The Democracy Alliance helped Democrats give Republicans a shellacking in November. Now it's organizing state-level chapters in at least 19 states, and once-conservative Colorado, which hosts the Democracy Alliance's most successful state affiliate, has turned Democrat blue," the report from Matthew Vadum and James Dellinger of Capital Research Center concludes.
The report from the center, which studies non-profit organizations, titled "The Democracy Alliance Does America: The Soros-Founded Plutocrats' Club Forms State Chapters," is accessible online.
It concludes the 2008 victory for Obama was a result of the outraged millionaire donors to the Democrats who watched their cause fail in 2004 after opening their checkbooks for tens of millions of dollars.
"It was born out the frustration of wealthy liberals who gave generously to liberal candidates and 527 political committees, but received no electoral payoff in 2004," the report said.
George Soros and others "were angry and discouraged after contributing to the Media Fund which spent $57 million on TV ads attacking President Bush in swing states and to American Coming Together which spent $78 million on get out the vote efforts," the report said.
The result was a victory for President Bush. So in 2005, 70 millionaires and billionaires met in Phoenix "for a secret long-term strategy session." Their principal point of agreement was "the conservative movement was 'a fundamental threat to the American way of life.'"
Defeating GOP U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, a vocal opponent of homosexual marriage, for example, cost an estimated $2.6 million and included such "juvenile harassment" stunts as an "interviewer" asking Musgrave to choose between stopping a "gay" marriage and saving a life, the report said.
Taking over the state legislature cost $2 million, and the governor's office was $7.5 million, the report said, funded by well-known Democrats Pat Stryker, Tim Gill and Rutt Bridges, among others.
The report explains the Democrats' effort focuses on seven components: the capacity to generate intellectual ammunition, ability to pursue investigations, to mobilize for elections, to combat negative media, to sue strategically, to train new leaders and maintain a new media presence.
Weekly Standard editor Fred Barnes, according to the report, said, "If copied in other states, [this] has the potential to produce sweeping Democratic gains nationwide."
The concept depends on wealthy liberals' spending tons of money to "create a vast infrastructure of liberal organizations that produces an anti-Republican, anti-conservative echo chamber in politics and the media."
Now, the CRC warned, the same organizing is going on "in at least 19 states," and a special campaign has been set up to target the offices of secretary of state around the nation.
As the murderously astute Joseph Stalin once remarked, "'The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything,'" the report said.
"Since 2006, Democracy Alliance partners have quietly funded the Secretary of State Project, a below-the-radar non-federal '527' political group. It can accept unlimited contributions that are not immediately publicly disclosed. Its website claims, 'A modest political investment in electing clean candidates to critical Secretary of State offices is an efficient way to protect the election,'" the report said.
"SoS endorses secretary of state candidates who take the position that voter fraud is largely a myth; that vote suppression is widely and solely used by Republicans; that it's a waste of time to remove obviously fraudulent names from voter rolls; and that legal requirements that voters show photo identification discriminate against racial minorities," the report said.
Among the project's victories so far is Mark Ritchie in Minnesota in 2006, the official currently presiding over the Senate recount in that state, the report said.
Also, in Ohio, Jennifer Brunner "trounced" her opponent.
"It October the SoS investment paid off when Brunner defied federal law by refusing to take steps to verify 200,000 questionable voter registrations," the report said.
While the report said group members deliberately are low-profile, among those whose membership has been cited in various reports are Quark creator Tim Gill, RealNetworks chief Rob Glaser, investment banker Steven M. Gluckstern, Hyatt heiress Rachel Peritzker Hunter, former Oracle executive John Luongo, television producer Norman Lear, Taco Bell heir Robert McKay and actor Rob Reiner.
The leaders met Nov. 12 in Washington, following Obama's victory, the report said. The goal? Apparently power, since the president alone, according to one Democratic official, appoints 5,000 officials to run agencies employing 2 million voters that hire another 10 million outside contractors.
"It's safe to say they are planning their next moves," the report said.
The concept depends on wealthy liberals' spending tons of money to "create a vast infrastructure of liberal organizations that produces an anti-Republican, anti-conservative echo chamber in politics and the media."
Such selfish (not country first) aims can easily be manipulated by others seeking to put in their own candidate, sympathetic to their (terrorist) aims.
Both the overseas donors and wealthy contributions to Barack Hussein Obama and Congressional Democrats were key to financing their successful campaigns. Money talks, and blind political ambition can be used toward terrorist aims.
Isa 3:12 As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead you cause you to err, and destroy the way of your paths.
Since the election ended up with Barack Hussein Obama as the President Elect, it has been decided not to investigate nor inquire into his campaign finances. Nothing to see here, just move on, right?
And, of course, they used all methods available - so that there was also massive voter fraud FOR the candidate, such as noted above and such as is recorded and discussed with what ACORN did in registering people to vote who were bogus, as well as using real people who did not donate's names to donate. This also helped to put him over the top financially,
QUOTE:
Somebody is registered to vote by a ‘field worker’ and that person then has a donation done in their name.
I know several people I ran across in the FEC database already that I personally know and who have never donated to a campaign in their entire life.
But they did this year and they were shocked to find out that info when I pointed it out to them.
===end quote==
So the voter fraud registrations by ACORN were enough to get those new names to donate to Obama's campaign.. EVEN IF they never showed up for voting as Daffy Duck and Bart Simpson (names of voters ACORN supposedly signed up to vote) never did. Small discrepancies??
“Total number of donors from a single residential address not a reasonable number (57 at one house)”
===
Why So Many Less Than $201 Obama Donations?
From a press release by George Washington University’s Campaign Finance Institute: (url)
Isn’t the real news from this study that a highly unusual number of donors gave contributions to Obama of more than $201 dollars, but did so in a way to keep from having their names disclosed?
Why did they do that?
Weirdly, the supposedly non-partisan Campaign Finance Institute does not seem curious about that angle at all.
This article was posted by Steve Gilbert on Saturday, November 29th.
Comments:
1) Right2thepoint
Another odd issue with the donations reported is a extreme number of donation with dollars and cents amounts.
482.23 for example.
The most likely cause for this odd behavior is believed to be related to deductions for a round number donation that was downsized due to fees from foreign currency conversion and /or international credit card usage fees.
2) RightWinger
Of course there is no mention of Obama turning off all the security features on his web site so any terrorist, terrorist sympathizer from the Middle East or some Obama lover from Europe could use a prepaid Visa Card and donate to the campaign like no tomorrow to ensure his victory so anybody could use any fake information they wanted in order to send in multiple contributions.
3) VMAN
George W wins the election fair and square in 2000 and the libs go insane. The chant goes up “Selected not elected”. He wins handily in 2004 and the libs get more pissed off so they think that they can do whatever they please to win in 08. Lie, cheat, steal it doesn’t make any difference because they were cheated. Will any of this ever be investigated? Probably not. The county I live in, in Florida (please no jokes) had 1000 absentee ballots uncounted because we had more candidates for president than I had ever seen, 13. The uncounted ballots marked everyone but Obama for president. These people weren’t sure what to do but they knew they didn’t want Obama. When my wife was at the polls there was a little old man who had voted but he had marked everyone BUT Obama and the ballot was kicked out of the machine. My wife noticed what had happened and tried to help but left before he had completed his second ballot. We saw a friend who was a poll worker and had seen the incident and asked if the little old man had finished voting. We were told that he spoiled 2 other ballots and that 3 was the limit so the little old man did not get to vote. How many times was this repeated all over the USA? We won’t hear about this because it doesn’t support Mr BHO.
4) DGA
R2TP’s post brings up something I have wondered about for awhile. I would love to know where these odd amount donations came from, possibly some are from Al Qaida even, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they were. Set up a spreadsheet with data from USD to other foreign currency amounts, and the days they were valued at the amounts, currency floating up and down as it does, and then have it crosscheck against the listed odd amount donations. Given that most donations are an even amount, you would be able to come up with a country that each donation came from if you had it check in some even multiples.
5) Media_man
I seem to recall the minor detail of Obama having disabled AVS for credit card donations (Address Verification System) which any reputable merchant uses to detect credit card fraud. McCain had it, Obama chose not to. We don’t know where, who, how much, how often, or much of anything about who contributed to Obama’s massive fund raising. His biggest contributors could have been the PRC or dinnerjacket.
This is a story screaming for more attention. Where’s The National Enquirer when you need them? One would think some enterprising reporter could make a big splash by blowing the lid off the Obama scam.
Nobody cares, it seems. It’s hard to believe nobody could run a cross tab on the credit card numbers & start finding out who these people really were.
6) Right2thepoint
I am waiting for a lot of data from various sources to put it all together but I tend to think that I might find a lot of ‘proxy donations’.
Somebody is registered to vote by a ‘field worker’ and that person then has a donation done in their name.
I know several people I ran across in the FEC database already that I personally know and who have never donated to a campaign in their entire life.
But they did this year and they were shocked to find out that info when I pointed it out to them.
I have been doing this stuff since almost back in the Eisenhower days so I know a trick or two of what gets done.
7) Landshark
I know more about credit card processing than I’d like to. believe me, disabling the “fraud suite” is not easy to do.
It also requires the approval of the processor. Most don’t know this, but the company that processes a merchant’s credit cards has UNLIMITED libaility for fraud by that merchant. Try setting up an account and see what kind of underwriting you go through.
I think the way to get at Obama’s fraud is via the processor. We need a conservative who was defrauded to sue the processor and ask for an examination of the records by a certified forensic fraud examiner. (No court will allow a plaintiff to view the records since they contain credit card numbers.)
Obama’s inner circle HAD to know they were getting foreign contributions (irregular amounts as explained above) and multiple sub-$200 contributions from the same person to circumvent the donation limits.
8 ) Right2thepoint
Not only did they turn off the AVS system which requires coordination with the card companies there was another issue noted.
If you dug into the source code for the web page the donations were processed on you will find out that the form that was built to submit the donation was being stuffed with a bogus internet IP address for all donations.
The only purpose this would serve is to break the trail back to the submitting ip in case of a full audit.
You may be able to match up times with the isp servers logs but that would be a major job with the volume of traffic on that site.
Also his site wasn’t the only one that disabled AVS.
There are some others on the nutroots supported donations sites that also turned off their checking to funnel donations to the Obama campaign.
For any donations that failed an FEC check and validation all the campaign is required to do is try to send a letter to the donor for clarification and their hands are clean.
9) proreason
“Right2thepoint … said:
“Scan through the results and you will see Obama getting over 97% of the vote in many precincts which are not solid Black voter precincts….Comparing them to the Gore and Kerry Campaign numbers vs Bush are night and day different.”
“Not only did they turn off the AVS system which requires coordination with the card companies there was another issue noted.If you dug into the source code for the web page the donations were processed on you will find out that the form that was built to submit the donation was being stuffed with a bogus internet IP address for all donations.”
“Obama’s inner circle HAD to know they were getting foreign contributions”
“Total number of donors from a single residential address not a reasonable number (57 at one house)”
“Some wards have as many as 5 or more precincts where Obama got 100% of the vote, not a single vote for McCain or any third party candidate.”
Obamy is the Criminal in Chief of our country.
Spectacular work, Right2 and thanks to Landshark as well.
Of course, nothing will be done about this since the press got their guy selected.
10) Right2thepoint
Remember the talk about the two rich Pakistani guys Obama was friends with and traveled to Pakistan and India with while at Occidental.
Guess which two people were on his campaign finance team and were in charge of the under 200.00 donations for the campaign.
Nothing to see here…………………………. ??
Wahid Hamid was one confirmed fellow traveler to India and Pakistan.
Mohammed Hasan Chandoo was the other but the travel link was never fully established on him.
They were both listed as to their campaign worker spots early on the campaign website but the page has been purged.
Two other Pakistani Occidental pals are Vinai Thummalapally and Imad Husain.
Most of them are bundlers for the Obama Campaign but that page even is hit or miss to being able to access for confirmation.
url
Covers the trip with Hamid and staying at the home of Chandoo.
url
NOW, It all sounds very innocent, ‘a college trip to Pakistan‘. Pakistan was in turmoil in 1981 and ruled of martial law. Millions of Afghan refugees were living in Pakistan, while the Afghan Mujahedeen operated from bases inside Pakistan in their war with the Soviets. One of the leaders that based his operation in Quetta, Pakistan was Usama Bin Laden (The Sheik).
Pakistan was on the banned travel list for US Citizens at the time and all non-Muslim visitors were not welcome unless sponsored by their embassy for official business.
There would be only a few reasons a young Westerner of the Muslim faith would travel to Pakistan in 1981:
To Participate in Jihad, which is the duty of every ‘True Believer‘.
For religious education in a Wahabbi sect, Saudi funded, Madrassa.
In order to purchase drugs from the drug marketplace.
Pakistan was not a tourist stop nor the place to hang out with someone’s family in 1981.”
11) Right2thepoint
(url) QUOTE:
> On May 10, 2008 The Times reported, Robert Malley advisor to Obama was “sacked” after the press found out he was having regular contacts with “Hamas”, which controls Gaza and is connected with Iran. This past week, buried in the back part of the papers, Iraqi newspapers reported that during Obama’s visit to Iraq, he asked their leaders to do nothing about the war until after he is elected, and he will “Take care of things”.
> Oh, and by the way, remember the college roommates that were born in Pakistan? They are in charge of all those “small” Internet campaign contribution for Obama. Where is that money coming from? The poor and middle class in this country? Or could it be from the Middle East? And now we have case after case of fraud connected with contributions and fake names who donated money to the Obama campaign,. (end quote)
That was a mention on a personal blog on his site.
12) Right2thepoint - Dec 1 2008
Sweet: Obama, at Sun-Times request, releases names of finance committee members, Senate interns.
2008 OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL NATIONAL FINANCE COMMITTEE (url)
These results show the abysmal state of media coverage of Barack Obama. It’s not that the voters couldn’t absorb data provided to them by the Tanning Bed Media; these voters quite obviously learned plenty about Sarah Palin. In the video, the subjects demonstrate that by assigning every stupid thing said on the campaign trail to Palin whether she said it or not. Meanwhile, no one can figure out what Barack Obama said, how he conducted his campaign, or his political history.
But throwing gobs of money (from the rich, overseas, bogus registrations or using legitmate voter's names and donating in their names, etc) and using biased media - though it was good enough to get BHO the position of President Elect - did not guarantee those working toward terrorist aims that Obama would vote as they willed him to. There has to be another angle to insure that - leverage to make him do what you want him to do. For that, they need real leverage over him.. the ability to throw him out of the Presidency at will, perhaps? Would that make them to have true leverage over his actions?
Doesn't it seem odd and highly unlikely that such an unqualified person could be put into the position of President Elect? Doesn't it look like someone orchestrated this? Doesn't it look selected? Apart from the incredible amount of money Obama owes in favors to those who ponied up to sell and steal the election from the true legitimate American voters (as I have documented, above), the issue which won't go away is the missing evidence of who he is and where he truly comes from. We know there is a lot of evidence missing concerning his qualifications to be elected to the highest office of the land - things like his college records, his full birth certificate.. who is hiding this information? You couldn't hide your birth certificate, or your educational records from the scrutiny of the public if you were running for office, so.. who is cooperating with him? Who ordered the sealing of these documents, and why? It is more than meets the eye.. and truly, money talks. These sealed records can be used to manipulate the Presidency. Someone can manipulate him to do as they wish him to. SOMEONE has the sealed records we are not able to obtain or see. And it is those people who will be the ones making the important decisions.. his would be only a puppet Presidency. Think I am wrong? Why does he flip-flop so much on issues?
NOTE in this case how he retreated from his position within hours..
Obama will back Saudi peace plan
November 16, 2008
by Ed Morrissey
Barack Obama has decided to base his diplomatic approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the Saudi peace plan, the Times of London reports today. A “senior Obama adviser” tells the Times that Obama will back the plan that divides Jerusalem into two capitals and pulls Israel back to pre-1967 borders:...
Apparently, Obama has changed his position from his speech at AIPAC. In early June, he told the Israeli-supporting political action group that Jerusalem “must remain undivided,” drawing thunderous applause and roars of criticism later from Palestinian groups. Within hours, Obama retreated to the Bush administration position — that Jerusalem should be left to the two sides to negotiate in the final settlement.
Welcome to Obama 3.0 on Jerusalem. Now he has switched sides to the exact opposite of what he argued at AIPAC. One has to wonder what all of those Jewish voters who supported Obama will think of this new position on Israel’s borders and security, but somehow I doubt it would get thunderous applause at AIPAC.
Who was pulling the strings which caused him to WITHIN HOURS.. to change his position? Why did "switch sides to the exact opposite" - moving to the SAUDI peace plan from there? Do you wonder why Obama is constantly flip-flopping and changing his position? When this is national security and millions of American lives are at stake.. this will not be a minor matter.
Someone bought the Presidency and this is their guarantee that he can be manipulated. If they leaked to the press the documents they own he would be thrown out and he would lose his citizenship and all claim to the Presidency - and the shame and scandal would be worse than Nixon. All they have to do is just "find" these documents and leak them to the press. Understand that whoever holds those records can manipulate Obama. It makes sense that the proof must be in the hands of truly powerful people, who are keeping it under lock and key. It is obvious there is a lack of information, and that powerful people are helping him to hide it. Berg said in the conference I quoted in a previous post that the intelligence services (CIA and FBI, etc) know he is Kenyan as do foreign intelligence services.. but somebody has gleaned all the proof of it and they hold the actual documentation which they can release at will. We as citizens may say we think it suspicious (Obama's lack of disclosure), but we do not have the actual proof. Those who do hold the proof and do have the ability to release this evidence, whoever they are, will be able to blackmail the Presidency to do what they will him to do. How do we know it hasn't been sold? Sold to the same people who put him in power? Saudi Arabia? The rich elite? Kenya? Enemies - foreign or domestic? He can be pushed around by blackmail.. whoever is out there CAN take him out.. ANYTIME they want.. if he doesn't do what he is told to.
Here is why:
"If, at any time during his tenure, a birth certificate actually surfaces showing [Obama] born in Kenya," Pidgeon said, "he is disqualified from the presidency at any time.
===
Eligibility case finds 'standing'? New suit claims unique state law enables citizens to demand proof
Posted: December 30, 2008
By Drew Zahn
A new case challenging Barack Obama's natural-born citizenship and, therefore, constitutional eligibility to serve as president has the potential to clear a hurdle that caused several other similar cases' dismissal: the issue of "standing."
In the case brought by Pennsylvania Democrat Philip Berg, for example, a federal judge ruled against the lawsuit in deciding Berg lacked the "standing" to sue, arguing that the election of Obama wouldn't cause the plaintiff specific, personal injury.
In Washington state's Broe v. Reed case, however, plaintiff's attorney Stephen Pidgeon says a unique state statute grants everyday citizens the required standing.
"These lawsuits have pointed their fingers at the various secretaries of state and said, 'You handle the elections, it's your job [to verify Obama's eligibility],'" Stephen Pidgeon told WND, "and the secretaries of state have said, 'No, it's not our job. You the voter have to prove he was ineligible.' But when the voters try to do it, the courts tell them they have no standing. So it presents a catch-22.
"Here, we have standing by means of statute," Pidgeon continued. "This particular statute provides for any registered voter to challenge the election of a candidate if the candidate at the time of the election was ineligible to hold office."
Further, Pidgeon explained, "In Washington we also have a constitutional clause in Article 1 that says the U.S. Constitution is the supreme law of land, so it's very much a state issue that the secretary of state has a duty to enforce the U.S. Constitution."
"He doesn't think he does; we think he does. That's really the issue before the court," Pidgeon said.
Washington's secretary of state, Mr. Sam Reed, has opposed the lawsuit, brought by a group of 12 registered Washington voters with Pidgeon's representation, on several grounds, including the argument that the issue is moot now that Obama has been voted upon by the people.
Pidgeon argues, however, that even if Obama remains in office two years from now, the issue will not be moot.
"The Constitution's criteria for president are never moot," Pidgeon explained. "Article 2, Section 1 says 'eligible to the Office of President'; it doesn't say 'eligible for candidacy to the Office of President."
Therefore, Pidgeon argues, the Constitution's natural-born citizen clause specifically and expressly addresses the man sitting in the Oval Office, not just the main elected and waiting to get in.
"If, at any time during his tenure, a birth certificate actually surfaces showing [Obama] born in Kenya," Pidgeon said, "he is disqualified from the presidency at any time. And the constitutional crisis that is rising out of this – the longer he's in that office, the greater the problem becomes, because everything he does will be illegal."
"These lawsuits have pointed their fingers at the various secretaries of state and said, 'You handle the elections, it's your job [to verify Obama's eligibility],'" Stephen Pidgeon told WND, "and the secretaries of state have said, 'No, it's not our job. You the voter have to prove he was ineligible.' But when the voters try to do it, the courts tell them they have no standing. So it presents a catch-22.
The issue as the Supreme Court sees it is that those bringing the lawsuits must PROVE that Obama was INELIGIBLE.. he said that he is eligible.. you must prove he is not. But the voters cannot prove Obama ineligible because they have no solid PROOF.. it is under lock and key, sealed away from the public. The only other proof could be an eyewitness account.. and I believe his grandmother, who could have been called as a witness, has suddenly died... hmmm.
The voters must prove Obama is lying. President Clinton was taken to impeachment by proof that he was lying. The Supreme Court is asking for that proof to be given, and so these bringing the lawsuits CANNOT prove that he is ineligible by solid evidence nor by an eye witness account, which are the only things which are admissible in court. All else is only hearsay - even the Kenyan ambassador's admission is inadmissible because he was not there (eyewitness). However, AT ANY TIME that a birth certificate surfaces (is leaked to the press) Obama can be disqualified from the Presidency.. so.. all those who hold this proof must do to Obama is to threaten to leak it. Please see this point.. those who have this proof can blackmail him for his ENTIRE Presidency. What if they tell him to turn off certain security measures over the US.. cancel Presidential orders which are keeping the country safe? Have they already used such leverage against him to get him to act on their orders - such as in the cases of his constant reversals (like the Saudi peace plan he moved to, above)?
How about this one? How many of these TWO HUNDRED executive orders Obama has said he will cancel once he attains to the office of the Presidency are those measures which will affect Homeland Security.. and are a payoff to the terrorists (foreign and domestic - including the rich who, like Obama, dovetail into their plans) for getting him elected? Remember, these are the policies which have kept the Homeland safe. Certainly, the Democrats have said that certain measures implemented against terrorism were "ideologically offensive" to them (as was the war in Iraq and their insistence for pullout - which also happened to dovetail with terrorist aims) - it wasn't just the the hinderances to funding abortions worldwide with US taxpayer money they have objected to, is it?
===
Obama to target Bush executive orders in first days
November 9, 2008
by Ed Morrissey
Barack Obama wants to find ways to make his mark quickly in the opening days of his presidency and reverse the legacy of George W. Bush. Obama will focus his efforts on the list of executive orders that shaped White House policy, reversing them quickly. That does not require legislative approval, but it could bring the most contentious issues to the forefront immediately and create more polarization than post-partisanship (via Jazz Shaw):
QUOTE:
Transition advisers to President-elect Barack Obama have compiled a list of about 200 Bush administration actions and executive orders that could be swiftly undone to reverse White House policies on climate change, stem cell research, reproductive rights and other issues, according to congressional Democrats, campaign aides and experts working with the transition team.
A team of four dozen advisers, working for months in virtual solitude, set out to identify regulatory and policy changes Obama could implement soon after his inauguration. The team is now consulting with liberal advocacy groups, Capitol Hill staffers and potential agency chiefs to prioritize those they regard as the most onerous or ideologically offensive, said a top transition official who was not permitted to speak on the record about the inner workings of the transition.
