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NASCAR Pastor's Head-Turning Prayer: 'Thank You For My Smokin' Hot Wife' By: Tim Newcomb As a pastor, hopefully Joe Nelms doesn't channel his inner Talladega Nights too often in his Tennessee church. But he sure did pull a Will Ferrell during the invocation at a Nashville Superspeedway NASCAR race on Saturday. Pulling lines right out of the irreverent prayer from the movie, Nelms has people still talking about his prayer. But he also has people interested in his church, the main goal, he says. In an effort to liven things up a bit from the usual “cookie-cutter” prayer given prior to the race, Nelms thanked God for all things racing—including Dodges, Toyotas and Fords—at the start of his prayer before borrowing a line from the movie and saying, “Lord, I want to thank you for my smokin' hot wife tonight.” Racers snickered with heads bowed and eyes starting to open and fans cheered loudly. Then, to keep the crowd into his exuberant prayer, Nelms tossed in a “In Jesus' name, boogity, boogity, boogity, Amen” to end it off. Because really, why not, he must have thought. Others wonder what Jesus thinks of it all. After the crowd-pleasing prayer at the Nationwide Federated Auto Parts 300, the pastor at Family Baptist Church in Gladeville, Tenn., said he wanted to show non-Christians that church folks know how to have fun, too. And with both people talking about and condemning his prayer, he notes that at least he's praying and people are talking about prayer and church. And maybe, just maybe, his prayer will get them to think about heading to church on Sunday morning. Just don't expect a trio of boogity, boogity, boogity on Sunday morning. That's reserved for the racetrack. http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/07/26/nascar-pastors-head-turning-prayer-thank-you-for-my-smokin-hot-wife/?iid=nfmostpopular Read more: http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/07/26/nascar-pastors-head-turning-prayer-thank-you-for-my-smokin-hot-wife/#ixzz1TFPXajQw

Dead Man Walking: South African Man Wakes Up in Morgue By: Kai Ma What a nightmare. After a South African man stirred from a 21-hour slumber, he found himself in a morgue fridge, screamed for help and later asked the undertakers who pulled him out, “How did I get here?” Good question. After the man, whose identity has not been released, suffered an asthma attack, he was presumed dead by family members and a local undertaker in a rural village in the Eastern Cape, the Associated Press reports. Clearly, the man's extended shut-eye was of the living variety, as he awoke a full day later on a corpse trolley. Yet morgue owner Ayanda Maqolo, who had examined the “corpse” by checking for a pulse and searching for a heartbeat, told the AP, “There was nothing.” The undead man was zipped up in a body bag and locked in a refrigerated compartment for one day before morgue staffers heard him shouting from his icy quarters. The staffers were terrified that the voice was a ghost and fled the building. “I couldn't believe it!" said Maqolo. "I was also scared.” After they returned and called the police, they entered the fridge to find the man, a grandfather, alive, though shivering and shaken. “He screamed for help and made an almighty din in the morgue,” said Eastern Cape health spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo. The man was treated for hypothermia and dehydration at a nearby hospital, and doctors later deemed him stable. He is recovering at home from the bizarre and traumatic experience. Kupelo urged South Africans to not conclude on their own that a relative has passed. “You begin to ask yourself, How many other people have died like that in a morgue?” Kupelo told the BBC. The man's age is unknown, though some reports cite that he is in his 50s or 60s. http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/07/26/dead-man-walking-south-african-man-wakes-up-inside-morgue/?hpt=hp_t2

Teen guilty of beheading at least 4 in Mexico A 14-year-old suspected hit man was captured near Mexico City in December. July 26th, 2011 A 14-year-old born in the United States has been found guilty in a Mexican court of torturing and beheading at least four people and kidnapping three others. The defendant, known as "El Ponchis" ("The Cloak") is a 14-year-old boy from San Diego. Because he is a minor, his trial in Cuernavaca, Mexico, was closed to the public. He was captured near Mexico City in December. In an on-camera interrogation by Mexican military authorities, the youth admitted to brutally killing people - the victims all were beheaded. The video shows a military interrogator asking the slim teenager with curly hair several questions. "How many have you killed?," he asks. "Four," he responded calmly. "How did you execute them?" "I slit their throats." A YouTube video that circulated last year purportedly showed the teenager beating a man with a two-by-four while the man was tied at the wrists and hanging from the ceiling, as other young people watched. The teen was accused of of crimes related to drug trafficking – specifically cocaine and marijuana – illegal possession of military weapons, and violations against federal organized crime law "with the objective of committing kidnappings and aggravated murder," juvenile court spokesman Juan Carlos Castro said before the trial. "El Ponchis" is not the only minor in Mexico allegedly involved with drug cartels. Social media pictures have surfaced in the last year showing teenagers and young men holding high-caliber assault weapons and wearing masks. Six youths were captured last October in a town about 30 miles south of Mexico City. Graffiti in the house where they were hiding linked them to the so-called South Pacific Cartel, a splinter group that formed after cartel leader and drug lord Arturo Beltran Leyva was killed in a shootout with the Mexican military in December of 2009. http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/07/26/teen-guilty-of-beheading-at-least-4-in-mexico/?hpt=hp_t2

