bagdaddy

At least they're still talking and not trying to assassinate each other. Thanks for the info.

Iraq is learning the hard lesson of Capitalism--that is---- I am not paid and rewarded on the basis of my efforts. I am paid by results. Arab Spring will turn to Arab Summer and the people want results not just talk and posturing.

Shabibi pointed out that the United Nations will not go on forever to protect Iraqi funds and this requires research on how to protect post-term and requires swift action to resolve the debt profiles. Read more: Shabs gets it. The good guys of the West are not going to protect the assest classes in Iraq forever. Am I the only one noticing that the only urgency in this whole RV issue out of Iraq comes from the mouth of Shabs?

Iraq's budget is based on their primary export---#2 sweet crude oil at $85 a barrel.

You are correct, sir!

Peace to you and your family. I understand Islam has some bad apples-- so do all religions. My question is what are you going to do about it? I don't need any more discussion from people trying to convince me Islam is a peaceful religion. Please help me understand- KORAN commands to kill infidels: Allah is an enemy to unbelievers. - Sura 2:98. On unbelievers is the curse of Allah. - Sura 2:161. Slay them wherever ye find them and. . . I have been to Dubai during Ramadan and have had coworkers jailed for spitting on the sidewalk and drinking water during the day. I'm just saying. . . . .

Sorry

A great strategy for RV, ship all the stubborn @ss politicians to Omaha , Nebraska.

Maliki calls to give larger role to Iraqi clerics ... May 14, 2011 Maliki calls to give larger role to Iraqi clerics Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki has called to give a larger role to Iraqi clerics in managing the country’s affairs. Iraqi clerics are responsible for building up the community and the State not the ministries, directorates and institutions, a source told Alsumaria. Al Maliki however criticized religious institutions for being influenced by parties involved in corruption. Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki complained of media’s corrupt role calling on religious institutions to raise religious awareness through the media in a call that is regarded to be as the most radical stand taken by Al Maliki. http://www.alsumaria.tv/en/Iraq-News/1-64067-Maliki-calls-to-give-larger-role-to-Iraqi-clerics.html THIS IS A STEP BACKWARD AND TOTALLY INCONSISTANT WITH WHAT HAS BEEN DONE SO FAR. YOU ARE LETTING THE ENEMIES OF PEACE AND PROSPARITY BACK INTO THE GAME. THE MEDIA HAS TO STEP IT UP AND HOLD THIS GUY'S FEET TO THE FIRE.

