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NEWS ALERT U.S. formally ends war in Iraq BAGHDAD — Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta paid solemn tribute on Thursday to an “independent, free and sovereign Iraq” and declared the official end to the Iraq war, formally wrapping up the U.S. military’s 81 / 2-year mission in the country. “After a lot of blood spilled by Iraqis and Americans, the mission of an Iraq that could govern and secure itself has become real,” Panetta said at a ceremony at Baghdad ‘s international airport. “To be sure, the cost was high – in blood and treasure for the United States, and for the Iraqi people. Those lives were not lost in vain. ” The 1:15 p.m. ceremony (5:15 a.m. in Washington) effectively ended the war two weeks earlier than was necessary under the terms of the security agreement signed by the U.S. and Iraqi governments in 2008, which stipulated that the troops must be gone by Dec. 31. But commanders decided there was no need to keep troops in Iraq through the Christmas holidays given that talks on maintaining a U.S. presence beyond the deadline had failed. The date of the final ceremony had been kept secret for weeks, so as not to give insurgents or militias an opportunity to stage attacks. Read more at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/iraq-war-draws-to-quiet-close/2011/12/14/gIQAPEjLvO_story.html

Panetta arrives in Baghdad for ceremony to end Iraq war 12/15/2011 NEWS ALERT Panetta arrives in Baghdad for ceremony to end Iraq war Thursday, December 15, 2011 4:16:21 AM BAGHDAD — Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta arrived at Baghdad airport Thursday to participate in a ceremony that will officially end the Iraq war, formally wrapping up the U.S. military’s 81 / 2-year mission in the country. The ceremony effectively ends the war two weeks earlier than was necessary under the terms of the security agreement signed by the U.S. and Iraqi governments in 2008, which stipulated that the troops must be gone by Dec. 31. But commanders decided there was no need to keep troops in Iraq through the Christmas holidays given that talks on maintaining a U.S. presence beyond the deadline had failed. The date of the final ceremony had been kept secret for weeks, so as not to give insurgents or militias an opportunity to stage attacks. Read more at: My link

I AGREE WITH YOU.....If you have ever listened to them and not just read the post you would know how right they are...

This article goes along with what Whiskey6 told the IQD Team last night on their call....there is great info on their call about current info on these cards.... 760-569-7699 Pin 219055# He was the third guy during the Q & A.........GREAT INFO he researched.

Young Iraqis dance to a different beat By Bushra Juhi 11:49 AM Saturday Nov 26, 2011 An Iraqi boy dances to hip hop music in Baghdad, Iraq. Photo / AP After more than eight years in Iraq, the departing American military's legacy includes a fledgling democracy, bitter memories of war - and rap music, tattoos and slang. In other words, as the December 31 deadline for completing their withdrawal approaches, US troops are leaving behind the good, the bad and what "Lil Czar" Mohammed calls the "punky". Sporting baggy soldiers' camouflage pants, high-top sneakers and a back-turned "NY" baseball cap, the chubby 22-year-old was showing off his break-dancing moves on a sunny afternoon in a Baghdad park. A dollar sign was shaved into his closely cropped hair. "While others might stop being rappers after the Americans leave, I will go on [rapping] till I reach NY," said Mohammed, who teaches part-time at a primary school. His forearm bore a tattoo of dice above the words GANG STAR. That was the tattooist's mistake, he said, it was supposed to say "gangsta". Eight million Iraqis, a quarter of the population, have been born since the US-led invasion of 2003 and nearly half the country is under 19, according to Brett McGurk, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York and, until recently, senior adviser to the US Embassy in Baghdad. So after years of watching US soldiers on patrol, it's inevitable that hip-hop styles, tough-guy mannerisms and slangy English patter would catch on with young Iraqis. Calling themselves "punky", or "hustlers", many are donning hoodie sweat shirts, listening to 50 Cent or Eminem and watching Twilight vampire movies. They eat hamburgers and pizza and do death-defying Rollerblade runs through speeding traffic. Teens spike their hair or shave it Marine-style. The Iraq Rap page on Facebook has 1480 fans. To many of their fellow Iraqis, the habits appear weird, if not downright offensive. But to the youths, it is a vital part of their pursuit of the American dream as they imagine it to be. Lil Czar Mohammed, a Shiite Muslim, was introduced to American culture by a Christian friend, Laith, who subsequently had to flee the anti-Christian violence that broke out in Baghdad. "I had nothing to help my friend, he left," he said. "But when I get the money and become a rich boss, I will tell my friend Laith to come back." Meanwhile, he is trying to record a rap song in Arabic and English. "It is about our situation. About no jobs for us." "I love the American soldiers," said Mohammed Adnan, 15, who pastes imitation tattoos on his arm. Adnan lives in the Sadr City, the Baghdad base of followers of anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who has threatened violence against US troops if they stay beyond 2011. But, surprisingly, Adnan says the US gangsta look is accepted in his neighbourhood. "All young men in Sadr City wear the same clothes when we hang around," he said. "Nobody minds. And we're invited to weddings or celebrations where we perform break-dancing." It all adds up to a taste of the wide world for a society which lived for decades under Saddam Hussein's dictatorship that deprived them of satellite TV, cell phones and the internet, and then through invasion, terrorism and sectarian killing. Like many Iraqis, high school student Maytham Karim wants to learn English. But the English he hears most often from his peers, and mostly those who listen to American music, is laden with profanity. As US forces began closing their bases, Iraqis rummaged through their garbage for discarded uniforms, caps and boots to sell to youngsters who pay top dollar to dress like soldiers. Baghdad's tattoo business is also booming. Hassan Hakim's tattoo parlour in the Karradah neighbourhood is covered with glossy pictures of half-naked men and women showing off their ink, regardless of Islam's strictures on baring the skin. The storefront caused a stir when it opened last summer, but complaints soon died down and the business is thriving. Showbiz and military chic aside, young Iraqis agree that the American troops opened their minds to the outside world. The wait for a place in English classes can last months. "I found that all Iraqis want to learn English," said Nawras Mohammed. Using the internet or watching satellite TV was also fine. But users needed to be selective, the 24-year-old college graduate says. "The positive and the negative aspects of the American presence," she said, "depend on us." An unwelcome clash of cultures Not all Iraqis welcome the culture the Americans brought. Dr Fawzia al-Attia, a sociologist at Baghdad University, says one result is that young Iraqis now reject school uniforms, engage in forbidden love affairs and rebel against their elders. "There was no strategy to contain this sudden openness," she said. "Teenagers, especially in poor areas where parents are of humble origin and humble education, started to adopt the negative aspects of the American society because they think that by imitating the Americans they obtain a higher status in society. "These young Iraqi people need to be instructed. They need to know about the positive aspects of the American society to imitate." - AP By Bushra Juhi http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10768859

