WISKY291

Zubai accuses three presidencies of attempting not to settle disputes Monday, 11 February, 2013 0 Comments and 1 Reaction -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Baghdad (AIN) –MP, Talal al-Zubai, of the Iraqiya Slate accused the three presidencies of attempting not to settle the disputes and to increase them in a sectarian way. Speaking to All Iraq News Agency (AIN), he said ” The three presidencies must work together to respond to the demonstrators’ demands.” “The three presidencies are attempting at not settling the crisis in Iraq and represent a tool to increase them in a sectarian way where they are either belong to political sides or have psychological issues,” he added. “If these presidencies were adherent to settle the crisis, they will have to increase their efforts to do that,” he concluded. /End/ LINK

Are you sure it's a female. Ma ybe it's a male with long hair.

Iraqi Housing Initiative “Fails to Deliver” Sunday, 10 February, 2013 0 Comments and 0 Reactions -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Iraqi National Investment Commission (NIC) is facing major problems in marketing units in the largest residential project in the country, despite the growing housing crisis in the capital of Baghdad. This raises questions about the benefit of the government’s investment in such projects. Although the advertising campaign for the Besmaya [bismayah] residential project (pictured) southeast of Baghdad was launched a year and a half ago, thousands of residential units are still available at the complex. This project represents the first step in the Iraqi government’s plan to build one million residential units over the coming few years. The NIC, which is the official body concerned with the project, said, “The Besmaya project is spread over an area of 18 million square meters, and includes 100,000 residential units that can accommodate 600,000 people.” It explains that the contract for this project was awarded to Hanwha, one of the largest global construction companies of South Korea. At the end of September 2011, the NIC offered through its website the project’s residential units directly to Iraqi citizens, and announced that work on the residential units will begin in early 2013. This came after it had previously promised that the project’s infrastructure would be established in 2012. However, 2012 has passed and the project’s infrastructure and residential units have yet to be completed. It seems that the reason for this delay is that Iraqis are reluctant to join the project, which led to financing delays in the first installment, which participants were to provide, according to sources within the NIC. The sources said that the financing plan requires participants to pay a quarter of the project’s costs before starting construction. However, weak demand has driven the commission to look for other sources of financing, primarily by borrowing from the government. Controversy has surrounded the project site, particularly after Iraqi MPs said that it is radioactively contaminated and located close to an Iraqi army camp. However, the NIC said that it has thoroughly examined the site and confirmed that the project is habitable. The NIC said that the project’s infrastructure includes schools as well as commercial, health and entertainment centers. Moreover, a modern road network is being built specifically for the project, linking it to the highway and thus connecting it to the Iraqi capital. The project’s residential units consist of ten-floor apartment buildings and does not include homes or residential villas, which, according to real-estate experts, is sufficient reason for Iraqis to not join the project. Abdul Wahab al-Bayati, manager of MENA Real Estate, located in the university district in western Baghdad, said, “Iraqis prefer stand-alone homes over apartments.” He added, “The people here view apartments as inferior property,” and “they want to own the land on which a house is built, not an apartment hanging in the air.” Bayati added, “I asked several of my clients, those who do not have enough money to buy homes in Baghdad, why they wouldn’t consider Besmaya. The answer would be, ‘We want homes on the ground, not apartments in the sky.’” Bayati expressed doubt over the feasibility of building these residential complexes. He said, “The government must help the people build homes, not large, unwanted complexes.” However, the NIC asserts that this project may currently be the only means to ease the housing crisis in Baghdad, which has led to a significant rise in real-estate prices. The Besmaya project offers three types of apartments: ​​100 square meters for $60,000, ​​120 square meters for $72,000, and ​​140 square meters for $84,000. The commission proposed three payment options: payment of the full amount upon signing the contract, payment of half the amount upon signing with monthly installments over three years and payment through installments, whereby the buyer pays 25% of the apartment’s value upon signing the contract and the remaining amount through installments over 15 years. In a recent attempt by the NIC to convince Iraqis to invest in this project, the value of the first installment in the third payment method was reduced to 10% instead of 25%. Still, the move was not sufficient, and the authority is still trying to attract buyers for thousands of vacant units in the project. It seems that the project will not succeed until the people here start accepting the idea of vertical housing. LINK

