Iraq Reconstruction News

2012-02-06T19:56:00.000-08:00

Buried Treasure. Archaeologists are racing to save Afghanistan's cultural heritage before the Chinese start digging on one of the world's most valuable new copper mines. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204542404577157281392227936.html#ixzz1lKc8KjrD

Afghan First Initiative Has Placed Work with Afghan Companies, but Is Affected by Inconsistent Contract Solicitation and Vetting, and Employment Data Is Limited, Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction http://www.sigar.mil/pdf/audits/SIGAR%20Audit-12-6.pdf

Quarterly Report to the United States Congress, Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction http://www.sigar.mil/pdf/quarterlyreports/Jan2012/Lores%20PDF/2012JanBook.pdf

DOD Improved its Accountability for Vehicles Provided to the Afghan National Security Forces, but Should Follow Up on End-Use Monitoring Findings, Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction http://www.sigar.mil/pdf/audits/SIGAR%20Audit-12-4.pdf

Thirty Years of Conflict: Drivers of Anti-Government Mobilisation in Afghanistan, 1978-2011,
Antonio Giustozzi and Niamatullah Ibrahimi, Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit. The literature concerning the last 30 years of war in Afghanistan has over the last few years reached such a critical mass that it is now possible to identify structural factors in Afghan history that contributed to the various conflicts and have been its signal feature from 1978 onward. The state-building model borrowed from the neighbouring British and Tsarist empires in the late 19th century contained the seeds of later trouble, chiefly in the form of rural-urban friction that gained substantial force with the spread of modernity to rural Afghanistan starting in the 1950s. Following the Khalqi regime’s all-out assault on rural conservatism in 1978-79, this friction ignited into large-scale collective action by a variety of localised opposition groups, including political organisations, clerical networks, and Pakistani military intelligence, as well as the intelligence services of several other countries. http://www.areu.org.af/Uploads/EditionPdfs/1203E-Drivers%20of%20Conflict%20IP%202012.pdf

Winning Hearts and Minds? Examining the Relationship between Aid and Security in Afghanistan, Paul Fishstein and Andrew Wilder. Feinstein International Center. Political and security objectives have always influenced U.S. foreign assistance policies and priorities. Since 9/11, however, development aid for countries like Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan has increasingly and explicitly been militarized and subsumed into the national security agenda. In the U.S. as well as in other western nations, the re-structuring of aid programs to reflect the prevailing foreign policy agenda of confronting global terrorism has had a major impact on development strategies, priorities, and structures. The widely held assumption in military and foreign policy circles that development assistance is an important “soft power” tool to win consent for the presence of foreign troops in potentially hostile areas, and to promote stabilization and security objectives, assumes a relationship between poverty and insecurity that is shared by many in the development and humanitarian community. http://sites.tufts.edu/feinstein/files/2012/01/WinningHearts-Final.pdf

Healing the Legacies of Conflict in Afghanistan: Community Voices on Justice, Peace and Reconciliation, Emily Winterbotham, Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit. Ten years after the overthrow of the Taliban, Afghanistan is an environment of escalating conflict and prevailing impunity. In this context, the narrative of the Afghan government and its international partners has increasingly focused on ending the violence through negotiating with insurgent leaders and reintegrating their fighters into Afghan society. In their attempt to secure peace, policymakers have largely failed to include justice as a component of reconciliation and reintegration processes. This has continued the predominant approach since 2001 (and before) with the need for immediate stability outweighing the need for wartime accountability. The fact that the Afghan government and its international partners have failed to implement a comprehensive programme to provide justice or compensation for past and present wartime crimes has inhibited people’s ability to deal with the legacies of conflict. Subsequently, the majority of people participating in AREU’s research said they were struggling to cope emotionally, psychologically and practically, and the desire for some form of “closure” remains strong. http://www.areu.org.af/Uploads/EditionPdfs/1201E-Healing%20the%20Legacies%20of%20Conflict%20in%20Afghanistan%20SP%202011.pdf

Pakistan's Perspective on Investigation Report Conducted by BG Stephen Clark into 26th November 2011 US Led ISAF/NATO Forces Attack on Pakistani Volcano and Boulder Posts in Mohmand Agency, Inter Services Public Relations, Government of Pakistan http://www.ispr.gov.pk/front/press/pakistan.pdf

9. The Limits of the Pakistan-China Alliance, Lisa Curtis and Derek Scissors. Heritage Foundation. After the U.S. raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan in May 2011, Pakistani political leaders played up their country’s relations with China, touting Beijing as an alternative partner to Washington. But China’s concerns over Pakistan’s future stability will likely limit the extent to which it will help Pakistan out of its economic difficulties. While China has an interest in maintaining strong security ties with Pakistan, the economic relationship is not very extensive and the notion that Chinese ties could serve as a replacement for U.S. ties is far-fetched. Instead of wringing its hands over Chinese influence on Pakistan, the U.S. should seek cooperation from Beijing in encouraging a more stable and prosperous Pakistan—which will benefit all parties involved. http://thf_media.s3.amazonaws.com/2012/pdf/B2641.pdf

10. Report of the Commission of Inquiry Concerning the Gruesome Incident of the Abduction and Murder of Syed Saleem Shahzad, Submitted to the Government of Pakistan http://www.pid.gov.pk/REPORT.pdf

11. Security Sector Governance in Pakistan: Progress, But Many Challenges Persist, C. Christine Fair. Centre for International Governance Innovation. The utility of the Pakistani army’s domination over nearly all aspects of the state in Pakistan was brought into question following the US Navy SEAL raid on Osama bin Laden’s hideout on May 2, 2011. Pakistanis wondered how these events could have occurred right under the military’s nose. This issue paper examines the prospects for security sector governance in Pakistan and identifies the reforms that are necessary for Pakistan’s government to make meaningful strides in this area. It begins by explaining the hegemonic role of the armed forces in the history of the state of Pakistan and the unique challenges of its contemporary security terrain before surveying security sector governance in several key areas: the security of Pakistan’s growing nuclear arsenal; the all powerful intelligence agencies; disaster management; law enforcement; the criminal justice system and support to jihadist groups. While the report elucidates persistent shortcomings of security governance in all areas, it also highlights key areas of recent improvement, including disaster management and control of nuclear arms. http://www.cigionline.org/sites/default/files/SSR_Issue_no5.pdf

Counter-IED Strategic Plan 2012-2016, Joint IED Defeat Organization https://www.jieddo.dod.mil/content/docs/20120106_JIEDDOC-IEDStrategicPlan_MEDprint.pdf

13. An Afghanistan Without Institutions, A World Without Rest by Kip Whittington, Small Wars Journal. Let’s not kid ourselves; Afghanistan will still be at war post-2014. Given that the coalition intends to end combat operations in 2014 while security problems linger on, the Afghans will certainly be left to manage the daily activities of a counterinsurgency (COIN) campaign well into the “Transformation Decade” (2015-2024), discussed in-depth at the recent Bonn Conference. If the world doesn’t want to see Afghanistan plunge into chaos once again, there must be a serious focus on strengthening the institutions that will protect and run the country as a whole. http://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/an-afghanistan-without-institutions

Quarterly Report and Semiannual Report to the United States Congress, Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction http://www.sigir.mil/files/quarterlyreports/January2012/Report_-_January_2012.pdf#view=fit

Few Contracts Terminated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Resulted in Wasted Funds in Iraq, Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction http://www.sigir.mil/files/audits/12-011.pdf#view=fit

The Department of State's Process to Provide Information on Reconstruction Projects to the Government of Iraq, Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction http://www.sigir.mil/files/audits/12-009.pdf#view=fit

Development Fund for Iraq: Department of Defense Cannot Fully Account for the Funds it Used after the Coalition Provisional Authority Dissolved, Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction http://www.sigir.mil/files/audits/12-008.pdf#view=fit

Status of Recommendations Made by the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction to the Department of Defense, Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction http://www.sigir.mil/files/audits/12-010.pdf#view=fit

Iraq after America: 2012 Promises to be a Stormy Year for the Beleaguered Country, LTC Joel Rayburn, USA. Defining Ideas, Hoover Institution http://www.hoover.org/publications/defining-ideas/article/106226

Development Funds for Iraq Returned to the Central Bank of Iraq, Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction http://www.sigir.mil/files/audits/12-012-F.pdf#view=fit

Reconstruction Upodate

2012-01-03T12:05:00.000-08:00

The Real Outcome of the Iraq War: US and Iranian Strategic Competition in Iraq, Anthony H. Cordesman, et al. Center for Strategic and International Studies

Iraq has become a key focus of the strategic competition between the United States and Iran. The history of this competition has been shaped by the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), the 1991 Gulf War, and the US invasion of Iraq in 2003. Since the 2003 war, both the US and Iran have competed to shape the structure of Post-Saddam Iraq’s politics, governance, economics, and security.

The US has gone to great lengths to counter Iranian influence in Iraq, including using its status as an occupying power and Iraq’s main source of aid, as well as through information operations and more traditional press statements highlighting Iranian meddling. However, containing Iranian influence, while important, is not America’s main goal in Iraq. It is rather to create a stable democratic Iraq that can defeat the remaining extremist and insurgent elements, defend against foreign threats, sustain an able civil society, and emerge as a stable power friendly to the US and its Gulf allies.

http://csis.org/files/publication/111220_Iran_Chapter_6-Iraq.pdf

End of Mission Ceremony in Baghdad, GEN Martin Dempsey, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey at the End of Mission Ceremony in Baghdad

Thank you very much Ambassador, Mr. Secretary, Ministers, General Babaker—my brother, and I see out there as well, General Abdul Kader, you’re always going to be General Abdul Kader to me, you know that. As-Salamu Alakum [peace be with you].

Thank you for welcoming me back to Baghdad to mark this new beginning for Iraq, the United States and on some level, the entire region. I’m honored to share this moment with Secretary Panetta, Ambassador Jeffrey, General Mattis, and of course General Austin and his sergeant major [Command Sgt. Maj. Joseph Allen]. They stand tall in a long line of American leaders who have been dedicated to seeing this difficult mission through. They represent a generation of my fellow who came here to keep America safe and to free Iraq from tyranny. They have shouldered their duties in partnership with our very respected Iraqi brothers. http://www.jcs.mil/speech.aspx?ID=1668

Was the Iraq War Worth It?, Andrew J. Bacevich, et al. Council on Foreign Relations

Was the nine-year U.S. war in Iraq worth it? Boston University's Andrew Bacevich says the world is a better place without Saddam Hussein, but stresses that the "disastrous legacy" of the war transcends lives lost or dollars spent. CFR's Max Boot says it may be premature to assess the benefits but there remains a chance for Iraq to serve as "a model for the Arab Spring." Michael Ignatieff, an academic, human rights advocate, and initial supporter of the war, says groups like the Kurds and the Shia in Iraq have gained. But it's "difficult to believe the war was worth it," he says, given the damage to U.S. credibility, the strengthening of Iran, and the lack of stability in Iraq. Michael O'Hanlon of the Brookings Institution expresses hope that over time the "the war will not be seen historically as a mistake or failure." http://www.cfr.org/iraq/iraq-war-worth-/p26820

Iraq: Putting US Withdrawal in Perspective, Anthony H. Co desman. Center for Strategic and International Studies

The prospects of cuts in defense spending interacts with the US failure to reach a meaningful agreement with the Iraqi government over how to implement the Strategic Framework Agreement. At present, the US security role will continue after the end of 2011, but in an extremely limited way. Plans keep changing, but the US effort to deal with the Iraqi military will consist solely of a small Office of Security Cooperation (OSC), and an increasingly uncertain police training mission that has been transferred to the State Department and which the Congress is unlikely to fund at anything like the planned level. http://csis.org/files/publication/111214_Iraq_US_Withdrawal.pdf

U.S.-Iraq Relations Enter a New Era: U.S. Forces Complete their Strategic Reset as U.S. Diplomats Set New Tone, Peter Juul. Center for American Progress

Our nation is well on its way to withdrawing the last of our troops from Iraq before the holiday season begins, just as President Barack Obama promised. Under the U.S.-Iraq security agreement our troops must be out by the end of the year, but Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s visit to Washington this week will be matched by U.S. military ceremonies in Baghdad and elsewhere highlighting the final strategic reset of our Iraq policy sometime this week.

Prime Minister Maliki’s visit will mark this key achievement of the Obama administration, but so too will his talks with President Obama and other top administration officials as the United States and Iraq enter into a more normal relationship. The U.S. military is leaving Iraq but it is clear that the United States will not be leaving Iraq any time soon. As a result, it’s worth charting out where the new U.S.-Iraq relationship will and should be going in the near future. http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2011/12/us_iraq_relationship.html

The "End" of the War in Iraq?, Anthony H. Cordesman. Center for Strategic and International Studies

It is all too clear that most Americans want the war in Iraq to be over. A Gallup poll in October found that 75% approved of President Obama’s withdrawal of U.S. troops, although Americans divide sharply by party: 96% Democrats, 77% independents, and 43% Republicans. There are good reasons for such feelings. In spite of U.S. military successes in reducing the level of internal violence in Iraq, the war has been a strategic failure when its costs are compared to its benefits. http://csis.org/files/publication/111212_Cordesman_EndWarIraq_Commentary_Formatted.pdf

Oversight in Iraq and Afghanistan: Challenges and Solutions, Hearing before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Subcommittee on National Security, Homeland Defense, and Foreign Operations http://oversight.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1529%3A12-7-2011-qoversight-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-challenges-and-solutionsq&catid=17&Itemid=25

Central Asia and the Transition in Afghanistan, A Majority Staff Report by the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations http://www.foreign.senate.gov/publications/download/central-asia-and-the-transition-in-afghanistan2

Reconstruction Update

2011-12-08T22:15:00.000-08:00

How Afghanization Can Work, Linda Robinson. If past is prologue, the December 5 Bonn conference, which aims to shore up international support for Afghanistan, will conclude with promises that will almost certainly remain unfulfilled, like the Kabul and London conferences before it, and the barely noticed Istanbul conference last month. The most important question about Afghanistan is one that must be answered in Washington, not Bonn: What is the size and nature of the military commitment that the United States is prepared to make in the coming years? That decision will in turn dramatically affect both the diplomatic prospects for negotiations and the funds available for ongoing assistance. http://www.cfr.org/afghanistan/afghanization-can-work/p26662
Women and the Afghan Transition, Ben Smith. House of Commons Library, United KingdomThere has been a lot of concern that Afghan women will be the main losers in the next few years as international forces withdraw and the Kabul government negotiates some sort of accommodation with the insurgency. http://www.parliament.uk/briefing-papers/SN06132.pdf

Transition in Afghanistan: Looking Beyond 2014, The World Bank Full responsibility for security is to be handed over and most international troops are to be withdrawn by the end of 2014—as understood at the 2010 Kabul and Lisbon conferences. Experience suggests that withdrawals of international troops reduce civilian aid, with implications for economic growth, fiscal sustainability, and service delivery. Potential financing gaps in the budget could threaten security and recent development progress, creating a sense of urgency for both the Government and the donor community. http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTAFGHANISTAN/Resources/AFBeyond2014.pdf

The Afghanistan-Pakistan War at the End of 2011: Strategic Failure? Talk Without Hope? Tactical Success? Spend not Build (And Then Stop Spending)?, Anthony H. Cordesman. Center for Strategic and International Studies The US is on the thin edge of strategic failure in two wars: the war in Iraq and the war in Afghanistan/Pakistan. This failure may never reach the point of outright defeat in either country. Iraq may never become hostile, revert to civil war, or come under anything approaching Iranian control. Afghanistan and Pakistan may never become major sanctuaries for terrorist attacks on the US and its allies. Yet Iraq is already a grand strategic failure. The US went to war for the wrong reasons, let Iraq slide into a half decade of civil war, and failed to build an effective democracy and base for Iraq’s economic development. Its tactical victories – if they last – did little more than put an end to a conflict it help create, and the US failed to establish anything like the strategic partnership it sought. http://csis.org/files/publication/111115_Afghanistan_at_End_2011.pdf

5. A Review of the 2001 Bonn Conference and Application to the Road Ahead in Afghanistan, Mark Fields and Ramsha Ahmed. Institute for National Strategic Studies, National Defense University

Ten years ago in Bonn, Germany, the United Nations Envoy to Afghanistan, Ambassador

Lakhdar Brahimi, and U.S. Envoy to the Afghan Opposition, Ambassador James Dobbins,

led a diverse group of international diplomats and warriors to consensus and charted

the political course for Afghanistan well into the decade. The process that led to the Bonn

Agreement (Bonn 2001, or Bonn I) reflects the best of U.S. and United Nations statesmanship

and was the result of the effective application of military and diplomatic power. Bonn 2001

was successful for five reasons…
http://www.ndu.edu/inss/docUploaded/Strategic%20Perspectives%208_Fields-Ahmed.pdf

6. Painful Steps: Justice, Forgiveness and Compromise in Afghanistan’s Peace Process, Jay Lamey. Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit

Peace in Afghanistan is frequently discussed but remains only a faint hope. As we move from meetings in Kabul to Bonn, and as strategies for the future are made and revised, it is vital that the voices of those who have suffered during Afghanistan’s conflicts are heard and understood. An arrangement that respects their hopes and concerns stands the best chance of delivering a just and durable peace in the country.
http://www.areu.org.af/Uploads/EditionPdfs/1129%20Painful%20Steps%20PN.pdf

Afghanistan's Paramilitary Policing in Context: The Risks of Expediency, Antonio Giustozzi and Mohammad Isaqzadeh. Afghanistan Analysts Network Despite representing the bulk of Afghanistan’s post‐2001 policing, the paramilitary dimension has received little attention among analysts. Still, if the current regime is to survive the transition to Afghan leadership in the security sector, which officially started in July 2011, and the subsequent Western disengagement, getting paramilitary policing into a functional state will be decisive. There are different types of para‐militarism, however, and what suits the Afghan predicament can only be determined by looking at the functioning of the MoI. http://aan-afghanistan.com/uploads/AAAN-2011-Police_and_Paramilitarisation.pdf
Iraqi Leaders React to the U.S. Withdrawal, Ramzy Mardini. Institute for the Study of War On October 21, 2011, President Barack Obama announced his decision to withdraw all of the remaining 39,000 U.S. forces from Iraq by the end of the year. The complete pullout of U.S. forces satisfies the final phase of the withdrawal timetable established by the U.S.-Iraq Security Agreement signed in December 2008 by outgoing President George W. Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. The decision comes after negotiating efforts failed to reach a new security arrangement with Iraq that would have allowed for a continued U.S. military presence beyond 2011. This document compiles and analyzes many of the reactions of Iraq’s leaders to the cessation of negotiations and the withdrawal of U.S. forces. http://www.understandingwar.org/files/Backgrounder_IraqLeadersReacttoWithdrawal.pdf
Security Issues Relating to Iraq, Hearing before the Senate Committee on Armed Services on 15 November 2011 http://armed-services.senate.gov/e_witnesslist.cfm?id=5256
Police Corruption: What Past Scandals Teach about Current Challenges, U.S. Institute of Peace Police corruption is a universal problem, but it is a particular challenge in countries in crisis and emerging from conflict. This report is based on the lessons gleaned from a review of public commissions of inquiry into police misconduct worldwide and their possible application in stability operations, such as those in Iraq and Afghanistan. The study attempts to determine whether past scandals can help us deal more effectively with the contemporary problems of nation building and police reform. http://www.usip.org/files/resources/SR%20294.pdf
Geopolitical Fault Lines – The Case of Afghanistan, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich Long before the colonial age, Afghanistan’s history has been defined geopolitically, first as a buffer zone between chaffing empires, then as a collision point between competing and global powers. This article examines the country’s past, current and perhaps future geopolitical fate. http://www.isn.ethz.ch/isn/Current-Affairs/Special-Feature/Detail?lng=en&id=134666&contextid774=134666&contextid775=134664&tabid=134664&dynrel=0c54e3b3-1e9c-be1e-2c24-a6a8c7060233,4888caa0-b3db-1461-98b9-e20e7b9c13d4
China's Pakistan Conundrum, ForeignAffairs.com

China is often called an "all-weather friend" to Pakistan -- a strategic partner, a reliable source of trade and aid, and Islamabad's closest military ally. Pakistani Prime Minister Yousef Raza Gilani has described the friendship between the two countries as "higher than mountains, deeper than oceans, stronger than steel, and sweeter than honey." In September, he told the visiting Chinese Public Security Minister Meng Jianzhu, "Your friends are our friends," continuing, "your enemies are our enemies, and your security is our security.

http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/136718/evan-a-feigenbaum/chinas-pakistan-conundrum?cid=nlc-this_week_on_foreignaffairs_co-120811-chinas_pakistan_conundrum_2-120811

Reconstruction Indexes

2011-12-05T19:38:00.001-08:00

1. Iraq Index http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Files/Centers/Saban/Iraq%20Index/index.pdf

2. Afghanistan Index http://www.brookings.edu/foreign-policy/afghanistan-index.aspx

3. Pakistan Index http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Files/Programs/FP/pakistan%20index/index.pdf

Reconstruction Update

2011-11-16T20:23:00.000-08:00

1. Pakistan-U.S. Relations: A Summary
Source: Congressional Research Service (via Federation of American Scientists)
From the report's summary:
This report summarizes important recent developments in Pakistan and in Pakistan-U.S. relations.
Obama Administration engagement with Pakistan has been seriously disrupted by recent events.
A brief analysis of the current state of Pakistan-U.S. relations illuminates the main areas of contention
and uncertainty. Vital U.S. interests related to links between Pakistan and indigenous American
terrorism, Islamist militancy in Pakistan and Islamabad’s policies toward the Afghan insurgency,
Pakistan’s relations with historic rival India, nuclear weapons proliferation and security, and the
troubled status of Pakistan’s domestic setting are reviewed. Ongoing human rights concerns and U.S.
foreign assistance programs for Pakistan are briefly summarized, and the report closes with an
analysis of current U.S.-Pakistan relations. http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R41832.pdf

2.      The Status Report: Afghanistan and Pakistan Civilian Engagement
November 4, 2011 21:17
Source: U.S. Department of State
From the press statement by Secretary Clinton:
The civilian surge in Afghanistan and Pakistan that President Obama launched in 2009 to accompany the military surge in Afghanistan has helped advance our goals of defeating al-Qaeda, reversing the Taliban's momentum in key areas, and bolstering the economy and civil society of both countries. As U.S. troops begin a phased drawdown in Afghanistan as part of the larger plan for transition, our civilian initiatives in both Afghanistan and Pakistan are assuming new importance.
This report provides a thorough review of our civilian efforts, identifies significant challenges and areas of progress, and outlines the way forward.
http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/176809.pdf

3.      Afghanistan Opium Survey 2011: Summary Findings, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
Overview:
The total area under opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan in 2011 was estimated at 131,000 hectares (ha), a 7% increase compared to 2010. 95% of total cultivation took place in nine provinces in the Southern and Western regions6, which include the most insecure provinces in the country. This confirms the link between insecurity and opium cultivation observed since 2007.
The number of poppy-free provinces decreased from 20 in 2010 to 17 in 2011 as Baghlan and Faryab provinces in the Northern region and Kapisa province in the Eastern region lost their poppy-free status.
Potential opium production in 2011 was estimated at 5,800 mt, a 61% increase compared to 2010, when opium yields were much reduced due to plant diseases.
http://www.unodc.org/documents/crop-monitoring/Afghanistan/Executive_Summary_2011_web.pdf

4.      Message from the Director: Setting the Record Straight on Our Afghanistan Analysis, Statement to CIA Employees by Director David H. Petraeus, October 14, 2011
An Associated Press article published today presents an inaccurate picture of my thoughts on the CIA's Afghanistan analysis. The article asserts that a change in process introduced to enhance coordination, to get our officers even earlier access to more information, and to ensure we gain the benefit of hearing from those on the ground full-time—intelligence base chiefs, civilian experts, and military officers alike—was somehow designed to impose a military viewpoint on our analysis. That is flat wrong.
https://www.cia.gov/news-information/press-releases-statements/press-release-2011/setting-the-record-straight-on-our-afghanistan-analysis.html

5.      2014 and Beyond: U.S. Policy toward Afghanistan and Pakistan, Part I, Hearing before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia
Testimony:
a.       Steve Chabot, Subcommittee Chairman http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/112/cha110311.pdf
b.      Zalmay Khalilzad http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/112/kha110311.pdf
c.       LTG David W. Barno, USA (Ret.) http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/112/bar110311.pdf
d.      Ashley J. Tellis http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/112/tel110311.pdf
e.       C. Christine Fair http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/112/fai110311.pdf

6. Crackdown in Iraq: Former Ba’athists Still Pose Lingering Security Challenge

Executive Summary
Hundreds of people have been arrested all around Iraq in an operation launched by the security forces against members of the banned Ba’ath party. The crackdown came a few days after U.S. President Barack Obama announced that U. S. forces will pull out from Iraq by the end of 2011, a deadline assigned by the United States and Iraq two years previously. The operation is one of the biggest of its kind in post—war Iraq. More significantly Iraqi officials introduced it as a pre-emptive strike against an alleged plan to overthrow the government and the whole Iraqi political order. However, tension over the Iraqi government’s decision to move forward with the operation has created discord at the highest levels. It was reported that Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki had a verbal encounter with one of his Deputy Prime Ministers—Saleh al-Mutlaq [1]—over the issue during a cabinet session. (al-Mada October 26, Asharq al-Awsat October 27). The authorities have depended on a membership list of the old party, and claimed that it had revived its old structure. People from both Sunni and Shia areas were arrested but in general the crackdown was welcomed by the Shia parties. Critics, especially from the dominantly Sunni Iraqia party, have vocally opposed the operation claiming that the arrests were politically motivated. The issue of dealing with Iraq’s Ba’athist past has been one of the most divisive factors in Iraq after the U.S.-led invasion. With the recent developments, it is clear that it will cause even more tensions in the post-American era. The whole affair came amid a recent surge in violence across Iraq.
http://www.jamestown.org/programs/gta/single/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=38618&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=26&cHash=d1b6a06f91304f3d57677251fb71841a

7. The Haqqanis as the Pivot in the Deteriorating US-Pakistan Relations by Shahid Javed Burki, National University of Singapore

The author of this article addresses the question as to what kind of Afghanistan Washington should leave behind. To leave the country at peace, one of the more important things is to have the powerful Haqqani network in the country’s south and with a sanctuary in Pakistan to align itself with Washington’s broad objectives. Would the use of force bring this about or would negotiations among different interest parties produce the desired result?
http://kms1.isn.ethz.ch/serviceengine/Files/ISN/133438/ipublicationdocument_singledocument/9fa28ccf-340f-4d1d-912b-b5be86183c68/en/EVELINE_ISAS_Insights_138.pdf

8. Constitutional Interpretation and the Continuing Crisis in Afghanistan, Scott Worden and Sylvana Q. Sinha, United States Institute of Peace
Summary
The recent controversy in Afghanistan over the outcome of the 2010 parliamentary elections ultimately resolved the question of who sits in Parliament, but left a more fundamental question
unanswered: “Who has the power to interpret the Afghan Constitution?”
• Ambiguities in the language of the Constitution make it difficult to determine who has the legal authority to interpret it. The Supreme Court maintains that the Constitution gives it the power of judicial review, but the Constitution also calls for the Independent Commission on the Supervision of Implementation of the Constitution (ICSIC), which the Parliament has mandated to decide constitutional issues instead.
• Without political and legal consensus over who has final authority to decide different types of constitutional claims, Afghanistan cannot achieve a rule of law where government activities are subject to consistent and transparent rules.
• Afghanistan must establish clear and unambiguous rules for constitutional interpretation to avoid damaging crises about political leadership and the separation of powers as the security transition and Presidential election approach in 2014.
http://www.usip.org/files/resources/PB%20113.pdf

Reconstruction Indexes

2011-11-08T10:38:00.000-08:00

2011-10-27T09:29:00.000-07:00

1. The Cost of Kill/Capture: Impact of the Night Raid Surge on Afghan Civilians, Open Society Institute

Nighttime kill and capture operations (“night raids”) by international military have been one of the most controversial tactics in Afghanistan. They are as valued by the international military as they are reviled by Afghan communities. Night raids have been associated with the death, injury, and detention of civilians, and have sparked enormous backlash among Afghan communities. The Afghan government and the Afghan public have repeatedly called for an end to night raids. International military say they have addressed many of the past concerns with night raids, including improved intelligence and conduct. They argue that night raids are a way to reduce civilian casualties and are an essential part of their military strategy.

