TBomb

how many people in the dinar community can copy and paste an article? plenty. some even know how to post these and can figure out how to highlight in orange an purple..and can even manage to highlight buzz words...but then when it comes to analyzing and putting the pieces together, nah ah..but they're sure good at degrading women.

THIS IS PART OF AN ARTICLE WHICH SPEAKS TO THIS : $7.3 billion on KRG fuel imports could have been saved with affordable gas: Luay al-Khatteeb Written on June 27, 2015 by Editor in Economy, Iraq, KRG, Kurd news, Kurdistan, Oil Interview by Harem Karem: Luay al-Khatteeb is a nonresident fellow in the Brookings Doha Center and founder of Iraq Energy Institute, focusing on the geopolitics and political economy of the GCC and Iraq. His experiences in the private sector span more than 20 years, and he is a frequent commentator on issues related to energy security, economics, and politics in the Gulf region. Q1: How do you see the future of the current deal between Baghdad and Erbil? We are handing over the agreed oil volumes to Baghdad and fighting a war with ISIS. Why is the federal government still not paying the full monthly budget allocation to the KRG? How can Baghdad/Erbil relations improve? LK: All oil deals between Baghdad and Erbil are doomed before they start. There is a history to this that goes back to 2007 and I have lost count of how many failed deals called “Erbil Agreement” there have been. They are usually based on a vague understanding between federal and regional authorities to resolve a political bottleneck before every federal government formation or when attempting to pass the federal budget law. I therefore see no reason why this deal will succeed when they are only used as a primitive tool to solve a political impasse rather than resolve the history of fair allocation and auditing. On volumes and financial commitments. According to the deal signed on 2nd Dec 2014, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) pledges to export under Baghdad’s supervision 300,000 barrels of oil per day from oil fields it now controls in Kirkuk province in addition to 250,000 barrels per day produced from the three provinces officially under the KRG’s jurisdiction. In return, the Iraqi federal government will hand 17% of actual expenditures of the national budget (after deducting sovereign expenses) to the KRG starting from 1st Jan 2015. According to the budget law, the KRG expected around one billion dollars per month to receive from Baghdad, which is way above the commercial value of the 550Kb/d. However, the deal did not work accordingly for the following reasons: The Ministry of Natural Resources has failed to deliver the full export volumes agreed from day one, for example the daily average volumes MNR delivered in January did not exceed 145K compared the 550K/day therefore a deficit of at least 400K/bbl a day is registered by the Federal trading agency State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO). Both MNR and SOMO continued to differ in the following months over inventories of what was delivered and sold per month. Iraqi oil prices and export volumes from the south did not meet the targets stated in the federal budget law (3.3 million barrel a day @ $56/bbl) compared to actual exports and sales (e.g. in Jan 2015, 2.39 million barrel from the south, 145 thousand barrels from north, all at average price of $41 a barrel). All of these issues have affected the pro-rata payments sent by the federal Ministry of Finance to the KRG. The KRG tried to reach an agreement with the Federal Government by requesting full budget allocations regardless of monthly production promising that targets will be met in due course, however the federal government opted to handle payments based on monthly performance as this will impact all provinces and not only the region of Kurdistan. It can only afford to pay for what is actually produced as the Iraq budget deficit rises. The only way forward to resolve these disagreements between Baghdad and Erbil is to pass the Federal Revenue Sharing Law and the Federal Hydrocarbon Law, as well as establishing the relevant federal institutions underpinned by these laws to regulate the practice in Federal Iraq across all provinces and regions. With a failure to do so, current and future political deals will continue to be short-lived and fail drastically, prolonging the ongoing institutional and constitutional vacuum that has existed since 2006. SO, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, YES THE FEDERAL REVENUE SHARING LAW IS A BIG DEAL AND IS A STEP TOWARDS DISTRIBUTION OF OIL MONIES (AND OTHER FUNDS) TO THE PROVINCES, INCLUDING KURDISTAN..IT'S A BIG DEAL. AGAIN IF YOU VISITED THE SITE, YOU'D SEE MORE INFORMATION ON THIS