In some instances, Obama would be quickly delivering on promises he made during his two-year campaign, while in others he would be embracing Clinton-era policies upended by President Bush during his eight years in office.
---
One suggestion might even make sense, from a states-rights perspective. Bush signed an EO blocking California from adopting its own emissions requirements for automobiles, apart from the federal CAFE standards. That EO was a sop to the auto industry, but it defied federalism. If Obama rolled back that EO, it would support the federalist principle of state sovereignty and weaken, however slightly, the Commerce Clause attack on it.
The other top two targets will enrage the pro-life lobby. Obama plans to end the federal ban on funding for human embryonic stem-cell research (hEsc) and upend the Mexico City rule that forbids federal foreign aid to be used to promote abortion. He can expect a big controversy on both.
The hEsc order annoys researchers who can’t get money for their projects elsewhere, but that’s because the technology has surpassed hEsc. Scientists have since developed plenipotentiary stem cells from adult tissue, ending the need to destroy embryos at all. If hEsc really held out any promise apart from other technologies, it would not need federal funding at any rate — it would have private donors lining up to invest in it, as other stem-cell research does.
While American voters feel some ambiguity on abortion, they overwhelmingly do not want their tax dollars paying for or facilitating abortions. The Mexico City rule forbade federal funds to be used to facilitate the acquisition of abortions by groups abroad, much as the Hyde Amendment prohibited federal funds to be used in the same manner domestically. If Obama rescinds it, he can expect a great deal of outrage from pro-life groups and a reopening of the debate over the use of tax money to procure abortions anywhere.
These aren’t exactly low-hanging fruit, nor are they the acts of someone who professed to find middle ground between pro-life and pro-choice groups. These are the acts of a pro-abortion absolutist, and they presage the sponsorship of Planned Parenthood’s Freedom of Choice Act. So much for governing from the center.
If they are not concerning Homeland Security.. YET.. they can be, can't they?
He has four years to implement his agenda (or theirs) and can move slowly...
though two hundred Presidential orders is hardly moving SLOW, is it?
Note that he has already said he is anti-Defense and wishes to cut back on the military..
If the terrorists are planning a massive nuclear attack as is predicted by intelligence agencies within the next few years (documentation below) .. if they told BHO to turn off certain measures to make it possible to do the attack, using his own peacenik leftist Democrat viewpoint and saying it is an anti-Islamic viewpoint and racially prejudiced to do these safety measures, etc.. then they can be effective in carrying out such an attack on the US homeland. This can be without his knowledge or understanding or discernment as to what they are doing. This unqualified puppy would be the head of national security and could be compromised by his sympathy with Islamic viewpoints OVER the security of American security, and his owing his loyalty to monetary interests.. and blackmail. There is good evidence of it happening presented here.. and the extent could be more than is thought. Obama will not say they blackmailed me.. will he? The plot could take down entire national security grid from the top down in order for the terrorists to do an attack flawlessly without being traced because the President is part of it and cannot admit to it, even if he was ignorant of the planned attack. Obama is already talking about such measures and it could be part of the agreements he has already put in place with such groups as he has been friendly with from before. (Remember his telling the Iraqis NOT to deal with the Bush Administration but to wait until he got in power.. what OTHER assurances or directives has he given to other governments or entities, such as Hamas, who his aides met with?) Again, remember how he retreated from his position within hours..
As I said before.. Who was pulling the strings which caused him to WITHIN HOURS.. change sides? Why did he move to the SAUDI peace plan from there? (See part 2 of this and the part on Khalid Mansour.. any favors owed?) Do you wonder why Obama is constantly flip-flopping and changing his position? When this is national security and millions of American lives are at stake.. this will not be a minor matter.
If Obama takes the Presidency, I believe that he will be blackmailed into concessions which will hand over secrets that America owns to her enemies in the GWOT. He will compromise national security and millions of innocent American citizens will die as a result. Israel will also be in danger. Already the intelligence services are saying there is a real threat (worldwide and to the US).. how much more dangerous will this become under a President which can be blackmailed by the manipulative rich and powerful (terrorists - foreign and domestic) who put him into power?
AQ wants to outdo 9/11 in new attack on US
November 10, 2008
An Arab newspaper in London has reported that al-Qaeda intends on launching an attack on the US that would “outdo by far” the 9/11 attacks. Al-Quds al-Arabi also reported that their Yemeni contact within AQ, a “former senior operative”, says the terrorist network has already begun consolidating its networks in preparation for the attack:
Panel foresees unconventional terror threat
By Eric Schmitt
Published: December 1, 2008
WASHINGTON: An independent commission has concluded that terrorists will most likely carry out an attack with biological, nuclear or other unconventional weapons somewhere in the world in the next five years unless the United States and its allies act urgently to prevent that.
Think Obama's handlers (and his own peacenik tendencies, which they will play upon to manipulate him to do their will) will allow him to act urgently to prevent this? Or is he unwittingly being maneuvered into place by various terrorist entities whose goals may indeed be to "far outdo" the 9/11 attacks?
Iraq assumes authority over Basra airport
Published: Jan. 2, 2009
BASRA, Iraq, Jan. 2 (UPI) -- Iraqi civilian authorities took over control of Basra International Airport from British forces following an agreement with Baghdad, defense officials said.
The transfer followed a signing of a memorandum of understanding between British military officials and Iraqi civilian transport authorities in Baghdad.
Iraqi civilian authority over Basra International marks the completion of one of the last duties for British forces operating in southern Iraq, the British Royal Air Force said.
British forces in support of Operation Telic, the British mission coordinated with the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq, took control of Basra International in 2003. The Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority under the Ministry of Transportation assumes responsibility for the airport from British forces.
"The Iraqis have been operating their own airport in Basra with minimal involvement from the U.K. for several months," said Maj. Gen. Andy Salmon, general officer commanding of British forces. "From today they will gain further autonomy, taking over the running of the air traffic control tower."
The transfer of authority comes as Iraq assumes sovereign responsibility for its airspace as part of a new phase in history of the war-torn country following the termination of the U.N. mandate governing international forces.
As I watched the news,regarding events in the Gaza strip, it made me believe Iran will escalate this situation and spread it until Obama becomes President. This could be "the test" Joe Biden was talking about. When Obama takes over, Iran will attempt to shove him into a corner just to see his reaction. I hope he makes the correct decisions, otherwise it could spread further, even to Iraq.
Ancient Answers to Current Financial Crisis
1/2/2009 20:03:00
By Shamiram Daniali
Saving money is America's number one New Year resolution for 2009. As the financial chaos continues to affect millions of people who lose jobs, homes, and hope for the future, we tend to search for practical advice by financial gurus of our time. But, have you ever wondered, where did the financial institutions and advisors learn the financial principles? The answer is, from the ancient Assyrian civilization.
Where do we find the success secrets of the ancients? In 1926, George S. Clason published a book called The Richest Man in Babylon. Babylon was a city-state of the Assyrian Empire “The Cradle of Civilization.” The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Babylon was the wealthiest city of the ancient world and her citizens were the richest people of their time. In the present day, the remains of the city can be found in Al Hillah, Babel Province, Iraq, about 55 miles south of Baghdad.
Thousands of excavated and translated tablets from those ruins were introduced to the modern society. Just like the oldest Assyrian civilization invented the science of engineering, astronomy, calendar, literature, mathematics and medicine, to name a few, their financial records became inspirational classics to banks, insurance companies, employers and millions of ambitious people who desire a larger bank account and gratifying financial progress. Those inscripted financial tablets recorded information about money, promissory notes, written titles to properties, savings accounts, investment, mortgage, lending, credit, insurance, retirements, wills and business contracts. All those records have set the basics for the modern financial principles we know today. As George Clason noted in his book, those financial principles are “Like the Law of gravity, they are universal and unchanging” and “Money is governed today by the same laws which controlled it when prosperous men thronged the streets of Babylon, six thousand years ago.
Anyone with a New Year resolution to save money ought to read The Richest Man In Babylon, and share it with their loved ones to ensure their financial prosperity. The following are some of the timeless financial rules on saving money:
Rule 1: Pay yourself first. Keep at least a tenth of all you earn for yourself, no matter how little you earn. Do not pay bills, buy clothes and food, etc. until you have paid yourself first. You will be amazed to find that you will be no shorter of funds than before you started practicing this vital rule. You must observe this rule throughout your life, regardless of how poor or how rich you become.
Rule 2: Seek the advice of the experts. Learn to seek advice from those who are competent through their own experiences in a particular field. In the mean time, refrain from spending your savings, no matter how tempting it may be at times.
Rule 3: Make your savings work for you. After you have acquired enough savings, and the best possible knowledge and advice in the field of your interest, invest a portion of your savings. Take greatest caution that your savings is not lost; a small and safe return is far more desirable than regret.
Remember, a part of all you earn is yours to keep, so continue paying yourself a tenth of your income first. By the end of this year, if not sooner, you will have become so used to this rule that it will become a second nature. The ancient Assyrians believed “The goddess of luck is the goddess of love and dignity whose pleasure is to aid those who are in need, and to reward those who are deserving and those who take advantage of opportunities.”
As I watched the news, regarding events in the Gaza strip, it made me believe Iran will escalate this situation and spread it until Obama becomes President. This could be "the test" Joe Biden was talking about. When Obama takes over, Iran will attempt to shove him into a corner just to see his reaction. I hope he makes the correct decisions, otherwise it could spread further, even to Iraq.
==end quote==
Tsalagi - There is a lot more to this. I believe that the US could be dragged into the conflict (though kicking and screaming).. escalating things further. The Iranians as you said, perceive Obama as weak - as does the rest of the world - and they would indeed "attempt to shove him into a corner" - taking whatever advantage these far stronger people may have. But as for whether this scenerio will play out and Obama will become the President.. he isn't yet and I am praying the Lord's will and not the will of man concerning it. I do not believe Obama is the will of God for the country, but that he took the Presidency by FRAUD (see the four part series above) and I also believe he is NOT QUALIFIED (a foreign usurper) to be President according to the Constitution. Because of this, I am praying God's will to be done, and believing God will move circumstances so Obama will never attain to the Whitehouse - in whatever fashion He wills to accomplish this.
I wrote my thoughts on God's leadings in a document today I called "leadings" and will share it with you and the Board here. This is No Dinar.. but only spiritual insights I have been given, my viewpoint on the world and election as it stands, much as Pat Robertson gave recently. Those who do not value my opinion can certainly skip it. My two cents worth..
Leadings..
The book, "30 years of US/China relations" was being commented on by many ambassadors and diplomats at a conference very recently (post election), and in that conference, J. Stapleton Ray, a US ambassador, was predicting that in the next couple of decades the US will not be able to defend militarily the Strait of Taiwan. Whereas it was once hoped that the US would extend US influence throughout the globe (like the cop of the world) and help relieve suffering, the present situation (BHO) presents us with the likelihood that the US will decline in influence. As the US declines in power, China will be taking up the slack..
I was also listening to Pat Robertson give predictions of what he thinks the next year holds. He seeks the Lord and then speaks what the he thinks the Lord said to him, with the caveat that if he got it wrong, the problem is his hearing, not the Lord's speaking. I agree with that (me, too). He said that if Obama were to get in, there would be an immediate surge in the economy, but then the money will go down dramatically and the US will go into superinflation (hyperinflation) like Germany had, with people on fixed incomes being decimated and poverty and misery being widespread throughout the world. No one will trust the US in financial matters anymore and the currency will be debased, with the USD falling dramatically. Gold will go to 1900.00 an ounce, and Oil to 300.00 a barrel - this from the man who predicted 2008's economic collapse and gold at 1000.00 (which it hit) and 150.00 a barrel for oil (it went to 147), so he has some predictions which are certainly very correct. Like him, I have found listening to the Lord to be about 95 percent accurate, and the five percent wrong is due to my own human error, not the Lord. Robertson also said oil will no longer be pegged to the USD but to a basket of currencies. Because the people of America will be in such economic pain, they will welcome socialism under BHO and there will be a huge increase in governmental power and a transfer of power to Washington so that BHO will be able to do whatever he wants, restructuring the economy like the 1930s New Deal. Because there is no strong leadership in the world anymore, dangerous dictators will arise in power to threaten the peace and security of many. Russia will be among them. America will never again have power in the world as it has had since World War Two, nor be trusted as a leader in financial matters.
Whereas I can agree that if the current course of events continues as things are, these are inevitable and terrible scenerios predicted for the US, I differ in that I see this like an off-course time movie where we have been skewed from the original intent and proper timeline. God wished/wishes John McCain in power - but through FRAUD (as documented in my four part post before), this was taken from the world by force. But that does not mean this bleak future is inevitable - including the complete and permanent decline of the US from the power it has had since WW2, and that the world will NEVER again trust the US as a leader in financial matters. God has told me that He will not allow BHO to be the President and I am holding to that - even against the prayers of many of God's people to the contrary (which is a considerable force to oppose, let me tell you - someone ought to teach them the Lord's Prayer of THY will be done, so they aren't opposing His Will). I did ask Him (I was curious) and He told me that there are 17 (true, serious) plots out there to kill BHO, 14 of which the authorities are aware of, three of which they are not. There are three viable plots, and of them, one has the ability to be "untraceable" (black ops, military mercenaries, the whole works) - hence, that one could look like an act of God. The Lord has said to me on many occasions that, assassination or not, it is not His will Obama take power. I am certain He can move so that this evil course of history is thwarted, including the vision of nuclear decimation on US soil which I saw... which will occur if Obama gets into the Whitehouse.
When this is allowed on US soil.. one has to wonder at the current direction of the country:
===
Dig It!... Obama's Terrorist Pal Bill Ayers Is Now a HuffPo Blogger
Friday, January 02, 2009
posted by Gateway Pundit at 1/02/2009
Dig it!... Just a few years back his group was blowing up buildings in New York City, now Bill Ayers is blogging at top democratic blog Huffington Post. Via LGF
Besides his occasional gigs at The New York Times, unapologetic domestic terrorist Bill Ayers, a close family friend and associate of the Obamas, is now also blogging at the Huffington Post.
The dangerous nutjob is talking about education in America.
I can tell you what happened.. Obama, the terrorists, the rich, the communists, the socialists and the politically ambitious who care nothing for the country or will of the Lord but only for their own ambitions have used FRAUD to place their candidate into the position of President Elect. The American people have acted like it was a legitimate election and the outcome was the will of God.. which it is not. This foreign usurper has stolen the election by FRAUD. Unlike Pat Robertson and the US ambassador, however, I am not willing to roll over and play dead, handing the country over to these usurpers - giving in meekly to this evil course of history that God has not willed. I am asking the LORD'S WILL to happen, and not the will of men. I am praying fervently that no prayers for this outcome will be heeded or affect the outcome - foreign or domestic, Christian or not, unless they are the perfect will of God, not the will of men. That means I pray against Pat Robertson and his people's prayers and any other "church people" who only wish to know the course this present timeline will take and are not seeking the perfect will of God or to know if it is the will of God the course that we are now on.
"I know of no higher fortitude than stubbornness in the face of overwhelming odds." ~Louis Nizer~
Perhaps we need a little fortitude or sanctified stubborness for the Will of God.
As for the odds.. there are certainly enough precedents in Scripture to know that when David meets Goliath..
the outcome is in the hand of the Lord, not the odds.
I think, therefore, that the odds are in our favor.
What's in store??
Ultra leftwing liberalism.. socialism and economic hyperinflation?
Or will God in His mercy, wisdom and grace, change the course of history by removing Barack.. (by whatever means)
and bless us once again?
God's will.. and ONLY God's will.. be done.
===
WaPo Shocker: Conservatives Think Obama 'Advisers Are Alarmingly Liberal'
By Michael M. Bates
January 3, 2009
Stop the presses. After an exhaustive investigation, the Washington Post has exclusively learned that "some" conservatives believe that "some" advisers to Barack Obama are too liberal. The newspaper's Web site yesterday included the article, "Obama's Team Rankles the Right: To Some Conservatives, Advisers Are Alarmingly Liberal." The piece begins:
QUOTE:
To some staunch conservatives watching President Bush relinquish the reins of power to President-elect Barack Obama, a few too many ardent liberals are now crashing the gates.
Some well-known Democratic activists are advising Obama on how to steer federal agencies, including a few whom conservative Republicans fought hard to keep out of power in the Clinton administration. They include Roberta Achtenberg, a gay activist whose confirmation as an assistant housing secretary was famously held up by then-Sen. Jesse Helms (N.C.), and Bill Lann Lee, who was hotly opposed by foes of affirmative action and temporarily blocked from the government's top civil rights job.
====
So who are these conservatives disturbed by the liberalism of Obama's aides? The Washington Post quotes one, Roger Clegg, saying, "The transition team as described to me was made up of nothing but people on the far left. Though Obama is more moderate, that makes you wonder what kind of advice the president is given, and what range of choices he'll be given when it comes time to make appointments."
Maliki says Iraq won't be used to threaten neighbours
Sat Jan 3, 2009 11:04am GMT
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iraq's prime minister, who started a visit to Iran on Saturday, told Iranian state television his government would not allow Iraq to be used as a base to threaten its neighbours.
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki told Iran's Arabic news channel on Friday that Iraq "will not let Iraq be a launching ground to threaten any country," Al-Alam said on its website.
U.S. forces in Iraq came under Iraqi mandate on January 1, a move Maliki said restored sovereignty nearly six years after the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.
Iran is embroiled in a row over its nuclear plans with the United States, which has refused to rule out military action if diplomacy fails to end the dispute. Washington and its allies accuse Iran of seeking nuclear weapons, which Tehran denies.
Analysts say any U.S. attack against Iran would most likely involve air strikes rather than any land invasion. Washington used its bases in regional countries to attack Iraq in 2003.
Washington and Tehran have traded accusations about who is responsible for violence in Iraq. U.S. officials say Tehran backs Iraqi militants. Tehran blames the presence of U.S. forces and says they should withdraw from Iraq and the whole region.
Baghdad has long urged both sides not to use Iraq as a proxy battleground. The level of violence in Iraq has recently subsided but lethal bomb and gun attacks are still common.
Maliki also "emphasized that Iraq will open all pending files with neighbouring states and others in order to build sound relations with them," the report said, adding that Iraq would be an "axis for positive relations with Iran."
Iraq's government said on Wednesday it wanted 3,500 members of the exiled Iranian opposition group, the People's Mujahideen Organisation of Iran (PMOI) in Camp Ashraf, north of Baghdad, to leave the country.
Iran considers the group a terrorist organisation and many Iranians oppose it for siding with Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein in the 1980s war with Iran. Analysts say it is difficult to gauge what support the group has inside Iran.
Maliki repeated his government's call for members of the group to leave in his comments to Al-Alam. He also said Iraq would not force them to leave to Iran or another country but would leave the choice to them.
Maliki said Iraq "will not let any terrorist party harm its relations with neighbouring governments" and named the PMOI, the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) that wants a homeland in southeast Turkey and PKK offshoot, the Party of Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK), that often clashes with Iranian forces.
Maliki is expected to meet Iran's top authority, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during his two-day visit, an Iranian newspaper reported.
$70m contract signed with U.S. company
January 5, 2009 - 12:49:16
BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: The Iraqi Ministry of Electricity on Monday said that it has signed a $70 million worth of contract with an American company to purchase five turbines.
“On January 2, the ministry signed a $70.4 million contract with Pratt & Whitney in Beirut to purchase five oil and gas-oil operated turbines,” according to a ministerial statement received by Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
The contract was signed by a senior under secretary of state, Engineer Raad al-Haris, according to the statement.
Pratt & Whitney is an American aircraft engine manufacturer of products widely used in both civil and military aircraft. In addition to aircraft engines, Pratt & Whitney manufactures gas turbines for industrial and power generation, marine turbines, and rocket engines.
(www.en.aswataliraq.info)
Reuters – U.S. marines raise the U.S. flag during a formal opening of the new U.S. embassy in Baghdad's fortified …
Play Video Iraq Video: Suicide bomber kills 38 in Iraq Australia 7 News Play Video Iraq Video: Baghdad bomb kills Pilgrims Reuters Play Video Iraq Video: Raw Video: Aftermath of Iraq Bombing AP BAGHDAD (Reuters) – The United States opened its new embassy building in Baghdad Monday, a step meant to symbolize its transition from occupying power to an ally of a sovereign Iraqi government.
In recent weeks U.S. diplomats have gradually moved into the $592 million newly-built compound, the world's largest U.S. embassy building, leaving behind a sprawling palace they had inhabited since toppling Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein in 2003.
U.S. officials ruled Iraq directly from the same palace for more than a year after taking Baghdad.
The opening of the new embassy is in line with a change of power that was effected on New Year's Day, when U.S. forces in Iraq officially came under an Iraqi mandate.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani attended the opening ceremony.
In a courtyard between two wings of the new building, the Iraqi national anthem was played, then U.S. Marines raised an American flag to the tune of the Star Spangled Banner.
"It is from here men and women, civilian and military, will help build the new Iraq," Negroponte said in a speech.
U.S. ambassador Ryan Crocker called the embassy's opening "a new era for Iraq and United States relations."
Talabani thanked the United States for helping create a democratic Iraq "which will serve as a model for other peoples of the eastern world."
"MORE NORMAL"
The embassy has 1,200 employees, including diplomats, servicemen and staff from 14 federal agencies, U.S. embassy spokeswoman Susan Ziadeh told Reuters.
"Its scale reflects the importance of the U.S.-Iraq bilateral relationship," she said. "It reflects a more normal situation. This is a broadening of the relationship because the situation is more secure."
U.S. forces on New Year's Day handed over responsibility to Iraqi troops for the Green Zone, a fortified compound in the heart of Baghdad off limits to most Iraqis, who have widely viewed it as a symbol of foreign military occupation.
The new embassy is located in the zone.
The U.S. force in Iraq, now more than 140,000 strong, had previously operated under a U.N. Security Council resolution.
U.S. troops now work under the authority granted by the Iraqi government under a pact agreed by Washington and Baghdad.
That pact -- viewed by both countries as a milestone in restoring Iraqi sovereignty -- requires U.S. troops to leave in three years, revokes their power to hold Iraqis without charge and subjects contractors and off-duty troops to Iraqi law.
Ziadeh said the mission of the new embassy would start to resemble those in other embassies around the world.
"Our work is looking at a whole range of issues on trade, on energy ... transportation sectors, rule of law," she said.
(www.news.yahoo.com)
I did not see this posted back in December. It highlights the importance of Iraq passsing the HCL.
__________________________________________________________
Iraq's US ambassador says cheap oil slows recovery
12/18/2008
WASHINGTON, Dec 16 (Reuters) - The steep fall in crude oil prices will wreak havoc on Iraq's government budget for the next two years and slow efforts to rebuild the country, Iraq's ambassador to the United States warned on Tuesday.
The Iraqi government, which gets 95 percent of its revenue from oil exports, has next year's budget assuming an average oil price of $80 a barrel, almost double crude's current value, according to ambassador Samir Sumaida'ie.
"We're going to have a problem next year," Sumaida'ie said in an appearance before the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations.
For 2010, he said if oil prices stay low, Iraq won't have enough money to pay the salaries of government workers, much less cover the costs for infrastructure projects.
"We will have severe financial problems," Sumaida'ie later told reporters. "This will impair our reconstruction program."
He said the Iraqi government will not ask the incoming Obama administration for financial help, but instead will try to borrow the money in the open market.
"Our intention is to stand on our own feet and take responsibility for our country," Sumaida'ie said.
The key to boosting Iraq's economy and its recovery is investment by foreign oil companies to develop the country's vast crude reserves, according to Sumaida'ie.