The Open Society Foundations and The Liaison Office published an in depth study of night raids in February 2010.1 Since that time, some night raids practices have improved, but the overall number of night raids has multiplied, bringing this divisive practice into more Afghan homes.2 This policy paper will summarize the impact of these changes from both a human rights and a policy perspective. http://www.soros.org/initiatives/washington/articles_publications/publications/the-cost-of-kill-capture-impact-of-the-night-raid-surge-on-afghan-civilians-20110919/Night-Raids-Report-FINAL-092011.pdf

2. Forging New Ties: Report from the First Meeting Between Afghan and Pakistani Women arliamentarians, East West Institute.

During their two-day visit to Islamabad in June 2011, the Afghan delegates and their Pakistani peers met with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Speaker of the House Dr. Fehmida Mirza. They also agreed on a plan for a regular, ongoing dialogue between Afghan and Pakistani women parliamentarians.

“Such a dialogue will open a new channel for building trust between the two countries,” said Guenter Overfeld, EWI Vice President and Director of Regional Security. “It will also give Afghan women politicians much-needed support at a crucial time.”

http://www.ewi.info/forging-new-ties

3. Iraq and Afghanistan: DOD, State, and USAID Cannot Fully Account for Contracts, Assistance Instruments, and Associated Personnel, Government Accountability Office

The Departments of Defense (DOD) and State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) designated SPOT as their system in 2010 for tracking statutorily required information on contracts, assistance instruments, and associated personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan. Citing limitations with SPOT’s implementation, the agencies generally relied on data sources other than SPOT to prepare their 2011 joint report. Only State used SPOT but just for its contractor personnel numbers. However, GAO found that regardless of the data source used, the agencies’ data had significant limitations, many of which were not fully disclosed. For example, while the agencies collectively reported $22.7 billion in fiscal year 2010 obligations, we found that they underreported the value of Iraq and Afghanistan contracts and assistance instruments by at least $4 billion, the majority of which was for DOD contracts. In addition, data presented in the joint report on personnel, including those performing security functions, are of limited reliability because of significant over- and undercounting. For example, DOD did not disclose that its contractor personnel numbers for Afghanistan were overreported for most of the reporting period because of double counting. Additionally, despite the reporting requirement, State did not provide information on its assistance instruments or the number of personnel working under them. As a result of such limitations, data presented in the joint report should not be used to draw conclusions or identify trends over time.

4. A Tougher U.S. Tack on Pakistan, Council on Foreign Relations

Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen testified before Congress (PDF) on September 22 that the Haqqani network, the militant group blamed for the September 13 attack on the U.S. embassy in Kabul, is a "strategic arm" of Pakistan's top spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). U.S. allegations of links between the ISI and extremist groups are hardly new (ForeignPolicy). But the latest remarks constitute a firm ultimatum that the United States will act unilaterally if Pakistan doesn't crack down on extremist groups and official ties to those groups, says CFR's South Asia expert Daniel Markey. Mullen's remarks prompted outrage from Pakistani officials (WSJ) who deny such links. Markey warns that unless the United States can make this latest threat to Pakistan credible, Pakistan will not change the status quo. He recommends Washington be clear with the Pakistanis on the steps the United States is willing to take to destroy the Haqqani network, if Pakistan fails to do so.

http://www.cfr.org/pakistan/tougher-us-tack-pakistan/p26019

5. Who Benefits From U.S. Aid to Pakistan?, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

After 9/11 and again following the killing of Osama bin Laden, questions have been raised

about the purpose of aid from the United States to Pakistan. If aid was primarily meant for

military and counterterrorism support, the results from an American perspective have been

inadequate at best. Washington has accused the Pakistani government and military of duplicity, and of protecting key militant leaders living within Pakistan. The United States continues to ask the government of Pakistan to “do more.”

There are Pakistani voices, however, who argue that this is America’s war, not a global or

Pakistani war. The fighting has cost Pakistan three times as much as the aid provided and

35,000 victims. Sympathizers of militant groups in Pakistan’s army have also been found to

protect insurgents and have been involved in terrorist activities themselves.

http://carnegieendowment.org/files/pakistan_aid2011.pdf

6. Pakistan Seeks Administrative Solution to Terrorism on the Northwest Frontier, The Jamestown Foundation

Although new changes to colonial-era laws known as the Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR) are aimed at giving more political freedom to the people living in the lawless Pakistani tribal areas, one of the unstated objectives of the government seems to be defeating the militants with political rather than military force. [1] President Asif Ali Zardari hinted at this when he said that a bigger “challenge of defeating the militant mindset awaits us… In the long run, we must defeat the militant mindset to defend our country, our democracy, our institutions and our way of life” (Dawn, August 13).

To achieve this objective in the turbulent Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari signed two executive orders, the Amendments to the FCR (2011) and the Extension of the Political Parties Order (2002), into law on August 12. Most political parties and analysts in Pakistan welcomed the reforms, which will establish a new three-member FATA tribunal and introduce political activity in the area in the form of enfranchisement and the establishment of political parties (The Nation [Islamabad], September 4). There is a consensus that these laws will lead to even more far-reaching social and political reforms in the coming years (Dawn [Karachi], August 13; The News [Islamabad], August 13).

http://www.jamestown.org/single/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=38402&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=515

7. Stop Doing Harm in Pakistan, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

The U.S.-Pakistan relationship is under great stress. In a video Q&A, George Perkovich says Washington’s policy toward Pakistan has had the unintended but undeniable effect of empowering Pakistan’s military and intelligence services at the expense of the country’s political future.

To stop doing harm to Pakistan and its own interests, the United States must stop looking at Pakistan as a tool that can be used to help solve America’s other problems and instead focus on Pakistan for its own sake—it is one of the world’s most populous nations, has nuclear weapons, is in a critical region, and produces many of the terrorists looking to strike America. Instead of pressing Pakistan’s army to fight America’s war in Afghanistan, the United States would accomplish more by distancing itself from the Pakistani army, reforming trade and aid policies, and clarifying the defensive purposes of U.S.-Indian cooperation.

http://carnegieendowment.org/2011/09/13/stop-doing-harm-in-pakistan/549u

8. Iraq: U.S. Diplomatic Mission and Security Personnel for 2012 (Taken Question), U.S. Department of State http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2011/10/175059.htm

9. Lessons from Embedded Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Iraq, United States Institute of Peace

Embedded provincial reconstruction teams (ePRTs) were small State Department-led units

inserted into U.S. combat brigades in Iraq from 2007 to 2010 to support military counterinsurgency efforts at the local level.

During major combat operations in 2007 and into 2008, ePRTs provided important support

to military counterinsurgency efforts. As U.S. combat units wound down these efforts

and withdrew from towns and cities, ePRTs did useful—but harder to quantify—work in

mentoring local officials.

Combat brigades and ePRTs generally worked well together. However, some units were

unsure of how best to employ civilians. The military and civilians also sometimes had differing views on issues of short-term versus long-term goals.

Despite problems, ePRT veterans believe that they had a positive effect in both supporting

military counterinsurgency efforts and helping local Iraqi officials prepare for self-reliance.

Interviewees identified a variety of operational problems that detracted from ePRT mission

accomplishment. The Iraq ePRTs are now history, but as the United States continues to use civil-military teams in Afghanistan, these observed lessons need to be learned and acted upon.

Provincial reconstruction teams (PRTs) are civilian-military teams that were first fielded in

Afghanistan in 2002. A significantly modified version was introduced in Iraq in 2005. The

theory was that a stable nation would not emerge unless reconciliation, good governance,

and economic development extended beyond the central government in the capital city to provincial and local officials across the nation. PRTs were envisioned as a key means to achieve these goals.

http://www.usip.org/files/resources/SR290.pdf

10. Failing Oversight: Iraq's Unchecked Government, International Crisis Group

After years of uncertainty, conflict and instability, the Iraqi state appears to be consolidating by reducing violence sufficiently to allow for a semblance of normalcy. Yet in the meantime, it has allowed corruption to become en-trenched and spread throughout its institutions. This, in turn, has contributed to a severe decay in public services. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s government has exacerbated the problem by interfering in anti-corruption cases, ma-nipulating investigations for political advantage and in-timidating critics to prevent a replication of the type of popular movements that already have brought down three regimes in the region. The government’s credibility in the fight against corruption has eroded as a result, and this, together with troubling authoritarian tendencies, is giving ammunition to the prime minister’s critics. To bolster its faltering legitimacy, Maliki’s government will have to launch a vigorous anti-corruption campaign, improve service delivery and create checks and balances in the state system.

http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/Middle%20East%20North%20Africa/Iraq%20Syria%20Lebanon/Iraq/113%20-%20Failing%20Oversight%20-%20Iraqs%20Unchecked%20Government.pdf

11. The U.S. Strategy in Afghanistan and Iraq, Hearing before the Senate Committee on Armed Services http://armed-services.senate.gov/e_witnesslist.cfm?id=5252

12. US and Iranian Strategic Competition: Competition in Iraq, Center for Strategic and International Studies

Iraq has become a key focus of the strategic competition between the United States and Iran. The history of this competition has been shaped by the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988) and the 1991 Gulf War. Since the 2003 Iraq War, both the US and Iran have competed to shape the structure of Post-Saddam Iraq’s politics, governance, economics, and security.

However, containing Iranian influence, while important, is not America’s main goal in Iraq. It is rather to create a stable democratic Iraq that can defeat the remaining extremist and insurgent elements, defend against foreign threats, sustain an able civil society, and emerge as a stable power friendly to the US.

http://csis.org/files/publication/110927_Iran_Chapter_6_Iraq.pdf

13. Iraq Drawdown: Opportunities Exist to Improve Equipment Visibility, Contractor Demobilization, and Clarity of Post-2011 DOD Role, Government Accountability Office

DOD has robust plans and processes for determining the sequence of actions and associated resources necessary to achieve the drawdown from Iraq, which is well underway with a significant amount of equipment removed from Iraq and bases transitioned, among other things. However, several factors contribute to making this phase more challenging than the previous drawdown phase. First, DOD will have less operational flexibility in this phase of the drawdown, yet will need to move a greater amount of equipment than in prior drawdown phases. Second, DOD is closing the largest bases with fewer available resources left on site, which creates a set of challenges and risks greater than what DOD faced during the prior drawdown phase. Although DOD's plans and processes create flexibility and mitigate risk, it has limited visibility over some equipment remaining in Iraq and does not track equipment found on transitioning bases that is not listed on any property accountability record. Without addressing these issues, DOD may miss opportunities to make the drawdown more efficient. http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d11774.pdf

14. Iraq and Afghanistan: DOD, State, and USAID Cannot Fully Account for Contracts, Assistance Instruments, and Associated Personnel, Government Accountability Office

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d11886.pdf

Reconstruction Indexes

2011-10-16T12:08:00.000-07:00

Iraq Index http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Files/Centers/Saban/Iraq%20Index/index.pdf
Afghanistan Index http://www.brookings.edu/foreign-policy/afghanistan-index.aspx
Pakistan Index http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Files/Programs/FP/pakistan%20index/index.pdf

Reconstruction Update

2011-09-16T20:20:00.000-07:00

1. “Transforming Wartime Contracting: Controlling costs, reducing risks,” the Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan

The final report of the congressionally chartered Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan says at least $31 billion has been lost to contract waste and fraud, and that major reforms are required.

Commission reform objectives include improving federal planning for use of contracts, strengthening contract management and oversight, expanding competition, improving interagency coordination, and modifying or cancelling U.S.-funded projects that host nations cannot sustain. The reforms are described in 15 strategic recommendations.

The eight-member, bipartisan Commission filed its 240-page final report, “Transforming Wartime Contracting: Controlling Costs, Reducing Risks,” with U.S. Senate and House officials this morning [31 August 2011].

http://www.wartimecontracting.gov

2. Pakistan’s Future Policy Towards Afghanistan. A Look at Strategic Depth, Militant Movements and the Role of India and the U.S.

What factors are likely to govern the course of Pakistan’s future policy vis-à-vis Afghanistan? This question has increasing relevance for regional security, especially in the light of the imminent endgame in Afghanistan and of the ongoing dialogue with the Taliban.

This report probes the implications of the volatile US–Pakistan relationship and of Indo–Pak rivalry in the Af–Pak war theatre, in particular for Pakistan’s reliance on militant extremist groups to secure and further its strategic interests. Developments pertaining to the role and engagement of the United States in the region and Indian ties to Afghanistan and the US affect Pakistan’s perceived power status in the Indian subcontinent. The extent to which Pakistani interests are met in the process and outcome of brokering a deal with the Taliban is an additional determinant of whether Pakistan will continue with, or veer from, the status quo.

http://www.diis.dk/graphics/Publications/Reports2011/RP2011-08-Pakistans-future-policy_web.pdf

3. One Team's Approach to Village Stability Operations

This paper is an effort to demonstrate my team’s approach to VSO using the principles and TTPs that numerous articles have recently highlighted in the July-September issue of Special Warfare Magazine. It illustrates the practical application of the principles of VSO in the current operational environment and details exactly how these principles appear through the prism of the Military Decision-Making Process. This is the product of the team’s assessment, planning, execution, after action review and refinement process over the last 150 days of VSO operations in an austere and isolated location.

The Village Stability Operations Methodology is a bottom up approach that employs USSOF teams and partnered units embedded with villagers in order to establish security and to support and promote socioeconomic development and good governance. Each Village Stability Team is a distinct entity with its own culture, appearances and way of operating, which reflects the Afghan dynamic of that particular site. It is true that Village Stability Platforms (VSP) throughout Afghanistan vary greatly within the context of conducting Village Stability Operations (VSO), yet every VSP applies the same principles of the methodology and shepherds the village through the phases of Shape, Hold, Build, and Expand / Transition; culminating with connecting the village to GIRoA through the district and province.

http://smallwarsjournal.com/printpdf/11412

4. Afghan Concerns over U.S. Staying Power

As the timeline for the drawdown of U.S. and international troops from Afghanistan approaches, the United States and Afghanistan are working to finalize a long-term security arrangement that would secure a limited U.S. troop presence in the country beyond 2014. But the United States and Afghanistan disagree on several points, starting with how binding the agreement should be. Taj Ayubi, a minister-counselor to Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai, says as U.S. public opinion for the war in Afghanistan wanes amid an economic downturn and rising unemployment, Afghans grow increasingly concerned about Washington's long-term commitment to the country. Ayubi, who accused some in the Afghan government of sabotaging the strategic pact under discussion with Washington in a speech he delivered at the Marine Corps University in Quantico, says the majority of Afghans support a U.S. military base in the country post-2014.

http://www.cfr.org/afghanistan/afghan-concerns-over-us-staying-power/p25778

5. How Afghanistan is Rebuilding Itself

Serious concerns persist in the international community about Afghanistan's governance abilities as the 2014 timeline for the security transition to Afghan forces draws near. The director of the office of Afghanistan and Pakistan affairs at the U.S. Agency for International Development, J. Alexander Thier, says economic effects of the drawdown "will be real" but points to sweeping improvements in Afghanistan's capacity to govern itself, singling out progress in health, education, energy, and road building. "We are changing the way we do business by doing more of our work directly through the Afghan government," to increase spending that goes directly into the Afghan economy, he says. Going forward, he says, investment in infrastructure and energy will be critical to increasing Afghans' capacity and making economic growth sustainable. He says the international community will be supporting development work in Afghanistan for years beyond 2014.

http://www.cfr.org/afghanistan/afghanistan-rebuilding-itself/p25824

6. The Missing Endgame for Afghanistan: A Sustainable Post-Bin Laden Strategy

Within hours of President Obama’s announcement of Osama bin Laden’s May 2 death, pundits and politicians from both the right and left were calling for a speedier withdrawal from Afghanistan. The discovery and targeted killing of bin Laden in a compound on the outskirts of Abbottabad, Pakistan,

located less than a mile from the Pakistan Military Academy, dramatically amplified concerns about elements of the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence service (ISI) maintaining links with al-Qaeda and other violent extremist organizations. Many argued that the death of al-Qaeda’s leader meant that our post-9/11 mission had been accomplished, and our expensive presence in Afghanistan was no longer needed amidst an era of mounting debt and budget fights.

http://www.twq.com/11autumn/docs/11autumn_Abshire_Browne.pdf

7. Pakistan’s Deteriorating Economic Situation: How Much of it is Caused by Politics?

Pakistan’s economy is in a state of deep crisis, the worst in its troubled history. While some natural disasters – an earthquake in 2005 and floods in 2010 – contributed to the poor performance of the economy, much of it was the result of weak management by the civilian government that took office in the spring of 2008. The cumulative loss to the economy during the five-year tenure of the current administration may be as high as 16 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP). On a number of previous occasions the military intervened when the government in place was deemed to be performing poorly in the economic field. Such an outcome seems unlikely this time around as the military has become conscious of the latent power of the street. This has been demonstrated by the Arab Spring. The country’s youth and the civil society do not want to see the army intervene in politics once again. That said, the current government, as it prepares for the general elections that must be held before the spring of 2013, has adopted a populist approach towards economic management. This includes the recent decision by the central bank to ease the supply of money. This may win votes but may further aggravate the already weak economic situation.

http://www.isas.nus.edu.sg/Attachments/PublisherAttachment/ISAS_Insight_128_-_Email_-_Pakistan's_Deteriorating_Economic_Situation_15082011181555.pdf

8. The Politics of Water Discourse in Pakistan

The policy brief explores the evolving discourse on water issues in Pakistan where the process of political articulation, securitization and mobilization which often links water to Kashmir is studied. The rationale for undertaking such an approach is to provide useful insights to understand Pakistan‟s thinking on strategizing water. The primary research question therefore put to test is- whether Pakistan has a strategic design as far as the Indus waters is concerned? While this study has no intentions to under-estimate the water scarcity being experienced by Pakistan in any way, it aims to delink the issue of water politics from water security. The thrust of the study is to assess and analyze beliefs, interests, motivations and patterns of behaviour inside Pakistan regarding water issues.

http://www.icrier.org/pdf/Policy_Series_No_4.pdf

9. Dominoes on the Durand Line? Overcoming Strategic Myths in Afghanistan and Pakistan

The death of Osama bin Laden presents an important opportunity to reassess U.S. strategy in Afghanistan. Current U.S. thinking centers on two interests. The first is preventing al Qaeda and its Taliban allies from reestablishing a safe haven. The second is preventing the violence in Afghanistan from destabilizing Pakistan, thus putting its nuclear forces at risk and increasing the likelihood of nuclear terrorism. Coalition strategy is based on the assumptions that the only way to deny al Qaeda safe haven is by building a strong central Afghan state and that Pakistan’s nuclear complex will become increasingly vulnerable to militant attacks if the Taliban succeeds in Afghanistan.

Both assumptions are wrong. The United States does not need to build a state in Afghanistan because the conditions that allowed al Qaeda safe haven in the 1990s have permanently changed. Moreover, the steps needed to help Pakistan secure its nuclear arsenal have nothing to do with the war in Afghanistan. Policymakers should scale back their ambitions in Afghanistan. If they do so, they could cut troop levels by 80–90 percent while defending core U.S. interests and dramatically reducing the costs to America in both blood and treasure.

http://www.cato.org/pubs/fpbriefs/fpb92.pdf

10. Microsoft Afkar. Afkar is an Arabic word that means “ideas”. Microsoft Afkar gives Arabic users from all over the world the chance to play with cool new tools and ideas coming out of Cairo Microsoft Innovation Lab.

http://afkar.microsoft.com/

Reconstruction Indexes

2011-09-16T14:53:00.001-07:00

Iraq Index http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Files/Centers/Saban/Iraq%20Index/index.pdf
Afghanistan Index http://www.brookings.edu/foreign-policy/afghanistan-index.aspx
Pakistan Index http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Files/Programs/FP/pakistan%20index/index.pdf

Reconstruction Update

2011-08-26T15:39:00.000-07:00

1. Pakistan's Tribal Area Reforms Too Little, Too Late

Sheikh Janzada has reason to celebrate. Political and judicial reforms have finally come to his mountainous village in Bajauar Agency, part of Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), realizing a lifelong dream.

On August 12, the Pakistani government announced that political parties would be allowed to freely campaign in FATA, located along the country's western border with Afghanistan. Also slated for revision are draconian Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR), which will undergo modest improvements to allow for more accountability and some conformity with modern human rights standards.

http://www.rferl.org/content/pakistan_fata_tribal_reforms/24302628.html

2. Afghan Villagers Stone a Taliban Commander to Death

KABUL, Afghanistan — Angry villagers stoned to death a local Taliban commander and his bodyguard in southern Afghanistan Sunday after the militants killed a 60-year-old man accused of aiding the government, Afghan officials said.

It was a rare reversal of brutality aimed at the Taliban and, some Afghan officials believe, suggests a growing sense of security in an area where the insurgency has lost ground to NATO forces in the last two years. The stoning happened in the Nawa District of Helmand Province, a verdant agricultural area along the Helmand River Valley, now considered one of the safest places in the volatile south as a result of a heavy influx of American troops and aid dollars.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/23/world/asia/23afghanistan.html?_r=1

3. The Great Hindukush Gold Rush (1): Another Silver Bullet

When last year the not-so-new news hit the headlines that Afghanistan possesses enormous mineral resources, a lot of eyes started to shine with joy. Some Afghan and foreign officials believe that they finally have found the Holy Grail for post-2014 Afghanistan: a resource from which the country can pay its own security and development costs, currently incurred by Western donors mainly. But resources can also be a curse, as examples from other Third World countries – and current practice in Afghan mining - show. The hazards are manifold: social, ecological and in the political economy. The Kabul government is busy auctioning the deposits off already, making the right noises about ‘prudent’ and ‘responsible’ use of the resources, but before proper legislation exists to guarantee this. Thomas Ruttig, a Senior Analyst at AAN, starts looking at a few questions related to this Great Hindukush Gold Rush.

http://aan-afghanistan.com/index.asp?id=2022

4. Afghans brace for economic fallout of U.S. exit

Reporting from Kabul, Afghanistan— Sorosh Tokhi's wallet is a lot fatter since foreign troops moved into Afghanistan in 2001. As an interpreter for the U.S. military earning $700 a month, he has bought a flat-screen TV and a sport utility vehicle, helped his parents out and paid for relatives' tuition.

So President Obama's recent announcement that U.S. troops will step up the pace toward a 2014 departure makes him nervous.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-afghan-economy-20110819,0,4578448.story

5. The Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East http://www.frrme.org/

6. How Pakistan Drifted Away from Itself

With the partition of the Indian subcontinent, the Dominion of Pakistan came into existence on Aug. 14, 1947. The valiant and astute Muhammad Ali Jinnah led the minority Muslim community of United India to the fulfillment of its dream for a separate homeland. The basis for the very demand of independence was the upholding of the freedom of religion, profession and speech.

Jinnah was an outstanding lawyer who had studied law in London. He had a modern outlook on the world and was strongly secular. "No subject ... in Pakistan shall, on grounds only of religion, place of birth, descent, color or any of them be ineligible for office," read part of the oath under which he took office. He was absolutely clear that the new state he was founding would accommodate people of all faiths and descents without any prejudice. To assert this point, he appointed a non-Muslim as his first law minister. The Muslims in his cabinet consisted of Sunni, Shia and Ahmadis alike. He believed that Islam endorsed a secular democracy and the two were perfectly compatible.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kashif-n-chaudhry/how-pakistan-drifted-from_b_931394.html

7. Of 'Instructors' and Interests in Iraq

The Obama administration repeatedly says that US forces are "on track" to vacate Iraq by the end of 2011, in keeping with candidate Barack Obama's pledge to "end the war in Iraq." Yet over the summer the US and the Iraqi government have rather quietly converged on the contours of a deal to keep thousands of US soldiers, to be described as "instructors," in Iraq past December.

Reidar Visser unravels the tangled Iraqi politics behind the negotiations in "Of 'Instructors' and Interests in Iraq," now available in Middle East Report Online:

http://www.merip.org/mero/mero082211

8. Cutting Through Pentagon Spin About Businesses in Iraq

I've been trying to understand the purpose of the Pentagon's Task Force for Business and Stability Operations for about a year now. It is an intriguing effort to apply business development as a tool for economic growth and as an instrument of counterinsurgency -- a frankly rare example of really outside-the-box thinking from the military. At the same time, evaluating its effectiveness has proved to be incredibly difficult. Along the way, almost a dozen puff-pieces about the TFBSO, as its known, have been published, which repeat many talking points about the task force but don't actually discuss what it does.

http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/08/cutting-through-pentagon-spin-about-businesses-in-iraq/243773/

9. Iraq dreams big with infrastructure projects

(Reuters) - In Iraq where renovating a single street can take years, government plans for a multi-billion dollar high-speed train to rival Japan's bullet train have been greeted with skepticism by many Iraqis struggling to get even basic electricity services.

The $10 billion project to build a railway connecting Baghdad to the southern provinces is the latest in a series of large-scale infrastructure proposals by Iraq's government to try to rebuild the OPEC oil-producing country after years of war.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/21/us-iraq-economy-infrastructure-idUSTRE77K1H120110821

10. Washington Rivalry

With federal budget cuts looming, both the State Department and the Defense Department are scrambling to justify their budgets and to explain why they are each better qualified than the other to manage spending when their tasks overlap. And there is quite an overlap these days, especially in Iraq and Afghanistan. Congressional partisans are already taking sides in the debate.

Stephen Glain's "State vs. Defense" enters the battle as a battering ram at the Pentagon's gates. Mr. Glain assails the expansion of the Defense Department from strictly military matters to nation-building and economic development—turf that rightly belongs, the author says, to the State Department and to the Agency for International Development. Civilians can govern and foster development better than soldiers, he argues; and unlike soldiers, the presence of civilians does not alienate foreigners fearful of American imperialism. He also argues that the Defense Department's huge budget—and the Pentagon's growing authority to give military assistance outside the State Department's channels—have allowed Defense to exercise an undue influence over U.S. foreign policy

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903480904576510502556813690.html

11. Realistic Policy Options in Iraq

Two new articles on the post-2011 US presence in Iraq as well as the ongoing political struggles relating to security portfolios and the national council for high policies:

“Of Instructors and Interests in Iraq”, available at http://www.merip.org/mero/mero082211

“Power Grabs and Politics Are Stalling Progress in Iraq”, available at

http://www.thenational.ae/thenationalconversation/comment/power-grabs-and-politics-are-stalling-progress-in-iraq?pageCount=0

Recent blog posts include:
Iraqiyya and the Kurds Challenge Maliki on Oil and Gas
The Last Straw? Maliki Appoints Dulaymi as Acting Minister of Defence
Parliament Finishes the First Reading of the Strategic Policy Council Bill
Another Change to the Second Maliki Government as the Electricity Minister Is Sacked
Ramadan Agreement Provides Some Answers but Many Uncertainties Linger
All available at http://gulfanalysis.wordpress.com/

12. Billions Spent On Afghan Police But Brutality, Corruption Prevail

(Reuters) - An Afghan policeman shot dead taxi driver Mohammad Jawid Amiri six month ago, for no apparent reason. According to a Kabul police official, the shooting was an accident, and the offending policeman is now behind bars.