WHAT OOTW HAS BEEN SAYING FOR THE PAST MONTH IS THAT IRAQ WAS ONCE IN ARTICLE 8 (FROM INFO ON THE SITE) AND THEY WERE MOVED TO ARTICLE XIV IN 2005 DUE TO, IN PART, INVISIBLE BANKING PRACTICES (LACK OF TRANSPARENCY) AND NOW THEY'RE TRYING TO GET THEIR BANKING VISIBILITY ISSUES RESOLVED (AGAIN THIS IS ALSO FROM OTHER CHATS SO YOU MIGHT WANT TO GO TO THE IQD411 . COM SITE TO READ THIS INFORMATION) - IRAQ HAS NOW, THROUGH THE CBI, PLACED A BID FOR SOMEONE TO HELP PUT IN PLACE TH XBRL SYSTEM SO IRAQ'S BANK CAN BE UP TO SNUFF WITH THE OTHER WORLD'S BANKS - THE UN THROUGH THEIR SIGOB DIVISION IS HELPING THE GOVERNMENT AND THE OFFICIAL INSTITUTIONS (ALSO) TO HELP GET IRAQ'S GOVERNMENT DIGITAL COMMUNICATION UP AND RUNNING. ALSO IRAQ IS DEALING WITH CORRUPTION, THIS IS A REQUIREMENT, BECAUSE IF CORRUPTION IS STILL IN PLACE AND IS IN ANY WAY BEING PRACTICED VIA INTERBANK TRANSACTIONS, WHICH ARE NOT "VISIBLE" THEN THIS WOULD BE ANOTHER REASON THAT THEY COULD STILL CHOOSE TO MOVE TO ARTICLE VIII COMPLIANCE, BUT FOR WHICH THEY MAY BE DENIED BECAUSE THEY WOULD FALL OUT (OR REMAIN) OF COMPLIANCE ACCORDING TO THE IMF GUIDELINES. THIS IS A FEW FACTORS WE'RE LOOKING AT REGARDING ARTICLE VIII COMPLIANCE BUT GETTING THIS XBRL SYSTEM IN PLACE IS A VERY GOOD START TO GET IRAQ CLOSER TO ARTICLE VIII.

IT DOESN'T SAY NO CHANGE IT CONFIRMS THE TARIFFS SEEM THEY'RE GOING INTO EFFECT AND THAT IRAQ IS TAKING STEPS TO ENACT IMF ARTICLE VIII - I'VE READ THE IMF PDF REFERRED TO IN THIS CHAT WHICH THEY HAVE AT THE WEALTH WATCH SITE AND IT DOES SEEM IRAQ IS TRYING TO MOVE TOWARDS ARTICLE VIII

thanks K-98 it will be interesting to see what, if anything happens, once the AIIB is officially launched.

