" The Dinar Daily ", Saturday, 1 March 2014
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  1. #1

    " The Dinar Daily ", Saturday, 1 March 2014

    Iraq’s budget problems go beyond Erbil-Baghdad crisis




    The Iraqi parliament still has not been able to approve the draft general budget for 2014, prompting Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to warn of the possibility of a major financial crisis and a disruption of state institutions.

    This delay in ratifying the budget is mainly because of the continuing dispute between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) regarding Iraqi Kurdistan's share of the budget. According to a member of the Maliki-led State of Law Coalition, the Kurds are demanding a 17% share of the budget, without deducting the revenues they obtain from the approximately 400,000 barrels of oil the region exports daily according to Iraqi government’s calculations.

    Baghdad is demanding that Iraqi Kurdistan places its oil exports under the direct supervision of the State Organization for Marketing of Oil (SOMO), which is under the authority of the central Iraqi government. The Kurdistan Region of Iraq, however, refuses to do this. For their part, the Kurdish forces argue that the central government is disregarding the constitution, which grants the region the authority to supervise its own resources, and that Baghdad is trying to deduct from Iraqi Kurdistan's share, which was decided upon in previous budgets. These forces held a meeting in Erbil on Feb. 23 and issued a statement confirming the region's right to "receive its share of Iraq's revenues." The statement noted that negotiations with Baghdad on this issue are ongoing and called on Maliki to abandon this "illegal and unconstitutional policy."

    An "independent" report on the Iraqi budget prepared by the Movement for Change (Gorran) noted that the actual share the budget grants to Iraqi Kurdistan is 9.9%, and that the government expects the region to export what amounted to 400,000 barrels per day under its supervision, compared to 250,000 a day last year. According to the report, the government is demanding that auditing agencies from both Baghdad and Erbil identify and calculate Kurdish oil revenues, and that Erbil sends the amount to Baghdad on a monthly basis. These are conditions that the KRG considers to be unfair.

    Furthermore, the problem has been fueled by the central government's delay in releasing the budget used to pay the salaries of public officials in Iraqi Kurdistan. This reached the point that KRG President Massoud Barzani described the measures as "a declaration of war" and claimed that the government was imposing a blockade on the region. These Kurdish accusations led Barzani to issue a statement on Feb. 28 denying the responsibility of his government for the delay of public employees’ salaries. The statement asserted that in the last years these salaries were paid by the KRG from its budget allocations, but it offered to deliver February salaries as a temporal solution and to prevent some from exploiting this issue to “instigate nationalist feelings.”

    It seems that negotiations between the two sides will continue, in light of each side sticking to its position and with the approach of the general elections scheduled for April of this year. Electoral seasons in Iraq usually push political forces to avoid flexible positions, to win the support of their constituencies. The KRG's rhetoric emphasizes the injustice the region is subjected to and focuses on the emotional aspect with regard to the interruption or delay in the payment of public servant salaries. Yet, on the other hand, media outlets close to the central government speak of the need to confront the Kurds' attempts to get more of the budget than they deserve and fund their "semi-autonomous" region with oil from southern Iraq.

    However, these positions do not hide the existence of divisions, particularly between the Kurdish forces themselves. Some members of parliament belonging to the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) warned that Iraqi Kurdistan will make its "own decisions" if the central government does not change its stance, in reference to a threat to withdraw from the political process or secede. Meanwhile, it seemed that officials associated with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) were cautious regarding these hard-line positions, and one PUK official went as far as stating that the KRG is responsible for the crisis because of its "failed oil policies." Furthermore, some PUK leaders met with Maliki independently to discuss the budget issue.

    However, the current problems relating to the budget are not limited to the crisis between Baghdad and Erbil, as there are other aspects that could be called "structural problems." An official from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) noted that the current draft budget does not solve the problem of Iraq's near-total dependence on oil revenues, and the potential risks this entails in the event of a drop in oil prices. The budget, which amounts to about $150 billion, assumes that oil prices will remain at $106.10 per barrel. However, it is likely that prices will drop this year, resulting in a continuation of the budget deficit. This deficit occurred for the first time last year, after multiple years of a financial surplus. The IMF official also expressed his concern that the Iraqi government may think about using cash reserves in the Central Bank to compensate for this deficit, which would weaken the currency and stimulate inflation.