That's news to the family of 27-year-old Amiri.

They say the only contact with the policeman they had since the shooting was when his family offered a sheep and three bags each of rice and flour as compensation, but only if the Amiris signed papers saying their son died a traffic accident, and not from gunshot wounds.

Reconstruction Update

2011-08-21T11:06:00.000-07:00

1. A Spotlight on Drone Strikes in Pakistan http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/19/opinion/a-spotlight-on-drone-strikes-in-pakistan.html?_r=1

2. Pakistan Flips Off US on Copter: Losers Can't Be Choosers

It is no surprise at all that Pakistan's intelligence services would show Chinese military staff the wrecked "stealth helicopter" in Osama bin Laden's Abbottabad compound.

"Losers can't be choosers," former Pakistan ISI Chief Hamid Gul told a packed audience at last year's Al Jazeera Forum in Doha.
Gul was sharing his impression that America had essentially lost the battle with the Taliban in Afghanistan -- but that the Taliban would be 'honorable', in his words, and would allow America a graceful but loser's exit out of the country.

http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/08/pakistan-flips-off-us-on-copter-losers-cant-be-choosers/243622/

3. Afghanistan's bid to boost tourism

Bamian in central Afghanistan has one of the most beautiful landscapes and natural settings in the world.

Its natural dams have turquoise waters and its mountains hosted an international ski championships last year.

However, security concerns can be a deterrent for visitors and authorities are making efforts to transform the area around the country's number one tourist destination.

Karen Zarindast reports.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-14591774

4. U.S. Moves to Add Conditions to Pakistan Aid, But Will It Follow Through?

As we’ve noted, relatively little of U.S. aid to Pakistan is contingent on the country’s cooperation with U.S. goals of counterterrorism and nonproliferation. A story today in the Wall Street Journal suggests that could be changing, though the details are still hazy.

The Wall Street Journal, quoting anonymous U.S. officials, outlined a new White House approach to Pakistan that may make billions of dollars in security funding dependent on Pakistani progress in specific areas.

http://www.propublica.org/blog/item/u.s.-moves-to-make-aid-to-pakistan-more-conditional-but-will-it-work

5. Dominoes on the Durand Line

The death of Osama bin Laden presents an important opportunity to reassess U.S. strategy in Afghanistan. Current U.S. thinking centers on two interests. The first is preventing al Qaeda and its Taliban allies from reestablishing a safe haven. The second is preventing the violence in Afghanistan from destabilizing Pakistan, thus putting its nuclear forces at risk and increasing the likelihood of nuclear terrorism. Coalition strategy is based on the assumptions that the only way to deny al Qaeda safe haven is by building a strong central Afghan state and that Pakistan's nuclear complex will become increasingly vulnerable to militant attacks if the Taliban succeeds in Afghanistan.

http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=13178

6. Afghanistan's dysfunctional security agencies

As NATO begins handing over security control, Afghans are increasingly relying on their own forces to fight the Taliban and other insurgents. But a spate of recent militant attacks show Afghan security agencies failing to work with each other, reports the BBC's Bilal Sarwary

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-14379194

7. Is China Freeloading Off The U.S. Military's Work In Afghanistan And Iraq?

China’s limited support for the US-led counterinsurgency campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq, despite the growing Chinese economic stake in these countries, has provoked some irritation among US observers over China’s ‘free riding’ on the back of dead European, American, and Afghan or Iraqi soldiers. S. Frederick Starr, chairman of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute, caught the mood well when he said some might see it as, ‘We do the heavy lifting…And they pick the fruit.’

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/15/china-military-afghanistan-iraq_n_927342.html

8. The Limits of U.S. Assistance to Pakistan

The U.S. decision to defer nearly $800 million in counterterrorism funding to Pakistan is the latest turn in a downward spiral of U.S.-Pakistan relations. Given the ejection of U.S. military trainers from Pakistan, ongoing concerns over the misuse of U.S. aid dollars, and mounting evidence of Pakistani complicity with insurgent groups, this step was necessary. But a more comprehensive review of all aid to Pakistan is now essential to weigh the costs and benefits of our assistance and determine the best aid package for advancing U.S. security interests in both Pakistan and the broader region.

http://escape:19238/Docs/Reference%20Documents/pakistan_aid.pdf

9. China and the Persian Gulf

Beijing, in its quest looking for energy resources, is slowly and steadily building ties with the resource-rich Persian Gulf states. What implications does this have for Washington which constantly looks to counterbalance China's influence in the global arena? This new book, edited by program associate Bryce Wakefield and program assistant Susan L. Levenstein, examines China’s role in the Persian Gulf, evolving views on China from within the Gulf, and what China’s presence means for the United States.

http://www.wilsoncenter.org/publication/china-and-the-persian-gulf-0

Reconstruction Indexes

2011-08-21T10:21:00.000-07:00

1. Iraq Index http://www.brookings.edu/saban/iraq-index.aspx

2. Afghanaistan Index http://www.brookings.edu/foreign-policy/afghanistan-index.aspx

3. Pakistan Index http://www.brookings.edu/foreign-policy/pakistan-index.aspx

2007-05-03T14:48:00.001-07:00

Iraq Reconstruction News
3 May 2007

1. STATEMENT FROM MINISTER OF NATURAL RESOURCES KURDISTAN REGIONAL GOVERNMENT - IRAQ. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) clarifies its position regarding the latest developments on the Draft Oil Law. http://www.krg.org/pdf/MNR_Statement_20070427.pdf

2. Iran gives $1b in credit to rebuild Iraq - Tehran: Iran has extended $1 billion in credits for reconstruction projects in Iraq, a senior Iranian official said on Tuesday ahead of an international conference on stabilizing Iraq. Ali Larijani, Iran's top nuclear negotiator, said a committee of experts from both countries was discussing possible development projects, including some involving energy, the state-run news agency IRNA reported. http://www.gulfnews.com/region/Iran/10122372.html

3. Iraq wins debt relief - Iraq has won a trickle of debt relief pledges at a big international conference in Egypt. Egypt and three East European countries agreed to waive debts owed by Iraq as part of an International Compact to support Iraqi institutions in exchange for political and economic reforms by the Baghdad government. http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/488120/1096446

4. Report: U.S. investment in Iraqi reconstruction at risk -- BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Poor construction, improper design, substandard materials and lack of maintenance have brought into question the usefulness of seven of eight U.S.-funded Iraq reconstruction projects. So says an inspector general report that recently examined the eight reconstruction projects. http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/04/30/iraq.reconstruction/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

5. U.S.-funded projects falter in Iraq - USA Today -Widespread corruption, an unwieldy bureaucracy and inadequate funding threaten the Iraqi government's ability to complete or maintain U.S.-funded reconstruction projects, according to an oversight report to be released today. The report from the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction says some projects portrayed as successes by U.S. officials have started breaking down because of poor maintenance, shoddy construction or simple neglect. http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2007-04-29-us-funded-projects_N.htm

6. Iraq to but more of Iran electricity - Iran's electricity export to Iraq is set to increase to 500 megawatts as a new power line comes on stream in Khosravi, Kermanshah Province. The 400-kilovolt transmission line, which will be 200 kilometers long, is scheduled to be put into operation through a 450 billion rial (roughly $48.64 million) investment, said Aziz Karimi, Managing Director of the West Regional Power Company. http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=8084&sectionid=351020103

7. Rick Barton Discusses Iraq Reconstruction - On 30 April 2007, CSIS PCR Co-Director Rick Barton appeared on CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360 to discuss ongoing problems with the U.S.-led reconstruction effort in Iraq. Read the transcript here: http://pcrproject.com/blog/2007/05/01/rick-barton-discusses-iraq-reconstruction/

8. Iraq Not Getting Power Invest Needed For Reconstruction - Minister -- LONDON - (Dow Jones)- Iraq isn't receiving all investment it needs to rebuild its dilapidated electricity sector and reduce the widespread power cuts experienced every day across the country, Electricity Minister Karim Hasan said. "We have spoken with many investors and there is project money being put into (the power sector in) Iraq but we have many needs and much more is needed," Hasan told a small group of journalists in London. http://news.morningstar.com/news/ViewNews.asp?article=/DJ/200704260650DOWJONESDJONLINE000565_univ.xml

9. Program to combat administrative corruption in Missan - Missan, Apr 13, (VOI) - The New Iraq Academic staff Organization in Missan started on Friday a program for combating the administrative corruption in the province in cooperation with the Development of Civil Society Centre in the southern section of Iraq. http://www.aswataliraq.info/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=41881&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

10. Baghdad International Airport: Iraq's Gateway to the World - Blackanthem Military News, BAGHDAD, Iraq – Baghdad International Airport currently has between 18 and 24 flights transporting more than 1,000 passengers daily to destinations inside and outside the country. The environment there feels like any other airport in the world with its duty free shops, restaurant and other stores that sell books and clothes. Allan Nelson, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, says about 1,200 Iraqis are employed there and he’s proud of the numerous improvements that have been completed over the past two years. http://www.blackanthem.com/News/U_S_Military_19/Baghdad_International_Airport_Iraq_s_Gateway_to_the_World6053.shtml

11. Iran halves tariffs on Iraq-bound goods -- TEHRAN, (MNA) -- Iran’s Ports and Shipping Organization (PSO) Sunday announced that it has reduced by 50 percent the port tariffs and costs for the vessels that transport goods to Iraq. In line with the objectives of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the maritime cooperation between Iran and Iraq, PSO made the decision. http://www.mehrnews.ir/en/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsID=474448

12. Mixed messages - Economist.com - For some, it was a golden age in Iraq's history: those oil-boom years in the 1970s and early 1980s when women in Iraq combined jobs and children with greater ease than many non-superwomen in the West. Rather than relying on migrant labour like other Arab oil states, Iraq tapped its own unused resource—women—and tempted them to work with generous maternity benefits, free child care and transport to and from school and workplace. Peasant women were taught to read and write. Yet these were also the years when Saddam Hussein was committing some of his worst atrocities against Iraq's Kurds and Shias, men and women. http://www.economist.com/displayStory.cfm?story_id=8998263

13. Iraqi government scraps wireless auction plans, reaches deal with current operators - Iraq has scrapped its long-delayed cellular auction and instead decided to license the three national mobile phone carriers in June under an arrangement calling for revenue-sharing and an upfront cash payment of at least $250 million from each operator, according to Iraqi government and industry sources. http://www.rcrnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070420/FREE/70420007/1005/allnews

14. THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS OF FAILURE IN IRAQ: A RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS OF THE RECONSTRUCTION - This article examines the course of the disastrous U.S. reconstruction of Iraq from the invasion through the fall of 2006. It locates the source of America's many failings not only in the ignorance that governed the Bush Administration's assumptions about the ease of postwar reconstruction and the absence of appropriate or realistic planning that resulted, but also in a series of equally mistaken decisions by the Bush Administration, the Coalition Provisional Authority, and the U.S. military in the years that followed. It argues that the political deadlock, security vacuum, and absence of a functional Iraqi economy today are all the result of these problems and that only dramatic changes in U.S. policy--not the tactical tinkering that the Bush Administration has engaged in over the past 18 months and that many of its critics continue to recommend today--have any chance of undoing the damage of this long chain of needless mistakes. http://meria.idc.ac.il/journal/2006/issue4/jv10no4a1.html

15. Ministry plans to create 3 million jobs -- Azzaman -- The Ministry of Agriculture has unveiled a three-year development plan under which it hopes to create ‘three million jobs’. Agriculture Minister Nadhem al-Abadi said most of the new jobs will be created in the southern and central parts of the country. http://www.azzaman.com/english/index.asp?fname=news\2007-04-14\kurd1.htm

16. Iraq corruption commissioner says rampant problem has cost $8B - [JURIST] Iraq has lost $8 billion through corruption over the past three years, Radi al-Radhi, the head of Iraq's public corruption commission, told AP Wednesday. http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2007/04/iraq-corruption-commissioner-says.php

17. Thousands without food and supplies due to failing distribution system - BAGHDAD (IRIN) - Thousands of Iraqis are going without food and basic supplies as the country's food distribution infrastructure crumbles, according to a new report. The country's Public Distribution System (PDS), set up in 1995 as part of the UN's Oil-for-Food programme, has been hit by insecurity, poor management, corruption and a lack of political will. http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/3a7e2aaa336e0e7fc808050218b70e6a.htm

18. Years after Widespread Looting of Museums, Iraq's Antiquities Remain Vulnerable. Although home to some of the world's earliest civilizations, Iraq's basic security needs have overshadowed efforts to protect the country's treasured archeological sites, resulting in an increase in vandalism and theft. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/middle_east/jan-june07/artifacts_04-30.html

END

2007-05-03T06:16:00.000-07:00

Iraq Reconstruction News
2 May 2007

1. SIGIR April 2007 Quarterly Report http://www.sigir.mil/reports/quarterlyreports/Apr07/Default.aspx

2. SIGIR: Status of the Advanced First Responder Network http://www.sigir.mil/reports/pdf/audits/07-002.pdf

3. SIGIR Project Assessment Reports http://www.sigir.mil/reports/onsite.aspx

4. Brookings Iraq Index 30 April 2007 http://www3.brookings.edu/fp/saban/iraq/index.pdf

5. Report Cites Problems with Iraq Rebuilding Costs - Morning Edition, April 30, 2007 · A report from the special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction says Iraqis are doing a poor job maintaining buildings and equipment paid for with U.S. money. The report offers a snapshot on how more than $20 billion of U.S. taxpayer funds are being spent. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9910519

6. New Report Details Reconstruction Failures in Iraq - Billions of U.S. dollars have been invested in improving Iraq's infrastructure since 2003, but the effort has been beset by problems. Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction Stuart Bowen discusses his latest report. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/middle_east/jan-june07/bowen_04-30.html

7. Kurds Will Oppose Oil and Gas Law - Kurdish MPs have reversed their position on the US-backed draft legislation that would regulate Iraq’s oil and gas industries, Reuters reports. On Monday, Kurdish spokesman Khalid Saleh said that Kurdish lawmakers would oppose the bill on the basis of a provision added since February, when the Kurdish bloc said it would support the draft legislation. http://www.iraqslogger.com/index.php/post/2595/Kurds_Will_Oppose_Oil_and_Gas_Law

8. Iraqi blocs opposed to draft oil bill - ERBIL, Iraq: Kurdish and Sunni Arab officials expressed deep reservations on Wednesday about the draft version of a national oil law and related legislation, misgivings that could derail one of the benchmark measures of progress in Iraq laid down by President George W. Bush. The draft law, which establishes a framework for the distribution of oil revenues, was approved by the Iraqi cabinet in late February after months of negotiations. http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/05/03/africa/03iraq.php

9. Iraq’s oil law architect confident draft will pass - Reuters - BAGHDAD - Iraq’s deputy prime minister said on Tuesday he was confident a draft oil law will be approved in parliament after officials from the central government and Kurdistan meet to iron out differences. Barham Salih said the meetings could take place as early as the weekend. http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/focusoniraq/2007/May/focusoniraq_May4.xml&section=focusoniraq

10. Analysis: Fight rages over Iraq oil law -- WASHINGTON, April 27 (UPI) -- Discussions turned contentious among the more than 60 Iraqi oil officials reviewing Iraq's draft hydrocarbons bill last week in the United Arab Emirates. But the dispute highlighted the need for further negotiations on the proposed law that was stalled in talks for nearly eight months, then pushed through Iraq's Cabinet without most key provisions. Tariq Shafiq, one of three authors of the law, said he attended the Dubai summit "reluctantly," at the request of Oil Minister Hussein al-Shahristani. http://www.upi.com/Energy/Analysis/2007/04/27/analysis_fight_rages_over_iraq_oil_law/

11. Analysis: Iraq oil law author now a critic -- WASHINGTON, May 2 (UPI) -- A critic of Iraq's draft oil law with perhaps the biggest shadow -- one of its original authors -- says the version penned by oil experts has been compromised by politics and he no longer wants it approved. "I think really the majority of the oil technocrats are against it," Tariq Shafiq, director of the oil consultant firm Petrolog & Associates and one of three authors of Iraq's draft hydrocarbons law, told United Press International in a telephone interview from his home in Amman, Jordan. http://www.upi.com/Energy/Analysis/2007/05/02/analysis_iraq_oil_law_author_now_a_critic/

12. SOC Takes Control of South Rumaylah Gas Compressor Station - Blackanthem Military News, BASRAH, Iraq – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently turned over the biggest gas compressor station in Basrah to the Southern Oil Company which will help to boost Iraq’s economic position in the global marketplace. http://www.blackanthem.com/News/U_S_Military_19/SOC_Takes_Control_of_South_Rumaylah_Gas_Compressor_Station6279.shtml

13. Iraq’s Petroleum Law: Politicized Management Vis-à-Vis Optimal Resource Management - The following article was written for MEES by Tariq Shafiq, Founding Executive Director, Iraq National Oil Company (INOC), Director, Petrolog & Associates, and Chair, Fertile Crescent Oil Development Co (based in Baghdad).
http://www.mees.com/postedarticles/oped/v50n18-5OD01.htm

14. Foreign Oil Projects Stall In Wait for Iraqi Permits -- ZAKHO, Iraq -- After building a 42 kilometer pipeline and sending out a flurry of optimistic news releases over the past three years, Det Norske Oljeselskap, a small Norwegian oil company, is still waiting for permission to open the taps on what could be post-Saddam Hussein Iraq's first foreign-developed oil field. The holdup: Iraqi politicians in Baghdad, a nine-hour drive south of here, have yet to approve a hydrocarbon law laying down the legal framework for foreign investment in the country's sensitive oil industry. Lawmakers could vote on a version of the law in May, but the legislation has already missed a series of deadlines since the American-led invasion four years ago. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117789465618586522.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

15. Iraqi oil reserves may surpass those of Saudi Arabia, oil minister says - Azzaman, May 1, 2007 - Explorations and surveys done in the past four years show that Iraqi oil reserves may exceed those of Saudi Arabi, said Oil Minister Husain al-Shahristani. Speaking at Babylon University in the southern city of Hilla, the minister said Iraq has 115 billion barrels of proven reserves already explored and perhaps more than that number of reserves yet to be explored. http://www.azzaman.com/english/index.asp?fname=news%5C2007-05-01%5Ckurd1.htm

16. Foreign Minister Song to attend Egypt conference on reconstruction of Iraq -- SEOUL, May 2 (Yonhap) -- Foreign Minister Song Min-soon arrived in Cairo Wednesday to attend an international conference on the reconstruction of war-torn Iraq, the Foreign Ministry said. The inaugural meeting of the International Compact with Iraq (ICI) will be held Thursday at the Sharm el-Sheikh International Congress Center with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and other political leaders from across the world attending, the ministry said in a press release. http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/Engnews/20070502/630000000020070502092322E2.html

17. Iraq pleads for funds to rebuild - BBC - Iraq's prime minister has appealed for other countries to write off its debts, at the start of a summit called to try to rebuild and stabilise the country. Nouri Maliki urged delegates at the talks in Egypt to help "build a united, democratic and federal Iraq". http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6616841.stm

18. China to grant Iraq 6.5m dollars in aid in 2007 - foreign minister. Text of report in English by official Chinese news agency Xinhua (New China News Agency) ["China To Grant Iraq 50 Mln Yuan in Aid This Year: FM" - Xinhua headline] Sharm El-shaykh, Egypt, May 3 (Xinhua) - Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi announced here on Thursday morning that the Chinese government will give a grant of 50m yuan of RMB ( about 6.5m US dollars) to Iraq in 2007 and forgive all the debts owed by the Iraqi government. The sum will be used to provide assistance in Iraq's public health and education, Yang said at a ministerial meeting of the International Compact with Iraq (ICI) opened in the day at this Egyptian Red Sea resort. "The Chinese government is ready to substantially reduce and forgive the debts owed by Iraq. In particular, it will forgive all the debts owed by the Iraqi government," he said. Yang, who was named as Chinese foreign minister on April 27, also said China is ready to resolve through continued friendly consultation with Iraq the issue regarding its request for debt reduction and forgiveness according to the arrangement of the Paris Club. Yang, who arrived at this Red Sea resort on Wednesday afternoon, was on his first international mission after he replaced retired Li Zhaoxing as Chinese foreign minister. The ICI meeting, with the attendance of some 60 nations and 12 regional and international organizations, was the largest international meeting on Iraq ever since the US-led coalition forces seized Baghdad in April of 2003. The ICI was initially launched on July 28, 2006, in the hope of creating "a permanent partnership between Iraq and the international community" to help Iraq in its reconstruction efforts and to pursue political, economic and social development over the next five years. The initiative, with strong support from the United States, looks like a type of five-year plan for Iraq, yet it is also based on economic, political and security commitments by the Iraqi government in the next five years. The ICI is supposed to be chaired jointly by Iraq and the UN, with the support of the World Bank. Source: Xinhua news agency, Beijing, in English 0920 gmt 3 May 07

19. Police Pay-Wagons of Iraq - How Do Iraq’s Finest Get Paid? Not exactly the way New York’s finest get paid, as Richard Miniter - on assignment for PJM in Iraq - discovered. Since so few have a bank account, Iraqi cops (and other public officials) are paid in cash - just as they were under Saddam. And they like it that way. http://pajamasmedia.com/2007/04/iraqi_pay_wagons.php

20. War News Radio: Expatriate Dreams http://warnewsradio.org/

END

2007-04-28T16:51:00.000-07:00

Iraq Reconstruction News
28 April 2007

1. Iraq Weekly Status Report 25 April 2007 http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/84026.pdf

2 Oil minister says contracts should be done through central government - IHT - Iraq's oil minister warned Thursday that international oil companies should not sign contracts that bypass the central government and the Oil Ministry, a clear warning against deals with the Kurdistan regional administration, Dow Jones Newswires reported. http://www.thenewanatolian.com/tna-25932.html

3 Iraqi Papers Saturday: Oil Politics - IraqSlogger.com - Al-Mada newspaper quoted, on its front page, a recent report by IHS, an energy-focused firm, affirming that Iraq’s oil reserves may exceed 200 billion barrels. The report also claimed that Iraq’s Western Desert, which has not been extensively explored for oil resources, may hold over 100 billion barrels of crude oil. For the sake of comparison, US oil reserves stand at a little over 20 billion barrels. http://www.iraqslogger.com/index.php/topic/55

4 Iraq's economy. Oil's not well in Iraq - The announcement of a study that suggests that Iraq's oil reserves could be almost as large as those of Saudi Arabia, the world's leader, has come amid fresh evidence of the monumental difficulty of realising that potential, as bombs in Baghdad left 200 people dead in a single day and Iraqi MPs wrangled over the details of new oil legislation. The reminder of the scale of Iraq's unrealised oil wealth has come in the form of a report by IHS, an industry consultant, providing details of existing oil reserves and of more than 400 undrilled prospects and undeveloped discoveries. The Iraq Atlas estimates that Iraq has proven reserves of 116bn barrels (slightly higher than the standard industry figure), which could be supplemented by a further 100bn barrels in the barely explored desert region to the west of Baghdad. Saudi Arabia's reserves are put at 264bn barrels, with Iran occupying second place in the world ranking with 138bn barrels. http://www.economist.com/displayStory.cfm?story_id=9060287

5 KRG MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES RESPONDS TO STATEMENTS FROM BAGHDAD DETERRING OIL INVESTMENT IN IRAQ - KRG.org - Today the KRG Minister of Natural Resources issued a statement responding to the lack of progress by the Iraq Federal Government in finalising the draft Oil and Gas Law for Iraq. Officials from the Federal Government have recently issued documents, in the form of "Annexes" to the draft Law, attempting to give an unaccountable Iraq national oil company, "INOC", almost 93% of Iraq's proven petroleum reserves. They have said the draft Law and Annexes will be submitted to the Iraq Council of Representatives (Parliament). Those same officials stated at a public conference in Dubai last week that none of the petroleum fields to be given to INOC will be open to inward investment from outside Iraq. http://web.krg.org/articles/article_detail.asp?LangNr=12&RubricNr=&ArticleNr=17573&LNNr=28&RNNr=70

6 Iran to explore for oil inside Iraqi territory - Azzaman, April 26, 2007 - The Iranian military have occupied an Iraqi border post and are planning to explore for oil inside Iraqi territory. The Iranians first ordered Iraqi border guards to leave the post before storming it. The Iranians claim that they have already notified the Iraqi authorities of the move, according to sources who spoke on condition of anonymity.
http://www.azzaman.com/english/index.asp?fname=news\2007-04-26\kurd.htm

7 Kuwait Still Won't Forgive Iraqi Debt -- KUWAIT CITY -- Kuwaiti lawmakers' refusal to forgive Iraq's debt has shone a troubling light on the lingering bitterness many of its neighbors feel toward Saddam Hussein's rule _ and their suspicion of Iraq's new Shiite-led government. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki struggled against those misgivings when he tried this week to persuade Kuwait to forgive most of his country' $15 billion debt. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/26/AR2007042601295.html

8 UN chief Ban to Egypt for Iraq reconstruction summit - UNITED NATIONS, April 26, 2007 (AFP) - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon announced Thursday that he will co-chair the May 3-4 conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt on Iraq's reconstruction along with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki. "The international community should help the Iraqi people and government to restore peace and security," Ban told reporters after returning from a trip to Europe and the Middle East. http://www.ncr-iran.org/content/view/3313/152/

9 Nations Balk at Compact For Iraq. Countries Resist Total Debt Relief - Washington Post - U.S. and Iraqi efforts to win international support to help stabilize Iraq are running up against serious obstacles, with key countries balking at provisions for debt relief and others concerned about blanket endorsement of an Iraqi government that has failed to follow through on many political promises, according to sources involved in the negotiations. Kuwait, Russia, China, Iran and other governments are concerned about signing a proposed resolution that calls for 100 percent debt relief for oil-rich Iraq, given the tens of billions of dollars each country is owed in debt or in war compensation by Baghdad. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/24/AR2007042402346.html

10. Iraq ditches wireless auction plans - TeleGeography.com - Iraq plans to license the three national mobile phone carriers, MTC Atheer, Orascom and Asia-Cell in June under an arrangement calling for revenue-sharing and an upfront cash payment of at least USD250 million each, according to government and industry sources. The decision comes after Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, reacting to complaints over licensing uncertainty from the three cellcos, created a committee to address the matter. http://www.telegeography.com/cu/article.php?article_id=17522&email=html

11. Baghdad International Airport: Iraq's Gateway to the World - http://www.grd.usace.army.mil/news/releases/NR07-04-22-2.pdf

12. Turks are reconstructing Northern Iraq - 5 -- Businessmen in the Kurdish region complain about Turkey not facilitating visas. However, in spite of these complaints, the shelves in the biggest supermarkets in Arbil are filled with Turkish goods. http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=70823

13. Iraq accounting is still a muddle. Contract fails to produce system to detect fraud -- USA TODAY -- WASHINGTON — A newly formed consulting firm hired to account for more than $7.3 billion in Iraqi reconstruction money did not deliver a database that could help investigators track waste and fraud, a recent report found. The result: Two years after uncovering one major fraud case, auditors still haven't determined whether there was more graft in the spending of Iraqi oil proceeds.
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20070405/a_iraqaccount05.art.htm