I'VE PROBABLY GONE ON TOO MUCH OVER THIS, BUT I'M JUST SO TIRED OF LIARS IN THIS INVESTMENT - THANKS FOR YOUR POST JAYGO - I see this is not garnering much attention, AS IT SHOULDN'T - this is an offer from a Jordanian Bank which has locations in Palestine- the offer of the prize is to be awarded IN JORDANIAN DINARS - THE SITE STRYKER IS PULLING THIS INFORMATION FROM (STRYKER'S SITE IS PROMOTING THIS AS AN RAMADAN AWARD IN IRAQI DINAR AND I BELIEVE THIS IS WHERE YOUR POST MIGHT STEM FROM JAYGO? IDK - REGARDLESS......) THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS FROM A PALESTINIAN SITE - THE MOST USED CURRENCY IN JORDAN IS THE ISRAELI SHEKEL AND THE JORDANIAN DINAR http://www.hbtf.com/en/Branch-ATMsLocations?ct=countryPSETab&z=7&lt=Branch& http://www.amwal.ps/uploads/image/2277211456475827104.jpg dinar in 1949. In 1949, Jordan annexed the West Bank, but the Palestine pound continued to circulate until 1950. The Jordanian dinar is still legal tender in the West Bank along with theIsraeli shekel. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestine_pound Jordanian dinar دينار أردني (Arabic) ISO 4217 code JOD Central bank Central Bank of Jordan  Website www.cbj.gov.jo Official user(s) Jordan Unofficial user(s) West Bank (Palestinian territories), alongside Israeli new sheqel Inflation 1.7%  Source The World Factbook, 2009 est. Pegged with U.S. dollar = 0.709 dinar Subunit  1/10 dirham  1/100 qirsh or piastre  1/1000 fils Coins ½, 1 qirsh, 2½, 5, 10 piastres, ¼, ½, 1 dinar Banknotes 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 dinars The dinar (Arabic: دينار, ISO 4217 code JOD; unofficially known as JD) is the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jordanian_dinar Inline image 1 http://www.amwal.ps/?page=details&newsID=2278&cat=1 Inline image 1 108.26.61.35 IP address Information The IP address 108.26.61.35 was found in Cicero, New York, United States. , Verizon FiOS. Additional IP location information, as well as network tools are available below. IP address: 108.26.61.35 hostname: pool-108-26-61-35.syrcny.fios.verizon.net Organization: Verizon FiOS City: Cicero Region: New York Country: United States (US) flag Postal code: 13039 Area code: 315 Metro code: 555 latitude: 43.1669 longitude: -76.0558 http://www.speedguide.net/ip/108.26.61.35 Saving Account Save for your future; grow your funds, and double your chances to win the largest Saving Account Prizes in Jordan. Now the chances to win are even higher with our Saving Account Prizes for the year 2015. Key benefits: Saving account withdrawals: a chance to win every day, every week and every month: Daily prize of 10,000 JD for one winner ( the prize draw is conducted during official working days except Thursdays and the month of Ramadan). Weekly prize of 15,000 JD for one winner ( the prize draw is conducted on Thursdays and during official working days and except the month of Ramadan). Monthly prize of 150,000 JD for one winner ( the prize draw is conducted end of each month except for the months that coincides official holidays (Independence day, Eid Afitr and Eid Aladha)). A chance to win monthly consolation prizes amounting up to 200,000 JD which will be won by 1,200 saving account holders in Jordan (except for the month of Ramadan ) divided as following: 200 prizes each 500 JD Home > Palestine economy Housing Bank launches special Ramadan campaign Savings Accounts Awards for 2015 5/21/2015 2:40:00 PM Housing Bank announced the launch of a campaign to prize Altoviralkhash accounts holy month of Ramadan for the year 2015, this move is to encourage savings among the bank's customers existing and potential grant all those of the owners of salary, housewives, business owners, higher education, vocational, craftsmen and children new opportunities to win prizes rewarding . To illustrate the dimensions of the "new campaign" Mohammed Barghouti's regional director in the bank explained that the campaign gives customers savers chances of winning a major award worth 75 000 dinars at the end of the holy month, along with weekly prizes, each worth 10,000 thousand dinars win 3 savers at all branches Bank, as well as consolation prizes worth 10,000 dinars, distributed over 100 winner a $ 100 dinars for each winner . What is worth pointing out that the month of Ramadan campaign in the frame above was made, will continue over the holy month, and will be all the owners of savings accounts that credit is lower than 200 dinars qualified to enter withdrawals special prizes this campaign . The launch of the campaign in line with the Bank's policy aimed at encouraging the habit of saving among decent audience, as well as help these savers to realize their dreams and ambitions of winning and rewarding amounts of cash so that they can make a difference in their lives and the lives of their families. Do you want to receive news like this on your email? - See more at: http://www.amwal.ps/?page=details&newsID=2278&cat=1#sthash.IGjG90ay.dpuf 1,000 prizes each 100 JD Ramadan Prizes: Daily prize of 15,000 JD for one winner ( the prize draw is conducted during official working days). Independence day prize: a prize of 200,000 JD for one winner Eid Afitr prize: a prize of 200,000 JD for one winner Eid Aladha prize: a prize of 200,000 JD for one winner End of year prize: a prize of 500,000 JD for one winner Additional benefits: The chance to win several times in consecutive draws. Withdraw and deposit money freely at any time. A free Visa Electron Card to access your accounts. Accrued interest to be added to your saving account to help you increase your savings in the long term. Access to The Housing Bank electronic services (Call Center, Iskan Mobile, Iskan Online, Iskan SMS). - All draws are subject to HBTF terms & conditions. Remember the more you save, the more you have the opportunity to win. For further information please contact our Call Center on 5200400 Savings Accounts Prizes Terms & Conditions: All savings accounts qualify for the daily and weekly prizes draw bearing in mind minimum account balance required must be above 200JD. All savings accounts qualify for the monthly grand prize and consolation prizes draw bearing in mind minimum account balance required must be above 200JD at the end of the month prior to the month of the Draw. All Mustaqbaly accounts qualify for the consolation prizes draw bearing in mind minimum account balance required must be above 100JD at the end of the month prior to the month of the Draw. Participating Child age should not exceed 18 years. All Mustaqbaly accounts qualify for the daily, weekly, monthly and consolation savings prizes if there balance exceeds 200JD. Prizes are credited to the winners savings account after announcing their name in different media channels (Press, TV..etc.) All savings accounts qualify for the prize draw upon customer's preference. All savings accounts prizes are subject to income tax. Any winner who does not claim the prize after six months of the announcement will lose the right to redeem the prize. All draws are conducted during official working days. Home > Palestine economy Housing Bank launches special Ramadan campaign Savings Accounts Awards for 2015 5/21/2015 2:40:00 PM Housing Bank announced the launch of a campaign to prize Altoviralkhash accounts holy month of Ramadan for the year 2015, this move is to encourage savings among the bank's customers existing and potential grant all those of the owners of salary, housewives, business owners, higher education, vocational, craftsmen and children new opportunities to win prizes rewarding . To illustrate the dimensions of the "new campaign" Mohammed Barghouti's regional director in the bank explained that the campaign gives customers savers chances of winning a major award worth 75 000 dinars at the end of the holy month, along with weekly prizes, each worth 10,000 thousand dinars win 3 savers at all branches Bank, as well as consolation prizes worth 10,000 dinars, distributed over 100 winner a $ 100 dinars for each winner . What is worth pointing out that the month of Ramadan campaign in the frame above was made, will continue over the holy month, and will be all the owners of savings accounts that credit is lower than 200 dinars qualified to enter withdrawals special prizes this campaign . The launch of the campaign in line with the Bank's policy aimed at encouraging the habit of saving among decent audience, as well as help these savers to realize their dreams and ambitions of winning and rewarding amounts of cash so that they can make a difference in their lives and the lives of their families. - See more at: http://www.amwal.ps/?page=details&newsID=2278&cat=1#sthash.IGjG90ay.dpuf http://www.hbtf.com/en/PL http://www.hbtf.com/en/

UHHHH - NOT FINDING ANYTHING ON THIS OUT ON THE WW WEB - BEN, YOU HAVE ANY MORE INFORMATION TO GO ON? WHO THE INTERVIEWER WAS, WHICH STATION YOU HEARD IT ON, WHO WAS BEING INTERVIEWED, WAS THIS A RADIO REPORT OR TV? TY HERES A LINK TO THE C-SPAN YOUTUBE CHANNEL https://www.youtube.com/user/CSPAN http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:FSVIBa9zlLQJ:www.c-span.org/schedule/%3Fchannel%3D2+&cd=4&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

