By John Lee.
The Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) has reportedly suspended oil exports to Iran.
According to Anadolu Agency, the KRG’s Ministry of Finance and Economy did not specify a reason for the move, and “it remains unclear whether the suspension is linked to U.S. sanctions on Iran.”
Amid Iraqi misery and popular discontent over political conflicts and rampant corruption in most parts of the country, Iraqis recalled former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki after the US DailyBest recently published an investigation into his involvement and relatives in corruption deals with an American firm.
The US Justice Department is conducting an investigation with the military contracting firm, Sayleport Global Services, to make sure it has allegedly played a role in bribing Iraqi officials in exchange for extraordinary contracts, the paper said.
She added that influential individuals – including Maliki – have relations with a Kuwaiti company called “Horizons”, which allegedly sold the access and facilities of a large number of US military contracts, and the story of the company Horizons and its relations with US military contractors in Iraq came from two amounts disclosed with their information on Despite the personal danger they pose.
Verification
She explained that she was able to verify the credibility of some of the allegations through documents and interviews with several people, including contractors and workers in the field of trade in Iraq, who asked not to be named for fear of reaction against them.
Saliport operates military facilities in various parts of the Middle East and Central Asia, but the company’s flagship projects are at Balad Air Base, a base in northern Baghdad that includes US-funded F-16s.
In January 2014, Saliport received a contract from the Air Force to provide security support, training and security services to Al Qaeda, including essential services such as food and electricity, where Saliport received $ 1.1 billion for its services.
A history of corruption
Many consider that the period of Maliki’s rule, which extended between 2006 and 2014, Iraq was exposed to many disasters and crises, including corruption crimes cost Iraq tens of billions.
The biggest crisis witnessed by Iraq under Maliki was the control of the Islamic state organization on large parts of Iraq.
Many are demanding an investigation into the reasons for the bloody fall of the Iraqi army in that period and blame Maliki for it.
Communication activists
After the newspaper revealed the involvement of Maliki and close to him, Iraqi activists commented on Maliki and accused him of corruption.
Activist Mohammed said that Maliki was the worst dictator witnessed by Iraq, and that he came on the back of tanks “Bush”, and destroyed the country in favor of Iran.
Blogger Gamal al-Hakim described the investigation, which was revealed by the US Department of Justice, as an alarming scandal and three-sided, the first is the Saliport company, the second is Maliki and his family, and the third is Afaq.
Iraqi writer Shaho Al-Qarra Daghi questioned Maliki’s accountability for his crimes and the corruption scandals he was involved in, noting that the Daily Daily revealed that Maliki, his son and son-in-law had dealt with a company that played a role in bribing US security contracts.
He called on the Iraqi judiciary to move to punish him and others like him for their corruption so that we believe that there is an independent judiciary in Iraq.
The media confirmed Mustafa Salem that the corruption of al-Maliki resulted in the destruction of cities and thousands of martyrs, adding that the investigations of the US Justice Department indicate his involvement and his son and son-in-law deals corruption.
Baghdad / Sky Press – Political sources revealed that the Fatah al-Fath al-Fath, and others, discussed during their recent meetings the names of alternative candidates for Faleh al-Fayadh for the interior portfolio. As the deputy of the last two of the consultations of forming the government may restore the sectarian alignment, the PUK announced the decision of the Ministry of Justice for its benefit.
The sources quoted political sources yesterday as saying that al-Fath and Sultoun, during their meetings, were talking about two names for candidates to take over the portfolio of the Interior Ministry in the government of Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi instead of the current national security adviser Faleh al-Fayadh. She revealed that the first name is the leader of the Badr Organization, Tahsin Abdul Matar al-Aboudi, aka Abu Montazer al-Husseini, and the former director of nationality, Major General Yasin Taher al-Yasiri.
Earlier, MP Mohammed Karim Abdul-Hussein, the opening statements in the signs of the release of the crisis to complete the composition of the government of Abdul-Mahdi.