14. Wasting Money in Iraq - CDI.org - According to the State Department, U.S. companies win the majority of contracts for reconstruction and relief operations in Iraq. But, as CDI Scoville Fellow Richard May points out, if the United States eventually wants to leave a country that has potential to be politically and economically stable, they should engage Iraqis in every aspect of reconstruction, not just the political process. http://www.cdi.org/program/document.cfm?DocumentID=3920&from_page=../index.cfm

15. War News Radio: No Method to the Madness http://warnewsradio.org/2007/04/20/no-method-to-the-madness/

END

2007-04-27T17:45:00.000-07:00

Iraq Reconstruction News
27 April 2007

1. Turkey, Iraq strike tentative oil deal -- ANKARA, Turkey April 25 (UPI) -- Turkish officials say meetings with Iraqi leaders last week included new oil export deals with Baghdad, bypassing Iraqi Kurds. Turkey threatened to stop exporting needed fuel products to Iraq after Baghdad told Ankara it would have to deal with the Kurdistan Regional Government regarding shipments. Kurdistan, like the rest of Iraq, faces a shortage of transportation, cooking and heating fuels. http://www.upi.com:80/Energy/Briefing/2007/04/25/turkey_iraq_strike_tentative_oil_deal/

2 Asian Countries Hope to Win Oil Contracts in Iraq - As Iraq is debating a new law that will set guidelines under which authorities can negotiate with foreign oil firms, several energy-hungry countries in Asia hope to be among the first to sign contracts to explore the world's third largest oil reserves. Claudia Blume at VOA's Asia News in Hong Kong reports. http://voanews.com:80/english/2007-04-25-voa17.cfm

3 Iraqi, Kurdish Officials to Iron Out Oil Law -- (Reuters) -- Officials from Iraq's central government and the Kurdistan region will meet this week to iron out last-minute disputes over a draft oil law that will decide control of the world's third largest oil reserves. Oil Minister Hussain al-Shahristani said last week the law would be ready for submission this week to parliament, and he expected lawmakers to make no major amendments. But Kurdish energy officials have called the draft's annexes unconstitutional, raising the prospect of more disagreements and delays that dogged the lengthy law-writing process.
http://www.aina.org/news/2007042493231.htm

4 Moscow backs Lukoil Iraq project - FT.com - The Russian government is throwing its full support behind Lukoil's ambition to become the first big international energy group to develop a major Iraqi oil field following the 2003 US invasion. Vagit Alekperov, Lukoil's chief executive, said in an interview on Tuesday: "The Russian government supports us, the foreign ministry supports us, the president of the federation supports us. They support the idea of putting those Iraqi fields [into production] as soon as possible. In all these areas we have the support of the Russian government." http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18294996/

5 Iraq oil law no closer to completion -- BAGHDAD April 24 (UPI) -- Iraq's oil minister said a draft law governing its oil would head to Parliament this week, but major roadblocks still need to be overcome. More than 60 current and former Iraqi oil officials met in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, last week to talk frankly about the hydrocarbons law. Instead, what was revealed was negotiations are a long way from concluding. http://www.upi.com/Energy/Briefing/2007/04/24/iraq_oil_law_no_closer_to_completion/

6 Iraq’s oil deals must only be signed with central government - Iraq's oil ministry said on Thursday foreign firms should sign oil contracts only with the central government until a new oil law is passed, adding that deals outside its jurisdiction would be considered illegal. http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=109594&bolum=107

7 Iraqi Oil Min Warns Companies Against Deals Bypassing Central Govt - Dow Jones Newswire - Iraq's Oil Minister Hussein al-Shahristani Thursday warned international oil companies from signing oil contracts that bypass the federal government in Baghdad and the Oil Ministry, in a clear reference to deals signed by the Kurdistan Regional Government with a number of foreign firms. "Foreign companies shouldn't sign any contract that isn't through the federal government (in Baghdad) and the oil ministry," al-Shahristani said in a statement handed to reporters. http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=44417

8 Japan Lends Iraq 102.8 Billion Yen for Oil Facilities -- (Bloomberg) -- Japan, which imports almost all its oil, agreed today to give 102.8 billion yen ($862 million) in loans to Iraq for reconstruction of the war-torn nation's oil pipelines and facilities such as power lines. The 40-year loan will be given at 0.75 percent interest, according to a statement from Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The financing agreement came as Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al- Maliki visited Tokyo to meet with Trade Minister Akira Amari and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601101&sid=aX3Z1Bl1TTKI&refer=japan

9 Turkey vows $3.5 bln trade volume with Iraq, despite tension - ANKARA – Turkish Daily News - State Minister for Foreign Trade Kürşad Tüzmen yesterday said that the government aims to raise bilateral trade with Iraq to $3.5 billion, while playing down concerns over possible implications of Iraqi Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani's harsh rhetoric on an international Iraq fair scheduled May 23-27 in Gaziantep. http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=70408XX.

10. Medical waste a growing health hazard - BAGHDAD/MOSUL , 8 April 2007 (IRIN) - Raghed Sarmad, 32, and her two children, aged seven and eight, spend their days scavenging through piles of rubbish in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, in search of anything they can sell for food. She prefers medical waste, because there is a greater chance of finding items of some value. http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=71225

11. Iraqi Army receives donation from NATO - AD DIWANIYAH – In an official ceremony on April 3, the NATO Training Mission - Iraq (NTM-I) turned over four Bozena mine clearance vehicles and a large quantity of ammunition to the Iraqi Army. This donation is estimated to be worth a substantial amount of money and was given to the 8th Iraqi Army Division, which is based in Ad Diwaniyah in Southern Iraq. During the past two years, NTM-I has coordinated donations of equipment to Iraq from a number of NATO countries worth more than $100 million. These donations include personnel transport and general-purpose cargo trucks, various types of ammunition, refurbished T-72 tanks and BMP armored personnel carriers as well as personnel protective equipment. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1813986/posts

12. Fix the Public Distribution System to meet needs of the displaced - Reuters - Iraq's internally displaced are in desperate need of assistance as the Public Distribution System (PDS) that they and other Iraqis depend on for food and fuel is broken. Poor management is to blame for its shortcomings, as well as terrible security and a general lack of political will on the part of the Government of Iraq to acknowledge the scope of the crisis. With the central government unable or at times unwilling to protect and assist Iraqi civilians, donor governments must step in to fill the gaps. Reform of the PDS should be a priority, and agencies such as the US Department of Agriculture and the UN World Food Program (WFP) must provide the technical assistance required to ensure the system is once again fully functional and able to reach the most vulnerable Iraqis. http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/fromthefield/219053/117631901137.htm

13. Oil flowing to Jordan within months - Iraqi Minister of State for National Security Affairs, Shirwan Alwaeli, said that an agreement was concluded with companies operating under the private sector to protect the roads linking between Iraq and Jordan, with the aim of raising the volume of trade exchange, and start transferring the expected amount of Iraqi oil to Jordan. Alwaeli said that the current security situation deferred supplying Jordan with the oil agreed at between the two countries, of 10 thousand barrels, accounting for 10% of Jordan’s consumption of crude oil per day, but efforts are being made to protect the road netween Amman and Baghdad. http://www.iraqdirectory.com/DisplayNews.aspx?id=3548

14. Seven Questions: Iraq's Economy - To defeat the Iraqi insurgency, there are few tasks more vital than improving the country’s struggling economy.Prior to Iraq’s December parliamentary elections, FP sat down with Ali Allawi, Iraq’s finance minister, to talk about reconstruction, corruption, and the U.S. presence in Iraq. http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=3330

15. Iraq PRTs to double in number by year's end -- WASHINGTON (AFNEWS) -- Plans are under way to double the number of provincial reconstruction teams now operating in Iraq by the end of the year, a senior U.S. official said April 9. "We will both double the number of PRTs and we will double the number of individuals who are working in the PRTs," said Rick Olson, chief of the national coordination team in charge of provincial reconstruction teams in Iraq. http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123048138

END

Bankrolling Basra - 2

2007-04-25T04:53:00.000-07:00

You can download Chapter 1 of Andrew Alderson's book, "Bankrolling Basra" at http://offthepage.typepad.com/off_the_page/files/BankrollingBasra.pdf

2007-04-24T18:00:00.000-07:00

Iraq Reconstruction News
24 April 2007

1. Public/Private Joint Venture Investment Opportunities in Iraq. Proposal Deadline: June 06, 2007. Iraq’s Ministry of Industry and Minerals (MIM) is seeking strong international investors to enter into joint venture production-sharing partnerships with its state-owned plants in several industries, including cement, glass and ceramics, paper, petrochemical, iron and steel, sanitary ware, and automotive. Interested investors should visit MIM's Web site to review the opportunities and contact MIM's Investment Department to obtain the full investment file. For more information about these investment opportunities, interested parties may contact Mr. John Lyons, U.S. Embassy/Baghdad Senior Consultant to MIM. Senior MIM officials will be meeting with potential investors during the Rebuild Iraq 2007 expo and conference, to be held May 07-10 in Amman, Jordan. His Excellency Fawzi al-Hariri, MIM Minister, is scheduled to attend the event and MIM officials will be available during the exhibition for networking and other consultations. For more information about Rebuild Iraq, please visit the event Web site.

2. Stabilizing and Rebuilding Iraq: Conditions in Iraq Are Conducive to Fraud, Waste, and Abuse, unclassified version of testimony delivered by David M. Walker, Comptroller General of the United States before a closed hearing by the Subcommittee on Defense, House Committee on Appropriations. GAO-07-525T, April 23. http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-525T

3. Brookings Iraq Index 23 April 2007 http://www3.brookings.edu/fp/saban/iraq/index.pdf

4. Iraq Weekly Status Report 18 April 2007 http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/83369.pdf

5. Iraq's oil production capacity could double, report says -- IHS, Inc., has announced the upcoming launch of the Iraq Atlas - a detailed analysis of oil reserves, production and development opportunities. According to IHS, the Iraq Atlas - which will be available May 9 - "is a unique overview of all known prospects and fields in Iraq." The Iraq Atlas estimates oil reserves in Iraq at up to 116 billion barrels, ranking Iraq third internationally. The Iraq Atlas estimates that there could potentially be another 100 billion barrels of oil in the Western Desert of Iraq. http://www.portaliraq.com/news/Iraq%27s+oil+production+capacity+could+double%2C+report+says__1112535.html

6. Twice the oil in Iraq? - Marketplace Radio - A new IHS report claims Iraq is sitting on massive oil reserves — 100 billion barrels more than expected. But skeptics say there's no way the group can be certain of its findings, especially given the ongoing violence there. http://marketplace.publicradio.org/shows/2007/04/19/AM200704195.html

7. Iraqi oil law nears final stage - BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraq's hotly debated draft oil law is to be sent to parliament "within the coming few days if everything goes well," the Oil Ministry spokesman said on Wednesday. "The draft is with the State Shura Council now to be put in a legal form after being written in technical language," Assem Jihad told The Associated Press in a phone interview. He gave no date for the bill's introduction. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070418/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_oil_law

8. Crucial Iraq Oil Law Set For Parliament - (CBS/AP) Iraq's hotly debated draft oil law was to be sent to parliament next week, the country's oil minister said on Wednesday. Hussain al-Shahristani, who was attending an oil conference in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, did not give a specific day but said the measure would go to lawmakers before the next week was out. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/04/19/iraq/main2703622.shtml

9. Friedland's next frontier: Drilling for oil in Iraq. Ivanhoe Energy pursues project 'far from Baghdad' -- VANCOUVER -- In keeping with its co-founder's penchant for doing business in risky places, a junior oil and gas company in Robert Friedland's stable of resource plays has struck a deal to pursue a project in Iraq. Vancouver-based Ivanhoe Energy Inc. yesterday said it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Japanese oil and gas firm Inpex Corp. to develop a heavy oil field in north central Iraq, close to Iraqi Kurdistan. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20070420.RIVANHOE20/TPStory/Business

10. Iraq plans to renew oil tanker fleet in S.Korea -- Reuters -- Iraq aims to rebuild its ageing fleet of tankers to carry its crude oil exports and is planning to form a joint venture shipping company with a South Korean firm, the oil ministry's spokesman said on Monday. "Iraq needs new huge oil shipping tankers to be capable of shipping exported crude oil," Asim Jihad said. http://www.iraqdevelopmentprogram.org/idp/news/new1589.htm

11. Iraq, foreign companies make tanker deal -- BAGHDAD April 23 (UPI) -- Iraq's old oil system will get an update of modern oil tankers, which it will pay for with oil. Assem Jihad, spokesman for the Iraqi Oil Ministry, said the ministry and foreign companies struck a deal in order to improve performance of the sector. "The agreements provide that these foreign companies have to have a modern fleet of oil tankers to be at the disposal of the Iraqi Oil Tankers Company," Jihad said. http://www.upi.com/Energy/Briefing/2007/04/23/iraq_foreign_companies_make_tanker_deal/

12. Iraq's economy: Oil's not well in Iraq -- The announcement of a study that suggests that Iraq's oil reserves could be almost as large as those of Saudi Arabia, the world's leader, has come amid fresh evidence of the monumental difficulty of realising that potential, as bombs in Baghdad left 200 people dead in a single day and Iraqi MPs wrangled over the details of new oil legislation. http://www.economist.com/agenda/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9060287

13. Turks are reconstructing Northern Iraq - 4 -- Expected to pass through parliament in May, the Iraq Oil Law gives Turkey the possibility of receiving a share of oil revenue via its partners. TTOPCO, founded by General Energy, a subsidiary of the Çukurova Group, and Addax Petroleum of Switzerland, is the first company to sign a contract with the Iraqi Kurdistan administration for oil exploration. The second is Petoil, a subsidiary of Pet Holding. They are making investments related to exploring, producing and exporting oil. http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr:80/article.php?enewsid=70739

14. UN chief sets launch date for Iraq compact -- Middle East Times -- BERN -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said he intends "to officially launch an International Compact with Iraq [ICI] on May 3 in Sharm El Sheikh, together with Prime Minister [Nuri Al] Maliki of Iraq." Speaking Thursday in the Swiss capital Bern, the UN chief said he hoped the ICI would grant an "important momentum to help the Iraqi government to restore peace and security" to war-torn Iraq. http://www.metimes.com/storyview.php?StoryID=20070420-114820-7444r

15. MMR vaccination campaign aims to reach 3.9 million children - BAGHDAD, 22 April 2007 (IRIN) - BAGHDAD, 22 April 2007 (IRIN) - Despite serious ongoing violence in Iraq, the government and international aid agencies started a major immunisation drive on Sunday to avert an outbreak of measles. "One million children have no immunity to measles - more than enough to spark a dangerous outbreak in which many children could die or be left with lasting disabilities," Claire Hajaj, UNICEF's chief of communications at its Iraq Support Centre in Amman (ISCA). http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/f3ae75c8932d0130132b9a8f47a83ee5.htm

16. General: Key to building Iraqi air force is training more pilots - BAGHDAD — The biggest challenge the United States faces in helping rebuild the Iraqi air force is training more pilots, Lt. Gen. Martin Dempsey said Sunday. Dempsey, who is in charge of U.S. efforts to train Iraqi military and police, told reporters that the air force already uses C-130 cargo planes to transport wounded Iraqi soldiers to treatment. http://www.estripes.com:80/article.asp?section=104&article=45293

17. War News Radio: Fact and Fantasy http://warnewsradio.org/

END

Bankrolling Basra

2007-04-18T13:10:00.000-07:00

Andrew Alderson, late of CPA-South, has written a book, ‘Bankrolling Basra’ http://www.bankrollingbasra.com which will will be published next week. It was featured in the London Sunday Times at the weekend on the front page of the review section http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article1654443.ece this week.

Buy early and buy often!

2007-04-18T13:06:00.000-07:00

Iraq Reconstruction News
18 April 2007

1. GRD Iraq Reconstruction Weekly Update 04/16/07 https://www.rebuilding-iraq.net/pls/portal/url/ITEM/07251F2EFBCA801DE040A8C00B0741F5A

2. Top Iraqi Officials Arrive in Dubai to Discuss Draft Oil Law - Dow Jones Newswires - Iraqi officials and businessmen arrived in the United Arab Emirates Tuesday ahead of a meeting in Dubai on April 18 to discuss their country's controversial but crucial draft hydrocarbon law, intended to attract investments into the country's ailing energy sector. The 85-strong Iraqi delegation is led by Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih and also comprises Planning Minister Ali Baban, Oil Minister Hussein Al Sharistani, former oil minister Thamir Ghadban and several other parliamentarians as well as Iraqi oil specialists and businessmen. http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=43956

3. Iraq oil law to go to parliament next week: minister - DUBAI (Reuters) - Iraqi cabinet will present an oil law to parliament next week that aims to lure billions of dollars in foreign investment, the country's oil minister said on Wednesday. "It will be ready next week to be presented to parliament," Hussain al-Shahristani told reporters in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070418/wl_nm/iraq_oil_law_dc_1;_ylt=At3NPBTEuNdSJSSPTpy0JCuAsnsA

4. Iraq out $165M a day in pipeline attacks -- KIRKUK, Iraq, April 9, 2007 (UPI) -- Iraq's Oil Ministry says northern pipeline attacks cost $165 million a day in potential revenue and wants the Kirkuk council to do more to prevent it. The Voices of Iraq news agency reports the ministry said the pipeline from Kirkuk, in Iraq's north, to a port in Ceyhan, Turkey, is "now defunct" because of attacks. http://www.upi.com/Energy/Briefing/2007/04/09/iraq_out_165m_a_day_in_pipeline_attacks/

5. Oil, gas law national achievement for Iraqis - minister - Baghdad, (VOI) - Iraqi Oil Minister Hussein al-Shahrestani said on Wednesday the enactment of an oil and gas law is a national achievement for Iraq’s people, underlining that it would have a positive affect on Iraq’s unity. "The law tops Iraqis' interests and its clauses are based on realizing national interests," the state-run al-Iraqia satellite channel quoted the minister as saying during a forum held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Wednesday. http://www.aswataliraq.info/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=42332&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

6. Analysis: Oil victim of Turkey, Kurd fight -- WASHINGTON April 17 (UPI) -- Iraq's already-fragile northern oil sector could be the victim -- along with Iraqis and Turks -- if Ankara gives the green light for troops to invade northern Iraq on the hunt for the Kurdistan Workers Party. The PKK -- the party's Turkish acronym -- is considered a terrorist organization by the United States. It's accused of slipping into Turkey from bases in Iraq's Qandil Mountains to plant mines and detonate bombs. Sixteen PKK fighters were killed in the Kurdish area of Turkey Sunday and Monday by Turkish soldiers. http://www.upi.com/Energy/Analysis/2007/04/17/analysis_oil_victim_of_turkey_kurd_fight/

7. Kurds wary as Iraq oil law goes to vote - Upstream.com - Iraq's Cabinet will present a much-awaited oil law to parliament next week, Oil Minister Hussain al-Shahristani said today, despite reports that officials from the Kurdish region are deeply unhappy with aspects of the emerging legislation. http://www.upstreamonline.com/live/article131413.ece

8. Price Check: Baghdad Neighborhoods - IraqSlogger.com - http://www.iraqslogger.com/index.php/post/2264/Price_Check_Baghdad_Neighborhoods

9. Smoke and Mirrors - What the State Department is not accomplishing in Iraq - The Atlantic - http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200704u/iraq-state-department

10. USACE Installs New 132kv Overhead Lines South of Iraq http://www.grd.usace.army.mil/news/releases/NR07-04-13.pdf

11. In a Major Step, Saudi Arabia Agrees to Write Off 80 Percent of Iraqi Debt -- Washington Post -- Saudi Arabia has agreed to forgive 80 percent of the more than $15 billion that Iraq owes the kingdom, Iraqi and Saudi officials said yesterday, a major step given Saudi reluctance to provide financial assistance to the Shiite-dominated government in Baghdad. But Iraqi Finance Minister Bayan Jabr said in an interview that Russia was holding out on debt forgiveness until talks begin on concessions that Russian oil and gas companies had under Saddam Hussein. Russian Embassy officials in Washington declined to comment late yesterday.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/17/AR2007041701950.html

12. Iraq's Northern Kurdish Area Offers Business Opportunities -- VOA -- Few foreign companies, aside from those dealing directly with the military, are contemplating business in Iraq until the security situation improves. Yet despite the violence, U.S. officials say opportunities do exist, primarily in the semi-autonomous northern Kurdish region where the economy is expanding rapidly. As VOA's Bill Rodgers reports, U.S. officials are touting the northern Kurdistan area as a gateway for eventually doing business in the rest of the country. http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-04-12-voa36.cfm

13. UN official urges ad for Iraq -- NEW YORK, April 12, 2007 (UPI) -- The U.N. official monitoring Iraqi reconstruction is urging other countries to provide aid for economic development. Ibrahim Gambari, a U.N. undersecretary-general, told the Washington Times in an interview this week that he is optimistic about the May 3 conference to be held in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el Sheik. He said that the results would be disastrous if international donors fail to respond. http://www.upi.com:80/NewsTrack/Top_News/2007/04/12/un_official_urges_aid_for_iraq/

14. Reconstruction Team Arrives on Taji - CAMP TAJI, Iraq, April 12, 2007 — The 1st “Ironhorse” Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, just received a helping hand as it works with Iraqis to rebuild government capabilities and capacities which are necessary to enable the new Iraqi nation’s transition to a self-reliant government under the control of the Iraqi people. This new-found assistance comes in the form of members of the brigade’s newest attachment, the Embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team (EPRT), which arrived here, April 10. http://www.defendamerica.mil:80/articles/apr2007/a041207ej2.html

15. Forgiving Iraq's Debts - The French were at it again in April 2003. Any reduction in Iraq's mountainous $120 billion external debt should be negotiated within the Paris Club of creditor nations, they insisted. It ought not - indeed, cannot - be tackled bilaterally. And what about another $200 billion in war reparations and contractual obligations? This, said French Foreign Ministry spokesman Francois Rivasseau, is to be discussed. http://globalpolitician.com/articledes.asp?ID=2632&cid=2&sid=38

16. Turks are reconstructing northern Iraq - 3 -- Under the control of Iraq President Jalal Talabani's Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Sulaimaniye is getting a university similar to Bilkent, which is Turkey's first private university. Founder of Bilkent University and the Tepe group İhsan Doğramacı, who was born in Arbil, is heading the “Sulaimaniye University Campus” project on a 370,000 square meter construction site at a cost of $260 million. http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=70656

17. Iraq: Oil Lamps Return To Iraqis' Lives - April 17, 2007 (RFE/RL) -- Below RFE/RL presents a transcript of the last broadcast report of Khamail Muhsin Khalaf, a Radio Free Iraq correspondent in Baghdad who was found killed on April 5. http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2007/04/E42196EC-DB83-47A3-8EE4-0F7EB4F25141.html

END

2007-04-16T18:13:00.000-07:00

Iraq Reconstruction News
16 April 2007

1. Brookings Iraq Index 16 April 2007 http://www3.brookings.edu/fp/saban/iraq/index.pdf

2. BP Eyes Role in Iraq, Awaits Oil Law, Security -- DUBAI (Reuters) -- Energy giant BP (BP.L: Quote, Profile , Research) is interested in working on a range of oil and gas projects in Iraq, but is waiting for the country's parliament to pass an oil law and for security to improve before increasing its role, a senior BP executive said on Monday. http://www.aina.org/news/20070416100308.htm

3. And Iraq's big oil contracts go to... Companies from China, India and other Asian nations are seen getting the first contracts. But don't write off Big Oil just yet -- NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Despite claims by some critics that the Bush administration invaded Iraq to take control of its oil, the first contracts with major oil firms from Iraq's new government are likely to go not to U.S. companies, but rather to companies from China, India, Vietnam, and Indonesia. While Iraqi lawmakers struggle to pass an agreement on exactly who will award the contracts and how the revenue will be shared, experts say a draft version that passed the cabinet earlier this year will likely uphold agreements previously signed by those countries under Saddam Hussein's government. http://money.cnn.com/2007/04/05/news/international/iraq_oil/index.htm

4. A giant ship for oil transport at Khor Al-Zubair - The Associate Director of Khor Al-Zubair port in Basrah said last Saturday that the port received the largest ship to transport Iraqi oil, pointing out that this is the first time in the history of the port to receive a giant ship of this size. http://www.iraqdirectory.com/DisplayNews.aspx?id=3576

5. Japan loan to help Iraq oil pipeline -- TOKYO, April 9, 2007 (UPI) -- Japan will provide an $862 million loan to Iraqi reconstruction efforts, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Monday after meeting with Iraq's leader. http://www.upi.com/International_Intelligence/Briefing/2007/04/09/japan_loan_to_help_iraq_oil_pipeline/

6. Dana Gas signs Agreements with Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq - Sharjah, Asharq Al-Awsat- Dana Gas, the Middle East’s first regional private-sector natural gas company, announced that it has concluded important agreements, including a Strategic Alliance Protocol, with the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq. These agreements form part of a strategy to advance the considerable economic benefits available to the region through the successful development of its substantial gas resources. http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=6&id=8652

7. Iraq Targets 3 Million Bpd 2007 Oil Production - Oil Minister - 12/04/2007 - SEOUL (Reuters) - Iraq hopes to raise oil production by nearly 1 million barrels per day (bpd) this year, achieving its long-held target of 3 million bpd by restoring northern exports, its oil minister said on Thursday. Iraq has struggled to overcome the sabotage and outdated infrastructure that has hobbled its production since the U.S.-led invasion of 2003, largely due to unrelenting attacks on a key pipeline that runs north through Turkey. http://aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=6&id=8618

8. Key senator backs creation of 'czar' for Iraq reconstruction -- CongressDaily -- Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairman Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., says he supports the idea of appointing a senior-level official in the Bush administration to manage operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, adding that his committee might be able to play "a constructive role" in creating the new post. "I like the idea," Lieberman told CongressDaily in an interview Thursday. "For all the people who have argued that the administration has been too focused on the military aspect of Iraq and Afghanistan, this is a way of saying, as I understand it, that ultimate victory is going to come not just because of military success but also . . . mostly because of political and economic success." The Washington Post reported this week that aides to President Bush are evaluating a plan to create a so-called czar for Iraq and Afghanistan who would be empowered to cut through bureaucratic obstacles. Full story: http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=36621&dcn=e_gvet

9. UAE firms eye mega projects in N Iraq area - ERBIL, Iraq: Several companies from the UAE, including giant property developer Emaar Properties, are looking at investing billions of dollars in energy, infrastructure and property projects in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq. http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=143666&version=1&template_id=48&parent_id=28

10. Duhuk: A sign of boom in Iraq's Kurdistan region? - Duhuk, Apr 15, (VOI) - The seven story building of Duhuk's Agricultural Department was once the most famous building in the province. Now Duhuk has more than 50 buildings of five, seven and even 10 stories, indicating an economic boom in the province. This is how Akram Saleh Mamani, a member of the Kurdistan Economists Syndicate (KES), sees the signs of economic development in Duhuk, one of the most significant channels through which trade is conducted with Turkey. http://www.aswataliraq.info/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=42056&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

11. The U.S. Foreign Service role in Iraq PRTs http://www.afsa.org/fsj/mar07/iraq_prts.pdf

12. Turks are reconstructing Northern Iraq - 2 - ISTANBUL - Milliyet - It took many long years for the establishment of the Iraq Kurdistan Regional Government. In 1970, an “autonomous region” agreement, the basis for today's developments, was signed with Iraq's executed leader Saddam Hussein; it remained one-sided rule. The Baath regime continued to carry out massacres against the Kurds, Shiites and Turkmen. Lowering his sails after the 1991 Gulf War against America, Saddam was unable to prevent the establishment in 1992 of the Kurdistan Parliament, which includes the provinces of Arbil, Sulaimaniya and Dohuk. In that period, the agreements made between Baghdad and Arbil had no international sanction. http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=70550