"We need huge investment to build up our oil infrastructure," he said.
Foreign oil companies are eager to do business in Iraq, but they can't until Iraq's government agrees on a hydrocarbons law that spells out the legal terms for searching and drilling for oil and how oil revenue will be shared.
Sumaida'ie said he expects Iraq's hydrocarbons law will eventually be passed in a package of several pieces of legislation. He did not elaborate.
(www.safedinar.com)
Economic development in Iraq in 2008 has been "encouraging" according to a review of the country's economy by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Improved security and a more stable political environment mean economic activity has "picked up" on the back of increased oil production and exports.
IMF deputy managing director Takatoshi Kato said the authorities had kept the economic programme "on track".
But the IMF warned that the sharp drop in the price of oil may stall progress.
Oil is now more than $100 a barrel cheaper than it was in July this year.
Continued efforts to stimulate economic growth depend "on continued improvements in the security situation and prioritisation in the use of lower oil revenues", Mr Kato said.
Oil revenue in 2009 would be much lower than in 2008, he added.
To compensate, the Iraqi government has already prepared measures to reduce spending next year.
Mr Kato also called on the government to "step up the pace of structural reforms," and to complete a regulatory framework for commercial banks.
"Further efforts are required to strengthen governance and fight corruption, in particular in the hydrocarbon sector," he added.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced that improvements in security meant that UK troops would be withdrawn from Iraq by July 2009.
(www.safedinar.com)
Iraqi Government take over responsibility of Sahwa militia
Military and Security 1/5/2009 5:21:00 PM
BAGHDAD, Jan 5 (KUNA) -- Iraqi Government announced on Monday that it took over the responsibility of the "Sahwa" militia in Diyala province.
Iraqi Government Spokesperson, Ali Al-Dabagh, said that the government launched the second stage of transferring the Sahwa militia members to the Iraqi government, especially in Diyala, as an expected 8,000 members will be transferred during this month.
Al-Dabagh added, the government successfully completed the joining of 51, 000 members to the Iraqi government in Baghdad, and is currently depositing their salaries regularly.
He clarified that 20 percent of will distributed among security bodies, and the rest to ministries and civil institutes, in accordance with their expertise and capabilities.
He assured the next stage would include Anbar, Mosul and other provinces.
Al-Sahwa movement began in Anbar province west of Baghdad in 2006 when its leaders became dismayed by al-Qaeda in Iraq's brutality and religious zealotry and apparently by the amount of foreign influence in the group. The revolt later spread to other regions. (end) ahh.asa KUNA 051721 Jan 09NNNN
(www.kuna.net.kw)
U.S. opens new embassy in Iraq
Reuters Published: January 5, 2009
By Missy Ryan and Khalid al-Ansary
The United States dedicated its new embassy building in Baghdad on Monday, a step meant to symbolise its transition from occupying power to an ally of a sovereign Iraqi government.
In recent weeks U.S. diplomats have gradually moved into the newly built compound, the world's largest U.S. embassy, leaving behind a sprawling palace they had inhabited since toppling Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein in 2003.
U.S. officials had ruled Iraq directly from the palace for a year after taking Baghdad, and their continued presence there was seen by many Iraqis as a symbol of occupation.
The opening of the new embassy is in line with a change of power that was effected on New Year's Day, when U.S. forces in Iraq officially came under an Iraqi mandate.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani attended the opening ceremony.
In a courtyard between two buildings in the new compound, the Iraqi national anthem was played, then U.S. Marines raised an American flag to the tune of the Star Spangled Banner.
"It is from here men and women, civilian and military, will help build the new Iraq," said Negroponte, who was U.S. envoy to Iraq in 2004-05 and is now the number two U.S. diplomat.
ERA OF EQUALS
Talabani thanked the United States for helping create a democratic Iraq "which will serve as a model for other peoples of the eastern world." He explicitly praised U.S. President George W. Bush for the "courageous and historic" decision to topple dictator Saddam.
U.S. ambassador Ryan Crocker said the embassy's opening marked a new era for ties between the countries as "equals."
U.S. forces on New Year's Day handed over responsibility to Iraqi troops for the Green Zone, a fortified compound in the heart of Baghdad off limits to most Iraqis. The new embassy, like the palace that housed it before, is located in the zone.
Embassy officials defended the vast scale and cost of a compound that dwarfs the U.S. presence in much larger countries. The embassy has 1,200 employees, including diplomats, troops and staff from 14 federal agencies.
"Its scale reflects the importance of the U.S.-Iraq bilateral relationship," said U.S. embassy spokeswoman Susan Ziadeh. "It reflects a more normal situation. This is a broadening of the relationship."
The U.S. force in Iraq, now more than 140,000 strong, had operated until the end of last year under a U.N. Security Council resolution, but now falls under a mandate granted by the Iraqi government in a pact agreed by Washington and Baghdad.
That pact -- viewed by both countries as a milestone in restoring Iraqi sovereignty -- requires U.S. troops to leave in three years, revokes their power to hold Iraqis without charge and subjects contractors and some off-duty troops to Iraqi law.
Iraq signs $70 million Pratt & Whitney power deal
Reporting by Aseel Kami; Writing by Peter Graff; Editing by Erica Billingham
BAGHDAD, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Iraq has signed a $70 million agreement to buy power generating turbines from the U.S. engineering firm Pratt & Whitney, part of United Technologies Corp, the Iraqi electricity ministry said on Monday.
Iraq will buy five power generating units which can operate on fuel oil or gas and generate 180 megawatts of power, said Aziz Sultan, head of the electricity ministry's media office. The new units should be ready by June this year, he said.
The deal is much smaller than multi-billion dollar deals the government signed last year with General Electric and Siemens to add nearly 9,000 megawatts of capacity over the next few years.
But it demonstrates the huge need Iraq still has for infrastructure investment after making little headway in the six years since the fall of dictator Saddam Hussein.
Iraqis often describe the country's faltering electricity system as one of their main sources of frustration. Many parts of Iraq have just a few hours of electricity per day.
The country has around 11,000 megawatts of installed capacity but due to decades of neglect, war and sanctions it produces only about half that.
Aziz said the Pratt & Whitney contract includes providing spare parts and training for Iraqi staff.
With its air industry growing, Iraq needs air traffic controllers
By ADAM ASHTON
McClatchy Newspapers
Posted on Monday, 01.05.09
BAGHDAD -- Iraq officially began to govern its skies last week, but it has enough trained air traffic controllers to manage only the highest heights above the country.
That leaves the U.S. still in control of everything below 24,000 feet, meaning that American air traffic controllers handle everything from the runway to 23,999 feet.
U.S. and Iraqi officials say that they're hopeful that Iraq will say goodbye to all its American air traffic advisers by 2011 - the year designated in the security agreement for the total withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq - as Iraq's airline industry grows for the first time in decades:
- On Friday, a Swedish air carrier landed a European commercial plane at Baghdad International Airport for the first time in 17 years.
- Iraqi Airways in May announced plans to buy 30 commercial airplanes from Boeing.
- Officials in Najaf are talking about forming a regional airline in coordination with a local government that manages the city's airport.
The Baghdad airport is handling more than 35 flights a day, up from about 17 a year ago. Those flights travel throughout the Middle East, with Jordanian, Syrian and Turkish carriers among the companies that are working out of Baghdad.
"There are people all over the world looking and dreaming to come (to Iraq) one day," said Sabeeh al-Shebany, Iraq's general director of civil aviation, whom Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki appointed to the post in 2006.
Iraqi airports and airlines had few resources to build on after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. The war itself didn't deplete Iraq's aviation assets; 20 years of fighting and economic sanctions had crippled the industry.
United Nations sanctions after Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait prohibited international flights out of Iraq and diminished domestic travel by barring air traffic in the country's Kurdish northern provinces. Iraqi Airways virtually shut down, hiding its planes in Jordan.
Capable air traffic controllers and pilots sought work abroad. Others were grounded, including Shebany. He's a former air force captain and Iraqi Airways pilot.
So when the U.S. and Iraq began to resuscitate the industry in 2004, "We started from scratch," Shebany said.
The air traffic controllers who remained tended to have dated knowledge and little familiarity with new technology, said a U.S. Embassy official, who spoke only on the condition that he not be identified because he wasn't authorized to talk to journalists.
That early effort to train Iraqi air traffic controllers faltered when security concerns escalated. It was revived in 2005, and has continued ever since with Iraqis becoming certified for a variety of air traffic assignments.
Iraq has 77 controllers with some form of accreditation or training. It plans to hire about 80 more in the next year.
It takes about a year to 18 months for an air traffic controller to earn basic accreditation, Shebany said, meaning that Iraq could fill the required 160 positions it needs by 2011 if the next batch of hires succeeds.
In recent months, Iraqi controllers have managed the airspace above 29,000 feet. That area has few flights, consisting generally of international planes passing over the country.
Iraq took control of its airspace above 24,000 feet last week, giving it considerably more flights to manage.
It will continue to take over its airspace as it brings on more qualified controllers.
"We'll give it up as fast as they can take it," the U.S. official said.
Iraq also is taking the lead on overseeing daytime flights at its airports in Baghdad and Basra.
Would The Dems Tank Our Economy?
Steve Gilbert
Sunday, January 4th, 2009
We have noted for some time that it is all too believable that the Democrats helped to precipitate our current financial crisis for political gain.
After all, once it was clear that the surge in Iraq was working and that the war there would not be a good campaign issue for them, they began to talk down the economy.
And of course their minions in the media everywhere followed suit.
It was bruited across every newspaper and television news program for months that we were in a deep recession. Even though the actual GDP showed no such thing.
In the interim, energy prices mysteriously rose to an historic high. And Congressional Democrats made it clear that they would do nothing to help roll them back.
On the contrary, they stiffened their resolve against more drilling and other viable alternatives – and suggested piling on further taxes. All of which only served to drive up prices further.
Then, around the time Mr. McCain pulled ahead in the national polls, top Democrats started a run on a bank (IndyMac, a bridge bank to Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac) and undermined a major insurance company (AIG, a major insurer for the financial markets).
With investor confidence now severely eroded, the stock market took an historic dive – giving us unprecedented bad economic news in the weeks just prior to the November elections.
Meanwhile, the bailouts the Democrats have pushed through have done little but ballooned the national debt and exacerbated the problem.
It is all just a little too convenient.
There certainly would be no risk for the Democrats to try such a thing. Our media would never hold them accountable. Indeed, thus far they have (falsely) blamed the mortgage crisis and everything else on the Republicans.
On the other hand, the benefits from a manufactured economic crisis for the Democrats are manifold.
So far it has:
- Taken the focus off the US victory in Iraq and the war against terrorism in general.
- Gotten Barack Obama and more Democrats elected. Whereas they were lagging in the polls before this crisis.
- Gotten investment money out of the capitalist system (stock market) and into to the government (Treasury bonds).
- Made more people dependent on government, through unemployment insurance and other ‘safety net’ programs.
Moreover, the economic crisis will in the immediate future:
- Provide an opportunity to ram through their socialist agenda under the cover of an emergency. (Just like what happened for FDR.)
- Be used as an excuse to expand the social welfare programs.
- Provide an excuse to create government make work projects that further socialist and environmentalist “social justice” goals and make more people dependent on a government paycheck.
- Be used as an excuse to cut the military and other national security programs. We will be told we can’t afford to continue the war against terrorism.
- Help the environment. (Mr. Clinton even said that we needed to slow down the economy to defeat global warming.)
In the longer run all of this additional government spending and government make work projects and environmental safeguards and income redistribution will probably damage the economy so thoroughly that the crisis will be prolonged.
If so, more and larger government programs will be required, and more socialist policies will be enacted – never to be undone.
We really could be on the brink of reliving the glorious 1930s all over again.
What is worse, we know that is really what the Democrats want. The Great Depression, after all, was their heyday. And it was truly the start of the new Democrat Party — the party of unapologetic socialism.
We also know that it is exactly what Barack Obama has dreamt about for years. He told us so in his book, “The Audacity Of Hope – Thoughts On Reclaiming The American Dream.”
For Mr. Obama the American dream is a second bill of rights, a new New Deal.
What’s more Mr. Obama even suggested that it would take an economic crisis like what President Roosevelt faced to make all this possible.
So is it really all that far-fetched that the Democrats would have helped it along?
What did they have to lose?
Comments:
1) proreason
This is from December, but still highly relevant:
Credit crunch? What credit crunch?
PARIS (Reuters) - The credit crunch is not nearly as severe as the U.S. authorities appear to believe and public data actually suggest world credit markets are functioning remarkably well, a report released on Thursday says.
As a result, governments are pumping masses of public money into the economy across the world because of the difficulties of a few big, vocal banks and industries such as car manufacturing, which would be in difficulty anyway, according to the report published by Celent, a financial services consultancy.
“It’s just stabbing in the dark with trillions of dollars,” Octavio Marenzi, report author and head of Celent, told Reuters in a telephone interview where he questioned the depth of the analysis that preceded numerous fiscal stimulus packages.
The report, much of which is based on U.S. Federal Reserve data, challenges a long list of assumptions one by one, arguing that there is indeed a financial crisis but that, on aggregate, the problems of a few are by no means those of the many when it comes to obtaining credit.
“It is startling that many of (Federal Reserve) Chairman (Ben) Bernanke and (Treasury) Secretary (Henry) Paulson’s remarks are not supported or are flatly contradicted by the data provided by the very organizations they lead,” said the report.
…
ALL A MYTH?
Regarding U.S. business access to credit, the report says:
*Overall U.S. bank lending is at its highest level ever and has grown during the current financial crisies.
*U.S. commercial bank lending is at record highs and growing particularly fast since May 2007.
…
All of which drove the Celent report to conclude that the U.S. and other governments may be throwing good money after bad for want of a better idea of what is really happening.
“Just like a doctor contemplating an obviously sick and suffering patient, a massive surgical intervention based on a misdiagnosis can only worsen the patient’s condition.”
URL
I would only add this…….Isn’t it an amazing coincidence that Dubya’s 2 big-time Lib financial advisors (Paulsen and Bernake), rushed into his office to tell him the sky was falling immediately after McCain took the lead in the Gallup poll.
This report a month later seems to believe the sky was not falling.
But it doesn’t matter now. Obamy was elected.
Unless you, like many, lost hundreds of thousands of dollars because of it, or are unemployed, or concerned about your home being worth 30% less than it should be, or have realized that each taxpayer in the country is now committed to about $50,000 in bail-out money so far, or are concerned about unemployment heading toward 10%, or are worried about the reports that the economic downturn could last another year or longer, or have become aware that you will have to work another 5 to 10 years to build a secure retirement, or have had your hopes for a secure retirement shattered. If one of those is true, maybe it does matter to you.
2) Helena
I don’t know that there’s much difference between Soros and the DNC leadership. He bankrolls them. He said publicly that he would spend whatever it took to take down George Bush (he failed, but it probably only made him try harder this go round), and he has put a huge amount of his own money into DNC campaigns and front organizations. He is also in a perfect position to manipulate money markets, since that’s where he lives.
3) proreason
There are many interesting anamolies about the two months prior to the election.
Did you know that the volume on the Dow jumped 60% the day after McCain took the lead in the polls. Why do you think that might be? Were investors dumping stocks because it looked like the more pro-business candidate would be elected?
The Dow loss in Sept and Oct of an election year is by far the greatest in history, including the Great Depression. Pretty strange, considering GNP growth was 3% in Q2 of 2008, unemployment was below normal, and corporate earnings were strong. Think about it. The Great Depression…..25% unemployment, Dust Bowl, mass migration to California, tent cities, bread lines. Yet, the market took bigger losses this year than even then. Where are our bread lines?
Trading was extremely strange in those 2 months. Many days were up until the last 1/2 hour of trading, and then there would be catastropic losses in a matter of minutes. It’s almost as if the market didn’t want any good news to leak out.
And don’t forget the jaw-dropping decline in gasoline prices in September and October. Totally unprecedented. But then, the biggest issue in McCain’s favor was high gas prices, wasn’t it? That’s a key reason he named Palin as VP.
And have you wondered how a 100-year economic crisis happened in the course of a few days? I mean, the sub-prime mess had been known since the prior October. Barney Franks declared Fannie Mae was a great investment in June 2008. Nobody on Wall Street was jumping off any ledges. Do you know anybody who was refused a loan? Personally, I obtained 2 car loans in 2008. I refinanced my mortgage in late 2007. Yet, Henry Paulsen suddenly declared a historic emergency in mid-September, 2008. He is the Treasury Secretary. Isn’t he supposed to be monitoring that financial system? How could we go from things are ok to a 3-alarm emergency in 2 weeks, coincidentally, the 2 weeks after McCain took the lead in the polls.
But then the article in this post disputes that there was an emergency, doesn’t it?
Maybe Henry had another agenda.
Gee, I wonder who the life-long Democrat voted for.
4) GuppyNblue
“What did they have to lose?”
Not only is it a political power grab but they have been making themselves a few dollars on the way.
“Then, around the time Mr. McCain pulled ahead in the national polls, top Democrats started a run on a bank (IndyMac, a bridge bank to Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac) and undermined a major insurance company (AIG, a major insurer for the financial markets).”
It was a technicality they used to take down AIG. They had plenty of assets in real estate but couldn’t report it as such since the properties weren’t selling at that time.
As far as IndyMac goes, there’s some interesting news out. IndyMac is being bought by a group of investers that ” include five private equity firms or hedge funds: J.C. Flowers & Co.; Stone Point Capital; Paulson & Co.; a fund controlled by billionaire George Soros’ Fund Management; and a fund controlled by Silar Advisors LP.”
Both Soros and Paulson made billions (Paulson actually made history with his $15 billion take) shorting the subprime market.
Remember this S&L posting.
The Washington Times reported this today but they simply state that IndyMac “was seized by the government in July after a run on the bank as the real estate bubble collapsed.” No mention of Sen. Schumer leaking to the public a negative report about IndyMac’s viability. He knew damn well that the leak would cause a run and did it anyway. That’s intentional.
Another news item today worth noting (and investigating IMO). “Mary Schapiro is set to be named head of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) today - is currently chief executive of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (Finra).”
“In 2001, she employed Mark Madoff to serve on the board of the National Adjudicatory Council - the division which reviews disciplinary decisions made by Finra, according to the Times.”
They tell us that Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi scheme has been going on since the 1970’s without being exposed. Isn’t it no wonder when he had someone on the inside with regulators like Schapiro?
5) GuppyNblue
IMO the whole hedge fund market (which Chelsea Clinton is now a part of) and the practice of shorting is suspect. But what’s clear is that people like Soros pushed subprime lending and while it ended up compromising our economic future, they are profiting nicely. I won’t dismiss this as stupidity on their part. They knew exactly what they were doing.
Sara...Thanks for sharing your "leadings"....interesting!
I believe this work by China is a positive indicator of things to come in the near future. The Western companies will soon follow with their expertise and keep the ball rolling.
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China Kicks off Iraqi Oil Work
05 January 2009 ( Reuters )
China National Petroleum Company (CNPC) has started work on a $3 billion oil project in Iraq, the first foreign outfit to begin such work since dictator Saddam Hussein nationalised the industry decades ago.
A CNPC delegation formally opened the al-Ahdab oilfield project in Iraq's eastern province of Wasit on Friday, officials there said.
"It's a significant event which signals the first contribution of a foreign company in developing Iraq's oilfields for three decades," Wasit governor Latif al-Tarfa told Reuters by telephone.
"The Chinese engineers have located the spot where they will construct a field work site, and all the company's equipment will reach the southern port of Basra soon."
He said Iraqi security forces were prepared to protect the Chinese workers: "We will do all that is required to prove Iraq has become secure for all foreign oil companies to start developing its fields."
The Chinese will operate al-Ahdab under a service contract initially negotiated under Saddam but renegotiated last year by the new Iraqi government which obtained more advantageous terms.
The field should produce between 110,000 barrels and 130,000 barrels of oil per day - small by standards in the region - but the project is an important signal as the government enters negotiations for much larger projects announced last week and earlier in 2008.
Iraq has the world's third-largest reserves of oil, which provides nearly all government revenue. But production has dwindled and infrastructure decayed after decades of economic sanctions and war.
Last week the Iraqi government put some of its most prized oilfields up for bids in 11 projects it hopes will add between 2 million and 2.5 million barrels of oil per day, roughly what Iraq produces now, with output hoped for within a few years.
Another set of eight contracts offered for bidding last year could add another 1.5 million bpd, potentially raising Iraq's production to more than 6 million bpd within a few years.
The decision to open its big oilfields to foreign companies puts Iraq at odds with the practice in other countries in the region, where the state maintains firm control of oil sectors. But Baghdad wants foreign companies to bring expertise and investment to quickly improve its decrepit oil infrastructure.
It has offered only service contracts - under which Iraqi state companies keep all the oil while paying the foreign companies for their work - rather than the production sharing agreements foreign companies prefer because they keep some of the output.
You are welcome, Tsalagi, for the "leadings" post.
I have been fasting and seeking the Lord for over a week now. During that time I have sought Him for insight into what is happening on the earth.. and the Lord has shown me much. I will share what He gave me today concerning America.. again, no Dinar.. my views/leadings.. and those who don't wish to read them may skip.
Little by little the pieces of the puzzle concerning the vision I was given have been falling into place and I see what is happening was destined all along. How do I explain this? I did not know how to differentiate God's will before, and thought that if you asked God's will and got it, it would surely come to pass. Now I understand differently, but I am very sad for the outcome, and I feel like Jeremiah (the weeping prophet) concerning what it all means. Let me explain.
I asked the Lord:
"Is it Your will that Barack Hussein Obama be the President?"
Answer: NO.
"Will Barack Hussein Obama be the President?"
NO.
"Will BHO be inaugurated and sit in the Whitehouse?"
YES.
Apparently, there is a difference between the absolute will of God.. and what He will permit. They are different. Obama can never truly have the position of President, but he may indeed be allowed to assume that place. He would be a foreign usurper and fraudster and never be the true President, but he may be allowed to sit in the Whitehouse. Many would see him as a usurper and fraud, and never submit to him as having that place which is not ordained to be his. Obama was not God's will.. It was God's will and He ordained John McCain to be the President, and BHO and certain of the Democrats took this place wrongfully, by fraud. Therefore, in law, in perfect truth, he will never become the President of the United States, any more than a petty dictator who makes a bloody coup is a true or rightful ruler of a country. It was a bloodless coup (unless you count BHO's Grandmother), purchased by money and MSM air time instead of by guns and bullets.
I then asked, "Will BHO enact all these things against Your Holy Will.. partial birth abortion, funding abortions (they are asking for 4.6 BILLION dollars to expand abortion), removing parental notification for underage pregnant girls still in their parent's care, funding abortions with taxpayer money including groups abroad which will coerce and force women against their will to abort their children in other countries, embryonic stem cell research which experiments on humans at the youngest stages of life, hybrid embryo creation which is an abomination in Your sight of joining man and beast then experimenting on it and killing it which You see as worse than Your command prohibiting the joining of man and beast in beastiality, expanding and supporting euthenasia, supporting gay adoption and the spread of the sin of sodomy through such means to children, etc, etc..? Will all these be permitted by You if they choose and enact them as they have said they wish to do?"
YES.
"And then, as Judgement.. for this and many other things which offend Your Holiness.. You will bring upon the American people the vision I saw of about 40 coordinated nuclear explosions on US soil with over 60 million US citizens killed as a result?"
YES.
"Is this nuclear holocaust Your will for America?"
NO.
