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  1. #1

    The Dinar Daily, Friday January 30, 2015





    The Exchange Rate of Foreign Currency in Economic Feasibility Studies

    Below are the central controls related to the exchange rate of the foreign currency to convert the project inputs and outputs from foreign currency to its equivalent in the local currency, and that is by calculating the net discounted present value standard and the internal return on investments in economic analysis that governs investment projects that costs excess one million dinars.

    Estimate the shadow price of foreign currency:

    1. It is necessary to put central controls to amend the official exchange rate * to reflect the shadow price of the foreign currency, and that is considered one of the necessary requirements to implement the net discounted present value standard and the internal return rate on investment in the economic calculation stated in the instructions, paragraph nine.

    The central controls for adjusting market prices distinguished a group of outputs and inputs traded internationally, where the projects production or usage of them is reflected on the abundance of foreign currency in the economy and thus project outputs or inputs used of such are considered purely foreign currency outputs or inputs.

    * What is meant by exchange rate: the number of units of foreign currency, expressed in dollar per one dinar.In particular the following outputs and inputs of foreign currency were distinguished:


    • Export-outputs.
    • Outputs marketed locally that substitute imports.
    • Imported inputs.
    • Inputs produced locally that usually go to exports.
    • Foreign labor.


    According to the pricing rules the value of the output and input (traded) is calculated using export prices (FOB) and import prices (CIF), according to what is listed in the pricing rules.

    In other words the pricing rules calculate what the project produces from foreign currency (quantity of exports multiplied by the export price (FOB) in foreign currency or the quantity of substitute imports multiplied by the import price (CIF) in foreign currency, as well as what the project uses from foreign currency and imported inputs multiplied by the import price (CIF) in foreign currency …. etc.).

    In a later step, project outputs and inputs must be converted from the foreign currency to its equivalent in local currency (dinars) by using a specific exchange rate for the foreign currency.

    2. Justifications for exchange-rate adjustment: there are a number of important and powerful arguments which support the view that the official exchange rate reduces the real value of foreign currency for purposes of calculating the economic national profitability for investment projects and hence for the purposes of investment planning. It is demonstrated in this context to call for assessing the dinar for less than (3.208) dollar (official exchange rate) when assessing project outputs and inputs of traded goods of exports, substitute imports and imports… etc.

    The justifications to call for the use of an exchange rate that is lower than the official exchange rate are:


    • The use of an exchange rate that is lower than the official rate is the appropriate action at the investment planning level to translate the country’s economic strategy aiming at stimulating central investments in the sectors that encourage the development of non-oil exports, as well as sectors that encourage the expansion of domestic production base in order to reduce imports and compensate it with local commodities. This helps to reduce reliance on foreign exchange earnings from crude oil exports and increases the share of non-oil sectors in the local production.
    • The application of the amended exchange rate on project imported inputs will assist in directing investments away from aggregated sectors dependent on imported inputs and the preference of those sectors that rely on locally produced inputs.
    • The use of the amended exchange rate helps to correct the balance in favor of the traded goods sectors compared to non-traded goods.
    • The real exchange rate has declined rapidly since the early seventies, through rapid rise of the level of prices and local costs which led by the steadiness of the official exchange rate to change in prices and actual local rate costs that gave an advantage for imported goods at the expense of locally produced goods, meaning that it led to deterioration of the competitiveness of alternative replacement goods and export commodities.
    • This action shows that the official exchange rate overestimates the value of the dinar, compared to the foreign currency and from the promoting goods substituting imports and export commodities point of view of.


    And in support to this view is the state’s utilization and in a broad approach to the customs and quantitative protection policies especially for consumer goods, as well as export subsidies that exports have through an amended export exchange rate.

    3. Estimate the amended exchange rate of the Iraqi dinar to be used in technical and economical feasibility studies and for (1.134) dollar per dinar. This price should be approved for 3 years until re-appreciation by the competent authorities.



    The Republic of Iraq – Ministry of Planning

    and

    A "flashback recap" of a Live Q and A Call from about a year ago - on THE DAILY DINAR NEWS BLOG...

    In general terms – there were three main focal points of interest I wanted to cover and then allow listeners to ask whatever questions they liked.

    1) the SIGR report…


    2) the Gold Article…


    3) the IIER report…


    I started the conversation out last night by highlighting how crazy this campaign being fielded to contact our lawmakers and bank CEO’s and tell them how unfair it is they are getting to exchange (exchange is the right terminology BTW – NOT “CASH-IN”) at 32.00 per Dinar and we are not – is. It is nuts.


    Firstly, “they” are NOT being allowed to exchange “early” – or at 32.00 per Dinar. It makes you sound “stark raving MAD” to be caught saying such things. You would be better off barking at the moon. It is demeaning to the validity of a true currency play.


    Secondly, this is entirely the wrong way to approach them. I pointed out on the call that Poppy and I fielded a very successful such campaign a couple of years ago. However, we sat down and came up with a much different approach. It was designed to get answers and to approach our lawmakers with respect and as their constituents. Not like a bunch of lunatics. We had extraordinary participation (because it made sense) and we received a good response from lawmakers. It started the conversation in a reasonable manner.


    I asked one caller – “when was the last time you asked a banker for money and told him how unfair it was if he didn’t give it to you”??? Obviously – we chuckled…


    Another caller asked me if (as DC had relayed) – the “zero’s were raised” and the lower denominations were in circulation??


    I said plainly “no”…lower denominations being in circulation would (at the very least) imply there had been a value change. If there were no value change the lower denoms would not only be of little value, they would be such a hinderance – people might even throw them away just to get rid of them. So no – no lower denoms. I told the caller to check the
    CBI.iq website for “real” info on rate change.

    The “zero’s being raised” or “deleted” – as explained by any reasonable researcher, economist or authority – is simply the process removing the large (3 zero notes) from circulation.


    Referring to an Enorrste post from today on
    THE DINAR OBSERVER DAILY(you may want to put this on your favorites and check in several times a day – we to it often )

    “…I have never found a single article from the CBI or the IMF that equates “delete the zeros” to the idea of “move the decimal point.” Instead, the statements overwhelmingly come out to mean “remove the large notes from circulation.”


    Also – this recent internal memo put out by Wells Fargo is likely “push back” from this recent campaign. I pointed out that Pinnacle Bank published an article by an “affiliate” in their internal publication and then “highlighted it” in a similar internal memo a couple of years ago. It is just a defense mechanism. I’m sure Wells is tired of having their name dragged through the “internet rumor mill”. This is highly likely the reason for their vigorous denials about handling it in the future. They get so many useless calls – it isn’t worth the headache. Can you blame them??


    Further, for any bank, lawmaker, adviser or official to state the “Dinar is a scam” is nearly as foolish as some of the internet “Gurus”. It is the official currency of a COUNTRY. I pointed out (below) the post from yesterday’s
    DINAR OBSERVER DAILY
    – highlights page 94 of the quarterly SIGR report to THE US CONGRESS in April of 2012…
    __________________________________________________ _____________

    THIS REPORT WAS SENT TO CONGRESS LAST MAY. IT PLAINLY SHOWS IN THIS REPORT THEY EXPECTED THE DINAR TO REVALUE AT AROUND A DOLLAR IN 2013.

    We are seeing and hearing that the inflation rate is still climbing and they are pushing to get us our money?? This report is from page 84 of the massive SIGR report.





    BGG ~
    This is a screen shot from the “Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction” – Apr 2012, quarterly report to Congress. For members of our Government to say they have no idea what is going on here – means they haven’t read some very basic documents presented them.
    __________________________________________________ ______________

    I pointed out (last night) this is a highly speculative investment. We are, in no way, guaranteed anything. However, this SIGR report gives us some valuable insights…

    1) This is information given to the US CONGRESS on a quarterly basis… I find it hard to believe such an information source would intentionally mislead Congress. They tend to frown on such behavior. Which goes directly to the validity of this adventure – against all advice from Wells Fargo or other such naysayers.

    2) It points out there having been a legitimate “plan” – or time frame in motion…having been projected to be done in 2013. We are obviously in “over time” now.

    3) It gives us an idea as to who is in charge…the CoM – or Council of Ministers. Who do they answer to?? Maliki. Period. When is he likely to push this forward?? Historically – he has been a “weak Dinar” policy advocate. However, rumor from his own inner circle admits he can’t win a third term in office without some currency reform.

    I fully expect him to use every tool in his “wheel house” to win – his recent moves in Anbar and the disputed territories prove as much. Currency reform has to be a “biggie”. Though this WAS their thinking a couple of months ago – there is no promise it is still part of their political calculus. We shall see.

    4) Though no guarantee of the actual future plan they wind up engaging – this report points out an increase in value that would have taken the Dinar from “one-tenth of a cent” to a value “of slightly less than $1″..

    __________________________________________________ ______________

    AND

    Coins put on the market !!



    Nora Albjara member of the committee of economy and investment in the House of Representatives revealed that the central bank completed its preparations for the issuance of metal coins of seven small groups, in conjunction with the implementation of the project to delete the three zeroes from the paper currency is currently in circulation.

    She said in her statement Albjara "The project will take between four and five years, and which will be the launch of the categories of small coins gradually."

    He predicted the financial expert Hilal Taan inflation rate declines, with the issuance of metal coins of small denominations in the daily financial transactions, remarkable that 3% of the value of inflation in Iraq due to the presence of large cash block.

    The economic expert on behalf of Jamil Anton, noted that he may not find metal coins accepted by a lot of Iraqis, especially young people, due to the existence of an entire generation of Iraqis had not trading coins due to stop use since the early nineties of the twentieth century

    waradana.com

    And

    CBI is preparing to issue a monetary metal parts

    Metal coins from the category of 25 fils were in circulation until the nineties of the last century

    Nora Albjara member of the committee of economy and investment in the House of Representatives revealed that the central bank completed its preparations for the issuance of metal coins of seven small groups, in conjunction with the implementation of the project to delete the three zeroes from the paper currency is currently in circulation.

    She said in her statement Albjara Radio Free Iraq, "said the project will take between four and five years, and which will be the launch of the categories of small coins gradually."

    He predicted the financial expert Hilal Taan inflation rate declines, with the issuance of metal coins of small denominations in the daily financial transactions, remarkable that 3% of the value of inflation in Iraq due to the presence of large cash block.