Army General Describes Iraq Drawdown Progress By Bradley Cantor Emerging Media, Defense Media Activity WASHINGTON, Nov. 25, 2011 – U.S. forces and equipment are expected to leave Iraq by Dec. 31, Army Brig. Gen. Bradley A. Becker said during a Nov. 22 “DOD Live” Bloggers Roundtable. Becker is the deputy commanding general for U.S. Division Center, Baghdad. He is responsible for oversight, support and sustainment for U.S. forces participating in Operation New Dawn. According to Becker, the drawdown of U.S. forces and equipment from Iraq is being accomplished in accordance with agreements made between the United States and Iraq. The amount of equipment and property that had accumulated on U.S. bases in Iraq over the years has been significant, Becker said. At the height of coalition operations in 2007 and 2008, he said, there were 505 bases and 165,000 service members in Iraq. As of this month, Becker said, seven bases remain to be transferred to Iraqi authority and less than 20,000 U.S. soldiers remain in Iraq. Every U.S. base in Iraq that’s slated for drawdown gets three environmental inspections, Becker said. This, he said, includes an initial inspection, a follow-up inspection, and a final inspection to ensure no waste or hazardous materials are left unaccounted for. Over the past eleven months, he added, 27 U.S. bases have been transferred, and all of those bases have gone through an environmental remediation process. The final seven bases, Becker said, have processed through two of the three required environmental inspections. Becker said he’s confident that Iraq’s security forces will be up to the challenge after U.S. forces depart. Iraq’s security forces “have been in the lead since Operation New Dawn … they have shown that they are capable,” he said. “They did it during the elections. They did it during the Arab Spring.” Becker spoke of the positive changes he has witnessed in Iraq. “As I look back on the last nearly nine years of what we’ve accomplished,” he said, “the one thing that really stands out -- at least for me -- is that we’ve given the Iraqi people opportunities that they didn’t have in the past: the opportunity to choose their own government, a developing economy that benefits all the Iraqi people and, most importantly, an opportunity for a better future.” Biographies: Army Brig. Gen. Bradley A. Becker Related Sites: DOD Bloggers Roundtable http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=66222

Gone before Christmas: The U.S. military’s move out of Iraq the biggest since WWII Reuters Nov 25, 2011 – 6:37 PM ET | Last Updated: Nov 25, 2011 6:51 PM ET Atef Hassan / Reuters U.S. soldiers carry a box containing military gear that will be shipped as troops prepare to pull out of a military base in Nassiriya 20,000 truckloads so far At the peak of the United States’s war in Iraq, the U.S. military had more than 170,000 troops, 500 bases replete with tents and toilets, kitchens and motor pools, and an airline that flew hundreds of times a day across the country. Moving day has lasted more than a year. The U.S. withdrawal from Iraq after nearly nine years of war is believed to be one of the largest removal jobs in history. At the start of the year logistics experts calculated there were nearly three million pieces of equipment to be moved, from airplanes, helicopters and tanks to laptops and lights. “It is the largest move of military equipment we have done since World War Two,” said Lieutenant Colonel Jerry Brooks, a U.S. military historian. Soldiers, trucks and weaponry are streaming out of Iraq every day. From that peak of 170,000 troops, about 18,000 remain this week, with hundreds leaving daily. Virtually all will be gone before Christmas. Since September 2010, around two million pieces of equipment have been redeployed, U.S. officials say, some back to the United States, others to Afghanistan or other locations. By September 1, the clutter had been reduced to about 20,000 truckloads. This week, about 9,000 truckloads remained. “It’s not as glamorous as it was when you’re out on patrol in a village, helping some young Iraqi, or building a school or capturing a terrorist. But it’s historic,” said Brigadier General Bradley Becker of the move out. “Someday I truly believe that future military classes … will study the logistics (of our) move out of Iraq.” PALACES EMPTIED Closing down the Iraq war has meant shutting down the U.S. military bases, which numbered 505 at the peak and included everything from small desert fueling depots to massive installations where Americans have been entrenched for years. The Victory Base complex in Baghdad, the heart of the war operation surrounded by 42 km of concrete blast walls and razor wire, once hosted 40,000 troops and more than 20,000 contractors. Balad, north of Baghdad, had 36,000 residents. Victory was so big it had a reverse osmosis water plant that could generate 1.85 million gallons a day, an ice plant, a 50-megawatt power generating station, stadium-sized chow halls and a laundromat with 3,000 machines able to do 36,000 loads a day. Now the generals have moved from Saddam’s missile-damaged palaces, the war operations room has been cleared of computers and phones and the barber shops, DVD stores and restaurants like Burger King, Subway and Green Bean are fast disappearing. Mohammed Ameen / Reuters Iraqi helicopters land at Basmaya military base in Baghdad November 25, 2011. With U.S. troops scheduled to leave Iraq at the end of the year, Baghdad is looking to build up its air capabilities as its national armed forces take over responsibility for security. AIR SERVICE WINDING DOWN For years, in U.S. air terminals across Iraq, on flat-screen monitors or white boards, generals and soldiers, journalists and contractors watched for flight information to BIAP (Baghdad International Airport), Tikrit, Mosul or other destinations. Between combat, medical evacuations and ferry service, the U.S. intra-Iraq airline flew scores of times every day. At the peak in 2009, there more than 400 aircraft which flew daily, Brooks said. “The MNC-I Aviation brigade averaged 157 missions a day. We had 28 helicopters devoted to just flying passengers around Iraq on scheduled flights.” Joint Base Balad, with two 11,000-foot runways, had 27,500 takeoffs and landings a month in 2006, second only to London’s Heathrow, U.S. officials said. THE WAY OUT For months, a steady stream of tanks, troop carriers, artillery and other gear has flowed from remote bases to collection yards in Baghdad and elsewhere, and then out of the country, mostly to Kuwait. One U.S. military officer said logistics experts had estimated there was $7.8 billion worth of “theater-provided equipment” — the tanks, trucks, tables and chairs and other things the soldiers don’t carry themselves — to move. On a single day, the dusty yard at Victory Base held 186 HumVees, 22 MRAPs, four M-1 Abrams tanks, eight Paladin Howitzer artillery systems, four Stryker fighting vehicles and scores of generators, lighting systems and other gear. U.S. record-keepers itemize everything, including the equipment to be left behind. About a quarter of the gear, mainly HumVees, radios and weapons, was headed to Afghanistan. At big bases like Victory, buildings, mess halls, offices, water treatment and electrical plants, Containerized Housing Units (CHUs), desks, tables and chairs, are being handed over to the Iraq government, and tons of equipment is being scrapped. In many cases, the cost of moving something wasn’t worth it. In others, the equipment wasn’t worth it. Mohammed Ameen / Reuters Iraqi soldiers stand in a line during training at Basmaya military base in Baghdad on Tuesday. With U.S. troops preparing to leave Iraq, the Iraqi army will be taking over responsibility for security. “A lot of the computers we’ve been using for the last eight years … the guts are ripped out,” said 1st Lieutenant Michael Saslo, logistics coordinator at the yard. “There’s no point putting those on a convoy and risking a soldier’s life for it.” By early November, nearly 4 million items worth $390 million had been given to Iraq, including 26,000 CHUs worth $124 million and 89,000 air conditioners worth $18.5 million. Logisticians said they had saved taxpayers $685 million in transport costs. “We don’t ship toilets,” said one soldier. The exception appeared to be Saddam Hussein’s toilet, taken from the Victory Base cell where he was held for two years and destined for display in a U.S. military museum. © Thomson Reuters http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/11/25/gone-before-christmas-the-u-s-militarys-move-out-of-iraq-the-biggest-since-wwii/