Navy Preps Subs for First Female Officers July 25, 2011 Associated Press|by Michael Melia HARTFORD, Conn. - For Ensign Peggy LeGrand, the biggest concern about serving on a submarine is not spending weeks at a time in tight quarters with an entirely male crew. What worries her is the scrutiny that comes with breaking one of the last gender barriers in the U.S. military. "I have a feeling more people will be focused on us. Our mistakes and successes will be magnified more than they deserve," said LeGrand, a 25-year-old Naval Academy graduate from Amarillo, Texas. LeGrand is among a small group of female officers who are training at sites including Groton, Conn., to join the elite submarine force beginning later this year. While the Navy says it is not treating them any differently from their male counterparts, officials have been working to prepare the submarine crews - and the sailors' wives - for one of the most dramatic changes in the 111-year history of the Navy's "silent service." The initial class of 24 women will be divided among four submarines, where they will be outnumbered by men by a ratio of roughly 1 to 25. The enlisted ranks, which make up about 90 percent of a sub's 160-sailor crew, are not open to women although the Navy is exploring modifications to create separate bunks for men and women. The female officers, many of them engineering graduates from Annapolis, are accustomed to being in the minority, and so far they say they hardly feel like outsiders. The nuclear power school that is part of their training, for example, has been open to women for years because the Navy in 1994 reversed a ban on females serving on its surface ships, including nuclear-powered vessels. At the U.S. Navy's submarine school in Groton, where eight women were among dozens who recently completed the 10-week officer basic course, Ensign Kristin Lyles said the presence of the first class of females bound for submarine duty was not even remarked upon at this month's graduation ceremony. "I understand the reason why. It was never explained but it was kind of implied that while we're going through training, as soon as they started calling attention to it in that way, it's singling us out," said Lyles, 23, of Fairfax Station, Va. "In my experience, I am no different from the guy sitting next to me in all my classes." A submarine group spokesman, Lt. Brian Wierzbicki, said the Navy would not facilitate photographs or interviews with the female submariners because it does not want to distract them from training or make them feel different from their male peers. The female officers will report to their submarines starting in late November or early December. All of the vessels are guided-missile attack submarines or ballistic-missile submarines, which are relatively large by submarine standards. They are the USS Wyoming and USS Georgia, based in Kings Bay, Ga., and the USS Maine and USS Ohio, with their home port in Bangor, Wash. On submarines with corridors barely wide enough for sailors to brush past one another, the six female officers on board will all share a stateroom. Their shifts will be divided so that women are assigned to each sub's two rotating crews. The lone bathroom for officers will have a reversible sign, letting men know that it's in use by women and vice versa. LeGrand said she is not concerned about being outnumbered. "Space is at a premium and everyone has no space. You just get over it and do your job," she said in a phone interview. She said she is thrilled at the opportunity to join the close-knit submarine community, but she does not dwell on being a barrier-breaker. "Every now and then I think about it and yeah, it's pretty cool, but ultimately I'm just happy I get chance to serve on a sub," she said. The change is a source of anxiety for others, including the wives of submariners, who worry the close contact at sea could lead to sailors' cheating. "The issue really has to do with the creation of a relationship that becomes very close and then results in further relations ashore. That is, of course, what bothers the wives. They know the kind of relationships that happen between the shipmates," said retired Navy Rear Adm. W.J. Holland Jr., a former submarine commander. Although Holland said commanders would be reluctant to have women on their subs, he said the Navy pulled off a more daunting challenge last year by outlawing smoking on submarines. The crews can adapt, he said. The Navy reversed the ban on women in submarines in April 2010. In the fall, when officials announced the first subs selected to take on female officers, senior leaders held town hall meetings with the crews and their families to address their concerns. Wierzbicki, the Navy spokesman, said training has been provided to the crews and commanding officers to prepare them for the change. Submarines had been the last class of military vessel off-limits to women. Navy officials say one lesson they learned from integrating surface ships is to make the transition gradually. The Navy wants to make sure it is aware of any potential issues that might arise, according to Lt. Cmdr. Jean Sullivan, chief of the naval personnel's office of women's policy. "There are going to be leadership challenges and maturity challenges anyone would face in their first job. There is just a spotlight on it because they're the first on submarines," Sullivan said. The chairwoman of the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services, retired Army Lt. Gen. Claudia Kennedy, told a committee meeting last month that one risk is that men could feel constrained and resent the presence of women. "One of the issues around women being integrated is this thought that, `Oh, now because you're here, we can't do XYZ,'" Kennedy said. "And that creates a greater sense of isolation and exclusion for women." The Navy is looking into bringing women aboard the smaller, Virginia-class attack subs, which would require reconfigurations to accommodate men and women together. LeGrand said the diverse missions of the attack subs would be appealing, but the larger submarines are just fine with her. As a semi-professional cyclist, she's hoping to serve on a sub large enough to bring aboard a stationary bike. http://www.military.com/news/article/navy-preps-subs-for-first-female-officers.html?ESRC=eb.nl

Ex-UPS Worker Pleads Guilty to Stealing Vets’ Drugs July 25, 2011 The Pantagraph, Bloomington, Ill PEORIA, Illinois -- A former parcel delivery service worker pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court to stealing drugs being mailed to Department of Veterans Affairs patients. Sean M. Locke of Mackinaw, who will be sentenced Oct. 27, faces three to 20 years in federal prison. He admitted in the U.S. District Court, Peoria, that he stole the drugs while working as a UPS clerk in East Peoria. The U.S. attorney's office charged Locke with felony drug possession and intent to deliver, citing his stash of more than 350 tablets of methadone, said U.S. attorney's office spokeswoman Sharon Paul. Police also found more than 100 tablets of oxycodone, morphine sulfate, codeine and dextroamphetamine in addition to fentanyl patches, she said. Most of the stolen drugs were recovered. Several VA clients reported medicine not arriving. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency and UPS led an investigation that resulted in Locke's December arrest. http://www.military.com/news/article/ex-ups-worker-pleads-guilty-to-stealing-vets-drugs.html?ESRC=eb.nl

Al-Qaida in Iraq Appeals for Fundraising Ideas July 26, 2011 Associated Press|by Maamoun Youssef CAIRO - Al-Qaida militants in Iraq made an online appeal Tuesday for new fundraising ideas, saying they are in dire need of money to help thousands of widows and children of slain fighters. Insurgents of the Islamic State of Iraq - an umbrella group for Sunni militants- have funded their operations in the past by robbing jewelry stores, banks and offices where the government pays out monthly salaries. But the group has seen its main source of money, funding from abroad, dry up, leaving the group strapped for cash. In an Arabic statement posted on al-Qaida in Iraq's online forum, website administrator Seif Saad lamented the state of the group's finances and launched an urgent appeal for money to "feed the widows and the orphans" of mujahedeen, or holy warriors. "A few days ago a brother was martyred, leaving behind a wife and children. There is no need to explain how we were running here and there to collect money for their minimum requirements of life," wrote Saad. Among the new ideas to raise funds, Saad suggested insurgents find a way to extort money from foreign oil, construction, transport and cell phone companies, as well as international media agencies. If the companies refused to pay, insurgents would disrupt their operations. He did not elaborate. He also said businessmen and wealthy families should be forced to pay annual zakat, or charity, which Islam stipulates should be roughly two percent of assets, and called for imposing fines on wealthy Shiites in Iraq "who receive aid from America and the West and steal the country's oil revenues." Mohamed Abdel-Hadi, who identified himself online another administrator for the website, dismissed the idea of taking money from foreign companies, but said he strongly supports fining Shiites. "All the Shiites, including merchants or government officials, are infidels and confiscating their money is part of jihad," he wrote. A visitor on the website posted a comment suggesting militants kidnap company executives in return for hefty ransoms that could finance a prolonged insurgency. Another contributor advised recruiting specialized Internet hackers to transfer money from U.S. banks to trusted people. The contributor did not elaborate. The Islamic State of Iraq claimed responsibility for last year's heists of the Central Bank of Iraq and a state-run investment center. The global arm of al-Qaida has itself appealed for funds in the past. One request was made by al-Qaida's Ayman al-Zawahri, who became the leader of the group after the death of Osama bin Laden. Last year, al-Qaida's top commander in Afghanistan, Mustafa Abu al-Yazeed, also appealed for more funding, saying militants battling NATO forces were hampered by a lack of money and equipment. Osama bin Laden, who was killed by U.S. forces in Pakistan in May, also appealed for more funds in some of his statement, urging businessmen to direct their alms to al-Qaida. http://www.military.com/news/article/al-qaida-in-iraq-appeals-for-fundraising-ideas.html?col=1186032320397