No.. but, He explained, He is Just and MUST avenge such evils. The sins are paid for eventually, just like the national debt. This forces His hand of Judgement against the US so that He must repay the evil He sees. I then began to cry before the Lord and He gave me where Elisha said to Hazael, "The LORD hath shown me that you shall be king over Syria." - and Elisha wept, too.
QUOTE:
2Ki 8:12 And Hazael said, Why are you weeping my lord? And he answered, Because I know the evil that you will do to the children of Israel: their strong holds you will set on fire, and their young men you will slay with the sword, and you will dash their children, and rip up their women with child.
I then protested that it isn't FAIR to the millions of Americans who will die. THEY didn't put this man in power, he did it by FRAUD. Why should four MILLION children die who have never even learned to tell their right hands from their left?
He replied that childen grow up worse than their parents are - and reminded me to compare the moral fibre of America in the 1950s with today's morals (remember the "Girls Gone Wild" videos? Gay Day in Disneyland? - They proclaim their sin openly as Sodom Isaiah 3:9, Neither do they blush for their abominations Jeremiah 8:12..) The moral fibre of America has deteriorated, and if left alone, it will only get worse. He must Judge (or, as Carole put it, if He didn't, He must apologise to Sodom and Gomorrah.)
Sighh.. In my sorrow I said, "You truly are The Voice, aren't You, O Lord?"
"The voice of history.. of the past.. of the future.. of all time."
YES..
(then He gave to me)
Ecc 7:3 Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
Ecc 7:4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
Ecc 7:5 It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
I didn't see this posted before....sure looks like good news!
=====================================================================================================================================================
Paris Club Cancels $ 45 Billion of Iraq's Debt
Baghdad, 06 January 2009 ( Azzaman )
By Karim Yasser
The Paris Club canceled 45 billion dollars of debt owed by Iraq, as per the agreements signed between Iraq and the Paris Club countries which permitted to cancel these funds from the debt owed by Iraq, amounting to 52 billion dollars, according to a statement on Sunday by the Ministry of Finance.
Iraq's Finance Minister Bayan Jabr said, based on the same statement that "the signing of several bilateral agreements with all countries of the Paris Club, which facilitated the cancellation of approximately 45 billion dollars of Iraq's total debt of more than 52 billion dollars."
According to what I have read the Justices are conferencing today and on the 9th of January and then again on the 16th. I am not certain if the Justices normally hold two such conferences before deciding to hear a case but it seems by having two such conferences it is possible that the Justices will hear his case.
Being the Governor of the Central Bank of Iraq is quite possibly the single most challenging job for a Central Banker anywhere in the world. To reduce inflation and keep a currency stable, while operating in one of the most violent wars in modern times, is a phenomenal feat of economic, and possibly psychological, prowess. In an exclusive interview in Baghdad, Dr Sinan Al-Shibibi told Mike Gallagher what it takes to turn a ruined economy around, while living with the daily death and destruction which nearly brought Iraq to its knees
Dr Sinan Al-Shibibi is the Governor of the Central Bank of Iraq and has been at the helm of one of the world’s most challenging banking positions since he took up his post in June 2003.
Dr Shibibi walked into a shell of a Central Bank which technically only existed on paper because it had been comprehensively looted, first by members of Saddam Hussein’s government in what is widely considered to be the world’s biggest ever armed robbery when the regime’s members absconded with an estimated $1 billion, and latterly when it was again looted and then razed in subsequent bombings by insurgents.
Dr Shibibi began his career as Head of the Importation and Marketing section of Iraq’s Ministry of Oil in 1975, before moving to the Ministry of Planning as Chief of the Plan Preparation and Co-ordination Division two years later. In 1980 he moved to Geneva to join the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and he remained there until his retirement as a Senior Economist in 2001, when he left to become a consultant on trade, debt and finance.
During his time at UNCTAD in Geneva, Dr Shibibi managed projects on the implementation of policy, analytical and the institutional aspects of debt management, including the implementation of UNCTAD’s Debt Management and Financial Analysis System (DMFAS) in several Arab countries. Dr Shibibi has also undertaken extensive research on financial flows, the economics of disarmament, balance of payments, external debt, globalisation, and the Iraqi economy.
He graduated from the University of Bristol, England, with a Ph.D. in Economics and has published several research papers on a number of subjects, including ‘Globalisation of Finance: Implications for macroeconomic policies and debt management’ in 2001 and prophetically, a paper titled, ‘Prospects for the Iraqi Economy: Facing the new reality’ in 1997. The paper was published in a book with the same title in November 1997 and reprinted by the UNCTAD secretariat. It dealt with the effects of sanctions, debt, and war reparations on the then future prospects of the Iraqi economy.
The security situation in Iraq has improved dramatically and investors are showing renewed interest in the oil-rich country, while the brain drain is showing signs of a reverse. Iraq is open for business and a number of Middle Eastern banks, such as NBK, Ahli United Bank and Burgan Bank have already gained a foothold there.
Are you going to start offering banking licences?
There have been applications for banking licences and we have been considering their merits. The banking sector in Iraq still faces a lot of challenges and there needs to be a lot of improvement in Iraq’s banking sector. There needs to be consolidation. There also needs to be a change in the structure of the banking environment because there are a lot of family-owned banks around. Iraq’s banks need to be more ambitious and that means they will need to take chances and it will require a greater willingness on their part to compete with other local and international banks. The banks will need some sort of deliberate encouragement from the public sector, as well as from the government, such as allowing them to issue letters of credit for state-owned enterprises.
Many people were thinking that, because of our policy of combating inflation, the Central Bank of Iraq was offering high interest rates for banks to get them to come and leave their funds there, instead of going out into the market and looking for better deals. Some would say that they were acting in this manner because of the security situation, although it is something I do not believe.
If a foreign bank was interested in entering Iraq, what would it have to do? What would the Central Bank of Iraq be offering by way of guidance or advice? What would you say to them?
By law there can only be six banks with majority foreign ownership in Iraq, although that article is due to expire on 31 December 2008. What they are facing after that is a requirement that they put up a minimum of IQD 50 billion ($43 million) in paid-in capital, so they really have to put their money upfront. They have to prove that they are serious about being banks and not just coming to Iraq to be investment houses.
Is there more room for banks in Iraq?
I would think so. We would welcome foreign banks if they came to Iraq, but they would have to come with the intention of offering something concrete for the banking system in Iraq. We can’t have foreign banks operating by remote control. We can’t have remote-controlled ownership. They need to have an active presence on the ground and work with the people, face to face and try to offer them something realistic by way of banking services and products. They need to open a branch and be competitive with other banks in what they are offering customers. Of course security is a problem, but we will cooperate with them in suggesting security arrangements. The real economy is going to develop and there are going to be enormous opportunities, so I think it is vital that they come early and establish a presence and cooperate with the private sector by offering them competitive products and services.
What about Islamic finance?
We have a few banks which have been founded on Islamic principles, but we are still in the process of developing the regulation in that respect. I don’t want to hide the fact that potential demand is high, and probably more so after the credit crisis, because some people are beginning to think that Islamic finance will not be as affected by the global downturn as conventional finance because it relates to the real economy. We will have to see if that is the case, but we have a few banks and they are working. We have a regulatory framework in place, but I think it still needs to be made clearer.
What do you see being the challenges in 2009 for banking in Iraq?
We still have plenty of challenges ahead of us. We are hoping to increase our dealings with banks from outside Iraq and we will need to re-examine our programmes with international financial organisations like the International Monetary Fund (IMF). We have been working under an IMF programme which is going to conclude at the end of the year, whereby we will have completed the 80 per cent of debt reduction that was agreed under the plan. We will probably have to establish new relationships with local banks.
I do not want to foresee any new arrangements with the IMF because this is something that still needs to be debated, but we are definitely going to have increased dealings with institutes like the Bank of International Settlements and we already have a lot of regional cooperation. The most important thing is going to be getting some help in our efforts to provide the local banks with information about how the credit crisis might impact upon them. I know we are not affected directly by the credit crisis, nor do we want to be affected by it.
I really want to concentrate on getting the banks to be more ambitious. I will make a special effort on that and it will be part of what we will be looking at when we evaluate the performance of the banking sector.
Will 2009 be the year when Iraq’s banks show their true potential?
One thing that stands out about banks in Iraq is that their loan portfolios do not exceed their aggregate capital and from a regulatory standpoint, without other legal infrastructure that mitigates risk, this kind of conservative banking is not a bad thing. The total assets of the private banks have grown by 90 per cent since 1 January 2007, which is a strong sign of the confidence that the public places in local banks. Deposits have grown by 70 per cent, but the loans and capital have each only grown by 60 per cent during the same period and they continue to remain at that level. It means that every single loan in the banking system could fail and they would still have assets to cover the depositors.
I want the banks to move more into the productive sector and contribute to the real banking environment, rather than continually come to the Central Bank to deposit their funds and try to make money off the interest. That is why I think 2009 is going to be very important – it is going to be the year of financial intermediation. The banks are going to have to do something with the deposits that they take. If they take deposits, then they have to be prepared to lend to customers and this is the issue. I think there should be some deliberate policy to encourage them to get their hands on some of the business from both the private and public sector.
Right now, although it is not a legal requirement, state-owned enterprises and private businesses tend to use Trade Bank of Iraq for any letters of credit. State-owned enterprises should be free to do business with private banks. This is a policy which we explicitly advocate, even through letters and circulars, that communication between government enterprises and private banks should be direct.
What were the biggest challenges you faced when you took up your post as the Governor of the Central Bank of Iraq in 2003?
Well, first off, there was no functioning Central Bank building because it had been destroyed and looted before and shortly after the invasion. Given that the economy was largely cash-based, getting a currency exchange up and running was an important undertaking and something we quickly went to work on setting up. We had a brief period of grace shortly after the fall of the government of Saddam Hussein and before the violence began to escalate in the spring of 2004, which we used to our advantage to get things up and running. Getting that done was vital because it helped to restore confidence in the monetary system at a time when confidence was fragile.
The immediate introduction of a new Central Bank law by the then governing Coalition Provisional Authority was helpful because it was geared towards market-based reforms. It was very different from what we used to have and we needed not only the staff to go with that, but what was equally important was having the right mentality at a political level to go with such dramatic changes to the banking system. Pulling that off required a lot of coordination between the likes of the Central Bank and the Ministry of Finance and other parts of the government, especially because it meant having such laws included in the draft of the new constitution for Iraq which was being drawn up at the time.
Was the establishment of a functional banking framework the first major challenge?
Opening up is not easy, but we knew that in order to get things done, we had to be prepared to talk to a lot of organisations and banks about new ideas and skillsets. However, the deteriorating security situation scared off a lot of international banks and financial institutions. Getting them to come to Iraq was obviously very difficult. Despite that, we have managed to establish and maintain those relationships which helped to establish what might be called the bank’s framework. Managing to integrate with the rest of the world, especially at an economic level went very well. The staff of the Central Bank of Iraq are incredibly hard workers. They frequently came in on weekends and regularly worked late into the night, despite the security situation over the past few years.
What would you say were the early successes?
Creating a functioning system for the foreign currency auction was one notable success, as was managing to restructure the obligations of the Ministry of Finance towards the Central Bank. The reserve requirement is now prudently regulated. We managed to not only develop monetary policy, but also managed to begin executing it and enforcing it. We also had to explain to the government what the Central Bank was and what it did. Now we have a Central Bank which is respected for doing what it is supposed to do, such as maintaining price stability. In five years, the Central Bank of Iraq has gone from being the arm of a totalitarian regime (under Saddam Hussein) to one that is respected by all the major global financial institutions.
Sorting out the debt reduction with the IMF and managing to reduce it by 80 per cent was another major achievement and we should have reduced the final tranche by the end of 2008. This was something which we negotiated in, I think, November 2004, and in which Adil Abdul Mahdi, the Vice-President of Iraq, was a key figure. Thanks to his leadership, we managed to get a debt reduction of 80 per cent and I think it is the biggest debt reduction of its kind for a middle income developing country.
Is the independence of the Central Bank of Iraq a key aspect of this success?
We have worked hard to coordinate with the government and to explain to them the benefits of having an independent Central Bank. This independence is, I would say, good for the government itself, although I would prefer to refrain from using the word ‘independence,’ it does allow us to maintain price stability and that is good for the government. We achieve stability, but it is also an achievement for the government.
The important point is that the Central Bank is always in discussion with the government. Before this it would have been the government which would have been making all the decisions and the Central Bank would have had to follow on from there. There is discussion - it is not one-sided. The government comes to us with any questions they have, not just on monetary policy, but also economic factors, such as the availability of the dollar and auction and exchange rates. They don’t just take decisions without coordinating with the Central Bank.
Given the amount of change that banking in the Middle East is undergoing, what kinds of discussions are you having with other Middle Eastern Central Banks?
I am in regular discussion with my counterparts throughout the region. We always meet through the Arab Monetary Fund and we are always talking on the phone, especially these days, to discuss a lot of things which are going on in the region and beyond.
I think the Central Banks of the Middle East definitely have some challenges now because they are more open than Iraq to the world economy due to the instruments which they employ, which are more related to the kinds of instruments the West uses. Iraq is of course open, but we still do not have things like derivatives and so on.
So, yes, we are always in discussion with them, for instance when a bank bailout takes place, but they are doing well so far. We have been discussing the implications of things like bank bailouts. I regularly meet†Arab governors and other governors during the sessions†of the Arab Monetary Fund.
Inflation has been a problem throughout the Middle East in the past few years. What has the Central Bank of Iraq been doing in this respect?
Core inflation is currently 13.6 per cent and it has stayed within a steady band for quite some time, particularly over the past three months. Inflation has definitely been a challenge over the past year. The issue here is that we are more or less basing our monetary policy on our ability and achievements in combating inflation. Through a programme with various intra governmental organisations, we managed to reduce headline inflation from 64.8 per cent to a headline rate of seven per cent. We actually had minus figures for a while.
Was monetary policy the tool you used to check inflation?
I wouldn’t say it is exclusively monetary policy that has brought inflation down; it is a combination of measures. A lot of economists do not believe that monetary policy in this particular situation made a big difference, and instead preferred to look at developments in the real economy. Nevertheless, I believe monetary policy was quite effective.
I and a lot of my colleagues who worked in Iraq in the 1960s used to believe that inflation was a natural outcome of development. It is not unusual to have inflation during the development process and people even now think the same. What they do not understand is that inflation destroys any development achievement.
There has been a lot of speculation that the Iraqi dinar might be revalued at some point as the economy becomes stronger as a result of increased oil revenue. Is there going to be a revaluation of dinar in the near future?
I always refrain from making any comments on the subject of revaluation. I refrain because everybody will always believe a Central Banker over anyone else on this matter, so I am not going to say anything.
(www.cpi.financial.net)
Iraq has made tremendous progress over the past three months but the United States must remain engaged over the long term if it wants those gains to solidify, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq said.
(www.noozz.com)
Time to seize the election mood in iraq
Gulf News
Published: January 05, 2009, 23:35
The underlying struggle in Iraqi politics is to shape the emerging constitution in a way that suits the political parties' aims and desires to get and retain power. The broad theoretical discussions about achieving representational democracy are closely examined as to how they might support or hinder every politician's ambitions. More transparent democracy was an American demand, but American influence over events in Iraq was reduced dramatically when George W. Bush signed off on the Status of Forces Agreement with no firm conditions on Iraq to introduce reform.
However, within Iraq, several events in early 2009 should start to set the tone. The elections for the regional assemblies are due to be held soon and they will force the parliament to finalise the boundaries and powers of the regions. The dispute over the boundaries of the Kurdish-dominated regions should not delay things in the rest of the country.
Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki and his Dawa Party are in favour of a strong central government, although even he will need to walk carefully around Kurdish ambitions for autonomy. But Al Maliki keeps his parliamentary majority through an enduring alliance with Abdul Aziz Al Hakim's Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council despite its strong support for a weaker central government and strong regions in a federal Iraq. Nonetheless, as Al Maliki gains authority within Iraq, more Iraqi politicians see him as the man with whom they will have to reckon for the foreseeable future. The delicate balance which is Iraqi politics could easily descend into chaos once more, but more and more political parties (some backed by militias or tribal forces) see an advantage in letting the ballot box lead for the moment. The challenge will be to convert this tactical move into a permanent political fact.
(www.gulfnews.com)
Iraq getting ready to host 2013 Gulf Cup
By Yasir Abbasher, Senior Reporter
Published: January 05, 2009, 23:35
Muscat: Engineer Jasem Mohammad Ja'afar, the Iraqi Minister of Youth and Sports, confirmed yesterday that his country will be ready to host the 21st Gulf Cup in 2013.
"We have already started preparing for the tournament," Ja'afar told a press conference yesterday at Crown Plaza hotel Muscat, the media hotel of the Gulf Cup.
"The government has allocated half a billion dollars for the construction of a state-of-the-art sports city in Basra.
"That includes a football stadium in addition to an Olympic-size swimming pool and indoor halls for basketball, handball and volleyball.
"We selected Basra to host the tournament because it is a safe part of our country and nearer to all the other participating countries than any other city in Iraq.
"We are waiting for the approval of their highnesses, the rulers, their excellencies and the ministers of youth and sports in the participating teams for us to host the 21st Gulf Cup."
Fifa has prohibited playing official international football matches in Iraq because of the security situation there.
(www.gulfnews.com)
Iraq Oil Sales Rose 49% to $60.9 Billion Last Year, U.S. Says
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06 January 2009 ( Bloomberg )
By Anthony DiPaola
Iraq, holder of the world’s third- largest crude reserves, boosted income from oil sales by 49 percent last year as crude prices rose to a record in July, according to the U.S. State Department.
The country might have earned about $60.9 billion from oil sales last year, compared with $41 billion in 2007, according to the Iraq Weekly Status Report from the State Department.
Oil production averaged about 2.37 million barrels a day in December, more than the Iraqi Oil Ministry’s target to pump 2.2 million barrels a day, the report said. Output averaged 2.09 million barrels a day in 2007, according to data from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.
Iraq, an OPEC member that’s not bound by a production quota, is seeking help from international oil companies to almost double output by 2012. Last week it announced a tender for the development of 11 oil and gas fields, including the Majnoon, West Qurna Phase II and Siba in Basra.
The country’s crude exports rose in December to an average 1.88 million barrels a day from 1.69 million barrels a day in November, according to the State Department report. Revenue from exports in the month fell to $2.03 billion from $2.77 billion in November as crude prices declined, the report showed.
Oil fell 54 percent last year, the first annual drop since 2001 and the biggest loss since trading started. Prices reached a five-year low of $32.40 a barrel on Dec. 19 after reaching a record $147.27 in July.
(www.iraqupdates.com)
Strategic Agreement Has Mimimal Impact on Most Iraq Operations
Washington, 06 January 2009 ( American Forces Press Service )
By Donna Miles
The new strategic agreement in Iraq is having minimal impact on troops operating in provinces already under Iraqi control when it took effect Jan. 1, the commander of the 4th Infantry Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team told Pentagon reporters today.
Army Col. Butch Kievenaar said the bulk of his “Warhorse Brigade” soldiers are conducting operations in southern Iraq’s Qadisiyah, Najaf and southern Babil provinces. All three provinces have transitioned to Iraqi control – in July 2008, December 2006 and October 2008, respectively.
In addition, the brigade’s cavalry squadron is serving with the 172nd Infantry Brigade in Kabala province. That province was turned over to Iraqi control in October 2007.
“So a lot of the requirements that were specified … in the strategic agreement were already the requirements for us in operations here,” Kievenaar said.
All U.S. military operations in the region are planned and conducted by, with and through Iraqi security forces, he said. “So the provincial government has already been made aware of the operations that we’re doing,” he added.
In addition, he said, the brigade obtains a warrant through the Iraqi government for anyone it detains. Kievenaar’s troops run no detention facility, but instead pass all detainees to the Iraqi army or police for processing before turning them over to the Iraqi civil court system.
“So [the strategic agreement] has a very minimal impact to us here in the province,” he said.
Plans call for the Warhorse Brigade to withdraw its forces from the two joint security stations and two combat outposts where it operates alongside Iraqi security forces before June, as required by the strategic agreement. “And that was part of the plan even without that strategic agreement,” Kievenaar said.
The impact of the agreement is greater, however, for one of the brigade’s two combined arms battalions, operating to the north near Kirkuk. The Tamim province’s capital, within the Multinational Division North region, has not yet been turned over to Iraqi provincial control.
“So when the strategic agreement came into effect, it changed some of what they … were able to do,” Kievenaar said. Most notably, the soldiers began obtaining warrants before detaining suspects and began conducting all operations jointly with Iraqi security forces.
Kievenaar said his troops have “very effective partnership programs” with Iraqi security forces, and are playing a key role in training and helping to professionalize their ranks.
Serving his third deployment to Iraq, Kievenaar said he’s amazed at the capabilities the Iraqi security forces have gained in the past 18 months. “The progress of the Iraqi security forces from then to now is amazing and rewarding, because I’ve seen it from the beginning,” he said.
Kievenaar conceded that al-Qaida and other extremist elements remain, but said efforts targeting their leaders are paying off.
“What we have right now is a situation where your low-level fighters -- those guys that would then go out and do something if somebody gave them money, gave them direction and gave them resources -- they’re still around,” he said. “Their leaders have been targeted, picked up or they’re hiding in a neighboring country. And every time they … try to come back into this country, they’re effectively targeted and picked up.”
Without leadership, money and resources, low-level fighters “basically return to their normal lives,” he said.
“And so we have a very safe and secure environment right now,” he said, “and I don’t see anything on the horizon that their security force, both the police and the army, cannot handle.”
Kievenaar expressed confidence that the Iraqis will be sufficiently trained to assume full security responsibility for their country when U.S. troops leave Iraq.
“They still need our help, because they don’t have all the enablers that we come with, but they don’t need our help on the day-to-day operations,” he said. “I believe by the time that we leave here, that we will have taught them how to be able to sustain themselves and sustain their training and to do a more effective targeting” against forces that threaten the Iraqi government.
The Warhorse brigade is four months into a 12-month deployment. Kievenaar reminded reporters that the successes it has made have come at a cost, including three soldiers who drowned on Christmas Eve when a bridge collapsed as their vehicle crossed it.
“I just ask that you remember those fallen heroes, as well as all the other ones who have lost their lives while serving in Iraq,” he said. “They may be gone, but as we always say, they are never forgotten.”
Kievenaar also extended thanks to the soldiers’ families, whom he called “the true heroes of this war.”
“They’re the ones who make the ultimate sacrifice each time we deploy to defend our nation’s freedoms,” he said. “They’re the ones [who] provide us the strength every day to accomplish the mission.”
(www.iraqupdates.com)
Nothing like picking a TOTALLY UNQUALIFIED man to head the CIA during this time of unprecedented terrorist threat.
A man with, quote, "no experience in the intelligence world" AT ALL, a former chief of staff..
Sighhhhh..
So..if you file papers, read reports and know how the local police station operates... can you become chief of police?
as chief of staffhe had considerable access to intelligence information and knows how the community operates.
===
Obama Picks Panetta To Head CIA!
From Fox News:
Leon Panetta Tapped to Head CIA
Bill Clinton’s former chief of staff Leon Panetta has been tapped to head the CIA in President-elect Barack Obama’s administration, causing surprise and a bit of consternation by several individuals involved in the intelligence community.
Two Democratic sources close to the transition process said Monday that Panetta, who was a congressman and one-time head of the White House Office of Management and Budget, is Obama’s pick to replace Michael Hayden at the CIA…
Panetta is a surprise pick since he has no experience in the intelligence world. However, as chief of staffhe had considerable access to intelligence information and knows how the community operates.
Panetta was a longtime congressman from California who also served on the Iraq Study Group, a bipartisan panel that released a report at the end of 2006 with dozens of recommendations for reversing course in the Iraq war.