What a great call......I was on the call last night and listened again this morning..... FYI: Tim did not state ANY date so whomever did the transcript must have put the incorrect date.....its not the date...its the thought..... And all Yukon was saying is that they had recd many emails...callers were only warned to be very careful as to who they give their personal information to and not to give it up so easily, that is just using good common sense in order to stay protected. One shouldn't open a trust with just anyone just because they make it sound good or right, nor should a trust be opened because someone used a scare tactic to get a person to open one. That should send red flags ups immediately! Someone must be taking $20 - $30 for applications for a trust is the way I took it.....They only advised that before spending hard earned money and giving your very personal and private information out in opening a trust that several companies should be checked out thoroughly first, and then a careful and wise decision be made based on that as to who one chooses to place their lives in the hands of....I couldn't agree more Have a Great Thanksgiving.

Iraq eyes F-16 to expand fleet Sunday, 13 November 2011 03:39 Share DUBAI: Iraq is planning to expand its fleet of aerial reconnaissance planes “in the near future” and is hoping to sign a deal for a second batch of F-16 warplanes by next year, the country’s air force chief said yesterday. The moves, laid out by Lt General Anwer Amin on the sidelines of a conference ahead of today’s Dubai Airshow, are part of Iraq’s efforts to move gradually away from dependence on US air support. “We have projects to buy UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) in the near future,” Amin told reporters on the sidelines of the air marshals conference. He said the Iraqi air force was looking into several options. “One of the leading countries in the region is the United Arab Emirates, there is also the United States,” he said. The United States will withdraw its remaining 40,000 troops in Iraq by the end of this year, but Iraqi officials say it will take years before they are able to defend their airspace. “Building an air force is a very complicated process that depends on several factors, including securing financial cover and human capabilities as well as time,” Amin said. Military experts say that Iraq’s lack of a strong fleet of combat planes means that it will rely on the U.S. air force to shoulder this responsibility for some years. “Certainly the United States air force will be there for the Iraqi air force if that that’s what the two governments agree to,” Gen. Norton Schwartz, commander of the US air force, said on Saturday. Amir said he hoped a deal would be signed next year on the second batch of 36 F-16 warplanes Iraq plans to acquire. “Eighteen planes have been bought, the contract has been signed, and the other 18 planes hopefully next year,” he said. Iraq made the first payment in the deal to buy the first set of warplanes worth a total of about $3 billion in September. Amin said the Iraqi air force already runs an advanced fleet of reconnaissance planes that very few countries in the region have. “These are planes that we are proud of using over the past few years to detect terrorist activities,” he said. AFP http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/middle-east/172391-iraq-eyes-f-16-to-expand-fleet.html

Exxon deal good for all Iraq: Kurdish minister afp A worker at an oil refinery near the village of Taq Taq in the autonomous Iraqi region of Kurdistan, 2009. An Iraqi Kurdish minister sought to allay the Baghdad government's concerns about an oil exploration deal his region signed with ExxonMobil, saying it benefits the whole country. On Sunday 13 November 2011, 12:32 EST An Iraqi Kurdish minister on Sunday sought to allay the Baghdad government's concerns about an oil exploration deal his region signed with ExxonMobil, saying it benefits the whole country. Iraq's central government regards any oil contracts not signed with it as invalid, and officials have said the deal the US energy giant agreed with Kurdistan last month jeopardises its contract for a massive southern oil field. "I think that ExxonMobil's entry to Kurdistan is not just good news for the Kurdistan region, it's good news for all of Iraq, because they bring in more investment into Iraq, into this part of Iraq," Ashti Hawrami, Kurdistan's minister of natural resources, said at a conference in Arbil. The contract "was signed, completed on the 18th of October 2011, after the oil and gas council of the region, headed by the prime minister, met and approved a package for ExxonMobil," said Hawrami. "It is a binding contract; it involves six exploration areas," he said, adding it is up to Exxon whether it runs all its operations from Baghdad, or sets up another office in Kurdistan. "We don't mind where they run their operations from -- they (can) run Kurdistan from Baghdad, or set up a separate office here," he said. The central government has strongly condemned the Exxon deal. "The Iraqi government will deal with any company that breaks the laws in the same way that it has in (the) past and ExxonMobil has been notified of this," the office of Hussein al-Shahristani, Iraq's deputy prime minister for energy, said Saturday. In the past, Iraq has banned all oil companies that have signed contracts in Kurdistan from taking part in tenders or contracts for fields elsewhere in the country. In January 2010, Iraq's oil ministry completed the deal with ExxonMobil and Anglo-Dutch giant Shell to develop production at West Qurna-1, which with reserves of about 8.5 billion barrels is the country's second-biggest field. http://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/Exxon-deal-good-Iraq-Kurdish-afp-3297820362.html?x=0