WHEN THERE'S AN ANNOUNCEMENT AT THE CBI SITE ABOUT THE NOTES..THEN WE CAN SCRAMBLE FOR UNDERSTANDING. IF THESE NOTES ARE RELEASED THEN KEEP CHECKING THE COUNTRY CODE AT CURRENCY EXCHANGE SITES LIKE XE.COM - TO SEE IF IRAQ'S COUNTRY CODE OF "IQD" HAS BEEN CHANGED. IF IT HAS - I'D SAY THINGS HAVE A CHANCE TO HEAD SOUTH - IF THE CODE HASN'T CHANGED POST RELEASE - THERE'S A CHANCE THIS WILL TAKE LONGER AND/OR IS PART OF THE PLAN SALEH AND SHABS HAD TO MAKE THE 50K NOTE TRANSITIONAL BEFORE THE DELETE THE ZEROES PROJECT. JMHO

TURKISH BASED NEWSPAPER - THIS IS BASED ON THE PARLIAMENT RELEASE FROM LAST WEEKEND AND BOY HAS THE TURKISH SITE MANGLED IT

World | Thu Apr 30, 2015 11:18am EDT Related: WORLD, UNITED NATIONS Exclusive: Britain told U.N. monitors of active Iran nuclear procurement - panel UNITED NATIONS | BY LOUIS CHARBONNEAU A general view of the Bushehr nuclear power plant, some 1,200 km (746 miles) south of Tehran October 26, 2010. REUTERS/IRNA/Mohammad Babaie (Reuters) - Britain has informed a United Nations sanctions panel of an active Iranian nuclear procurement network linked to two blacklisted firms, according to a confidential report by the panel seen by Reuters. The existence of such a network could add to Western concerns over whether Tehran can be trusted to adhere to a nuclear deal due by June 30 in which it would agree to restrict sensitive nuclear work in exchange for sanctions relief. Talks between six major powers and Tehran are approaching the final stages after they hammered out a preliminary agreement on April 2, with Iran committing to reduce the number of centrifuges it operates and other long-term nuclear limitations. "The UK government informed the Panel on 20 April 2015 that it 'is aware of an active Iranian nuclear procurement network which has been associated with Iran's Centrifuge Technology Company (TESA) and Kalay Electric Company (KEC)'," the Panel of Experts said in its annual report. The panel monitors Iran's compliance with the U.N. sanctions regime. KEC is under U.N. Security Council sanctions while TESA is under U.S. and European Union sanctions due to their suspected links to banned Iranian nuclear activities. Iran, which is has been under sanctions for years, has a long history of illicit nuclear procurement using front companies and other methods of skirting sanctions. That has enabled it to develop a substantial atomic program in spite of aggressive international efforts to curtail it, U.N. diplomats say. But analysts and Western intelligence officials say sanctions have slowed the development of Tehran’s nuclear program. The United States and the International Atomic Energy Agency have repeatedly said that Tehran has so far complied with the terms of a limited agreement struck in November 2013 between Iran and the six powers involving some reductions in its nuclear activities, including enrichment. RELATED COVERAGE › Ex-U.N. nuclear chief Blix cautious on Iran deal hopes The panel's document did not contain further details on the British report. Nuclear enrichment centrifuges are used to purify uranium for use as fuel for power plants or, if purified to a very high level, in weapons. Tehran denies allegations from Western powers and their allies that it is amassing the capability to produce nuclear weapons under cover of a civilian atomic energy program. The panel said that the British information about the Iranian procurement network was received too recently for it to conduct an independent investigation of the allegations. U.N. sanctions in place since 2006 bar Tehran from pursuing sensitive nuclear activities, including uranium enrichment, as well as ballistic missile work. There are also U.S. and EU sanctions on Iran, which have crippled its economy. Officials at the U.N. missions of Britain and Iran were not immediately available for comment. The panel said it had received no new reports from U.N. member states of confirmed cases of non-compliance involving Iranian nuclear procurement. However, it cautioned that the lack of such reports could be due to multiple reasons. "The current situation with reporting could reflect a general reduction of procurement activities by the Iranian side or a political decision by some member states to refrain from reporting to avoid any possible negative impact on ongoing negotiations between ... Iran and (major powers)," it said. Despite the lack of newly confirmed violations the panel said that "some member states informed the panel that according to their assessment, the Islamic Republic of Iran's procurement trends and (sanctions) circumvention techniques remain basically unchanged." It cited an example of an unnamed member state saying that an Iranian entity had recently attempted to acquire compressors, a key component in the uranium enrichment process, using false end-user certificates in an attempt to evade controls. The panel also said that a U.N.-sanctioned subsidiary of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL), the Irano Hind Shipping Company (IHSC), has remained active without its assets being frozen as required under U.N. sanctions rules. The report said IHSC continues to operate two oil tankers, Amin 2 and Tour 2, which have been transporting crude oil to Syria, as recently as after September 2014. The government of Syria, which has been waging a war for four years against insurgents determined to topple it, is a staunch ally of Iran. (Reporting by Louis Charbonneau; editing by Stuart Grudgings.) http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/30/us-iran-nuclear-idUSKBN0NL09220150430