13. Japan pledges support to rebuild Iraq - TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan assured the visiting Iraqi prime minister on Monday it would keep helping his country to rebuild, as Iraqis back home staged a big anti-U.S. protest in the city of Najaf on the fourth anniversary of Baghdad's fall. "There is no change in our policy to actively help with the reconstruction of Iraq through official development assistance and activities of the Self-Defence Forces," Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was quoted as telling Nuri al-Maliki. http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/4/9/worldupdates/2007-04-09T193705Z_01_NOOTR_RTRJONC_0_-293580-4&sec=Worldupdates

14. Iraqi prime minister discusses South Korea visit, projects, investments Text of report by Iraqi TV station Al-Iraqiyah TV on 15 April [Interview with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Kamil al-Maliki by Razzaq al-Uqayli; place and date not given - recorded] [Anchor] Prime Minister Nuri Kamil al-Maliki has stated that the South Korean companies have expressed readiness to work in the calm governorates of Iraq, start reconstruction process, and then expand their work by entering the unstable governorates after the restoration of calm there. The prime minister announced this during an interview he gave to our colleague Razzaq al-Uqayli. [Begin recording] [A-Uqayli] Has there been any response from the South Korean officials concerning the call on Korean industrial and investment companies to work in Iraq? Have you agreed on specific projects? [Al-Maliki] In fact there was a sort of hesitation, or perhaps apprehensions, by the Korean companies. They wanted to enter the Iraqi arena but the picture was not clear. These companies have been expressing apprehensions with regard to their plans to compete with other companies in the Iraqi market. Therefore, we went on this visit accompanied by this delegation. The Iraqi ministers have been able to explain the facts of the situation to Korean company managers and government officials and we explained to them that in Iraq there are big areas and governorates where they can invest and that there are potentials in Iraq which will serve the interests of the two countries and peoples when the Korean companies arrive. We explained to them that we wanted Korea to be present in Iraq, based on the good relations that we have been having and the positive stand of Korea towards Iraq and towards the political process, the Iraqi constitution, and the participation in security operations. Therefore, a large part of the ambiguity and fogginess about the situation has been removed from the minds of the officials in the Korean companies and government and we have reached full agreement and conviction that the companies will come to Iraq and end the state of hesitation and reluctance. Moreover, what we and the ministers discussed with them was to invest in all important and vital sectors. We do not want Iraq to be preoccupied with the daily incidents that the killers and terrorists and the backward elements are implementing but we want to release the building and reconstruction process and renew the entire structure of Iraq. We told them that we want to embark on projects that raise the standard of living of the individual and promote his happiness. We told them: Even though there were no resources in Korea - no natural resources, oil, or agricultural ability - the Koreans were united in their will to reconstruct. They are now the seventh or eighth industrial power in the world. They built this on nothing. Therefore, Iraq, which possesses all these resources, will definitely be able to progress. We told them that we wanted to renew everything in the country. We have great amount of oil and gas in Iraq. We raised the issue of car manufacturing, agricultural machine tools industry, petrochemicals, electric power stations, and refineries, and told them that we, the government, are eager to develop and renew everything in Iraq. They responded to this readiness positively. We held an expanded meeting with the companies and they all voiced readiness to respond. The government, the president, and the prime minister, expressed readiness to back the companies and encourage them to go to Iraq. These companies will come. [A-Uqayli] Mr Prime Minister, do you believe that the general security situation in Iraq, after the implementation of the Baghdad Security plan, is now appropriate for the entry of these companies into the Iraqi market? [Al-Maliki] We explained to them this issue, over which they had apprehensions. We told them that there were safe areas and governorates and these governorates are hosting investment companies - in the south, in the centre, and in Kurdistan. As for the areas where there are incidents, the Iraqi political and security efforts are being strongly exerted in the Baghdad Security Plan for the sake of controlling the situation. God willing, these unstable governorates will join the other calm governorates. These calm governorates will receive the companies and their investments in the hope that we will eventually establish security in Baghdad, Al-Anbar, Diyala, and Mosul, so we can open the door for investment in these governorates to Korean and other companies. [A-Uqayli] Mr Prime Minister, do you believe that your visits to Japan and South Korea placed Iraq into the place it should occupy in terms of international relation and relations with these two countries? [Al-Maliki] I never have belittled this goal. Indeed, one of the great aims which I had been working to realize was restoring Iraq to its international and regional position, and reinstating it in international establishments. Iraq had been besieged because of the ignorant Saddamist policy that lasted throughout his rule. It was considered a country that was isolated from world establishments, and when it was present its presence was physical but not substantive. Iraq is a great country, a respectable country in terms of its history, its men, its knowledge and its economy, and the entire world would like to look towards Iraq with the respect that it deserves. But how could they treat Iraq in this way if it was ruled by tyranny, dictatorship, and the rule of ignorant people who wanted to realize only their private interests and the interest of their group? Therefore I was extremely conscious of this issue. One of the issues that I raised and discussed was to bolster political ties. This and the other visits that I will make after I return home will be devoted to restoring Iraq to its Arab and Islamic surroundings, to its international surroundings, as an effective, respectable, and strong state that participates in the modern world culture, in adopting humanitarian stands, and in facing challenges that affect human beings more than they affect countries. [A-Uqayli] Thank You, Mr Prime Minister. Source: Al-Iraqiyah TV, Baghdad, in Arabic 1517 gmt 15 Apr 07

15. Iraq's Quiet Exodus - MSNBC - More than 2 million Iraqis have left their country, seeking safety abroad—and robbing the nation of its best and brightest.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17997100/site/newsweek/

END

Iraq Reconstruction News 14 April 2007

2007-04-14T15:24:00.001-07:00

Iraq Reconstruction News
14 April 2007

1. Brookings Iraq Index 12 April 2007 http://www3.brookings.edu/fp/saban/iraq/index.pdf

2. Turkish deal could pave way for Shell’s return to Iraq after 35 years -- Shell is poised to become the first oil and gas major to agree terms to reenter Iraq following reports that it has struck a deal with Turkey’s state oil company, TPAO, to extract gas in the war-torn country. The Anglo-Dutch giant is expected to work in partnership with TPAO to build a pipeline from the Kirkuk field near Kurdistan to Ceyhan on the Mediterranean, according to reports.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/natural_resources/article1647557.ece

3. S. Korea signs MOU with Iraq on oil field development -- SEOUL, April 12 (Yonhap) -- South Korea signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Iraq Thursday to cooperate in the development of oil fields in the Middle Eastern country, the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy said Thursday. The agreement, reached at a ministerial meeting in Seoul, calls on Baghdad to support bids by South Korean firms to develop oil fields and to facilitate the exchange of information and personnel between state-run petroleum companies. http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/Engnews/20070412/650000000020070412183322E9.html

4. South Korea, Iraq Sign Memo to Jointly Develop Oil, Gas Projects -- Dow Jones Newswires -- South Korea and Iraq have signed an initial agreement to jointly develop crude oil and natural gas projects, Korea's Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy said Thursday. Under the agreement, the South Korean government will help its nation's companies expand investments in new oil field development projects in Iraq, the energy ministry said in a statement. http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=43791

4. Analysis: Violence threatens oil, Iraq -- WASHINGTON, April 12, 2007 (UPI) -- Two Shiite political factions seem to have temporarily set down their arms in Basra, Iraq's second-largest city, the center of its oil industry and the port through which all Iraq's income flows. But the area and the oil sector still face violence while militias and gangs battle for power and control of the oil smuggling trade. http://www.upi.com/Energy/Analysis/2007/04/12/analysis_violence_threatens_oil_iraq/

5. Iraq Oil Law Turns Back the Clock to 1951 -- The supplementary spending bill passed by Congress last month contained one of the most telling pieces of Iraq-related legislation since the U.S. invasion, and it wasn't the August 31, 2008, deadline for withdrawing U.S. troops. It was an obscure and little-understood bill called the Iraqi Hydrocarbons Law, and it could dramatically undermine economic and political progress in Iraq. http://www.iraqslogger.com/index.php/post/2347/Iraq_Oil_Law_Turns_Back_the_Clock_to_1951

6. Corruption Mars Iraqi Oil Production and Transport. Chairman Waxman asks Secretary Rice to investigate persistent allegations of corruption that have slowed the recovery of the Iraqi oil industry. http://reform.democrats.house.gov/story.asp?ID=1241

7. TPAO, Shell agree on partnership in northern Iraq -- The state-run Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) and a multinational oil company of Anglo Dutch origin have struck a deal to extract gas in northern Iraq, though the agreement still needs to be ratified by the central Iraqi government in Baghdad. http://www.todayszaman.com:80/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=108376&bolum=106

8. Japan loan to help rebuild Iraq -- BBC -- Tokyo said it would provide 102.8bn yen ($862m; £437m) in loans to repair Iraqi oil pipelines, export facilities and power supply infrastructure. A further 57.7bn yen for water and electricity projects was also agreed on Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki's four-day trip to Japan. Japan depends on the Middle East for nearly all of its crude oil. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6541475.stm

9. Iraq says reconstruction meeting set for early May -- BAGHDAD, April 6 (Reuters) - A high-level meeting to launch a five-year international reconstruction plan for Iraq will be held in early May, Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said on Friday. Dabbagh declined to say where the meeting, which is expected to involve numerous governments and international agencies, would take place. http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L06421428.htm

10. Turks are reconstructing Northern Iraq - 1 -- ISTANBUL - Turkish Daily News - Taking off from Istanbul to Arbil, “Freebird” was written on the body of our plane. Free bird was going to perch on neighboring land on Turkey's border that is trying to erase the traces of a war lasting 35 years. Three planes a week fly from Istanbul to northern Iraq's two largest cities, Arbil and Sulaimaniye. In the summer, Antalya is going to be added to these flights. However, the first flight to the Iraqi Kurdistan Region established after 2003 was from Frankfurt. http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=70442

11. VoEx International LLC (TM) Signs a 10 Year $200 Million Joint Venture Contract with Kalimat Telecom to Design Build & Operate Iraq's First National CDMA WLL Network -- VoEx International LLC (TM) and Kalimat Telecom finalized and signed a 10 Year Joint Venture Contract estimated about $200 Million US Dollars to design build and operate Iraq's First National CDMA WLL Network with advanced WiMAX capabilities. This network will be the First Middle East state of the art CDMA Limited Mobility Network with EvDo & WiMAX capability and full iP based voice, video and data offerings. http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2007/4/emw511945.htm

12. IRAQI PM ASKS KOREAN FIRMS TO JOIN RECONSTRUCTION EFFORT - Seoul, 13 April (AKI/WAM) - Iraqi prime minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki has called on South Korean companies to participate in war-torn Iraq's efforts to develop its oil fields and rebuild its industrial facilities, including power plants, power supply systems and plants, Yonhap News quoted the office of South Korean president Roh Moo-hyun as saying. Al-Maliki is on the last leg of a three-day visit to the Asian country that ends on Friday. http://www.adnki.com/index_2Level_English.php?cat=Politics&loid=8.0.404334698&par=0

13. Key senator backs creation of 'czar' for Iraq reconstruction -- CongressDaily -- Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairman Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., says he supports the idea of appointing a senior-level official in the Bush administration to manage operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, adding that his committee might be able to play "a constructive role" in creating the new post. http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0407/041307cdpm2.htm

14. Fixing Iraq -- Between revenue from oil exports and foreign aid, over $100 billion has been pledged to Iraq’s “relief and reconstruction” in the last four years. Yet there is precious little to show for it. About half of this amount is Iraq’s own money. The United States has allocated a total of $38.28 billion in aid as of the end of 2006, but only $12 billion has been spent on civilian reconstruction with most it going to the Iraqi army and police. Other donors have pledged just over $15 billion, but most of this has not been delivered because of the chaos and violence in the country. http://www.fpif.org/fpiftxt/4106

15. Weighing up losses to Iraq's heritage - CAIRO (AFP) - Archaeology in Iraq these days, explains the new caretaker of the country's 5,000-year-old heritage, is less about making new discoveries than finding out what has already been stolen. "We need a government that takes responsibility for protecting the monuments of all Iraqis," antiquities director Abbas Ali al-Hussainy told AFP in an interview during a recent visit to Cairo. http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070315/lf_afp/iraqarchaeology_070315182710

16. Baghdad Metro Project: is it the definitive solution to the problem of transportation? - The secretariat of Baghdad announced that it included Baghdad Metro project within its plan for 2007; one billion dinars have been allocated to do the detailed surveys and designs only, which have a total cost of about $ 10 million. The secretariat will start the implementation of the first phase of the project, "32 km" at the end of the current year. http://www.iraqdirectory.com/DisplayNews.aspx?id=3563

17. Implementing a conducting line for electricity in Nasiriyah - A Turkish company started the implementation of a conducting line for electric power linking the electricity station in Nasiriyah with the secondary one at Shatrah. http://www.iraqdirectory.com/DisplayNews.aspx?id=3561

18. Europeans in knee socks latest invaders -- BAGHDAD — Asma'a Sami is a proud Iraqi who has never left her country. Recently, though, she has become almost as British as the Beatles. Every time the Manchester United soccer team takes the field, she dons her Manchester United T-shirt, waves her team flag and cheers on the team on television. "Since I was a child, I've been a big fan of the club," said Sami, 27. http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2007-04-05-life-in-iraq_N.htm

END

Iraq Reconstruction News 12 April 2007

2007-04-12T15:50:00.000-07:00

Iraq Reconstruction News
12 April 2007

1. Brookings Iraq Index 9 April 2007 http://www3.brookings.edu/fp/saban/iraq/index.pdf

2. Iraq Weekly Status Report 4 April 2007 http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/82776.pdf

3. Iraq Weekly Status Report 11 April 2007 http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/83098.pdf

4. Shell strikes deal to extract Iraqi gas -- timesonline.co.uk -- Shell is poised to become the first oil major to step back into Iraq after reports that it had signed a deal to extract natural gas in the Kurdish northern region. A Turkish news agency claimed that the Anglo-Dutch giant would work in partnership with TPAO, the Turkish state oil company. http://business.timesonline.co.uk:80/tol/business/industry_sectors/natural_resources/article1643808.ece

5. S. Korea signs MOU with Iraq on oil field development -- People's Daily Online -- South Korea's Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy announced on Thursday that South Korean and Iraqi governments signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to cooperate in the development of Iraqi oil fields. The MOU was signed by Kim Young-ju, South Korea's minister of commerce, industry and energy, and Hussain al-Shahristani, Iraqi oil minister, on Thursday here after a ministerial meeting. http://english.people.com.cn/200704/12/eng20070412_365977.html

6. "The Laws of Targeting Petroleum-Related Interests and a Review of the Laws Pertaining to the Economic Jihad”, by Shaykh Abdullah bin Nasser al-Rashid (aka Abdelaziz bin Rashid al-Anzi) http://www.globalterroralert.com/pdf/0306/oiljihad0306.pdf

7. Explosion Strikes Oil Pipeline in Iraq -- A bomb struck an oil pipeline Thursday, cutting off supplies and causing a huge fire in southern Iraq near the border with Kuwait, an official said. The pipeline carries oil from surrounding fields to storage tanks in Basra for export to the Gulf region, according to the official with the South Oil Co. But he said the tanks were full and export supplies had not yet been affected. http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=43583

8. Crescent holds talks on exploration in Iraq -- Dubai: Sharjah-based Crescent Petroleum yesterday said it held talks with representatives of the Iraqi Ministry of Oil in Amman last week to implement their joint study of an exploration area near the Iraqi-Kuwaiti border.
http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/07/04/06/10116246.html

8. Japan sees Iraq oil as 'national interest' -- TOKYO, April 4 (UPI) -- Japan needs good relations with Iraq, given that the country is a huge source of petroleum, the Japanese government said Wednesday. http://www.upi.com:80/InternationalIntelligence/view.php?StoryID=20070404-081729-2261r

9. Iraq loses $8 billion through corruption -- BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq's top corruption fighter said Wednesday that $8 billion in government money had been wasted or stolen over the past three years and claimed he had been threatened with death after opening an investigation into scores of oil ministry employees. In the chaos and lawlessness of Iraq, such threats are not taken lightly. Radi al-Radhi, who runs the Public Integrity Commission, leads one of the more dangerous missions in the country today. He said in an interview with The Associated Press that 20 members of the organization have been murdered since it began its work. http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2007-04-04-corruption-probe_N.htm

10. Al Musayib Maternity Hospital Partnering Agreement Reached -- Blackanthem Military News, AN NASIRIYAH, Iraq -- In an atmosphere of mutual respect, trust and cooperation, the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the Provincial Reconstruction and Development Council (PRDC), and the Iraq Ministry of Health (MoH) signed a partnering agreement March 28 to build Al Musayib Maternity Hospital (MMH) in Iraq's Babil Province. http://www.blackanthem.com:80/News/U_S_Military_19/Al_Musayib_Maternity_Hospital_Partnering_Agreement_Reached5473.shtml

11. Iraqi leadership improves fuel distribution -- TIKRIT — Iraqi provincial, security and oil officials organized an unprecedented one-day delivery of nearly 5 million liters of petroleum products to Ninewa Province Monday. After months of unsuccessful or inadequate fuel deliveries from the Bayji Oil Refinery, 135 fuel tankers carrying approximately 36,000 liters of benzene, diesel or kerosene products each were convoyed, under Iraqi Army escort, from the refinery to multiple fuel distribution centers in Mosul, Iraq. http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=11128&Itemid=128

12. Iraq's Restructured Insurance Market: A Critical Review http://www.mees.com/postedarticles/oped/a47n19d01.htm

14. Iraq's Economy -- Economist.com -- You would be hard pushed to find an area keener on attracting foreign investors than Iraqi Kurdistan. The region is almost entirely dependent on imports, as the authorities search for ways to rebuild an economic base that was all but destroyed during the Anfal campaign of Saddam Hussein in the late 1980s. http://www.economist.com/agenda/displaystory.cfm?story_id=8960605

15. War News Radio: The Past as Prologue http://warnewsradio.org/

END

Iraq Reconstruction News 4 April 2007

2007-04-04T15:48:00.001-07:00

Iraq Reconstruction News
4 April 2007

1. After Action Report - GEN McCaffrey visit to Iraq and Kuwait March 2007 http://www.militarytimes.com/static/projects/pages/AARMcCaffreyIraq032607.pdf

2. Iraq's Draft Oil Law: The Federal Dimension http://historiae.org/oil-law.asp

3. Iraq Invites 15 International Oil Companies to Drill 50 Wells in the South - Dow Jones Newswires - Iraq has invited 15 international oil companies to drill 50 new oil wells in southern oil fields which would increase the country's output by 70,000 barrels a day, an Iraqi Oil Ministry spokesman said Tuesday. "The Oil Ministry has instructed the South Oil Company to invite 15 specialized and well known international oil companies to take part in a tender to drill some 50 oil wells in Maysan province," the spokesman said in a statement, a copy of which obtained by Dow Jones Newswires.
http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=43460

4. Iraq calls in the drillers -- Iraq has asked 15 Arab, Asian and American companies to tender for a drilling job in the country's south, an Oil Ministry official said today. Asim Jihad told Reuters that the tender, issued at the end of March, will close at the end of May. The state-run South Oil Company will review the offers, he said. http://www.upstreamonline.com/live/article130562.ece

5. Lukoil counts on Kremlin in Iraq -- Russian oil producer Lukoil signed a partnership deal with the Russia's Foreign Ministry today, saying it counted on its support as it prepares for talks to revive a giant oil deal in Iraq. Lukoil and the ministry said in a statement that the deal, the first of its kind in Russia, aims to support Lukoil's projects abroad, defend the company's interests by diplomatic means and facilitate its meetings abroad. http://www.upstreamonline.com/incoming/article130534.ece

6. Japan and Iraq to engage in oil talks -- Sapa-AFP - Tokyo - Japan will agree to help Iraq improve crude oil output and push for reconciliation in the war-torn country when Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki comes here next week, officials said Tuesday. Maliki will pay his maiden visit to the world's second-largest economy from Sunday to Wednesday and meet with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Emperor Akihito, Japan's foreign ministry said. http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=126&art_id=nw20070403080026202C629669

7. Iraq losing corruption battle -- AFP - Baghdad - Iraq has lost some $8bn to administrative and financial corruption since the 2003 US-led invasion which toppled the Saddam Hussein regime, an anti-corruption panel said on Tuesday. http://www.fin24.co.za/articles/companies/display_article.aspx?Nav=ns&lvl2=comp&ArticleID=1518-1783_2093535

8. Saudi company to establish electricity station -- An important Saudi company has expressed its readiness to establish electricity station in Muthana province within reconstruction and building projects, depending on financing from the Saudi donation. http://www.iraqupdates.com/p_articles.php/article/15701

9. Kuwaiti diplomat underscores committment to Iraq's re-construction process -- ISTANBUL, March 20 (KUNA) -- Kuwait's Ambassador to Turkey Abdullah Thuwaikh on Tuesday underscored the significance of the 5th Iraq International Conference of Donor Countries which is currently held here. Thuwaikh, who leads Kuwait's delegation to the conference, told KUNA that Kuwait was always keen on participating in such events, noting that Kuwait has presented a USD 1.5 billion of cash in support of Iraq and that there is USD 500 million more for the reconstruction of Iraq to be executed in cooperation with the Iraqi government. http://www.kuna.net.kw/Home/Story.aspx?Language=en&DSNO=963552

10. Iraqi water minister calls for transparency - ISTANBUL – Turkish Daily News - Sharing information between neighbors, coordination and consultation are the key to collaboration, Iraqi Minister for Water Resources Dr. Abdullatif Jamal Rashed told the TDN in an interview. http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=68824

11. Economic restructuring in Iraq: intended and unintended consequences -- http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-29753148_ITM

12. The World Bank supports electricity rehabilitation in Iraq -- Washington, March 29, 2007 -- The WB approved today a credit of US$124 million for Iraq for the Emergency Electricity Reconstruction Project. The total cost of the project is estimated at US$150 million. The World Bank has approved an additional US$6 million from the WB ITF; and the Government of Iraq is contributing US$20 million of its own resources. http://siteresources.worldbank.org/IRFFI/64168382-1092419012421/21279096/Iraqpressrelease28March.pdf

13. LDP approves 2-yr extension of Iraq reconstruction support law http://home.kyodo.co.jp/modules/fstStory/index.php?storyid=305902

14. Newly Trained Iraqi Loan Officers To Expand Microfinance Services in Baghdad - As a future loan officer of an indigenous microfinance institution based in Baghdad, Manar, a 27-year-old female, has an ambition: to assist in the economic development of her country. Manar is one of 18 proud graduates of the Microfinance Basics course organized by the USAID IZDIHAR program. http://www.izdihar-iraq.com/news/stories.html#story124

15. Betrayed - The Iraqis who trusted America the most. http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/03/26/070326fa_fact_packer

END

Iraq Reconstruction News 3 April 2007

2007-04-04T15:47:00.000-07:00

Iraq Reconstruction News
3 April 2007

1. GRD Iraq Reconstruction Weekly Update 03/30/07 https://www.rebuilding-iraq.net/pls/portal/url/ITEM/07251F2EFBCA801DE040A8C00B0741F5

2. Brookings Iraq Index 2 April 2007 http://www3.brookings.edu/fp/saban/iraq/index.pdf

3. Iraq Weekly Status Report 28 March 2007 http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/82522.pdf

4. Oil ministry invites 15 companies to drill 50 new wells - Baghdad, Apr 2, (VOI) – Iraq's oil ministry requested the country's South Oil company to invite 15 international corporations to dig 15 new wells, the ministry spokesman said. http://www.aswataliraq.info/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=40939&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

5. Russia oil producer seeks backing for Iraq oil deal -- MOSCOW: Russia’s top oil producer LUKOIL signed a partnership deal with the foreign ministry on Monday and said it counted on its support as it prepares for talks to revive a giant oil deal in Iraq. http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C04%5C03%5Cstory_3-4-2007_pg5_33

6. US oil companies look to invest in riskier regions -- NEW YORK, April 2 (Reuters) - Major oil companies are looking to invest in increasingly risky corners of the world, as high oil prices and tightening access to oil reserves make these regions more attractive. As oil prices have increased, resource-rich countries such as Venezuela and Russia have tightened their grip on oil and gas assets, shrinking the pool of available reserves for companies such as Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM.N: Quote, Profile , Research), Chevron Corp. (CVX.N: Quote, Profile , Research), and ConocoPhillips (COP.N: Quote, Profile , Research). http://investing.reuters.co.uk/news/articleinvesting.aspx?type=allBreakingNews&storyID=2007-04-02T184340Z_01_N02440894_RTRIDST_0_OIL-RISK.XML

7. Nation-building in Iraq: the good, the not-so-bad, and the ugly http://www.thomaspmbarnett.com/weblog/2007/04/nationbuilding_in_iraq_the_goo.html

8. 4.7 million dollar sewage project in Nassiriya - Dhi Qar, March 31 (VOI) – A project to treat sewage water for some areas of Dhi Qar province was inaugurated, after experimental operation early last week, at a cost of 6 billion Iraqi dinars (roughly 4.7 million U.S. dollars), a media spokesman for the provincial council said on Saturday. http://www.aswataliraq.info/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=40833&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

9. Wassit environment warns of grave consequences of industrial waste - Kut, Apr 2, (VOI) - Director of the environment department in Wassit province, on Monday, warned of the dire consequences of getting rid of industrial waste in the streets and the Tigris river, considering it an attack on the environment. http://www.aswataliraq.info/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=40991&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

10. Kurdistan region leads the way in Iraq's aviation sector -- LONDON -- The Kurdistan Region’s new international airports were showcased as the leading examples in Iraq during an aviation and security conference held in London this week. International delegates met with Iraqi and Kurdistan Regional Government officials, airport directors and airline operators to discuss the continued development of Iraq’s airports which are critical to international support, access and investment. http://www.ekurd.net/mismas/articles/misc2007/3/investkurdistan233.htm

11. Basra's Khour Zubair port receives super oil tanker - Basra, March 31 (VOI) – The Khour Zubair port in Basra received for the first time a super tanker carrying Iraqi oil, the port's assistant director said. "Tanker West Star, which anchored in the port on Friday, weighs 70,000 tons and is 243 meters long and 32 meters wide," engineer Mohammed Yousuf told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI). http://www.aswataliraq.info/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=40824&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

12. 224.904 billion dinars allocated for investment in Wassit - Kut, Apr 2, (VOI) - A total of 224.904 billion dinars ($176,811 million US dollars) has been allocated to implement an investment plan in Wassit province, central Iraq, during the fiscal year 2007, the largest allocation, compared to other Iraqi provinces, after Baghdad, an official source in the province said on Monday. http://www.aswataliraq.info/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=40999&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

13. Iraq to import refining equipment from Iran -- Iraq will pay $64 million for importing equipment from Iran to upgrade one of its refineries. The equipment will be imported to upgrade Najaf Oil Refinery located in 150 km south of Iraqi capital city of Baghdad, a provincial official of Najaf has said. http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=4620&sectionid=351020102

14. Generating electricity from solar energy -- Head of the Reconstruction Committee in Baghdad City Council, Ali Al-Attar, said that the Council is doing an extensive study for the endorsement of the project of generating electricity from solar energy. http://www.iraqdirectory.com/DisplayNews.aspx?id=3549

15. Iraqi cabinet endorses 50 m dinars loans for small projects - Baghdad, Apr 3, (VOI) - Iraqi cabinet on Tuesday endorsed offering loans up to 50 million dinars ($ 40,000) for small projects, the government spokesman said. "The cabinet has agreed to offers loans up to 50 million dinars for small projects through the state-owned banks," Dr. Ali al-Dabbagh told reporters after a cabinet meeting. http://www.aswataliraq.info/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=41076&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