    The economic expert on behalf of Jamil Anton, noted that he may not find coins accepted by a lot of Iraqis, especially young people, due to the existence of an entire generation of Iraqis had not trading coins due to stop use since the early nineties of the twentieth century.

    https://www.iraqhurr.org/content/article/26666313.html

    and

    Another "FLASHBACK"...

    Economists Divided Over Deletion Of Zeros

    By Amina al-Dahabi for Al-Monitor.

    The Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) has been attempting to delete three zeros from the Iraqi currency since 2003. This project has raised many concerns among the Iraqi public and within the business community, and Iraqi economists are divided…

    …Haider al-Abadi, the head of the Iraqi parliamentary Finance Committee, told Al-Monitor that while deleting zeros from the current currency is possible, this has been postponed until after parliamentary elections. He noted that studies are being carried out to ensure that, following the currency change, counterfeiting is limited and that Iraqis don’t go back to trading in the old currency.

    The step to delete zeros from the currency has been postponed several times, leading the parliamentary Economic Committee to demand that the CBI accelerate this project, as Al-Sharqiya reported. In a news conference held July 6, the Economic Committee confirmed that the deletion of zeros will lead to an increase in the value of the Iraqi dinar and will have positive repercussions, including a reduction in unemployment and poverty rates in the country.

    ARTICLE LINK

    Crush Expected When Kuwaiti Banks Reopen Today

    March 24, 1991|From Reuters



    KUWAIT CITY, Kuwait — Thousands of Kuwaitis are expected to jam the country's banks today when they open for the first time since the end of the Iraqi occupation.

    Customers will be allowed to withdraw funds and to swap pre-invasion money for a new currency issued to make more than $1 billion in pre-invasion dinars stolen by the Iraqis worthless.

    "We expect a rush of people," said Issam Asousi, an executive with the Bank of Kuwait. He said it could be a chaotic first week because customers have a lot of questions about their accounts.

    Kuwaiti banks continued operating during the seven-month Iraqi occupation under managers brought in from Iraq, but they have been closed since the U.S.-led alliance ousted the Iraqi army from Kuwait a month ago.

    When the banks reopen today, customers will be able to withdraw up to 4,000 Kuwaiti dinars, equivalent to about $14,000 at pre-invasion exchange rates from their accounts, and to exchange a like amount for foreign currency.

    Balances of customers' accounts will go back to what they were on Aug. 1, a day before the invasion.

    Clients will not be able to exchange Iraqi currency issued during the occupation, when Baghdad pegged the rates of the strong Kuwaiti dinar to the far less valuable Iraqi dinar.

    The new Kuwaiti money will be exchanged for old at a one-to-one rate.

    https://articles.latimes.com/1991-03-..._kuwaiti-banks


    BGG ~ Thanks to wmawhite for some facts on the subject.

    Hi BGG,

    Just thought I would drop you an email. I listened to the call, and was interested in what was said about Kuwait, if I may - I will add my 2 cents worth.

    You were spot on with what you said, I have a close friend who's father made a killing on the KWD. He bought from people who had fled the country and he paid pennies on the dollar (we are in Australia). He took the chance that Iraq would be kicked back out and he was right.

    When the money was reinstated, he exchanged it for AUD at a rate in the mid 3s. The interesting thing about it is, Iraq invaded in November 1990 (I think), they were kicked back out at the end of Feb 1991, the banks reopened with a brand new KWD in late March, that's not a bad time frame to get a currency designed, printed and made ready to use, also the time that the old KWD was valid was initially only for 2 months, then extended to 6, so it was valid until Sept 1991, interesting I think.

    Also the other thing that seems to be a "fact" in Dinar land is Bill Clinton used the Kuwait RV to pay off the debt. However, Clinton was not President in 91, he did not take office until 93, even I know that and I am an Aussie.

    Anyway thanks for the site and enjoy listening to your calls.

    Kind Regards,
    Kevin



  2. #2

    National Reconciliation Conference Thread

    ALL POSTS REGARDING THE SUBJECT TITLE ARE WELCOME AND THIS WILL BE A CONTINUING THREAD, BUT ESPECIALLY CONFERENCE CONTENT AND TIMING

    WHAT IS THIS " NATIONAL RECONCILIATION " ?

    'How This Ends':
    Iraq's Uncertain Path toward National Reconciliation
    Michael Eisenstadt and Ahmed Ali
    Also available in العربية
    Policy #1553
    July 17, 2009
    During Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki's visit to Washington next week, the Obama administration will likely seek to reinvigorate that country's flagging reconciliation process as part of ongoing efforts to establish a stable political order in Iraq. Progress, however, continues to be hindered by ongoing violence, deep-seated suspicions, and partisan politics, raising questions about the ultimate prospects for national reconciliation.

    Reconciliation and Postconflict Stability

    The process by which war-torn societies heal is imperfectly understood. Experience, however, suggests that societies undertaking a formal reconciliation process to consolidate domestic peace agreements have a better chance of avoiding further civil conflict than those that do not.

    Before 2003, U.S. and Iraqi thinking about reconciliation focused largely on the legacy of Saddam Hussein. Today, after six years of insurgency and civil war, reconciliation must also deal with the legacy of violence among ethnosectarian groups, and between former insurgents and the Iraqi government.

    Successful reconciliation efforts, such as those in Argentina, Chile, El Salvador, Honduras, Mozambique, South Africa, and Uruguay, require courageous and visionary leadership, and often involve the following elements:

    Truth telling, which permits victims to share traumas and perpetrators to acknowledge guilt
    Redefining social identities by portraying both victims and perpetrators as fellow citizens
    Partial justice, where victims are compensated and at least some of the perpetrators are punished
    Public events that promote forgiveness and new beginnings
    Most of these aspects, however, are missing from Iraq's flawed reconciliation process, which encompasses a diverse array of activities involving a broad array of actors -- the Iraqi and U.S. governments, nongovernmental and international organizations (NGOs and IOs), and neighboring states. These activities are often based on divergent assumptions about the nature of reconciliation and the means to achieving it.

    U.S. Efforts

    Since 2003, the United States has promoted reconciliation through the following activities:

    Working to incorporate Sunni Arabs into the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) and the political process
    Making amends for the inadvertent killing of Iraqi civilians by offering apologies and compensation
    Engaging "reconcilable" elements in the Sunni Arab insurgency that are willing to join the political process
    Mending ties between estranged communities (Sunnis and Shiites, Arabs and Kurds) by organizing meetings to address common problems
    Pressing the Iraqi government to legislate the integration of former insurgents and disenfranchised communities into the political process
    Documenting property claims and disputes
    A tendency to view Iraq almost exclusively through an ethnosectarian prism undermined early U.S. reconciliation efforts and unwittingly contributed to the polarization of Iraqi society. Inadequate resourcing, a lack of interagency coordination, and a refusal to talk with insurgents also hindered these efforts.

    The U.S. took a new approach in the runup to and during the 2007 troop surge, when the U.S. military opted to work with former insurgents from various Awakening groups, known as Sons of Iraq (SOI), to fight al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI). These bottom-up efforts, which focused mainly on reconciliation between U.S. forces and local Iraqi communities and insurgent groups, enjoyed significant success. During the surge, however, broadened efforts to reconcile estranged Iraqi communities, and former insurgents with the Iraqi government, witnessed only mixed success.

    Iraqi Efforts

    Many Iraqis saw the post-Saddam government's early attempts at reconciliation by retribution and compensation as nothing more than victor's justice. Retribution was carried out by de-Baathification and the trial of former regime personalities such as Saddam Hussein and Ali Hassan al-Majid (Chemical Ali). Compensation was achieved through the establishment of government foundations to care for Iraqis who had been maimed, imprisoned, or killed by the previous regime.

    In June 2006, shortly after becoming prime minister, al-Maliki announced a twenty-four-point national reconciliation plan that included provisions for amnesty, conferences, a review of de-Baathification procedures, compensation for victims, punishment for terrorists and war criminals, and the creation of the Supreme Committee for Dialogue and National Reconciliation (SCDNR). Minister of State for National Dialogue Affairs Akram al-Hakim, a close associate of al-Maliki, heads this committee, an organization that attempts to engage Iraqi tribes, civil society organizations, political parties, and religious leaders. Al-Hakim oversees, at least in theory, all governmental entities involved in reconciliation, although quite tellingly, the committee lacks a professional staff and remains unfunded (parliament rescinded $65 million earmarked by the Council of Ministers).

    The Iraqi government's principal operational arm for reconciliation is the Implementation and Follow-Up Committee for National Reconciliation (IFCNR), which was established in June 2007 and is currently headed by Muhammad Salman al-Saadi, another al-Maliki associate. While formally under the purview of SCDNR, it actually reports directly to the prime minister and enjoys a high degree of autonomy. It deals mainly with the vetting of former regime personnel, tribal affairs (including both Awakening and tribal support councils), internally displaced persons, access to basic services (denial of which was used in the past to punish perceived enemies), and job creation issues.

    In September 2007, the Iraqi parliament established the ad hoc National Reconciliation Committee (NRC). The independent Sunni parliamentarian Wathab Shaker heads this committee, and its dozen or so members are drawn from nearly all major parties. The NRC is not, however, a major player. Its primary activities include working for the release of mainly Sunni detainees and serving occasionally as an interlocutor to the Arab League.

    In January 2008, the Iraqi parliament passed the Accountability and Justice Law to supplant the de-Baathification system established in 2003 by the Coalition Provisional Authority. Although some of its provisions are improvements -- less stringent criteria for de-Baathification, more generous pensions for dismissed personnel, forfeiture of restored rights in the event of demonstrated culpability for criminal acts, and an independent appeals mechanism -- others are not, such as exceptions to the new de-Baathification criteria and the wholesale dismissal from government service of former employees of Baath-era security agencies. The commission required to implement the law, moreover, has not yet been established.

    In addition to these top-down governmental efforts, a number of bottom-up initiatives have originated from civil society, in the form of community and tribal gatherings.