IMF mulls expanding its SDR currency basket One-hundred Yuan notes are seen in this picture illustration in Beijing March 22, 2011. REUTERS/Jason Lee By Lesley Wroughton WASHINGTON | Fri Nov 11, 2011 3:38pm EST (Reuters) - The IMF is considering dropping a requirement that currencies be "freely usable" to be part of its internal currency basket, a step that could open the door to inclusion of China's yuan. The International Monetary Fund said on Friday that its board met on October 28 to discuss options for broadening the basket that makes up its Special Drawing Rights unit of account, part of broader efforts to modernize the global monetary system. No decisions were taken. One option discussed, the IMF said, was replacing the "freely usable" criteria, although some board members argued that the bar for newcomers should not be lowered and said it was important to safeguard the SDR as a reserve currency. Because the yuan is not considered freely traded and China's capital markets are largely closed, it does not qualify under current IMF criteria as "freely usable." The changes under debate would reflect the growing role emerging economies such as China, India and Brazil are playing in the world economy. The SDR is currently composed of the U.S. dollar, British sterling, the euro and the Japanese yen. The IMF board said the size of the SDR basket should remain "relatively small to avoid adding undue costs and complexity for SDR users". The SDR is itself not a currency and is only used as a reserve asset by central banks. It is not available to the private sector. Also discussed was whether a new currency would replace an existing one or simply be added to the SDR basket; directors agreed that could be assessed on a case-by-case basis. There is an ongoing debate among global policymakers over the U.S. dollar's status as the main world reserve currency, with some emerging economies arguing that the SDR should play a greater role. In 2009, the Group of 20 emerging and developed nations authorized $250 billion worth of SDRs to be issued among the IMF's member countries to boost global liquidity, ensuring countries have easier access to foreign exchange funding. Currently, the euro zone is talking about pooling its SDRs to help fight the region's sovereign debt crisis. European officials have also approached China for financial support. Two independent sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters that one of the concessions Beijing had looked for in return for support was more influence at the IMF, including a more rapid path to include the yuan in the SDR basket. (Reporting by Lesley Wroughton; Editing by Andrea Ricci, Andrew Hay, Leslie Adler) http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/11/uk-imf-sdr-idUSTRE7AA4S520111111

Major Iraq conference to be held in Cyprus Published on November 3, 2011 IRAQI Defence Minister, Saadun Al-Dulaimi will lead a delegation of up to five other ministers and 35 senior officials to participate in the inaugural Iraq Defence & Security Summit 2011 in Cyprus on December 7-8, it emerged yesterday. The officials will also include the Chief of Staff, General Babakir Zebari and the heads of the navy and air force. Accompanying the Minister will also be the Ministers of Interior, National Security, Communications, Science & Technology and Transport as well as their counterpart ministries from the Kurdistan Regional Government, reports from Iraq said. In preparation for the US troop draw down the Iraqi government is working to prepare its options for best in class technologies and solutions to strengthen the country’s defence and security infrastructure. The summit, which will be held at the Intercontinental Aphrodite Hills Resort, will be centred around pre-scheduled one-to-one meetings and is a unique opportunity to engage with Iraqi ministers, senior officials, US government agencies and oil infrastructure operators, to assist in their multi-billion dollar defence and security procurement programmes. Iraq has made international headlines recently with its procurement of F-16 fighter jets and that just marks the beginning of a major programme to act on wide ranging requirements from critical infrastructure protection to military supply chain to border control and policing of Iraq. Many parts of the country are looking to develop comprehensive CCTV coverage with national databases and secure communications systems. The summit is being organised by the Iraq Program for Peace & Stability made up of Iraqi and British executives committed to securing business relationships based on transparency, accountability, good ethics and political primacy within the rule of law. For further details visit: www.iraqstability.org http://www.cyprus-mail.com/cyprus/major-iraq-conference-be-held-cyprus/20111103?

US to boost military in Gulf following Iraq withdrawal The US plans to bolster military presence in the Arabian Gulf after it withdraws its remaining troops from Iraq this year, US officials speaking to the New York Times said Gulf News Report Published: 13:55 October 30, 2011 Dubai: The US plans to bolster military presence in the Arabian Gulf after it withdraws its remaining troops from Iraq this year, US officials speaking to the New York Times said. That repositioning could include new combat forces in Kuwait able to respond to a collapse of security in Iraq or a military confrontation with Iran. The size of the standby US combat force to be based in Kuwait remains the subject of negotiations, with an answer expected in coming days. Officers at the Central Command headquarters here declined to discuss specifics of the proposals, but it was clear that successful deployment plans from past decades could be incorporated into plans for a post-Iraq footprint in the region. With an eye on the threat of a belligerent Iran, the administration is also seeking to expand military ties with the six nations in the Gulf Cooperation Council - Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman. While the United States has close bilateral military relationships with each, the administration and the military are trying to foster a new "security architecture" for the Arabian Gulf that would integrate air and naval patrols and missile defence. http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/kuwait/us-to-boost-military-in-gulf-following-iraq-withdrawal-1.920741?