16. Iraq eyes future tourism -- BAGHDAD — Thinking about Spring Break in Iraq? Odds are, probably not. But an exhibition organized this past week by Iraq's Tourism Ministry sought to lay the groundwork for one fine day in the future when intrepid tourists might just consider taking a vacation here. At the "Spring Fair," held at a hotel within the concrete blast walls of Baghdad's Green Zone, visitors were treated to displays of silk rugs, antique pistols, daggers decorated with gems, and other locally made arts and crafts. The hallways were lined with photos of Iraqi holy sites. http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2007-03-29-spring-fair_N.htm

END

Iraq Reconstruction News 1 April 2007

2007-04-04T15:46:00.001-07:00

Iraq Reconstruction News
1 April 2007

1. On-the-Record Briefing With Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) Leaders on Iraq -- http://www.state.gov/p/nea/rls/rm/2007/82501.htm

2. Marking Up the Reconstruction: Part 2 -- IraqSlogger.com -- http://www.iraqslogger.com/index.php/post/2068/Marking_Up_The_Reconstruction_Part_2

3. Three Iraq state business restarted -- A U.S. program to jump start Iraq's 200 former state-owned factories is beginning to yield fruit, a Pentagon official said Wednesday. A ceramics factory in Ramadi, a Sunni area, a clothing and textiles sewing factory in Najaf, the heartland to Iraq's majority Shiites, and an automotive and metal factory south of Baghdad in a mixed area are all up and running, said Paul Brinkley, deputy under secretary of defense for business transformation. http://www.iraqdirectory.com/DisplayNews.aspx?id=3514

4. Turkish firms eager to enter Iraqi petrolium market -- Turkish Daily News -- http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=69506

5. Turkish business to drive reconstruction in Iraq – Turkish Daily News --A meeting promoting the second Iraq International Fair in Gaziantep scheduled for May, was auspiciously held on the day of Nevruz Bayram in Istambul. Undaunted by the dismal security and economic situation in Iraq, State Minister for Trade Kürşad Tüzmen spoke enthusiastically of a roadmap involving elements of the private sector and called for cooperation between neighbors. http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=68826

6. Kurdistan a safe investment haven in war-torn Iraq -- Dubai: Iraq's Kurdistan region is marketing itself as a safe haven for Arab investors in an otherwise troubled nation beset with insurgent violence and foreign military presence. "The difference between Kurdistan and other parts of Iraq is that we have political stability and safety. We have had a regional government since 1992," said Herish Muharam, chairman of the Board of Investment for the northern Iraqi region. http://www.gulfnews.com/business/Investment/10113224.html

7. Five companies probed in drive against corruption -- FT.com -- British companies in at least five foreign countries are being investigated for alleged bribes in an initiative that the new anti-corruption police unit hopes will result in the first overseas corruption trial getting under way next year. The unprecedented anti-corruption drive is being led by a 10-person investigation unit within the City of London's economic crime department, the elite anti-fraud squad. It is focused on cases that have been referred by the Serious Fraud Office. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/3e44c126-d9ac-11db-9b4a-000b5df10621.html

8 Iraq Reconstruction Teams to Receive Needed Support -- WASHINGTON — Ten veteran diplomats and four representatives of the Agency for International Development will depart for Iraq in coming days as the civilian core of 10 new provincial reconstruction teams, the first step in what the Bush administration has promised will be a significant increase in efforts to accelerate local economic and political development. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/24/washington/24reconstruct.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

9. Iraq reconstruction fund meeting ends with donations said lower than expected -- If donations for Iraq end, this would make terrorists stronger, said Iraqi Planning & Development Minister Ali Baban. "Iraq Reconstruction Forum" held within the scope of the 5th meeting of the International Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq (IRFFI) Donor Committee (formed by the World Bank and the UN Development Group) ended in Istanbul on Monday. http://www.iraqupdates.com/p_articles.php/article/15731

10. U.S. General Sees Cause for Optimism in Anbar Province -- Blackanthem Military News, WASHINGTON, D.C. – Over the last year, coalition forces have laid the foundation for stability and provincial Iraqi control in Anbar province, the commander of Multinational Force West said today. "Our strategy of clear, hold and build, combined with an energized governmental and tribal engagement, is beginning to bear fruit," Marine Maj. Gen. Walt Gaskin told reporters at the Pentagon via satellite. http://www.blackanthem.com:80/News/International_21/U_S_General_Sees_Cause_for_Optimism_in_Anbar_Province5412.shtmlA

11. World Bank approves $124m credit for Iraq - Reuters - Washington: The World Bank on Thursday approved $124 million in credit for an electricity reconstruction project in Iraq. The project aims to increase generating capacity at the Hartha power station in the southern Iraqi city of Basra, the World Bank said in a statement. http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/07/03/31/10114830.html

12. 4 companies puts into effect water project -- Muthana water directorate has delivered al-Samawa & Khuther water clearing which financed by international bank, to four companies. http://www.iraqupdates.com/p_articles.php/article/15897

13. In letter, Iraq tells IMF inflation is a priority - Reuters- Iraq promised to make tackling high inflation one of its priorities and said it will gradually keep raising domestic prices of fuel products to curb a thriving black market, according to a letter by Iraq’s top finance officials to the IMF published on Friday. ”Inflation has risen to an unacceptable level,” the letter, signed by Iraq’s central banker Sinan al-Shabibi and Finance Minister Bayan Jabor, told the International Monetary Fund. http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/focusoniraq/2007/March/focusoniraq_March165.xml&section=focusoniraq

14. Discussing investment and reconstruction projects -- Two delegations from Iraq and Kuwait put forth several projects in the fields of reconstruction and investment with which the Kuwaiti private sector can contributed in Iraq, and agreed to prepare dossiers on them and discuss them in future through a meeting between the two delegations at an invitation from the Kuwaiti side. http://www.iraqdevelopmentprogram.org/idp/news/new1541.htm

15. Iraqis Unite Behind "Daughter of Mesopotamia" - IraqSlogger.com -- At least one out of every four Iraqis have voted via cellphone for Shada Hassoun, the Iraqi female finalist who won the vote in the popular Star Academy show – an Arab version of American Idol that features young talented contestants from different Arab countries. http://www.iraqslogger.com:80/index.php/post/2170/Iraqis_Unite_Behind_Daughter_of_Mesopotamia

END

Iraq Reconstruction News 30 March 2007

2007-04-04T15:45:00.001-07:00

Iraq Reconstruction News
30 March 2007

1. Brookings Iraq Index 29 March 2007 http://www3.brookings.edu/fp/saban/iraq/index.pdf

2. Iraq Weekly Status Report 28 march 2007 http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/82522.pdf

3. GRD Iraq Reconstruction Report 30 March 2007 http://www.grd.usace.army.mil/news/releases/20070330.pdf

4. Shell VP Confirms Gas Development Talks with Iraq -- Dow Jones Commodities News via Comtex -- Energy giant Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSB.LN) confirmed Thursday that it has been in talks with oil officials from the Iraqi government over the development of the country's gas industry. Speaking on the fringes of an oil and gas conference in Aberdeen, Scotland Shell's Executive Vice President for Development and Technology in Exploration and Production Matthias Bichsel confirmed representatives of his company met with Iraqi officials in Oman to explore opportunities for the development of Iraq's largely untapped gas reserves. http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=43230

5. DNO: Northern Iraq Well Delivers 9,860 bopd -- DNO ASA on Thursday announced an update on its activities in Kurdistan, Northern Iraq. http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=43214

6. The World Bank Supports Electricity Rehabilitation in Iraq -- The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors approved today a credit of US$124 million for the Republic of Iraq for the Emergency Electricity Reconstruction Project. The total cost of the project is estimated at US$150 million. The World Bank has approved an additional US$6 million from the World Bank-administered Iraq Trust Fund; and the Government of Iraq is contributing US$20 million of its own resources. http://www.harolddoan.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4114

7. Why You Should Care About the World Bank and Iraq - Bank Information Center - Reports that a World Bank staffer was shot at an Iraqi checkpoint surfaced in late February. The Bank apparently suppressed the news for several days, presumably in an effort to quell concerns about Bank President Paul Wolfowitz's recent push to re-open a World Bank office in Baghdad. What should the Bank be doing in Iraq? Following is an overview of current Bank involvement in the country, and some reasons why you should be concerned. http://www.just-international.org/article.cfm?newsid=20002051

8. Non-Iraqis allowed to trade in Iraq Stock Exchange -- official http://www.iraqdirectory.com/DisplayNews.aspx?id=3421

9. Poll: Despite violence only 26% preferred life under Saddam -- One in four (26%) Iraqi adults have had a family relative murdered in the last three years, while 23% of those living in Baghdad have had a family/relative kidnapped in the last three years. These are among the findings released today from the largest poll into Iraqi opinion ever to be published. Carried out by UK research firm ORB, which has been tracking public opinion in Iraq since 2005, the poll shows that despite the horrendous personal security problems only 26% of the country preferred life under the previous regime of Saddam Hussein, with almost half (49%) preferring life under the current political system. As one may expect, it is the Sunnis who are most likely to back the previous regime (51%) with the Shias (66%) preferring the current arrangements. http://www.opinion.co.uk/Newsroom_details.aspx?NewsId=67

10. New dam constructed in restive Anbar Province -- Azzaman -- Work is progressing on the construction of a new dam in the restive Province of Anbar to help nomads find enough pasture and water for their herds. Anbar is the largest Iraqi province in area. Though River Euphrates passes through its territory most of the province is barren desert. The dam will cost 14 billion dinars (one dollar is worth 1,300 dinars) and rise to a height of 17.5 meters, according to Raad Abduljaleel, head of the state-run Directorate for Dams and Reservoirs. http://www.azzaman.com/english/index.asp?fname=news\2007-03-20\kurd.htm

11. Iraqi Engineers Learn New Skills to Better their Country http://www.grd.usace.army.mil/news/releases/NR07-03-17.pdf

12. British firms face fraud allegations over 'phantom' armoured vehicles -- Three British companies are facing accusations that they engaged in large-scale fraud in Iraq after it emerged they were paid for "phantom" armoured vehicles destined to protect Iraqi government employees. The vehicles were never delivered, but the companies were paid anyway. One company, headed by a former deputy assistant commissioner at Scotland Yard and a colourful ex-army officer, received $5.7m (£2.93m), even though the vehicles never left the factory in Russia where they were due to be manufactured. http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,,2038097,00.html

13. Shortage of safe water risks cholera in Iraq: U.N. - AMMAN (Reuters) - United Nations agencies working in Iraq warned on Thursday a chronic shortage of safe drinking water risks causing more child deaths and an outbreak of waterborne disease such as cholera during the summer. Four years after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, millions of Iraqi children still find that safe water is no easier to access, said a statement issued by leading U.N. aid agencies operating in Iraq. http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa003&articleID=AFF272815FA63358420D88A9C6D37B91

14. Iraqi water minister calls for transparency - ISTANBUL – Turkish Daily News - Sharing information between neighbors, coordination and consultation are the key to collaboration, Iraqi Minister for Water Resources Dr. Abdullatif Jamal Rashed told the TDN in an interview. http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=68824

15. Shada's Singing Lifts Iraqi Spirits -- Morning Edition, March 30, 2007 -- Through war and intense sectarian violence, one person has united many Iraqis. Shada Hassoon is a 25-year-old singer, one of four finalists on Star Academy, a Lebanese TV program. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9237388

END

Iraq Reconstruction News 29 March 2007

2007-04-04T15:44:00.001-07:00

Iraq Reconstruction News
29 March 2007

1. Operation Iraqi Freedom: Preliminary Observations on Iraqi Security Forces' Logistics and Command and Control Capabilities. GAO-07-503R, March 28.http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-503R

2. DoD New Briefing On Reconstruction In Iraq With Brigadier General Michael Walsh And Deputy Mayor Ibrahim Mustafa Hussain In The Pentagon Briefing Studio, Arlington, Virginia http://www.defenselink.mil:80/transcripts/transcript.aspx?transcriptid=3919

3. In Iraq, an Army Officer Battles to Open a Bank -- WSJ -- BAGHDAD, Iraq -- For Lt. Col. Dale Kuehl, one of the keys to bringing some semblance of order to the restive area that his troops patrol has been a small, squat bank branch. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117513386782152797.html?mod=special_page_iraq_1

4. Iraq needs money to spend money, official says -- Reuters -- WASHINGTON — Iraq's government has left about $12.5 billion in rebuilding funds from its 2006 budget unspent because it lacks the tools and expertise to allocate the money, the State Department's Iraq coordinator, David Satterfield, said Tuesday. Satterfield argued that a recent request to Congress for an additional $4 billion in U.S. funding would help address the problem. http://www.latimes.com:80/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-spend28mar28,1,1558266.story?coll=la-headlines-world

5. Satterfield: Iraq oil law will pass -- (UPI) -- The Bush administration remains optimistic Iraq will approve a law governing its oil and natural gas despite growing opposition. Ambassador David Satterfield, senior adviser to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the State Department's Iraq coordinator, said a deal reached last month on the framework for the draft hydrocarbons law meets two of three points necessary for the military "surge" to be successful. http://www.upi.com/Energy/satterfield_iraq_oil_law_will_pass/20070328-095649-4969r/

6. Pentagon Supply Needs Help Revitalize Iraqi Economy -- AP -- WASHINGTON — In an Iraq jobs program, the Pentagon has helped reopen three factories shuttered after the 2003 invasion, seeding the ground by buying uniforms and armored vehicles from two of them. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,262108,00.html
7. Analysis: Unions could sway Iraq oil law -- WASHINGTON, March 28 (UPI) -- Iraqi parliamentarians are set to debate a law governing oil and natural gas resources, though backroom negotiations on the measure haven't concluded yet. Both the deliberation and the deal may be futile, however, if Iraq's oil unions don't give their consent. And the blessing of the more than 26,000-strong workers is far from guaranteed. http://www.upi.com/Energy/view.php?StoryID=20070328-011829-3353r

8. Analysis: Iraq oil union has storied past -- WASHINGTON, March 29 (UPI) -- Hassan Jumaa Awad wants Iraq's oil to stay under state control, and the unionists, who have long worked the rigs, to be supported in developing the national resource. But this is no request from the president of the Iraqi Federation of Oil Unions. It's a demand. http://www.upi.com/Energy/

9. Infrastructure Rebuild Costs Seen Over $100 Bln-General -- LONDON (Dow Jones)--The costs of rebuilding existing power plants and water treatment facilities in Iraq and constructing new infrastructure is expected to exceed $100 billion, the top U.S. official leading the reconstruction efforts in Iraq said Wednesday. Higher costs of labor and inputs such as raw materials like steel and cement are driving the around 40% rise in the figure since 2003, Brig. Gen. Michael J. Walsh of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said in an interview by telephone from Baghdad. http://www.zawya.com/story.cfm/sidDN20070321010136/SecMain/pagHomepage

10. Foreign firms want to develop Missan oil fields, official -- March 28, 2007 -- The authorities in the southern province of Missan say they have received several requests from foreign firms to develop the province’s gigantic oil fields. The officials refused to name the firms but said the relative stability which the province currently enjoys was luring both foreign and Iraq entrepreneurs to invest. http://www.azzaman.com/english/index.asp?fname=news\2007-03-28\kurd.htm

11. Fuel shortages cripple Mosul -- Azzaman -- Fuel shortages have almost brought life to a standstill in the northern city of Mosul. The severe crisis started with the suspension of fuel imports from Syria since March 22. We now receive less than 10% of the province’s fuel needs,” said the commission in charge of fuel distribution in northern Iraq in a statement. http://www.azzaman.com/english/index.asp?fname=news\2007-03-26\kurd1.htm

12. FIGHTING CORRUPTION IN IRAQ - AN UPHILL BATTLE -- MSNBC -- A few months ago, the watchdog group Transparency International published its yearly Corruption Perceptions Index. Out of 163 countries surveyed in 2006, only two, Myanmar and Haiti, were found to be more corrupt than Iraq. This country was described as "one of the greatest corruption nightmares on the planet." "That has to change" was the message delivered earlier this week by Boots Poliquin, the American director of the Office of Accountability and Transparency (OAT) in Baghdad. "We want to try and develop [a] sense of accountability and transparency within the system of Iraq." http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/03/09/85910.aspx

13. Kurdistan adopts Dubai plan to boost development -- Gulf News -- A visiting Kurdish official from Iraq yesterday said the regional government of his province decided to follow Dubai's development model after evaluating a variety of plans from around the world. Othman I. Shwani, Minister of Planning in the Kurdistan Regional Government, told Gulf News that Dubai's plan was found to be the most appropriate for Kurdistan and his government will go ahead with it. "We need to modify the Dubai Strategic Plan to suit Kurdistan's requirements before putting it into force. We are convinced that the plan being adopted by the Dubai Government fits our ambitions and objectives compared to plans proposed to us from Europe or from Asia," he said. http://www.zawya.com/story.cfm/sidGN_17032007_10111684/SecMain/pagHomepage

14. Iraq to control more of its foreign aid -- The fund representing foreign donors to Iraq will now include an Iraqi co-chairman who will help decide how to allocate aid money, an additional step towards getting Iraqis to assert more control over their own country's development, the outgoing fund chairman said Tuesday. http://www.iraqdirectory.com/DisplayNews.aspx?id=3455

15. Christians, targeted and suffering, flee Iraq-- BAGHDAD — In between messages of love and faith, Mushtaq Zanbaqa, priest of the Holy Virgin Chaldean Catholic Church in east Baghdad, has a weekly plea for his Christian flock: Don't leave. http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2007-03-22-christians-iraq_N.htm

END

Iraq Reconstruction News 28 March 2007

2007-04-04T15:43:00.000-07:00

Iraq Reconstruction News
28 March 2007

1. Brookings Iraq Index 26 March 2007 http://www3.brookings.edu/fp/saban/iraq/index.pdf

2. Amid security risks, China may lead way for Iraqi oil -- AP -- DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — China has sat out the Iraq war, but it could be the first to take advantage when the Iraqi government finishes a law opening up its oil fields to international companies. The Iraqi oil legislation, expected to be approved by July, will open the door for the government to sign contracts for exploration and production of the country's vast untapped reserves, a top U.S. priority. But since few Western companies are prepared to send equipment or crews into the war zone, it could take five years or more before they begin extracting big shipments of Iraqi crude. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/4661852.html

3. Analysis: Unions could sway Iraq oil law -- WASHINGTON, March 28 (UPI) -- Iraqi parliamentarians are set to debate a law governing oil and natural gas resources, though backroom negotiations on the measure haven't concluded yet. Both the deliberation and the deal may be futile, however, if Iraq's oil unions don't give their consent.
And the blessing of the more than 26,000-strong workers is far from guaranteed. http://www.upi.com/Energy/analysis_unions_could_sway_iraq_oil_law/20070328-011829-3353r/

4. Iraq hopes to eliminate electricity shutoffs in 2010 -- Iraqi Minister of Electricity said that his country intends to put an end to electricity shortages by mid-2010, and talks are under way with investors, hoping to complete planned annual investments at the value of $ 2 billion. Electricity sector in Iraq needs to be rebuilt after years of war, sanctions and sabotage; electricity shuts off daily and only few areas in Baghdad gets a few hours of electricity a day. http://www.iraqdirectory.com/DisplayNews.aspx?id=3488

5. Some Democrats Oppose Forcing Iraq To Accept Foreign Investment in Oil -- The wartime spending measure passed by the House last week and a related bill being taken up in the Senate put pressure on the Iraqi government to open its oil resources to foreign investment -- just what critics contend was the real purpose of the U.S. invasion. The spending bill ties continued support for the war in Iraq to specific benchmarks that the Iraqi government must meet by certain dates. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0307/3318.html

6. Iraq to supply Jordan with oil at preferential prices: Minister -- The Iraqi government has taken the necessary security precautions for supplying Jordan with crude oil at "preferential prices" in accordance with an agreement reached earlier between the two countries, a senior Iraqi official was quoted Tuesday as saying in Jordan. http://jurnalo.com/jurnalo/storyPage.do?story_id=25797

7. Iraq's Illiquid Assets -- Why is the Bush administration asking Congress for $4 billion in emergency economic assistance for Iraq? Simple. Because Baghdad doesn’t know how to spend its own money, according to a Bush administration official. http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2007/03/27/iraqs-illiquid-assets/

8. The New Iraqi Oil Law -- MEES -- Iraq today is an occupied country in a state of chaos with sectarian violence rife, hundreds of people killed and maimed daily, police and security forces infiltrated by militias and warlords’ henchmen. The infrastructure of society is destroyed; hospitals lack equipment and medicines and, indeed, doctors, as so many have fled from the everyday brutality that is Iraqi life today. In order to gain the participation of all groups in the political process it was agreed that the constitution should be amended. This has still not been done. Petrol in an oil rich country is in short supply. And in this maelstrom of unrest and violence the Iraqi government has passed a draft oil law which many Iraqis, experts in economics and the petroleum industry, look on with horror, considering it to be passing over the wealth of Iraq to foreign companies, and thus its ability for present and future generations to rebuild the country. Is it right that in such an atmosphere a law is being enacted which will affect the future livelihood of the Iraqi people for generations to come? http://www.mees.com/postedarticles/oped/v50n13-5OD01.htm

9. Sharing petroleum resources only path to Iraqi unity and stability -- London, UK (KRG.org) – At a seminar in London on Thursday, experts on Iraq and the oil industry discussed Iraq’s draft federal oil and revenue sharing laws. One of the speakers, Dr Ashti Hawrami, the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) natural resources minister, said, “sharing Iraq’s oil and gas revenues fairly and transparently is the only path to a united and stable Iraq”. http://www.krg.org/articles/article_detail.asp?ArticleNr=16912&LangNr=12&LNNr=28&RNNr=70

10. Iraq to build two refineries in the north -- BAGHDAD, March 26 (UPI) -- Two 10,000-barrel-per-day refineries will be built in northern Iraq in an attempt to ease bottlenecks and address the fuel shortage. The Iraqi newspaper Azzaman reports the Iraq Oil Ministry signed contracts with state and private Iraq firms to build the refineries. The projects, worth $60 million, will be located in Irbil and Sulaimaniya. http://www.upi.com/Energy/iraq_to_build_two_refineries_in_the_north/20070326-104158-2282r/

11. Dems want GAO in Iraq to monitor funds -- Twenty-two Democratic senators yesterday petitioned the State Department to allow Government Accountability Office (GAO) employees to spend several months in Iraq analyzing how reconstruction funds are being used. “GAO’s longer-term presence in Baghdad is essential to providing Congress with direct and continuing oversight over U.S. programs and activities,” the senators wrote to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/dems-want-gao-in-iraq-to-monitor-funds-2007-03-12.html

12. Saudi company to establish electricity station http://www.iraqupdates.com/p_articles.php/article/15701

13. Kuwaiti diplomat underscores committment to Iraq's re-construction process -- ISTANBUL -- (KUNA) -- Kuwait's Ambassador to Turkey Abdullah Thuwaikh on Tuesday underscored the significance of the 5th Iraq International Conference of Donor Countries which is currently held here. Thuwaikh, who leads Kuwait's delegation to the conference, told KUNA that Kuwait was always keen on participating in such events, noting that Kuwait has presented a USD 1.5 billion of cash in support of Iraq and that there is USD 500 million more for the reconstruction of Iraq to be executed in cooperation with the Iraqi government. http://www.kuna.net.kw:80/home/story.aspx?Language=en&DSNO=963552

14. Marking Up The Reconstruction: Part 1 -- One day, not so long ago, the US State Department handpicked Texas-based DynCorp for an $800-million contract to train over 100,000 Iraqi police officers, a top-priority project of the Bush administration’s effort to stabilize the war-torn country and strengthen the fragile civilian government there. But State Department wanted a contractor with strong ties in Iraq, so DynCorp obligingly teamed up in 2004 with a company known as Corporate Bank Financial Service, a Washington-based business better known as The Sandi Group. http://www.iraqslogger.com/index.php/post/2054/Marking_Up_The_Reconstruction_Part_1

15. Tax on materials for domestic industry slashed -- Azzaman -- The Tax Department has slashed the tax on materials for the domestic industry by 50%. The department’s head Saib Abdulsattar said the reduction covers raw materials whether produced locally or imported from abroad. He said it includes all kinds of materials for the country’s industry. http://www.azzaman.com/english/index.asp?fname=news\2007-03-16\kurd1.htm

END

Iraq Reconstruction News 26 March 2007

2007-04-04T15:41:00.000-07:00

Iraq Reconstruction News
26 March 2007

1. GRD Iraq Reconstruction Weekly Update 03/20/07 https://www.rebuilding-iraq.net/pls/portal/url/ITEM/07251F2EFBCA801DE040A8C00B0741F5

2. Protecting Iraq's oil supply - The Guardian - The frigate HMS Cornwall is on patrol as the lead ship of Combined Task Force 158, whose UN-backed mission is to protect Iraq's oil platforms and exports against pirates, smugglers, and terrorists. The platforms are critical to the economic and political reconstruction of Iraq, the Ministry of Defence said yesterday. They pump out oil that accounts for 90% of the country's GDP. An attack in 2004 led to a two-day shutdown costing up to $28m (£14.2m), the MoD said. The knock-on effect was a spike on the world oil market, causing a further loss of some $6bn. http://www.guardian.co.uk/iran/story/0,,2041694,00.html

3. Kurdish leader demands control of Iraq oil hub -- ARBIL, Iraq (AFP) - The prime minister of Iraqi Kurdistan raised fresh calls on Thursday for a referendum to decide the future of the country's crucial oil hub of Kirkuk, warning that Kurdish patience had limits. "Our people are committed to Iraq, but their patience is not unlimited. We as leaders are finding it difficult to convince our people as to why our demands are not being met," Nichirvan Barzani told dignitaries in Arbil.
http://fe19.news.re3.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070322/wl_mideast_afp/iraquskurdsoil_070322153131

4. What's happened to Iraq's oil? - BBC World Service - Iraq's descent into violence, coupled with paralysis and corruption in government, has stymied efforts to rebuild the infrastructure of roads, schools, hospitals and industry. In many cases, there is little to show for the billions of dollars spent on reconstruction since the American-led invasion in 2003. The oil sector is a good example of what has gone wrong. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6461581.stm

5. Japan Courts Iraq for Strategic Partnership to Secure Energy Supply - Kyodo News - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and visiting Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi agreed Friday on the importance of developing a "long-term strategic partnership" between the two countries and expressed hopes to strengthen economic as well as political relations, Abe's spokesman Hiroshige Seko said. http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=42954

6. Iraqi, Coalition Forces Partner to Protect Iraq's Economic Future: Oil -- KIRKUK -- Iraq’s economic future depends on producing, refining and selling its most valuable natural resource, oil. As such, Iraq’s most valuable human resource is arguably the Soldiers who protect that oil. The Iraqi Army’s 1st Strategic Infrastructure Brigade ensures that both crude and refined oil flows through critical pipeline infrastructure in the northern Kirkuk Province of Iraq, and military transition team Soldiers of the 25th Infantry Division’s 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Battalion, 7th Field Artillery Regiment are charged with training those Iraqi Soldiers. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1790996/posts

7. U.S. narrows financial focus to aid Iraqi small businesses. Barbers, grocers, others apply for grants to expand --USA TODAY -- BAGHDAD — Mohamed Raheem saw fliers posted all over his neighborhood offering money to Iraqis who wanted to expand their small businesses. He called a phone number listed on the flier and set up an appointment with the Iraqi-American Chamber of Commerce and Industry. "I explained to them that I have a shop and I want to expand my work," said Raheem, 44, who owns a small grocery store in the Kadhamiya district of Baghdad. He applied for a $10,000 grant. As U.S. military and civilian officials try to help Iraq's economy rebuild, they are placing a new emphasis on small businesses like Raheem's. Through grants and loans — often for a few hundred dollars each — they're trying to stimulate job growth and eventually improve Iraq's security. http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20070306/a_iraqeconomy06.art.htm