Iraq: “A Broken Justice System” Sunday, 10 February, 2013 0 Comments and 0 Reactions -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Iraq’s leadership used draconian measures against opposition politicians, detainees, demonstrators, and journalists, effectively squeezing the space for independent civil society and political freedoms in Iraq, Human Rights Watch said in its World Report 2013. The number of violent civilian deaths in Iraq increased in 2012, for the first time since 2009. Thousands of civilians and police were killed in spates of violence, including targeted assassinations, amid a political crisis that has dragged on since December 2011. Alongside the uptick in violence, Iraqi security forces arbitrarily conducted mass arrests and tortured detainees to extract confessions with little or no evidence of wrongdoing. “As insurgent groups targeted innocent Iraqis in a multitude of coordinated attacks throughout the year, Iraq’s security forces targeted innocent civilians in mass campaigns of arbitrary arrests and abusive interrogations,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “After decades of dictatorship, occupation, and terrorism, the Iraqi people today face a government that is slipping further into authoritarianism and doing little to make them safer.” In its 665-page report, Human Rights Watch assessed progress on human rights during the past year in more than 90 countries, including an analysis of the aftermath of the Arab Spring. The willingness of new governments to respect rights will determine whether the Arab Spring gives birth to genuine democracy or simply spawns authoritarianism in new clothes, Human Rights Watch said. The abuses in the criminal justice system are a major concern, Human Rights Watch said. Iraqi authorities should make reforming the system a top priority for 2013 to ensure that the requirements of Iraq’s Code of Criminal Procedure are carried out. The code requires police to obtain a warrant to arrest a suspect and to bring the suspect before a judicial investigator within 24 hours of arrest. The code also requires officials to ensure that defendants have access to a lawyer with adequate time to prepare an effective defenseand to challenge evidence against them, but security officials rarely comply with these requirements, Human Rights Watch said. The government should investigateallegations of abuse against detainees, especially women. The government should also investigate abusive security forces and detainees’ claims that officers and judges use the country’s anti-terrorism law to harass innocent civilians. The criminal justice system is plagued with arbitrariness and opacity, Human Rights Watch said. Security officers and judges alike use confessions as the cornerstone of criminal prosecutions, and frequently charge detainees with terrorism with no actual evidence. Human Rights Watch spoke to a number of lawyers and families of detainees who said that their clients or family members had been charged with terrorism under article 4 of the anti-terror law after the authorities obtained confessions through threats and physical abuse. In December, Human Rights Watch documented several instances of torture of female detainees. Their families reported that security officers and judges collaborated to keep women detained on specious “suspicion of terrorism” charges, then demanded bribes to secure their release. “A confession-based criminal justice system encourages the practice of torture as a legitimate method to extract confessions,” Whitson said. “The government needs to ensure that there will be genuine criminal investigations and prosecutions of anyone responsible for torture or other abuses.” Security officers carried out mass and arbitrary arrests with impunity during 2012. Human Rights Watch spoke with several witnesses who reported that security officers conducted warrantless raids in their neighborhoods, apparently at random, detaining occupants for several days, and arresting entire families for terrorism without evidence. Most recently, in November, federal police invaded 11 homes in the town of al-Tajji, north of Baghdad, and detained 41 people, including 29 children, overnight in their homes. Sources close to the detainees, who requested anonymity, said police took 12 women and girls ages 11 to 60 to 6th Brigade headquarters and held them there for four days without charge. The sources said the police beat the women and tortured them with electric shocks and plastic bags placed over their heads until they began to suffocate. Despite widespread outcry over abuse and rape of women in pre-trial detention, the government has not investigated or held the abusers accountable. In response to mass protests over the treatment of female detainees, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki issued a pardon for 11 detainees. However, hundreds more women remain in detention, many of whom allege they have been tortured and have not had access to a proper defense. In addition to making sure that arrests comply with international due process standards and with Iraqi laws, the government should publicly condemn any use of torture or other mistreatment in pretrial detention, including during interrogation with the aim of eliciting confessions, Human Rights Watch said. The authorities should promptly investigate all allegations of torture and mistreatment, and criminally prosecute guards and interrogators responsible for abusing prisoners. They should disallow confessions obtained through torture or other unlawful methods and allow detainees sufficient opportunity to contest evidence against them. While demonstrations for reform in the Arab world swept the region, the Iraqi government focused on curtailing the right of Iraqis to assemble freely. Human Rights Watch observed how Iraqi authorities successfully interfered with Tahrir Square demonstrations in Iraq during 2012, by flooding the weekly protests with al-Maliki supporters and undercover security agents. Baghdad security forces blocked access to protests sites, beat unarmed journalists and protesters, smashed cameras, and confiscated computer memory cards. Several dissenting activists and independent journalists told Human Rights Watch that they no longer felt safe to attend the demonstrations protesting widespread corruption and calling for greater civil and political rights. Meanwhile, the prime minister consolidated power in his office by appointing loyalists to key ministerial and security posts that, under the Iraqi constitution, require parliamentary approval. Al-Maliki responded to peaceful demonstrations in December with threats, saying he would “not tolerate protests.” The authorities should investigate attacks on demonstrators, and prosecute officers responsible for torturing detainees after mass arrest campaigns that arresting officers characterized as “precautionary” measures to prevent terrorist attacks. Six detainees released in April reported that interrogators told them that they were being held to curb criminal activity and any “embarrassing” public protests during a summit meeting in Baghdad for Arab leaders. Authorities executed a record number of detainees in 2012 – at least 129, up from 62 in 2011 – with the government releasing little or no information about many of those executed or the evidence supporting their convictions. Many were accused of terrorism. March 19 will be the 10-year anniversary of the US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein’s decades-long dictatorship. The US government has not sufficiently pressed the Maliki government to rein in corruption and serial human rights abuses, Human Rights Watch said. Justice for abuses committed by coalition forces in Iraq remains almost non-existent. “The failure of the US and UK to hold their troops accountable for abuses in detention and extra judicial killings during their presence in the country seems to have paved the way for the current government to make excuses for abuses, failure of law and order, and lack of accountability,” Whitson said. LINK