    In addition, there is a near consensus about the existence of another negative indicator, represented by a decrease in investments — to about 36% of the budget — alongside an increase in expenditures relating to governance. This could adversely affect efforts to improve public services and economic infrastructure. According to Gorran's report, the draft budget is devoid of an economic vision and lacks any initiatives to promote local production, diversify income sources, reduce imports and create new jobs. The budget also includes an increase in military spending at the expense of industrial and agricultural expenditure.

    Based on the above, it can be concluded that the problems concerning the Iraqi budget are reproducing traditional conflicts witnessed by rentier states that are highly dependent on oil revenues. The conflict between Baghdad and Erbil is a conflict for each party's share of oil resources and how to manage them — it is not a conflict between two different economic visions. Today, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq is nothing more than a rentier region within a rentier state. The problem relating to a dependency on oil resources reveals that the financial recovery witnessed in Iraq in recent years — due to increased oil exports and high oil prices — is merely a temporary recovery. The continuation of prevailing spending methods and the absence of strategic solutions to the problem of dependence on oil will pave the way for severe economic crises in the near future.

    https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/orig...#ixzz2ugLdH6ri



  2. #2
    The Government agrees to pay the salaries of staff of Iraqi Kurdistan for the month of February, provided oil-pumping region and the federal budget revenues



    Baghdad: Iraq News Network - the Federal Government agreed to pay the salaries of staff in the Kurdistan region for the month of February provided the oil pump and the entry of revenues in the federal budget. According to a statement by the Office of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki that "the Federal Government has not taken any decision to cut salaries of Kurdistan, monthly dues were paid over the past years from the territorial Government and from within the 17% share received by the province from the federal budget."He stressed that "the Government of the Kurdistan region in accordance with the law of the federal public budget which bears full responsibility for paying the salaries of the staff and not the Federal Government, as some are trying to portray in an effort to stir up nationalism among the people of political, partisan and sectarian".The "budget law linking payment of share aagency {forat news} to the territory of the 17% of staff salaries and the export of oil and the federal budget revenues for the State, which had its territory more than three years ago, the region receives 17% share of the State budget without delivering oil revenues to the State Treasury, with the budget law stipulated the territorial responsibility and downloadEnsure the compensation of the damage to the general budget, the House of representatives, and in particular the Presidency and the provincial Parliament blocs, particularly the Kurdistan Alliance bloc fully responsible for non delivery of salaries, Parliament was constitutional and national responsibility and ethical view budget law so its just the first reading, as well as debate and amendment as fatal damageNo staff of the territory, but the country's development and the interests of the people in General. " "In order that no staff members and workers of Kurdish brothers to harm and preventing the owners of their own agendas who are not interested in the general interest of the people, we agree on the delivery of salaries in the County for the month of February, the oil pump and the entry of revenues in the State budget, and that we can resolve this file which has the right to damage the higher interests of the people ARTICLE LINK

  3. #3
    Al-Maliki approved a general amnesty for the sons of Anbar




    Network News Iraq - Anbar provincial Council Chief said krhot morning that Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri a
    l-Maliki agreed to terms with all its conservation initiative and it will convert the House. krhot said: that Al-Maliki had agreed to all the terms of the initiative of the Government of Anbar, including billion dollar financial compensation and 10,000 fighters with wire security and increase the budget and the other 15 points. "He will send her to the House for approval," said Al-Maliki agreed to a general amnesty and today will be in the book to the House. "and krhot for" prospective meeting with the Iraqi Council of representatives on Tuesday to discuss the crisis and undertake necessary towards the initiative. "and on the city of Fallujah," said krohat Al-Maliki said that no intrusion by the army and sent to the clans are in file. "and concluded that the Anbar Council Chairman to invite the residents of Fallujah and Anbar cities to return," Al-Maliki Agreed to stop shelling in Fallujah. "

    https://www.microsofttranslator.com/b...7%25d8%25a8%2F

  4. #4
    Iraqi oil dispute reveals KRG vulnerability




    The ongoing tit for tat between Baghdad and Erbil over oil-export rights and revenues has escalated over the past two weeks, leading to the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) most serious banking crisis since 1991. In the absence of an agreement, Baghdad has withheld part of the KRG’s revenues, resulting in non-payment of some civil servant salaries for two to three months, including the Peshmerga forces and the Oil Protection Force that guards international oil company (IOC) installations. KRG President Massoud Barzani has responded harshly by equating Baghdad’s actions to a “declaration of war on the people of Kurdistan” while claiming the ability to pay salaries from KRG funds.