NEVER - i read somewhere that (i think) wisconsin passed gmo labeling requirements - and the state of california has brought charges up against the monsanto rep that claimed drinking roundup wouldn't hurt people - then the interviewer offered him a pitcher full , he declined and walked away - so now CA is bringing a false claims suit against monsanto...loving it.

http://foodrevolution.org/blog/daily-show-monsanto/ PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO SEE THE HILARIOUS VIDEO - WON'T ALLOW ME TO POST HERE In this Daily Show special report, Jon Stewart and Aasif Mandvi find out that greedy farmers have threatened the livelihood of Monsanto’s heroic patent attorneys. Spoiler alert: It’s hilarious! (Apologies for the 30 second ad.) Monsanto tells us that their products are about the best thing to come along since sliced bread. For years they’ve been promising that Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) would reduce pesticide use, increase yields, reduce water consumption, and offer foods that are more tasty and morenutritious. I wish they were right. But in the 20 years since GMO crops first came on the market, studies have found that they have led to higher pesticide use, and no meaningful improvement in flavor, nutrition, yield or waterrequirements. Instead, what they’ve created are plants that are engineered to withstand massivedosing of toxic herbicides, and plants that function as living pesticide factories. Monsanto’s Bt. corn, for example, is actually registered with the EPA as a pesticide. With concern about GMOs and other changes to our increasingly toxic food supply growing fast, and with deaths from cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and other lifestyle and environment-related illness continuing to mount, more and more people are demanding to know the truth about our food. In response, the 200,000+ member Food Revolution Network is offering a free online Food Revolution Summit. From April 25-May 3, some of the top food experts on the planet will be providing insights and clear calls to action in this teleseminar that is also being broadcast without charge on the Internet. Speakers include Paul McCartney, Tony Robbins, Michael Pollan, “Food Babe” Vani Hari, Dr. Joel Fuhrman, Dr. Neal Barnard, Dr. Michael Greger, Dr. Vandana Shiva, and many more. Monsanto, McDonald’s, and Coca-Cola probably aren’t too happy about the prospect of tens of thousands of thousands of people getting informed and mobilized. But if you love life, safe food, and the truth, then you might want to check it out and sign up for free here.