8. Iraq's Jobs-for-Peace Mirage -- As the wisdom of President Bush's proposed “surge” of US troops is debated across the US and around the world, another question about the US President's new policy to avert all-out civil war there is coming to the fore. Can using US funding to reopen Iraqi state-owned enterprises get young men to abandon the insurgency and sectarian militias? The idea sounds logical: a man with a good job that enables him to build a decent life won't want to fight Americans or his fellow Iraqis, right? http://www.rand.org/commentary/021107PS.html

9. Iraqi roads get facelift -- TIKRIT — As the decision making for construction projects fall more to the local and regional governments throughout Iraq, Provincial Reconstruction Development Committees are stepping up to the challenge. Eleven concrete road paving projects - at a cost of $3 million - were recently awarded in the Ninewa Province to 10 municipalities. These 11 projects were recommended by the local PRDC. http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10206&Itemid=128

10. Stabilizing Iraq: Factors Impeding the Development of Capable Iraqi Security Forces, by Joseph A. Christoff, director, international affairs and trade, before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, House Committee on Armed Services. GAO-07-612T, March 13.http://www2.blogger.com/ Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d07612thigh.pdf

11. Nasiriyah Drainage Pump Station turned over to Iraqi Govenrment http://www.grd.usace.army.mil/news/releases/NR07-03-05-2.pdf

12. Iraqi Women Strive To Rebuild Country Despite Obstacles - Washington – Iraqi women have made great progress in recent years, but still face obstacles while working to achieve full equality, two Iraqi women activists said March 7. Wide participation of women in the political process is something new for Iraqi society, said Sundus Abbas, executive director of the Women’s Leadership Institute in Baghdad. Iraq. "For more than 35 years Iraqi women were absent from the decision making process,” she told USINFO. “Now Iraqi women participate. In spite of this, there is suffering for Iraqi women." http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2007&m=March&x=20070307152118hmnietsua0.1575739

13. Former Iraq minister denies theft of millions -- A former Iraqi defence minister whose 10 months in office coincided with the disappearance of more than $800m (£400m) from the ministry’s coffers is living openly in Amman and London despite a warrant for his arrest. Hazem Shaalan, a small businessman in London until Saddam Hussein was ousted in 2003, rose in a year to one of the most important jobs in the interim government that ran Iraq from 2004 to 2005. He left Baghdad before the next government discovered that a fortune had been looted from his ministry’s account in what one senior investigator has called “one of the largest thefts in history”. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article1497038.ece

14. Guarding Iraq's oil platforms, and its income -- IN THE PERSIAN GULF — A Ukrainian cargo ship that inadvertently sailed into protected waters around Iraqi oil platforms in the Persian Gulf ignited a rapid security crackdown Wednesday morning, displaying some of the measures coalition forces take to protect the platforms. Ships rushed to intercept the cargo vessel. http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=43972

15. Helping Baghdad's youngest residents get well http://www.grd.usace.army.mil/news/releases/NR07-03-01.pdf

16. Security, reconstruction efforts improve -- BAGHDAD — A press conference discussing the status of security and the ongoing reconstruction efforts in Iraq was held at the Combined Press Information Center in the International Zone Wednesday. Ambassador Daniel Speckhard, U.S. Embassy Baghdad charge d’affaires, and Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV, Multi-National Force-Iraq spokesperson, , talked about the progress that has been made and the continuing efforts that will make Iraq a safer country. http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10614&Itemid=128

17. Iraqi Leader Fears Ouster Over Oil Money -- Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki fears the Americans will torpedo his government if parliament does not pass a law to fairly divvy up the country's oil wealth among Iraqis by the end of June, close associates of the leader told The Associated Press on Tuesday. The legislature has not even taken up the draft measure, which is only one of several U.S. benchmarks that are seen by al-Maliki as key to continued American support, a crucial need for the survival of his troubled administration. http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/03/13/ap3513218.html

18. Despite danger, kebab stands keep grills going -- BAGHDAD — It's a long-held Baghdad tradition: police officers sidling up to neighborhood kebab stands and restaurants, eating lunch, leisurely sipping cups of tea and gossiping with owners. The tradition has become deadly for many of the restaurateurs. Insurgents targeting Iraqi police have repeatedly triggered devastating blasts near the sidewalk food stands. Last month, a suicide bomber detonated a car bomb near a popular kebab stand in Baghdad's al-Jadriyah district, even after the owner had begged police to stop visiting the place. http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2007-03-15-iraqweek_N.htm

END

Iraq Reconstruction News 25 March 2007

2007-04-04T15:40:00.000-07:00

Iraq Reconstruction News
25 March 2007

1. World Bank Iraq Data Sheet March 2007 http://siteresources.worldbank.org/IRFFI/64168382-1092419012421/21250509/DATASHEETIRAQFeb2007Final.pdf

2. Opportunities and Challenges for Economic Growth in Iraq -- CSIS hosted Frank Lavin, United States Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, on March 1. Under Secretary Lavin gave a speech entitled "Opportunities and Challenges for Economic Growth in Iraq" and shared with the CSIS audience the presentation he gave in Erbil to Iraqi Government officials and private sector leaders to launch the U.S.-Iraq Business Dialogue. http://www.csis.org/component/option,com_csis_events/task,view/id,1218/

3. KRG Transport Ministry Plans Rail Links Between Kurdish Provinces -- Kurdistan, (KTV), PNA. Companies from Poland and the Netherlands are currently on a visit to Kurdistan to examine various key projects including rail links and oil refineries. http://kurdistanobserver.servehttp.com/Mar-2007/12-3-07-krg-rail-links.html

4. Iran Playing a Growing Role in Iraq's Economy - TEHRAN (Fars News Agency) - While the Bush administration works to stop Iran from having any constructive role in Iraq, Iranian air-conditioners fill Iraqi appliance stores, Iranian tomatoes ripen on the windowsills of kitchens here and legions of white Iranian-made Peugeots sit in Iraqi driveways. http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8512260206

5. LIFE Partners with UNICEF to Rehabilitate Schools in Iraq -- For more than a quarter century, Iraqi society has suffered through wars and a severe economic embargo, which in turn have caused a serious education crisis in the country. Along with the destroyed and dilapidated schools, the violent and chaotic security situation in Iraq is greatly hindering the repair and re-construction efforts. http://www.arabamericannews.com/newsarticle.php?articleid=7930

6. Licenses to export Iraqi products and import goods from abroad http://www.iraqdirectory.com/DisplayNews.aspx?id=3379

7. Maliki's Most Potent Weapon - TCS contributor Peter Schaefer served in Vietnam as an American military intelligence officer, then in the mid-1970s became deeply involved in economic development analysis and property right issues. A former adviser to Peruvian economist Hernando De Soto, Schaefer is now working on a business project that involves "commercial scale" property registration in the developing world. Austin Bay explains why this work matters for Iraq. http://www.tcsdaily.com/article.aspx?id=030707C

8. Iraqi Navy Sunk By Corruption -- The Iraqi navy is trying once more to build up its navy. It hasn't been easy, Corruption and bureaucracy have made life difficult. Not that the old, Saddam era, navy was anything to boast about. http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htworld/articles/20070320.aspx

9. Iraq Navy on Its Way to Independence -- The Iraqi Navy will soon add 21 vessels to its fleet, putting it another step closer to being operationally independent, officials said during a Baghdad news conference Sunday. With a contract on the verge of completion, the Iraqi Navy is the first of the Iraq's forces to use the Ministry of Defense's procurement process with Iraqi money in purchasing major capital programs from foreign governments and commercial ventures. http://newsblaze.com/story/20070320122519tsop.nb/newsblaze/IRAQ0001/Iraq.html

10. Sailors pump up Iraq oil terminal -- ABOARD AL BASRA OIL TERMINAL — Much of Iraq’s financial hope for the future rests on a $59 million coalition-funded upgrade. Buoyed some 60 miles south of the war-torn nation in the Persian Gulf sits an oil platform that provides Iraq with an estimated 85 percent of the struggling country’s revenue. http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=44002

11. VeriSign launches PrePayIN service In Iraq -- (MENAFN) The Chairman of the Iraq-based Al-Mazaya Telecommunications said that the company will launch a new repay service, PrePayIN, supported by VeriSign Inc. in the first half of this year, Portal Iraq reported. http://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story_s.asp?storyid=1093144329

12. My Iraq: Basra business trainer -- Najah trains women at a business development centre in Basra. The kind of NGO I work for didn't exist under Saddam Hussein's rule. helped establish an association for women's education. We encourage them to set up small businesses.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/6451199.stm

END

Iraq Reconstruction News 24 March 2007

2007-04-04T15:39:00.000-07:00

Iraq Reconstruction News
24 March 2007

1. No sign of oil in repairing Iraq economy -- WASHINGTON, March 23 (UPI) -- The role oil could play in reviving Iraq's economy was conspicuously absent in a presentation by a Bush administration official Friday. Although more than 93 percent of Iraq's government revenue last year came from oil sales, the U.S. Commerce Department's undersecretary for international trade did not say specifically how the petroleum industry could rebuild Iraq's shattered economy. Franklin Lavin was part of a U.S. delegation to advise the Iraqi government on how to jump-start its economy, and added that Iraqi exports have steadily increased between 2004 and 2006, largely on the back of higher oil prices worldwide in recent years. http://www.upi.com/InternationalIntelligence/view.php?StoryID=20070323-040523-2243r

2. Kurdish oil move could start Iraqi energy rush --
A scramble for Kurdish oil licenses is expected this summer after Ashti Hawrami, the oil minister for Iraq's Kurdish republic, said on Thursday that he wants to achieve a production goal of one million barrels a day by 2012. Kurdistan's move signals that Iraq is poised to open its doors to foreign oil investment. Speaking in London, Dr Hawrami said that Kurdistan aied to be the "hub" for Iraq's future oil industry and would look to sign up to ten exploration contracts by the end of the year.
http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=106329

3. New fraud task force set up in Iraq -- WASHINGTON, March 23 (UPI) -- U.S. law and anti-corruption agencies are launching a task force to fight contracting fraud and crime in Iraq. The International Contract Corruption Task Force will comprise the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, the Defense Criminal Investigation Service, the Army Criminal Investigation Division" Major Procurement Fraud unit, the State Department inspector general, USAID IG, and the FBI, according to Thomas Gimble, the Pentagon IG, pf which DCIS is a part. http://www.upi.com/SecurityTerrorism/new_fraud_task_force_set_up_in_iraq/20070323-115341-6643r/

4. Kurds set to boost Iraq oil output -- LONDON: Iraq's Kurdish regional government expects to sign deals with at least 10 foreign oil firms by the end of the year, it said yesterday, as it strives to increase output by 1 million barrels per day over five years. Ashti Hawrami, minister of natural resources in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government, said five production sharing agreements have already been signed with the details to be released in the next few weeks. http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=173902&Sn=BUSI&IssueID=30003

5. Mystery of the Missing Meters: Accounting for Iraq's Oil Revenue -- The line of ships at the Al Basra Oil Terminal (ABOT) stretches south to the horizon, patiently waiting in the searing heat of the Northern Arabian Gulf as four giant supertankers load up. Close by, two more tankers fill up at the smaller Khawr Al Amaya Oil Terminal (KAAOT). Guarding both terminals are dozens of heavily-armed U.S. Navy troops and Iraqi Marines who live on the platforms. These two offshore terminals, a maze of pipes and precarious metal walkways, deliver some 1.6 million barrels of crude oil, at least 85 percent of Iraq's output, to buyers from all over the world. If the southern oil fields are the heart of Iraq's economy, its main arteries are three 40-plus inch pipelines that stretch some 52 miles from Iraq's wells to the ports. http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=14427&printsafe=1

6. Paging Hernando de Soto, Paging Hernando de Soto... -- Call it an economic and political victory for "New Iraq" -- and an indication that we may see more in the future. This past Monday, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's cabinet finally agreed to a reformed "oil law." The cabinet will forward the legislative package to the Iraqi parliament for action later this spring. The "oil reform" program in Iraq is long overdue, but the Iraqi government also deserves kudos for the effort. Democracy is often a slow, muddled and tedious operation (look at the U.S. Congress). http://www.tcsdaily.com/article.aspx?id=030107B

7. Education ministry plans to open three schools for gifted Iraqis -- Baghdad, March 11, (VOI) – Iraq's education ministry is about to open up three schools for the gifted, the ministry's media director said on Sunday. http://www.aswataliraq.info/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=39178&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

8. Iraq's Agriculture Bounces Back after Years of Neglect http://www.grd.usace.army.mil/news/releases/NR07-03-12-2.PDF

9. Electronic methods for calculating tax estimation -- The general manager of the Taxes General Office, Talib Jabir Abu Jueila, said that the Office is about to implement the latest programs and most modern methods in calculating the tax estimate of the taxpayer, in addition to introducing a very modern automatic system that maintains thousands of information concerning the taxpayers. http://www.iraqdirectory.com/DisplayNews.aspx?id=3238

10. Official: Israelis Should Invest in Iraq -- DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A U.S. defense official on Thursday encouraged Israelis to pump investments into Iraq's devastated economy. Paul Brinkley, U.S. deputy undersecretary of defense for business transformation, told a business conference here that Israelis were welcome in a country crying out for investment. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/fn/4634381.html

11. Czech exports to Iraq grow -- Czech exports to Iraq have been growing since 2003 when the main military operations ended in this Arab country, and Czech companies have recently gained the first large orders, for example for technology for local industrial companies. However, experts say that Czech companies took only a small part in Iraq's post-war renewal which in the last four years was financed mainly by the USA and Great Britain. http://www.iraqdirectory.com/DisplayNews.aspx?id=3448

12. War News Radio: Children of War http://warnewsradio.org/

END

Iraq Reconstruction News 23 March 2007

2007-04-04T15:38:00.001-07:00

Iraq Reconstruction News
23 March 2007

1. Pres. Bush Meeting on Iraq Reconstruction - 22 March 2007 -
http://switchboard.real.com/player/email.html?PV=6.0.12&&title=Pres.%20Bush%20Meeting%20on%20Iraq%20Reconstruction&link=rtsp%3A%2F%2Fvideo.c%2Dspan.org%2Fproject%2Firaq%2Firaq032207%5Fbush.rm

2. Brookings Iraq Index 22 March 2007 http://www3.brookings.edu/fp/saban/iraq/index.pdf

3. Iraq Weekly Status Report 21 March 2007 http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/82192.pdf

4. Stabilizing Iraq: Preliminary Observations on Budget and Management Challenges of Iraq's Security Ministries, by Joseph A. Christoff, Director, International Affairs and Trade, before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, House Committee on Armed Services. GAO-07-637T, March 22.http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-637T Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d07637thigh.pdf

5. Iraqi Defense Ministry Seeks to Buy U.S. Rifles All Things Considered, March 22, 2007 · Iraq's government has spent little of its own money on reconstruction projects — a fact that has drawn criticism from U.S. inspectors. But in one of its first major spending decisions, the Iraqi defense ministry is buying tens of thousands of U.S.-made assault rifles. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9083510

6. Two key Iraq parties oppose oil law -- BAGHDAD, (UPI) -- Two Iraqi political parties, including one of the former prime minister, said the draft hydrocarbons law should be tabled until the security situation improves. "We believe that the time is not right for dealing with this issue. We should, above all, deal with security matters before debating this draft," said Hussein al-Falluji, a member of Parliament representing the Iraqi Accordance Front, a Sunni party. http://www.upi.com/Energy/two_key_iraq_parties_oppose_oil_law/20070313-011332-2256r/

7. Iraq’s Kurds to go it alone on oil deals -- The Kurdistan regional government plans to triple the number of foreign oil companies operating in its region by the end of the year regardless of whether Iraq’s parliament passes a politically sensitive hydrocarbon law. In an interview, Ashti Hawrami, the Kurdish energy minister, said Kurdistan would become a hub for energy companies that were not ready to invest in the rest of Iraq because of security concerns. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/ad355e82-d895-11db-a759-000b5df10621,dwp_uuid=17aab8bc-6e47-11da-9544-0000779e2340.html

8. New dates confirmed for Iraq Oil, Gas, Petrochemical and Electricity Summit -- The Iraq Oil, Gas, Petrochemical and Electricity Summ it has been planned to take place in Amman, Jordan on May 28 to 30. The summit will welcome representation from the Iraqi Ministries of Oil, Industry and Minerals, and Electricity, as well as the Iraq Energy Council, Investment Promotion Agency and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Ministry for Natural Resources. It will also host many of the state companies operating under the Iraqi Ministry of Oil and senior representatives from the Iraq Reconstruction Management Office (IRMO). http://www.portaliraq.com/news/New+dates+confirmed+for+Iraq+Oil,+Gas,+Petrochemical+and+Electricity+Summit__1112489.html

9. Calibre Waiting on Equipment for Northern Iraq Well Test - Calibre Energy, Inc. on Thursday said that the Bina-Bawi 1 exploration well, located in Iraqi Kurdistan, was waiting on material and testing equipment for the planned testing of the well. As previously announced, the Bina-Bawi 1 reached a total depth of 3,355 meters (11,007 feet) and awaits the commencement of testing to determine the productive and commercial potential of at least three zones intersected by the well.
http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=42905

10. Audit: US Must Learn From Iraq Mistakes - The U.S. government must learn from its multi-million-dollar mistakes of poor contract oversight and bad planning in its Iraq reconstruction effort or risk repeating them there and elsewhere, investigators say. The audit released Thursday by Stuart Bowen Jr., the special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction, is the first to list in one place the series of mistakes, delays and missed opportunities in a four-year-old Iraq war and reconstruction effort that has cost taxpayers nearly $400 billion. http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/03/22/ap3542087.html

11. Najaf Factory to Make Garments for U.S., International Retailers - Blackanthem Military News, WASHINGTON, D.C. – A garment factory in Najaf, Iraq, will start supplying clothes to U.S. and international retailers in a few months, a senior U.S. official said in Baghdad yesterday. The Najaf facility is "one of the most state-of-the-art clothing factories I've seen," Paul A. Brinkley, deputy undersecretary of defense for business transformation, told reporters at a Baghdad news conference. "It will be providing garments to American and international retail beginning this summer." http://www.blackanthem.com/News/International_21/Najaf_Factory_to_Make_Garments_for_U_S_International_Retailers5180.shtml

12. Expanding Provincial Reconstruction Teams To Achieve Iraqi Self Reliance -- Under The President's New Way Forward For Iraq, The Number Of Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) Will Increase. PRTs are joint civilian-military units that support local leaders and empower provincial authorities by working closely with the communities they serve. The expansion is a joint Department of State-Department of Defense mission that will employ both civilian and military resources toward a common strategic plan. The Number Of PRTs Will Increase To 20 And In Personnel From 290 To Over 600. The Ten New PRTs Will Be Embedded In U.S. Brigade Combat Teams In Baghdad, Anbar, And North Babil Provinces. http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070322005724&newsLang=en

13. Inspector General Details Failures of Iraq Reconstruction -- The U.S. government was unprepared for the extensive nation-building required after it invaded Iraq, and at each juncture where it could have adjusted its efforts, it failed even to understand the problems it faced, according to the special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction. In a stinging, wide-ranging assessment of U.S. reconstruction efforts, Stuart W. Bowen Jr. said that in the days after the invasion, the Defense Department had no strategy for restoring either government institutions or infrastructure. And in the years since, other agencies joined the effort without an overall plan and without a structure in place to organize and execute a task of such magnitude. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/21/AR2007032102418.html?sub=AR

14. Reconstruction Audit Shows Need For Better U.S. Oversight in Iraq -- WASHINGTON -- The leaders of a Senate panel said Thursday that the Defense and State departments must work more closely together to avoid repeating multimillion dollar mistakes in the reconstruction of Iraq. Sen. Joseph Lieberman, chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, and Sen. Susan Collins(R., Maine) said they were considering legislation to create a commission to help fix problems after investigators found confusion and disarray in the four-year-old reconstruction effort.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117457342617045479.html?mod=special_page_iraq_1 The audit report is at http://online.wsj.com/documents/sigirMarch21.pdf

15. Iraqi Minister of Finance authorized to sign agreements of reorganizing Iraq's debts -- The government’s official spokesman, Ali Addabagh, said that the Cabinet decided to ratify the Convention of debt reduction signed with Paris Club during its tenth regular session. http://www.iraqdirectory.com/DisplayNews.aspx?id=3365

16. Crippled, Iraq leans on longtime enemy Iran for trade -- NAJAF, Iraq: While the Bush administration works to stop Iran from meddling in Iraq, Iranian air conditioners fill Iraqi appliance stores, Iranian tomatoes ripen on the window sills of kitchens here and white Iranian-made Peugeots sit in Iraqi driveways. Some Iraqi cities, including the oil- producing enclave of Basra, buy electricity from Iran. The Iraqi government is relying on Iranian companies to bring gasoline from Turkmenistan to alleviate a severe shortage. Iraqi officials are reviewing an application by Iran to open a branch of an Iranian national bank in Baghdad, and Iran has offered Iraq $1 billion in soft loans. http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/03/13/news/baghdad.php

17. Gulf investors invited to implement "Iraq Great Port" project -- Governor of Basrah, Muhammad Misbih Alwaeli, invited Arab (especially Gulf) and international companies to present designs concerning “Iraq Great Port” project which is intended to be set up at the mouth of Shatt al-Arab in the city of Faw, (100 km south of Basrah). Alwaeli stressed that “the project of the port is a first step in establishing a broad Iraqi investment base starting from Basrah, explaining that it would be built in a 100% safe area, located outside the city, and isolated from any political or party activity, as well as being protected by Iraqi forces, which will help inviting investors to examine it”. http://www.iraqdirectory.com/DisplayNews.aspx?id=3375

18. Halliburton retreats from Iraq logistics work -- Halliburton Inc. has recently taken steps to back away from its prominent role in federal contracting in the Middle East, with a late February announcement that it would sell its subsidiary KBR Inc. and a notice this weekend that it would move its corporate headquarters to the United Arab Emirates. Halliburton will move its headquarters from Houston to Dubai to focus greater attention on its Eastern Hemisphere operations, according to a Sunday announcement. The company, which was led by Vice President Dick Cheney before he took office, also recently announced that it would sell its controlling stake in KBR, a subsidiary that has been a conduit for criticism of the administration's military operations and reconstruction effort in Iraq. A federal contracting expert who asked not to be named said Halliburton's moves likely would help the company's image. "In the public mind, Cheney is linked with Halliburton … so it can't but help that they're moving out of government contracting," the expert noted. http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=36334&dcn=e_gvet

19. Iraq: Rebuilding combines high risk with rich rewards -- Like many of the tens of thousands of private contractors who descended on Iraq to grab a slice of the reconstruction pie, David, a US contractor who is reluctant to give out more than a first name, is tired. “I want out of Iraq”, he says as he arrives for another six-month stint in a country he has grown to love and to loathe, depending, he says, on the time of day. Clearly used to the security at Baghdad’s international airport, he saunters through the customs lines with his knapsack, ignoring demands by officials that he present himself for a baggage inspection. “If you keep walking, they often don’t bother to call you back”, he says, as he’s greeted outside by a team of South Africans who will provide him with a private security escort.
http://www.mmorning.com/ArticleC.asp?Article=4522&CategoryID=6

20. Violence taking a toll on Iraqi men's love lives -- BAGHDAD — Nashwan Habeeb quietly shouldered the stress of Baghdad's violence for more than two years. But when the anxiety crept into his bedroom and began affecting his performance with his wife, Habeeb sought help. He went to a nearby pharmacist and bought several pills — little blue knockoffs of the popular American drug Viagra. http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2007-03-08-iraqweek_N.htm

END

Iraq Reconstruction News 21 March 2007

2007-04-04T15:37:00.001-07:00

Iraq Reconstruction News
21 March 2007

1. Brookings Iraq Index 19 March 2007 http://www3.brookings.edu/fp/saban/iraq/index.pdf

2. Iraq Weekly Status Report 14 March 2007 http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/81911.pdf

3. GRD Iraq Reconstruction Report 20 march 2007 http://www.grd.usace.army.mil/news/releases/20070320.pdf

4. Inspectors general probe fraud, profiteering in Iraq -- CongressDaily -- The special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction told a Senate panel Tuesday that corruption is widespread in the Iraq government and among U.S. contractors. "First, corruption in Iraq has been -- and is -- a problem of great enormity within Iraq's government," Stuart Bowen told the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Commissioner of Public Integrity, the Iraqi equivalent of the FBI, has reported to Bowen that it is investigating 2,000 cases involving Iraqi officials and $8 billion in missing funds. http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0307/032007cdpm1.htm

5. Defense vows crackdown on fraud in Iraq -- WASHINGTON - Defense Department investigators said Tuesday they are going to be more aggressive suspending or barring companies from doing U.S. contract work in Iraq if they are involved in war profiteering there. Stuart Bowen, special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction, said taking such action is an effective tool, particularly when auditors are struggling to come up with enough detailed evidence for criminal prosecutions.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070321/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_iraq_fraud_7;_ylt=AlOZA8WcgVE_CcLWqU8SpKNX6GMA

6. Addax, Genel Enerji to Spend $120M on Iraq Oilfield Plans -- Addax Petroleum Corp.,(AXC.T) a Toronto Stock Exchange-listed oil company, and its Turkish joint venture partner Genel Enerji A.S. will spend as much as $120 million on exploring and developing an onshore oilfield in Iraqi Kurdistan that could produce 200,000 barrels a day of crude oil by 2009, a company official said Tuesday. Addax and Genel Enerji, which have set up a 45:55 joint venture called Taq Taq Operating Co., or TTOPCO, to operate in Iraq, will complete drilling of a third appraisal well in the Taq Taq development area in the country's north by early April, Addax asset manager Pradeep Kabra told Dow Jones Newswires on the sidelines of a Dubai conference. http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=42772

7. Moscow Hopes Iraq Oil Law Will Let Russian Firms In - 19/03/2007 - MOSCOW, (Reuters) - Russia, worried its firms may be frozen out of oil deals in Iraq, said on Monday it hoped a draft law regulating how Iraq's oil wealth is distributed will ensure Russian companies do not suffer discrimination. Moscow opposed the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. It is concerned that when the Iraqi government starts handing out new concessions, Russian companies will lose out to firms from countries that backed the military operation. http://aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=6&id=8361

8. Mutual benefit should unite Turkey with N. Iraq -- ARBIL – Turkish Daily News -- It is impossible to establish a strategic partnership between Turkey and the Kurds without basing the relations on mutual benefit and a common future, not on reciprocal nationalist slogans that poison relations. When considered from this angle, oil becomes a crucial ingredient. http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=68649

9. Iraq invites foreign firms to take part in oil tender - Azzaman - Iraq has issued a tender to drill 50 new oil wells in the southern Province of Missan. The director of the province’s oil fields, Ali al-Bahadli, said 13 foreign firms have been invited to take part in the tender aimed at boosting output by an additional 100,000 barrels a day. The Province of Missan is home to some of the largest hitherto unexplored Iraqi oil fields. http://www.azzaman.com/english/index.asp?fname=news%5C2007-03-18%5Ckurd1.htm

10. Iraq aims to produce 3.5 million barrel a day in 2011 -- Iraq says it wants to increase its production of crude oil to 3.5 million barrels per day by the year 2011, according to a reconstruction plan broadcasted in the United Nations on Friday. According to the plan, this will increase, by almost three times, Iraq’s proceeds from the export of crude oil to about $ 50 billion. http://www.iraqdirectory.com/DisplayNews.aspx?id=3453

