Manhattan

Brilliant work noskar... totally busted!

Iraq: Egyptian investors delegation visits Kurdistan region - Maha Karim Monday, 22 November 2010 Egypt (Cairo) - Eng. Rashid Mohamed Rashid, the Trade and Industry Minister is to head an investors team on a visit to Iraqi Kurdistan this month, to consider the possibility of establishing projects in industry, tourism, energy, housing and infrastructure in the Kurdistan province. Egypt is encouraging the private sector and Egyptian firms to go to Iraqi Kurdistan as part of the support of Egypt to Iraq in general and Kurdistan province in particular to give a push to the economic development process, Rashid said. Prime Minister of Iraqi Kurdistan province Borham Saleh said that Kurdistan would provide Egyptian businessmen with all possible facilities to work in the areas of industry, energy and infrastructure. Saleh who paid a visit to Egypt early this month said that $100 billion was allocated by Kurdistan for government expenses in the development projects. Iraqis in northern Iraq welcome Egyptian businessmen and are viewing the Egyptian role as basic to the stability of Iraq. Saleh said that he is looking forward to making use of the Egyptian experience in economic development as it is one of the leading experiences in the developing countries. http://www.english.globalarabnetwork.com/201011218107/Economics/iraq-egyptian-investors-delegation-visits-kurdistan-region.html

Iraqi Leaders Delay New Government By JACK HEALY and YASIR GHAZI Published: November 21, 2010 BAGHDAD — Iraq’s leaders met Sunday for only the fourth time since being elected in March and delayed for at least several more days the formation of a new government. The postponement gave Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki and his rivals in the fractious Parliament additional time to haggle over control of the country’s ministries, which offer rich sources of patronage and power. Although government operations have continued during the eight months since the election, the price of the stalemate is being felt on the streets, as evidenced by a statement on Sunday by Osama al-Najafi, the new speaker of Parliament, that said he had received a letter from the government admitting it no longer had enough money to make welfare payments to widows, the unemployed and other needy Iraqis. He said Iraq would not be able to resume that aid until a new budget was passed. Some lawmakers called for an investigation into the shortage of money; others said they were not surprised to learn that the well was dry. “It’s expected,” said Ayad al-Samarrai, a former speaker of Parliament. “When Parliament is delayed for all these months, it also stops monitoring the government and holding them accountable.” Less than two weeks ago, Iraqi leaders announced a power-sharing deal to fold the country’s major ethnic and religious factions into a fragile unity government led by Mr. Maliki, a religious Shiite who took office in 2006 and presided over an ebb in bloodshed. The latest delay seems to be centered on an obscure parliamentary question: When will President Jalal Talabani, whom Parliament re-elected on Nov. 11, formally ask Mr. Maliki to form a government? Mr. Talabani appeared to have all but done so more than a week ago, naming Mr. Maliki to a second term a day after the power-sharing deal was announced. Under Iraq’s sometimes malleable Constitution, Mr. Maliki has 30 days to pick his ministers once he is designated as prime minister. But Iraq’s leaders said that Mr. Talabani had not yet formally done so, and would probably not do so until Thursday. The two men did see each other on Sunday night, however, for a meeting in which Mr. Maliki congratulated Mr. Talabani on his re-election, “wishing success to the president in his duties during the next four years.” http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/22/world/middleeast/22iraq.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

I would love to know more about this. If you're too busy to post, could you give us some key words so we can research this topic ourselves? Thanks in advance. - M

Agreed... excellent advice.

Got that right J.C.!

It seems to me that everything is still moving along according to plan. There is a bigger picture to this story and as investors we are just bit players. If you want to look at the positive side for another delay, here it is... Cashing in on January 3rd - your first opportunity in the new year - will give you 1-year and 3-months to leverage the cash you've made from this investment with smart, secure investments before you have to give half of it back to the IRS. - M PS. I say "half" for us NYers who have to pay FED, State and City taxes.

Agreed.

I'll answer my own question: It took three days... very efficient

How long did it take for your TD Bank branch to get the dinar for you?... if you don't mind my asking. I just purchased from them as well. They said it will take four days... but I'm curious to see how accurate they are.

So many people on this forum have no idea of the magnitude of impact their efforts afford people like me who quietly devour their wisdom. To Adam, and all the educators out there - large and small - thank you so much! I wish you the best of everything.