He pointed out that there is a strong search for a new meeting expected between the allies of Fatah and others. He reported on the formation of joint committees between the two alliances to discuss a new mechanism to resolve the internal portfolio. He expected that the coming days will see a meeting between the two alliances to put new names instead of Fayadh.
He warned the deputy from Anbar province Yahya Mohammadi, the re-alignment of political sectarian during the meetings currently underway between some blocks. He explained that all the blocks have seen withdrawals during the past few days. He stressed that all political alliances fragile, and the movement of conquest and others do not include the national axis, and we are afraid of the failure of the project cross-sectarian alliances. He added that the axis is still within the construction coalition, and did not decide or plan any withdrawal at the moment.
There were reports of a delegation from the Political Bureau of the Kurdistan Democratic Party in the province of Sulaymaniyah yesterday, to hold a meeting with members of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, to discuss the formation of the new government in the region and the draft political agreement between them.
Former Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki might be exposed as one of the corrupted officials according a recent investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice.
The Department of Justice is investigating a military contracting company, Sallyport Global Services, to find out if it played a role in the alleged bribery of Iraqi government officials in exchange for exclusive contracts that cost American taxpayers billions.
An investigation by the independent Government Accountability Project for The Daily Beast raised disturbing questions that go far beyond rogue employees of a Pentagon contractor.
Powerful individuals, including Maliki, are tied to a Kuwaiti company called Afaq which allegedly sold access and dictated terms for a significant number of American military contracts.
The story of Afaq and its ties to American military contractors in Iraq comes from whistleblowers, who spoke out at great personal risk, and we were able to confirm several details through public and corporate documents.
Of the more than 30 sources interviewed, including contractors and people in business in Iraq, all asked to remain anonymous, citing fear of potential retaliation.
In January 2014, Sallyport acquired an Air Force contract to provide security, training, and “life support,” which means providing necessities like food and electricity, on base. Sallyport has received $1.1 billion for its work at Balad. It predicts it will earn $800 million more by 2021.
Sallyport operates military installations throughout the Middle East and Central Asia, but its crown jewel is Balad Air Base, a large F-16 base north of Baghdad.
Balad is an Iraqi base, but it’s funded by the U.S. government.
Afaq is ultimately controlled by al-Maliki, according to 10 sources, some of whom had firsthand knowledge of al-Maliki’s involvement, while other sources’ information was secondhand.
Al-Maliki’s son, Ahmad al-Maliki, and later his son-in-law, Yasser Sukhail al-Maliki, were also involved with Afaq, sources said.
Iraq customsFree import
• 200 cigarettes or
• 50 cigars or
• 250 grammes of tobacco
• Up to 1 litre in wines or spirits
• 500 ml of perfume in two small opened bottles
• Up to 25 Dinars can be imported and sums no greater than 5 Dinars can be exported out of the country. (This item was changed to this verbiage as of this morning – “Local currency (Iraqi Dinar-IQD) and foreign currencies: must be declared on arrival”. They took down the part about 25 Dinars imported and 5 Dinars exported? )
Prohibited
• Israeli currency
• Illegal drugs
• Guns, Explosives and ammunition – unless authorised
• Knives and deadly weapons
• Nuclear material – except for legitimate industry or medical purposes
• Meat and milk products
• Artefacts of important religious or historical importance are completely restricted
• Antique carpets
• Magazines, films and other material against the public interest
• Pets and other animals – unless permission has been obtained
• Counterfeit money and goods
• Pornographic material
Restricted
• All travellers entering Iraq are required to take an AIDS test. Travellers suffering from AIDS, tuberculosis, syphilis or leprosy will be deported.
• Material used in the creation of explosives including fertilizers is restricted from entering the country without a special licence from the Ministry Of Trade.
• Plants and plant products will require permission from the Ministry Of Trade.
• Countries which have suffered outbreaks of bird flu cannot import fowl or poultry products into the country without permission
• Any dogs, cats and other pets will have to be cleared by the Iraq live animal desk before being granted permission into the country. All pets will need an Iraq International Health Certificate confirming that the animal is clean of any contagious diseases and a vaccination against Rabies.