Thanks, sxsess

I hope she is wrong. It would be a nice start.

Economic Committee Member says PM’s Cabinet policy to raise IQD to 1,000 bad timing Sunday, 10 February, 2013 0 Comments and 0 Reactions -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13/02/10 Baghdad (newsletter): Excluded Member of the Committee on economy and investment Deputy of Iraqi/coalition/nahida Al-daini, the exchange rate of the US dollar per thousand Iraqi dinars during the same period coming in under the current economic policy. She said Al-daini (News Agency): the Cabinet Council expectations of US dollar equals 1,000 Iraqi dinar is not misplaced, given the absence of stable economic development, and financial and economic policies in the country. Followed: in addition to the adoption of the national economy on a single income and rentier oil productive economic sectors which in turn introduces to the market and keep hard currency at home and not cashed abroad, as well as the presence of overlapping powers, these are all factors that help to reduce the value of the US dollar. She added: we must develop a plan strategy for the promotion of various economic sectors and identify clear fiscal and monetary policy in the country in order to maintain the stability of the Iraqi dinar increase in value against hard currencies. He was the Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers Presidency announced the Government’s relationship to one US dollar equal to 1,000 Iraqi dinar. LINK

Iraqi Economy’s Huge PotentialPosted: February 10, 2013 in Iraqi Dinar/Politics Tags: Economy of Iraq, Iraq, Iraqi government, Japan International Cooperation Agency, Oil reserves in Iraq, OPEC, Politics of Iraq, World Bank 09/02/2013 By Takema Sakamoto Based on its rich natural resources and huge market potential, Iraq’s economic prospects seem promising. Its population, currently 32 million, is forecasted to increase by over 3 percent annually, which will create a larger number of future consumers. Its gross national income (GNI) per capita, currently $2,640, is estimated to grow by around 10 percent per year on average. Spending power is expected to grow rapidly. In order to service this large future market, foreign commercial activities have skyrocketed from around $3 billion in 2007 to nearly $60 billion in 2011. In other words, the amount is twenty times larger than four years ago. Although risks still remain, the security situation has been generally improving, compared with the most chaotic period from 2006 to 2007. The oil price, hovering at a relatively high level, is also contributing to the expansion of Iraq’s economy. The Iraqi government’s budget for 2012 assumed that oil would be sold for $85 per barrel, but the current market price is over $100. To date, Iraq is achieving a relatively strong performance of oil production and export. Recently, Iraqi oil production reached over 3 million barrels per day. That figure is higher than Iran’s production, and Iraq has now become the second biggest oil producer among the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), just behind Saudi Arabia. In addition, oil export facilities in Basra have been completed or are approaching completion. Recently, Iraqi oil exports amounted to approximately 2.6 million barrel per day. Thus, the Iraqi government is receiving oil revenues to fund its budget as expected. Taking into account all of the above, Iraq is deemed as one of the world’s economies with the highest growth potential today. The Fragility of the Iraqi Economy However, at the same time, it is critical to underscore that Iraq’s prosperity is not predetermined, and the country is now at a crossroads. Enormous budgets for investment, especially for infrastructure, are essential, but the Iraqi government in recent years has faced growing budget deficits. (For example, at the time of drafting each year’s budget, the deficit was envisaged at approximately $13 billion for 2011, $15 billion for 2012, and $19 billion or more for 2013.) According to Dr. Sami al-Araji, the chairman of the National Investment Commission (NIC), Iraq needs up to $1 trillion over the next 10 years to rebuild its crumbling infrastructure and battered economy. But the question looms: How can the government of Iraq mobilize such gigantic sums of money and build its capacity to execute such a large budget for infrastructure investments? The volatility of oil prices needs acute attention, too. As we have observed, Iraq has enjoyed the high price of oil recently, but the price fluctuates. In 2009, Iraq had a bitter experience due to the sudden and rapid depreciation of oil prices. The economy suffered severe damage, and the Iraqi government was forced to seek emergency financial support from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. In addition, oil dependent economies often face their own unique challenges, such as ‘Dutch disease’ (the decline in competitiveness of non-oil tradables following real exchange rate appreciation caused by the rapid infusion of new income into the country) and ‘the