Man Accused of Living on Base as Impostor July 19, 2011 UPI A civilian contractor lied his way into MacDill Air Force Base near Tampa, Fla., and got close to top commanders, prosecutors charge. Scott Bennett, who went on trial in federal court in Tampa Monday, claimed to be an aide to Adm. Eric Olson, chief of U.S. Special Operations Command, while saying he could not produce his orders because they were top-secret, prosecutors said. He got himself assigned base housing in January 2010 and stashed 10 guns and 9,000 rounds of ammunition there, the government says. Even when he was arrested for drunken driving at a gate in April 2010 and found with two guns, a base spokesman dismissed the incident as a "failure to follow policy and procedures" and "not a security breach." Bennett, an Army Reservist, is accused of lying to get his MacDill apartment, wearing an unauthorized uniform and keeping weapons without registering them, the St. Petersburg Times reports. Defense attorney David Chalela said in his opening statements that MacDill was seeking a scapegoat for its security failures. Amanda Weeks, a civilian who headed a MacDill housing office, testified that Bennett showed up in uniform and said Olson had told him to get base housing as soon as possible. http://www.military.com/news/article/man-accused-of-living-on-base-as-impostor.html?col=1186032325324

Aussie Airman Hurt in Portable Toilet Explosion July 25, 2011 Stars and Stripes A man from the Royal Australian Air Force suffered life-threatening third-degree burns after a portable toilet exploded -- an incident connected to a U.S.-led military exercise in the area, Australia’s Department of Defence announced Monday. Officials believe the man was using the portable toilet (also known as a port-a-potty) at Rockhampton Airport, some 300 miles north of the capital Brisbane, in the state of Queensland, when he lit a cigarette. “There was some sort of explosion,” a Department of Community Safety spokeswoman told Australian newspaper the Courier-Mail. “He suffered burns to his head, face, arms, chest and airways.” The man, whose identity was not released, was taken to the Rockhampton Hospital in serious condition, the paper reported. A spokeswoman from Talisman Sabre 2011 -- a US-led exercise supported by Australian forces -- confirmed the explosion was a military incident, but said no further information was available at this stage. “I can confirm that an incident has happened but we’re still gathering information,” the spokeswoman told the Courier-Mail. On Saturday, officials said nine Australian soldiers involved in the exercise were injured, one seriously, when an armored vehicle rolled down an embankment at the Shoalwater Bay Training Area, north of Rockhampton. And a 60-year-old Australian female bicyclist was critically injured Sunday when she collided with a military vehicle operated by two U.S. sailors. Talisman Sabre features land, sea and air training throughout Queensland and the Northern Territory, and is designed to improve combat training, readiness and interoperability. This year’s exercise -- the fourth Talisman Sabre -- involves some 22,000 personnel and runs until July 29. http://www.military.com/news/article/aussie-airman-hurt-in-portable-toilet-explosion.html?ESRC=eb.nl

Leader of Obama Jobs Council, Jeff Immelt, Moves GE’s Health Care Unit to China General Electric Co.’s health-care unit, the world’s biggest maker of medical-imaging machines, is moving the headquarters of its 115-year-old X-ray business to Beijing to tap growth in China. “A handful” of top managers will move to the Chinese capital and there won’t be any job cuts, Anne LeGrand, vice president and general manager of X-ray for GE Healthcare, said in an interview. The headquarters will move from Waukesha, Wisconsin, amid a broader parent-company plan to invest about $2 billion across China, including opening six “customer innovation” and development centers. The move follows the introduction earlier this year of GE Healthcare’s “Spring Wind” initiative to develop and distribute medical products and services in China, GE said in a statement today. More than 20 percent of the X-ray unit’s new products will be developed in China, LeGrand said. http://nation.foxnews.com/general-electric/2011/07/25/leader-obama-jobs-council-jeff-immelt-moves-ge-s-health-care-unit-china?cmpid=NL_FiredUpFoxNation_20110726 Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-07-25/ge-healthcare-moves-x-ray-base-to-china-no-job-cuts-planned.html#ixzz1TFC05Pnz

I agree. I think K98's reply is totally pompous and degrading to the users of this site. To state that all we care about is money and not about our country, is a rather narrow minded view of DinarVets members.

URGENT / Japanese nuclear-polluted tires enter Iraq 7/25/2011 5:48 PM BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: Iraq’s Planning Ministry has announced on Monday that a shipment of Japanese tires that bear traces of nuclear pollution have entered in Iraq, saying that his Ministry would check up on the goods, coming from the country of origin. “A shipment of Japanese tires, polluted with nuclear rays coming from Japan, has actually entered in Iraq,” Iraq’s Planning Minister, Ali Shukri, told a news conference in Baghdad, attended by Aswat al-Iraq news agency. Shukri noted that his Ministry “had signed contracts with a French and a Swiss companies, to check on the goods coming from an outside point of origin.” The Ministry has informed all Iraqi trade representations worldwide about its measure, Shukri pointed out, noting that “check up measures would start from now.” “In the event that the two said companies, with whom the said contracts were signed, commited any violation, the Ministry will enforce a penalty of one million U.S. dollars on them,” Minister Shukri said. On March 11, 2011, Japan was hit by the strongest earthquake in its history, reaching 8.9 degrees on the Richter scale. The quake caused severe human and material damage, along with vast material damage to 4 Japanese electric power stations, working with nuclear power. http://en.aswataliraq.info/Default1.aspx?page=article_page&id=143939&l=1