(Baghdad: Al Furat News) The Customs Authority on Tuesday demanded all importers to expedite the clearance of their goods.
The customs said in a statement that “Iraqi and foreign companies and importers to complete the customs transactions of their imported goods through southern ports and land border crossings and air cargo terminals through international airports as soon as possible and the adoption of customs clearance companies officially licensed by the Director General to clear their goods exclusively.
“As of February 20, all containers of goods whose owners are late to be declared as smuggling will be considered according to the provisions of Article 192 / First of the Customs Law and will be regulated by fundamental records to be submitted to the competent investigating judge to act under the laws in force” .
The Commission expressed its hope of all importers to follow up earnestly to clear their goods from the customs estate without exceeding the legal time limit and to miss the opportunity of the weak souls who are trying to obstruct the implementation of government decisions aimed at regulating trade and combating the phenomenon of corruption at the border crossing points. In granting approvals and simplifying procedures for the import or export of goods to ensure smooth trade exchange with neighboring countries and the world. ”
The customs departments shall operate in the customs and customs boundaries and may exercise their powers throughout the territory, the territorial sea and inland waters, including lakes, rivers, marshes and marshes in accordance with the provisions of this law.
The Justice Daily reports that the US Justice Department is conducting an investigation into a military contracts company that alleged bribes to Iraqi officials, including former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, his son Ahmad al-Maliki, his two sons, Yasser al-Maliki, and Hussein al-
Explaining that an investigation conducted between the military contracting company “Saliport Global Services” played a role in bribes to owners and relatives.
It also showed Maliki’s relationship with a company called Horizons, which sold the right of access and facilities of a large number of US military contracts, through US military contractors have disclosed what they have, despite the fact that it poses a threat to them.
The Daily Beast reported a meeting with 30 sources, including contractors working in Iraq’s commercial sector, who asked not to be identified for fear of possible reactions.
“Saliport operates military facilities in various parts of the Middle East and Central Asia, but the company’s first operation is at Balad Air Base, a base in northern Baghdad that includes F-16s funded by the US government,” he said. The company received a contract from the Iraqi Air Force to provide security, training and security services to Al-Qaeda (Balad), including services such as food and electric power. The company received more than $ 1 billion in funding for its services. According to the new Arab
The site quoted sources in the company “Salliport” as saying that the company “Horizons” Kuwaiti partner, and promised Iraqi officials to provide funds for the registration of the US company as a contractor at the base of Bald, indicating that 10 people who were questioned confirmed the involvement of al-Maliki and that ” Prospects “.
The Daily Beast said the US Justice Department was conducting investigations into violations of the laws through foreign corruption practices by the Saliport company, which reported bribes to Iraqi officials.
The report caused a wave of controversy within Iraq, where political voices called for the opening of files of financial corruption retroactively since 2006, the year Maliki took power in Iraq, which lasted more than eight years.
Baghdad: The General Authority of Customs announced on Friday the implementation of the Convention on the abolition of customs points established on the federal border with the Kurdistan region and the commencement of the unification of customs procedures at all border crossings as of Saturday.
“In welcoming the UN envoy to Iraq and the head of the UNAMI mission, Jean-Heinz Blachkart told the Security Council of the agreement reached between the federal government and the Kurdistan Region on the unification of customs at all border crossings,” the statement said. International Conference on the Secretary-General’s report on the latest developments in Iraq: (We welcome this agreement and draw attention to the need for the implementation of the Convention to be a priority) ‘.
A statement issued by the General Authority of Customs ‘that it is continuing to implement this agreement to cancel the customs points established on the federal border with the region and will begin the consolidation of customs procedures at all border crossings as of Saturday 16-2-2019’.
The statement added that ‘the agreement included the unification of all procedures and provisions of the Customs Tariff Law and the adoption of a customs declaration in Arabic and Kurdish to work at all border crossings’.