Taken by surprise was Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., incoming chairwoman of the Select Senate Intelligence Committee.
"I was not informed about the selection of Leon Panetta to be the CIA director. I know nothing about this, other than what I’ve read. My position has consistently been that I believe the agency is best-served by having an intelligence professional in charge at this time," Feinstein said in a written statement.
Based on a handful of conversations among those linked to the intelligence community, Panetta’s name was not on any of the watch lists circulating in Washington…
They also noted that since Panetta served as chief of staff for Clinton, he will surely face questions about the Clinton administration terror policy and what critics saw as "dropping the ball" in the 1990s…
===
We held off on posting this because we were hoping it was some kind of a hoax. But it has been confirmed.
This is easily one of the most bizarre cabinet picks in our Republic’s long history. And certainly one of its most dangerous.
Mr. Panetta would be better suited to head Code Pink than the CIA.
God help us all.
This article was posted by Steve Gilbert on Monday, January 5th, 2009.
Comments:
1) proreason
Obamy prefers appointees who are as unqualified as himself.
All the faster to destroy the republic and usher in the new age of socialism.
2) GuppyNblue
I think we’ve reached absolute ridiculous. We haven’t even started the Obamanation era and already we can write off any honest intelligence administration. With nuclear proliferation and terrorism at a peak this was just the right time to finish the politicization of the CIA.
3) WhySoSerious
In situations such as this, no matter how many times you tell yourself it will be bad you still aren’t quite prepared.
4) 1sttofight
Is this the same Leon Panetta who did not know that his boss was scr**ing the hired help?
5) sheehanjihad
The first question that comes to mind is…Why? Why him? Oh brother…..
6) JohnMG
Because Obama isn’t really in charge, that’s why!
Whoever is calling the shots is the one pulling this puppet’s strings. As little as I regard Obama’s intelligence, I believe even he wouldn’t be dumb enough to do this on his own. As 1st says, if Panetta was too ignorant to know his former boss was diddling the hired help, he’s the perfect foil.
At any rate, this whole scenario defies logic.
7) pdsand
Leon Panetta’s the next head of the CIA?!?! Next thing you know, Barney Frank will be the chairman of the committee to oversee banking and finance, and then what’s next? The most strident anti-Iraq war senator will be the commander in chief? Well we’re lucky it’s not as bad as all that! Wait, oh CRAP!
8) VMAN
Oh for the good old days when the Company wacked foreign leaders and set up puppet governments sympathetic to the USA. Those were the days my friends. So what now? I guess the agency will play patty cakes with the scum of the world. Maybe they will just say oh please, oh please, oh please like us. This Obuma is truly an idiot or is he? Either way we get scr**ed!!!
9) bill
Obama doesn’t want anyone who is more qualified than he is, so, you get what you get.
Reject Obammunism.
10) scottw
That middle name is making me squirm again.
11) Colonel1961
WTF? This is not the Boy Scouts and on-the-job-training is unthinkable. Putin must be laughing his ass off…
12) NC Cop
Come on, what’s the big deal!!! The entire world is going to love us on January 20th anyway!!
We don’t even NEED a CIA!!!
Dear God, somebody wake me up from this nightmare, I don’t think I can take it for 4 years.
13) artpa
CIA chief Panetta? I think the agency will either have to drop the “I” or change their name to KGB.
Whoopi, Oprah, and Monica are the next appointments. Can I get a medically induced 4 year coma, please!
14) HULAgate
The dems are in their typical 2-year election cycle, and won’t be bothered with the trivia of national security and proper projection of American and allied power.
After all, that IS what dems do.
Oh well.
15) Liberals Demise
We just built up our intell team after the Clintorn years and the puke for change wants a Sodomite Clintorn YES MAN in there driving it back to the Stone Age again? All I can say from here on in is “Prepare for hell to be unleashed on America!!” These bastards will open the flood gates to the Islamic Jihadist for open warfare in our streets!! This ain’t funny anymore……this is our lives they are tampering with. IMPEACH THE PRESIDENT ELECT
16) TickTock
If the choice of Panetta wasn’t so dangerous this would be laughable. I agree that Obama is simply a manufactured puppet of Soros, Inc. Even Al Qaida recognizes this, referring to him as “…the house-slave, Obama”.
Bush kept us safe. Unfortunately the next terror attack on our nation will come under Obama's Nap. The investigation will be handled by the DOJ. Panels will be formed, and papers will be written, but there will be no action taken.
It just wouldn’t be prudent to anger moslems. As punishment, they will be offered free air-fare anywhere in the world…
Thanks, Tsalagi.. I appreciate the thought/post.
I haven't completely given up hope.
But it does look rather bleak.
BTW.. Ann Coulter is so right on.
The "untraceable" team.. you know, black ops, mercenaries, etc.. that I mentioned.
Those to blame would be leftwing, not right.
Sara.
===
Coulter Says Obama Is More Safe Than Bush: US Assassins Are Liberal, Communists, or Anarchists... Obama's Base
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Ann Coulter explained today why conservatives are targeted in our society more so than Obama and the liberals.
...Because every presidential assassin -- or attempted presidential assassin in the history of the nation has either been a liberal, a communist, an anarchist, someone on the left.
Obama's base.
Ann Coulter appeared on the CBS Early Show, with Harry Smith to promote her new book, 'Guilty: Liberal Victims and Their Assault on America’ on liberal "victims":
NewsBusters has more on Coulter's interview this morning.
Here's the transcript:
COULTER: Everyone talking about as if Obama is at some unique risk for assassination. And as I go through in the book every presidential-
SMITH: You don't think as an African-American, that he was at some greater risk?
COULTER: No, I do not. Because every presidential assassin -- or attempted presidential assassin in the history of the nation has either been a liberal, a communist, an anarchist, someone on the left, or there were two who had no politics whatsoever unless you count John Hinckley, who is certifiably insane. So, you know, we have-
SMITH: Which goes back -- which goes back to -- to your basic point that everything that's wrong with America is the left's fault.
COULTER: No, I have -- I wouldn't have mentioned that all these presidential assassins were anarchists, communists, liberals, they were some form of, you know, basically Obama's base, other than the fact that everyone keeps talking about Obama being at some unique risk.
Well, I'm sorry, Sean Hannity's at greater risk. Rush Limbaugh's at greater risk. I promise you George Bush is at greater risk. He has been physically attacked two weeks ago. There's a book fantasizing about George Bush's assassination. There's a movie -- a documentary fantasizing about George Bush's assassination. And there are more hits on going Google for Obama and assassination than Bush and assassination. So maybe we can stop talking about the threat of right-wing violence in a country that is teeming with left-wing violence.
US Grains Council and the Iraq Poultry Fund (IPF) are working together to help rebuild the country's poultry industry following its collapse after the start of the first Gulf War in 1991.
The Babylon Province in Iraq is transforming now into one of the country's largest poultry producing areas, due to the efforts of the USGC and IPF.
'The problem is supplying that region with feed grains to sustain the remarkable comeback within the poultry sector,' said Ken Hobbie, USGC president and chief, and IPF chairman of the board of trustees.
“The feed grains still have to come from the northern regions of Iraq, which further emphasises the need to establish more trade companies to service the substantial growth in demand.”
The Council works cooperatively with the IPF board of trustees to rebuild Iraq's poultry industry and create export opportunities for US feed grains.
To date, two Iraqi feed trade companies have been established to generate additional demand for feed grains by bringing more poultry producers into a unified group with greater buying power.
Babylon province is one of Iraq's largest poultry producing areas and produces about 1,500 tonnes of poultry meat per month. The area is the main supplier to Baghdad and the country's southern regional markets.
It occurs to me that the Iraqis owed to these nations a certain amount of money. Oil was at, let's say.. 20.00 a barrel. Then the US went into Iraq and oil skyrocketed. These nations to which Iraq owed money then were enjoying very high prices for their product (oil) as it went as high as 147.00 a barrel. So, though Iraq did not actually pay back the money.. these oil nations made that money back in revenue generated as a result of the war. They actually didn't lose any money in forgiving the debt.. due to the War in Iraq, they actually made that money in revenue. It seems a small thing to me to forgive debt that has already been paid to them in oil revenue due to the invasion of Iraq. Perhaps it actually costs these countries Iraq owes money to very little to forgive Iraq the debt Iraq owed to them.
Concerning debt forgiveness, there have been some negotiations with Kuwait to exchange the debt for water but I have not heard how of if those negotiations are proceeding. Regardless of the money made by Kuwait and Saudi Arabia with oil at $147.00 for them making Iraq pay war reparations is based upon a need to punish Iraq for the actions of Saddam Hussein.
VIENNA, Jan 7 (KUNA) -- Price of OPEC basket of 12 crudes rose USD 2.41 on Tuesday to reach USD 46.27 per barrel compared to USD 43.86 pb the day before.
OPEC's news bulletin, OPECNA, reported on Wednesday that the annual rate of the price of the OPEC crudes stood at USD 95.45 pb.
The OPEC basket, which is a reference for the policy in the level of production, is made up of 12 crudes: Algerian (Sahara) crude, Iranian heavy crude, Iraqi (Albesara) crude, Kuwaiti export crude, Libyan (Seder) crude, Nigerian (Pune) crude, Qatari light maritime crude, Saudi Arabian Light crude, (Mriaat) crude, Venezuelan crude, Angolan (Girassol) crude, and (Orient) crude of Ecuador.
The number of crudes in the basket dropped from 13 to 12 after OPEC suspended Indonesia's membership last September.
OPEC, which produces more than two-thirds of global consumption of crude oil, decided on the 17th of this month to reduce its output ceiling by 2.2 million barrels per day, excluding Iraq which is not subject to quotas, for a total reduction approved by the organization during the year of 2.4 million barrels per day. (end) amq.rk KUNA 071821 Jan 09NNNN
(www.kuna.net.kw)
BAGHDAD, Jan 6 (KUNA) -- Iraqi custom police foiled an attempt to smuggle drugs to neighboring Syria, the American army said on Tuesday.
The Iraqi police at the Treibeel border crossing discovered around 50 kilograms of Heroin on January 2, said the army in a statement.
The drugs were hidden in a BMW whose driver wanted to leave Iraq to neighboring Syria, said the statement, and one of the custom police discovered the drugs while examining the car by x-rays, also used to examine trucks.
The BMW driver tried to bribe the custom policeman with USD 10,000 but with no use, it added. (end) ahh.bs KUNA 070042 Jan 09NNNN
(www.kuna.net.kw)
Atroushi: Iran can play key-role in Iraq's economy, reconstruction 07/01/2009 16:01:00
Baghdad (NINA)- Lawmaker Sami al-Atroushi for the Kurdistani Islamic Union has considered that relations between Iraq and Iran "are correctly heading forward and might come with fruitful results soon enough."
(www.ninanews.com)
Dana Gas Set to Build on Achievements with Target 76% Increase in Production Rate in 2009
United Arab Emirates, 07 January 2009 ( AME Info FZ LLC )
Dana Gas PJSC expects a strong year of growth in both production and operations in 2009, building on the Company's achievements of 2008, when it achieved revenues of Dhs901m in the first nine months of the year, and grew production by over 50% with start-up of its major gas project in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and further discoveries in Egypt.
The Company also stated that it has no exposure to real estate or stock market investments, and is in a solid cash position to fund its project requirements, having successfully raised $1bn in a convertible sukuk in late 2007 despite a tightening credit market.
Speaking about the Company's achievements and business outlook, Dana Gas Executive Chairman Hamid Jafar stated that 2008 was an excellent year for Dana Gas, and that the Company will continue to build on its important asset base in 2009, and already has major plans underway for the coming year:
'Looking forward to 2009, Dana Gas will continue to implement our strategies for growth and expansion, focusing on capturing new opportunities through both acquisition and new project development. This year will inshallah see the long-awaited start-up of the UAE Gas Project and fast-track development of the Zora Gas Field in Sharjah, while our production in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq will progressively increase to 300 million standard cubic feet per day, and our recent new discoveries in Egypt will also be brought into production, while we continue with further extensive developmental activities in all our projects.'
One of the firm's most notable achievements for the year was the delivery of first gas in its major joint project with Crescent Petroleum in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq in a record time of 15 months. With an investment of $650m, the project is the largest private-sector investment in Iraq today and the largest private-sector oil and gas project in Iraq for several decades. The delivery of first gas enabled Dana Gas to announce in November that its production was up by over 50%.
In its Egypt operations, Dana Gas made a number of important gas discoveries as part of its extensive drilling campaign for 2008, most recently the important rich gas discovery last week in its El Basant-2 well, in addition to its oil discovery at El Baraka-2 and gas discoveries at El Basant-1 (El Tawil), with current discoveries already exceeding the Company's target for new reserves in 2008. More discoveries in Egypt are expected soon, potentially doubling the Company's 2008 reserve base. These results significantly enhance the economics of Dana Gas's Egyptian assets, and will add materially to the Company's overall gas and petroleum liquids production. In total, Dana Gas plans to increase total Company production rate by 76% in 2009, to 68 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day by the end of 2009.
In addition, the Company will be starting the construction of the LPG recovery plant in Ras Shuqair, and will be conducting feasibility studies for other similar projects in Egypt. Dana Gas also has major plans for its Gas Cities concept, and is looking to expand business development of this important regional endeavour.
Closer to home, Dana Gas signed important agreements and completed significant projects in the UAE, including its joint venture with Emarat to own, manage and operate the Middle East's first common user gas pipeline, the Hamriyah Gas Pipeline Project, which was completed and inaugurated in June 2008.
In March 2008, Dana Gas signed a 25-year concession for the Western Offshore Area of Sharjah, and to develop the Zora Gas Field within the block. The concession agreement covers a total area of over 1,000 square kilometres including the Zora Gas Field, which has established gas reserves and a ready high value market. The Company has begun implementation of this important project, which includes upstream development as well as transportation of the produced gas and petroleum liquids via a 25km offshore pipeline, which will add significant production and revenues to Dana Gas's expanding diversified portfolio.
Executive Chairman Hamid Jafar explained that, financially speaking, Dana Gas's focus for 2009 will be on optimising the Company's capital structure and financing arrangements, and taking advantage of the opportunities that will present themselves over the next few months. He emphasized that the Company is in a healthy financial position, and its business has not been significantly impacted by the global financial crisis:
'I would like to reassure our stakeholders that the Company has diligently and professionally stuck to its core business in the utilization of its capital, and has not invested or speculated in the financial or property markets. Our core business is gas, and we are fortunate that the majority of Dana Gas's current revenues emanate from gas production, processing, transportation and sales which have not been affected by the recent downturn of global oil prices. Therefore, our operations remain profitable despite the recent oil price decline. And despite the global economic downturn, the gas sector in the Middle East remains highly promising, and is continuing to show strong and sustained growth and opportunities for investment as a core sector. Dana Gas is thus in a unique position of both benefiting from and contributing to this healthy growth,' Jafar added.
The past year also saw Dana Gas establishing a robust five-year business plan and entry strategies for new countries, as well as recruiting high calibre industry professionals in the fields of engineering, geosciences, finance, legal and administration for its ongoing and expanding operations. The Company's total manpower has grown to around 500 people, and still growing.
2008 also saw Dana Gas included in the Standard & Poor's S&P Pan Arab Shariah Index and the S&P GCC Shariah Indices, Dana Gas was designated as 'UAE Company of the Year' in ACQ Magazine's First Annual Country Awards for Achievement.
(www.iraqupdates.com)
Bank Credit Training Set to Invigorate Iraqi Agribusiness
Baghdad, 07 January 2009 ( Inma Agribusiness Program )
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) through its Inma Agribusiness Program kicked off specialized credit training for 23 credit managers and officers from four major banks in a move to boost the Iraqi agricultural sector with improved access to credit for agribusiness.
Encouraging the involvement of Iraq’s private banks in lending to the agricultural sector, Inma is enhancing the capability of banks to prepare agribusiness loan application packages.
Trainees from four private banks spent four weeks learning financial statement analysis, cash flow projections and the financing needs of the agribusiness industry.
As the banks develop a strong foundation in agribusiness credit, the next phase is to submit approved loans to Inma, who will award grants to banks. These grants will increase the bank’s capital for the purpose of lending to agribusiness.
(www.iraqupdates.com)
Kurdish Representatives To Attend UN Meetings On Iraq
January 07, 2009
BAGHDAD -- The Iraqi government has agreed to include representatives of Iraq's Kurdistan regional government (KRG) in official delegations attending UN meetings.
Dindar Zebari, KRG coordinator for UN affairs, told RFE/RL's Radio Free Iraq that KRG representatives would be within Iraqi delegations to UN sessions in New York and Geneva.
He said they will also attend meetings of the UN's specialized agencies, including the meetings held by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq.
KRG runs Iraq's northern Kurdish autonomous region. The region has enjoyed relative stability after Saddam Hussein's regime was toppled in 2003.
Kurdish communist politician shot dead in Iraq
January 5, 2009
A member of the Kurdish Communist Party has been shot dead by unknown assailants at his home in Kirkuk in northern Iraq, local police and his party said on Sunday.
"Unknown persons killed one of our members in his house in Kirkuk on Saturday evening," party member Fares Abdelrahman told AFP.
"He was an opposition activist and he worked as a civil servant for the mayor of Kirkuk," he said.
On December 18, Nahrla Hussein, a member of the same party, was found beheaded in her home in Kirkuk.
In the 2005 parliamentary elections, the Kurdish Communist Party was part of Iraqi President Jalal Talabani's Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), the largest political bloc in the Iraqi Kurdish parliament.
The assassinations come as Iraq is preparing for provincial elections on January 31.
Iraqi citizens from 14 of Iraq's 18 provinces will go to the polls to elect provincial councillors but Kirkuk is among the governates where the ballot has been postponed.
Oil-rich Kirkuk province, with 900,000 inhabitants, is ethnically mixed but the Kurds have demanded that it be added to their autonomous region in the country's north.
Chaldean-Assyrian Christians, who are considered the province's historical inhabitants, Turkmens as well as more recently migrated Arabs, oppose the move.
Iraq takes over Sunni anti-Qaeda fighters in Diyala
January 6, 2009
Around 9,000 Sunni militia from restive Diyala province who have helped the United States battle Al-Qaeda will now take their payments from the Iraqi government, the US military said on Monday.
"It is a historic day, not only for Diyala, but for all of Iraq," Major General Robert Caslen, commanding general of the American forces in northern Iraq, said in a statement.
"We have transitioned registered Sons of Iraq members with new positions in trade work, and some of them will ultimately work for the Iraqi Police or Iraqi Army."
Sahwa, or Awakening Councils, surfaced in September 2006, when a group of Sunni tribesmen who were former insurgents linked to al-Qaeda in Anbar province formed themselves into a group to help US troops fight Al-Qaeda.
Funded with US money, they are credited with greatly contributing to the decline in violence in Iraq since the latter half of 2007.
According to the US military, 76 percent of a total of 100,000 Sahwa fighters are now under Iraqi government responsibility.
Iraq battle yields Navy Cross, 4 Silver Stars
By Gidget Fuentes
Wednesday Jan 7, 2009
OCEANSIDE, Calif. — The Marine Corps will present the Navy Cross on Thursday to a junior grenadier credited with saving the lives of 10 fellow infantrymen and decimating a force of insurgents during a deadly 2005 firefight inside an Iraqi home.
Three other members of his infantry squad with 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, will receive Silver Stars during the ceremony at Camp Pendleton, Calif., according to 2nd Lt. Curtis Williamson, a 1st Marine Division spokesman. A fourth Silver Star will be presented to the family of their former platoon commander, who died in the battle against 21 heavily armed insurgents in western Anbar province.
Navy Secretary Donald C. Winter recently approved the Navy Cross for Lance Cpl. Joshua A. Mooi, a grenadier assigned to Fox Company’s 2nd Platoon. The Navy Cross is the nation’s second-highest award for combat valor, after the Medal of Honor.
On Nov. 16, 2005, Mooi’s battalion was targeting al-Qaida operatives in New Ubaydi, along the Euphrates River. The missions were part of operation “Steel Curtain.”
Mooi’s platoon came under attack from insurgents firing automatic weapons and lobbing grenades from several fortified homes, officials said. Mooi cfought back and helped recover four Marines hit by enemy fire.
Six times, he “willingly entered an ambush site to pursue the enemy and extricate injured Marines,” his award citation states. “Often alone in his efforts, he continued to destroy the enemy and rescue wounded Marines until his rifle was destroyed by enemy fire and he was ordered to withdraw.”
His “relentless and courageous actions eliminated at least four insurgents while permitting the immediate care and evacuation of more than a dozen Marines who lay critically or mortally wounded,” it states.
To date. 16 Marines and one Navy corpsman have been awarded the Navy Cross for their combat actions in Iraq.
Winter also approved Silver Stars for:
- 2nd Lt. Donald R. McGlothlin, the platoon commander who was killed as he laid suppressive fire against insurgents in an effort to shield the evacuation of wounded Marines from the house, his citation states.
- Staff Sgt. Robert W. Homer, 2nd Platoon’s sergeant, who fended off enemy grenades, small-arms fire and serious shrapnel wounds to lob suppressive fire and help treat and evacuate wounded Marines before he was ordered aboard a medevac helicopter, according to the citation.
- Cpl. Javier Alvarez, a squad leader who directed several magazines of suppressive fire as Marines tried to aid and evacuate the wounded and who himself was seriously wounded after he grabbed an enemy grenade before it detonated, the citation states.
- Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Jesse P. Hickey, the platoon corpsman who saved several Marines’ lives, at times running into the kill zone through enemy automatic fire to treat severely wounded members despite suffering injuries to one of his arms, according to his citation.
Considering this man is a US citizen and cleric..
And if there were sleeper cells, he may know about it..
And also what were their plots..
This could be more than rhetoric.
===
Top US Islamic Cleric Threatens Destruction of America On Egyptian TV
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
"America, which gave [Israel] everything it needed in these battles, will suffer economic stagnation, ruin, destruction, and crime, which will surpass what is happening in Gaza. One of these days, the U.S. will suffer more deaths than all those killed in this third Gaza holocaust. This will happen soon."
- Salah Sultan
Top US Islamic Cleric
Egyptian Television December 28-29, 2008
Salah Sultan is a top American Islamic leader and sits on the Fiqh Council of North America. His name is listed in the Fiqh Council Brochure.
It should be noted that Salah Sultan is not some obscure figure in the American Islamic world. He serves as a member of the Fiqh Council of North America. Touted as the top Islamic governing body in the U.S., the Fiqh Council is an arm of the Islamic Society of North America. Sultan founded and served as president of the Islamic American University in Southfield, Michigan; he was the national director of tarbiyah (Islamic instruction) for the Muslim American Society; and he continues to operate the American Council for Islamic Research, based in Hilliard, Ohio.
Sultan’s Al-Nas TV appearance last week was recorded and translated by the indispensable Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI). Curiously, as soon as MEMRI published the video clips of Sultan’s harangue, references to Sultan’s membership with the Fiqh Council were scrubbed from its website. His name has been removed from its list of council members, even though he appeared there as recently as early last week. However, Sultan is still listed as a member on the Fiqh Council’s brochure posted online (no doubt that will be remedied as soon as they are informed of this report). A copy of the Fiqh Council brochure is posted here (see url below).
Salah Sultan advocated for Islamic theocracy in US elections back in September.
US announces backing of project to revive Iraq''s Babylon site
Arts & Culture 1/7/2009
WASHINGTON, Jan 7 (KUNA) -- The US State Department announced Wednesday its support of a project to develop a plan for the management and preservation of the archaeological site of Babylon.
