Iraq Reconstruction News 3 March 2007

Iraq Reconstruction News
3 March 2007


1. IWPR Iraqi Press Monitor http://www.iwpr.net/?apc_state=henmicrmonth-2,year-2007&o=c-1-1172620800-2-1172707200-3-icr&o1=month-2,year-2007&month=2&year=2007

2. War News Radio: One Step Forward - This week on War News Radio, we speak to an expert about the new plan for distributing Iraqi oil revenue.
http://warnewsradio.org/

3. Addax Reports Northern Iraq Discovery -- Addax Petroleum Corp. on Thursday announced flow test results for the TT-05 well, the second appraisal well recently drilled on the Taq Taq field by Taq Taq Operating Company (TTOPCO), the joint venture company formed by Genel Enerji A.S. (Genel) and Addax Petroleum to carry out the petroleum operations in the Taq Taq license area. http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=42019

4. Iraq: Draft Oil Law Aims To Please All Sides -- March 2, 2007 (RFE/RL) -- Iraq's cabinet this week endorsed a draft oil and gas law for the management of oil resources and an equitable distribution of revenues. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki hailed the achievement, telling reporters on February 26 that with the endorsement of the draft law, the government "lays the foundation stone for building the state." The law will now be submitted to parliament for ratification before it takes effect later this year. http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2007/3/85DF3EB6-D9C3-488E-9322-B572A098667C.html

5. Iraq: Summary Of Draft Oil Law -- March 2, 2007 (RFE/RL) -- On February 27, Iraq's cabinet approved a long-awaited federal oil law, with the aim of distributing oil revenues fairly among the regions. The law must now be approved by parliament to take effect. http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2007/3/9D033277-AE99-4AD3-B470-4008AA0040B8.html

6. Oil Unions warn American companies of investing oil fields - The oil investment law prepared by the experts of the Iraqi Ministry of oil is expected to be discussed by the Parliament during the next few days. This law grants American companies long-term contracts exceed thirty years under the principle of shared production contracts. Experts confirm that this law is an international legal cover for these companies to control oil sector and its management through exploiting the weak negotiating position of the Iraqi government to pass saw this law. http://www.iraqdirectory.com/DisplayNews.aspx?id=3239

7. Troubles for the Iraq Oil Deal -- Paris -- Barely two days have passed since Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki hailed the country's new petroleum law as a "solid base for unity of all Iraqis" -- a rare boast these days. President Bush has also trumpeted it as proof that Iraq has a viable future. But parliamentarians and Iraq's oil unions have already begun mobilizing against the draft legislation, arguing that it is a desperate attempt by al-Maliki's government to satisfy Western demands, which could damage Iraq's economic future and speed the country's ultimate disintegration. http://www.aina.org/news/20070228151758.htm

8. Turkish diplomatic sources say Ankara positive towards Iraqi oil bill - Text of report in English by Turkish news agency Anatolia. Ankara, 2 March: Ankara is positive towards Iraqi draft oil law as it includes elements that reinforce national integrity and centralization, according to Turkish diplomatic sources. Iraqi cabinet earlier approved the bill and sent it to parliament for consideration. According to Article 1 of the draft law, which refers to Article 111 of the Iraq's Constitution that mentions "oil and natural gas belong to whole Iraqi people", "owner of the oil and natural gas is all Iraqis in whole regions". Diplomatic sources said it has been observed that Iraqi groups reached a consensus on unity and integrity of the country. With the draft law, authorities pertaining to oil and natural gas, will not be in one hand and will be shared by various institutions. Sources said centralization has come forefront with the distribution of authority on exploration and use of rich natural wealth of Iraq. Ankara has still been examining the draft oil law in detail, and seeking ways to cooperate with its neighbour Iraq on bilateral oil trade. Ankara considers formation of a central oil policy, which the Kurds are a part of, important for prevention of fragmentation of Iraq. Source: Anatolia news agency, Ankara, in English 1506 gmt 2 Mar 07

9. Price Check in Baghdad Neighborhoods http://www.iraqslogger.com/index.php/post/1722/Price_Check_in_Baghdad_Neighborhoods

10. Full electricity in Baghdad 6 years off // WASHINGTON // Getting full-time electric power turned on in Baghdad, a key wartime goal toward which the United States has spent $4.2 billion dollars, won't be accomplished until the year 2013, U.S. officials said yesterday, in what others called a significant setback for the new U.S. initiatives to quell Iraq's bloody insurgency. Power outages in the Iraqi capital are frequent, leaving residents without electricity for an average of 17 or 18 hours a day. For most residents without personal generators, that means not just no lights but dead radios and televisions, heaters, washing machines and water pumps. http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nationworld/iraq/bal-te.powerless02mar02,0,644223.story?coll=bal-nationworld-headlines

11. Turkey, Iraq, U.S. to meet on Iraq oil -- ANKARA, Turkey, March 1 (UPI) -- Turkey's energy minister said Ankara was asked for help developing oil in northern Iraq and will meet with U.S. and Iraq officials this month. But Hilmi Guler said the negotiations will be with the central Iraqi government, not the Kurdish leaders that control the oil rich north and are at odds with Turkey. http://www.upi.com/Energy/turkey_iraq_us_to_meet_on_iraq_oil/20070301-034728-5869r/

12. Fast-Track Learning for Women - Until three months ago, Miryam Majeed’s early morning routine involved feeding her two children and starting on the day’s chores. But now there is a new task that gets her out of bed and fills her with enthusiasm – she has gone back to school. Now 29, Majeed from Chamchamal, 60 kilometres south of Sulaimaniah in Iraq’s Kurdish region, never received an education as a child. "My father didn’t let me go to school", she explained. Now she carries her books to classes four days a week, and spends several hours studying at home. http://www.iwpr.net/?p=icr&s=f&o=333554&apc_state=henpicr

13. Iraqi Mixed Marriages Under Siege In Conflict -- BAGHDAD -- The note was slipped under the door of May Mahmoud's shop. Neatly typed on a computer, it read: "You must leave your home. We give you three days. Or we will kill you." It was addressed to her husband. He was a Shiite Muslim. But she was a Sunni. Where would they go? http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/03/AR2007030300647.html

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