The statement pointed to the ‘attention of the UN envoy to Iraq and the keenness of the UN Security Council to implement this agreement because the agreement is an important step in the revitalization of the Iraqi economy and support the private sector and activates the internal trade movement and creates stability in costs and prices’.
On Friday, 8-2-2019, the General Administration of Customs announced the start and direct implementation of the Council of Ministers Resolution No. (13) for the year 2019 concerning the standardization of tariffs and procedures with the Kurdistan Region and all border crossing points and the adoption of a unified customs declaration in both Arabic and Kurdish languages. As of Sunday 17 February 2019 ‘, which is an important step to regulate trade and import and export activities.
The head of the reconstruction fund of the affected areas, Mustafa al-Hiti, on Thursday, the arrival of completion rates of projects that began in 2016-2017 to 99 percent, indicating that there are 26 billion of investment loans allocated at the Kuwait Conference and stalled because of delayed formation Iraqi government.
Al-Hiti told “Iraq News” that “the completion rates in the projects that were established in the areas affected by terrorism for the year 2016 – 2017 amounted to 99 percent and projects in 2018 also reached the advanced stages.”
He added that “there are 26 billion dollars within the investment loans allocated by the countries in the Kuwait Conference for the reconstruction of Iraq and is now waiting for the formation of the Iraqi government and know the policy of Iraq where to turn and then launch.”
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and his son-in-law and son-in-law with a company that played a role in bribes to win US security contracts, the daily Dailybest reported on Thursday.
The US Justice Department is investigating the US military contracting firm, Sayleport Global Services, to make sure it has played a role in bribing Iraqi officials in return for winning extraordinary contracts, but even FBI officials may not really understand the depth of corruption expected, the paper said.
She said influential individuals, including Nuri al-Maliki, had connections with a Kuwaiti company called Afaq, which allegedly sold access to and facilities for a large number of US military contracts.
The newspaper pointed out that the story of the company Horizons and its relations with US military contractors in Iraq came from two amounts disclosed with their information, despite the fact that this poses a personal risk to them.
“We have been able to verify the credibility of several details through common and common documents.
The newspaper said it had met with more than 30 sources, including contractors and business people in Iraq, who asked not to be named for fear of possible reactions. One of them refused to speak more, saying “this is very secret.”
“Saliport operates military facilities in various parts of the Middle East and Central Asia, but the jewel of the company’s crown is located at Balad Air Base, a base in northern Baghdad that includes F-16s funded by the US government,” he said.
“In January 2014, Saaliport received a contract from the Air Force to provide security support, training and protection services to Al Qaeda, including essential services such as food and electric power at the base, where Saaliport received $ 1.1 billion for its services at the base.
And expects to earn another $ 800 million by 2021, just before the acquisition of the BALAD contract, Saliport signed a deal with a company called Afaq Umm Qasr Marine Services.
The newspaper quoted sources from the company Saliport as well as other sources of senior associates at the base of the country’s office and the company’s head office in Virginia, described by Afaq as a “partner”.
According to the newspaper, four sources said that the alleged activities of Afaq on behalf of the company Saliport attracted the attention of the US Department of Justice.
Saliport is a contract company run by a holding company called Caliporn, owned by DC Capital Partners, a US private equity firm.
The investigation revealed that “documents filed by the Commission for Security and Exchange of Caliborn reveal that in October 2016 claimed an associate in the Iraqi Ministry of Defense that the company Afaq promised Iraqi government officials to provide funds for them to register the name of the company Saliport as a contractor to provide services to the base of Balad.
As a country that is an Iraqi base, the Iraqi government has the right to determine the contractor hired to work there.
The newspaper pointed out that 17 sources confirmed the links of Afaq officials of the Iraqi government, a former member of the leadership of the company Taliport in the base of Balad said that “the company Horizons to facilitate matters with Iraqi officials, while revealing ten sources according to the newspaper, some of them have direct information on the involvement of Maliki , Where they said that “Maliki has full dominance of Afaq, while the information of the other section was secondary.”
