Iraq Reconstruction News 13 February 2007

Iraq Reconstruction News
13 February 2007


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

2. IWPR Iraqi Press Monitor
http://www.iwpr.net/?apc_state=henmicr&o=c-1-1171238400-2-1171324800-3-icr&o1=month-2,year-2007&month=2&year=2007
http://www.iwpr.net/?apc_state=henmicrc-1-1171238400-2-1171324800-3-icr&o=c-1-1171324800-2-1171411200-3-icr&o1=month-2,year-2007&month=2&year=2007

3. Aspen Road Connects Southern Iraq with Kuwait http://www.grd.usace.army.mil/news/releases/NR07-01-31.pdf

4. Bridges To Babylon: New Fund Focuses On Iraq www.FINalternatives.com Foreign investors are not yet allowed to trade on the two-and-a-half-year-old Iraq Stock Exchange—“They have said, ‘within six months,’ for the last two-and-a-half-years,” Englund laments, though he adds optimistically, “there is a possibility it will happen by the end of the year, but nobody really knows”—so you need locals on the ground. http://www.iraqdirectory.com/DisplayNews.aspx?id=3128

5. SIGIR: Status of Ministerial Capacity Development in Iraq http://www.sigir.mil/reports/pdf/audits/06-045.pdf

6. Trade Minister: Most Iraqi cities ready for investment. Iraqi Trade Minister, Abdul-falah Assudani, said: “Most areas of the country live a stable and secure environment and are ready to invest, so if companies thought of working in Iraq, they would gain preference”. http://www.iraqdirectory.com/DisplayNews.aspx?id=3126

7. Derelict power plant symbol of Iraq woes - Associated Press, YOUSSIFIYAH, Iraq - A giant smokestack looms over the green pastures and lazily flowing canals south of Baghdad. There is no smoke - just the sense of lost economic potential and an uncertain future. Saddam Hussein promised the Youssifiyah power plant would serve homes across a 330-square-mile stretch of Iraq. Instead, the derelict compound has served as an insurgent stronghold, and is now a makeshift base for 300 U.S. and Iraqi soldiers. http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/journalgazette/16677183.htm

8. Iraqi-Syrian economic committees reviewing agreements between the two sides soon. Iraqi-Syrian economic and trade committees will begin their meetings in Damascus soon to review the conventions and protocols signed between the two sides before the war. The Associate Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade, Ghassan Habash, said that most of the agreements signed between Syria and Iraq are good and valid to organize the economic cooperation and some of them can be development if necessary. http://www.iraqdirectory.com/DisplayNews.aspx?id=3125

9. 'Billion-dollar' trade centre unveiled. An Iraqi consortium has completed the first stage of what was billed yesterday as the billion-dollar Nishan Trade Centre in Arbil, northern Iraq and is to boast three 25-storey office towers. http://www.iraqdirectory.com/DisplayNews.aspx?id=3124

10. Japan gov't to extend special law for Iraq reconstruction http://home.kyodo.co.jp/modules/fstStory/index.php?storyid=297977

11. M'sian Companies Invited To Participate In Iraq's Reconstruction. KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 13 (Bernama) -- Malaysian companies are invited to invest and participate in the reconstruction of Iraq, said Dr Humam Abdul Mageed of the United Iraqi Alliance. Dr Humam or better known as Sheikh Hammoudi, who is also the chairman of Iraq's constitutional review committee, said that among the sectors were power supply, oil refining, and reconstruction of buildings, highways and health facilities. http://www.bernama.com.my:80/bernama/v3/news.php?id=246805

12. Iraqi ministries failed to spend up to 50% of allocations last year, finance minister says. Azzaman, February 13, 2007. Finance Minister Baqer al-Zubaidi said Iraqi ministries could not spend most of the money earmarked for their projects in 2005. He said up to $9 billion of last year’s budget could not be utilized and they have been added to this year’s budget. http://www.azzaman.com/english/index.asp?fname=news%5C2007-02-13%5Ckurd.htm

13. Putin attempts to use Jordan to let Russia access Iraqi oil industry http://english.pravda.ru:80/russia/economics/13-02-2007/87361-Putin_Jordan-0

14. Iranian company to construct 3 hospitals in Iraq. Iran Construction Investment Company (ICIC) has won bids to construct three 200-bed hospitals in the main Iraqi cities of Karbala, Najaf and Baghdad. http://www2.irna.ir:80/en/news/view/line-18/0702128967185243.htm

15. Diala University professors suffering fears of physical liquidation Baaquba, Feb 11, (VOI) – Physical liquidation of Diala University professors has lately been on the rise, particularly those marked by efficiency and enthusiasm like Dr. Walhan Hameed, the dean of the physical education college, who was killed early in February. http://www.aswataliraq.info/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=37095&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

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