resource curse’ (poor economic governance and management because governments are heavily dependent on resource revenues rather than on taxes from citizens, resulting in a weak chain of accountability between citizens and governments). In short, Iraq’s reliance on oil revenues can be seen as both a blessing and a curse. A report compiled by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for the Iraq Prime Minister’s Advisory Commission (PMAC) in October 2012 clearly warned that over-dependence on oil revenues has the potential to create significant economic and market distortions. Oil wealth may hit non-oil exports as a result of exchange rate valuation. Furthermore oil wealth may mask costly economic inefficiencies, including an oversized public sector, and it can create distortions and perverse incentives. The report dared to state that Iraq’s growth path is on a dangerous trajectory that has significant political, economic and societal risks. Iraq’s Struggle for Private Sector Development and Economic Diversification Beyond the oil sector, the Iraqi government is struggling to attract private sector investment and to diversify its economy by promoting sectors such as agriculture. Currently, Iraq is ranked 165 among 185 countries and economies in the World Bank’s ‘Doing Business’ report, which assesses economies in 10 areas of business regulation. If one considers other factors not included in the report (such as service delivery on the ground, security constraints and corruption), Iraq’s ranking might be even lower. It is also worthwhile noting that Transparency International’s 2012 corruption perceptions index ranked Iraq at 169 among 174 countries, although the Iraqi government has complained about the ranking in the past. In order to promote sustainable development, the Iraqi government must take steps to improve its business environment in order to attract reputable foreign companies. Revitalizing the private sector and attracting foreign investment is also crucial from a job creation perspective. Iraq’s unemployment rate, which is calculated at 16 percent in total, is over 35 percent for youth. Employment opportunities are needed to avoid social disruption and to offer economic prospects. And the necessity of economic diversification is also apparent when one takes into account the risks of oil dependent economies mentioned above, such as ‘Dutch disease’ and ‘the resource curse.’ Job opportunities in the oil sector are limited. So what is the most promising sector other than oil? Many believe that the agricultural sector holds the greatest potential for broad-based growth. There are many reasons why agricultural sector shows promise, including its job absorption capacity, current GDP share, the importance of rural development to reduce economic inequality, and the significance of food security in the MENA region. Also, one must not forget Iraq’s shining history in agriculture, as part of the Fertile Crescent and mankind’s first bread basket. Hence, the agricultural sector is a good place to start to encourage economic diversification. International Partnership’s Role to Support a Brighter Future for Iraq In Iraq, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Japanese government’s agency in charge of supporting developing countries, has been acting as a close partner to the government. To stimulate foreign direct investment and support private sector development, JICA has been working to improve the business environment, through the provision of soft loans and various advisory services. The main business obstacles can be attributed to a shortage of infrastructure and institutional/ human capacity, as well as a lack of internationally standardized business procedures. Belated payments along with vague bidding and contracting operations are the biggest risks pointed out by many private companies. JICA has also been working jointly with the Iraqi government on economic diversification, especially in the field of agriculture. In dry parts of the country, effective water usage remains the most critical issue. To address this challenge, the establishment of water users associations, promotion of water-saving irrigation, and rehabilitation of devastated irrigation systems are required. In this context, JICA has provided advisory services, such as sharing know-how on both technical and management skills, and physical support for the procurement of goods and construction of irrigation systems to assist the Iraqi government. Iraq remains an important player in the global economy. Both in terms of its contribution to world energy markets and its role in the Middle East, the international community has a vested interest in seeing Iraq succeed. While the country faces significant challenges, these obstacles must be tackled collectively, with support from the international community, to build a brighter future for Iraq and the world. Takema Sakamoto Takema Sakamoto, Chief Representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Iraq Office. http://bit.ly/YP3Udk Sorry, already posted.

