Iraq Reconstruction News 25 January 2007

Iraq Reconstruction News
25 January 2007


1. Iraq Liberation and Reconstruction Performance Metrics. Here is an interesting series of weblog posts http://timelineview.blogspot.com/ by a researcher with a background in accurately measuring and depicting organizational performance. He looks at several leading statistical reports, such as the Brookings Iraq Index and The State Department's Iraq Weekly Status Report, and opines, "What's holding us back is that these data are neither readily-reusable in the sense we have been discussing in the blog, nor are they organized in a form to making then readily digestible by all interested citizens." He identifies the strong and weak parts of the reports and makes some recommendations regarding the presentation of the data and, last, gives his take on 34 of 142 Iraq factors key to identifying our progress. For the complete Iraq series go to http://timelineview.blogspot.com/2007_01_01_archive.html and start at 13 January 2007.

2. Iraq Struggles to Finish Oil Law. Forging an Agreement Requires Balancing Sharply Divided Interests, Ethnic Groups. Four months ago, about 80 oil company executives and consultants packed an office on St. James's Square in London for a briefing on exploration prospects in Iraq's Kurdish region and a Kurdish draft of an Iraqi national petroleum law. Despite the immense risks of working in Iraq -- pipeline explosions, kidnappings, insurgency, political infighting -- the oil company executives were lured by the potential rewards, which are immense, too. Outside Saudi Arabia, no country has proven oil reserves as big as Iraq's. And the oil there is high quality, easy and cheap to produce, and bottled up in reservoirs that many major oil companies were familiar with three decades ago before wars and sanctions drove them out. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/23/AR2007012301534.html

3. GRD Iraq Reconstruction Weekly Update 01/22/07. https://www.rebuilding-iraq.net/pls/portal/url/ITEM/07251F2EFBCA801DE040A8C00B0741F5

4. Auditors Report Billions in Reconstruction Waste and Fraud in Iraq. VOA.Com Government auditors told Congress Thursday that waste and fraud in the reconstruction of Iraq have been rampant. They predict they will uncover losses in the billions of dollars. Key Democrats on the House Armed Services Committee demanded an accounting within two months. http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-01-19-voa32.cfm

5. Lack of security in Iraq wasting U.S. aid-inspector. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - As much as 15 percent of $21.8 billion in U.S. reconstruction aid for Iraq may have been wasted largely because of the poor security situation, the U.S. inspector for rebuilding projects said on Thursday. The revelation comes as President George W. Bush planned to send 21,500 more U.S. troops into Iraq and to ask Congress for another $1.2 billion for rebuilding and jobs programs as part of his strategy to end sectarian violence in Iraq. http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=newsOne&storyid=2007-01-18T180952Z_01_N18449600_RTRUKOT_0_TEXT0.xml&src=011807_1510_DOUBLEFEATURE_iraq

6. New Iraqi police station under construction in Ramadi. Blackanthem Military News, AR RAMADI, Iraq – Engineers completed perimeter fortifications on an outpost destined to be an Iraqi Police station in the Sofia District of Ramadi Jan. 14. http://www.blackanthem.com/News/Allies_20/New_Iraqi_police_station_under_construction_in_Ramadi3636.shtml

7. Economic expert calls for the return of the Central Agency for prices. http://www.iraqdirectory.com/DisplayNews.aspx?id=2968

8. Economic researcher calls for the benefit from the expertise of the General Company for Cars. In supplying service offices to reduce the financial corruption and the role of intermediaries. The General Company for Cars and Machines Trade, one of the institutions of the Ministry of Commerce, has enough technical and material expertise to re-build all machines and repair service cars, which qualifies it to work in the service ministries. The company also possesses advanced garages and technical workshops, but they have not been invested yet. Why? http://www.iraqdirectory.com/DisplayNews.aspx?id=2987

9. Central Bank Governor: This year's budget focused on increasing investment in Iraq. http://www.iraqdirectory.com/DisplayNews.aspx?id=2990
10. Iraq: Electrical Power System. BG Michael Walsh of GRD discusses the Iraq Power System. http://www.grd.usace.army.mil/video/downloads/ele.zip

11. New oil law will lead to fair competition: Iraqi minister. BAGHDAD - A new draft hydrocarbons law will pave the way for "transparent and fair" competition in bids to develop Iraq's oil wealth, the oil minister said Sunday as he sought to restore the confidence of foreign investors. http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=0fb9195b-c2ec-4c38-9f2f-3ce8af222d00&k=66194

12. $10 million court building for Basra. http://www.azzaman.com/english/index.asp?fname=news\2007-01-20\kurd1.htm

13. Iraqi economy restoration remains hopeful after evaluation. 20 Jan 2007. The U.S. Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Business Transformation, Paul A. Brinkley, held a press conference concerning the status of the Iraqi economy at the Combined Press Information Center in the International Zone Thursday afternoon. http://www.iraqdevelopmentprogram.org/idp/news/new1471.htm

14. Kurdistan's new Erbil airport, with 5km runway, aims for regional hub role. Iraq’s northern region of Kurdistan is expecting to open a new $300 million international airport next year which the local government believes will be essential to attracting business to the area. While the Iraqi capital Baghdad remains highly volatile, the northern Kurdistan province’s primary city Erbil has been relatively stable – although it suffered a twin suicide bombing three years ago which killed scores of people including several high-ranking political figures, and another devastating bomb attack 15 months later. http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2007/01/24/211743/from-our-correspondent-in-iraq-kurdistans-new-erbil-airport-with-5km-runway-aims-for-regional.html

15. Temporary 'Enjoyment Marriages' In Vogue Again With Some Iraqis. BAGHDAD -- Fatima Ali was a 24-year-old divorcee with no high school diploma and no job. Shawket al-Rubae was a 34-year-old Shiite sheik with a pregnant wife who, he said, could not have sex with him. Ali wanted someone to take care of her. Rubae wanted a companion. They met one afternoon in May at the house he shares with his wife, in the room where he accepts visitors seeking his religious counsel. He had a proposal. Would Ali be his temporary wife? He would pay her 5,000 Iraqi dinars upfront -- about $4 -- in addition to her monthly expenses. About twice a week over the next eight months, he would summon her to a house he would rent.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/19/AR2007011901850.html

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