The sources said that “the son of al-Maliki, Ahmed al-Maliki and then his brother-in-law Yassir Sakhil al-Maliki, a current deputy, also deal with prospects,” indicating that “the former prime minister does not manage all the details of prospects,” but they claimed that he receives a wage and that relationship was successful for Saleport.
According to a former senior official at Balad, when Saliport officials were meeting Maliki, Afaq’s management arranged the meeting.
“The US Department of Justice is now investigating possible violations of US laws that limit external corrupt practices that Salliport has committed through its relationship with Afaq. The Caliborn file states that the government investigation looks into whether the former management of Saliport Knowing or supposed to have knowledge of alleged bribes promised by Afaq to Iraqi government officials. ”
“Afaq started as a joint stock company with a Kuwaiti company called American United Logistics, or US logistics, owned by former US military logistics officers,” the documents said.
The investigation said, “American United operated the loading of goods at the port of Umm Qasr, and by 2007 the company had strange control over US military shipments through the port.
According to the investigation, one of the sources of American United said: “There was no competitor to it.” But the company was shut down by 2013 due to serious issues related to its reputation. American United was dependent on Iraqi truck drivers to avoid attacks by insurgents who often targeted Kuwaiti trucks. In order to pay the wages of drivers, it created Iraqi companies that were eventually brought together in one company under the management of a person named Sami al-Asadi in 2008. ”
Al-Asadi controlled the cargo traffic at Umm Qasr. Later, because of disagreements with American United, it lost control of Umm Qasr. Asadi found a new way out and began dealing with companies such as Saliport.
She added that “Sami al-Asadi and Saaliport continued to convince the company because of his relationship with government officials.”
The newspaper said that the first contract revealed between Afaq and Saaliport may have occurred in 2012. Where the company signed a deal with another security and logistics services with another base, the base of Spyker in Tikrit until it happens, but the organization is urging in 2014.
Spyker later became the site of the worst war crimes committed by the organization in Iraq, where they massacred nearly 1,700 trainees from the air force near them. But before the fall of Tikrit, Saliport, according to a former contractor, was in debt with prospects, and this is confirmed by several other sources.
“There was a contract in 2012 between Afaq and Saliport for Al-Qaeda in Tikrit,” a former Saliport official told the newspaper. The contract was in 50/50 arrangement and was paid. ” This means that Saalport has paid for half of its interest in Al Qaeda.
“When Saliport was negotiating with Afaq, Nuri al-Maliki was one of the most influential people in the country. In September 2014, after the invasion of a pro-Iraqi organization, Maliki’s government collapsed. This was a major blow to Al-Maliki and his family, as well as other commercial entities that supported him, including Afaq. ”
“The deal with Afaq lasted for two years after Maliki lost the premiership while Saliport’s leadership, which negotiated the completion of the contract, continued to work for the company,” the sources said. In the year 2016, Saaliport stopped paying wages to Afaq. ”
“Saliport said to Afaq,” Go to hell, we will not pay you, go to court, we do not care, “the newspaper quoted a person familiar with the cancellation of the contract as saying.
In August 2016, the Prosecution filed a lawsuit against Taliport in the Iraqi courts to charge it $ 70 million and pay $ 90 million. Both cases were lost in terms of obligations but they did not give up. Then resumed the prospects of the case and won. A Court of Cassation ruled that Saleport was a city of prospects for more than $ 56 million. However, the amount was not reimbursed because Saliport challenged the decision and won again for failing to provide sufficient evidence.
According to the investigation, “sources confirmed that” the loss of Spyker base did not affect the prospects .. Now linked to a contract with the US company SOSi through a joint stock company with prospects called Shahd East. They are partners in two other bases, the Taji base and Basmaya base.
“Control of the government has taken place in Iraq with a broad executive authority over the military and security services and control over the sources of money,” the Daily First quoted a former senior Western official who served in several rounds in Iraq as saying after briefing Afaq.
“Suspicious funds as well as our military industry. In the end, the US government gave Maliki money to help build a real shadow government. Maliki’s corruption has directly helped the emergence of an advocate. ”