Oil Committee to discuss 2nd amendment on investment law of crude oil refining Sunday, 10 February, 2013 0 Comments and 0 Reactions -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Baghdad (AIN) -The parliamentary Oil & Energy Committee will hold a meeting on Sunday to discuss the second amendment for the investment law related to crude oil refining. Member of the Committee, MP Suzan al-Saad called all the political blocs to “vote on this amendment to upgrade the investment in the crude oil refining in the country.” “The ratification of this law will grant the investment companies the guarantees that enable them to achieve good rate of profits and meet the ambition of the investors especially since the benefits will be mutual,” she added. /End/ LINK

Allawi , Kosret Rasool discuss the political situation in Iraq. Sunday, 10 February, 2013 0 Comments and 0 Reactions -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arbil / NINA / Kosret Rasool, first deputy secretary of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan ( PUK) discussed with the Iraqiya head, Iyad Allawi in Arbil on Sunday 10, Feb the political situation in the country. A familiar source told the National Iraqi News Agency / NINA / that “The two men discussed, During the meeting, the developments of the political situation in Iraq in general and the relationship between the province and the federal government.” He explained that “Allawi praised the struggle of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan against injustice and tyranny during the former regime, and its commitment to the application of the foundations of democracy and federalism after the end of the dictatorship.” Allawi has arrived in Arbil earlier today. / End LINK

Wardi holds UN responsible for attacks targeting MKO elements in Baghdad Saturday, 09 February, 2013 0 Comments and 1 Reaction -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Baghdad (AIN) –MP, Liqa Wardi, of the Iraqiya Slate held the UN responsible for the attacks targeting the elements of Mujahedeen Khalq Organization in Baghdad on Saturday. In a statement by her received by AIN, she mentioned “As the IS expresses its concerns over the transferring the refugees of the MKO from Ashraf Camp that was protected to Liberty Camp in Baghdad that lacks the simple human rights, the attacks that killed and injured a number of MKO elements proved our objection and worries.” “The UN is responsible for these breaches because it did not protected the camp as a side responsible of coordinating with the Iraqi Government to transfer them to it,” she stressed. “The insistence of the Government on transferring the MKO to another place obliges it to protect them,” she concluded. /End/ LINK

The world’s most exciting emerging markets story Saturday, 09 February, 2013 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2-9-13 ReVbo: The world’s most exciting emerging markets story? FMG Special Opportunity Fund Iraq Page 9: -Debt levels close to zero. -Iraqi Dinar has appreciated since 2007 and is expected to continue to do so Page 7: -Iraqi listed securities are: Under valued vs. Iraqi history Under valued vs. neighboring countries Under valued vs. oil reserves & economy. Their stock market is valued about the same as Barbados and HALF of Zimbabwe, for goodness sake! LINK

Dhi Qar announces alert in anticipation of terrorist attack Saturday, 09 February, 2013 0 Comments and 1 Reaction -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dhi Qar (AIN) -Dhi Qar province mobilized the security forces in anticipation of armed attacks in the province. Security source at Dhi Qar Police told All Iraq News Agency (AIN) “Dhi Qar Police mobilized all its security forces through intensifying spread of stable and mobile checkpoints and deployment of military forces in the public areas and people markets in the province.” The alert state came after receiving intelligence information reporting that armed groups intend to wage attack by car bombs in the province. /End/ LINK