Iraq Coalition Pact Hits Snags By BEN LANDO, SAM DAGHER And MARGARET COKER BAGHDAD—Iraqi lawmakers took the first steps toward implementing a power-sharing agreement to establish a coalition government, but a dispute in parliament late Thursday underscored the fragility of the deal. The agreement would see Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, a Shiite, keep his position, give a new role to his chief rival, Ayad Allawi, who led a secular bloc that represents Iraq's Sunnis, and keep the presidency in the hands of Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani. The convoluted and diffuse structure of the proposed deal—including the creation a new, federal post with uncertain power—risks a unwieldy and fragmented government, with various branches beholden to competing sects. Late Thursday, after lawmakers elected a speaker of parliament representing Mr. Allawi's Iraqiya bloc, a disagreement emerged over the bloc's demands, and Iraqiya lawmakers walked out before the body proceeded to elect vote for president. Mr. Allawi, however, said the agreement was still in play. "Of course this is not the end, this is the beginning," he said as he left parliament. The agreement ended a political stalemate that began in March with parliamentary elections in which no one bloc won enough seats to claim a majority. Mr. Allawi and Iraqiya decided to accept a role in the power-sharing agreement after a phone call Thursday morning from U.S. President Barack Obama to Mr. Allawi, according to two officials familiar with the situation. In an agreement hammered out late Wednesday, Mr. Allawi, a former prime minister, had been promised a position as chairman of a new advisory council. But he was reluctant to approve the deal because it was unclear how significant the roles were that had been reserved for him and his allies. Iraqiya officials said they would pull out of the deal after one month if lawmakers hadn't finalized the responsibilities of the advisory council and the power of its chairman—or made progress on a number of other key Iraqiya policy platforms. Among those demands was the release of Sunni leaders arrested on vague accusations of terrorism and for supporting former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. "Iraqiya is hoping it won't be forced to review the decision of participation [in the power-sharing agreement] if [other parties] contradict the commitments," said Haider al-Mullah, a leading Iraqiya member. On Thursday night, opposing lawmakers refused to vote on the Iraqiya demands, arguing the list wasn't part of the power-sharing deal—and prompting the walkout by Iraqiya lawmakers. Iraqiya was the narrow winner of the March elections but faced the possibility of being squeezed out of prominent government jobs as Mr. Maliki gained support from different blocs. Political negotiations this week between Mr. Maliki's State of Law alliance, Iraqiya and the powerful Kurdish Alliance ended late Wednesday with the promise of Iraqiya receiving the post of parliamentary speaker as well as the chairmanship of a new advisory council. The council was suggested by the Obama administration as an apparent counterweight to Mr. Maliki and the Shiite-led government that he has presided over for the past four years. However, the new council, known as the National Council on Higher Policy, has yet to be written into law, and its functions and powers remain unknown. That ambiguity left some in Iraqiya concerned the new council head would occupy a purely ceremonial position. Mr. Mullah, the leading Iraqiya member, said Thursday that Mr. Allawi had accepted the post of council chairman. It wasn't clear when parliament would discuss and approve the legal mechanism to create the new council and its responsibilities. If the deal holds, Washington will have succeeded in one of its main aims: empowering Iraq's Sunni minority with a significant stake in the government. That's a move that U.S. officials hope will take the wind out of Sunni-backed insurgent groups. At the same time, Washington has had to accept a likely prominent role for some of its biggest Iranian-backed foes in the new government, including the anti-U.S. firebrand cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. Mr. Sadr's political followers did well in March polls and, last month, joined forces with Mr. Maliki. Some Iraqi analysts don't see a full government emerging until after the new year, although the parliamentary vote Thursday allows Mr. Maliki to comfortably continue in a caretaker role. The power-sharing deal also empowers Iraq's Kurdish minority, which served as kingmaker during the last few months of government-formation talks. By backing Mr. Maliki, the Kurds are likely to expect big concessions in disputes with the federal government involving contested territority in northern Iraq and oil and natural-gas rights. The Kurds were jubilant about the deal they had struck so far to retain the country's presidency. "Each one of us got some of his rights and what he deserves," said Masoud Barzani, the president of the northern Kurdish region and a key mediator between Messrs. Maliki and Allawi since the election. —Chip Cummins contributed to this article. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703848204575607813626034230.html

I know what you mean... It appears the writing was on the wall as to who would be in power for some time now. But what is worse: this option or the alternative of no government at all. I certainly don't know. But at least the Iraqi people won't be stalled... hopefully. Time will tell.

This is cool - on so many levels!