    Despite employing nationalist rhetoric, staging anti-Maliki protests, blaming the United States for a lack of support and pressing IOCs for payments, the KRG’s efforts to leverage Baghdad and independently export oil remain ineffective. Alongside ongoing legal, political and technical obstacles, the KRG’s key ally and energy partner, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is facing his own domestic crisis and an uncertain political future. In the absence of a legal transit route or viable alternative revenue source, and with mounting criticism by local populations and investor confidence to sustain, Erbil will be hard-pressed to compromise with Baghdad. If not, the landlocked region risks undermining the economic and political gains it has made thus far while leaving its population and key institutions vulnerable to social, political and financial instability.

    Until now, few believed that Baghdad would go so far as to withhold the KRG budget as a retaliatory measure. Although the Iraqi government and KRG have been disputing payments since 2005, the KRG has continued to receive its expanding annual budget from Baghdad. In 2013, the region was allocated about $13 billion to administer three provinces, relatively more than other oil-producing provinces in Iraq. Nor did Baghdad effectively thwart the KRG’s energy sector development. Its “blacklist” against IOCs working in the Kurdistan Region has hardly deterred oil majors from signing contracts with the KRG and exploiting hydrocarbons.

    It was only when the KRG crossed Baghdad’s red line by attempting to circumvent state sovereignty and export oil unofficially to Turkey that Iraqi officials fully utilized their revenue card. The current crisis also imploded in response to Baghdad’s 2014 draft budget, competing claims by other oil-producing provinces for greater decentralization and revenues and the KRG’s opaque financial demands. It has now become part of campaign politics as both Barzani and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki use the oil and budget issues to affirm their authority and nationalist credentials and cut the best deal possible before the April elections.

    Indeed, the crisis has heightened criticism by Kurds of the Iraqi government. Many blame Maliki for withholding revenues, arguing that the Kurds are victims of Baghdad once again. Yet local populations also argue that the crisis is due to in part to the KRG’s mismanagement of funds and lack of transparency in financial affairs. One parliamentarian from the Gorran movement stated that as the KRG has been selling oil for years, it should be able to pay six months of salaries based on its oil revenues. Similarly, the head of the Kurdistan Central Bank, Edehem Karim Derwish, stated that the crisis is not simply an issue of Baghdad refusing to send money to the KRG. Rather, Baghdad is withholding cash flows to Erbil because the KRG is withholding clear information regarding its oil shipments and revenues. Worse still, the KRG has made no plans for financial emergencies. While Baghdad has $80 million in reserves in its state banks, the public banks in the Kurdistan Region have nothing.

    The crisis has also spilled over into the KRG’s energy sector, particularly as it relates to security operations and the Oil Protection Force. The KRG’s Ministry of Natural Resources has indicated that KRG security forces remain proactive in defending the region and there is no discussion of the protection force leaving its posts; however, it has warned IOCs to remain vigilant at rig sites. The ministry has also given IOCs the option of (re-) hiring their own private security guards — a retrenchment from a 2011 edict demanding all IOCs release most of their international security personnel and employ only the KRG’s Oil Protection Force.

    Securing revenues also has created tensions between the Ministry of Natural Resources and some IOCs. According to a local Western oil company representative, the ministry is pressing IOCs to pay their outstanding Oil Protection Force bills by March 1, 2014. In a recent meeting with IOCs to discuss the financial crisis, Minister of Natural Resources Ashti Hawrami criticized those IOCs — including key oil majors — for not paying their protection force bills and indicated that nonpayment would not be tolerated. Thus far, only about 5-10% of IOCs have currently paid, and the total payments could be about $150 million.

    Some KRG officials and individuals have stated their intentions to use additional cards to pressure the Iraqi government. They initially threatened to obstruct parliamentary politics in Baghdad, decrease water supplies to Arab farmers from KRG dams, block Kirkuk oil from being transported to Turkey and declare independence. Baghdad immediately responded by threatening to close the airspace in the Kurdistan Region, blocking all flights to and from Erbil and Sulaimaniyah.