11. Oil output still hovering at 2 million barrels daily -- Azzaman -- Iraq is currently producing about 2 million barrels of oil a day but hopes to increase output to nearly 3 million in the future. A statement on the website of Government Information Department said Iraqi engineering and technical corps had ‘ambitious plans’ to substantially boost oil production. The statement gave no details of these plans nor said when the country would manage to raise production by another million barrels. http://www.azzaman.com/english/index.asp?fname=news\2007-03-17\kurd.htm

12. Syria and Iraq sign Memo of Understanding on Electrical Power -- DAMASCUS, (SANA)-Syrian and Iraqi electricity ministries on Sunday signed a memo of understanding on a number of joint issues in the field of electrical power investment, distribution and connection. The memo states that both ministries study executive programs of electrical power linkage between the two countries' nets within the septet linkage system, it is expected that power linkage between Syria and Iraq be implemented next year. http://www.sana.org/eng/24/2007/03/18/108485.htm

13. Iraqi Planning Minister Courts Arab-American Investment - Washington – Iraqi Planning Minister Ali Baban urged Arab-American business leaders to seek economic opportunities in Iraq and said his government is working to make the country a stable environment for investment. “Any commercial or economic operation depends on stability, and this is the focus of the Iraqi government right now,” Baban told members of the National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce in Washington March 15. http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2007&m=March&x=20070315164115ndyblehs0.149914

14. INTERNATIONAL RECONSTRUCTION FUND FACILITY MOVES FORWARD FOLLOWING PRODUCTIVE DONOR COMMITTEE MEETING -- ISTANBUL, Turkey, March 20, 2007—The International Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq (IRFFI) Donor Committee Meeting concluded successfully today, with strong resolve from the international donor community, the United Nations and the World Bank to continue advancing Iraqi leadership on reconstruction efforts. They reaffirmed their support for IRFFI, which should remain an important vehicle for donors to support the implementation of the International Compact with Iraq. http://uniraq.org/

15. Business as 'Normal' in Baghdad's Markets - Weekend Edition Saturday, March 17, 2007 · Ken Stern, NPR's chief executive officer, visited Iraq this month to check on NPR's Baghdad bureau. Following is an entry from his Reporter's Notebook.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=8957798

16. CEC starts third year of Rebuild Iraq Recruitment Program (RIRP) - The third year after the beginning of the RIRP program shows that, the need for European companies to position themselves in the competitive environment in Iraq is more important than ever.
http://www.iraqdirectory.com/DisplayNews.aspx?id=3332

17. "Iraqi List" Deputy Bashes Draft Oil Law. Opposition MP Warns Against Passage until Occupation Ends -- The draft oil and gas law could lead to the “partition of Iraq” and the dissipation of its wealth, said Usama al-Najifi, former minister of industry and current member of parliament in the opposition Iraqi National List. Najifi said, “The oil law project in the form as sent to parliament is very dangerous, and in it is the partition of Iraq and the dissipation of its riches” http://www.iraqslogger.com/index.php/post/1900/Iraqi_List_Deputy_Bashes_Draft_Oil_Law

18. Rice: Number of provincial construction teams in Iraq will be doubled -- WASHINGTON — State Department officials will double the number of provincial reconstruction teams in Iraq and recruit more than 300 civilians to help man them in an effort to help stabilize that country, the secretary of state announced Tuesday. “We are transitioning our role,” Condoleezza Rice told members of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “This is to help Iraqis build their own democratic institutions and lead their own economic development at the provincial and local levels.” http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=43947

19. Iraq, Syria to sign economical accord http://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story_s.asp?StoryId=1093146195

20. Price Check: Baghdad Green Zone Burger King http://www.iraqslogger.com/index.php/topic/58

END

Iraq Reconstruction News 18 March 2007

2007-04-04T15:35:00.002-07:00

Iraq Reconstruction News
18 March 2007

1. KRG invitation to a seminar on Iraq's Oil and Revenue Sharing Laws -- An agreement on Iraq's draft oil law was reached by Iraq's main political players at the end of February 2007. This draft oil law includes several companion laws and annexes. KRG would like to invite you to a seminar on Thursday 22nd March from 10:30am to 2pm, in London (programme and a light lunch). http://web.krg.org/articles/article_detail.asp?LangNr=12&RubricNr=94,106,109&ArticleNr=16791&LNNr=28&RNNr=70

2. Syria looks for Iraqi crude import -- Syria is in talks with Iraq on linking their energy networks in a deal that could lead to the country importing Iraqi crude as its own production declines, a senior Syrian official said on Tuesday. Syria produces 400,000 barrels per day of crude, of which half is exported, but its two refineries in Homs and Banias have been unable to cope with domestic demand for fuel for years. http://www.champress.net/english/?page=show_det&id=4346
3. Iraq experts say draft oil industry law fraught with problems -- AMMAN (AFP) - Some Iraqi oil experts and politicians are aghast over their government's approval of a bill that many fear will deliver the country's oil wealth to international firms on a platter. In February, capping months of bitter wrangling, the Baghdad government approved a draft law that aims to distribute revenue from crude oil exports equitably across Iraq's 18 provinces and open the sector to foreign investors
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070318/ts_afp/iraqenergyoilpolitics_070318034607

4. Political comments on the draft of the Iraqi oil law -- Is Iraq in need of such an Oil Law? The International Oil Companies (IOCs), the US and UK administrations, and the IMF have to recognize that they will not be able to enforce an oil law which seems to be no less than the old concessionary model in a new guise. The experience of the past four years has proved that their policies could not be imposed even with the help of over 180,000 occupying forces and whilst the Iraqi state is on its knees. Such policies have instead resulted in the death of over two hundred thousand Iraqi civilians, more destruction to the country's infrastructure, more suffering to millions of Iraqis and complete failure in achieving any of their objectives. http://www.zmag.org/content/Showarticle.cfm?sectionID=15&itemID=12342

5. Poll: Despite violence only 26% preferred life under Saddam -- One in four (26%) Iraqi adults have had a family relative murdered in the last three years, while 23% of those living in Baghdad have had a family/relative kidnapped in the last three years. These are the findings released today from the largest poll into Iraqi opinion ever to be published. Carried out by UK polling firm O.R.B., which has been tracking public opinion in Iraq since 2005, the poll shows that despite the horrendous personal security problems only 26% of the country preferred life under the previous regime of Saddam Hussein, with 49% preferring life under the current political regime of Noori al-Maliki. As one may expect, it is the Sunnis who are most likely to back the previous regime (51%) with the Shias (66%) preferring the current administration. http://www.opinion.co.uk/Newsroom_details.aspx?NewsId=67

6. Iraq: reconstruction plan revealed -- An Iraq reconstruction plan described as "a tool to unlock the potential of the Middle Eastern nation" has been unveiled. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Iraqi Vice President Adel Abdul-Mahdi revealed the details of the International Compact with Iraq at a key UN conference. The five-year proposal calls for the country to be given international support in return for political, security and economic reforms. http://www.itv.com/news/world_cb7d12f9add3ac5884bff2c18d083847.html

7. Iraqi delegation prepares for opening of formal World Trade Organization accession talks -- Seventeen members of Iraq's National Committee and World Trade Organization (WTO) Unit, which coordinate the country's WTO accession effort at the inter-ministerial level, prepared for the opening of the WTO accession negotiations and the convening of the first WTO Working Party (WP) meeting in Geneva in a four-day workshop organized by the U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID) Izdihar program. http://www.portaliraq.com/news/Iraqi+delegation+prepares+for+opening+of+formal+World+Trade+Organization+accession+talks__1112499.html

8. Iraq presents economic and political plan at U.N. -- Associated Press -- UNITED NATIONS — The Iraqi vice president presented his country's economic and political reform plan at a U.N. conference Friday, pledging to adopt a law to the Iraq's oil riches among its often feuding regions and a program to grant amnesty for insurgents who renounce violence. Adel Abdul-Mahdi urged international support for the Iraq Compact, a five-year plan that requires the government to enact key political and economic reforms during its transition to financial self-sufficiency and integration into the regional and global economy. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070316.wuniraq16/BNStory/Front

9. Mandating the private sector to import oil derivatives and distribute them -- The Iraqi Oil Ministry determined special mechanisms for the import of oil derivatives by the private sector. Minister of Oil, Hussein Shahrastani, said in a symposium held by the ministry with the owners of private companies: “The economic policy of the State tends to stimulate the private sector in order to be able to import oil derivatives and distribute them to citizens”. http://www.iraqdirectory.com/DisplayNews.aspx?id=3394

10. Iranian private sector ready to invest in Iraq, Khamoushi -- Iranian private sector is ready to make investments and create industry on its common borders with Iraq, Head of Iran's Chamber of Commerce, Industries, and Mines Alinaqi Khamoushi said on Thursday. Speaking in the "Iran-Iraq Joint Commercial Meeting", Khamoushi added that Iran is also willing to set up food processing plants and construction materials production plants to produce brick, cement, lime, and gatch (plaster) for reconstruction operations within 50-km depth inside Iranian borders with Iraq. http://www.zawya.com/story.cfm/sidZAWYA20070309071809/SecMain/pagHomepage

11. Gunmen blow up communication tower in Ramadi - Ramadi, March 9, (VOI) - Unidentified gunmen blew up on Friday a communication tower in Ramadi, Anbar province, using explosive charges, a security source said. http://www.aswataliraq.info/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=39037&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

12. Iraqi businessmen ask government to stop flight of capital -- Azzaman, March 11, 2007 -- Wealthy Iraqis are fleeing with their capital to neighboring states, dealing a heavy blow to the country’s war-torn economy. According to Mohammed Majeed, a private entrepreneur, the last few months saw “massive flight” of capital from the country. http://www.azzaman.com/english/index.asp?fname=news\2007-03-11\kurd2.htm

13. IMF extends $715 mln Iraq loan program by 6 months - WASHINGTON, March 13 (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday extended Iraq's $714.7 million loan accord to Sept. 28 at the government's request and said the country faced an important juncture in its economic recovery amid increased violence. Iraq has treated the loan as precautionary finance and has not drawn down on it since its approval in December 2005. "Despite very difficult political and security circumstances, the Iraqi authorities have taken important measures to keep their economic program on track," IMF Deputy managing Director Takatoshi Kato said in a statement.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N134

14. Tehran to host first Iran-Iraq economic meeting in April http://www.mehrnews.ir/en/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsID=457194

15. Iraqi music a reflection of country's hardships -- SULAIMANIYAH, IRAQ -- Farouk Hassan's eyes well up with tears as he cranks his car's CD player and sings along with the latest hit, a lament to his lost love -- violence-torn Baghdad. But it is not just the song's lyrics that encapsulate the tragedy of Baghdad's bloodshed. http://www.guelphmercury.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=mercury/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1174130602314&call_pageid=1050067726078&col=1050421501457

END

Iraq Reconstruction News 16 March 2007

2007-04-04T15:35:00.001-07:00

Iraq Reconstruction News
16 March 2007

1. Measuring Stability and Security in Iraq March 2007 http://www.defenselink.mil/home/pdf/9010_March_2007_Final_Signed.pdf

2. Guarding Iraq's oil platforms, and its income -- IN THE PERSIAN GULF -- A Ukrainian cargo ship that inadvertently sailed into protected waters around Iraqi oil platforms in the Persian Gulf ignited a rapid security crackdown Wednesday morning, displaying some of the measures coalition forces take to protect the platforms. Ships rushed to intercept the cargo vessel. http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=43972

3. Iraqi leader says he has until June 30 to divvy up oil wealth -- BAGHDAD --Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki fears the Americans will torpedo his government if parliament does not pass a law to fairly divvy up the country’s oil wealth among Iraqis by the end of June, close associates of the leader told The Associated Press on Tuesday. http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/story.html?id=20443a9a-db51-4092-85e4-6dceafb870fb&k=88520

4. ‘Iraq not negotiating with oil majors yet’ - VIENNA: Iraq is not conducting negotiations yet with major oil companies on new oilfield developments, although they wait keenly in the wings, Iraqi Oil Minister Hussain al-Shahristani said on Thursday. He said that Baghdad was waiting first for its new oil sector law to pass through parliament. “We are not negotiating with any major oil companies for the time being, we are waiting for the hydrocarbons law to be enacted by the parliament,” Shahristani said. http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C03%5C16%5Cstory_16-3-2007_pg5_18

5. Unesco faces uphill task in Iraq: Official -- Doha -- Iraq is where Unesco is facing it greatest challenge in combating illiteracy. "The challenges faced by the education sector in the post-conflict Iraq is mind-boggling. With children witnessing blood baths in schools, militia making frequent rqids at schools many a parents have stopped sending their children to schools in several areas," said a senior Unesco official who is in-charge of Education Planning and Management in the country.
http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com:80/Display_news.asp?section=Local_News&subsection=Qatar+News&month=March2007&file=Local_News200703154957.xml

6. Chinese company to set up power plant in Wassit - Kut, March 14, (VOI) - A Chinese company is to set up a power plant with a design capacity of 1,320 MW in north of Kut, 180 km southeast of Baghdad, at cost of $750 million, a source at Wassit electricity department said on Wednesday.
http://www.aswataliraq.info/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=39439&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

7. Iraq asks China firm to hurry power plant -- BAGHDAD, March 15 (UPI) -- Iraq is urging the Chinese power company building a power plant southeast of Baghdad to hurry because of the ongoing electricity shortage. http://www.upi.com/Energy/iraq_asks_china_firm_to_hurry_power_plant/20070315-121406-7297r/

8. Electricity Workers in Kirkuk took a Strike Action http://www.iraqitradeunions.org/archives/000854.html

9. UN chief to convene international meeting on Iraq reconstruction -- UNITED NATIONS, March 15 (APP) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has scheduled an international meeting here on Friday aimed at assisting Iraq’s reconstruction and recovery, his spokesperson Michele Montas said Wednesday.
http://www.app.com.pk/en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5881&Itemid=2

10. Contractor could lose $400 million -- Military contracting giant KBR Inc. could be docked up to $400 million for improperly using private security companies in Iraq, the company disclosed this week. The Army has already said it withheld about $20 million in payments to KBR's parent company, Halliburton, because the company's subcontractors used private security contractors, including North Carolina-based Blackwater USA. Army officials have said that private security companies were not allowed under Halliburton's main contract in Iraq and that the military was to provide security. http://www.newsobserver.com/102/story/548701.html

11. Iraqi : Reconstruction Projects are Big Improvements -- BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Reconstruction efforts are providing successful, tangible results in the lives of Iraqis every day, said the commanding general of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Brig. Gen. Michael J. Walsh addressed the media at two press conferences recently at the Combined Press Information Center -- one with Adm. Mark Fox from Multi-National Force -- Iraq, the other with Ambassador Joseph Saloom from the Iraq Reconstruction Management Office. http://www.waterandwastewater.com/www_services/news_center/publish/article_001211.shtml

12. Chief Arab economist stresses support for Iraq -- CAIRO (KUNA) -- Secretary-General of the Arab Economic Unity Council Ahmed Gweli stressed here Tuesday that the council supported Iraq's national economy. The council affiliated to the Arab League said in a release that Gweli met with a delegation of the Iraqi Commission, led by Basel Al-Azawi, affirming the council's support for Iraq's stability, security, unity and economy. http://www.zawya.com/story.cfm/sidKUN0139070306210000/SecMain/pagHomepage

13. US Investigator Says Iraqis Steadily Taking Over Reconstruction -- Speaking to VOA by telephone from Baghdad, Special Inspector-General Stuart Bowen says the time has come for Iraq to shoulder the financial burden of its reconstruction. "The theme, and why this theme is such an important watershed moment, is that it marks the end of the phase wherein the United States will bear the preponderant financial burden for the relief and reconstruction of Iraq," said Stuart Bowen. "That burden has now in earnest shifted to the Iraqis and the Iraqi government." http://voanews.com/english/2007-02-28-voa64.cfm

14. Iraq's political and economic bullet -- Several economists and economic development experts argue that land –specifically “land reform” – is key to ending Iraq’s complex civil conflict. Among them is Peter Schaefer. Schaefer served in Vietnam as an American military intelligence officer then in the mid-1970s became deeply involved in economic development analysis and property right issues. His is also a former adviser to Peruvian economist Hernando De Soto. http://austinbay.net/blog/?p=1650

15. Courthouse Project helps build a secure self-governing Nation http://www.grd.usace.army.mil/news/releases/NR07-03-05.pdf

16. Car washing. good job for the jobless -- Karbala, March 3, (VOI) – Work in garages and car service centers in the holy Shiite city of Karbala, 108 km southwest of Baghdad, is flourishing as many Iraqis consider car washing to be a nice source of income and a way to avoid the endless queues of job seekers. http://www.aswataliraq.info/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=38592&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

END

Iraq Reconstruction News 15 March 2007

2007-04-04T15:34:00.000-07:00

Iraq Reconstruction News
15 March 2007

1. U.S., Iraq Launch Campaign To Cut Oil Smuggling -- BAYJI, Iraq -- U.S. and Iraqi forces have launched an aggressive campaign to curb the oil smuggling that is helping to destabilize the fragile Baghdad government and finance insurgents, adding another facet to the Bush administration's latest pacification plan for Iraq. In concert with stepped-up military and reconstruction initiatives, U.S. troops for the first time are maintaining a round-the-clock presence at the sprawling oil refinery here, Iraq's largest. Soldiers from the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division also are cracking down on illegal gasoline stations, arresting refinery workers suspected of corruption and using sophisticated data-sifting methods to identify which senior Iraqi officials might have ties to black-market oil rings. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117390152327937156.html?mod=special_page_iraq_1

2. Syria wants to rebuild Iraq pipeline -- DAMASCUS, Syria, March 14 (UPI) -- Syria wants to increase imports of Iraqi oil by rebuilding a pipeline, as well as become a main export route for Iraq to other markets. Abdallah al-Dardari, Syria's deputy prime minister for economic affairs, said it wants to be Iraq's main exporter via its Mediterranean terminal at Banias and also use the oil to fuel three new refineries, upstreamonline.com reports. http://www.upi.com/Energy/syria_wants_to_rebuild_iraq_pipeline/20070314-115640-3899r/

3. Operation Iraqi Freedom: Preliminary Observations on Iraqi Security Forces' Logistical Capabilities, by William M. Solis, director, defense capabilities and management, before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, House Committee on Armed Services. GAO-07-582T, March 9.http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-582T Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d07582thigh.pdf

4. Iraq: SOMO reduces oil selling prices -- (MENAFN) An official at the Iraqi Oil Ministry announced that the Iraqi oil Marketing Company (SOMO) will reduce Basra light crude oil-selling prices to a number of foreign buyers, on the basis of the ministry's laws next April, Iraq Directory reported. http://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story_s.asp?StoryId=1093146322

5. Shell Eyes Developing Gas Field-Iraqi Official (14/03/2007) -- Royal Dutch Shell PLC has expressed its willingness to the Iraqi government to invest in Iraq's gas fields and to set up a pipeline that would connect these gas fields to Europe via Turkey, a senior Iraqi oil official said Tuesday. "There are attempts by Shell to open talks with the Iraqi government to develop Iraq's vast gas fields," the senior official at the Iraqi Oil Ministry told Dow Jones Newswires. http://www.energia.gr/indexengr.php?newsid=13502&lang=en

6. UN Conference to discuss Iraq's reconstruction http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=2665&sectionid=3510202

7. Istanbul talks next week to promote Iraqi reconstruction - The New Anatolian/Ankara - Istanbul will host key meetings next week for the reconstruction of Iraq, including the Reconstruction Forum of Iraq and the fifth meeting of the International Reconstruction Fund Facility for the Iraq Donor Committee. Turkish diplomatic sources told the New Anatolian yesterday that the Reconstruction Forum of Iraq is planning to be held in Istanbul on Monday. The meeting, moderated by Iraqi Planning Minister Ali Baban, is planning to seek ways to promote Iraqi reconstruction. http://www.thenewanatolian.com/tna-24209.html

8. Iraq Should Pay For for Its Reconstruction, Rep. Albio Sires (D.NJ) http://blog.thehill.com/2007/03/14/iraq-should-pay-for-for-their-reconstruction-too/

9. Iraq reconstruction summit 28-29 March 2007 http://www.ameinfo.com/111914.html

10. World Bank to boost Iraq presence despite shooting - (WASHINGTON, (Reuters) - The World Bank's No. 2 official on Friday defended the lender's decision to ramp up its presence in Iraq after a staff driver was caught in cross-fire and wounded at a checkpoint in Baghdad last month. Managing Director Juan Jose Daboub said the World Bank regretted the incident and had evacuated the Iraqi man to neighboring Jordan for treatment. "We are in many countries and Iraq is not an exception," Daboub, who visited Baghdad last month for discussions with the Iraqi government, told Reuters in an interview. http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/SODA-6YZ3L6?OpenDocument&rc=3&cc=irq

11. Iraq to carry out $270m reconstruction projects -- (MENAFN) An Official at the Iraqi Ministry of Planning announced that the ministry's Strategic Board of Reconstruction has approved eighteen reconstruction projects at a total cost of $270 million, Iraq Directory reported.
http://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story_s.asp?StoryId=1093144428

12. Minister says power supplies to improve in summer -- Azzaman -- The Minister of Electricity says Iraqis will see improvements in the supply of power in the summer. The pledge by Kareem Waheed is the latest in a series of broken promises to improve the country’s ailing national grid which has been worsening since the 2003 U.S. invasion. http://www.azzaman.com/english/index.asp?fname=news\2007-03-05\kurd.htm

13. Industry being revitalised in Iraq: US official -- BAGHDAD (AFP) - Industry is being revitalised in Iraq, despite the raging violence, and creating lucrative openings for entrepreneurs brave enough to do business here, a top US official insists. Paul Brinkley, the Pentagon's deputy under secretary for business, has been touring Iraq for the past week with some 45 US business executives. He told AFP in Baghdad that many dormant state-owned factories would start firing up again "within months."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070304/pl_afp/iraqeconomyindustry

14. Assaulting Iraq's thinkers - Baghdad's once-vibrant book culture is another casualty of the war -- MONDAY'S BOMBING of the Mutanabi book market in Baghdad was a new low in the violence ripping through Iraq. The symbolism was clear: The suicide car-bomber wanted to strike at the heart of Iraq's intellectual life. Nearly four years ago, looters rampaged through the Iraq National Museum, set fire to the National Archives in Baghdad and burned down the Koranic library at the Ministry of Religious Endowment shortly after that. Priceless books and documents, letters from Ottoman and other Arabic courts, the written records of a thousand years or more, went up in smoke. And now this. http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-oe-das10mar10,1,287694.story?coll=la-news-comment

15. Nasiriyah Drainage Pump Station turned over to Iraqi Government http://www.grd.usace.army.mil/news/releases/NR07-03-05-2.pdf

END

Iraq Reconstruction News 14 March 2007

2007-04-04T15:33:00.000-07:00

Iraq Reconstruction News
14 March 2007

1. Three cheers for Iraq's new hydrocarbon law. The recent hydrocarbon law, approved after much wrangling by Iraq's council of ministers, deserves a great deal more praise than it has been receiving. For one thing, it abolishes the economic rationale for dictatorship in Iraq. For another, it was arrived at by a process of parley and bargain that, while still in its infancy, demonstrates the possibility of a cooperative future. For still another, it shames the oil policy of Iraq's neighbors and reinforces the idea that a democracy in Baghdad could still teach a few regional lessons. http://www.slate.com/id/2161629/

2. ConocoPhillips says working with oil ministry on Iraq field plan -- HOUSTON (MarketWatch) -- ConocoPhillips ) is working with the Iraq Oil Ministry and Russia's OAO Lukoil Holdings on a development plan for the West Qurna field, a ConocoPhillips executive said Wednesday. "We're doing a lot of work with the ministry and Lukoil on developing" a plan for West Qurna, Bill Berry, executive vice president for ConocoPhillips, said at a meeting with analysts that was Webcast from New York. http://www.marketwatch.com:80/news/story/conocophillips-says-working-oil-ministry/story.aspx?guid=%7BFF2B00BE-4E8F-4D38-9CF3-786A10255780%7D

3. ConocoPhillips studying Iraq opportunity -- ConocoPhillips said Wednesday it is talking with Iraq's oil ministry about possible projects, while continuing to work on plans to develop an Iraqi oil field in partnership with Russia's OAO Lukoil. Chairman and Chief Executive James Mulva said the Houston-based company is continuing to look at development plans for Iraq's West Qurna field with Lukoil, in which ConocoPhillips holds close to a 20 percent stake. Lukoil's West Qurna deal initially dates to the Saddam Hussein era, and Mulva said he hopes it is affirmed. http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8NS7OLG0.htm

4. Oil law key to US support for Iraq government: Maliki associates -- [JURIST] Passage of a draft law aimed at dividing oil proceeds among various religious and ethnic groups in Iraq is critical to continued US support of the current Iraqi government, associates of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki [BBC profile] told AP Tuesday. http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2007/03/oil-law-key-to-us-support-for-iraq.php

5. Large oil refinery to be built in Karbala - Karbala, March 13, (VOI)- Iraqi oil ministry agreed to build a large oil refinery in Karbala, 110 km southwest of Baghdad, head of Karbala provincial council said on Tuesday. "Oil minister informed the provincial council during his visit to Karbala two days ago that the ministry agreed to build a large refinery in the province," Abdul-Al al-Yasseri told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
http://www.aswataliraq.info/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=39350&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

6. South Korean Troops Behind Kurdish Area's Economic Growth -- Irbil, Iraq -- As a C-130 military transport plane neared Irbil, 350 kilometers north of Baghdad, it started a roller-coaster descent aimed at dodging ground-to-air attacks. Some were airsick during the bumpy 10-minute landing, while others appeared to be enjoying the rare experience. Ten reporters and a television camera crew traveling from South Korea were asked to wear helmets and bulletproof jackets, which reminded them that they were in a battlefield. Upon arriving at a small airport here, the visitors were guarded by heavily armed South Korean soldiers and Iraqi security forces. http://www.aina.org/news/20070310142256.htm
7. New Iraqi oil law clears path for TPAO in N. Iraq -- A ministerial meeting next week bringing together Turkish and Iraqi officials will discuss Ankara's plans for oil exploration in northern Iraq after Iraqi Kurds last month dropped their demands for autonomy in awarding contracts and administering revenues, clearing the road for Turkish involvement in the oil business in the region.
http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=105392&bolum=106

8. A new air line between northern Iraq and Turkish coast http://www.iraqdirectory.com/DisplayNews.aspx?id=3358

9. Iraqis training in Singapore to rebuild their country -- A group of Iraqi diplomats began a three-week training programme here yesterday as part of Singapore's effort to help in Iraq's reconstruction, said the Foreign Ministry. http://www.todayonline.com:80/articles/175765.asp

10. Umm Qasr Substation Provides Reliable Power Supply - BASRAH, Iraq – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) recently turned over a 132 kilovolt electrical substation at the port of Umm Qsar to the Iraqi government’s Minister of Electricity. http://www.grd.usace.army.mil/news/releases/NR07-03-12.PDF

11. Bank Melli, Iraq branch http://www.ameinfo.com/113311.html

12. King of Spain confirms his country's commitment to reconstruction http://www.iraqdirectory.com/DisplayNews.aspx?id=3326

13. Soccer Field a Rare Respite from Baghdad Violence -- Weekend Edition Sunday, March 4, 2007 · Relentless violence in Baghdad has left the city largely divided along sectarian lines. But a small field in the Baghdad neighborhood of Karada provides a rare break from the violence. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7706182

END