First on CNN: U.S.-flagged ship intercepted by Iranian patrol (there's a video at the first link below) - basically the US media is reporting that this Marshall Island's cargo vessel crossed "deep" into Iranian waters and Iran took over the ship as result - so "O" now has to do nothing apparently...whatever By Barbara Starr, Jim Sciutto and Jamie Crawford, CNN Updated 11:23 AM ET, Wed April 29, 2015 Source: CNN lead dnt sciutto U.S. warships in yemen message to Iran Iranian vessels heading closer to U.S. warships U.S. sending warships to Yemen A file picture shows Iranian-American Washington Post correspondent Jason Rezaian and his Iranian wife Yeganeh Salehi posing while covering a press conference at Iran's Foreign Ministry in Tehran, on September 10, 2013. Tehran's chief justice Gholamhossein Esmaili confirmed the arrest of Washington Post correspondent Jason Rezaian and his wife, also a journalist, the official IRNA news agency reported. Rezaian, 38, has been the Post correspondent in Tehran since 2012 and holds both American and Iranian citizenship, according to the newspaper and his wife is an Iranian who has applied for US permanent residency and works as a correspondent for The Nation newspaper based in the United Arab Emirates, the Post said. Iran intercepts U.S.-flagged ship US President Barack Obama ® and former US President George W. Bush (2nd R) bow their heads on July 2, 2013 alongside victims during a wreath-laying ceremony for the victims of the 1998 US Embassy bombing at the Bombing Memorial at the US Embassy in Dar Es Salaam. Bush is in Tanzania for a forum of regional First Ladies, hosted by his wife Laura, which will also be attended by First Lady Michelle Obama. Iranian vessels heading closer to U.S. warships U.S. sending warships to Yemen A file picture shows Iranian-American Washington Post correspondent Jason Rezaian and his Iranian wife Yeganeh Salehi posing while covering a press conference at Iran's Foreign Ministry in Tehran, on September 10, 2013. Tehran's chief justice Gholamhossein Esmaili confirmed the arrest of Washington Post correspondent Jason Rezaian and his wife, also a journalist, the official IRNA news agency reported. Rezaian, 38, has been the Post correspondent in Tehran since 2012 and holds both American and Iranian citizenship, according to the newspaper and his wife is an Iranian who has applied for US permanent residency and works as a correspondent for The Nation newspaper based in the United Arab Emirates, the Post said. US President Barack Obama ® and former US President George W. Bush (2nd R) bow their heads on July 2, 2013 alongside victims during a wreath-laying ceremony for the victims of the 1998 US Embassy bombing at the Bombing Memorial at the US Embassy in Dar Es Salaam. Bush is in Tanzania for a forum of regional First Ladies, hosted by his wife Laura, which will also be attended by First Lady Michelle Obama. Washington (CNN)A U.S.-flagged ship was recently intercepted by an Iran Revolutionary Guard naval patrol, the U.S. Navy revealed to CNN Tuesday. The incident occurred on Friday when four Iranian naval vessels surrounded the U.S.-flagged Maersk Kensington in the Strait of Hormuz. The episode came ahead of an encounter Tuesday in which Iran Revolutionary Guard patrol boats fired shots at a commercial cargo ship and then intercepted the vessel, the Marshall Islands-flagged M/V Maersk Tigris, which was also crossing the Strait of Hormuz. A senior U.S. military official told CNN that "the Iranians encircled the Kensington and followed the ship on its course for a period of time before withdrawing and breaking away." After that, the U.S. Navy Fifth Fleet issued a notice to mariners about the incident. READ: Obama administration sends mixed messages on Iranian ships The crew of the Maersk Tigris container ship is "safe and under the circumstances in good spirits," Danish shipping company Maersk said Wednesday in an emailed statement to CNN. The Pentagon estimates that about 30 individuals are on board. On Tuesday night, the cargo ship was being escorted toward Bandar Abbas on the coast of Iran by Iranian patrol boats, but it has not reached the shore. It's currently about 9 miles due south of the port. Maersk said they are still unable to "establish or confirm the reason" for the seizure, and remain in close dialogue with the Danish Foreign Ministry. Referring to Tuesday's incident, Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve Warren said it was "inappropriate" for the Iranians to fire the warning shots. The U.S. Navy has dispatched one maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft to observe and monitor the situation, Warren told reporters. At this point, no U.S. military action is expected on the ship that was seized Tuesday aside from monitoring the situation. The U.S. believes that Iranians will "send the ship on its way," the senior official said. State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke noted Tuesday afternoon that he U.S. has a security compact with the Marshall Islands on defense issues. But he added that there hasn't been a specific request for assistance from the Marshall Islands and said it was premature to say whether this could require the use of force. He did state, however, that "it's a key concern of the United States to ensure that sea lanes in the region remain open and safe." In Tuesday's incident, the Marshall Islands-flagged vessel was transiting the Strait into the Persian Gulf on an internationally recognized maritime route when the Iranian military contacted the vessel and directed the ship master to "divert further into Iranian waters," according to Warren. "The master was contacted and directed to proceed further into Iranian territorial waters. He declined and one of the IRGCN craft fired shots across the bridge of the Maersk Tigris," said Warren, referring to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy. "The master complied with the Iranian demand and proceeded into Iranian waters in the vicinity of Larak Island." After the shots were fired, the Tigris issued a distress call that was picked up by U.S. forces in the area, and the USS Farragut was ordered to head towards the incident. The closest U.S. warship was 60 miles away. "We have been in communication with U.S. shipping industry representatives with regards to how their vessels should respond to threatening encounters with foreign naval forces and how to contact us, " the U.S. official said, declining to provide the specific advice being given. In the incident Friday, no shots were fired. The senior official pointed out that that historically, Iran Revolutionary Guard naval forces have been more likely to be engaged in hostile contact with the shipping and military vessels in the region than the regular Iranian navy. Contact with regular Iranian naval forces is frequent and "professional," the official said. Even though the Strait of Hormuz is in Iranian territorial waters, "innocent passage" is applied -- ships are authorized to pass through the body of water assuming they abide by all the rules of the sea -- because it is an internationally recognized shipping lane. Warren said it was "to be determined" what the USS Farragut will do when it reached the vicinity of the incident. The M/V Maersk Tigris was seized at the request of Iran's Ports and Maritime Organization, Iran's semi-official news agency FARS is reporting, citing informed sources. The Marshall Islands-flagged vessel was seized after a relevant court order was issued, according to the source, indicating that the IPMO had monetary differences with the ship owner. Maersk LInes issued a statement Tuesday that the company's "paramount concern is the safety and well-being of the crew." http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/28/politics/iran-seizes-commercial-ship-u-s-official-says-no-americans-on-board/ Iranian lawmakers condemn Saudi aggression against Yemen Home Iran Politics Wed Apr 29, 2015 10:4AM A view of the Iranian parliament (Majlis) (file photo) Iranian lawmakers have slammed Saudi Arabia’s airstrikes against Yemen, saying the strikes are reminiscent of Israel’s crimes in Gaza The Al Saud regime, which has been bombarding Yemenis violently with the help of and by order of the United States and Israel, has disclosed its true face to the Islamic world, the legislators said in a statement released on Wednesday. “The brutal Killing of women and children as well as the defenseless and innocent people in Yemen and destroying the country’s infrastructure are reminiscent of the Zionist occupying regime [of Israel]’s crimes in Gaza,” the statement said, adding that the criminal leaders of the Saudi regime should one day stand trial in an international court. The Islamic Republic has, from the beginning of the crisis in Yemen, announced that the only solution to the conflict is a political solution through Yemeni-Yemeni negotiations, the lawmakers noted. The statement also condemned a recent move by Saudi warplanes to block an Iranian plane carrying medical supplies to the impoverished Yemen. The plane had received permits from Omani and Yemeni aviation officials to cross into Yemen’s airspace. The Iranian legislators further urged the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) to help the innocent people in the crisis-hit country. Saudi Arabia launched its aerial attacks on Yemen on March 26 - without a United Nations mandate - in a bid to restore power to the country’s fugitive former president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, a close ally of the kingdom, who has fled to Riyadh with members of his government. According to reports, the Saudi military operation has so far left over 5,000 people dead or wounded. MSM/NN/HRB http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/04/29/408646/Iran-Yemen-lawmakers-aggression-Saudi-Arabia-attack