Funded to nearly 700,000 dollars, the project will be carried out by the World Monuments Fund in partnership with the Iraq State Board of Antiquities and Heritage (SBAH).
Babylon stands out among Iraq's rich contributions to humanity and "The Future of Babylon" project exemplifies the American people's commitment to the preservation of human heritage and their respect for the cultural heritage of Iraq, the announcement said.
The management plan is expected to be completed within two years.
Using a process driven by the significance of the site and the interests of the Iraqi stakeholders, the project will identify the purposes for which the site will be conserved and managed, and specify goals and policies to direct, guide and regulate future uses and interventions at the site, the department said.
The SBAH has dedicated a group of professional staff to collaborate on the planning and fieldwork tasks for the Babylon project. (end) rm.mb
I read in this article that you were right and there are TWO dates the Supreme Court will consider upholding the Constitutional requirements for the office of President of the United States... Friday Jan. 9 (two days from now) and Friday, Jan. 16. Thanks for the hat tip. I thought it was only one. :)
===
What if?
Posted: January 06, 2009
Janet Porter
What if an imposter from another country ran for the presidency and won?
What if the media blocked any news of his birthplace and citizenship?
What if the media censorship even blocked paid advertising that tried to expose it?
What if no one had the courage to challenge or verify it?
What if he was inaugurated illegally?
What if the military had to answer to a commander in chief who was illegitimate?
What if every law he signed was invalid?
What if every appointment he made was improper?
What if it all happened on our watch?
Here's another "what if": What if the U.S. Supreme Court did their job to uphold the Constitution and actually verified that the Constitution's requirements for the office of president had, in fact, been met?
There are two more opportunities for the Court to do that: Friday, Jan. 9, and Friday, Jan. 16, the U.S. Supreme Court will be looking at the Philip J. Berg challenges that address whether Barack Obama, aka Barry Soetoro, meets the natural born citizenship requirement for the office of president – something that has never been verified.
If everything is legitimate and all these lawsuits are off base, there's a really easy way to make them all go away. Reagan taught it. Republicans have forgotten it. Trust but verify.
Write to the Supreme Court and ask them to do what they took an oath to do: make sure the Constitution is being upheld. This may be the most important case the justices have ever considered. This may be the most important letter you could ever send them. I recommend sending it overnight, which you can do via WorldNetDaily's online store.
U.S. Supreme Court
1 First Street N.E
Washington, D.C. 20543
Supreme Court Justices:
Chief Justice John Roberts
Associate Justices:
Samuel A. Alito
Clarence Thomas
Antonin Scalia
Anthony M. Kennedy
David H. Souter
John Paul Stevens
Stephen G. Breyer
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
FedEx the Supreme Court now to be sure justices hear from you.
Join over 200,000 others by signing a petition calling on all controlling legal authorities to take seriously the matter of where and when and to whom Obama was born and whether he qualifies as a "natural-born American citizen," according to Article 2, Section 1 of the Constitution.
This covers the Supreme Court challenge due Friday well. A previous article said of the poll taken, "Of the more than 102,000 votes nationwide, the split is 53 percent believing there is an issue to investigate, 41 percent saying no and six percent undecided." http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=84990
This later article says that has increased to where it now stands at, quote, "55 percent believe there is merit to the questions raised over Obama's eligibility, including majorities in all but a handful of states." Of course, this is an unscientific poll.. because the MSM pollsters are far too afraid to ask the public what they think on this question.. as the media are also intimidated, lest they offend their Messiah - the one they call "The One."
===
Supreme Court to take up eligibility question again Conference to evaluate claims president-elect isn't qualified
Posted: January 06, 2009
By Bob Unruh
WASHINGTON – A conference is scheduled Friday at the U.S. Supreme Court during which justices will consider behind closed doors – again – taking up a case that could put to rest the questions about whether President-elect Barack Obama qualifies to occupy the Oval Office under the Constitution's requirement that he be a "natural born" citizen.
Twice before the justices have heard the questions, and twice before they've decided to ignore them.
The lingering questions continue to leave a cloud over the impending presidency of a man whose relatives have reported he was born in Kenya and who has decided, for whatever reason, not to release a bona fide copy of his original birth certificate in its complete form.
Multiple lawsuits have been filed around the nation alleging Obama does not meet the "natural born citizen" clause of the U.S. Constitution, Article 2, Section 1, which reads, "No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President."
On Friday the justices will consider Philip J. Berg's Petition for Writ of Certiorari.
"This is a historic occasion that will impact the office of the president of the United States as never before. No one has ever brought an action against a president-elect candidate challenging his eligibility to serve based on the 'natural born' citizen requirement provided in the United States Constitution, Article II Section 1," said a statement on Berg's ObamaCrimes.com website.
Berg suggested if Obama "is allowed to be sworn in as president of the United States, there will be substantial and irrevocable harm to the stability of the United States of America and to its citizens."
"Because Barack Obama is not a 'natural born' citizen as required by the United States Constitution, then all of his actions as president would be null and void," Berg said.
Last month, WND reported similar concerns raised in a lawsuit filed in California.
"Should Senator Obama be discovered, after he takes office, to be ineligible for the Office of President of the United States of America and, thereby, his election declared void," argues a case brought on behalf of Ambassador Alan Keyes, also a presidential candidate. "Americans will suffer irreparable harm in that (a) usurper will be sitting as the President of the United States, and none of the treaties, laws, or executive orders signed by him will be valid or legal."
Porter told WND that her organization, Faith2Action.org, was even turned down by CNN and Fox News in its effort to purchasing advertising to publicize the dispute.
"As requested, we backed up every sentence of this ad, and still it was rejected," she said. "What does that say about freedom of speech when we not only cannot count on the media to cover the story, but we can't even buy time to publicize what may be the biggest story of the century."
WND recently reported on an unscientific AOL poll that suggested voters from across the nation are becoming more and more concerned about the issue.
At that time the poll showed only 41 percent of the respondents believed there was no issue to be investigated.
In the few days between that report and today, that figure dropped another 2 percent, and the latest results show 55 percent believe there is merit to the questions raised over Obama's eligibility, including majorities in all but a handful of states.
During Obama's presidential campaign, an image of a Hawaiian "Certification of Live Birth" was posted on the Internet in response to questions about his birth. Critics, however, dismissed it by pointing out that such a document was routinely provided to parents whose children were not born in Hawaii at the time.
Among the comments posted on the America Online poll site was this warning: "If Mr. Obama were to become president, yet not respect the Constitution and customs of this country, then he is not my president. Without legitimacy, his rule will be resisted, damaged and impaired. This can only cause harm to this country."
Another comment at the poll site said, "In his oath of office, the president must swear 'to uphold and protect the Constitution of the United States.' How can Mr. Obama satisfy this requirement, yet violate the 'natural born' requirement?"
Said another, "All of this controversy would go away if Obama would just produce a birth certificate. He is fueling this by refusing to do so, and by fighting the issue in court. That refusal alone should make people suspicious."
On a similar note, a recent WND poll asked readers, "Are you satisfied Obama is constitutionally eligible to assume the presidency?" A full 97 percent of nearly 7,200 voters said "no."
The top three answers were:
- No, if I can't get a driver's license without an original birth certificate, how can Obama become president without one?
- No, and Americans should continue to dog him about it through his term
- No, there's a reason why he's unwilling to disclose his original birth certificate
Berg, who has another case on the issue pending on behalf of a retired military officer, earlier stated, "I am determined, on behalf of the 320 million citizens in the United States, to see that 'our U.S. Constitution' is followed. Specifically, in the case of Soetoro a/k/a Obama, does he meet the constitutional qualifications for president?
"I am appalled that the mainstream media continue to ignore this issue as we are headed to a 'constitutional crisis.' There is nothing more important than our U.S. Constitution and it must be enforced," he said.
The biggest question is why, if a Hawaii birth certificate exists as his campaign has stated, Obama hasn't simply ordered it made available to settle the rumors
The governor's office in Hawaii said there is a valid certificate but rejected requests for access and left ambiguous its origin: Does the certificate on file with the Department of Health indicate a Hawaii birth or was it generated after the Obama family registered a Kenyan birth in Hawaii?
I read today SBA (Stand By Agreement) has expired; Iraq has been released. This is exciting news that should not go unrecognized. What does this mean? From my perspective Iraq could theoretically abandon the current monetary policy of a managed rate. Will they do this? Probably not for the forseeable future.
In my view, we are closer to the "real rate" of the Dinar but we need the passage of the HCL before we see the movement we are all wanting to see.
I read today SBA (Stand By Agreement) has expired; Iraq has been released. This is exciting news that should not go unrecognized. What does this mean? From my perspective Iraq could theoretically abandon the current monetary policy of a managed rate. Will they do this? Probably not for the forseeable future.
In my view, we are closer to the "real rate" of the Dinar but we need the passage of the HCL before we see the movement we are all wanting to see.
Off topic, no Dinar so you can skip, but earlier I mentioned the Lord's displeasure at those who advocate Euthenasia. I wished to do one post to explain that statement, because I do not wish to be painted as being for a painful death full of suffering as a result of being against the sin of murder (euthenasia). I hope you will indulge me on this off topic post, and consider the matter before you also face end-of-life issues and the moral challenges it presents. As per usual, there is one hell of a lot more went into the creation of this post I don't share.. so I title it:
Euthenasia - from the crucible
Euthenasia encompasses a desire to disobey God when He has commanded that men should not kill.
As with violating any command from God, self-justifying reasons are given by those guilty of breaking His command.
But as with the command not to take the Lord's name in vain.. if we say that when people are under duress they should be excused from being held culpable (indictable, guilty), so it is with this crime against God. If a person hits their thumb with a hammer so that they create a large bruise and do considerable damage to their own tissue, it is not reverent nor addressing God to then take the Lord's name into their lips in the form of a swear. I don't hear people yell, "oh, DAFFY DUCK!" or "Popeye!" THEN. No, they take the Lord's name in vain. And can we say because they are in a lot of pain, it is ok to break God's command not to take His name in vain? Yet people use this same ungodly reasoning to advocate for murder against God's command not to at the end of life.
It is as if they believe that, when a person is dying, if they suffer any pain.. they must be excused the sin of committing murder or being murdered. Because, after all, they were in pain and suffering. Does the pain and suffering excuse the sin in either of these cases? Can the pain of a hammered thumb excuse the sin of taking the Lord's name in vain? Can the pain and suffering of dying (which can likewise be unpleasant) excuse the sin of murder?
In all of history, we live at a time when there has been the most breakthroughs in medicine and health. Things that, just a hundred years ago they did not have, like antibiotics and painkillers or diagnostic machinery, are common now. For the first time in history, man can end life in a great degree of comfort. There can be pallitive care, the medicating of people so they do not die in pain, whereas before there was little alternative to painful suffering.
To advocate that people should obey the law of God and not violate it when they are in pain is not evil or merciless. Instead, it should be recognised that those of us who oppose the immorality advocated in euthenasia are advocating pallitive care (medication for alleviation of suffering and pain), not a painful death.
Those who advocate that people who are suffering pain as they are dying should have the RIGHT to violate the laws of God tend to be atheists or humanists. They are people for whom the commands God gave mean nothing. They don't believe there is a God and do not acknowledge His right to speak to mankind and tell us what is right and wrong, moral and immoral. Since 80% of the world's population disagree with this viewpoint and acknowledge God's existence as Supreme Being, these euthenasia advocates are in the minority in this world. They are those who have said,
Psa 12:4 With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?
In every area of life they say "WHO IS LORD OVER US?" All of life to them has no LORD, no God. All is our own they say, to do with as we please - our lips (they can say what they want to, even immoral words on primetime tv), our bodies (they can have nudity on TV, too (wardrobe malfunction?).. and if they have a baby they say that they have the ability - and therefore, they believe, the right - to murder the child if they see fit). They believe they can be immoral as they see fit as well, after all.. our bodies are our own, WHO IS LORD OVER US?
This area is no different. Since they believe that their bodies are their own and there is no one who is Lord over them, they believe they have the right to take their own lives if they are in pain and suffer any while they are dying. Rather than have a painkiller, they advocate murder - either by their own hand or by attempting to force the government and medical profession to do it for them. And they advocate strongly against those of us who believe that the command of God has rulership over all lives and should be respected in law.
If someone is dying and suffering in pain, we can understand those who think of criminal behavior (though not condoning the sin in it). It is easy to understand why they might think of addressing the issue with murder instead of painkillers - but must we endorse it - codify it in law as acceptable behavior? If someone chooses to kill themselves and goes out and buys a gun and puts a bullet through their brain, they can do that. It doesn't make it right, whether they are in pain or not. Nor does it make it right for the State to get involved and pull the trigger for them, committing the sin of murder - simply because someone is suffering or in pain. They have made an incorrect decision (to sin against the command of God and commit murder) when under duress (pain, suffering). We should help them to obey and provide them the understanding that pallitive care (relief of pain) is available. Anything less than compliance with the command of God is sin. Why should the government be forced by the ungodly to codify a sin into law and force the medical profession to break the command of God?
The Riches Man in Babylon is one of the better books ever written.....even though, States, and Feds, believe more in the socialist way to go, at least make this book part of your own personal policy.
We have as the watchword now learned that "Bailout" is suppose to be our ticket out, our saviour and the one and only thing that will set things straight in the now economical bankrupt world we are watching today.
Not so. The State or the Fed, have been trusted with our money, to look after OUR welfare, and to MANAGE OUR money, for that purpose.
Nothing else.
We have the last 30-40 years been served a dish where we take loans for granted, credits as a natural part of our life, and even been taught that "Credits are the oil" in the economy.
So as we hear "deals" where we don't have to pay for three months, get the first month free, get a $1000 cashback, and get free airline miles in frequent flyers programs, if we use credit card X, we are lulled into the belief that we are actully doing something good.
Classic financing was in the past, cars and Real Estate, but nowadays we throw up the credit card when we need a hamburger.
There is a big difference in what a person NEED, and what a person WANTS.
We have lately seen a chain of irresponibility that have broken down, too many house buyers, bought far far too big houses, and couldn't keep up with the payments.
Far far too many lending institutions were more than willing to lend money to persons that "hopefully" would pay back.
Here comes the Government, sitting on money we have given to them, in order to look after our welfare.
The economical effect have now, like domino pins, falled one by one, and industry, and jobs are threatened.
Wait...said the Government, we're NOT going to use the money our population have sent in, that we are suppose to manage, and use for the benefit of the people....instead, give the loanmarket, and auto industry billions upon billions, so we can "restore " the economy.
We DON'T want to "restore" that economy.
THAT economy is based on false economic principles to start up with.
As little as a person can afford taking a $5000 vacation on his credit cards, the State or Fed's can't afford to take out Billions upon Billions in an effort to prop up a failure.
The mindset have to change, and the basic fundamental principle has to change , both in the individual, State and Fed's, way of thinking.
You want a big house, but you can afford it, you can buy yourself a small house, that you can actully afford to pay off.
You don't NEED that big super entertainment center, with a big flatscreen, super speakers, and with all the bells and whissles in it, unless you can buy it cash.
Your 8 HP outboard engine have taken you to your favorite fishing spot for years and years....what in the earth, makes you say that you now NEED a 120 HP outboard engine.
The old aluminum boat with its 8 hp engine, is payed for, and it is a lie to say that you NEED a plastic monster, to hotrod over the lake.
The NEED and WANT is most commonly confused, and there is a social "pressure" to not come around with an older car.
Cure....take that old car down the freeway, and flip off enough people to the point that they don't bother you no more.
If you still believe that you can not with stand a social pressure, by not buying the latest model of whatever you own, take a 12 step program. The issue is not with the latest car, latest boat, latest clothes, latest TV or computer....you are the issue.
What I am looking for every day in the intense debate on TV nowadays is if there is anyone in any power position that will step up and say STOP.
-"As your President, I will hereby freeze any "bailout" and any attempt to further fraud our people , by using money trusted to us, by them, for "bailouts" of any industry, will be pursued on criminal grounds".
It sure will hurt, but it is the only sane way to go.
Any "bailout" is a conservation of the existing system, a system that in itself is based on "buy now, pay later".
It's even worse when the money we don't have....(seems like we finally ran out of money) have been going overseas, to China or Taiwan, for consumer goods, we don't even produce.
The State and Fed's have been doing likewise for years and years.
They take in ( I'm just taking numbers now for the simplicity of things) 10 Dollars in Taxes.
However, they "need" 15 Dollars in order to do what they want.
So they borrow 5 bucks, and do it.
So here goes a year, another year, another year, and the debt just keep rolling on, bigger and bigger, and now we have trillions upon trillions in debt.
So.... say he Government, -"lets "bail out" part of the industry".
Where is money....hey didn't the people send us money...I think we have it here somewhere...yeah, here it is, it is tax revenues.....and we are sitting on it.
Oncle Ernie didn't do too good with his bicycle shop, let him have "restitution".
Here is money.
"Peppe's Bodega", was a failed restaurant, we can't have that.
Here is your "share".
Cars don't sell, here is money, ...we must be doing a very great social service now...(Japanese and European cars don't sell either right now...well why not bail those out at the same time)
Lenders going belly up, oh no, here's billions, feeling better about the mistakes you did now......hey you are not going to do them again,,,aren't you????
Wooops, in order to bail out all these, ....seems like we have to borrow even more...
What I am looking at, but never see, is a person that say STOP.
If your credit rating is of concern you need to read the book "The Richest Man In Babylon", and you will realize that your credit rating is a false status symbol, only set up to be a grading of how much you can be in debt and still function.
Vote on the oil and gas law in the House of Representatives
نفى. Denied a useful member of the House of Representatives that there is the Algerian political reasons for the vote on the non-oil and gas law to date.
وتو. Jazairi predicted that the next few days, the arrival of the final version of the oil and gas law to the Council.
وقاة منه. He told the Algerian press said on Saturday that more than one copy of the law has been prepared for presentation to the members of the House of Representatives, but he was subsequently withdrawn and modified, and it seems he has been taking different views on certain points.
Based upon the article I borrowed from IIF 2009 may be the year of the HCL. 24 months after its initial introduction the HCL means a world opportunity for Iraq. In other words, these opportunities are boundless. Iraq can expect billions of dollars in investment. This money will be used to revamp Iraqs oil sector. Oil now is slowly rising again and Iraq can benefit greatly from higher oil prices. An increase in oil production means the necessity for Iraq to convert its oil to petro dinars. It also means the Dinar will be internationally convertible. All these items will contribute to the Dinars "real exchange" rate.
It seems like I will go back for R&R in the beginning of Apr, or perhaps in the last days of Mars. I will spend 15 days back in the US at that time.....I am counting days, hours, and minutes.
I am doing the daily chores, full days are 12 hours, but in reality it is much longer.
We have not had any attacks on any convoy for at least a week and a half, at least the convoys I have been participating in.
We are well aware that we will withdraw in a three year time peroid, ( unless Obama wants it to go quicker) but so far I have not seen any signs of withdrawal, or preparations of thereof.
Most probably we will donate quite a stash of stuff to the Iraqis when we take off from here, some of the stuff are still useable, but I doubt that much of it is cost effective to ship back home again.
We're really not suppose to open any doors on our vehicles and give the Iraqis anything, but everyone and his brother is doing it, ( army trucks also, I've seen it myself)
I was outside Sad'r city the other day, out in a field, and one of the guard posts was "The Sons of Iraq"
I had a carton of fried chicken legs, that was far too much for me to eat, and I gave it to the group of guys sitting with their AK's and a scarf around the face as is customary here.
When then waiting in line to offload, they came up to me and knocked on my door, I was served the best tea I have ever drank.
I added my gifts to them by giving them a half dozen water bottles, they were grateful, and assured me that if I ever was in trouble, to get hold of them.
They have nothing, not even flashlights, but by some reason or the other, they all seems to have cellphones.
I guess it is very cheap for them to get a cellphone. One of them offered me his cellphone, a gift that I could, of course not accept, but thanked them very much.
They all seem happy and walked back to their watchpost, shining the way with their cellphones displays.
I have seen one major bombed out bridge fixed now, and one small village that looked like a hell hole just a couple of months back, they had fixed the streets, curbs, walking exits, across the road, streetlights and it starts to look pretty good I must say.
The whole area is in election moode right now, it is plastered all over the concrete barriers, flyers for different candidates, all over.
Most possible the main political blocks will shift, at least somewhat from pure religious interest groups, to a more classical left/right political blocks.
The main issue here is a complete unability to grab hold of projects and get them started.
Sad'r city have a lot of programs, running right now, but they are mostly runned by the US forces, and the minority of programs are Iraqi Gov programs.
The big concern is right now the fact that the US forces are treating all Iraqis as Iraqis, and are running all kind of programs in this society, but once the Iraqis are taking over, that they will drop programs that are not in line with their clan, or religious affiliation.
We have a pretty good "snitch program" where info on insurgents, are payed in accordance to importance, and gravity.
It's hard to be an insurgent in Iraq right now, to be an AlQueda is almost impossible, we will know about it pretty quick.
Rewards up to a couple of million bucks have been payed out, and it is a really cheap way to go.
A lot of that money have together with the "Son of Iraq" MONEY ( 300 Bucks per insurgent....well, lets not call them that any longer....per month) put a lot of people back on their feet.
This however is not stable jobs, they need "real" jobs, and a society can not have thousands of armed young men, sitting in streetcorners
doing car searches, ( when the Americans are watching)
The Iraqi Gov don't have any plans in progress to cover this when we are pullling out, they talk, talk and talk, about how they want to do things, but they never seem to get their thumb out of their ass, and actually do anything that makes any kind of sense.
The checkpoints are small forts, and always at this time of the year, there is a fire burning keeping them warm. Iraq smells always like a burnt mattres, they burn anything.
I've seen the guards sitting and keeping warm when an orange plastic traffic cone was slowly burning with a bunch of Iraqi hands hold out towards the flame.
A tire is an excellent source of heat, they smoke a lot, but they burn forever, and they burn hot, so they haul old tires to their guard place, burn them, and stink down their neighbourhood.
Have another mission tomorrow, gotta go and catch some ZZZZZZZZ.
Happy New Year! I just got back from up north with all those snow storms. I spent about 3 weeks with family in northern Ohio. I have not gotten all posts read as of yet. I have been away from the internet in that time.
Roger,
I have been praying and thinking about you as you have not posted in awhile. I am glad to hear you are doing well. Keep us posted on what you are up too.
Just like you, we are continuing to talk about the economic crisis in the United States with the bank bailouts; auto industry and other possible candidates that will be eligible for a bailout. I can't believe we haven't jailed some politicians over this mess.
Well, as it is very late/or early morning--I need to catch some zzzzzzzzzzzzz's. Let us hear from you more often.
CBI sells $501m this week, lowers exchange rate by 1 point
January 9, 2009 - 07:25:14
BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: Total demand on the dollar went up during the two Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) sessions this week to hit $501.945 million while decreased the Iraqi dinar’s exchange rate versus the dollar by one point to settle at 1,171 per dollar.
Total dollar sales during last week’s sessions had reached $380.705 million at an exchange rate of ID1,172 per one dollar.
Two sessions were held this week out of five usually held on a weekly basis from Sunday to Thursday. Sunday (Jan. 4) coincided the closing of balance sheets while Tuesday (Jan. 6) and Wednesday (Jan. 7) were official holidays celebrating the Army Day and Ashuraa respectively.
Total demand on cash this week hit $169.885 million at an exchange rate of ID1,177 per dollar, including the CBI commission of ID6 per each dollar.
This week’s total foreign transfers demand registered $332.060 million at an exchange rate of ID1,174 per dollar, including the CBI commission of ID3 per each dollar.