    The Iraqi government's reconciliation activities have been hampered by the taint of politicization and the lack of follow-through. A desire for revenge rather than reconciliation was seen as driving early de-Baathification efforts and trials of former regime personalities, further polarizing Iraqi society. Al-Maliki uses IFCNR to extend patronage to his supporters, such as the tribal support councils, and to exert leverage over his former enemies, while members of parliament apparently drove the creation of the NRC to ensure that the government addressed their reconciliation agenda.

    Since al-Maliki outlined his ambitious agenda in 2006, accomplishments have been modest. Although dismissed army officers have been reinstated, personnel from the former regime's security forces have been paid their pensions, and local reconciliation efforts have gone well, problems remain. The Accountability and Justice Law remains largely unimplemented, key proposed amendments to the constitution have not been passed, and it is unclear whether the government will find stable employment for the eighty percent of former SOI militiamen who not being integrated into the ISF.

    Finally, differences between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) have been dealt with primarily by deferring difficult decisions on such key issues as the status of Kirkuk, governance in Ninawa province, oil, peshmerga/ISF relations, and the KRG constitution.

    NGOs, IOs, and Neighbors

    Numerous foreign NGOs have supported the reconciliation process by training conflict resolution facilitators and sponsoring workshops and conferences to promote dialogue among Iraqis, resolve local conflicts, and forge a common future vision for the country.

    The UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) has promoted reconciliation by supporting elections, working to resolve the issue of Kirkuk, and helping draft the International Compact with Iraq. The Arab League sponsored the Conference for National Reconciliation in Cairo in November 2005 and dispatched a permanent mission to Baghdad in April 2006. The League's effectiveness, however, has been limited due to its failure to continuously staff its Baghdad office and tensions between its largely Sunni Arab membership and the largely Shiite Iraqi government. Finally, the government of Jordan has hosted a number of conferences to promote dialogue and reconciliation among Iraqis.

    While it is hard to assess the overall impact of these diverse activities, some NGO-sponsored peace-building efforts have yielded important local benefits.

    Reconciliation Challenges

    A number of factors are likely to complicate efforts to achieve national reconciliation in Iraq:

    Vested interests. Perhaps the biggest challenge is that key political parties have successfully exploited ethnosectarian grievances as a means of mobilizing support. These parties have a vested interest in perpetuating the political status quo and would stand to lose a great deal if a postsectarian style of politics in Iraq were to emerge as a result of a successful reconciliation process.

    Persistent violence. Ongoing violence, although at greatly reduced levels, prevents old wounds from healing, opens new wounds, and creates the potential for renewed civil war. This reality lends immediacy to one of the principal conclusions of a landmark World Bank study on civil conflict: nearly half of all countries emerging from civil war suffer a relapse within five years.

    Elusive consensus. Fundamental disagreements remain among Iraqis on a number of key issues, such as de-Baathification, the oil law, and Kirkuk. The fragmentation of Iraqi politics (more than four hundred parties and entities participated in recent provincial elections) complicates efforts to identify individuals capable of speaking for and negotiating on behalf of broad constituencies.

    Justice denied. Many of those responsible for the worst bloodletting in recent years -- including leaders of antigovernment insurgent groups and government death squads -- are still involved in public life as members of provincial councils, the ISF, or parliament and show no contrition for their actions.

    Demographic complexity. Because various population groups remain intermingled throughout the country despite years of ethnosectarian cleansing, incidents in one place may have broad consequences elsewhere.

    Multilayered conflicts. Iraq's civil war involved conflicts within, as well as between, communities: the "nationalist resistance" vs. AQI, Awakening councils vs. Islamists, Jaish al-Mahdi vs. ISF units aligned with the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq. For this reason, intra- and intercommunal reconciliation is needed. To date, most reconciliation efforts have focused on the legacy of intercommunal conflicts, though ultimately both legacies need to be addressed.

    Iraqi political culture. While Arab tribal culture and Islam have provided the normative justifications and mechanisms for reconciliation at the local level, the desire for revenge, a zero-sum approach to politics, and religious extremism have hindered reconciliation at the national level.

    Election-year politics. In March 2009, when the government expressed a willingness to reconcile with some Baathists, a number of civil society organizations (all apparently linked to the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq) were formed to thwart these efforts. It will be difficult for the government to ignore these organizations in the run-up to the January 2010 elections, lest it appear "soft" on Baathism and lose the support of key constituencies.

    External meddling. Syria, the Gulf Arab states, and Iran supported groups such as AQI and Jaish al-Mahdi, contributing greatly to the 2006-2007 Iraqi civil war and ongoing violence. Preventing the arming, training, and funding of such spoilers is key to keeping the peace in Iraq and moving the reconciliation process forward.

    For all these reasons, Iraqis are likely to coexist uneasily for the foreseeable future. National reconciliation, if it occurs at all, could take years.

    Next Steps

    Preventing major renewed outbreaks of violence is an essential condition for successful reconciliation in Iraq. Accordingly, the main U.S. priorities in the next two years should be to press the Iraqi government to find stable employment -- even if "make work" -- for former SOI personnel and army officers who participated in the insurgency, and to prevent clashes between the ISF and KRG forces in contested areas.

    This will require the United States, first, to expend significant political capital to convince the Iraqi government to take steps it finds extremely distasteful and, second, to continue to discourage the KRG from undertaking actions that could be perceived as provocative by other Iraqis. By the same token, the United States will have to tolerate al-Maliki's efforts to reconcile with members of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's movement, including "special group" militants who have American blood on their hands.

    Furthermore, the United States and the international community should seek to advance the reconciliation process by:

    Working to enhance the capacity and professionalism of SCDNR and the Ministry of Justice, which plays a key role with regard to a number of potentially sensitive transitional justice issues
    Making foreign aid, investment, and debt forgiveness contingent on the Iraqi government's progress toward reconciliation, and by supporting, financially and materially, those organizations and entities, both Iraqi and foreign, actively working toward this goal
    Encouraging postsectarian politics in Iraq by funding NGOs that assist in the development of issue-based parties; urging the passage of a law that would require parties to declare sources of financing and proscribe funding from foreign sources (thereby reducing opportunities for foreign meddling in Iraqi politics); and pushing for the adoption of an open-list, multiple-district system for the January 2010 national elections, which is more likely to produce cross-sectarian political coalitions
    Fostering the creation of professional, nonsectarian civil service and security forces by offering merit-based training, education, and scholarships in the United States and elsewhere. Military assistance should be made contingent on continued progress toward creating an apolitical, professional, and reasonably representative officer corps
    Tapping into the widespread yearning for change in Iraq by issuing statements to the Iraqi and Arab media supportive of issue-based politics and free and fair elections. This will limit al-Maliki's ability to indulge his sectarian instincts and avoid meaningful reconciliation.
    Finally, the international community should encourage the establishment of an independent, nonpartisan Iraqi organization, whose board of governors is confirmed by parliament, to coordinate and prioritize nongovernmental reconciliation activities and to serve as a counterbalance to IFCNR and SCDNR. UNAMI, if properly resourced, might assist with this effort. Such an entity would help NGOs and local and provincial governments facilitate bottom-up reconciliation.

    Iraq is unlikely to resolve the many issues on its reconciliation agenda in the near -- or even distant -- future. Nonetheless, an energized reconciliation process that facilitates incremental progress on key issues, bolsters the security gains of the past two years, and helps tamp down ongoing violence is vital to the interests of both the United States and Iraq.

    The authors would like to acknowledge the work of William J. Long and Peter Brecke, authors of War and Reconciliation: Reason and Emotion in Conflict Resolution. A list of additional published sources used in this paper is available upon request.

    Michael Eisenstadt is a senior fellow and director of The Washington Institute's Military and Security Studies Program. Ahmed Ali is a research associate at the Institute, focusing on Iraq and Iran.

    https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/p...reconciliation

    AND

    National Reconciliation in Iraq

    Reality & Horizon


    https://www.socialwatch.org/sites/def...ation_Iraq.pdf


    THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION

    Iraqi president announces steps towards national reconciliation
    Massoum says will press ahead with efforts to heal Iraq's sectarian rifts after meeting with UN envoy
    Fuad Masoum, the new president of Iraq and a veteran Kurdish politician, speaks during a press conference in Baghdad on July 24, 2014. (AFP PHOTO / ALI AL-SAADI)
    Fuad Masoum, the new president of Iraq and a veteran Kurdish politician, speaks during a press conference in Baghdad on July 24, 2014. (AFP PHOTO / ALI AL-SAADI)

    Baghdad, Asharq Al-Awsat—Iraqi President Fuad Massoum reaffirmed his intention to push forward a process of national political reconciliation on Tuesday, following a meeting with the UN Special Envoy to Iraq Nikolay Mladenov.
    “[The Iraqi government] is seeking to take decisive and resolute steps and reconsider some resolutions and laws in order to achieve national reconciliation and bring security and welfare,” a statement quoted Massoum as saying during a meeting with Mladenov.

    “National reconciliation is a social need; therefore, it cannot be achieved via meetings, conferences and pretense only. Rather, it requires strong will and actual participation from everyone, particularly since Iraq now is in need of reconciliation and solidarity more than ever,” the statement continued.

    Since the downfall of the former dictator Saddam Hussein following the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, Iraq has been increasingly beset by bloody sectarian violence and conflict at all levels, the most recent example of which has been the rise of the Sunni extremist organization the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

    In particular, Iraq’s Sunnis, politically predominant in the pre-2003 era, have become increasingly disillusioned and disaffected by the rise of Shi’ite parties to power in Iraq, something experts say has contributed to the success of ISIS and groups like it.

    The US has called on the government of Shi’ite prime minister Haider Al-Abdadi to begin a reconciliation process with Iraqi Sunni leaders, and has warned that it will be necessary to integrate Sunni tribal militias into the security forces in order to defeat ISIS, something the previous government led by Nuri Al-Maliki was deeply reluctant to do.

    Massoum has tasked his Vice-President Iyad Allawi with following up on the issue of national reconciliation. The Shi’ite politician has held a series of meetings with exiled politicians and tribal leaders in Jordan, UAE and Qatar in a bid to involve them in the national reconciliation project.

    During his meeting with the UN special envoy, Massoum reiterated that “extensive national reconciliation is the only way to get rid of difficulties and help maintain security and social peace.”