CBI's Shabibi ~ Iraq Mobile Banking ~ Shabibi said he hoped the project would be ready "in the coming year" ... related articles ~ Iraq Banking by Phone/Web ~ Iraq to boost retail banking via mobiles, Web and .. Iraq plans to support the activities of retail banking ... 05/15/2011 Iraq to bring banks to the masses – by mobile BAGHDAD – Just a fifth of Iraqis have bank accounts, but 70 percent have mobile phones, so Baghdad is hoping to close the gap by getting people to open accounts, make payments and transfer cash – all via mobile. In a country that is one of the most corrupt and violent in the world, the initiative is aimed at securing Iraqis' funds, and strengthening the banking sector as higher revenues resulting from a greater number of transactions boost profits. "It's a very important project" in terms of "increasing the capacities of private banking," Sinan al-Shabibi, the governor of the Central Bank of Iraq, told reporters at a conference on the initiative organized by the bank and USAID. Shabibi said he hoped the project would be ready "in the coming year". Only about 20 percent of Iraqis hold a bank account, according to experts. That figure is markedly lower than the average for developing countries, which a World Bank report released last year pegged at 28 percent among adults. By contrast, 81 percent of adults in developed countries held bank accounts, the "Doing Business 2011" report said. While much of Iraq's low bank account penetration has to do with a lack of confidence among Iraqis in banks, other factors are also at play. "It can... be attributed to long period the country was at war, international sanctions, isolation from the outside world, prevailing security situations, coverage of banks in remote areas," said Indrajit Roy Choudhury, a banking expert working as a consultant for the state-owned Trade Bank of Iraq. Choudhury added that a lack of modern banking facilities and poor financial literacy among Iraqis' was also to blame. In addition, most Iraqis are paid in cash, with many avoiding the tedious procedures of dealing with the country's bank branches, where queues are long and customers often spend a great deal of time simply in order to deposit funds that they often end up spending within a month. Others who receive their salaries in cheques typically withdraw the full amount in cash and eschew making deposits or opening an account. "This situation is changing," Choudhury noted, pointing out that several banks were opening branches in more of Iraq's provinces, networking those branches, and coming out with more "customer-oriented products". Iraq is hoping to use the relative popularity of mobile telephones here, with market penetration estimated at 70 percent, to accelerate the development of the banking sector. A 2009 report by India's National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development notes that "lack of access to finance for...weaker sections of the society has been recognised as a serious threat to economic progress, especially in developing countries." It added: "Moreover, prolonged and persistent deprivation of banking services to a large segment of the population leads to a decline in investment and has the potential to fuel social tensions causing social exclusion." According to Carl Rosenquist, an expert who is working on the Iraqi project, it is likely that younger Iraqis will be the system's guinea pigs. "Experience shows that the take up of mobile financial services attracts initially the young and subsequently the take-up will increase up the age ladder," said Rosenquist, who has worked on similar initiatives in the Philippines, Mongolia, Jamaica and Kenya. If the project is fully realized, all it would take for an individual to open a bank account would be a phone call. Iraqis would be able to make transfers, pay bills, or withdraw funds from non-banking agents such as general stores, who would receive a commission in return. It is all part of a larger project, estimated to cost between $15-20 million, to unify Iraq's banking system. "The biggest obstacle is regulation ... The law is far behind," said Rosenquist, who complained that Iraqi banks are not required to be linked to a central payment system. "We have a system and they are not all members. ... If they (regulators) don't mandate the use of it, then it's useless." Discussions are also ongoing between certain banks and mobile phone operators to develop mobile banking, with the chief executive of Kuwaiti firm Zain's Iraqi arm acknowledging that his own company was in talks with two Iraqi banks. "We're working with a couple banks here in Iraq," Emad Makiya said in an interview with AFP, adding that he could not name which banks as a result of a non-disclosure agreement. "We're just studying this right now. ... We should strike something by the end of this year. We will help them out with their mobile banking." http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/infotech/view/20110515-336636/Iraq-to-bring-banks-to-the-masses--by-mobile

The French political bigshot who heads the International Monetary Fund was arrested for allegedly sodomizing a Manhattan hotel maid yesterday -- hauled off an Air France flight just moments before takeoff from Kennedy Airport, police sources said. Three Port Authority detectives pulled Dominique Strauss-Kahn from the plane's first-class cabin just two minutes before it was due to depart for Paris, according to the police sources. Strauss-Kahn, 62 -- who was expected to challenge French President Nicholas Sarkozy in the 2012 election -- was turned over to NYPD officers and brought to the Special Victims Unit's uptown squad room. Bloomberg News SHOCKER: IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn (with President George W. Bush in 2008) was arrested yesterday after an alleged sex assault at the Sofitel in Midtown. Strauss-Kahn is awaiting arraignment on charges of a criminal sex act, attempted rape and unlawful imprisonment, NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said. The trouble began at around 1 p.m. yesterday when a 32-year-old housekeeper entered Strauss-Kahn's $3,000-a-night suite at the luxury Sofitel on West 44th Street -- apparently unaware he was still inside. The married Strauss-Kahn was in the bathroom, and emerged naked, chased her down a hallway and pulled her into a bedroom, where "he jumps her," a source said. "She pulled away from him and he dragged her down a hallway into the bathroom where he engaged in a criminal sexual act, according to her account to detectives," Browne said. "He tried to lock her into the hotel room." Soon afterward, Strauss-Kahn got dressed and headed off to JFK for a flight to Paris. When he was approached on the plane by Port Authority cops, he said, "What is this about?" sources said. He was taken off the aircraft without handcuffs. Two law-enforcement sources said Strauss-Kahn was trying to flee authorities. Police said he left his cellphone and other personal items in the room. "It looked like he got out of there in a hurry," Browne said. Strauss-Kahn, who had a meeting planned for today with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, has an arrangement with Air France that allows him to get on any flight and sit in first class, the sources said. He was traveling alone. Browne said Strauss-Kahn does not have diplomatic immunity. He was expected to be brought to court today. High-profile criminal defense lawyer Ben Brafman told The Post he will be defending Strauss-Kahn -- but by late last night, had not yet spoken with him. The victim was taken to Roosevelt Hospital, where she was treated for trauma. The shocking arrest came hours after a Socialist Party ally of Strauss-Kahn accused Sarkozy of kicking off a smear campaign against his longtime rival -- focusing on his lavish lifestyle, including his preference for suits from the same tailor favored by President Obama. "There is now a totally structured and orchestrated campaign, which has already been announced by Mr. Sarkozy and his closest allies, to attack the character of Strauss-Kahn," Socialist politician Jean-Marie Le Guen told Europe 1 radio. Strauss-Kahn's stint at the helm of the IMF in Washington does not officially end until September 2012, several months after the scheduled date of France's presidential vote. But the French political world has been buzzing with speculation that the man popularly known as "DSK" would bring a premature end to his tenure and throw his hat in the ring. And some opinion polls suggested he would win. In France's 2007 elections, Strauss-Kahn lost the Socialist nomination to Segolene Royal, who in turn was defeated in the general election by Sarkozy, leader of the right-wing Union for a Popular Movement. But Sarkozy, who still sees Strauss-Kahn as his likeliest electoral rival, is believed to have maneuvered Strauss-Kahn out of France by backing him to head the Washington-based IMF. A spokeswoman for the State Department had no comment, nor did a spokesperson for the French Embassy. The IMF did not return calls seeking comment. Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/imf_boss_strauss_kahn_arrested_in_Kbd7uAi594vbej3oORXfcJ#ixzz1MQ56gf2J