(www.en.aswataliraq.com)
Iraq is Free of Its Obligation to the International Monetary Fund
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08 January 2009 ( Iraq Directory )
The Ministry of Finance announced the end of Iraq's obligations to the supporting Convention of (SBA), and the remainder of debt was agreed to be scheduled over the coming years up to the year 2021.
The Public Debt Office in the Ministry of Finance, clarified on the size of Iraq's debts, war reparations and benefits implications, that a large part was abolished through Paris Club and the bilateral agreements, and he explained the mechanisms of paying the remaining amounts and negotiations with the countries that have not abolished their debt yet, after Iraq has fulfilled its obligations and ended the Supporting Agreement (SBA) in 12-31-2008.
The director of the office, Muafaq Ezze Aldin Taha, described the Paris Club agreement is one of the advanced steps leading to accelerate the settlement of foreign debts, and gained as a returned victory to Iraq. He added that the last 20 percent of these debts was abolished through the Paris Club regarding to Iraq's commitment to the terms of the Convention, adding: "As far as the remaining 20% of the full amount after reducing 80 percent of $ 10,329 billion dollars, has been rescheduled until 2021, Iraq in which to pay the benefits of this amount." And that "the payment mechanism of remaining debt to Paris Club's countries or others after abolishing 80%, gives Iraq a grace period of six years that the first three years Iraq will pay none, on condition that starts to pay the financial benefits 1-1 / 2009 until the end of the year 2011, then begins to pay the actual remaining debt divided into 34 installments."
The director of Public Debt Office declared; there are14 countries, including eight Arab countries did not have a clear positive process of their debt, pointing to several correspondences to them from the ministry to change their adherence attitude or to reduce the debts, but all were invalid.
(www.iraqupdates.com)
BAGHDAD, Jan 13 (KUNA) -- US Vice President-elect Joe Biden continued Tuesday his meetings with Iraqi officials, holding talks with Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister Rafi Al-Issawi.
On the second day of his official visit to Iraq, Biden met Al-Issawi for about an hour in his office and discussed several issues including the relations of Washington and Baghdad, a release issued by Al-Issawi's office said.
They also discussed boosting economic cooperation and the US military presence in Iraq, it added.
On Monday, Biden met Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, Deputy President Adel Abdulmahdi, and Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih.
During his meeting with Talabani, Biden stressed that the new US Administration is a friend of Iraq.
Biden's visit to Iraq is the first since he was elected Vice President. (end) ahh.ris KUNA 131403 Jan 09NNNN
(www.kuna.net.kw)
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12 January 2009 ( Al-Hayat )
By Walid Khadduri
The Iraqi oil industry is pulled apart between multiple and different factors. The importance of these factors lies in their impact on the Iraqi oil industry for at least the next twenty-five years. Indeed, decisions that are being taken now, or those that will be ratified during this period, will provide the basic framework for the nature of the Iraqi oil industry in the foreseeable future.
Some of these conflicting factors lie in launching negotiations with international oil companies after about five years of occupation, and in the deep-seated disputes between the ruling forces that have delayed the ratification of an oil and gas law in the parliament for two years, in addition to disputes between the international companies and the Oil Ministry over the nature of contracts which are expected to be signed soon. Added to them is the continuing instability and lack of security, even if at a lesser degree than before, as well as the spread of corruption in the state's institutions and apparatuses, and the pressures applied by foreign powers in favor of their companies. Last but not least, the dispute over the interpretation of the articles on hydrocarbon resources in the 2005 constitution, particularly concerning the jurisdiction of the Oil Ministry and the provinces in terms of negotiating and signing contracts with foreign companies, as was the case with the government of Kurdistan. This dispute is expected to spread in the near future, with the provincial council elections, especially in the suggested province of Basra, coming up at the end of the current month.
The Iraqi Oil Ministry managed, in the year 2008, to sign an agreement to develop the Ahdab oil field with a Chinese consortium led by the China National oil company. The original agreement had been signed in 1997, but the Chinese group had never carried out a single word of it, because of the international embargo at the time. In September 2008, the Oil Ministry modified the agreement from production sharing to a service contract, a step which is beneficial to Iraq. What is strange is that the government has not yet taken the initiative to turn over the agreement to the Parliament for ratification as per the enforced laws even though the first Chinese delegation arrived about a week ago to start the work on the field.
The Oil Ministry has also signed a preliminary agreement over a South gas project, which has raised many questions, especially from the members of the Oil and Gas Committee at the Parliament, who have not yet been presented with the agreement, despite it having been no less than three months since it was signed. What first raises question in this massive project is the fact that it was not publicly put forth for bidding, as required by the laws in vigor, in addition to the obscurity surrounding it.
As Iraqi expert Fuad Qassem Al-Amir explained, in a study published on the Al-Ghad website alongside the text of the agreement in English, many questions can be raised. For instance, the geography of the agreement is obscure, as it first refers to the natural gas in Basra then moves on to the gas in the south, without specifying the geographical extent of such an area. Furthermore, the agreement focuses at first on treating associated gas, but later moves on to the development of free gas fields.
The agreement also stipulates that Iraq would sell natural gas to Shell at international prices, which the company would then sell back to Iraq at international prices as well. This means that petrochemical products, whether industrial or agricultural (using fertilizers), in Iraq will not be able to compete with similar products in neighboring countries, where the state subsidizes the price of natural gas for local industries. Furthermore, the study made by the Iraqi expert indicates the absence of any clause specifying the amount of natural gas necessary to meet the growing domestic demand, or of any determining when the company can start exporting.
Last but not least, the agreement grants Shell, or the joint venture which will later be established, the right to monopolize free and associated gas in Southern Iraq, which can even include the gas produced by the National Oil Company or international companies operating in the south.
The Oil Ministry is currently negotiating with a group of large international oil companies to contribute to the development of oil and natural gas fields, those discovered and those already producing. These negotiations rely on the principle of service contracts, instead of adopting the principle of production sharing followed in the Kurdistan province. The role of the National Oil Company and the size of its share are so far unclear in these negotiations.
However, the greatest challenge for the Iraqi oil industry remains the results of the provincial council elections, and whether the project of the Basra province will obtain the majority required for its success. In such a case, will the Basra province follow in the footsteps of the Kurdistan province? Or will it agree to different solutions with the Ministry of Oil? Indeed, no less than 70 percent of Iraq's oil reserves are located in Basra.
The success of the project of the Basra province will turn the Iraqi oil industry upside down, considering the importance this area represents for Iraq's oil. The local elections at the end of this month will show the nature and the quality of the Iraqi oil industry in the foreseeable future. Will it be planned on the basis of the interest of Iraq as a whole? Or will it be squandered, as some try to interpret the constitution according to their whims and interests?
* Mr. Khadduri is an energy expert.
(www.iraqupdates.com)
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12 January 2009 ( New America Media )
Editor's Note: Low oil prices in one part of the world, like the United States, mean that such oil-producing countries as Venezuela and Iran are going to have to pay for it, writes Michael T. Klare, professor of peace and world security studies at Hampshire College in Amherst, Mass. This article first ran in TomDispatch.
Only yesterday, it seems, we were bemoaning the high price of oil. Under the headline "Oil's Rapid Rise Stirs Talk of $200 a Barrel This Year," the July 7 issue of the Wall Street Journal warned that prices that high would put "extreme strains on large sectors of the U.S. economy." Today, oil, at over $40 a barrel, costs less than one-third what it did in July, and some economists have predicted that it could fall as low as $25 a barrel in 2009.
Prices that low -- and their equivalents at the gas pump -- will no doubt be viewed as a godsend by many hard-hit American consumers, even if they ensure severe economic hardship in oil-producing countries like Nigeria, Russia, Iran, Kuwait, and Venezuela that depend on energy exports for a large share of their national income. Here, however, is a simple but crucial reality to keep in mind: No matter how much it costs, whether it's rising or falling, oil has a profound impact on the world we inhabit -- and this will be no less true in 2009 than in 2008.
The main reason? In good times and bad, oil will continue to supply the largest share of the world's energy supply. For all the talk of alternatives, petroleum will remain the number one source of energy for at least the next several decades. According to December 2008 projections from the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE), petroleum products will still make up 38% of America's total energy supply in 2015; natural gas and coal only 23% each. Oil's overall share is expected to decline slightly as biofuels (and other alternatives) take on a larger percentage of the total, but even in 2030 -- the furthest the DoE is currently willing to project -- it will still remain the dominant fuel.
A similar pattern holds for the planet as a whole: Although biofuels and other renewable sources of energy are expected to play a growing role in the global energy equation, don't expect oil to be anything but the world's leading source of fuel for decades to come.
Keep your eye on the politics of oil and you'll always know a lot about what's actually happening on this planet. Low prices, as at present, are bad for producers, and so will hurt a number of countries that the U.S. government considers hostile, including Venezuela, Iran, and even that natural-gas-and-oil giant Russia. All of them have, in recent years, used their soaring oil income to finance political endeavors considered inimical to U.S. interests. However, dwindling prices could also shake the very foundations of oil allies like Mexico, Nigeria, and Saudi Arabia, which could experience internal unrest as oil revenues, and so state expenditures, decline.
No less important, diminished oil prices discourage investment in complex oil ventures like deep-offshore drilling, as well as investment in the development of alternatives to oil like advanced (non-food) biofuels. Perhaps most disastrously, in a cheap oil moment, investment in non-polluting, non-climate-altering alternatives like solar, wind, and tidal energy is also likely to dwindle. In the longer term, what this means is that, once a global economic recovery begins, we can expect a fresh oil price shock as future energy options prove painfully limited.
Clearly, there is no escaping oil's influence. Yet it's hard to know just what forms this influence will take in the year. Nevertheless, here are three provisional observations on oil's fate -- and so ours -- in the year ahead.
1. The Price of Oil Will Remain Low Until It Begins to Rise Again: I know, I know: this sounds totally inane. It's just that there's no other way to put it. The price of oil has essentially dropped through the floor because, in the past four months, demand collapsed due to the onset of a staggering global recession. It is not likely to approach the record levels of spring and summer 2008 again until demand picks up and/or the global oil supply is curbed dramatically. At this point, unfortunately, no crystal ball can predict just when either of those events will occur.
The contraction in international demand has indeed been stunning. After rising for much of last summer, demand plunged in the early fall by several hundred thousand barrels per day, producing a net decline for 2008 of 50,000 barrels per day. This year, the Department of Energy projects global demand to fall by a far more impressive 450,000 barrels per day -- "the first time in three decades that world consumption would decline in two consecutive years."
Needless to say, these declines were unexpected. Believing that international demand would continue to grow -- as had been the case in almost every year since the last big recession of 1980 -- the global oil industry steadily added to production capacity and was gearing up for more of the same in 2009 and beyond. Indeed, under intense pressure from the Bush administration, the Saudis had indicated last June that they would gradually add to their capacity until they reached an extra 2.5 million barrels per day.
Today, the industry is burdened with excess output and insufficient demand -- a surefire recipe for plunging oil prices. Even the December 17 decision by members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to reduce their collective output by 2.2 million barrels per day has failed to lead to a significant increase in prices. (Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah said recently that he considers $75 a barrel a "fair price" for oil.)
How long will the imbalance between demand and supply last? Until the middle of 2009, if not the end of the year, most analysts believe. Others suspect that a true global recovery will not even get under way until 2010, or later. It all depends on how deep and prolonged you expect the recession – or any coming depression -- to be.
A critical factor will be China's ability to absorb oil. After all, between 2002 and 2007, that country accounted for 35% of the total increase in world oil consumption -- and, according to the DoE, it is expected to claim at least another 24% of any global increase in the coming decade. The upsurge in Chinese consumption, combined with unremitting demand from older industrialized nations and significant price speculation on oil futures, largely explained the astronomical way prices were driven up until last summer. But with the Chinese economy visibly faltering, such projections no longer seem valid. Many analysts now predict that a sharp drop-off in Chinese demand will only accelerate the downward journey of global energy prices. Under these conditions, an early price turnaround appears increasingly unlikely.
2. When Prices Do Rise Again, They Will Rise Sharply: At present, the world enjoys the (relatively) unfamiliar prospect of a global oil-production surplus, but there's a problematic aspect to this. As long as prices remain low, oil companies have no incentive to invest in costly new production ventures, which means no new capacity is being added to global inventories, while available capacity continues to be drained. Simply put, what this means is that, when demand begins to surge again, global output is likely to prove inadequate. As Ed Crooks of the Financial Times has suggested, "The plunging oil price is like a dangerously addictive painkiller: short-term relief is being provided at a cost of serious long-term harm."
Signs of a slowdown in oil-output investment are already multiplying fast. Saudi Arabia, for example, has announced delays in four major energy projects in what appears to be a broad retreat from its promise to increase future output. Among the projects being delayed are a $1.2 billion venture to restart the historic Damman oil field, development of the 900,000 barrel per day Manifa oil field, and construction of new refineries at Yanbu and Jubail. In each case, the delays are being attributed to reduced international demand. "We are going back to our partners and discussing with them the new economic circumstances," explained Kaled al-Buraik, an official of Saudi Aramco.
In addition, most "easy oil" reservoirs have now been exhausted, which means that virtually all remaining global reserves are going to be of the "tough oil" variety. These require extraction technology far too costly to be profitable at a moment when the per barrel price remains under $50. Principal among these are exploitation of the tar sands of Canada and of deep offshore fields in the Gulf of Mexico, the Gulf of Guinea, and waters off Brazil. While such potential reserves undoubtedly harbor significant supplies of petroleum, they won't return a profit until the price of oil reaches $80 or more per barrel -- nearly twice what it is fetching today. Under these circumstances, it is hardly surprising that the oil majors are canceling or postponing plans for new projects in Canada and these offshore locations.
"Low oil prices are very dangerous for the world economy," commented Mohamed Bin Dhaen Al Hamli, the United Arab Emirates' energy minister, at a London oil-industry conference in October. With prices dropping, he noted, "a lot of projects that are in the pipeline are going to be reassessed."
With industry cutting back on investment, there will be less capacity to meet rising demand when the world economy does rebound. At that time, expect the present situation to change with predictably startling rapidity, as rising demand suddenly finds itself chasing inadequate supply in an energy-deficit world.
When this will occur and how high oil prices will then climb cannot, of course, be known, but expect gas-pump shock. It's possible that the energy shock to come will be no less fierce than the present global recession and energy price collapse. The Department of Energy, in its most recent projections, predicts that oil will reach an average of $78 per barrel in 2010, $110 in 2015, and $116 in 2020. Other analysts suggest that prices could go much higher much faster, especially if demand picks up quickly and the oil companies are slow to restart projects now being put on hold.
3. Low Oil Prices Like High Ones Will Have Significant Worldwide Political Implications: The steady run up in oil prices between 2003 and 2008 was the result of a sharp increase in global demand as well as a perception that the international energy industry was having difficulty bringing sufficient new sources of supply on line. Many analysts spoke of the imminent arrival of "peak oil," the moment at which global output would commence an irreversible decline. All this fueled fierce efforts by major consuming nations to secure control over as many foreign sources of petroleum as they could, including frenzied attempts by U.S., European, and Chinese firms to gobble up oil concessions in Africa and the Caspian Sea basin -- the theme of my latest book, Rising Powers, Shrinking Planet.
With the plunge in oil prices and a growing sense (however temporary) of oil plenty, this dog-eat-dog competition is likely to abate. The current absence of intense competition does not, however, mean that oil prices will cease to have an impact on global politics. Far from it. In fact, low prices are just as likely to roil the international landscape, only in new ways. While competition among consuming states may lessen, negative political conditions within producing nations are sure to be magnified.
Many of these nations, including Angola, Iran, Iraq, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela, among others, rely on income from oil exports for a large part of their government expenditures, using this money to finance health and education, infrastructure improvements, food and energy subsidies, and social welfare programs. Soaring energy prices, for instance, allowed many producer countries to reduce high youth unemployment -- and so potential unrest. As prices come crashing down, governments are already being forced to cut back on programs that aid the poor, the middle class, and the unemployed, which is already producing waves of instability in many parts of the world.
Russia's state budget, for example, remains balanced only when oil prices stay at or above $70 per barrel. With government income dwindling, the Kremlin has been forced to dig into accumulated reserves in order to meet its obligations and prop up sinking companies as well as the sinking ruble. The nation hailed as an energy giant is running out of money quickly. Unemployment is on the rise, and many firms are reducing work hours to save cash. Although Prime Minister Vladimir Putin remains popular, the first signs of public discontent have begun to appear, including scattered protests against increased tariffs on imported goods, rising public transit fees, and other such measures.
The decline in oil prices has been particularly damaging to natural gas behemoth Gazprom, Russia's biggest company and the source (in good times) of approximately one quarter of government tax income. Because the price of natural gas is usually pegged to that of oil, declining oil prices have hit the company hard: last summer, CEO Alexei Miller estimated its market value at $360 billion; today, it's $85 billion.
In the past, the Russians have used gas shut-offs to neighboring states to extend their political clout. Given the steep drop in gas prices, however, Gazprom's January 1st decision to sever gas supplies to Ukraine (for failure to pay for $1.5 billion in past deliveries) is, at least in part, finance-based. Though the decision has triggered energy shortages in Europe -- 25% of its natural gas arrives via Gazprom-fueled pipelines that traverse Ukraine -- Moscow shows no sign of backing down in the price dispute. "They do need the money," observed Chris Weafer of UralSib Bank in Moscow. "That is the bottom line."
Plunging oil prices are also expected to place severe strains on the governments of Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela, all of which benefited from the record prices of the past few years to finance public works, subsidize basic necessities, and generate employment. Like Russia, these countries adopted expansive budgets on the assumption that a world of $70 or more per barrel gas prices would continue indefinitely. Now, like other affected producers, they must dip into accumulated reserves, borrow at a premium, and cut back on social spending -- all of which risk a rise in political opposition and unrest at home.
The government of Iran, for example, has announced plans to eliminate subsidies on energy (gasoline now costs 36 cents per gallon) -- a move expected to spark widespread protests in a country where unemployment rates and living costs are rising precipitously. The Saudi government has promised to avoid budget cuts for the time being by drawing on accumulated reserves, but unemployment is growing there as well.
Diminished spending in oil-producing states like Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates will also affect non-producing countries like Egypt, Jordan, and Yemen because young men from these countries migrate to the oil kingdoms when times are flush in search of higher-paying jobs. When times are rough, however, they are the first to be laid off and are often sent back to their homelands where few jobs await them.
All this is occurring against the backdrop of an upsurge in the popularity of Islam, including its more militant forms that reject the "collaborationist" politics of pro-U.S. regimes like those of Hosni Mubarak of Egypt and King Abdullah II of Jordan. Combine this with the recent devastating Israeli air attacks on, and ground invasion of, Gaza as well as the seemingly lukewarm response of moderate Arab regimes to the plight of the 1.5 million Palestinians trapped in that tiny strip of land, and the stage may be set for a major upsurge in anti-government unrest and violence. If so, no one will see this as oil-related, and yet that, in part, is what it will be.
In the context of a planet caught in the grip of a fierce economic downturn, other stormy energy scenarios involving key oil-producing countries are easy enough to imagine. When and where they will arise cannot be foreseen, but such eruptions are only likely to make any future era of rising energy prices all that much more difficult. And, indeed, prices will eventually rise again, perhaps some year soon, swiftly and to new record heights. At that point, we will be confronted with the sort of problems we faced in the spring and summer of 2008, when raging demand and inadequate supply drove petroleum costs ever skyward. In the meantime, it's important to remember that, even with prices as low as they are, we cannot escape the consequences of our addiction to oil.
Michael T. Klare is the Five College Professor of Peace and World Security Studies at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts. He is the author, most recently, of Rising Powers, Shrinking Planet: The New Geopolitics of Oil (Metropolitan Books). A documentary version of his previous book, Blood and Oil, is available at bloodandoilmovie.com.
(www.iraqupdates.com)
As some of you know I have been toying with the idea for sometime about opening an Al-Warka. I finally decided to email Mr. I and ask him about the safety of the account. Her is his reply.
Dear Sir,
Please note that in accordance with the regulations of the CBI foreigners
are permitted to hold and open bank accounts in Iraq and the account is
treated just like a local account that applied to Iraqis hence foreign
accounts and the related funds will not be confiscated. The CBI is the
highest financial authority in the country which supervises the Iraqi
Banking Industry.
Iraq’s oil revenues are 174 % higher in 2008 – oil ministry
January 13, 2009 - 02:13:10
BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: The official spokesperson of the Iraqi Ministry of Oil on Tuesday said that Iraq’s oil revenues in 2008 were 174 percent higher than the expected level.
“Estimations in 2008 were $35.465 billion, while the achieved amount was $61.814 billion,” Asim Jihad told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
“The revenues were deposited in Iraq’s account,” he added.
(www.en.aswataliraq.info)
I am not sure I am comfortable with Mr I's answer to my question of confiscation.
Al-Warka is a prviate bank I am curious whether foreigners can have Dinar accounts in the state banks. With Iraq being rooted in ethnic tribesmanship I am not sure a private bank is a secure investment house.
What are your thoughts? Anyone else has an opinion?
I believe Warka is the only bank in Iraq we can use for on-line accounts at this time, although I haven't checked for awhile. I've used Banks in Saudi Arabia and the best one's were associated with western countries. Warka doesn't have FDIC so the only protection you have is their word and reputation which, so far, is very good. At this time I have no problems with Warka and will continue to use them even after the RV. I believe, over time, they will continue to improve their services and will be a good off-shore bank. Hopefully they will issue visa debit cards for our accounts.
Iraq Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Wednesday called on Russian oil companies to invest in Iraq as it prepares to open up its oil wealth to foreign firms.
(www.noozz.com)
Iraq Interested in Reviving Full-scale Cooperation with Russia
Baghdad, 15 January 2009 ( Itar-Tass )
Iraq's leadership is sincerely interested in the soonest resumption of broad cooperation with Russia in all fields, which was characteristic for bilateral relations during the Soviet times in the 1990s.
This thesis became the keynote of the visit to Iraq by an official Russian delegation comprising members of the Federal Assembly and the leadership of the Russian Union of Oil and Gas Producers.
It was the first visit to Baghdad for the Russian parliamentarians led by deputy Federation Council speaker Alexander Torshin. It proved very substantive and fruitful.
According to Iraqi presidential aide Dr Mouaf Ahmad, "the Russian delegation has set an absolute record in the intensity of talks in two days, having had meetings with the political leadership of the country and the heads of the main economic ministries."
The Russian parliamentarians and entrepreneurs were received by Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.
Two Iraqi vice-presidents, the finance, oil and foreign ministers also met with the Russians for sincere and substantive talks, he said.
"The Iraqi leadership understands the importance of cooperation with Russia and pays priority attention to this issue," the Iraqi president said in an interview with Itar-Tass after the talks.
"We're ready for the resumption of the broadest cooperation with Russia practically in all fields - from politics to economics, from energy projects to security and education.
"We're particularly grateful for Moscow’s decision to write off the Iraqi debt, which makes an additional impulse to the soonest revival of full-scale cooperation between our countries.
"Although national accord has not yet been achieved in Iraq, the Civil War period is certainly in the past. Time has tome to build and heal the wounds inflicted by the war.
"Russia can play an important role in the process, as it has a considerable experience in implementing projects in all spheres of the Iraqi economy," the president noted.
Despite the existing problems in ensuring security, Baghdad, on the whole, has become a city where one can work. An example of it is the fact that the residence of the president is outside the so-called green zone of security which no longer has as much significance as it did in the past.
Among the problems the Iraqi leadership has been facing in the recent months is the "dramatic consequences of the world financial crisis for the budget" of this oil-producing country.