Kurdish Foreign Relations Chief: US Withdrawal Will Boost Iranian Influence 25/07/2011 03:06:00 By STEPHEN DANILOVICH Font size: Head of Kurdistan Region's Department of Foreign Relations Falah Mustafa. Photo krg.org The following is an interview by Rudaw’s Stephen Danilovich with Falah Mustafa Bakir, head of the Kurdistan Region’s Department of Foreign Relations, about the planned withdrawal of US troops from Iraq in December 2011. Rudaw: How are American troops helping with the stability of the current situation? Falah Mustafa: Currently, the American troops are providing training and capacity-building to the various Iraqi security forces, and my personal opinion is that the Iraqi security forces need more time to gain the experience and expertise required to defend Iraq and its people. In addition to training the security forces, the American troops are helping to provide security in the disputed regions through the combined security mechanisms, and their presence in these areas has been key to keeping the peace between the various religious and ethnic groups living in these areas. Rudaw: What are the dangers that would justify an extension for their withdrawal, if any? Falah Mustafa: In order to answer this question it is important to leave politics aside and ask oneself whether the Iraqi security forces are ready and capable of maintaining security within Iraq while defending its international borders, its airspace and its navigable waterways. This is the question that has to be answered collectively in Baghdad by the various political blocs, and the safety and security of the people of Iraq should be paramount in answering this question. There are also a number of unresolved issues in Iraq that should be taken into consideration such as the status of the disputed territories, implementing a national census, as well as the passage of both the revenue-sharing and hydrocarbons laws. If these issues remain unresolved they will lead to problems in Iraq, creating unnecessary Kurdish-Arabic tensions. Another concern is the possible escalation of violence between both hard-line Iraqi Arab Sunnis and Shiites in the event of American withdrawal. Rudaw: Are there any risks to the new Iraqi federal system that was sponsored by the United States, a system that gives significant autonomy to Iraqi Kurdistan? "The notion that federalism is only a Kurdish idea is wrong" Falah Mustafa: According to its constitution Iraq is a federal, democratic and pluralistic state, and while the United States has expressed its support for this system, it was not sponsored by the US. Rather, this system is something that the various Iraqi political groups agreed upon even before the fall of the regime. Their agreement, manifested in the Iraqi constitution, was given to the people of Iraq for approval, which a significant majority of the people [approved] in the 2005 referendum. The only risk that I see to this system is the concern that some political groups may attempt to subvert the constitution and try to recentralize power in Baghdad. The truth of the matter is that this system is the best formula to serve Iraq’s communities, and recent comments by Iraqi politicians suggesting the creation of additional federal regions helps put to [rest] the myth that only the Kurds support living in a federal Iraq. I personally see no risks stemming from Iraq using a federal system, as it is successfully used in many countries around the world. The United Nations is providing technical assistance and expertise to facilitate the understanding of federalism and decentralization across all of Iraq through their various institutions and representational offices. While we support the concept fully, the notion that federalism is only a Kurdish idea is wrong. Other groups within Iraq support it, and history suggests that it is an excellent model for Iraq to follow. Rudaw: What are the prospects of Iran-Iraq relations after the withdrawal? Falah Mustafa: Iraq is an important country in this part of the world. Our vision for Iraq is to have normal and cordial relations with all its neighbors, a relationship based on non-interference, mutual respect and understanding. In case of differences and disputes with our neighbors we strongly believe that dialogue is the best solution, and the use of violence will only escalate our disagreements. The relationship between Iran and Iraq is a long-standing one and will be determined by the federal government. Obviously Iranian influence in Iraq is likely to increase upon the withdrawal of US forces, but the policies that will characterize this relationship are a matter to be handled by the federal government and the federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Rudaw: How likely is it that the US will actually hold to its deadline for withdrawal? Falah Mustafa: It is important to remember that the US forces were part of the process of liberating Iraq from tyranny and dictatorship, and they have sacrificed much over the years and invested a great deal in Iraq. However, the US has made it clear that they will not extend the withdrawal unless requested to do so by the federal Iraqi government in Baghdad. The important thing for us is that the US seems committed to a long-term relationship with Iraq. "These are Iraqi problems and need Iraqi solutions" We hear conflicting statements from the different political factions regarding the necessity for an extension, but we hope that a collective agreement can be made which will be in the best interests of the security of the Iraqi people and the stability of the county. Rudaw: If the extension is made, can the region really depend on US forces to help against the violence? Even now, the Iranian-Kurdistan border is reported to be shelled by Iranian artillery, displacing hundreds of villagers, and the US has been silent about it. Falah Mustafa: As I said before, the United States has already invested a great deal in promoting the security and stability of Iraq, so I think that it is safe to assume that they will assist to diffuse excessive violence in the event that there is an extension. The US has provided, and would presumably continue to provide, mediation in the disputed territories and in other significant areas of instability. However, these are Iraqi problems and need Iraqi solutions. The shelling by Iran is unacceptable, and it has been condemned by the Kurdistan Region’s President, Massoud Barzani. However, the defense of Iraq’s borders is the responsibility of the Iraqi federal government, and we have seen steps in the last few days where the various political blocs have come together to condemn Iran’s actions as well. We believe that dialogue is the best way to resolve these types of disputes, and we hope the Iranian government will respect the sovereignty of Iraq’s borders. http://www.rudaw.net/english/kurds/3847.html

Just posting this. Not in agreement. Just thought it interesting.

State Department Assembles Secret Private Army in Iraq Monday, July 25, 2011 Private security contractors in Iraq (photo: AP) Once the U.S. military pulls out of Iraq by next January, the State Department will be left to defend itself and its diplomats against hostile Iraqis. To ensure their safety, officials are assembling a force of 5,500 security contractors—equal in size to an army brigade. But how the State Department intends to handle this large group of armed mercenaries is anyone’s guess, because it has refused to share information with the federal watchdog overseeing post-war activities. For months now Stuart Bowen, the special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction (SIGIR), has tried unsuccessfully to audit the State Department’s private army. He wants to know how many State contracting personnel will manage the guards, what the force’s rules of engagement will be, and how the guards will be directed to handle threats. But State isn’t talking to SIGIR, insisting Bowen has no authority to inspect the mercenary program. To date, the department has spent nearly $3 billion on security contractors in Iraq. Among the companies that are benefiting from this new arrangement are SOC [securing Our Country], which has a deal for $973 million to guard the Baghdad embassy, and the British firm Global Strategies Group, which has been hired to protect diplomats at the consulate general in the southern city of Basra for $401 million. Bowen isn’t the only one concerned about the State Department’s plans. “They have no experience running a private army,” Ramzy Mardini, an analyst at the Institute for the Study of War, told Wired’s Danger Room. “I don’t think the State Department even has a good sense of what it’s taking on. The U.S. military is concerned about it as well.” -Noel Brinkerhoff http://www.allgov.com/Top_Stories/ViewNews/State_Department_Assembles_Secret_Private_Army_in_Iraq_110725