Saudi woman sentenced to 15 years for Qaeda links 30/10/2011 RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Saudi Arabia says that a special tribunal has sentenced a Saudi women to 15 years in prison on terrorism-linked charges including aiding al-Qaeda cells and insurgents seeking to enter Iraq. The official Saudi Press Agency says the woman sought to "commit terrorist attacks" in the kingdom, financed anti-state groups with more than 1 million riyals ($266,000) and provided communications equipment. The woman also was convicted of helping issue forged IDs to people seeking to join the insurgency in Iraq. The report did not identify the women sentenced Saturday or give other details. She also is banned from traveling for 15 years after completing her sentence. Saudi authorities have cracked down periodically in recent years on groups inspired by al-Qaeda. http://www.asharq-e.com/news.asp?section=1&id=27134

Muqtada Al Sadr calls on Maliki not to meet Obama's call to visit Washington Iraqi Cleric Muqtada Al Sadr, called on Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki's not to meet the invitation of US President Barack Obama to visit Washington, taking into account what he called "the general religious and ideological interest,” and to increase his position opposing to the stay of the trainers. (Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Iraqi Cleric Muqtada Al Sadr, called on Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki's not to meet the invitation of US President Barack Obama to visit Washington, taking into account what he called "the general religious and ideological interest,” and to increase his position opposing to the stay of the trainers. In response to a question by one of his followers about his advice to Maliki about the invitation extended to him by US President to visit Washington, Muqtada said "America is now in control and domination over the Iraqi territories and people, both politically and ideologically and so on, outside the military aspects." He continued "this requires avoinding to walk behind anything that is a clear evidence of the dominance, including the Prime Minister’s visit to the US upon the invitation of the US President." Maliki and Obama agreed on the need to initiate a new phase of relations within the strategic framework agreement after the US withdrawal from Iraq, during a teleconference that was held between them on the 21st of October evening. A statement issued by Maliki's office said the US president invited the Prime Minister to visit the US, and that Maliki promised to meet the invitation as soon as possible. http://www.abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&id=275317

Iraq General says ‘forces not ready until 2020’ Sunday, 30 October 2011 Iraqi forces will not be ready to protect its borders without assistance from international partners until at least 2020, a military official says. (AFP) By AFP BAGDHAD Iraq will not be fully able to defend its borders and airspace until at least 2020, a watchdog quoted Iraq’s top general as saying in a report on Sunday, months before U.S. troops are to leave. The Iraqi military’s chief of staff, Lieutenant General Babaker Zebari, “estimated that it will take several more years before Iraq can provide for its external defense without assistance from international partners,” said the report from the U.S. Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR). “General Zebari suggested that the (Ministry of Defense) will be unable to execute the full spectrum of external-defense missions until sometime between 2020 and 2024, citing (Iraqi government) funding shortfalls as the main reason for the delay,” the report said. “Iraq will not be able to defend its own airspace until 2020, at the earliest,” Zebari told SIGIR, adding that “an army without an air force is exposed.” Iraq has ordered 18 F-16 warplanes from the United States, but it will be years before that force is fully operational. Zebari has stated before that his forces will require training for another decade before they are fully capable of securing the country. Iraq’s military has been tied down by years of bloody internal conflict here, with U.S. officers saying it needs to transition to a more traditional role of external defense. U.S. President Barack Obama announced on October 21 that all U.S. soldiers will depart the country by the end of 2011, after protracted and ultimately failed negotiations with Iraq about a post-2011 U.S. military training mission here. The roughly 39,000 U.S. soldiers still in Iraq are now in the process of drawing down, after a nearly nine-year campaign that has left thousands of American soldiers and tens of thousands of Iraqi dead, with costs running into billions of dollars. http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/10/30/174456.html?

Preparations in full swing for U.S. withdrawal from Iraq Sunday, 30 October 2011 Around 39,000 American soldiers remain in Iraq, stationed on 15 bases, as their withdrawal has been set for the end of the year. (AFP) By AFP COS KALSU IRAQ At a U.S. base south of Baghdad, trucks plod in either direction amid a hive of activity: with the clock ticking on a year-end withdrawal from Iraq, preparations are in full swing. Located in the centre of Iraq, just 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of the capital near the town of Iskandiriyah, Contingency Operating Site Kalsu forms a crucial transit hub for the tons of materiel and thousands of soldiers moving out of the country, mostly towards Kuwait, in the coming two months. The massive logistical operation has to be finished by December 31, in line with a security pact between Baghdad and Washington that U.S. President Barack Obama said was on track this month. “It’s pretty big,” said Captain Mark Alfers, the commander of the 606th Movement Control Team, a logistics unit on COS Kalsu. “We’ve been here for eight-plus years, so there’s just eight-plus years worth of equipment trying to get out of a single point.” Thanks to its strategic location, along the main thoroughfare heading south through Iraq, COS Kalsu will likely be one of the final five American bases left in the country, said Lieutenant Colonel Jason Hayes, commander of the 2nd Battalion of the 5th Cavalry Regiment. It will be handed over to the Iraqi army along with a portion of materiel, but the exact date of its handover remains a secret for security reasons. COS Kalsu serves as a “go-between for the smaller bases and the bigger hubs such as Kuwait or (Joint Base) Balad,” a sprawling U.S. base north of Baghdad, Alfers said. As a result, between two and 20 convoys of up to 50 trucks apiece stop in Kalsu on their way south to refuel, and for passengers and drivers to get some rest. Major General Jeffrey Buchanan, spokesman for U.S. forces in Iraq, said that in the early part of October, 399 convoys with 13,909 trucks were used for the pullout in a single week. At COS Kalsu, along with the countless flat-bed trucks and other vehicles, dozens of MRAPs -- “Mine Resistant Ambush Protected” troop carriers – sit between rows of concrete blast walls that line the base’s outer perimeter and parts of its interior. Nearby, containers are piled up on top of each other, waiting to be carried out of the country, lugged out by contractor-driven trucks that regularly come and go. Much of the military equipment remains hidden for security reasons. “The biggest challenge is that this drawdown only happens once a war, once a conflict, so you can plan and plan for it but the plans keep changing,” said Alfers. “You have to keep the enemy on their toes, so you can’t really publish a plan.” These operations have been ongoing for several months, but Obama’s October 21 announcement that all U.S. troops would leave Iraq by year-end quashed any remaining speculation over potential for an American military training mission beyond 2011. “The withdrawal operation really started to become big about a month ago,” said Major Frank Cruz, a logistics officer on COS Kalsu. “Now, it’s only getting busier.” Like his soldiers, Hayes does not yet know when he will finally leave Iraq. As to where they will go, some are hoping for a country less austere, like Germany, while others are looking to spend Christmas with their families. Around 39,000 American soldiers remain in Iraq, stationed on 15 bases, including approximately 3,000 on COS Kalsu. That compares to peak figures of nearly 170,000 soldiers and 505 bases in 2007 and 2008. Many of those still here have sent most of their belongings home and are living on the bare minimum. And they are not the only ones who do not know when they will be leaving. “The Iraqis would like to know as well – it’s frustrating,” said Captain Ryan Edwards, commander of Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment. Edwards added that he was confident his domestic counterparts, whom he had been training for much of his deployment, were “ready”. Hayes painted a more nuanced picture of the forces Iraq would be left with. “There’s some security concerns,” he noted. “I think the Iraqi army and police are capable of handling the current threat situation.” “I think if we saw a serious increase in violence, especially if that increase was caused by external influences, I think it could possibly exceed their capacity.” He added: “If it exceeds their capacity then my hope is that they’ll be able to raise their hand and ask the world community for help. ... Whether they will or not that’s the big question.” http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/10/30/174471.html?