    Despite these tactics and threats, it seems likely — or imperative — that both sides will negotiate an agreement before the election — although it would be a short-term deal at best. Even then, the crisis has reinforced the vulnerability of the KRG and its dependence on Baghdad. With over 60% of the population dependent on the KRG for salaries and even more on social welfare benefits, and a government still unformed nearly six months after regional elections, the KRG may have to rethink its energy, political and financial strategies moving forward. One essential step is to create transparent institutions to manage the region’s energy wealth, particularly a sovereign wealth fund for future generations. Failure to do so will have greater repercussions on local populations, economic and energy sector development and domestic stability.


    https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/orig...#ixzz2ugV238Wx
    Last edited by RED LILY; 03-01-2014 at 05:45 AM.

  5. #5
    A parliamentary committee warns of salary cuts and the withdrawal of Central Bank reserves

    Confirmed the parliamentary Economic Committee that the federal government will resort to a package of measures to meet the fiscal deficit in the state budget, the most important of the withdrawal of central bank reserves and the capital of the Rafidain and Rasheed put stocks and government bonds for sale.

    And warned committee member Rep. Nora Albjara of the Iraqi government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has taken a number of measures to plug the deficit in the state budget for 2014, the first of which is to reduce salaries Corporation by “zero and one per ten%”, and this ratio very little to Atsd deficit big thing, with reducing the rate of implementation of investment projects proposed by the ministries and provinces provided by the Ministry of Planning for approval to implement and maintain only the ongoing investment projects from past years.

    Warned Albjara of gravity that deliberately federal government to withdraw the reserves balance in the Central Bank of Iraq and this represents a great danger for the future of Iraq and the balance of the country financial considering that there are 70 billion dollar asset reserves and about 13 tonnes of gold existing reserve after retaining the central bank Brshehadh for years, so the The government will step pull the cover of the Iraqi currency, which is a precedent in the history of Iraq, as well as to finance part of the investment projects through bank Rafidain and Rasheed government without granting encouragement of the private sector and private banks, noting that those banks have large capital estimated by 26 trillion dinars to finance housing projects with electoral propaganda.

    She said the MP that the measures to be taken by the government is also to cover the deficit, put government bonds for sale in the auction of foreign currency through the Central Bank of Iraq and here lies the biggest proportion in bridging the fiscal deficit of the budget through the sale of bonds and ask to borrow from the World Bank to finance Iraq, in addition to limbering budgets government through the ministries and government departments, financial ratios and control of their budgets not to mention the lack of implementation of the ministries and provincial investment projects to run out of time after the passage of the budget approval by the expectations in the month of April next and dates of implementation of the projects run out the remaining months of the financial year. ARTICLE LINK

  6. #6
    RED LILY
    Guest
    ORIGINALLY POSTED BY CHATTELS
    COMMENTARY BY RED LILY~

    Iraq’s budget problems go beyond Erbil-Baghdad crisis


    The Iraqi parliament still has not been able to approve the draft general budget for 2014, prompting Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to warn of the possibility of a major financial crisis and a disruption of state institutions.

    This delay in ratifying the budget is mainly because of the continuing dispute between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) regarding Iraqi Kurdistan's share of the budget. According to a member of the Maliki-led State of Law Coalition, the Kurds are demanding a 17% share of the budget, without deducting the revenues they obtain from the approximately 400,000 barrels of oil the region exports daily according to Iraqi government’s calculations.

    IF THIS IS TRULY THE CASE, I DO NOT BELIEVE THE KURDS ARE BEING REASONABLE. THEY WANT THEIR CAKE AND EAT IT TOO.. SEEMS THEY MAY BE MILKING IT FOR ALL IT IS WORTH... OR THEY ARE BOUND AND DETERMINED TO BECOME INDEPENDENT OF IRAQ. RL~

    Baghdad is demanding that Iraqi Kurdistan places its oil exports under the direct supervision of the State Organization for Marketing of Oil (SOMO), which is under the authority of the central Iraqi government. The Kurdistan Region of Iraq, however, refuses to do this. For their part, the Kurdish forces argue that the central government is disregarding the constitution, which grants the region the authority to supervise its own resources, and that Baghdad is trying to deduct from Iraqi Kurdistan's share, which was decided upon in previous budgets. These forces held a meeting in Erbil on Feb. 23 and issued a statement confirming the region's right to "receive its share of Iraq's revenues." The statement noted that negotiations with Baghdad on this issue are ongoing and called on Maliki to abandon this "illegal and unconstitutional policy."