press release July 25, 2011, 2:14 p.m. EDT Aetna Foundation Awards Grant to Help Military Members and Their Families Receive Free Counseling -- Aetna Practitioners Volunteer Mental Health Services -- HARTFORD, Conn., Jul 25, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- As tens of thousands of American servicemen and women prepare to come home over the next year from their deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, the nonprofit organization Give an Hour will be better poised to meet their mental health needs, thanks to a $25,000 grant from the Aetna Foundation. The donation will enable Give an Hour to expand its free, confidential counseling services to members of the military, veterans and their families, particularly in rural or underserved areas far away from military bases and Veteran Administration facilities. "As many as 35 percent of military service members who served in Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from severe depression, post-traumatic stress syndrome or other significant mental health difficulties. Yet only about half have sought treatment," said Anne C. Beal, M.D., M.P.H., president of the Aetna Foundation. "Through its network of therapists who volunteer their time, Give an Hour is helping to fill an enormous gap in the accessibility of mental health services for our nation's veterans. We are proud to support its effort." In conjunction with the Aetna Foundation award, Aetna Behavioral Health is actively recruiting volunteers from its network of 104,000 behavioral health providers across the United States to help Give an Hour increase the number of practitioners providing counseling to the military community. Aetna employees, who are clinicians for Aetna Behavioral Health and the company's Employee Assistance Program, also have pledged to volunteer their time. "The support from the Aetna Foundation and Aetna employees and affiliates will make a huge difference in our ability to serve military service members, veterans and their loved ones," said Barbara Van Dahlen, Ph.D., founder and president of Give an Hour. "Studies show that timely attention and counseling can greatly enhance recovery from post-traumatic stress and other psychological effects of war. Our volunteers are able to respond quickly to those who either do not have access to government mental health services or who seek confidential care outside of the military environment." Since 2007, Give an Hour's volunteer mental health providers have donated nearly 40,000 hours of free counseling to veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and their families. Currently, the organization has a network of more than 5,500 providers who are located in every state and U.S. territory. About the Aetna Foundation The Aetna Foundation, Inc. is the independent charitable and philanthropic arm of Aetna Inc. Since 1980, Aetna and the Aetna Foundation have contributed $394 million in grants and sponsorships, including $15.6 million in 2010. As a national health foundation, we promote wellness, health, and access to high-quality health care for everyone. This work is enhanced by the time and commitment of Aetna employees, who have volunteered more than 2.3 million hours since 2003. Our current giving is focused on addressing the rising rate of adult and childhood obesity in the U.S.; promoting racial and ethnic equity in health and health care; and advancing integrated health care. For more information, visit www.AetnaFoundation.org . About Give an Hour Give an Hour ( www.giveanhour.org ) is a nonprofit 501©(3), founded in September 2005 by Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen, a psychologist in the Washington, D.C., area. The organization's mission is to develop national networks of volunteers capable of responding to both acute and chronic conditions that arise within our society. Currently, GAH is dedicated to meeting the mental health needs of the troops and families affected by the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. http://www.marketwatch.com/story/aetna-foundation-awards-grant-to-help-military-members-and-their-families-receive-free-counseling-2011-07-25?reflink=MW_news_stmp

Iraq aims to lift 2012 investment budget to $51 bln BAGHDAD, July 25 | Mon Jul 25, 2011 8:51am EDT BAGHDAD, July 25 (Reuters) - Iraq is looking to raise its 2012 investment budget to as much as 60 trillion Iraqi dinars ($51 billion) to inject more money into ongoing investment projects and to start new ones, its planning minister said. "What is being put forth is 40 trillion Iraqi dinars (as the investment budget). We are now trying to increase it to a minimum of 55 or 60 trillion dinars," Planning Minister Ali al-Shukri told Reuters in an interview on Monday. (Reporting by Aseel Kami; Editing by Serena Chaudhry) http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/25/iraq-budget-idUSLDE76O0PD20110725

Citizens Promised Reward of $4,500 to Arrest Tony Blair By IBTimes Staff Reporter | July 25, 2011 6:29 AM EDT New Zealanders can earn thousands of dollars by arresting former British Prime Minister Tony Blair for the alleged war crimes committed during the illegal invasion of Iraq, says a press release issued by Global Peace and Justice Auckland. GPJA is encouraging a citizen’s arrest of Tony Blair who is visiting Auckland on Thursday to speak at a corporate fundraising lunch at Eden Park.Related Articles GPJA is encouraging a citizen's arrest of Tony Blair who is visiting Auckland on Thursday to speak at a corporate fundraising lunch at Eden Park. Anyone successful in pulling off the arrest will earn $ 4,500, provided they meet with the criteria laid out by the organization. "Up to one million Iraqi civilians have been killed since the 2003 attacks led by Tony Blair and former US President George Bush using lies and deceit to justify the outrage," the GPJA press release accused. "Iraq posed no immediate threat to any other country; there were no weapons of mass destruction and no plans or program to develop WMD." "Tony Blair knew this but deceived the public and a gullible media because British multinationals wanted their share of the massive Iraqi oil reserves," the organization alleged. A website www.arrestblair.com has been set up by George Monbiot, author of the best selling books "Heat: how to stop the planet burning" and "The Age of Consent: a manifesto for a new world order and Captive State" among others. Monbiot claims to pay "all the costs of administering this site" while the "money donated to this site will be only to pay bounties for attempts to arrest Tony Blair." According to the website founder, the site stands to "remind people that justice has not yet been done" and to "show Blair that, despite his requests for people to "move on" from Iraq, the mass murder he committed will not be forgotten." Monbiot also aims to "put pressure on the authorities of the United Kingdom and the countries he travels through to prosecute him for a crime against peace, or to deliver him for prosecution to the International Criminal Court" and "to discourage other people from repeating his crime." Arrest Blair provides information on Tony Blair's schedule and formalities involved in Citizen Arrest. The site reports three earlier attempts made to arrest Blair. According to Arrest Blair, the citizen arrest of Tony Blair has to abide by the following rules: - The attempt is non-violent and causes no injury to Blair or those around him. - The attempt is reported in at least one mainstream media outlet in a bulletin, program or article. The judgment of what is mainstream is at the discretion of those running this site. The purpose of this condition is to ensure that the attempted arrest has political consequences. Links to the report(s) must be sent with the application for the award. - The claimant provides proof that he or she is the person mentioned in the report(s). - The claimant applies for the award within 28 days of the attempt. - If several people are involved in a single arrest attempt, one quarter of the total pot will be shared between them. Monbiot says the attempts to arrest Blair at this stage, is "largely symbolic, but they will have great political resonance." http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/186184/20110725/tony-blair-british-citizen-s-arrest-reward-iraq-invasion-george-bush-war-crime-suspect-auckland-new.htm