Iraq’s Barzani, Iran state border rebel issue ‘over’ (AFP) 29 October 2011 TEHRAN - Iran’s foreign minister and head of the autonomous Kurdish region in Iraq declared on Saturday the issue of a Kurdish rebel group which has been launching attacks against the Islamic republic from its rear bases in Iraq was “over.” In July, Tehran launched a string of operations against the rebel Party of Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK) and began shelling districts near the border with Iraq, killing dozens including the rebels’ deputy commander. PJAK rebels, designated as terrorists by Tehran, have often clashed with Iranian forces, sparking retaliatory bombing of their rear bases in the mountainous border districts of Iraqi Kurdistan. “With the good management of Mr Barzani, we were able to handle the issue of the PJAK terrorist group and currently our borders with the Kurdistan region of Iraq is secure,” Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi was quoted as saying by Iran’s state-run television website. “Mr Barzani vowed to have the best borders from now on so people can travel easily and not be subject to any insecurity.... We consider this issue to be over,” Salehi added. The state broadcaster’s website also quoted Barzani as saying: “The issue of PJAK terrorist group is over and we hope to witness complete security in our borders.” Iran has in the past accused Barzani’s autonomous Kurdistan region of providing the PJAK with a safe haven along the border. In September, the Islamic republic’s elite Revolutionary Guards said they had forced the armed rebels out of northwestern Iran and killed more than 180 Kurdish rebels in a summer offensive. A week ago, Salehi said after talks with his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu that the Kurdish rebel group PKK active in Turkey and the PJAK “are the common problem of our countries.” Speaking at a televised joint press conference with Davutoglu, he urged “more serious cooperation” against the rebels. Davutoglu said: “Our joint determination to fight against PKK and PJAK will go on in its strongest terms. From now on we will work together with a joint action plan until this threat of terror is eliminated totally.” My link

Karbala warns private banks of money laundering operations 29/10/2011 Karbala - Al-Sabah warned that the province of Karbala private banks and banking offices from carrying out money laundering and the lack of transparency in its dealings, saying that there are intelligence reports by some of these banks and offices of unlawful acts harm the national economy. The head of the Economic Committee in the Provincial Council Tariq Kikhany told "morning", the private banks put clear instructions to the citizen found a formula to sign him, as is often surprised by the citizen to pay the loans is what was agreed upon with the bank, because of the transactions which he described as "opaque" operations to repay the loans. He added that some of these banks have many problems, contributing to rampant corruption and fraud, noting that in Karbala, a good number of private banks, and dozens of offices, banking and remittances, all working without supervision from the local government, warning banks and offices of money laundering by some parties that may be involved issues of terrorist or criminal in order to influence the national economy. The Kikhany that there are intelligence reports that some of the banking offices are acts harmful to the local economy and smuggled hard currency abroad, as well as being involved laundering money through the purchase of real estate and others. and asked the executive to take legal action against banks and offices, contrary to instructions, stressing the importance of that subject to the control of local authorities and obtaining licenses to practice for the banking offices by the committees in local government, pointing out that everyone is subject to the laws and procedures, regulatory and accounting. More news My link

Iraq possesses huge cash reserve is the largest in its history 27/10/2011 Central Bank Governor for (morning): Baghdad's thghb Al-Tamimi Cannot initiate economic reform away from a monetary policy to maintain the exchange rate, which is an important aspect in the economic world, as well as in venture business Finder a secure environment for the presence in the field of employment, as well as monetary stability is very important for making concrete balanced productive sectors that create an environment friendly to aspiring global investments, to be stationed in Iraq. overall stability This is what the Iraqi Central Bank Governor Sinan Al-Shabibi told he (morning): indicating that the Central Bank adopted monetary policy that contributed to achieving economic development, which provides overall stability, pointing out that economic stability when accompanied by political stability will create the perfect investment environment, and the Central Bank in cooperation with the Government succeeded in maintaining a stable exchange rate for the currency, and are keen to continue this stability and maintain daily, referring to the US Central Bank Governor Confirmed that the most important achievement in the field of non-cash exchange rate thinking of relation at all prices, especially in a country depends on import. The largest cash reserves Shabibi was: that the Central Bank owns large defensive force to maintain the exchange rate of the currency, the size of the huge cash reserve and the largest in the history of Iraq, stating that in the cash economy there is no such thing as a currency, and the Central Bank to this reserve can address any step trying to confuse the real currency, assuring investors firmly and currency stability. He said that the Central Bank supervises the work of banks and private banks, and organize their work and mechanisms contain problems that appear in some banks, because failure to regulate banks is an obstacle to development, the Bank also oversees all government payments under its plan, because the Government and Central Bank Bank Bank Bank. Tracking inflation Either the subject of inflation Shabibi said follow-up to reduce inflation by knowing the consumer index ' of the CSO and its developments are monitored, and if high inflation is dealt with by the Central Bank, because it has the cash and can be lifted and lowered the level of liquidity due to the reality of inflation. Cooperation with banks And private banks to essentially develop stressed Shabibi capital and participation, as well as activating lending mechanisms adopted by, the study of the reality of projects funded, and the need to adopt international standards and expertise in banking, however Central Bank capable of providing greater cooperation with the banks, enough to meet the challenges. Bank report He noted that the Central Bank of Iraq in the International Monetary Fund, and that its assessment of the financial and other aspects of the first cash, paid tribute to maintain payments, prices and inflation issues, but the fundamental issue is that the World Bank emphasized that there is considerable budget outlays and offers reviews, because the spending of this magnitude leads to borrow and enter into debt problems, and there is continuing with the World Bank to make an appropriate economic climate of transition experienced by the country in the meantime. He stressed the need for further reviews the latest World Bank report on development of the financial sector in the three wards of the banking sector and the insurance sector and the Bourse, also stressed the importance of taking into account the report advised when thinking about the reform yalakatsadi because delay in dealing with these observations may be detrimental to the Iraqi economy, pointing out that the Central Bank study carefully all the observations made in the report of the Bank. My link