A healthy RV would make this fool and other distractions irrelevant.

New drink served at a local watering hole. Two shots and a splash. Go RV!!!!! Let's get this going, boys!

If this place had center pivots instead of flooding fields their food export would be massive. It is truly the fertile crescent.

Did you know you can buy your rating at the BBB?

Huh???

I hate being crude, but you got a laugh from me.

I'm in for tomorrow. Why not?

Mak-mood-needs-a-jihad is on his way out. He has all been convicted of witchcraft-- the worst possible offense in Iran. He has little man syndrome

K98 doesn't sleep.

Could you post the link again?

Iraqi economy “grows in post- Bin Laden era” ... 06/05/2011 Iraqi economy “grows in post- Bin Laden era” Erbil, Two Iraqi lawmakers anticipated after Osama Bin Laden’s death the economy of the Middle East countries in general and Iraq in particular will boost. The US President Barak Obama announced Monday morning that Bin Laden, the leader of the militant organization of al-Qaeda, was killed during a US attack in northern Pakistan. Abdul-Hussein Yaseri, a deputy in the finance parliamentary committee, told AKnews Bin Laden’s death will reassure the investors and encourages them to put their assets in Middle East. “Terrorism” has spooked the capitalists and prevented them from launching any considerable investment in Iraq, but after the death of al-Qaeda leader “we expect a rise in investment in Iraq and some countries in the Middle East.” Bin Laden’s organization is responsible for most of the insurgent attacks carried out across Iraq and Afghanistan. Haydar ‘Abadi, another member of finance committee, expected in the post-Bin Laden era “the Middle East countries, including Iraq, will host a higher number of tourists.” He, too, anticipated a faster influx of investors into the country as their fear “has declined.” http://www.aknews.com/en/aknews/2/237392/

It helps to insert your own verbs when reading translations, i.e. is, was, were, etc. I am at a loss as to why the writer thinks Iraq needs protection once they RV to 3.22 on the 5th of May next.

How long do you think they are going to be isolated when they have a substantial proven oil reserve? It is amazing how fast the market place works when you have something everyone in the world wants. They don't need the permission of the WTO or liberal diplomats to develop their country. Come on, bite the bullet, RV and start selling oil my Arab friends. You control your destiny. (My destiny will be greatly enhanced once you 'get off the pot'.)

Agreed. Let's cut the taxes on the gallon of gas. The government takes more in taxes than the company takes in profit. T is a bull in a china shop. His no nonsence rhetoric is refreshing but wrong.