Number of homeless veterans explodes By Gregg Zoroya, USA TODAY More than 10,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are homeless or in programs aimed at keeping them off the streets, a number that has doubled three times since 2006, according to figures released by the Department of Veterans Affairs. By Evan Eile, USA TODAY . The rise comes at a time when the total number of homeless veterans has declined from a peak of about 400,000 in 2004 to 135,000 today. "We're seeing more and more (Iraq and Afghanistan veterans)," says Richard Thomas, a Volunteers of America case manager at a shelter in Los Angeles. "It's just a bad time for them to return now and get out of the military." The VA blames the rise on a poor economy and the nature of the current wars, where a limited number of troops serve multiple deployments. The result is a group of homeless veterans where 70% have a history of combat exposure with its psychological effects, says Pete Dougherty, a senior policy adviser on homelessness at the VA. Among all homeless veterans, perhaps 20% to 33% were in combat, he says. Homeless vets Number of U.S. veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan wars who are homeless or in programs to prevent homelessness: 2006: 1,297 2007: 2,167 2008: 3,495 2009: 5,881 2010: 9,750 2011: 10,476 (through May) Source: Department of Veterans Affairs LaShonna Perry, a former Army mechanic who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, was homeless for more than year after leaving the military. She rented an apartment last year with a federal voucher. "Some soldiers still have issues they're dealing with from what they've seen, what they've experienced," she says. "Some think, 'There's nothing wrong with me.' They can deal with it on their own. Until it gets out of control." As of May, there were 10,476 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans either living on the streets, in temporary housing or receiving federal vouchers to help pay rent for an apartment. About 13% are women, the VA says. The spike in Iraq and Afghanistan veterans seeking shelter comes at a time when the government and non-profit groups are pouring more resources than ever into fighting veteran homelessness. The VA and the Department of Housing and Urban Development are spending $46.2 million to expand the voucher program. The VA is set to announce Tuesday that nearly $60 million will fund a program of grants to veterans with families who are homeless or at risk of losing their homes. "There are places to turn to for help that did not exist before," says John Driscoll, president and chief executive officer of the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans. He said more than 2,400 non-profit organizations across the country now have homeless veteran programs. http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/2011-07-25-homeless-veterans_n.htm

Iran inks gas pipeline deal with Iraq and Syria By Farhad Pouladi (AFP) – 1 day ago TEHRAN — Iran, Iraq and Syria inked on Monday a Memorandum of Understanding for the construction of pipelines designed to deliver Iran's natural gas to the two Arab nations, local media reported. "The overall cost of the project is estimated around $10 billion," deputy oil minister and chairman of the Iranian National Gas Company (NIGC), Javad Ouji, was quoted by the Mehr news agency as saying after the signing ceremony. The construction of pipelines stretching for several thousand kilometres (miles) "should take three to five years once funding is secured," according to an estimate by Ouji on Sunday. The MoU was signed in the southern Iranian port of Assalouyeh, the nation's gas hub, by Iraqi Oil Minister Abdelkarim al-Luaybi, his Syrian counterpart Sufian Allaw and Iran's oil ministry caretaker Mohammad Aliabadi, media reported. Aliabadi quoted by the oil ministry news service dubbed the inking of MoU as sign on "strengthening and deepening trilateral relations." According to Mehr, the document envisages setting up within a month three working groups to look respectively at the technical, financial and legal aspects of the project, which has been under discussion since 2008. "Soon the feasibility studies will be given to an international consultant," Ouji said without detailing any timetable. The Iranian official had on Sunday said he hoped the final agreement launching the project could be signed before the end of the year. Iran has the second largest proven gas reserves in the world after Russia. It currently consumes almost all of the approximately 600 million cubic metres (21.8 trillion cubic feet) per day of gas production, but hopes to double its output and export some 250 million cubic metres per day to its neighbours and to Europe from 2015 through developing a giant offshore gas field in the Gulf, which it shares with Qatar. The project signed Monday calls for the construction of a 56-inch (142 centimetre) pipeline with a capacity of 110 million cubic metres a day, connecting Assalouyeh to Iraq and then to Syria, with the possibility of extending to Lebanon and Europe. Ouji said on Sunday that Iraq should initially receive about 20 million cubic metres a day for its power plants, and Syria between 20 and 25 million cubic metres a day. Iran and its eastern neighbour Pakistan earlier this year signed an agreement to build a pipeline designed to provide 21 million cubic metres a day of Iranian gas to Islamabad commencing 2014. Ultimately, Iran plans to use the Iraq-Syrian pipeline to export gas to Europe, officials have said. Iran is under severe international sanctions, aimed in particular at its energy and banking sectors, due to its controversial nuclear programme. These sanctions have complicated the development of Iranian capabilities to export gas. All major Western oil companies have withdrawn from Iran in recent years, including from projects in South Pars, under pressure from Tehran's archfoe, Washington, and from the European governments. Iranian and Chinese firms have taken over most of the abandoned projects, often creating technical and financial problems that have resulted in delays. Iran in 2010 also had to abandon two major projects for the export of LNG -- an alternative to the construction of pipelines -- after the withdrawal of French Total and the Anglo-Dutch Shell group. "Iraq tries to strengthen its relations with all countries, particularly its neighbours, and America's sanctions cannot influence this issue," Iraq's Luaybi was quoted as telling Iran's official IRNA news agency. "The signing of the trilateral MoU ... is in itself another sign that Iraq is not influenced by America's policies with regards to Iran sanctions," he said. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gvzWs8kqDopapqC3Tc2O2zyYttiw?docId=CNG.bdfd412c79e6299f9001bd03821c3cad.331