    ~~~Kurdish forces argue that the central government is disregarding the constitution, which grants the region the authority to supervise its own resources~~~

    SEEMS TO ME SOMEONE IS HAVING TROUBLE "COMPREHENDING" THE CONSTITUTION HERE. PERHAPS THE UN NEEDS TO STEP IN AND EXPLAIN HOW THIS IS ALL SUPPOSE TO WORK. BECAUSE I DO BELIEVE THE CONSTITUTION SAYS THEY MUST RUN ALL CONTRACTS PAST THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT "FIRST" AND IF THEY DO NOT "RESPOND IN A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME", ONLY THEN ARE THE PROVINCES SUPPOSE TO MAKE THE BEST DECISION FOR THEIR PEOPLE. DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE A DIFFERENT COMPREHENSION REGARDING THIS SUBJECT? ~RL


    An "independent" report on the Iraqi budget prepared by the Movement for Change (Gorran) noted that the actual share the budget grants to Iraqi Kurdistan is 9.9%, and that the government expects the region to export what amounted to 400,000 barrels per day under its supervision, compared to 250,000 a day last year. According to the report, the government is demanding that auditing agencies from both Baghdad and Erbil identify and calculate Kurdish oil revenues, and that Erbil sends the amount to Baghdad on a monthly basis. These are conditions that the KRG considers to be unfair.


    ~~An "independent" report on the Iraqi budget prepared by the Movement for Change (Gorran) noted that the actual share the budget grants to Iraqi Kurdistan is 9.9%,~~

    WELL THIS "IS" A "FAR CRY" TO WHAT WAS AGREED UPON... NO WONDER ~RL



    Furthermore, the problem has been fueled by the central government's delay in releasing the budget used to pay the salaries of public officials in Iraqi Kurdistan. This reached the point that KRG President Massoud Barzani described the measures as "a declaration of war" and claimed that the government was imposing a blockade on the region. These Kurdish accusations led Barzani to issue a statement on Feb. 28 denying the responsibility of his government for the delay of public employees’ salaries. The statement asserted that in the last years these salaries were paid by the KRG from its budget allocations, but it offered to deliver February salaries as a temporal solution and to prevent some from exploiting this issue to “instigate nationalist feelings.”


    ~~KRG President Massoud Barzani described the measures as "a declaration of war" and claimed that the government was imposing a blockade on the region. ~~

    OH WE DEFINITELY DO NOT WANT TO SEE ANOTHER CIVIL WAR. ANBAR IS COSTING IRAQ ENOUGH MONEY AS WE SPEAK. I BELIEVE THIS IS JUST A BUNCH OF "MUSCLE TALK". AT LEAST I HOPE SO. KURDISTAN "KNOWS" THAT IRAQ WOULD LOSE MILLIONS IF THEY BECOME AN INDEPENDENT STATE AND IT SEEMS THEY ARE "REALLY PUSHING THEIR BOUNDARIES" IMO ~RL



    It seems that negotiations between the two sides will continue, in light of each side sticking to its position and with the approach of the general elections scheduled for April of this year. Electoral seasons in Iraq usually push political forces to avoid flexible positions, to win the support of their constituencies. The KRG's rhetoric emphasizes the injustice the region is subjected to and focuses on the emotional aspect with regard to the interruption or delay in the payment of public servant salaries. Yet, on the other hand, media outlets close to the central government speak of the need to confront the Kurds' attempts to get more of the budget than they deserve and fund their "semi-autonomous" region with oil from southern Iraq.


    IF MALIKI WOULD JUST ALLOW A KURD IN THE DEFENSE MINISTRIES, I BELIEVE THIS WOULD SOLVE THEIR TRUST ISSUES.. OR SOME OF THEM.. ~RL


    However, these positions do not hide the existence of divisions, particularly between the Kurdish forces themselves. Some members of parliament belonging to the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) warned that Iraqi Kurdistan will make its "own decisions" if the central government does not change its stance, in reference to a threat to withdraw from the political process or secede. Meanwhile, it seemed that officials associated with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) were cautious regarding these hard-line positions, and one PUK official went as far as stating that the KRG is responsible for the crisis because of its "failed oil policies." Furthermore, some PUK leaders met with Maliki independently to discuss the budget issue.