Iraqi security companies sent for training in Israel!? Palm - A member of the Commission on Security and Defence parliamentary Abdul Sattar al-Bayati said that there are some security companies send some Iraqis for training in Israel, demanding legislation law prohibiting entry to Israel after the announced Iraqi Council of Representatives on the ninth of August, his intention to legislation law to regulate private security companies during the period coming. The Al-Bayati: We in the Commission on Security and Defence categorically reject any Iraqi to go for training to Israel, at the time the Commission itself acknowledged that the initiative for the time being, however, terrorist groups and is not, however, the security forces. A member of the Chuan Mohammed Taha: the presence of lead, however, terrorist groups is very serious, he said, adding there is a lot of evidence on the existence of this initiative, including the frequency of escape of prisoners and the storming of Alanah institutions and the seizure of the headquarters of the provincial councils as well as police stations .. Taha expressed regret: the statements of some officers from time to time by asserting that they have taken precautions to deal with the operations and terrorist groups, we find that after a serious security breach and there is no one of them bears the responsibility for it. The Interior Ministry denied Iraqi reports that talked about the use of security companies after the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country, noting that those companies and $ 28 company is not interested in the security agreement signed between Baghdad and Washington, while confirming that these companies are registered in the Ministry of Commerce and all subject to the laws and regulations Iraqi the window. The Interior Ministry said in a statement that some media outlets published news fabricated on private security companies report that they will replace the security forces after their withdrawal, stressing that such reports are baseless as the ministry called on journalists not to be drawn behind the rumors and fabricated news and to check out the sources of information for the selection of real news noting that "these companies do not have a relationship with the withdrawal of U.S. troops being separate and not included in the security agreement signed between Iraq and the United States. The ministry said that workers in these companies, Iraqi officials and foreign nationals, pointing out that those companies have been registered with the Registrar of Companies at the Ministry of Commerce according to the law 21 of 2007, Law 22 of 2007 as amended. The ministry said that security companies in the country $ 28 all subject to the laws and regulations in the Iraqi force, has been the registration of all vehicles used by them to the General Directorate of Traffic in and picked up a number of media press reports that the foreign security companies stationed in Iraq to replace U.S. troops after withdrawal scheduled end of the year 2011. The Iraqi Council of Representatives announced, on the ninth of August, his intention to legislation law to regulate private security companies during the period coming, noting that its provisions will apply to local private companies and branches of foreign companies and workers. The performance of private security companies' activities in Iraq after the fall of the former regime in April 2003, by the state of insecurity experienced by the country, and the occupation authority to dissolve the Iraqi security forces. The Ministry of Interior several controls for security companies the end of 2009, ensured the arms used by these companies, and to prevent possession of explosives, as well as determine the scope of work within the territory of Iraq, also confirmed the instructions to withdraw the license of the company and its demand to leave Iraq within a week if not adhered to these controls, and was the issuance of such controls after accusing five members of Blackwater that were operating in the protection of the U.S. Embassy and its characters since April 2003, and until the end of 2008, killing 14 Iraqis and wounded 18 others on 16 September 2007, following a shoot randomly on the civilians in the Eagles Square west of the capital Baghdad. Washington announced its intention to bring in about 7000, a contractor special security to protect its citizens diplomats in Iraq raised the responses varied, despite the assurances of the security authorities, a number of politicians and analysts fear the possibility that these elements dual action from which you can breach the security of Iraq, for the benefit of devices foreign intelligence, or that work to undermine security in the country. The number of security companies operating in Iraq has fallen from 172 to 78, including 24 foreign companies only, and started these companies work on the ninth of April 2003 until early 2009, which saw the implementation of the security agreement between Iraq and the United States, under which immunity from foreign security companies in Iraq. And issued CPA dissolved Resolution No. 17 in the 24 June 2004, gave the immunity of the work of foreign security companies operating in Iraq and its members, began its presence on Iraqi territory as providing protection services in the country, and gave the decision right for the U.S. Army's only the arrest of the elements of these companies if they commit any violation of Iraqi law. Under the security pact signed between Baghdad and Washington at the end of November 2008 that it should withdraw all U.S. forces from all territories and waters and airspace of Iraq not later than 31 December of 2011 the current, having withdrawn U.S. combat forces under the Convention, of the cities and villages and towns in Iraq June 30, 2009. Iraq has signed and the United States, too, in 2008, the Framework Agreement strategy to support the ministries and agencies of the Iraqi transition from the strategic partnership with the Republic of Iraq to the areas of economic, diplomatic, cultural and security, based on reducing the number of reconstruction teams in the provinces, as well as providing important sustainable for the rule of law, including development program in which the police and the completion of the coordination, supervision and report to the Fund for Iraq relief and reconstruction. http://www.nakhelnews.com/pages/news.php?nid=11246

This guy Burbank was and probably still is associated with US Dinar ...discussed on the thread below ... http://dinarvets.com/forums/index.php?/topic/67716-usdinarex/page__st__20__p__495411__hl__pratt__fromsearch__1entry495411 Burbanks name is mentioned in this cease and desist from California...along with them My link