Agriculture Estimated the Cost of the Rehabilitation Sector, Cattle With 78 Billion Dinars Baghdad, Mustafa Majeed Ministry of Agriculture announced on configured to hold the first investment conference dedicated to the agricultural sector in the country during the period few, estimated the cost of the rehabilitation sector cows in the country, including at least 78 billion dinars. The agent said the financial and administrative heart of the Ministry of Dr. Ghazi bonded in a speech during a business seminar the first to activate the rates of agricultural investment in the country and held at the ministry yesterday and attended the “morning”: that the ministry is preparing to hold the first conference dedicated to national and foreign investment in the agricultural sector across the country since 2003, to discuss the problems surrounding the investment operations and find effective solutions, noting that the ministry has set table of axes that will be discussed the most important problems and obstacles that stand in front of the flow of investments to the agricultural sector. He said during the workshop hosted by the Regulatory Authority of agricultural investments in the ministry and was attended by Undersecretary older, technical and adviser, said the ministry has developed also in connection with the success of the conference investment next plans process by opening up to universities and national jurisdictions within the country and abroad, as well as international organizations and bodies concerned, pointing to the importance of the private sector to take a role “more positive” in the financing of agricultural projects after they have contributed funds, lending to the agricultural initiative, to raise the rates of built projects and the construction of Mjoat other contributed to reducing the unemployment rates over the past three years. Dr. Aboudi, pointed out that the agricultural sector have yet to invest large through the development of maps showing promising areas for investment in the country and study the strengths and weaknesses in order to create the elements of power and influence studied to attract capital, national and foreign under the competition and described without easy waged by all countries in the Middle East to attract investments to in the midst of global financial crisis. In the context of the workshop, he made the financial agent and the administrative ministry, said the rehabilitation sector cows in the country needs to at least 78 billion dinars to fill the huge gap between private numbers of cattle, presenting an overview of the costs that they were divided by 70 billion dinars, to provide at least 14 thousand heads of cows, “virgin”, as well as the purchase of automated feed modern cost of two billion and 340 million dinars, adding that the works to prepare the plants cows in all the provinces, will exceed the cost of one billion and 800 million dinars. For his part, said Director of the General Authority for regulating agricultural investment in the ministry of Dr. morning Shield Abdul during the workshop which was attended by directors-general in the ministry in Baghdad and the provinces and a large number of investors, experts and workers to the livestock sector, the country was composed of 18 stations for the cows, two of which the Ministry of Industry and the rest of the Ministry of Agriculture, adding that five of them Mtdharh 100 percent, 8 of which were damaged in the range between 25 to 80 percent, and is currently in the remaining five, including a capacity of between 10 to 50 percent. He continued by saying that the rate of consumption per capita of raw milk in the country up to 70 kilograms, in addition to 120 kilograms of dairy products varied, where up the country’s production of raw milk per year to four thousand and 582 tons, compared to the design capacity of the stations and that more than 50 thousand tons, which means a deficit of more than 45 thousand tons with an estimated value exceeding 23 billion dinars, on the basis that the price per ton up to 500 thousand dinars, revealing that it requires double the local production of plants cows in the 18 provinces, more than seven times to meet the requirements of the local market. The Director of the Company for livestock services in the ministry of Dr. Mossadegh Delphi said a special permit for “morning,” too, that the company has completed 80 percent of the program National sector development cows in the country, with a duration of two years, at a cost of four and a half million dollars, funded by donor countries through the Organization of FAO, aims to contracts with international companies by the organization, for the processing of the program in all the equipment and high technology equipment, in addition to holding training courses inside and outside the country that would familiarity with the staff working in all new developments taking place globally. http://iraqdailytimes.com/agriculture-estimated-the-cost-of-the-rehabilitation-sector-cattle-with-78-billion-dinars/

Is my math off, or are these projects getting done really cheap using current IQD to USD conversion? Completion of Two Projects to Develop and Cladding Modes in Kirkuk Cost of 1.786 Billion Dinars May 14 2011 Alsumaria News / Kirkuk The Directorate of roads and bridges of Kirkuk for the construction of both maintenance and apparel through Kirkuk and Baghdad International EXA inlet and outlet of Tuz Khurmatu, at a total cost amounting to one billion and 786 million Iraqi dinars. The Director of the Department of Roads and Bridges Kirkuk Engineer Qasim Hamza al-Bayati said in an interview for “Alsumaria News”, “The circle was completed maintenance work and cladding and install the shoulders through Kirkuk, Baghdad International length of more than 20 km, at a cost amounting to one billion and 315 million Iraqi dinars, submitted within the allocations of the Ministry of Construction and housing of the past year, “noting that” the road is one of the important strategic projects, as it connects from the port city of Kirkuk, the southern governorates, including the capital, Baghdad. “ He said al-Bayati, that “the circle and through a specialized company in the field of roads and bridges completed project maintenance and clothing and install the shoulders through the Kirkuk – Elimination of Tuz from the entrance and exit to eliminate south of Kirkuk, a length of 4 km at a cost of more of 471 million Iraqi dinars,” noting that “the project within projects of the General Authority for Roads and bridges of the past year, which will contribute to the development of the main roads. “ And completed the Directorate of Roads and Bridges Kirkuk last week, the Bridge Project “Kourkh Yi” total cost of reaching one billion and 59 million Iraqi dinars Introduction development of regions within the allocations of the past year, the Directorate also completed a project to design a bridge north of Kirkuk, at a cost of 88 million dinars. The Department of Roads and Bridges Kirkuk announced last week, announced a plan for the implementation of 43 projects spread over all regions of Kirkuk and Oqditha a total cost of more than 94 billion Iraqi dinars within the project of petro dollars. The Department of Roads and Bridges of Kirkuk, 250 km north of Baghdad, was able after 2003 to implement a number of strategic projects in the roads and bridges, through the development of design basis of the road Holi which connects the main roads south and east, north and west of Kirkuk in order to draw on the roads in a vehicle large, heavy loads. http://iraqdailytimes.com/completion-of-two-projects-to-develop-and-cladding-modes-in-kirkuk-cost-of-1-786-billion-dinars/

Economist Opinion: Need for Educating Community on ATM’s Baghdad (news) / report / Faleh Hussein / Economists revealed for fear of the Iraqi citizen to deal with advanced ATMs, which started to be adopted by some banks, calling for educating the community through the media to keep up with the era of technological development witnessed by the world. The economist said in a statement contrary goldsmith (of the Agency news): “The ATM is part of the culture and the development that the world is witnessing now,” referring to the active role of the media to educate the community in this direction. He explained that there were “several factors helped avoid public demand for this device including the security situation and Alochtlaswalsergh situations faced by Iraqi banks from time to time.” The economic expert is that our banks in the case of restructuring itself in accordance with modern systems and to engage in partnerships with banks with good reputation, if the ATM is not integrated in the banks, how we ask the owners of shops and restaurants that use this device. For his part, the head of the Iraqi industrial assembly Abdul Hassan Shammari said in a statement (of the Agency news) to that culture plays an important role in this subject, pointing out that citizens are wary of any state of development they have undergone since their culture is limited. Al-Shammari said we need to spread culture and new awareness in the community, and as the development of science must pump the information through the satellite. The Chairman of the Iraqi industrial assembly: We have many satellite channels and there is no satellite channel specialized economy, you define a citizen of the evolution of what is happening in the world. It is noteworthy that the evolution witnessed in all areas of the world including all life, and human nature wants innovation and the development of what will benefit him, and the best evidence for this development is an ATM that is used in financial and trade institutions. Urged the Chairman of the Federation businessmen Iraq Hamid punitive in a statement (the Agency news): the need to use the ATM in the official circles of the ministries as a circle of taxes and souls, banks, praising the experience of pensions, which helped to overcome many of the issues of administrative and financial corruption in the banks. He said punitive if it continues the state without (Visa Card) and (smart card) Vsisthari administrative corruption in all aspects of the state. He explained that the citizen will deal with the modern equipment available when it finds by the state if the citizen to understand and use its advantages will lead to the circulation even at the level of the private sector. The President of the Union men of the Iraq There are no tariff conferences and seminars on the subject. For his part, Ali Nasir (retired) that use the ATM when you receive a salary as a solution which has a lot of obstacles, including the crowdedness of human and administrative corruption (bribery) within the banks. Said Jassim Mohammed (citizen): This is a beautiful thing when we see the shops, restaurants and government departments are using this device and made us feel that we are in tune with the era of development, and hoped to be the case of Iraq, at least similar to the case of citizens of neighboring countries. He announced the Warka Bank Al-Ahli in 2009 announced the launch of ATM service in Iraq through Aatmam MasterCard card. The Warka Bank first Iraqi banks that receive membership cards, MasterCard International, while the adopted Iraqi banks other credit cards of another kind Kalveza Card, but it remained confined within a particular class has not spread in the Iraqi markets, due to the security situation and fear of jeopardizing its theft or vandalism. http://iraqdailytimes.com/economist-opinion-need-for-educating-community-on-atm%e2%80%99s/