Iraqi leaders reach deal to form new government; Maliki to retain power By Leila Fadel Washington Post Foreign Service Wednesday, November 10, 2010; 4:48 PM BAGHDAD - Iraq's political leaders have reached a deal on forming a new government that will break the political stalemate that has plagued the country for eight months and give Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki a second term as Iraq's leader. Faced with little choice if he hoped to preserve his political bloc, secular Shiite Ayad Allawi, the head of the largely Sunni-backed bloc of Iraqiya, begrudgingly agreed to support Maliki's bid for Iraq's top job, despite no real concessions from the Shiite leader to share power. The decision seems to be a defeat to a plan the United States had been pushing for a power-sharing arrangement between Allawi, whose group won the plurality in Iraq's parliament, and Maliki. "There was too much pressure from our own political groups. Unfortunately a deal was made, and now we have to concentrate on the ministries," said a leading member of parliament from the Iraqiya bloc. "We didn't want Iraqiya to split, and our negotiating team failed." Legislators are expected to meet Thursday afternoon for only the second time since the inconclusive March 7 election. Under the deal reached Wednesday, the parliament is expected to appoint a speaker from Iraqiya, then name the current Kurdish president, Jalal Talabani, as president. He, in turn, will name Maliki as prime minister. Maliki will then have to put together a cabinet that a simple majority in Iraq's parliament will have to approve. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/10/AR2010111005456.html

The Washington Post Iraqi politicians to meet on government impasse By REBECCA SANTANA The Associated Press Sunday, November 7, 2010; 3:45 PM BAGHDAD -- The leaders of Iraq's main political blocs plan to meet face-to-face for the first time since March elections, amid signs they are close to breaking the eight-month political deadlock that has stalled the formation of a new government. The two men vying for prime minister - incumbent Nouri al-Maliki and his rival Ayad Allawi - both plan to attend Monday's meeting, officials from their respective parties said. If the meeting of deeply divided blocs goes forward, it would mark a rare sign of progress toward resolving months of political bickering, although such developments have fallen apart in the past. "We have almost reached common ground on establishing a partnership," said Abdul-Karim al-Samarraie, a Sunni lawmaker with Allawi's Iraqiya bloc, a Sunni-backed coalition that is challenging the Shiite prime minister for power.  The leader of the Kurdish negotiating delegation, Najim al-Din Karim, called the meeting an "important step," but warned that there are still sticking points in the negotiations that need to be resolved. Kurdish President Massoud Barzani, who has successfully pushed for the summit to be held in Irbil in the Kurdish-controlled north, will attend. Several officials said representatives of the fourth bloc, a Shiite alliance backed by Iran and called the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council, would take part in the meeting, although the group could not be reached for comment. The meeting would mark the first time the leaders from the four major blocs have all met face-to-face to discuss the political impasse that has gripped the country since the March 7 polls. Allawi's Sunni-backed Iraqiya coalition won 91 seats in the election - two more than al-Maliki's State of Law. But neither bloc secured an outright majority, which has led to a period to intense political negotiations as both groups try to cobble together enough support to head a new government. Recently, political momentum has swung in al-Maliki's direction. The prime minister got a big boost in late September when he joined forces with followers of anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. The Sadrists are archrivals of the prime minister, and previously had appeared to staunchly oppose al-Maliki keeping his job. On Sunday, the small Sunni Iraqi Centrist Alliance, which has ten seats, said it would support al-Maliki as well for a second term. A Sunni lawmaker from the alliance, Rasheed al-Azawi, said the decision was designed "to add momentum to the negotiations so that we can help end the nearly eight-month old crisis." The prolonged political stalemate has been a source of concern both at home and abroad. President Barack Obama said Sunday during a trip to India that the U.S. and Iraqi people are frustrated with the lack of progress on forming a new government. "The government is taking way too long to get formed," he said. As the politicians have bickered, insurgents have continued to carry out deadly strikes. Last week, nearly 150 people died in two separate incidents in Baghdad - the siege of a church and a series of attacks targeting Shiites - as Sunni-led militants try to incite sectarian violence during the political vacuum. Al-Maliki is still adamant that he keep the prime minister's post, said al-Dabbagh, the government spokesman. But Iraqiya officials have balked at a second al-Maliki term. Officials close to the negotiations say Iraqiya has been pushing for limits to al-Maliki's power if he were to stay on as prime minister. They spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the talks. One idea on the table is the creation of an independent position called the National Council for the Strategic Policies, which would go to someone in Iraqiya if al-Maliki were to be prime minister. But Iraqiya officials are pushing for the position to have some sort of concrete authority, while al-Maliki's supporters prefer it to be solely consultative. The meeting comes as Turkish foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, was in Iraq to push lawmakers to break the impasse. Davutoglu told reporters in Irbil Sunday that he was discussing and consulting with the country's major political players on how to break the logjam. He met later Sunday with al-Maliki. Iraqi lawmakers are to meet Thursday for only their second parliament session since the election. -- Associated Press writers Sinan Salaheddin and Barbara Surk contributed to this report from Baghdad and Yahya Barzanji from Irbil. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/07/AR2010110702825.html

I usually remain in the shadows on this board because I am just a grasshopper with this investment, and really have nothing to offer the landscape of conversation - just much to learn. But I want to express my appreciation, not just for this amazing compilation of research and it's presentation, but for the entire collection of information you've provided us on this board. The clarity you bring to this subject is a valuable education. Thanks for the gift.