Expert: Delete the zeros must be accompanied by technical support does the economy Thread has been read 64 times 06/10/2011 Baghdad, Hussein al-Tamimi Tgb Collect a number of economic experts, the importance of the trend towards reduction of the currency by removing three zeros of them, but they asked not to adopt this step at this time, because the reality of the situation the country's economic walking directions do not agree with it, despite the achievements relative in the investment arena, but it may disrupt the local economy. Economic expert sword Hilfi said that the process of deletion of zeros include elements of success in more than one side, but the elements of failure are many, pointing out that the central bank today is required to determine the odds of success and failure in this process, indicating that Once we are able to change the process must begin the Central Bank to determine the rate of the dinar against the dollar, after a reduction of the currency and the deletion of zeros it becomes a dollar dinars? Is that the central bank supports it first. Technical specifications developed He said in an interview (morning) that the process of deletion of zeros must be accompanied by a supporting stability of the security for the new currency that will be printed within the specifications of advanced technology. Here is a must have the security capabilities that can prevent the forgery of this process, which forces the relevant authorities to study this subject with extreme precision, as we need technical support in the subject of switching the currency equivalent of a major operation in this size. Processors He pointed to the existence of a large mass of cash in the country identified by the Central Bank, but the reduction is not a final solution to address this cluster and the resulting negative on the economy. Indicating that countries that adopt this approach to not be in front of solutions, other secondary, and that this process should be preceded by a processor number and after the complete phase processors States enter the stage of the deletion of zeros, saying we did not enter the stage of processors, including the system of electronic payment and clearing system. These systems are done recently in Iraq, which help to contain inflation, mass cash surplus in the markets and towed to the banks, which in turn drive permits or cards used by citizens of shopping anywhere, and it is these regimes to withdraw liquidity from the domestic market and the citizen and restored to incubators banking, and that these banks are pumping liquidity by the major economic projects, explaining that the application of these systems, we see the results after two or three years, and that this stage must be accompanied by an educational program directed to segments of the society shows the importance of advanced banking technology in the local economy. Hilfi saying goes: that means the withdrawal of liquidity, which also said electronic clearing system, which managed the private banking sector Ptivh threatened failure of the insistence of the banking sector on the government not to use it and do not know what reason, and this confirms that the challenges are great in front of the application of this process. The expert pointed out the need to provide supplies necessary for the withdrawal of liquidity in order to achieve the desired success in changing the currency and the deletion of zeros. Impact on investment He Hilfi saying: that the country began receiving foreign investments directly benefiting from the security and stability of relative, as well as Machdth area of events, led the investment process to go to Iraq, and that changing the process will carry a significant impact in the form of the local economy, which confuses the reality of investment business because it knows the economy in the coming period, and that too much talk on this side Born imbalance in the investor went to Iraq. He called for the need to review before adopting this approach the process of removing the zeros that relate to the rights of citizens and the economy in general. Five years Increased Hilfi saying that the reality of the Iraqi economy needs to five years to build this step, where the time will be more stable in all fields of productivity. But today it can not be reduced to the process without examining the economic reality and political security. He said, for example, that one has a (100) million dinars, was to adopt a resolution to delete the zeros will have two options either going to turn it into another constant, a dollar will be equal to (300.38) thousand dollars, or will be reduced to the process and becomes the amount (100) thousand dinars, but How much is equal to the dinar against the dollar, and returned to confirm that the operation is correct and successful, but not at this time. My link

Delete the zeros of the draft is coming! 06/10/2011 Yasser Mutawalli Raging debate on a draft resolution to delete the zeros from the currency and change with the consensus of economists on the importance and timing is the cause of controversy. While heading the Iraqi Central Bank to prepare for the promotion of this resolution in accordance with the requirements of persuading citizens and make them understand Bamadaminh face at the same time a number of criticisms launched from the challenges he sees the owners of the objection as essential and must be taking into account the rationales Point of the objection see in the circumstances it is not conducive to such a measure at this time in particular of non-political and economic stability, which justify the mob's currency from the investment of these circumstances, including voiding the decision of the substance and goals and what makes matters worse, referring to cases of fraud expected it are not given way to achieve the goals of change in the treatment of inflation and other, not to mention the great social problems that may result in the lack of awareness of large segments of the community content of the resolution and the real value of cash and not affected by the change. In the eyes of the central need to move a campaign of awareness and guidance on the mitigation of the problems expected as a result of lack of understanding, and wonder to what extent the wait and we believe that three years may be sufficient for the legislation and proceed with its implementation, stressing the inevitability of change. Agreed on its importance and about the perceptions and the center of the objections you find Central past in the implementation of plan expected to last for three years at least. One of the proceeds of the objections brought to my attention when noted economist said there are flaws in some of the requirements of the requirements to be met by referring to the positive results of the process of removing the zeros and change the currency in order to pull the cluster large cash from circulation, but in contrast raised the subject of great importance when he referred to non-completion of procedures mechanization banking (electronic clearing) that contribute a lot in the process of withdrawing cash from circulation without significant damage. This mechanism universally agreed and imposed by the central banking sector carried out by private banks, and lagged by government banks, which pay Executive Director of the Association of private banks to warn that e-clearing project is threatened with failure because of the insistence of the government banks are not implemented, the largest depositor of the instruments. This challenge reflects the intersection large in the proceedings of the relevant departments that are supposed to be the main factor in resolving the challenges and facilitate the implementation of the draft resolution aimed at withdrawing the monetary bloc, seen above that this controversy by means of the press and media economists is very useful in the detection and diagnosis of the strengths and weaknesses of any economic decision with full transparency and disclosure and that is what drives us to repeat the call for the need to satisfy any bill that economic discussion before it is approved to overcome the mistakes and challenges, This confirms the importance of prayers are continuing to establish the economic council of experts economy the task of the study and analysis and evaluation of projects of economic decisions. And thus dissociate the partial solutions through press releases and media that Atkhalo of errors, especially in the handling and dealing with the assessment decisions vocabulary devoid sometimes fitness of words to criticize the decisions, because the solution to the Ekman shortening others, but lies in the discussions quiet leading up to the mature economic decisions sound and successful and meaningful, and the bottom line, the project is coming to the deletion of zeros Amehal ripening and we have less losses. My link