    The United Nations would support Iraq in all fields and help it overcome its problems, Mladenov pledged.

    The Iraqi president told a group of reporters in November that he would “adopt an extensive national reconciliation project early next year.”

    “President Massoum possesses an integrated program and a clear vision regarding national reconciliation and once he is done with consultations and meetings, practical steps will begin,” a spokesman for the Iraqi presidency, Khalid Shawani, told Asharq Al-Awsat.

    According to Shawani, Massoum’s national reconciliation project will focus on two tracks: a political track, involving consultations with members of all of Iraq’s sects and ethnicities, and a legislative track, involving the review of existing legislation with an eye to fostering a greater degree of political and social reconciliation.

    The project will address several critical issues, such as the sectarian basis of Iraq’s political system (which unofficially reserves the presidency for a Kurd, the premiership for a Shi’ite, and the speaker of parliament’s chair for a Sunni), the issue of former Ba’athists and military personnel who fought against US forces, and individuals harmed by Saddam Hussein’s regime, Allawi previously said in a statement.

    While these issues have been raised before, some political leaders said that a push to tackle Iraq’s sectarian crisis had been given added urgency by the rise of ISIS and the threat of the country’s disintegration along ethnic and sectarian lines.

    Speaking exclusively to Asharq Al-Awsat, Iraqi Communist Party politburo member Raed Fahmy said unlike the past, the present political conditions in Iraq encourage national reconciliation efforts.

    “National reconciliation this time seems to be more of a reality than just mere words,” he said.

    https://www.aawsat.net/2014/12/article55339569

    AND

    Iraqi president announces steps towards national reconciliation



    Baghdad: Iraqi President Fuad Masum reaffirmed his intention to push forward a process of national political reconciliation on Tuesday, following a meeting with the UN Special Envoy to Iraq Nikolay Mladenov. “[The Iraqi government] is seeking to take decisive and resolute steps and reconsider some resolutions and laws in order to achieve national reconciliation and bring security and welfare,” a statement quoted Masum as saying during a meeting with Mladenov. “National reconciliation is a social need; therefore, it cannot be achieved via meetings, conferences and pretense only. Rather, it requires strong will and actual participation from everyone, particularly since Iraq now is in need of reconciliation and solidarity more than ever,” the statement continued. “President Masum possesses an integrated program and a clear vision regarding national reconciliation and once he is done with consultations and meetings, practical steps will begin,” a spokesman for the Iraqi presidency, Khalid Shawani, told Asharq Al-Awsat. According to Shawani, Masum’s national reconciliation project will focus on two tracks: a political track, involving consultations with members of all of Iraq’s sects and ethnicities, and a legislative track, involving the review of existing legislation with an eye to fostering a greater degree of political and social reconciliation...aawsat.net

    https://ekurd.net/mismas/articles/mis...dlocal1824.htm

    National: Allawi officially received the national reconciliation file and begin great strides

    Twilight News / National coalition led by said Vice President Iyad Allawi, on Wednesday, the latter formally recognizes the national reconciliation file in the country, adding that Allawi will begin the implementation of its internal and external levels. The spokeswoman said the coalition victory Allawi’s “Twilight News”, “The meeting, which brought together the three presidencies this week (the presidency of the republic, ministers, MPs) during which delivery Iyad Allawi formally national reconciliation file.” Allawi said that “Iyad Allawi will invest its relationship with the Arab and regional in terms of implementation of the national reconciliation project to stop the ranks with Iraq in its war against al Daash,” pointing out that “Allawi also will begin activating the internal file over the meetings and conferences with state institutions and tribal chain.” Tensm and Iyad Allawi, his vice-president of the Iraqi Republic, after nearly eight years of practice for the role of the opposition political Former Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, who currently serves as the Vice President of the Republic as well. shafaaq.com Related Posts Abadi Davos: Iraq develop its economy despite the challenges (Jan 23, 2015) Adel Abdul-Mahdi: Iraq will be a rising economic power (Jan 23, 2015) Abadi looking with the founder of the Economic Forum ways (Jan 23, 2015) Abadi: We lost 40% of our economy for the drop in oil (Jan 23, 2015) Allawi opposed the secession of the Kurdistan region at the moment (Jan 23, 2015) Tags: al-Maliki Allawi Daash Iraq reconcilation file war

    https://iraqdinar.us

    RECENT NEWS

    Jubouri, Allawi discuss national reconciliation file


    Monday, December 12 2 / January 2015 22:29

    [Baghdad-where]

    Search House Speaker Salim al-Jubouri, in his private office on Monday, with Vice President Iyad Allawi and his accompanying delegation developments in the political process.

    A statement by the Office of the al-Jubouri, the agency received all of Iraq [where] a copy of which the two sides discussed "in particular national reconciliation undertaken by the Vice President of the Republic in the light of dialogue and reconciliation initiative launched by President al-Jubouri, a recent file".

    The statement added, "It was also agreed to work on the coordination of future attitudes and unify the visions on the important files that would reflect positively on the overall situation in Iraq."

    The head of the House of Representatives Saleem al-Jubouri, revealed earlier, all preparations are underway to hold a conference sponsored by the state of the dialogue with the opposition and includes measures of accountability and justice law [de-Baathification previously.

    As confirmed yesterday that "dialogue and national reconciliation of the basic issues that the House of Representatives Saouliha interest in it and we are among the fans on opening the prospect of sustained dialogue between is a participant in the government and the House of Representatives, as well as the opposition and certainly the next few days will lead to the results are clear and information" .anthy

    https://translate.googleusercontent.c...jPDD2BI4OowAKQ


    24 JANUARY 2015
    Hakim calls upon the United Nations to adopt the next conference of harmony and reconciliation in Iraq
    (COURTESY OF DEBBIE / IQD TEAM)


    BAGHDAD / .. head of the Islamic Supreme Council Ammar al-Hakim, the Sabbath, the United Nations called on to put points on the letters regarding the problems and obstacles to national reconciliation and harmony in the next conference .

    Hakim said, during a meeting with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations Nikolay Mladenov, according to a statement his office "Eye Iraq News" received a copy of it, that "the United Nations should adopt the next Conference of harmony and reconciliation,which is sponsored by the UN agency in the next month and diagnose problems and obstacles plan and program in order to achieve success and move it forward . "

    Hakim praised the UN efforts in Agaúh displaced, stressing the need for more efforts because of bad humanitarian situation of the displaced from their areas due to military operations .

    For his part, Mladenov "The United Nations is in the process of establishing a special fund for the reconstruction of areas liberated from the grip of Daash in Iraq," noting that the United Nations is seeking to alleviate the suffering of displaced families and reduce the humanitarian burden them .

    He said during a press conference held after the Hakim meeting, he discussed with him the subject of harmony, to be held under UN auspices in the next month, and the London Conference of the Coalition and the progress of the Iraqi forces and the level of international assistance to Iraq government program and legislation related to it .

    In another context, Hakim said, "What happened in France suffered from a French magazine to attack a terrorist crime is the subject of condemnation and stand deduced them, and do not accept that the Muslims in the world are exposed to collective punishment and to offend their beliefs . "

    The United Nations has called for intensified efforts for the release of the Bahraini opposition Ali Salman, describing it as "believers in democracy, and that his continued detention and trial would cause sectarian strife, indispensable in the region as well as the deepening divide between the Islamic doctrines"

    https://aynaliraqnews.com/index.php?aa=news&id22=30001


    SCZIN11- JANUARY 25, 2015

    Mladenov up to Karbala to attend meetings on dialogue and reconciliation in Iraq

    Sunday, January 25 2 / January 2015 11:58
    [Karbala-where]

    Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations in Iraq, Nikolai Miladinov, arrived Sunday morning, the city of Karbala.
    Mladenov and visit Karbala to attend the round table meetings on the national dialogue and reconciliation in Iraq.
    And participate in this conference Karbala governor Akil Turaihi and President of the Council Nassif rhetorical political and human rights figures from the provinces of Najaf and Babil.
    And place these days between the political parties dialogues about the initiative put forward by House Speaker Salim al-Jubouri for dialogue with the opposition parties to include destinations outside Iraq.
    The al-Jubouri, had revealed earlier, all preparations are underway to hold a conference sponsored by the state of the dialogue with the opposition and includes measures of accountability and justice law [de-Baathification previously.
    As al-Jubouri said in 11 of this month that "dialogue and national reconciliation of the basic issues that the House of Representatives Saouliha interest in it and we are among the fans on opening the prospect of sustained dialogue between is a participant in the government and the House of Representatives, as well as the opposition and certainly the next few days will lead to the results to be clear and information. "
    For his part, President of the Republic Fuad Masum, revealed last Thursday on "The preparation of the expanded national reconciliation conference will take months," pointing out that "everyone will be invited to the conference, including members of armed factions that have not stained their hands with the blood of Iraqis."
    He said that "with the cancellation of the law of accountability, justice and the assignment of its files to the courts because they are transitional rule in the Constitution, and the time came to revise this law," pointing out that "the presence of proposals to cancel the Justice and Accountability Act, and legislation prohibition of belonging to the Baath party law," adding that he "can not keep all I belong to the former Baath Party, "because they would be half of the Iraqi people." End quote


    https://translate.googleusercontent.c...4pOnjqQd0Ddw-w

    Mladenov: call for reconciliation in Iraq is very encouraging and will enhance the government's efforts to reform

    Sunday, January 25 2 / January 2015 23:06

    [Baghdad-where]
    Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations in Iraq, Nikolay Mladenov described the call for reconciliation in Iraq as "very encouraging and it will strengthen the government's efforts at reform."
    According to a statement of the mission internationalism [UNAMI] received by all of Iraq [where] a copy of Mladenov "presided over today in the city of Karbala first forum of a series of forums Roundtable held with civil society and the public and tribal leaders, clerics and scholars from the provinces of Karbala, Najaf and Babil about social cohesion between the Iraqi social and political actors, which was held in Baghdad on 26 and November 27, 2014 ".
    The statement quoted Mladenov said that "collective call by the participants to promote peaceful coexistence and national dialogue and reconciliation is very encouraging," adding that "this support will strengthen the government's efforts to revitalize its program of reform and reconciliation."
    He said the UN envoy "It is encouraging to see the clergy and dignitaries of the community to communicate with their communities for the purpose of setting issues that affect the reconciliation efforts and strengthen comprehensive dialogue in Iraq among the priorities," noting that "should these messages continue to spread in order to devote the principles of inclusiveness, trust and compatibility between the components of Iraq." .
    Participants at the meeting stressed the importance of strengthening the social and religious cohesion as well as healing the divisions within Iraqi society.


