Iraq Reconstruction News 17 January 2007

Iraq Reconstruction News
17 January 2007


1. Winds of Change Iraq Report, 15 Jan/07. http://www.windsofchange.net/archives/009359.php#more

2. Iraq Amended Draft Law Sets Out New PSA Model. Dow Jones Newswires. An amended copy of a draft Iraq hydrocarbon law sets out a new model for production-sharing agreements, or PSAs, with Western companies, a senior Iraqi oil official said Tuesday. Kurdish and Baghdad officials will meet this week to tackle their dispute over the paper, the official said. http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=40132

3. The Iraqi government and the Kurds. The Iraqi government and the Kurds in the north have reached a new settlement to an old dispute over authority to sign oil deals by the Kurds with oil companies, said Kurdish Prime Minister Najervan al-Barzani. Barzani said the talks he held earlier in the week in Baghdad were positive and culminated in overcoming thorny issue like oil, the budget of the region and others. http://www.omc.it/index.php?id=69&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=1070&tx_ttnews[backPid]=44&cHash=0c8fbe0a43

4. Iraqi cabinet may vote on oil law as soon as this week - White House. (KUNA) -- It appears there will be a vote by the Iraqi cabinet as early as this week on the Iraqi hydrocarbon law, White House spokesman Tony Snow said on Tuesday. The Iraqi government also is working "aggressively and assertively" on other reconciliation efforts, including revisions to the de-Baathification law and election law, Snow said during a White House briefing. http://www.kuna.net.kw/home/story.aspx?Language=en&DSNO=943174

5. White House: Iraq's Hydrocarbon Law Won't Nationalize Oil. www.gulfoilandgas.com Iraq's pending hydrocarbon law won't create a nationalized energy sector, White House spokesman Tony Snow said Friday, adding that American oil companies are likely to find business opportunities in the country. http://www.gulfoilandgas.com/webpro1/MAIN/Mainnews.asp?id=3998
6. Dollar demand down for second day in Iraqi Cenbank auction. Baghdad, Jan 16, (VOI) – Dollar demand declined for the second day running on Tuesday in Iraq’s central bank daily auction, reaching $24.505 million compared to $64.005 million on Monday. http://www.aswataliraq.info/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=35239&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

7. Rebuilding Teams Would Swell Under Bush's New Iraq Plan. BAGHDAD, Jan. 14 — As part of its latest plan to stabilize Iraq, the United States intends to more than double the number of regional reconstruction teams and to add nearly 400 specialists for existing and new teams, in fields from politics and the rule of law to agribusiness and veterinary care, according to an official outline of the plan. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/15/world/middleeast/15reconstruct.html?_r=1&n=Top%2fNews%2fWorld%2fCountries%20and%20Territories%2fIraq&oref=slogin

8. IWPR Iraq Press Monitor. http://www.iwpr.net/?apc_state=henmicrc-1-1168819200-2-1168905600-3-icr&o=c-1-1168819200-2-1168905600-3-icr&o1=month-1,year-2007&month=1&year=2007 and http://www.iwpr.net/?apc_state=henmicrc-1-1168819200-2-1168905600-3-icr&o=c-1-1168905600-2-1168992000-3-icr&o1=month-1,year-2007&month=1&year=2007

9. Analysis: Bush's 'surge' on Iraq's oil. WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 (UPI) -- It is unknown if President Bush's last-ditch effort to turn around the downward spiral that is today's Iraq will have any affect on its struggling oil sector. But the oil sector, like Iraq, suffers from factional and sectarian fighting and an overall dangerous security situation. Oil revenue funds 96 percent of Iraq's budget, a vital factor for the country with the world's third-largest oil reserves. Bush's plan is for about 21,000 more troops to target growing violence in and around Baghdad and Anbar Province. http://www.upi.com/Energy/

10. Navy Unit Protects Iraq's Oil Terminals. Commander Task Force 158 held a Boarding Officer Training Conference Jan. 5 aboard Ocean Six, the Navy's afloat forward operating base currently stationed in the North Arabian Gulf in support of maritime security operations. http://newsblaze.com/story/20070110075828tsop.nb/newsblaze/IRAQ0001/Iraq.html

11. U.S. teams try to rebuild a war-torn nation. KIRKUK, IRAQ — For nearly a year, a team of U.S. civilian and military officials has worked from small, sparsely furnished offices here trying to help Iraqi officials with their most urgent needs: building a local government and providing basic public services. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-fg-teams10jan10,0,7086265.story?coll=la-home-headlines

12. US Secretary of State: Kurds have no authority over oil in their region. London (KurdishMedia.com) 12 January 2007: U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice stated that Kurds do not have the right over oil in their areas, Reuters reported on Thursday. http://www.kurdmedia.com/news.asp?id=13878

13. Allocating 136,000 opportunities, $ 100m for idles. Al-Sabah. http://www.iraqdirectory.com/DisplayNews.aspx?id=2932

14. Iraq oil city rocked by attacks. KIRKUK, Iraq (AFP) Iraq's northern oil hub of Kirkuk has been rocked by attacks as insurgents shot dead two contractors and blew up a Shiite mosque under construction. http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070113/wl_mideast_afp/iraqunrest_070113093950

15. Iran, Iraq to hold talks on dredging border river, Abadan airport - MP. Text of report by Iranian Fars News Agency website. BBC Monitoring. The MP for Abadan has said: During the president's visit to the province of Khuzestan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been charged with the responsibility of talking to the Iraqi officials about planes approaching Abadan. Talking to the Fars news agency correspondent in Khuzestan, Abdollah Ka'bi said: Owing to the proximity of Abadan International Airport to the Iraqi border and some weather instability, the circling of approaching planes over Iraqi airspace is inevitable, which was the case prior to the [Iran-Iraq] war. He went on: Because of this problem, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is to pursue this matter and the dredging of the Arvand Rud [the Shatt al-Arab] as well as the opening of the CBC [proceeding letters in English] office in connection with the development of Abadan and Khorramshahr. The MP said: I ask the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to pursue these matters with Iraqi officials so that they would not be put on the back burner. Ka'bi noted: Due to problems on the approach to Abadan Airport, flights have been cancelled on many occasions. Finally, he said: Since the Arvand Rud has not been dredged for nearly 30 years, ships with high drafts have not been able to enter the river and this is one of the consequences of delaying the dredging. Source: Fars News Agency website, Tehran, in Persian 1427gmt 09 Jan 07

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