    ~~that Iraqi Kurdistan will make its "own decisions" if the central government does not change its stance, in reference to a threat to withdraw from the political process or secede. ~~

    THERE IS NO DOUBT KURDISTAN COULD MAKE IT ON THEIR OWN.. BUT WOULD CERTAINLY TAKE A LOT OF GDP WITH THEM ~RL


    However, the current problems relating to the budget are not limited to the crisis between Baghdad and Erbil, as there are other aspects that could be called "structural problems." An official from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) noted that the current draft budget does not solve the problem of Iraq's near-total dependence on oil revenues, and the potential risks this entails in the event of a drop in oil prices. The budget, which amounts to about $150 billion, assumes that oil prices will remain at $106.10 per barrel. However, it is likely that prices will drop this year, resulting in a continuation of the budget deficit. This deficit occurred for the first time last year, after multiple years of a financial surplus. The IMF official also expressed his concern that the Iraqi government may think about using cash reserves in the Central Bank to compensate for this deficit, which would weaken the currency and stimulate inflation.


    ~~official from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) noted that the current draft budget does not solve the problem of Iraq's near-total dependence on oil revenues ~~~
    The IMF official also expressed his concern that the Iraqi government may think about using cash reserves in the Central Bank to compensate for this deficit, which would weaken the currency and stimulate inflation.~~~

    IN THIS STATEMENT WE SEE WHERE THE IMF'S FOCUS IS. THEY HAVE BEEN ON IRAQ FOR YEARS TO "DIVERSIFY" THEIR RESOUCES FOR THE ECONOMY AND NOT JUST BE DEPENDENT ON OIL. WE ALSO SEE HERE THE IMF STATING THAT IF THE GOVERNMENT WITHDRAWS "ANY" OF THE CASH RESERVES FROM THE CBI THAT IT WOULD WEAKEN THEIR CURRENCY AND STIMULATE INFLATION.. WE DON'T WANT THIS!! ~RL


    In addition, there is a near consensus about the existence of another negative indicator, represented by a decrease in investments — to about 36% of the budget ~~ WRONG DIRECTION IRAQ~~ alongside an increase in expenditures relating to governance. This could adversely affect efforts to improve public services and economic infrastructure. According to Gorran's report, the draft budget is devoid of an economic vision and lacks any initiatives to promote local production, diversify income sources, reduce imports and create new jobs. The budget also includes an increase in military spending at the expense of industrial and agricultural expenditure.

    Based on the above, it can be concluded that the problems concerning the Iraqi budget are reproducing traditional conflicts witnessed by rentier states that are highly dependent on oil revenues. The conflict between Baghdad and Erbil is a conflict for each party's share of oil resources and how to manage them — it is not a conflict between two different economic visions. Today, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq is nothing more than a rentier region within a rentier state. The problem relating to a dependency on oil resources reveals that the financial recovery witnessed in Iraq in recent years — due to increased oil exports and high oil prices — is merely a temporary recovery. The continuation of prevailing spending methods and the absence of strategic solutions to the problem of dependence on oil will pave the way for severe economic crises in the near future.


    https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/orig...#ixzz2ugLdH6ri

  7. #7
    *** Courtesy of OOTW - Posted in Yesterdays forum, early a.m. ***

    Newspapers: Nouri al-Maliki cast bodies of the dead in the Euphrates River
    ARAB NEWSPAPERS Last Updated on Friday, February 28th / شباط 2014; 08:31 (GMT +0400)
    Nouri al-Maliki of Iraq Yusuf al-Qaradawi Libya Algeria


    Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki
    Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) - She Arab newspapers range of news and topics of the most prominent Israeli plan to build an arena for Jewish prayer on the south side of the maximum, and the statements to Al-Qaradawi about Qatar, and news about the frustration of the Algerian army attempt to smuggle more than 40 rockets from Libya.
    Khaleej Times

    Under the title " scheme to establish yard prayer for the Jews in the southern side of the maximum , "wrote the newspaper Khaleej Times:" The Bureau of the Attorney General of the Israeli government to halt the proceedings transferring the management of the archaeological park adjacent to the point of the South of the Temple Mount to the Elad settlement, due to differences between the currents of the Jewish religion. "

    The message revealed the Attorney General Office of the Minister of Housing, Uri Ariel, of the existence of a scheme to establish a yard another prayer for the Jews in the southern side of the Temple Mount.
    Media reports have revealed yesterday that the Israeli government represented by the Minister of Housing Uri Ariel has signed an agreement with the Association "Elad" on the management of the so-called Israeli "archaeological park" or "center-Davidson" on the south side of the Temple Mount.