    He is scheduled to hold a second forum in the province of Basra in the first week of February next.
    anthy

    https://translate.googleusercontent.c...vb9pP4PzTvhXaA




    ONE MIGHT ARGUE THAT THE Justice and Accountability Act IS A LAW THAT NEEDS TO BE REVISED BEFORE THERE CAN / SHOULD BE A CONFERENCE
    - CHATTELS


    Ordeal: the government is determined to amend the Justice and Accountability Act



    MP for the Iraqi National Alliance honest ordeal, said the political blocs agreed within the paper political agreement to amend the law of accountability and justice in a fair, pointing out that the government is determined to amend the law. He said the ordeal told all of Iraq [where], "The Justice and Accountability Act needs to be amended," he said, adding that he "must be invoked to eliminate any crime if there was Msthompsk must prove that there is no selective." He added that "most of those affected were not their crimes against the Iraqi people," noting that "the prime minister Haider al-Abadi is determined to end this matter." He said the ordeal that "modifying the law of accountability and neutrophil came within the paper political agreement between the political blocs, that modifies the fair, but until now have not been discussed either in the Cabinet or Parliament, or between the blocks."The Legal Committee of the National Alliance would deal with this law, and we will soon be upon the law on freedom of expression." He was President, Fuad Masum said last Wednesday, during a meeting with a delegation from the Committee on Justice and Accountability in the House of Representatives on the need to review some of the accountability and justice, and the differences in views concerning the efforts to settle outstanding issues laws. The General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, was announced earlier this month, for completion of the law and accountability.

    https://tinyurl.com/lxppvxw


    Sheikh Hamoudi invite the President of the National Reconciliation Commission to make the unity of Iraq and the target of their work



    History of edits:: 2015/1/26 12:33 •

    {Baghdad: Euphrates News} called a member of the Presidency of the Council of Representatives, Sheikh Hamoudi to activate the national reconciliation project, support and exert more efforts for each work is in the unity of Iraq.

    A statement by the office of Sheikh Hamoudi agency {Euphrates News} received a copy of it today that "This came during a meeting in his office the President of the National Reconciliation Commission in the Council of Ministers Jawad Abdul-Zahra al-Husseini, where the latter presented a review of the work of the committee and submitted during the past period."
    He urged Sheikh Hamoudi according to the statement Chairman of the Committee to continue efforts at national reconciliation project and make the unity of Iraq the target of their work.
    The statement added that "the Chairman of the Committee requested the involvement of the committee in the discussions that will take place regarding the accountability and justice law to provide the House with information and details of the fact that within the jurisdiction of their work," .anthy

    https://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?
    depth=1&hl=en&rurl=translate.google.com&sandbox=0&sl=ar&tl=en&u=https://www.faceiraq.com/inews.php%3Fid%3D3459142&usg=ALkJrhi2d9kSAjoiOI4HTJ7zca2NvX6aBw




    Iaram Sheikh discuss with the US ambassador national reconciliation project




    Monday, January 2/26 January 2015 14:28

    [Baghdad-Line]
    Search Deputy Speaker Iaram Sheikh Mohammed on Monday with the US ambassador to Iraq, [Stewart Jones] latest developments in Iraq and the region.
    According to a statement to the House of Representatives received by all of Iraq [where] a copy of the "Sheikh Mohammed received the US ambassador in his office in Baghdad and discussed with him the latest developments on the Iraqi arena and security developments and the ongoing war with al Daash terrorist, and what are the events in the region, and the importance of success national reconciliation project to ensure the participation of all Iraqi factions in the political process. "
    He Iaram Sheikh Mohammed, the US ambassador to the need to expedite the implementation of a close political agreement and abide by the terms, adding that the House of Representatives is determined to pass the state budget for the year 2015 as soon as possible and the importance of reducing costs and finding other sources of funding other than oil, and find quick solutions to end the austerity in the country ".
    For his part, Stuart Jones, according to the statement expressed his happiness for this meeting, stressing the continuation of bilateral relations between Baghdad and Washington, and US support for the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan region and the importance of adhering to the agreement concluded between the province and the center ".anthy


    https://translate.googleusercontent.c...31Ma6K9cwIeW8g




    Iraq is looking forward to the role of the United Nations for the success of reconciliation



    Twilight News President Fuad Masum / said Monday that Iraq is looking forward to the role of the United Nations for the success of the national reconciliation in the country.
    The infallible speaks during a meeting with a representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations in Iraq, Nikolai Miladinov, who confirmed that the United Nations in connection with the proposal to hold an international conference to demonstrate the importance of national reconciliation in Iraq.
    According to a statement to the Office of the infallible Word for "Twilight News", the two sides discussed the role of the UN to help Iraq, particularly in light of the current conditions and the presence of large numbers of displaced people and displaced.
    The two sides also discussed the need for Iraq to support and advice of the United Nations for the success of the national reconciliation project.
    Masum said that "Iraq is looking forward to the role of the International Mission for the success of this important national project," and expressed his appreciation for "the role of the mission in this regard."
    The President of the Republic on the need for "reconciliation is accomplished on the basis of objective and fruitful."
    For his part, Miladinov explained that "the aim of the visit was to exchange views on the draft national reconciliation and practical ways to make it a success," stressing "the importance of the president's role in the collection of the row and the convergence of views to strengthen national unity," according to the statement.
    Miladinov and pointed out that "the United Nations in connection with the proposal to hold an international conference to demonstrate the importance of national reconciliation for all spectra of the Iraqi people."
    The new "United Nations stuck in their relentless pursuit to provide all forms of assistance in order to consolidate national reconciliation and unity, as well as to alleviate the suffering of displaced persons and displaced persons in all areas."
    Through Miladinov delighted "to start a new phase of relations between the federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government and the design of the two parties in order to install understanding the judge to end the outstanding problems."
    Iraq seeks to make reconciliation between its components and overcome deep differences prevailed over the past years and contributed to the worsening security tensions and political differences.

    https://translate.googleusercontent.c...CiHWh914-wecLA


    Abadi Jubouri Najafi seeking reconciliation project and implementation constraints paper political agreement




    Tuesday, 27 January 2 / January 2015 12:52

    [Baghdad-where]
    Search Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and Parliament Speaker Salim al-Jubouri and Vice President Osama Najafi in a joint meeting of the national reconciliation project and implementation constraints paper political agreement which formalized the government.
    A statement by the Office of Jubouri released today by the Agency has received all of Iraq [where] a copy of the Abadi Jubouri Najafi "met yesterday in the House Speaker's office in the presence of ministerial and parliamentary bloc of the Alliance of Iraqi forces."
    Jubouri said according to the statement that "some blocks feel that many of the items contained in the document the political agreement have not been implemented, which will affect the political positions of those blocks."
    He added that "Iraq today is in the process of approving the budget and at the same time moving towards national reconciliation project which is necessitated by the Prime Minister to attend to discuss, among other problematic issues and to stand in front of the reasons for the delay and the delay in those items and ways to overcome the obstacles."
    As the President of the House of Representatives that "the meeting touched on the problem of displaced persons and the need to find a real and clear solutions which amounts to the displaced clearly allocated in the budget, in addition to discuss the security situation thoroughly and, in particular, the negative effects of the military operations that affect innocent people, whether to demolish houses or burned." it's over

    https://translate.googleusercontent.c..._Xsu6gfRbYMRyg



    THE MOST RECENT THREE ARTICLES HEREIN ABOVE SUGGEST THAT THE CONTENT OF THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE AND / OR OBSTACLES TO CONVENING MAY BE, 1) THE " UNFULLFILLED " POLITICAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE POLITICAL BLOCS TO FORM THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION / GOVERNMENT, 2) THE BUDGET GENERALLY / MONIES TO ADDRESS THE INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS, 3) SECURITY AND THE CONSEQUENCE OF MILITARY OPERATIONS TO RESTORE IT, 3) THE AGREEMENT(S) BETWEEN BAGHDAD AND eRBIL. - CHATTELS

    Jumaili legislation calls for the laws regarding national reconciliation

    Wednesday, December 28 2 / January 2015 08:40

    [Baghdad-where]
    Called on the Speaker of the House adviser for national reconciliation and unity Jumaili, a set of laws legislation on national reconciliation, prove its good intentions of government agencies that have adopted the reconciliation initiative.
    She Jumaili in a statement received by all of Iraq [where], a copy of it today, "There are a lot of initiatives launched by international bodies and UN local and the other about national reconciliation, and today have the initiative of UN-sponsored initiative other government-sponsored three presidencies, in order to put roadmap for national reconciliation. "
    "We do not need today to conferences or initiatives regarding reconciliation, but we need to prove its good intentions of government agencies that have adopted the national reconciliation initiative, through legislation, a set of laws to ensure that the civil rights of the citizens of innocent and defenseless in the conflict areas and the preservation of the lives and property of the people through These laws or decisions. "
    Jumaili confirmed the need to "investigate and document the political agreement and the approval of a general amnesty and the achievement of the national balance and help the displaced and the enactment of the National Guard law provisions."
    The prime minister Haider al-Abadi, and House Speaker Salim al-Jubouri, and Vice President Osama Najafi, discussed on Tuesday, in a joint meeting of the national reconciliation project and implementation constraints paper political agreement which formalized the government.
    A statement by the Office of the al-Jubouri, received [where], a copy of "al-Jubouri said that, Iraq today is in the process of approving the budget goes on at the same time toward the national reconciliation project, which necessitated by the Prime Minister to attend to discuss inter and problematic issues to stand in front of the reasons for the delay and the delay in Those items and ways to overcome obstacles ".anthy

    https://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&hl=en&rurl=translate.google.com&sandbox=0&sl=ar&tl=en&u=https://www.faceiraq.com/inews.php%3Fid%3D3465513&usg=ALkJrhiA8ySOpD0slY76PbXysM31IkjQVQ

    National Reconciliation Must Take Into Account The Interests of All Iraqi Parties

    28/01/2015 8:34

    BAGHDAD / NINA / The head of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, Ammar al-Hakim said "national reconciliation must take into account the interests of all components of the Iraqi parties and assured their fears.

