Iraq Reconstruction News 24 March 2007

Iraq Reconstruction News
24 March 2007


1. No sign of oil in repairing Iraq economy -- WASHINGTON, March 23 (UPI) -- The role oil could play in reviving Iraq's economy was conspicuously absent in a presentation by a Bush administration official Friday. Although more than 93 percent of Iraq's government revenue last year came from oil sales, the U.S. Commerce Department's undersecretary for international trade did not say specifically how the petroleum industry could rebuild Iraq's shattered economy. Franklin Lavin was part of a U.S. delegation to advise the Iraqi government on how to jump-start its economy, and added that Iraqi exports have steadily increased between 2004 and 2006, largely on the back of higher oil prices worldwide in recent years. http://www.upi.com/InternationalIntelligence/view.php?StoryID=20070323-040523-2243r

2. Kurdish oil move could start Iraqi energy rush --
A scramble for Kurdish oil licenses is expected this summer after Ashti Hawrami, the oil minister for Iraq's Kurdish republic, said on Thursday that he wants to achieve a production goal of one million barrels a day by 2012. Kurdistan's move signals that Iraq is poised to open its doors to foreign oil investment. Speaking in London, Dr Hawrami said that Kurdistan aied to be the "hub" for Iraq's future oil industry and would look to sign up to ten exploration contracts by the end of the year.
http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=106329

3. New fraud task force set up in Iraq -- WASHINGTON, March 23 (UPI) -- U.S. law and anti-corruption agencies are launching a task force to fight contracting fraud and crime in Iraq. The International Contract Corruption Task Force will comprise the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, the Defense Criminal Investigation Service, the Army Criminal Investigation Division" Major Procurement Fraud unit, the State Department inspector general, USAID IG, and the FBI, according to Thomas Gimble, the Pentagon IG, pf which DCIS is a part. http://www.upi.com/SecurityTerrorism/new_fraud_task_force_set_up_in_iraq/20070323-115341-6643r/

4. Kurds set to boost Iraq oil output -- LONDON: Iraq's Kurdish regional government expects to sign deals with at least 10 foreign oil firms by the end of the year, it said yesterday, as it strives to increase output by 1 million barrels per day over five years. Ashti Hawrami, minister of natural resources in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government, said five production sharing agreements have already been signed with the details to be released in the next few weeks. http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=173902&Sn=BUSI&IssueID=30003

5. Mystery of the Missing Meters: Accounting for Iraq's Oil Revenue -- The line of ships at the Al Basra Oil Terminal (ABOT) stretches south to the horizon, patiently waiting in the searing heat of the Northern Arabian Gulf as four giant supertankers load up. Close by, two more tankers fill up at the smaller Khawr Al Amaya Oil Terminal (KAAOT). Guarding both terminals are dozens of heavily-armed U.S. Navy troops and Iraqi Marines who live on the platforms. These two offshore terminals, a maze of pipes and precarious metal walkways, deliver some 1.6 million barrels of crude oil, at least 85 percent of Iraq's output, to buyers from all over the world. If the southern oil fields are the heart of Iraq's economy, its main arteries are three 40-plus inch pipelines that stretch some 52 miles from Iraq's wells to the ports. http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=14427&printsafe=1

6. Paging Hernando de Soto, Paging Hernando de Soto... -- Call it an economic and political victory for "New Iraq" -- and an indication that we may see more in the future. This past Monday, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's cabinet finally agreed to a reformed "oil law." The cabinet will forward the legislative package to the Iraqi parliament for action later this spring. The "oil reform" program in Iraq is long overdue, but the Iraqi government also deserves kudos for the effort. Democracy is often a slow, muddled and tedious operation (look at the U.S. Congress). http://www.tcsdaily.com/article.aspx?id=030107B

7. Education ministry plans to open three schools for gifted Iraqis -- Baghdad, March 11, (VOI) – Iraq's education ministry is about to open up three schools for the gifted, the ministry's media director said on Sunday. http://www.aswataliraq.info/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=39178&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

8. Iraq's Agriculture Bounces Back after Years of Neglect http://www.grd.usace.army.mil/news/releases/NR07-03-12-2.PDF

9. Electronic methods for calculating tax estimation -- The general manager of the Taxes General Office, Talib Jabir Abu Jueila, said that the Office is about to implement the latest programs and most modern methods in calculating the tax estimate of the taxpayer, in addition to introducing a very modern automatic system that maintains thousands of information concerning the taxpayers. http://www.iraqdirectory.com/DisplayNews.aspx?id=3238

10. Official: Israelis Should Invest in Iraq -- DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A U.S. defense official on Thursday encouraged Israelis to pump investments into Iraq's devastated economy. Paul Brinkley, U.S. deputy undersecretary of defense for business transformation, told a business conference here that Israelis were welcome in a country crying out for investment. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/fn/4634381.html

11. Czech exports to Iraq grow -- Czech exports to Iraq have been growing since 2003 when the main military operations ended in this Arab country, and Czech companies have recently gained the first large orders, for example for technology for local industrial companies. However, experts say that Czech companies took only a small part in Iraq's post-war renewal which in the last four years was financed mainly by the USA and Great Britain. http://www.iraqdirectory.com/DisplayNews.aspx?id=3448

12. War News Radio: Children of War http://warnewsradio.org/

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