http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/28/politics/iran-seizes-commercial-ship-u-s-official-says-no-americans-on-board/ there's a video at this link First on CNN: U.S.-flagged ship intercepted by Iranian patrol By Barbara Starr, Jim Sciutto and Jamie Crawford, CNN Updated 5:31 PM ET, Tue April 28, 2015 Reports: Iranian forces seize cargo ship Reports: Iranian forces seize cargo ship 01:45 Washington (CNN)A U.S.-flagged ship was recently intercepted by an Iran Revolutionary Guard naval patrol, the U.S. Navy revealed to CNN Tuesday. The incident occurred on Friday when four Iranian naval vessels surrounded the U.S.-flagged Maersk Kensington in the Strait of Hormuz. The episode came ahead of an encounter Tuesday in which Iran Revolutionary Guard patrol boats fired shots at a commercial cargo ship and then intercepted the vessel, the Marshall Islands-flagged M/V Maersk Tigris, which was also crossing the Strait of Hormuz. A senior U.S. military official told CNN that "the Iranians encircled the Kensington and followed the ship on its course for a period of time before withdrawing and breaking away." After that, the U.S. Navy Fifth Fleet issued a notice to mariners about the incident. READ: Obama administration sends mixed messages on Iranian ships Referring to Tuesday's incident, Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve Warren said it was "inappropriate" for the Iranians to fire the warning shots. The U.S. Navy has dispatched one maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft to observe and monitor the situation, Warren told reporters. Despite reports in some media, there are no Americans on board, according to a U.S. official. According to the shipping company, which is in contact with the U.S. military, on Tuesday evening the vessel was being escorted towards Bandar Abbas on the coast of Iran by Iranian patrol boats. The Pentagon thinks about 30 individuals are on board. At this point, no U.S. military action is expected on the ship that was seized Tuesday aside from monitoring the situation. The U.S. believes that Iranians will "send the ship on its way," the senior official said. State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke noted Tuesday afternoon that he U.S. has a security compact with the Marshall Islands on defense issues. The most lethal arsenal ever put to sea The most lethal arsenal ever put to sea 01:33 PLAY VIDEO But he added that there hasn't been a specific request for assistance from the Marshall Islands and said it was premature to say whether this could require the use of force. He did state, however, that "it's a key concern of the United States to ensure that sea lanes in the region remain open and safe." In Tuesday's incident, the Marshall Islands-flagged vessel was transiting the Strait into the Persian Gulf on an internationally recognized maritime route when the Iranian military contacted the vessel and directed the ship master to "divert further into Iranian waters," according to Warren. "The master was contacted and directed to proceed further into Iranian territorial waters. He declined and one of the IRGCN craft fired shots across the bridge of the Maersk Tigris," said Warren, referring to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy. "The master complied with the Iranian demand and proceeded into Iranian waters in the vicinity of Larak Island." After the shots were fired, the Tigris issued a distress call that was picked up by U.S. forces in the area, and the USS Farragut was ordered to head towards the incident. The closest U.S. warship was 60 miles away. READ: U.S. aircraft carrier enters Persian Gulf as Iranian convoy moves "We have been in communication with U.S. shipping industry representatives with regards to how their vessels should respond to threatening encounters with foreign naval forces and how to contact us, " the U.S. official said, declining to provide the specific advice being given. In the incident Friday, no shots were fired. The senior official pointed out that that historically, Iran Revolutionary Guard naval forces have been more likely to be engaged in hostile contact with the shipping and military vessels in the region than the regular Iranian navy. Contact with regular Iranian naval forces is frequent and "professional," the official said. Even though the Strait of Hormuz is in Iranian territorial waters, "innocent passage" is applied -- ships are authorized to pass through the body of water assuming they abide by all the rules of the sea -- because it is an internationally recognized shipping lane. Warren said it was "to be determined" what the USS Farragut will do when it reached the vicinity of the incident. The M/V Maersk Tigris was seized at the request of Iran's Ports and Maritime Organization, Iran's semi-official news agency FARS is reporting, citing informed sources. The Marshall Islands-flagged vessel was seized after a relevant court order was issued, according to the source, indicating that the IPMO had monetary differences with the ship owner. Maersk LInes issued a statement Tuesday that the company's "paramount concern is the safety and well-being of the crew." U.S. says Iranian forces fire on and board cargo ship in Gulf DUBAI/WASHINGTON | BY NOAH BROWNING AND DAVID ALEXANDER (Reuters) - Iranian forces boarded a Marshall Islands-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf on Tuesday after patrol boats fired warning shots across its bow and ordered it deeper into Iranian waters, the Pentagon said. U.S. planes and a destroyer were monitoring the situation after the vessel, the MV Maersk Tigris, made a distress call in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important oil shipping channels. Iran's Tasnim news agency quoted an unidentified source who sought to play down the incident, saying it was a civil matter with no military or political dimension. But the Pentagon described it as an apparent provocation. The incident came as the United States and five other global powers aim to secure a final nuclear deal with Iran by the end of June. Under the accord Tehran, which denies seeking to build nuclear weapons, would win sanctions relief in return for slashing the number of its uranium enrichment centrifuges and accepting intrusive international inspections. Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television earlier said an Iranian force fired on and seized a U.S. cargo ship with 34 U.S. sailors on board, and directed it to the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas. But the Pentagon spokesman said there were no U.S. citizens on board the ship. The company managing the vessel told a Danish news channel there were 24 crew members, mostly from eastern Europe and Asia. Reuters tracking data showed the Maersk Tigris, a 65,000-tonne container ship, off the Iranian coast between the islands of Qeshm and Hormuz. It had been listed as sailing from the Saudi port of Jeddah, bound for the United Arab Emirates port of Jebel Ali. RELATED COVERAGE › Iranian Revolutionary Guards seize cargo ship in Gulf › Maersk Tigris ship management says concerned for 24 crew after Iran fires shots › Iranian navy seized ship under court order: Fars news agency › Iran interception of cargo vessel appears 'provocative': Pentagon COURT ORDER Iran's Fars news agency said the ship was seized at the request of Iran's ports authority under a court order. But a spokesman for the Singapore-based company that manages the vessel, which usually includes hiring the crew, Rickmers Shipmanagement, said he did not know why Iran had taken action. Spokesman Cor Radings confirmed to Danish TV2 news channel that Iranian forces fired warning shots at the container ship and boarded it, and said the company was concerned for the crew. The vessel had been following a normal commercial route between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, he said. A U.S. government official said the ship was intercepted by the Naval force of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) at 0905 GMT. Another U.S. official said that when the warning shots were fired, the Maersk Tigris issued a distress call which was received by U.S. forces operating in the region. The closest U.S. warship was more than 60 miles away, he said, and the U.S. military instructed destroyer USS Farragut to head towards the cargo ship, which was passing through the Strait of Hormuz at the time. Some 17 million barrels per day (bpd), or about 30 percent of all seaborne-traded oil, passed through the channel in 2013, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Iran has in the past sometimes threatened to block the strait to advance its opposition to sanctions imposed over its nuclear program. The channel is a narrow strip of water separating Oman and Iran. It connects the biggest Gulf oil producers, such as Saudi Arabia, with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. At its narrowest point, the strait is 33 km (21 miles) across and consists of 2-mile wide navigable channels for inbound and outbound shipping and a 2-mile-wide buffer zone. (Additional reporting by Phil Stewart, Leslie Wroughton and Mark Hosenball in Washington, Sabina Zawadzki in Copenhagen, Jonathan Saul in London, Yara Bayoumy in Cairo and Sam Wilkin in Dubai; Writing by Dominic Evans; Editing by Janet Lawrence) http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/28/us-iran-usa-ship-idUSKBN0NJ1SB20150428