    A statement of the Islamic Supreme Council quoted Hakim as saying during a meeting with the delegation of the international Finnish Organization CMI of management crisis and conflict headed by former Ambassador of the European Union in Iraq (Elka Antero) that "reconciliation must deal with social and other problems and develop appropriate solutions for the post-Daash."

    For their part, members of the international delegation appreciated proposals and ideas of al-Hakim on national reconciliation in Iraq, stressing the keenness of the organization to put the potentials and expertise to resolve conflicts and promote reconciliation in Iraq, ".

    https://ninanews.com/Website/News_Det...qzaw%253d%253d


    NOTE :

    " differences between the blocs on the budget, a claim the National Alliance to reduce the number of grades to PDF crowd in the liberated areas and refused to force the Union that the insistence of the federal government to be exported each product oil through the Sumo and the objection of the Kurdistan region it with the claim of the National Alliance allocated 25 billion dinars as expenditure for the Presidency Republic in the national reconciliation file ".

    https://translate.googleusercontent.c...IHy-tPoZV8AnTA


    Araji calls for research into the causes of the failure of the previous reconciliation conferences and make 2015 a year

    21 Show January 29, 2015 16:56


    (Independent) ... called on Deputy Prime Minister Bahaa al-Araji to make the current 2015 year for "genuine national reconciliation," while urging the research into the causes of the failure of previous conferences.
    They said in a statement received by the (independent) on Thursday, "We hear the recent initiatives of the conferences of national reconciliation, if we were looking for genuine national reconciliation, we have to look two important issues," noting that "the first issue include the reasons for previous conferences that deal with national reconciliation failure ".
    Araji added that "The second issue is that the reconciliation of the base to start the top of the pyramid and not vice versa," calling that "everyone is the slogan for 2015 in genuine national reconciliation."
    The representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations in Iraq, Nikolai Miladinov announced in January 26, 2015 that the United Nations in connection with the proposal to hold an international conference to demonstrate the importance of national reconciliation for all spectra of the Iraqi people.
    Seeking politicians, and activists and specialists Iraqis to activate the launch of a new initiative for national reconciliation between the political parties participating in the government and opponents of the political parties and armed groups, and to identify clear and practical steps to the trends of reconciliation in the light of the challenges faced by Iraq after the emergence of risk Daash.
    Participants stressed in a panel discussion in Souhail Cultural Council was held in Baghdad on Thursday evening with the participation of Finnish organization to manage global crises on the importance of standardizing the Iraqi ranks and embark Platform real action on the ground and the drafting of a new draft laws to promote national reconciliation.
    Confirmed Ambassador Safia al-Suhail, the head of Europe Department at the Iraqi Foreign Ministry and sponsor Cultural Council, during the meeting on the need for something like a brainstorming for all in order to determine the next phase mechanisms to get to the real project of reconciliation and overcome all differences of the past because of the presence of what is the most dangerous of them, a threat terrorist Daash long tyranny all Iraqi factions.
    For his part, Ilkka Ositalu, Executive Director of the Organization of Finnish crisis management said, and previously headed the United Nations Mission for Iraq from 2006 to 2009 in the meeting: we seek to communicate with the formal and informal institutions in Iraq in order to develop a formula for cooperation in future programs to achieve reconciliation, also seek to Ajarat Iraqi women in decision-making and political decision-making in support of the reconciliation project operations.
    He added: There is an effective and a great program for the activation of national reconciliation, and perhaps new and more importantly, where is the risk Daash so we send out our work in accordance with the three frameworks is to support dialogue and diagnose those responsible and activated, and the second is to train persons involved in dialogue on ways of effective and positive dialogue, and the third is to diagnose problems and then conflict resolution and prevention.
    Mohammed Salman, the Iraqi prime minister's advisor for national reconciliation, he explained in his speech that the three presidencies in Iraq on the verge of completion of the initiative will mature soon be launched at a conference attended by political figures, including figures from the armed opposition and political opponents, and can be described as one of the finest initiatives so far, and if It was agreed to its principles will form a committee representing everyone to take decisions and put them into effect.
    In turn, MP Hisham Suhail, chairman of the reconciliation committee in the Iraqi parliament, that the earth today are available for reconciliation more than ever because of threats (terrorist Daash) (...) as if everyone agreed on the gravity of Iraq and the world.
    The cult, Presidential Advisor for Security Affairs, believes that national reconciliation constitute the mainstay in the construction of the new political system, because the transition from authoritarian to democratic system requires national unity.
    He continued: first our principle of national reconciliation is to reduce the front affected by the previous regime, provided non-infringement of the rights of those affected by the system, pointing out that there is a difference between opposition to the political process and unrecognized, and we now have the perspective of moderate toward opponents.
    She stressed d. Unit Jumaili, Advisor to the President for National Reconciliation, during her speech at the meeting on the importance of real political will for reconciliation, as well as the presence of people and projects to implement laws to begin with.
    MP Hamid al-Mutlaq said: Today we need the concept of the true values ​​of citizenship, and amending laws have already begun, but that does not respect the human right to life, including the Justice and Accountability secret informant laws and Article 4 terrorism, which offended many people due to poor application.
    He concluded the meeting by Dr. Amer Al-Fayad, Dean of the Faculty of Political Science at the University of Baghdad, saying that reconciliation is a political process par excellence, and not otherwise, and it must create accessories, such as the law of parties, which prohibits affiliated militias underneath and ensure fair elections to choose their leaders, as well as that be funded known to all. (end)

    https://translate.googleusercontent.c...ZuDGtyopMQ-95A



    Doubts about the announcement by the Government not to engage Abadi wanted to spend the National Reconciliation Conference








    29-01-2015 05:33 PM

    The Iraqi government announced a national reconciliation conference in Baghdad, said a spokesman for the prime minister's media office tributary Jabouri Thursday that Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi drew attention to the need for good preparations for the conference, stressing that the conference would not include wanted to eliminate.
    But observers Iraqis questioned the validity of the declaration of al-Abadi's office not to engage the politicians wanted to spend in this conference, and said that all indications are that the conference will be held to hold behind-the-scenes political deals for whitening judicial pages to some wanted to eliminate before allowing them to participate in the current government.
    Jabouri said in a press statement that 'continuous work in order to prepare for a conference in national reconciliation sponsored and organized the prime minister in Baghdad', noting that 'the United Nations play a supportive role. "
    He stressed that Jabouri 'conference would not include those who are wanted to eliminate', adding that 'This file is the prerogative of the judiciary and not approach Abadi interference in the work of other authorities'.
    For his part, predicted a political observer in comments to the Agency 'news' that the contract Abadi political deals wanted to engage the Iraqi judiciary in the upcoming conference.
    The observer, who declined to be named, that the Abadi seeks to hold this conference to get concessions from some Sunni political leaders to engage the guys they wanted to spend in the current government, and warned observer Sunni politicians from making concessions to their publics interest which were elected by and wait for them political achievements Account and social and economic.
    It is said that news reports had indicated that the 'head of the Supreme Judicial Council, Medhat al-Mahmoud, received a notice to end the cases brought against some politicians to whitewash judicial pages in preparation for re-politically output' as described by the reports.

    https://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&hl=en&rurl=translate.google.com&sandbox=0&sl=ar&tl=en&u=https://www.faceiraq.com/inews.php%3Fid%3D3470539&usg=ALkJrhhKJFmaR62gBI4TW3ZgibL4ALSfLw

    and

    President stresses necessity of implementing National Reconciliation project

    Saturday, 31 January 2015 11:55

    Baghdad (AIN) –The President, Fuad Masoum, stressing the necessity of implanting the National Reconciliation project in Iraq to consolidate the unity among the Iraqis.

    https://www.alliraqnews.com/en/index....-project-.html

    and

    Iraq's president and Hakim stresses the need to expedite the enactment of the budget in 2015

    01/12/2015

    Infallible and Hakim stresses the need to expedite the enactment of the budget in 2015

    Baghdad: President Fuad Masum, and head of the Iraqi Islamic Supreme Council Ammar al-Hakim, stressed the need to expedite the budget legislation in 2015 and the implementation of the government program for the transition to a new stage.

    Information Office of the President of the Republic, said in a statement received by "tomorrow Press", "The President of the Republic Fuad Masum visited, today, the head of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq Ammar al-Hakim," noting that "the two sides exchanged views on the overall political and security situation in the country."

    He stressed infallible and wise, according to the statement "the need to unite and unite the efforts of the political blocs to implement the government program and speed up the ratification of the budget for the transition to a new phase."

    The statement added that "the two sides stressed the importance of efforts for the success needed to achieve national reconciliation, which will contribute to the eradication of terrorism and ward off the threat from Iraq and its people the steps."

    https://translate.google.com/transla...25B3&edit-text
    Last edited by chattels; 01-31-2015 at 11:47 AM.

  3. #3

    The Dinar Daily, Friday January 30, 2015

    re-posted from yesterday afternoon..


    HAVE YOU WONDERED WHAT HAPPENED TO THE 2014 BUDGET? WHY WAS IT SHUFFLED TO THE SIDE, AND BASICALLY FORGOTTEN ABOUT? TODAY, IMHO, WE LEARNED WHY?



