Iraq Reconstruction News 5 January 2007

Iraq Reconstruction News
5 January 2007


1. Iraqi PM urges Polish companies to invest in the country. (MENAFN) During a joint press conference with the Polish prime minister, the Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki confirmed his country's desire to attract Polish companies to invest in Iraq, Iraq Directory reported. http://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story_s.asp?storyid=1093137612#top

2. Kurdish struggle for Iraq's oil. One of the most common sights in Irbil is that of a mountain of jerry-cans stacked by a busy roadside. As a car draws up, a young man will rush over to the window and be handed a bundle of Iraqi dinars by the driver. In return, a cherry-coloured liquid will be poured in to the car's petrol tank. Welcome to a petrol station in Iraqi Kurdistan.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6211853.stm

3. Inspector General in Ministry of Oil : Oil is the only future bet to raise the standard of living for people. The Inspector General in the Iraqi Ministry of Oil, Ali Mohsin Al-Allaq, confirmed that recent statistics showed that the average annual income of the Iraqi individual reached 41 dollars, and that 54% of Iraqis spend less than a dollar a day, so oil is the only future bet to raise the quality of life, services and living in this country. http://www.iraqdirectory.com/DisplayNews.aspx?id=2877

4. Orascom Iraq licence extended. http://www.iraqdirectory.com/DisplayNews.aspx?id=2880

5. ID400b to advance services in Mosul. (Al-Sabaah) Ministry of Planning and Development Cooperation allocated 400 billion dinars to develop service fact in Mosul included in programs of construction projects acceleration and regions' development of 2007, A'arif Youssif member of the province council said. http://www.iraqupdates.com/p_articles.php/article/12955

6. IAEA: Iraq 2004. http://www.iea.org/Textbase/country/n_country.asp?COUNTRY_CODE=IQ

7. Iraq is suffering from intellects and capital migration. Iraq is suffering, from the phenomenon of migration, which include the intellects who survived the kidnapping and murder, as well as the migration of capitals presented by traders who were exposed, themselves their families, to kidnappings, theft, extortion, and even murder, which forced them to immigrate and seek refuge in several countries, like Syria, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and others. The impact of all this, consequently, affected the national income and the Iraqi market because of the continuing threat faced by those traders in their homeland. http://www.iraqdirectory.com/DisplayNews.aspx?id=2869

8. Interview with Iraq's Minister of Oil at December 2006 OPEC Conference. http://www.opec.org/home/multimedia/videos/2006/143%20meeting/interviewiraqmin.htm

9. Foreign investors eye Iraq oil. UPI Energy Watch -- Potential outside investment in Iraq's oil sector is increasing despite a lack of governing oil law. Two rival Indian companies are working together to obtain a field in Iraq's south. Meanwhile a Norwegian company already involved in the Kurdistan oil sector in Iraq's north increased its share of an oil field. And just last week Iraqi and Russian officials were discussing renewed investment by Russian companies.
http://www.upi.com/Energy/view.php?StoryID=20070102-021310-3707r

10. Iraq: The insurance companies are multiplying their rates. TR Newswires. Sources close to the Iraqi Foreign Ministry say the United States and Britain will urge the Iraqi government to increase its financial guarantees for the insurance companies that are planning to cover the oil sector in Iraq. Most of these companies are either American or British. http://www.tacticalreport.com/Articles/Newswires/20122006.htm

11. Australia's Aid Program (AusAID) in Iraq. The activities of Australia's Aid Program (AusAID), the equivalent of USAID or UK DFID, in Iraq is described at http://www.ausaid.gov.au/country/country.cfm?CountryID=54777444&Region=AfricaMiddleEast

12. Iraq Resumes Kirkuk Oil Flow to Ceyhan. www.gulfoilandgas.com Iraq resumed pumping Kirkuk crude oil to the Turkish export terminal of Ceyhan Monday after a two-week suspension, an Iraqi oil official said Tuesday. He said some 150,000 barrels were pumped, bringing stocks of Iraqi crude at Ceyhan to 3.65 million bbl.
http://www.gulfoilandgas.com/webpro1/MAIN/Mainnews.asp?id=3967

13. Violence pulls plug on Baghdad bath time. Three bathers recline in the relaxation room of an Iraqi hammam, the only ones brave enough to risk their lives to savour a centuries-old Middle Eastern ritual now dying out in terrorised Baghdad. Relaxing at the end of his steam bath and sipping herbal tea -- "good for staving off flu" in the biting winter -- Ali risked a lengthy drive across the war-racked capital to wash after the electricity went off at home. http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20061226/wl_mideast_afp/iraqunrestsociety_061226162539