4 car bombs at outdoor markets in Iraq kill at least 36, wound 100 Published February 08, 2013 Associated Press Feb. 8, 2013 - An Iraqi boy stands near a destroyed car at the scene of a car bomb attack in Baghdad's northern Kazimyah neighborhood. (AP) BAGHDAD – Car bombs struck two outdoor markets and a group of taxi vans in Shiite areas across Iraq on Friday, killing at least 36 people and wounding nearly 100 in the bloodiest day in more than two months, as minority Sunnis staged large anti-government protests. Sunni protesters have rejected calls to violence by an Al Qaeda-linked group, but there is concern that Sunni insurgents could step up attacks ahead of the April 20 provincial elections -- the first country-wide vote since the U.S. troop withdrawal more than a year ago. On Friday, tens of thousands of Sunni protesters rallied in five major cities against Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, a Shiite accused of monopolizing power. Sunnis also complain of official discrimination. In the city of Samarra, rally speaker Sheik Mohammed Jumaa sent a warning to the prime minister. "Stop tyranny and oppression," he said. "We want our rights. You will witness what other tyrants have witnessed before you." In the cities of Fallujah and Ramadi in restive Anbar province, demonstrators blocked the main highway to Jordan and performed Friday noon prayers, the highlight of the religious week. Anbar is a former Al Qaeda stronghold that saw fierce fighting against U.S. forces. Other rallies were held in the cities of Mosul and Tikrit, as part of weekly Sunni demonstrations that were sparked by the December arrests of bodyguards of a senior Sunni politician. Earlier Friday, suspected Sunni insurgents detonated five car bombs, killing at least 36 people and wounding 97, health and police officials said. It was the bloodiest day of attacks since Nov. 29, when 43 people, many of them Shiite pilgrims, were killed in a wave of attacks. Friday's bombings targeted an outdoor pet market in Baghdad's northern Kazimyah neighborhood, a vegetable market in the town of Shomali in Hillah province, south of the Iraqi capital, and a stand for taxi vans on the edge of the southern city of Karbala. The assailants targeted particularly crowded areas. Iraqis converge on markets every Friday, the Muslim day of rest, to shop and spend family time. The vans on the outskirts of Karbala were waiting for passengers returning from noon prayers at the city's Shiite shrines. In Baghdad, the first car bomb exploded around mid-morning at the entrance to the Kazimyah market, two police officers said. When panicked shoppers tried to flee the area, a second parked car exploded a few yards away, according to the officers. The twin blasts turned several nearby cars into tangled piles of metal. At least 17 people were killed and 45 were wounded in the two blasts, police said. All the victims were civilians. About an hour later, two car bombs exploded simultaneously at the Shomali market, killing at least 14 people and wounding 36, two police officers said. The car bomb on the edge of Karbala killed five and wounded 16, police said. Health officials confirmed the casualty figures in each attack. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to release information. Violence has dropped in Iraq since the worst sectarian fighting in 2006-2007, but insurgents carry out near-daily attacks on security forces and civilians in an attempt to undermine the Shiite-led government. The current spike comes just over two months ahead of the provincial election. Hadi Jalo, an analyst at the Baghdad-based Political Decision Center for Strategic Studies, said he believes Al Qaeda-linked militants in Iraq are trying to exploit the growing Sunni discontent. "I believe that with this fertile atmosphere there will be more attacks ahead of the provincial elections," he said. Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/02/08/four-car-bombs-target-outdoor-markets-in-iraq-killing-20-people-and-wounding/#ixzz2KLjO4YuJ

You are like a poet. I couldn't have said it any better.

Done

SafeDinar.com just moved two pips. In a year I have never seen it move. This is a good sign.

I don't think so.

SGTFURY, I couldn't have said any better. You nailed it. The BEER is on me!!!!! Well put.

k98 I gave you a +1

sgtfury, I couldn't have said any better I agree with you 100%

Thanks, RSS.

bejamin nutn, When did you turn into the RV Police.

Goose, I gave you a +1. I agree with you.

That's funny