    BASED ON WHAT WE SAW TODAY, THE ARTICLES/LAWS THAT HAVE BEEN TRANSLATED, THEY TELL THE WHOLE STORY..YES WE KNOW THEY PUT A LOT OF THE CONTRACTS INTO 2015, AND THEY USED BARE MINIMUM TO PAY NECESSARY BILLS, AND YES MALIKI WAS ALL OVER THE PAPERWORK, AS WERE HIS SUPPORTERS... BUT REMEMBER THE ADAGE.........." FOLLOW THE MONEY"....... WHILE THE CBI SEEMED TO STATE THEY WERE READY, MANY TIMES............. THE REAL QUESTION IS..WERE THEY? LOOK HOW OUTSPOKEN THE CBI HAS BEEN OVER THE LAST 2 WEEKS, TO THE WORLD.... AND NOW LOOK WHAT WE SAW TODAY, AS PART OF THEIR BUDGET, THEY HAVE LAWS...NOT LIKE OUR BUDGETS HERE IN THE USA..LINE ITEMS WITH $ AMOUNTS.. THEY HAVE LAWS..THEY HAVE WORDING ON WHAT TO DO AND HOW AND WHEN.... THE CBI HAD TO MAKE CERTAIN ARRANGEMENTS, WITH INTERNATIONAL COMPLIANCE AND STANDARDS, WITH THE IMF, WB, BIS, OTHER COUNTRIES, AND MOST OF ALL WITH THE PUBLIC BOND HOLDERS, IN ORDER TO FUND THIS BUDGET, WHICH THEY ARE BEING DIRECTED TO DO.TODAY, SIGNED BY SATURDAY!


    AND MOST IMPORTANT WITH THE SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE VALUE OF THE IRAQI DINAR, IS THE NEED TO DE-DOLLARIZE....WHAT APPEARS TO BE HAPPENING OVER THE LAST WEEK? AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE SEEN INK WITH THE WORDS REDUCING THE DOLLARS...NOT ONLY FROM ME, FROM MP'S IN IRAQ!

  4. #4

    Re: The Dinar Daily, Friday January 30, 2015

    House announces its continuation in his parliamentary and regulatory application for budget items



    Vice President of the House of Representatives Aram Sheikh Mohammed announced today that the Council will continue to work in Parliament and oversight in order to apply the terms of the laws of the budget, noting that the adoption of the budget is a major achievement of agreement and consensus between all the political blocs.

    Said Sheikh Mohammed, in a statement briefed Radio tow a copy of it, "The adoption of the budget is a great achievement of agreement and consensus between all of the political blocs in the parliament and with the help of the Council of Ministers and the Presidency to work hard and continued perseverance to end the law, as amended by the members of the Finance Committee."

    He added that "This achievement is a new addition to the achievements of Parliament, which has not seen in previous sessions in the adoption of the budget law during the period of a month," noting,

    "it was a vote on this important law because of the needs of

    citizens and the state in approving the budget in order to

    economic recovery and the living conditions of the citizens."

    Deputy Speaker of Parliament and added that "The Council will continue to monitor the implementation of legal materials and items and Seetmr Council in its parliament and oversight for the implementation of the budget for the benefit of the Iraqi people for the success of the political process and progress towards prosperity."

    The House of Representatives voted on Thursday (January 29, 2015), the draft federal budget for the current year worth in excess of Al119 trillion dinars and a deficit of about 25 trillion.

    The head of the House of Representatives Saleem al-Jubouri, after the vote on the budget, that Iraq has not seen since 2003 to pass the federal budget bill within one month, praising the efforts of the Council in approval.

    https://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&hl=en&rurl=translate.google.com&sandbox=0&sl=ar&tl=en&u=https://www.faceiraq.com/inews.php%3Fid%3D3472676&usg=ALkJrhjJVkXoawMcKVsKjFFvQKQL40fwHA
    Last edited by pinkadonai1; 01-30-2015 at 10:44 AM.

  5. #5

    Sunni Massacre in Diyala ! ?

    * YESTERDAY'S NEWS FROM " NINA " ( POSTS ONE DAY LATE ) REGARDING THE INVITATION TO Interior Minister Mohammed Salem Ghaban BEFORE PARLIAMENT

    Speaker .. Jubouri meet with the interior minister to discuss the deteriorating situation of Diyala province.

    29/01/2015 14:16

    BAGHDAD / Nina / House Speaker Salim al-Jubouri, held a meeting with Interior Minister Mohammed Salem Ghaban to discuss the deteriorating situation and the latest massacre which has been perpetrated in Parwana and Sansal villages by the Popular Mobilized Forces in Diyala province.

    A parliamentary source said in a statement to the Nationa Iraqi News Agency / Nina / "Speaker Jubouri, held a meeting with the Minister of the Interior in his office at the headquarters of the parliament, to discuss the harmful conditions in Diyala" .

    https://ninanews.com/Website/News_Det...6pAA%253d%253d

    AND

    Parliamentary Committee on Security and Defense: Hosting Interior Minister for questioning.

    29/01/2015 14:52

    BAGHDAD / Nina /--Parliamentary Committee on security and defense called on the Interior Minister Mohammed Salem Ghaban for questioning about the events and the latest massacre in Diyala province.

    Committee Chairman said at a news conference with members of the committee today that: "According to Article 37 of the Rules of Procedure interior minister was invited to a questioning hearing a week ago, for clarification about the work of the ministry and the some deviation aspects in the work of the ministry.

    The source compel the Interior Minister to come to the Parliament and to respect the legal procedures .

    https://ninanews.com/Website/News_Det...QIuQ%253d%253d

    AND

    Miladinov welcomes the government's decision to conduct an investigation into Parwana massacre in Diyala.

    29/01/2015 15:21

    BAGHDAD / Nina /-- Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations in Iraq, Nikolay Mladenov welcomed in a statement today the government's decision to conduct a thorough investigation into Parwana village massacre and killing of dozens of civilians by armed groups within the popular mobilized forces in Diyala province.

    "Madenov said : " It is the responsibility of the Iraqi government to ensure that all armed forces under its control of, and respect for the rule of law and the protection of civilians in all regions of the country, including the recently liberated areas of control of Daash.

    Diyala province recently witnessed the massacre of 70 civilians whom have been executed on Monday by gunmen within the popular mobilized forces in Parwana village .

    For his part ,Speaker Salim al-Jubouri pointed out to the entry of armed groups in armed car to Parwana area in Diyala province after liberation of the province from the control of Daash, where those groups demolished mosques and burned large number of houses showing heinous vengeance and hateful and offensive slogans in front of the security forces, he described .

    https://ninanews.com/Website/News_Det...rvsg%253d%253d

    AND

    Speaker : meeting with Ghaban focused on discussion of what happened in Diyala after its liberation from Daash.

    29/01/2015 15:53

    BAGHDAD / Nina /-- Speaker Salim al-Jubouri said : ' Today's meeting with Interior Minister Mohammed Ghaban in the parliament's headquarters witnessed discussion of what recently happened in the province of Diyala.

    Speaker added, in a joint press conference with Interior Minister Mohammed Salem Ghaban held in the parliament building, "The Presidency of the Parliament met Interior Minister today and discussed with him the work of the ministry.

    He explained that the host of Ghaban in the parliament , will be later due the preoccupation of Parliament for the moment with the law of the general budget .


    https://ninanews.com/Website/News_Det...8xWQ%253d%253d

    and

    An MP: Presidency of the parliament agreed to host al-Abadi and the Ministers of Defense and the Interior to discuss the violations in Diyala
    29/01/2015 20:23

    BAGHDAD / NINA / MP for the list / Diyala our Identity / in the Iraqi Forces Alliance Salah al-Jubouri announced on Thursday that the Presidency of the House of Representatives approved in the meeting held today to host the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces and the Ministers of Defense, Interior and security leaders in the light of security breaches that the province of Diyala suffered.

    He told the National Iraqi News Agency / NINA / that the List / Diyala our Identity / gathered the signatures of a large number of MPs raised the request to host the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces and the Ministers of Defense, Interior and security leaders in Diyala province.

    He added that "the Presidency of the House of Representatives agreed to this request to stand and look at the violations that the province of Diyala suffered .

    https://ninanews.com/Website/News_Det...59Uw%253d%253d

    WHAT IS ALL THIS ABOUT YOU ASK ?

    Iraq officials vow to investigate alleged massacre of Sunnis

    By NABIH BULOS

    Shiite Muslim militias allied with Iraq's government accused of killing Sunni Muslim civilians in Diyala

    Shiite Muslim fighters claim victory in clearing Islamic State militants from area of Iraq's Diyala province

    Iraqi officials on Tuesday promised to investigate reports that at least 70 civilians, including women and children, were slain during a bloody government campaign to seize control of the embattled eastern province of Diyala.

    Sunni Muslim tribal leaders have accused Shiite Muslim militias working with government forces of carrying out a massacre near the Sunni-dominated village of Barwanah.

    "These criminal acts aim to rip apart the social fabric of Diyala," provincial Gov. Amer Majmaii said in a statement released Tuesday, according to Sumariyah News, an Iraqi media outlet.

    The ethnically and religiously mixed province has been the site of sectarian clashes since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 ousted former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

    Islamic State militants swept into the province last year as part of their advance through northern and eastern Iraq. Pro-government militias have been systematically pushing the militants out of Diyala for months.

    Comments :

    "Many Iraqis fear that the country could descend back into all-out sectarian warfare." Fear? As in, anticipate? Just a matter of time. Have at it, you religion driven fools.

    COMMENTS :

    Shiite paramilitary factions, some aided by predominantly Shiite Iran, have played a key role in government combat operations against Islamic State militants. But some Sunni residents view the Shiite militias as little more than death squads and armed marauders.

    Thousands of Iraqi Sunnis and Shiites were tortured, killed or "disappeared" in vicious sectarian clashes between 2006 and 2008, when U.S. forces were deployed en masse in Iraq. Many Iraqis fear that the country could descend back into all-out sectarian warfare.

    Diyala province was long a hub of the Sunni insurgency against U.S. forces in Iraq. Abu Musab Zarqawi, the Jordanian leader of the Islamic State's precursor group Al Qaeda in Iraq, designated Diyala as the capital of a proposed Islamic caliphate. He was killed in 2006 in a U.S. airstrike near Baqubah, the provincial capital.

    Diyala shares a long border with Iran, which opposes the Islamic State militants. Iranian military advisers have aided pro-government Iraqi forces in the Diyala area and Iranian warplanes reportedly have targeted Islamic State forces inside Iraq.

    The Badr Brigades, the Shiite paramilitary group that is a major recipient of Iranian weapons and training, played an essential role in retaking Diyala province.

    On Sunday, Hadi Ameri, secretary-general of the related Badr Organization, declared in a news conference that Muqdadiyah had been "cleansed" of the militants in three days of intense clashes, leading to heavy losses on both sides.

    Bulos is a special correspondent. Times staff writer Patrick J. McDonnell contributed to this report.