"The dramatic plunge of world oil prices has actually foiled our carefully worked out development plans," which gave lent particular significance to the attraction of foreign investors and the national private sector to the implementation of priority projects for the Iraqi economy, the president said.
The pullout of U.S. troops that began last year and the improving situation in the sphere of security enable the Iraqi authorities to pay more attention to the economy and social sphere. The assistance of such an old friend of the Iraqi people as Russia would be very important in these fields, according to the president.
"The Iraqi leadership is indeed interested in the broadest possible revival of economic cooperation with our country," first deputy speaker of the Federation Council Alexander Torshin told Itar-Tass.
"The Iraqi partners note that Russia may make a considerable contribution to the implementation of large projects in the development of the national economy, power generation, processing industry, agriculture and military cooperation," Torshin said.
Iraqi officials were interested in the proposal to increase the quota for Iraqi students and specialists in Russia, he added.
Yuri Shafranik, chairman of the Russian Union of Oil and Gas Producers, who leads the group of business people in the Russian delegation, said "dozens of thousands of Iraqi specialists were trained in Soviet and Russian colleges during the five decades of bilateral cooperation."
"The maximum level of the negotiations, their sincerity and the warm welcome given to the Russian delegation can be interpreted as an important signal of Iraq's practical readiness to resume full-scale cooperation with Russia," Shafranik said.
(www.iraqupdates.com)
Maliki, Rice Confirm Importance of Relations Between Iraq, US
Baghdad, 15 January 2009 ( Al-Sabaah )
Iraqi- American supreme coordinating committee held first meeting through secured video teleconference between PM Noori Maliki and US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice.
Joint statement of the Government and US Embassy in Baghdad said that this meeting came to follow through applying withdrawal agreement that would be signed between the two countries recently.
Maliki and Rice renewed importance of making cooperation and friendship based on equality between them at all spheres.
PM confirmed at his meeting with US Vice President-Elect Joseph Biden, importance of exchanging opinions to develop the two countries' relations, particularly at reconstruction and building.
(www.iraqupdates.com)
Contract to Rebuild Oil Production Facilities in Iraq Hurt by Poor Management, Missteps
Washington, 15 January 2009 ( Associated Press )
By RICHARD LARDNER
A $722 million project to restore Iraq's oil production facilities was undermined by weak management, contractor mistakes and Iraqi neglect, U.S. auditors say in a new report similar to many others examining the country's reconstruction.
Released Tuesday, the report from the office of the special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction points to security concerns, postwar looting and the shoddy shape of the oil network as primary contributors to the cost of the contract awarded to Houston-based KBR Inc. in January 2004.
As if this weren't a challenging enough climate, the effort, administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, was hampered by a lack of direction, the report says. Cost overruns and frequent contract changes led to work being delayed or canceled.
Nearly $563 million of the contract costs were paid for by the U.S. The rest came from the Iraqis, who need a vibrant petroleum sector to drive their economy.
Yet the special inspector general's report says there are signs the Iraqis are not properly maintaining the rebuilt oil facilities and equipment. For example, gas plants in southern Iraq were renewed by KBR. A final step in the process was for the Iraqis to install rotors for a turbine gas compressor. That hasn't been done.
"As a result, gas production at the plant is below goal, and a portion of the U.S. investment is being wasted," the report says.
Oversight of the oil infrastructure contract suffered from too little stability among personnel. Since the contract was awarded, 13 government contracting officers served an average of four months, terms too short to keep proper watch.
The effort became so complicated that a separate company, Foster Wheeler of Clinton, N.J., was paid $8.4 million to help run the program. The report indicates there was disagreement among government officials about how well Foster Wheeler performed.
KBR, the largest defense contractor in Iraq, has been heavily criticized by congressional Democrats who say the company has used its ties to Vice President Dick Cheney to gouge U.S. taxpayers. While the report credits KBR for much of the work it did on the oil reconstruction contract, it also gives more ammunition to the company's opponents.
KBR wasn't able to stick to cost and schedule goals, the reports says, and failed to track its expenditures accurately.
And in January 2007, the government notified KBR of concern over the use of substandard piping material and a fraudulent material certification by one of the company's suppliers. A month later, KBR submitted a plan for fixing the problem. It also said it had referred the matter to the Army's Criminal Investigation Command. But the special inspector general said it contacted the Army and it had no record of any inquiry. The special inspector general is now deciding whether to investigate.
KBR spokeswoman Heather Browne said the difficult conditions in Iraq in early 2004 "impacted KBR's performance." Yet the company was still able to improve Iraq's oil facilities, she said. KBR will continue to cooperate with the special inspector general, Browne said.
In comments printed along with the report, the Army Corps of Engineers generally agreed with the findings, but said the report doesn't emphasize enough the dangerous environment in which the work was being done.
(www.iraqupdates.com)
USAID Exports 62,000 High Producing Fruit Trees and Grape Vines to Iraq
Baghdad, 14 January 2009 ( Inma Agribusiness Program )
A competitive market filled with fresh fruit is on the horizon after decades of civil and international strife devastated Iraq's once vibrant orchard and vineyard production. With the distribution of 25,000 fruit tree saplings (peaches, plums, tangerines, and pomegranates) and 25,200 grape vines from California, the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Inma Agribusiness Program is assisting in the revitalization of the orchard and vineyard industry (with the Ministry of Agriculture’s approval).
Boosting the quality of Iraq's exhausted fruit gene pool, the program extends the harvest season to place farmers back on the cutting edge of local and regional markets flooded by imports from neighboring countries. Working with private producers, Inma is planting approximately 70 hectares in the lush Rashidiya agricultural area of Northern Baghdad. Inma will establish five commercial orchards and vineyards to demonstrate the viability of these crops under Iraqi conditions. Inma will also work with orchard owners to prune and care for their existing trees during summer 2009 — training farmers while optimizing crop marketability.
Additionally, 3,000 pomegranate trees will be planted in 10 existing orchards in Karbala and 8,500 trees in 35 orchards in Sulaymaniyah — renowned areas for producing Iraq's most durable fruit with the highest export potential. By invigorating the nascent nursery industry to complement the ePRT’s agricultural programs, Inma is providing the genetic material, infrastructure, and training for Iraq to propagate new varieties of produce and take the lead on a flourishing agricultural industry.
(www.iraqupdates.com)
Bank Credit Training Set to Invigorate Iraqi Agribusiness
Baghdad, 07 January 2009 ( Inma Agribusiness Program )
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) through its Inma Agribusiness Program kicked off specialized credit training for 23 credit managers and officers from four major banks in a move to boost the Iraqi agricultural sector with improved access to credit for agribusiness.
Encouraging the involvement of Iraq’s private banks in lending to the agricultural sector, Inma is enhancing the capability of banks to prepare agribusiness loan application packages.
Trainees from four private banks spent four weeks learning financial statement analysis, cash flow projections and the financing needs of the agribusiness industry.
As the banks develop a strong foundation in agribusiness credit, the next phase is to submit approved loans to Inma, who will award grants to banks. These grants will increase the bank’s capital for the purpose of lending to agribusiness.
(www.iraqupdates.com)
Another small step in a positive direction...............
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Baghdad Greets First European Passenger Flight in 18 Years
16 January 2009
The first passenger flight from Europe in 18 years landed at Baghdad International Airport early this month when a Swedish charter aircraft touched down.
The Nordic Leisure airliner brought in 150 people, most of them Iraqis, resuming air links between Iraq and Europe for the first time since the United Nations imposed sanctions on Iraq after Saddam Hussein’s 1990 invasion of Kuwait.
More international flights are expected in the coming days, including one from Hong Kong, Iraqi Transport Minister Amer Ismail told reporters at the airport.
The pilot waved the Swedish flag as he was bringing the MD-83 (McDonnell Douglas) plane to halt on the tarmac of the airport.
Late last month, Air France-KLM and Iraq’s Transport Ministry signed a preliminary accord which will see Iraqi Airways taking off for European destinations and Baghdad airport being renovated.
In the aftermath of the 1991 Gulf War, the state-owned Iraqi Airways was hit hard by UN sanctions imposed against Iraq and its service declined rapidly.
After the invasion in 2003, the airline slowly resumed flights and today the national carrier flies to the regional capitals and major cities of Amman, Beirut, Teheran, Cairo, Istanbul, Damascus and Dubai.
The Iraqi government in May 2008 ordered 30 Boeing 737 commercial airplanes in an agreement worth up to 2.2 billion dollars.
From what I have read it looks as though Parliment is scheduled to address oil and gas in the Spring. By this time provincial elections would have been completed. We may finally see the Hydro Carbon legislation pass. If (a big If) it passes Iraq will welcome an inflow of billions. Though it means higher gas prices here in coordination with its passage an increase in oil prices will also help Iraq. March through April could be very interesting.
From what I have read it looks as though Parliment is scheduled to address oil and gas in the Spring. By this time provincial elections would have been completed. We may finally see the Hydro Carbon legislation pass. If (a big If) it passes Iraq will welcome an inflow of billions. Though it means higher gas prices here in coordination with its passage an increase in oil prices will also help Iraq. March through April could be very interesting.
Thanks for your greetings to the US. I have a firm belief that the US and UK will continue to lead the free world to
bigger and better things for hundreds of years to come. Freedom is a powerful tool to work with.
Congratulations America, from me also, I sure hope you got the right man for the job. Good luck. Mattuk
Thought this article is worth reading, I wonder if its relevant to our interests, it does mention Iraq....briefly!
Arab oil producers reluctant to dig into reserves
Mon Jan 19, 2009 5:44pm GMT
By Simon Webb and Daliah Merzaban - Analysis
KUWAIT/DUBAI (Reuters) - Arab oil producers, loath to dig too deeply into their massive foreign reserves, will raise public spending only cautiously as they seek to guide their economies through the global recession.
A slump of more than $110 in the price of oil to under $36 a barrel from its peak last July has brought an abrupt halt to an explosive phase of regional growth, battering confidence among private investors and straining government budgets.
So far, Arab states have pledged they will pick up the slack to keep the momentum going and urged the private sector not to run away -- even if it means posting small budget deficits this year for the first time since the oil boom began in 2002.
But as economists cut back 2009 economic growth forecasts to almost zero for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the region will be wary about how much it draws down its immense reserves.
The slump in global asset values makes it a bad time to sell foreign investments and repatriate reserves, analysts said.
"They will rightly be cautious in their spending choices because revenues are not under their control," said Simon Williams, regional economist at HSBC.
"I think they will spend more and there will be a willingness to run deficits ... but I expect the region to be careful and ensure that its priority projects that have the first claim on public funding."
In the six years to 2008 Saudi Arabia amassed surpluses from oil export revenues of $378 billion, according to HSBC estimates.
Despite this cushion the kingdom, projecting its first deficit in seven years of $17.3 billion in 2009, may spend less than last year.
Its spending targets are higher this year than last, but Saudi Arabia overspent last year by 24 percent. So if the kingdom sticks to its budget this year it will spend less than in 2008.
"They will very carefully assess the projects that go through," said Paul Gamble, head of research at Riyadh-based Jadwa Investment.
"The ones that will take precedence are very much the key physical infrastructure projects -- power, water, roads -- that address shortcomings that are already there," Gamble said.
Early indications are that the Saudi government does not want to overspend, with the cabinet instructing public departments not to exceed the amounts allocated to them in 2009's budget.
DRAMATIC CONTRACTION
Signs of growing caution are prevailing across the Arab world, which lost some $2.5 trillion in the last four months as oil revenues fell, stock markets slumped and development projects were delayed, Kuwait's foreign minister said last week.
The Council on Foreign Relations, a U.S. think tank, estimated this month that the value of Gulf sovereign wealth funds and central bank assets fell by $82 billion in 2008.
The price collapse has cut potential oil export revenues of Arab producers by three quarters, while supply cuts for those in OPEC have eaten further into income.
Kuwait has said it will reduce public spending in all areas except for government employee wages and capital spending for projects, while non-OPEC producer Oman has pledged to trim public spending if oil prices slip below $45 a barrel.
Iraq, reliant on oil revenue to fund reconstruction after years of sanctions and war, has had to cut 2009 spending plans twice to adjust to lower oil prices.
"The credit crisis has led to a dramatic contraction of capital flow to the Middle East and North Africa and this is likely to have a lasting effect on the region," said Ali Aissaoui, head of economics and research at project financing bank The Arab Petroleum Investments Corp (ADICORP).
"The macroeconomic outlook for the region may deteriorate substantially," Aissaoui told a conference ahead of an Arab economic summit in Kuwait.
Arab governments have adopted a series of measures to seek to defrost credit markets to spur corporate borrowing and regain waning investor confidence.
On Monday, Saudi Arabia and the UAE slashed interest rates, both saying they wanted to encourage banks to extend cheap credit to corporate customers.
Even without too much private sector help, Gulf deficits are readily fundable for years to come and easing inflationary pressures will moderate demands for public sector wage increases, economists said.
Saudi Arabia, which relies on crude for nearly 90 percent of its government revenues, is in a strong position to fund any deficit this year after paying down debt in boom times.
Funding a Saudi deficit should be relatively easy without tapping foreign reserves, said John Sfakianakis, chief economist at HSBC's Saudi affiliate SABB bank.
"They can easily go to government agencies and local pension funds and ask for $15 billion and get it," Sfakianakis said.
Please do not congratulate America regarding Barack Hussein Obama's ascention to the American Presidency. In my view, he is an illegitimate "President". This man was born in Kenya and raised in Indoesia; he is not an Amercian Citizen. The Federal Elections Commission, the electoral representitives, the Supreme Court, Congress, and the Democratic party are all involved in a coverup greater than Watergate.
The stupid American electorate voted for a man not illegible to be President. It is my hope and prayer that this truth comes out. I will from now until the conclusion of Barack Hussein Obama's term in office will contintue to contest this election. I hope his illegimate election shuts up both Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson along with the other African American's who have complained that the promise for America is not for all Amercians.
In the next 90 days my own Anti-Obama site will be live; its purpose is to continue to herald the truth about the illigetimate president. For the record, he is not my President. If I met Obama I would never shake the mans hand, he does not deserve it.
Thank you for your tenacity in revealing the truth about Obama. I have intermittently watched all the hoopty-rah of inauguration day.
I vacillate from nausea ad infinitum, to some kind of irrational hope that this man will cause a revival of our nations primary core values.
Please share how we can find your own Anti-Obama web site, if that is what you have meant.
Sorry to say, but by now, "they" have probably created a whole new identity for Obama. I believe that he will produce the most convincing counterfeit birth certificate ever known to man. But he can only fool most of the people most o the time, but not all of the people all of the time.
A great number of Americans have made this man an idol. God has a very consistent response to this type of behavior displayed by nations and empires. Not a pretty picture.
Talibani Discusses with the World Bank President About the Reconstruction Steps of Iraq
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21 January 2009 ( Eye media company )
The President of the republic Jalal Talibani have discussed the required steps to reconstruct Iraq and the possible means to develop industrial and commercial projects.
That has came during receiving the President of the World Bank Robert Zoellick at his residence in Bayan palace in Kuwait on yesterday-Monday, according to press resources, as they have discussed the matter of Privatization and working toward reforming the economy by encouraging private sector and the free market concept.
The meeting has been attended by the Minister of finance Baker Jabr Al-Zubaidi and the central bank governor Sinan Al-Shibebi.
(www.iraqupdates.com)
Baghdad battles for better education Schools, universities find a new champion
With the inauguration of Barack Obama as US president on Tuesday, Iraq will be put on notice to move rapidly towards self-sufficiency in security, so the new president can fulfil his electoral commitment to an early withdrawal of troops.
(www.noozz.com)
Obama to Meet on Afghanistan, Iraq Moves
January 21, 2009
DoD Buzz|by Greg Grant
President Barack Obama is meeting today on his first full day in office with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Joint Chiefs chair Adm. Mike Mullen and Central Command head Gen. David Petraeus to discuss how to expedite the withdrawal of 140,000 U.S. troops from Iraq and send more troops to Afghanistan.
Obama senior advisor David Axelrod confirmed in inaugural day interviews that Obama is committed to something approaching the 16 month withdrawal timeline he campaigned on, although, in the weeks since his election, Obama has demonstrated a pragmatic flexibility and a willingness to change course on campaign pledges.
While commanders in Iraq have said there is no way troops can be pulled out at the rate of two combat brigades per month, the Center for American Progress -- which has provided lots of staff to the new administration -- has a short video on their site on how to do just that, and have all combat troops out in 10 months.
Its unlikely troops will be withdrawn at that rate. But come out they will.
The recently inked status of forces agreement with Iraq calls for all coalition combat forces to be out by the end of 2011.
Check out DoD Buzz for all the latest procurement news
The Pentagon will have to decide what portion of the mountains of equipment sitting in Iraq they want to bring home, how much will be given to Iraq and how much will stay there as the newest location for pre-positioned war stocks. It makes sense to give a lot of the older equipment sitting in Iraq to the Iraqis; the U.S. is transferring 8,500 up-armored Humvees to Iraq's security forces.
The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Gen. David McKiernan, has repeatedly and very publicly called for more troops to help stem that country's accelerating slide off the cliff. Officials have hinted that 30,000 more troops, including four combat brigades, will arrive in Afghanistan over the next year. Obama said he wants to accelerate that deployment.
Expect more Army aviation units to be sent over as soon as they can be freed from the Iraq rotation.
The Associated Press reported this week that McKiernan wants a Stryker brigade. The Canadians have reportedly had good results with their Strykers in southern Afghanistan, around Kandahar. Strykers would be great for patrolling the ring road south of Kabul, where the Taliban have struck repeatedly in recent months, and the highway from Kabul to Jalalabad and the Pakistan border -- another increasingly ambush-prone zone. Iraq commanders have long had an entire brigade dedicated to supply route security there, particularly on the supply route running from Kuwait to Baghdad.
The Stryker is not a fighting vehicle, but it is an excellent low-intensity battlefield taxi as it can carry lots of troops and equipment. Running presence patrols on the ring road might sound like the worst kind of counterinsurgency tactic, but somebody needs to secure the highway, as the Afghan Police are clearly not up to the job, and such patrols can be useful if they free up other light infantry units to get out in Afghanistan's remote villages and stay there, military experts say.
Army officials are trying to figure out how to free up a Stryker brigade for Afghanistan as the two brigades that are available for deployment later this year (June-July timeframe) are both slotted for Iraq.
Although, Stars and Stripes reported that one of those brigades, the 3-2 Stryker Brigade out of Ft. Lewis, Wash., was in Europe last fall taking part in an exercise with Afghan coalition partners Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, against simulated Taliban insurgents.
That brigade is commanded by the very bright and experienced Col. David Funk, a rising Army star, and would take to Afghanistan counterinsurgency experience gleaned from two Iraq rotations.
(www.military.com)
Barzani Vows Iraq Unity As Long As Kurds Not Seen As Foe
21 January 2009 ( AFP )
Iraq's Kurdish regional president, Massud Barzani, insisted on Monday that he was committed to Iraqi unity but warned against viewing his people as the enemy.
"We are not calling for secession of any part of Iraq. We want the nation's unity and integrity, but through democratic means," said Barzani, president of the three autonomous Kurdish provinces in northern Iraq.
"Everyone should know that there will be no stability by considering the Kurds as enemies," he told a meeting of Arab tribes in the restive northern province of Nineveh.
Tension between the Kurdish parties in the region has grown in recent months as Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has moved to centralise power, ruffling feathers in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Kurds criticise Maliki's support of the quasi-military Support Councils which the Kurds say are an attempt to foil their aspirations for a larger autonomous region.
The councils were launched in the Sunni Arab province of Anbar in late 2006, with local tribes and families forging an alliance with the government to drive out militias and other armed groups.
Kurds view the councils as illegal tribal militias loyal to Maliki, and in November Iraq's presidential council called on Maliki to suspend the groups. Maliki argues that the councils are politically independent.
"We support all kinds of move to fight terrorism but the goals of Support Councils are something else," Barzani said.
"Under the guise of setting up Support Councils, some criminals who were involved in the Anfal were asked to take part. I said then that this is treason and a vicious act," he said.
Tens of thousands of Iraqi Kurds are estimated to have been killed in the brutal Anfal campaign carried out by the forces of fallen dictator Saddam Hussein in the late 1980s.
(www.iraqupdates.com)
Nippon, ENI and Repsol Are Competing to Win an Oil Contract in Iraq
21 January 2009 ( Iraq Directory )
A spokesman in the Iraqi Oil Ministry stated on Monday that the Japanese (Nippon Oil) and the Italian (ENI) and Spanish (Repsol) are competing to win the contract of developing the oil field of Nasiriyah.
An official in the ministry clarified that the three companies submitted bids for the contract, which includes engineering, procurement and construction to the oil ministry, which will evaluate the proposals and select the best.
(www.iraqupdates.com)
White House Wants Iraq Drawdown Plan
January 22, 2009
Associated Press
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama, in a meeting with his top national security advisers Wednesday, asked the Pentagon to do whatever additional planning is necessary to "execute a responsible military drawdown from Iraq."
Obama's statement, issued by the White House after the gathering, opened his much-anticipated effort to withdraw troops more swiftly than the previous administration had proposed. It made no reference to any timeline or his campaign vow to get combat troops out of Iraq in 16 months.
"The meeting was productive and I very much appreciated receiving assessments from these experienced and dedicated individuals," Obama said. "During the discussion, I asked the military leadership to engage in additional planning necessary to execute a responsible military drawdown from Iraq."
He added that he would soon travel to the Pentagon and meet with the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
A senior military official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the schedule is not confirmed, said that meeting with the Joint Chiefs - the president's senior uniformed military advisers - would come within a week.
"We will undertake a full review of the situation in Afghanistan in order to develop a comprehensive policy for the entire region," Obama said.
Wednesday's strategy session included Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, both critics of the management of the war. Officials familiar with the meeting declined to disclose details of what was discussed.
"This is a logical first step for a new president that wants to learn about or to speak to the people that are most directly involved," Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said.
The White House meeting was part of a symbolic framing of a new president's agenda on his first full day in office, but it did not completely fulfill Obama's oft-repeated pledge to bring in the Joint Chiefs of Staff on his first day in office and order a close to a war he opposed.
Shutting down the war will be more complicated than that, and the Joint Chiefs are not the only players.
The agenda as announced by the White House included the U.S. ambassador in Iraq, Ryan Crocker; another State Department representative and Gen. David Petraeus, who is responsible for managing both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Adm. Mike Mullen, attended along with Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Both are holdovers from the Bush administration, now getting new instructions.
The top general in Iraq, Gen. Raymond Odierno, was participating by video hookup. He has already drawn up one set of withdrawal plans but would have to get things moving faster if he is to meet Obama's timetable.
The agenda for Obama's White House meeting changed several times. At one point it was to include a broader look at the war in Afghanistan, which Obama has said was hobbled by a misguided focus on Iraq.
The Pentagon first said that the top commander in Afghanistan would participate, and then said he would not.
Ali al-Dabbagh, a spokesman for the Iraqi prime minister, told Associated Press Television News on Tuesday that Iraq is willing to have the U.S. withdraw its troops and assume security for the country "before the end of 2011," the departure date agreed to by former President George W. Bush in November.
Senior military leaders had been wary of any timeline, saying that withdrawal plans should be keyed to continued security improvements, but have said that they could meet either the deadline set with Iraq or the shorter one Obama wants.
There are currently about 143,000 U.S. forces in Iraq, as many as 8,000 more than were there before the troop buildup, which began in early 2007 and contributed in part to the decline in violence. There are about 34,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, including 17,000 in the NATO-led coalition and another 17,000 fighting insurgents and training Afghan forces
(www.military.com)
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