Off-the-grid

Here's hoping my new sideline career in voice acting, which currently consists of producing (narrating) audiobooks on Amazon/Audible as Marcus Litch, will be just a hobby! I've been totally tickled to have an honest-to-god stage name. My dream of an RV when I'm still fit enough to enjoy a round-the-world golf extravaganza is starting to mess with my head. Now I have to somehow get back to editing my third audiobook. Auditioning is fun, recording is fun, but the editing is work (but an art in and of itself). Off the grid/Marcus Litch

I am not concerned. Y'all forget that the US has $100K notes - so the banks and gvt can transfer large amounts of cold cash easily. The CBI wants new large notes with the extra security features. It doesn't sound like we will even have to deal with a time limit to exchange ours because they say right up front that these new notes are for internal banking use. These notes will NOT hit the streets. So, why make them for internal use only UNLESS they will be too large for the public to use??? See where I'm going with this? I think this is an OUTSTANDING article. Peace and Prosperity

This also ties in with the application for a credit rating! Going after the stolen and bribery funds will increase the country's cash reserves (GOI, not CBI), but will also go a long ways towards the transparency Iraq will need for a good rating. I've been saying for a while that I believe this (recover dirty money) needs to happen before we see an RV - but totally JMO. I'm so thrilled with the current news along with a good overtime payday, I'm taking advantage of Adam's Platinum discount as soon as I post this. WooHoo! Peace and Prosperity

It's my party and I'll cry if I want to ... Sorry, had to do it. Peace and Prosperity

Post RV, can't I exchange some of my dinar for dollars, and the rest for the new IQDs? Wouldn't that enable me to greatly reduce my taxable event and hold IQD longer (assuming it will be a float)? I am assuming the new notes will appear simultaneously with the RV. Is this what you expect? Peace and Prosperity with a Plan

I understood the announcement about turning in their 50s said nothing about receiving replacement (new) 50's, just bills worth the equivalent - as in five 50's gets you a 250,etc. or even just that value in your bank account. So, my understanding is that the 50's are being removed from circulation right now since they are old, easily counterfeited, and not currently worth squat. This still looks like a good pre-RV move by the CBI to me. In fact, I would like to see everything up to 1000 removed. My thinking is the RV will go smoother if the lines to exchange old IQD for new won't be clogged by folks with wheelbarrows of puny bills they've been keeping in their mattresses - plus the easily counterfeited issue. Are you hearing that the banks are actually REPLACING the old 50s with new 50s? Peace and Prosperity

I saw nothing in this article about EXCHANGING the 50s. Right now they are ENDING the 50s. They are not replacing them at this time. They may be getting ready for the RV by getting rid of the old notes that are too worthless right now to be missed, and will introduce the new lower denoms post RV when they will be needed. This will save time and hassle post RV. The banks will still have to make change for the big notes, but won't have to deal with folks queuing up to exchange their wheelbarrow loads of small notes. Don't panic - its all good! Peace and Prosperity

Going after smuggled funds fits right in with my recent comments about delaying the RV until the unbelievably massive ill-gotten gains of Maliki et. al. are recovered. Peace and Prosperity

Militias are a problem. Poorly trained, undisciplined, and a chain of command outside the military and civilian govt. So what do you do when they already exist, and many were created by the former despot? The rumors about Maliki aiding ISIL and creating the militias to combat ISIL are ringing true. A despot who sees the writing on the wall forms a private army? Strikes me as something he would do. So, now Abadi needs to tie their continued funding for arms, etc., to the gov't to change their loyalties. Doubtless better than trying to forcibly disband them. After defeating ISIL the trick will be preventing them from becoming outlaw gangs (which they may already be). Tricky situation. I wish Abadi luck. Peace and Prosperity

As I see it there are 3 things we will have to wait for: 1) HCL, 2) defeat of ISIL, and 3) the incarceration/execution of Maliki et al and the recovery or at least freezing of ALL there ill-gotten assets, especially if they are still in the form of IQD. Since the Maliki clan and their cronies appear to have illegally acquired BILLIONS of dollars worth of IQD AT THE CURRENT RATE!!, the world cannot afford to deal with the level of wealth they would enjoy (and doubtless employ) following an RV. I am assuming the vast majority of this wealth is still in the form of IQD in order to keep it more easily hidden. If it has already been converted into something else, then an RV would not affect it. However, it would still help support the RV to regain the funds before hand. Peace, prosperity and justice!

Well, at least I appreciate these reminders that they are not going to LOP. A value neutral event would not require all these restrictions - they could just do it when the preparations are done. Right? In fact, they could do the currency swap in a way that would make all the IQD in ISIL's hands useless paper. Kinda like the US scrip changes during the Korean war. Peace and Prosperity

I hope Abadi is just making nice until he can spring his trap. I still think the CBI should wait to RV until all of Maliki's stolen and bribe funds have been located and frozen (or even better, reappropriated). He will be too powerful an enemy otherwise. We've been seeing some promising articles of legal action being taken against him and his family and cronies - so I have high hopes it won't be much longer. Peace and Prosperity

All around positive piece. Some fine-tuning to make sure it will stand up if challenged in court sounds like a good idea to me. You know some yahoo group is going to challenge it, because that's what they do. I've reached a place where waiting for the RV is no longer driving me crazy, and so far I am succeeding at not getting excited by all the great progress lately, just happy things are finally moving in the right direction. What I really want to see is Maliki broke and in jail (or buried). The huge amount of funds he stole and received as kickbacks makes him a very dangerous man. He needs to be ruined and his influence ended. Peace and Prosperity

I'm wondering how an RV will help the Iraqi gov't when it is seriously strapped for cash? I'm thinking they would be better off waiting until they have a substantial surplus. Or will they ever have much of a surplus? It seems gov'ts never do, because they immediately find something else to spend it on - or just plain steal it. How about the previously stolen billions that have been recently located but not re-appropriated yet? Could they be waiting to RV first so all that cash can't be used up by the deficit? But, if that money is no longer in IQD, it would not be affected by an RV. Get it back, convert to IQD, then RV? Appreciate your opinion.

To be honest, I thought the Kuwait debt had already been retired. Obviously not. So that also means the oil Kurdistan sold independently this past year did NOT contribute the 5% towards Kuwait. Having lived in the area, I have to say the dust and sand storms wreak havoc on daily life. We endured a month of high winds called "shamals" that were truly unpleasant. Projects to stabilize the ground and create wind breaks like we did in the US after the Dust Bowl is a really good idea. Peace and Prosperity