    Follow @mcdneville on Twitter for news out of the Middle East

    and

    Iraq’s Shiite militia leader says Diyala under control, preparing for Tikrit and Kirkuk

    Posted on January 26, 2015

    KIRKUK, Kurdistan Region—The leader of the Shiite Bader Brigade said Sunday that his forces were in full control of Diyala and were preparing to drive the Islamic State (ISIS) out of the next two Sunni provinces.

    “Today we announce the liberation of Diyala,” said Hadi al-Amri, head of the Badr Brigade in a press conference. “Our next appointment will be in Tikrit and in the same way we will liberate Kirkuk.”

    Amri said that his forces were now clearing towns and villages from explosives that ISIS has left behind to facilitate the return of their residents.

    Amri urged his fighters not to touch people’s homes and properties, adding, “Ayatollah Sistani has sent a message asking us to protect people’s homes and belongings because this is a moral and religious responsibility,”

    Local residents in the towns of Jalawla and Saadiya—liberated in November—have complained that Shiite militiamen had plundered their homes and shops after the fighting was over.

    The Badr Brigade is Iraq’s largest and most powerful Shiite militia that has operated outside government control since Saddam Hussein’s ouster in 2003 and involved in Iraq’s bloody sectarian war in 2005-2008.

    Amri’s statement about preparing to liberate Kirkuk will most likely be met by Kurdish opposition who have their Peshmerga troops in the province with a defense belt that stretches hundreds of kilometers.

    The oil-rich province of Kirkuk is one of the most disputed areas by the Kurdistan regional government and the Iraqi government in Baghdad.

    Kurds have a strong cultural and emotional attachment to Kirkuk, which they call “the Kurdish Jerusalem.” Kurds see it as the rightful and perfect capital of an autonomous Kurdistan state.

    Article 140 of the Iraqi constitution is related to the normalization of the situation in Kirkuk city and other disputed areas through having back its Kurdish inhabitants and repatriating the Arabs relocated in the city during the former regime’s time to their original provinces in central and southern Iraq.

    The former regime of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein had forced over 250,000 Kurdish residents to give up their homes to Arabs in the 1970s, to “Arabize” the city and the region’s oil industry.

    Kirkuk is the under full control of Kurdistan’s Peshmerga forces, after Iraqi army withdrew from the city in July 2014, under pressure of IS group attacks on Mosul and the Kirkuk province.

    https://ekurd.net/iraqs-shiite-militi...kuk-2015-01-26

    LIBERATE KIRKUK ?

    COMMENT : AMERI , THE SHIITE CHOICE FOR SECURITY MINISTER, AND HIS MILITIA ARE A FEARFUL FORCE IN THE SECTARIAN LANDSCAPE OF IRAQ. - chattels

    Related Article from a few days ago :

    Is the new National Guard the key to unifying Iraq?

    A wide range of armed forces beholden to different authorities outside the defense and interior ministries are spread across Iraq. This reality was not spawned by the occupation of Mosul by the Islamic State (IS) in 2014, but by the chaos and intersection of various agendas and interests. The current discussion surrounding the formation of a National Guard is an acknowledgment of this reality and an attempt to create a legal framework to control the situation.

    Read more: https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/orig...#ixzz3QJFGwjvr
    Last edited by chattels; 01-30-2015 at 05:19 PM.

  6. #6

    Iraqi Kurdish land grabs anger Sunni Arabs



    Kurdish peshmerga fighters are seen during the battle with Islamic State militants on the outskirts of Mosul, Jan. 21, 2015. (photo by REUTERS/Azad Lashkari)

    Iraqi Kurdish land grabs anger Sunni Arabs


    US-led efforts to counter the Islamic State (IS) with Kurdish peshmerga partners is having a backlash on Sunni Arab communities. Relying on Iraqi Kurds to act as coalition boots on the ground may help eliminate some IS safe havens, but it is fueling Kurdish land grabs. Iraqi Kurds are using US airstrikes and the political vacuum in northern Iraq not only to push back IS, but also to recapture the disputed territories and oil fields — some of the very measures that have fueled Sunni Arab resentment since 2003. These trends are undermining the effort to assuage Sunni Arab grievances and laying the groundwork for Iraq’s next protracted, subnational conflict.

    While minorities and "apostates" have been brutally victimized by IS, Sunni Arabs have become primary targets in local anti-IS campaigns. In some areas, Shiite militias have retaliated against Sunni Arabs through kidnappings, killings and forced population displacements. The militias remain stationed in Iraq’s disputed territories, which they helped liberate alongside Kurdish peshmerga, Iranian Quds Forces and the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF). Their engagement reflects Iranian influences in Iraq and disputes between Baghdad and Erbil that preceded the IS onslaught, and which are feeding local tensions.

    Similarly, as Iraqi Kurds benefit from coalition airstrikes and take control of former IS safe havens in northern Iraq, they are engaging in demographic and territorial engineering to advance their nationalist agenda. Kurdish peshmerga are preventing Sunni Arab populations from returning to their homes while attempting to Kurdify these territories. The peshmerga’s offensives in Diyala, Kirkuk and western Mosul are particularly confrontational because they expand the Kurdish presence into areas outside the Kurdistan Region and considered part of Iraq by all Arab Iraqis.

    Indeed, Iraqi Kurds consider these territories as rightfully belonging to the Kurdistan Region and are taking steps to consolidate their control. Some Kurdish officials have publicly affirmed that the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) will not give back these territories and “never ever let Arabs control them again.” To secure the territories, the Kurdish peshmerga are organizing special minority group militias under the control of the KRG's Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs, including Kurdish Shabak peshmerga forces, Kurdish Yazidi peshmerga forces and Kurdish Assyrian peshmerga forces.

    By expanding its territorial borders, the KRG may hope to leverage its nationalist demands in Baghdad. In fact, current political conditions leave the Iraqi government little opportunity to retaliate. The ISF cannot effectively push back the Kurdish peshmerga, the KRG has Western military support and Baghdad is cooperating with the KRG in the anti-IS campaign. Both sides are also financially stressed and relying on a temporary oil deal to mitigate their economic morass.

    The security problem, however, is not whether Baghdad can thwart Kurdish territorial expansionism. In the weak and hyper-fragmented Iraqi state under IS threat, Kurdish unilateral land grabs directly challenge the aims of disenfranchised Sunni Arabs who seek greater autonomy and their own region, and who remain committed to Iraq’s territorial boundaries. These actions also place Iraqi Kurds in direct confrontation — once again — with Sunni Arabs who largely populate northern Iraq, alongside minority groups. Many regard these territories as the homeland of Sunni Arab nationalism and Sunni Islam in Iraq. Assyrians consider the Ninevah plains as their own heartland and not necessarily Kurdish territory or belonging to the KRG.

    While Iraqi Kurds may regard their territorial push as a necessary security measure, it is aggravating tensions with some Sunni Arab communities. In a recent news conference in Baghdad, Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and member of the Iraqi parliament Ahmed al-Jabouri accused the Kurdish peshmerga forces of destroying 700 homes in Jalawla after a battle with IS and "denying the return of Arab residents in localities where IS has been expelled.” Sunni Arab parliamentarians from Ninevah province have publicly criticized the Kurdish peshmerga for their “scorched-earth policies that have caused the displacement of Arab villagers under the pretext of fighting IS.” Sunni Arab groups are also resentful of what they perceive as preferential coalition protection and support of Kurdish regions in the anti-IS campaign.

    These trends have implications for the coalition’s anti-IS strategy and regional stability. Arming and training the Kurdish peshmerga in cooperation with the Iraqi government certainly supports the effort to counter IS; however, reinvigorating the deep-rooted conflict over disputed territories does not. By providing weapons to the KRG unconditionally and without corresponding support to Sunni Arab groups that oppose IS, the coalition is unintentionally shifting the balance of power in northern Iraq. Left unchecked, these measures will encourage a Sunni Arab backlash in the territories and the Kurdistan Region. The current strategy also risks alienating Sunni Arabs, whose support is essential to the anti-IS campaign.

    Redrawing the Iraqi map with guns is a recipe for future disaster. If US policymakers and military planners want to rely on local partners to degrade and ultimately destroy IS, then they should also understand the complicated local dynamics tied to these alliances and the secondary consequences for strategic objectives. Given the significant political shifts underway, disabling IS and stabilizing the region will demand preparations for a post-IS Iraq that will regrettably be marked by subnational battles over borders, territories and resources, with or without Baghdad.

    https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/01/iraq-kurdistan-land-grab-resentment-sunni.html#ixzz3QJ3RqmGV
    Last edited by pinkadonai1; 01-30-2015 at 12:29 PM.

  7. #7

    Government must investigate assaulting citizens during clashes with terrorism: Religi

    Government must investigate assaulting citizens during clashes with terrorism: Religious Authority



    Karbala (AIN) –The Religious Authority stated, during Friday Prayer in Baghdad, stated "The government must investigate assaulting the citizens during the clashes with the terrorist groups."

    https://www.alliraqnews.com/en/index.php/political-news/63858-government-must-investigate-assaulting-citizens-during-clashes-with-terrorism-religious-authority-.html
    Last edited by pinkadonai1; 01-30-2015 at 12:28 PM.

  8. #8

    Re: The Dinar Daily, Friday January 30, 2015

    Urgent .. Parliament vote on the central bank to prevent the sale of more than $ 75 million a day in the auction



    {Baghdad: Euphrates News} House of Representatives voted to prevent the central bank from the sale of more than $ 75 million a day in the auction .itba h

    alforatnews.com

  9. #9

    Re: The Dinar Daily, Friday January 30, 2015

    Parliament concludes its vote on articles of Budget Law



    Baghdad (Forat) – Parliament went on in its vote on the Financial Budget Law articles.
    The parliament reached article 59 that is the last within the draft. /End/

    alforatnews.com

  10. #10

    Re: The Dinar Daily, Friday January 30, 2015

    Breaking News Religious Authority describes endorsing 2015 Budget law as "Correct step"

    Religious Authority describes endorsing 2015 Budget law as "Correct step"

    Karbala (Forat) – The Religious Authority described the enodrsment of the Budget law as "A correct step." /End/

    Alforatnews.com

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