    Egyptian Today

    Under the title " Al-Qaradawi: Qatar our foods from hunger and Omentna of fear , "wrote the newspaper Al Masry Al Youm:" said Dr. Yusuf al-Qaradawi, president of the World Federation of Muslims Qatar our foods from hunger and Omentna of fear, enjoy the prosperity and security, and pray to God that saves a prince and the people and Government . "

    He praised Qaradawi's support, "the wise leadership represented in the presence of Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, and the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani."

    He talked about the rumors of his expulsion from the country, saying: "Some people wanted to expel me from Qatar, and when I've become cold and apologized for 3 weeks rhetoric that has been floated to stop me, and Qatar Sttrdna."

    Sunrise Tunisian

    Under the title " Scholars of Iraq: Maliki cast the bodies of its dead in the Euphrates River , "wrote sunrise Tunisian:" denounced the Association of Muslim Scholars in Iraq strongly what they called the new offense, which said that Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and his forces they commit, and of dumping the bodies of their dead from tribal rebels in the waters of the Euphrates River. "

    The authority said, led by Sheikh Harith al-Dhari said in a statement Tuesday: "in an unprecedented manner in our Arab and Islamic countries that the principles and values ​​of respect for human slain in the battle of any row was, and honoring humanity Bmuarah his body in the dirt, took refuge in army-Maliki and since the beginning of the attack on the people of Fallujah, Ramadi and other cities of Anbar province, but many times to throw the bodies of its dead in the waters of the Euphrates River, the last of which was the day before yesterday. "

    The statement said al-Maliki ordered his military commanders to throw the dead bodies into the river without a shred of conscience or religion, and to hide the truth for fear of being seen people on the true magnitude of the losses in the battle against unfair rebel clans.

    Watan

    Under the title " the Algerian army thwarts attempt to smuggle more than 40 rockets from Libya , "wrote Kuwaiti newspaper" reported that Algerian Algerian army foiled an attempt to smuggle during the week more than forty missiles from the Libyan border when they enter Algerian soil Baelezi. "

    It was reported that the Algerian army set during the operation, "thirty flagrant Katyusha rockets and 17 rocket land - Joe kind of Strela, try the terrorists of al-Qaeda in northern Mali smuggled into northern Mali," and talked about tuning ten Katyusha rockets and 17 rocket Strela, while the army has destroyed the rest of the arsenal of rockets at the same location.

    According to the news, the army monitoring "convoy consisting of four-wheel drive cars and trucks as it entered through the desert corridor is located in northern Libyan city of languages ​​towards Algeria."

    https://arabic.cnn.com/middleeast/201...?hpt=continous

  8. #8
    Currency Auctions

    Announcement No. (2613)

    The latest daily currency auction was held in the Central Bank of Iraq on the 1-Mar-2014 results were as follows:

    Details Notes
    Number of banks 14
    Auction price selling dinar / US$ 1166
    Auction price buying dinar / US$ -----
    Amount sold at auction price (US$) 103,664,000
    Amount purchased at Auction price (US$) -----
    Total offers for buying (US$) 103,664,000
    Total offers for selling (US$) -----

    Exchange rates ( No Market Rate Posted Since 27 February 2014 )

  9. #9
    For Iraqi Politicians, Laws Are Only for Others




    Despite the passage of more than a dozen years since Saddam Hussein’s downfall, representatives of some political blocs maintain that the law regulating political parties was written in haste, and needs to be amended before debate.

    BAGHDAD, Iraq – A bill regulating the activities of political parties in Iraq has been collecting dust since 2004 because the absence of legislation allows politicians to embezzle and do as they please, Iraqi MPs, analysts and ordinary citizens charge.

    The inactive Law of Political Parties in Iraq has remained one of the most delayed and controversial bills because of a paragraph that says sources of financing must be regulated and transparent, some MPs and analysts say.