19: 44 2015-04-21 Announced the independent High Electoral Commission, Tuesday, some dissonant voices affiliates of registration officers in accusing the Office blamed the delay in the installation of contract employees, and indicated that "some of those not covered by the installation because of the law, said a high-level delegation from the Board of Commissioners to resolve the matter with the Finance Ministry, but refused. He said UNHCR spokesman Miqdad Al-sharifi, that "by pursuing the theme installation that requires the Ministry of finance budget law applied and grades assigned to UNHCR by the 2015 budget law article 1, where a high ranking delegation from the Board of Commissioners to resolve the matter with finance, but we were informed that the Ministry had challenged this article and will not be implemented and will not release grades as reported by the Ministry of finance." Sharifi said, "we have noted in recent days come sounds calculated to staff the registration centres themselves owners of agendas, claim that the Commission is the cause of the delay in the installation, in spite of all our for this subject, even after the Finance Ministry refused to release scores and official wrote that it had challenged in the ratings before the Federal Court." "The same sounds dissonant and which is one of the reasons for the situation we are in now because of the irresponsible behaviors and speaking on behalf of the staff before the official authorities and give them shaded their information, they were the primary cause of the delay and we all have priorities prove it", adding that "some of those not covered by the installation because of the law, so they diagnosed these methods we have." Al-sharifi called on "the need to communicate with the Office as an institution with their personal interests and their only", adding that "the Commission will not tolerate the loss of the right of any employee of the applicable law." http://www.waradana.com/news/iraq/22/81171/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%81%D9%8A:-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D8%B9%D8%B1%D9%82%D9%84 when iraq passes their depositors insurance laws - we'll then see articles stating these employees are getting paid - because at least the govt institutions want to direct/funnel payments of employee's salaries into bank accounts - the people won't stand for this until their deposits are protected - and the govt has said it will guarantee their electronic deposits via this law. we'll see