Masonic Lodge in Iraq and the Knights of Malta- Came From the Unknown and Rabotthm Trassa Ring Silver Gem The Future of Iraq – A Special received the positions of large and important in the modern Iraqi state, and seemed that the rhetoric more moderate and more rational and walking pace and confident, but minded to their resumes seen by a lot of commonalities and foremost they were people who are influential but not containing biographies on the achievements of the remember jumping them to power, while surprise and Assandem lobby media, internal and external to become the tasks they are now, united by a link can all be seen, even if they change this link later to publish this story because it saw them and met it will be a witness to us them, link ring of silver embossed creatively sits at the helm gem yellow diamond ribbed. They are the Masonic lodge in Iraq, had many say it is a myth or isotopes of stories of conspiracies, but hard information showing that access to decision-making positions related to access within the formations of the Masonic lodge in Iraq. political figures, partisan, academic, cultural, economic and represent the forum in Iraq at the present time are those who manage the helm, but Moore, albeit indirectly, but their impact is large and dangerous, what is the relationship of these knights of Malta and the mercenary security forces and U.S. military occupied stationed in Iraq, and how they recruited groups of young Iraqis to be in the squad carrying passports international under the name nationals of the State Knights of Malta (toxins), a brief name of the organization or the state non-existent actually Vasmha (SOVEREING MILITARY ORDER of MALTA.) and its abbreviation (SMOM). It should be noted that Freemasonry a secret organization returns some to periods of protracted history, and linking them to other formations builders constructed the Temple of Solomon and affirms students of this organization relationship to Zionism, as it maintains various files that the organization formed a semblance of world government, through its direct control or control of its members on the global capital and the major media in the world, and the Masonic rituals and signals recognizable in their midst as that its members and its forums grades and ranks. http://iraqdailytimes.com/masonic-lodge-in-iraq-and-the-knights-of-malta-came-from-the-unknown-and-rabotthm-trassa-ring-silver-gem/

Ahzvo Three Zeros and Stay Tuned Results Jul 26 2011 Moving the monetary authority in Iraq, led by the Iraqi Central Bank to raise three zeroes from the national currency in circulation and the target as they say, to rein in inflation and bring down prices and the disposal of large blocks of cash. This action or this experiment passed by several states, according to economists. The mere launch of a statement such as this kind of news to make the citizen was looking forward to caution many of the stakeholders, the owners are asking for money, effects that may result from this procedure (deletion of zeros). Ala dealer assumed it owed Haider shop owner assumed also 100 million dinars says Alaa: How can I accept 100 thousand dinars of Haider in the case of deleting three zeros?. Recognize all or most of us recognize that our environment is weak in economic culture where not understand all that the deletion of zeros will will not affect the trading or day of the debts of the others it will lead to the result of the escalation of the balance of lawsuits in the courts inevitably the time complaining about the courts of numerous cases and the latter due to the small number of judges, a fact well known, this is one of the effects that may result from the deletion of zeros. So it requires a plan of awareness of high-level to address such conflicts and explain to the citizen in advance not to damage due to the deletion of zeros, and this requires a program of work and time enough to mature this idea and this is the duty of the central bank cut and before starting procedures delete a timely manner. One expert said to me in replying to my question about the potential effects of the deletion of zeros that Turkey has gone through this experience as it allowed the time to deal, trading two currencies at once and to the long period of time until they realize all segments of society that there is no damage due to the deletion of zeros. We find in This experiment represent a solution to address the social problems and rid the courts of the huge amount of cases assumed the one hand and on the other hand, this action appeared Siksam prices that may be trying to rise as a result of this procedure. There really should not be overlooked that a number of officials call media statements at random without prior planning or knowledge and expertise of the economic effects that may result from statements detrimental to the national economy Arafah or without the knowledge of that repeat the claim to the concerned authorities of the need to develop a program Awareness large displays for long periods before the announcement a deletion of zeros in order to address all possibilities or effects that may result from the deletion of zeros and the officials who make statements without explanation tell them enough is enough Bjahh and you launch optimistic statements and clear the mercy of our economy which is recovering and hope to have benefited from the mistakes change the currency after the fall of the dictatorial regime. http://iraqdailytimes.com/ahzvo-three-zeros-and-stay-tuned-results/

500 Thousand Dinar Monthly Grant for People Living With AIDS BAGHDAD – Muhannad Abdul Wahab According to the government regardless monthly grant of 500 thousand dinars for people with immune deficiency (AIDS), under the law due to be approved by parliament soon. A source in the Committee on Health and Environment parliamentary “morning”: that “the law will include both succumbed to the disease as a result of material processed factor VIII used to treat patients with Haemophilia HIV-contaminated supplier to Iraq of the French Company Mario.” The law also provides a “monthly payment of this grant according to lists prepared by the Ministry of Health, in addition to continue regardless of the $ 200 grant to the patient or his heirs and beneficiaries.” It is said that most AIDS sufferers in Iraq and the nearly 250 people had spread the disease to them through the shipment of contaminated blood products Balvyrus exported by the French company Pasteur 1986. The “morning” may have raised this issue recently, as revealed from faith to health and environment committee in the House of Representatives to move the lawsuit against that company. As announced, former health minister and current MP for Hasnawi that the company Pasteur, which bought the company, Mario and promised to compensate the injured financially, denied the one affected by the “morning” of the shipment to be arrested any amount from the company except for some financial assistance provided by the Ministry of Health and some humanitarian organizations. http://iraqdailytimes.com/500-thousand-dinar-monthly-grant-for-people-living-with-aids/