    “What political parties and their backers fear most is revealing the sources of funding,” said Alia Nassif, an MP for the Free Iraqiya coalition.

    She noted that candidates from the different political parties had already begun extensive and expensive campaigns for parliamentary elections in April.

    “That’s a clear sign that there is money being embezzled from the government though corruption or received from external powers,” Nassif said.

    “Today it has become clear that there are politicians using state funds in their election campaigns and there are mafias run by political parties,” she charged.

    Despite the passage of more than a dozen years since Saddam Hussein’s downfall, representatives of some political blocs maintain that the law regulating political parties was written in haste, and needs to be amended before debate.

    Political analyst Hamad al-Faisal agrees that, “Tying political parties to a body that follows up and monitors their financial resources is what scares the ruling parties, which possess large sums of money and are unwilling to reveal their sources."

    “Most parties would not be approved under a modern law of parties. This is what has prompted these parties to proceed with a broken political process for more than a decade,” he said.

    Faisal said that having a proper law “would simply mean disbanding these parties and confiscating their properties. These political parties do not want the bill passed and they have hindered this bill for all these years.”

    “There will be no free and fair elections without such a law,” he observed.

    Despite bitter power struggles and disputes among the political blocs, all appear to be in agreement against the bill in its present form.

    “As a voter, I cannot elect political parties with a murky history, election manifesto and sources of funding,” complained Ahmed Aqeel, a 30-year-old Iraqi.

    “The financial and administrative corruption, the problem of security and economic development are the most important concerns of all Iraqis,” he said. “How can these be achieved when the parties themselves are accused of receiving funds from abroad?”

    Meanwhile, a member of the parliamentary legal committee, MP Adel Faddaalah, said: “Most of the political blocs do not want their activities be controlled or monitored by a certain body. They also do not want to be disciplined in case they violate the laws. The biggest catastrophe is the fact that the political parties neither want their financial income monitored, nor their sources disclosed, to determine whether they were illegal or not.”

    “There are no legal problems concerning the Law of Political Parties,” he said. “But there are political differences that disrupt the enactment of the law.”

    He also explained it was impossible for the bill to pass either in the current parliament, or the next one.

    Sahar Abd al-Rahman, a 40-year-old school teacher, said that without a law there was no hope of a strong government in Iraq, where sectarian violence has been on the rise since US forces withdrew at the end of 2011.

    “The government will not be capable of overcoming its problems and will hand down its problems to the future governments,” she said.

    https://rudaw.net/english/middleeast/....96Y90uK6.dpuf

  10. #10
    Othman: Pay the Kurdistan staff salaries does not solve the differences between Baghdad and Arbil

    01/03/2014 08:21:00

    BAGHDAD / NINA / The independent MP, of the Kurdistan Alliance, Mahmoud Othman confirmed that "The government's decision to pay the salaries of the staff of the province did not solve the problem , and did not come with anything new about the differences between the federal government and the province, demanding to hold quick and urgent dialogues between the two governments with third-party intervention to resolve the problems between them."

    Othman told the National Iraqi News Agency / NINA / "The decision of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki yesterday to pay salaries of the province's employees in exchange for pay the provincial's oil revenues, was not new, and it is previous position for the Federal Government," pointing out that" the federal government wants the region to export 400 000 barrels per day, but the province says it unable to export even up to 200 barrels per day, and this is a great controversy. "

    Othman predicted "lack of success of the House Speaker's initiative to resolve the issue of the budget between the federal and provincial governments, because of the insistence of the two sides to their position, surprisingly, from the cessation of contacts and dialogues in the current period between the two governments after seeing an improvement dialogues in the recent period."

    He pointed out that "a success of initiative of foreign countries, such as Iran, could be seen as it put pressure on both governments to solve the problem, as it did in last year's budget on the grounds that it has good relations with the two governments, noting that no other state can solve this problem."

    Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki announced yesterday that he agreed to pay the staff's salaries of the Kurdistan region for February, if the region's oil pumped and its revenues arrive to the federal budget.

    He added in a statement: "The federal government has not taken any decision to cut the salaries of employees in the Kurdistan region, as their salaries, over the past years, were paid from the provincial government within the share of the 17 percent received by the province from the federal budget."

    https://www.ninanews.com/english/News...ar95_VQ=GMMHEI

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