The Englishman

Maliki Should Be Sued Over Aircraft Purchase Corruption: MP Iraq is paying $1 million every month for the delays in the receipt of the aircraft Basnews English 15 February 2017 Iraq ERBIL — Kurdish factions in the Iraqi parliament are expected to sue the Iraqi former PM and current VP Nouri al-Malki over the corruption of the T-50IQ aircraft purchase which has wasted millions of dollars from the Iraqi federal budget. Iraqi Ministry of Defense announced on Tuesday that the T-50 aircraft which the Iraqi government has bought from South Korea would soon be delivered. However, the government should have received the aircraft a year ago according to the contract. The Iraqi government has been paying 1 million dollars to South Korea every month as a financial fine for not being able to receive the aircraft T-50IQ, according to a contract signed by former Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. In 2013, al-Maliki announced the signing of a contract with the Korean Ministry of Defense for the purchase of 24 T-50IQ aircraft. According to the deal, the process of delivery of the aircraft would've begun in April of 2016 after the completion of the Swairah airport by the Iraqi government. The airport is however not ready yet and Baghdad needs to pay a fine for the delay in receiving the aircraft. This deal is one of the biggest corruption case which occurred due to the lack of an airstrip for the aircraft and the fines paid by Iraq to South Korea as a result of the delays in the receipt of the aircraft is wasting public wealth. Mohsen Saadun, a Kudish MP, told BasNews that Maliki needs to be prosecuted and this corruption case should be investigated by the Attorney General.

Iraq's Debts Raise to $15.5 Billion: MP The MP warns Iraq will get in trouble if it fails to refund the debts in 2017 Leyla Hemid 15 February 2017 Iraq ERBIL— Since Iraq-Iran war, Iraq's debt has topped 15.5 billion USD, said a lawmaker who also warned if Baghdad fails to refund the debts of the Gulf war era, it will get in trouble. Ahmed Haji Rashid, lawmaker at the finance committee of Iraqi House of Representatives, told BasNews that Iraq's debt of Gulf war era has reached 9.6 billion USD. He explained that the debt has been reduced from 51 billion USD as many countries pardoned Iraq's debt including US and Denmark while Russia and several more countries pardoned 80% of the debts due from Iraq. Rashid added if Iraq in 2017 fails to refund the war era debt which belongs to 16 countries, members of the Paris Club, it will get in trouble. He explained that the remaining debt consists of debts to the foreign investors paying credit to Iraqi government and parties not members of the Paris Club.

, 2017 Iraq joins Investment Transparency and Arbitration Agreement 6:12 PM ADMIN Baghdad/ Iraq TradeLink: Iraqi National Investment Commission announced joining the Investment Transparency and Arbitration Agreement of 2014 at the UN headquarters in New York. Iraq is the second Arab country that join this agreement, where only 18 countries only signed it before Iraq. In a statement, the Commission said that this signature proves that Iraq has become a major center in the Middle East for investments and reconstruction. This agreement will preserve the rights if any conflict arises between the investors and states. Posted in: Baghdad,Economy

New deal links Kirkuk oil and KRG refineries The federal Oil Ministry has begun sending NOC-produced crude to KRG refineries, generating badly needed fuel that will supply areas liberated from IS. Kirkuk Gov. Najmaldin Karim (far right) and Deputy Oil Minister Dhia Jaffar (second from right) meet with oil officials in Kirkuk, including Saad Hassan, the CEO of Qaiwan Group (fourth from left), and Baz Karim, CEO of KAR Group (third from left), on June 6, 2016. (Photo credit: Kirkuk governor's office) Federally operated oil fields in Kirkuk are now feeding privately run refineries in the Kurdistan region, in a new cooperative framework that could dramatically boost fuel supplies to areas of Ninewa province liberated from the Islamic State (IS) group.The deal represents deepening pragmatism between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), Kirkuk province, and the federal government over how to best manage Kirkuk's oil without becoming entangled in long-running political dispute

KRP RELEASES REFORM REPORT FOR GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS 45 mins ago Views 131 SULAIMANI – The Kurdistan Region’s Presidency (KRP) has released a report showing steps made to reform government institutions, in response to an order made by Masoud Barzani on February 10, 2016 instructing that reforms be carried out. The KRP said on Wednesday (February 15) that over 20 officials and military commanders have now been investigated though the courts. The Ministry of Peshmerga has removed 1,566 officers and Peshmerga members from the ministry’s headquarters, the report added. Over 12 corruption cases specific to the Peshmerga Ministry have been sent to the Integrity Commission for Investigation. “Big and important plans regarding changes are set out by the Peshmerga Ministry and they will be accomplished in the near future,” the KRP stated. “It is decided that the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) cancel directorates specified to retired Peshmerga.” Private payments of 23,000 people have been cut off, the report added, while another 20,000 people who were receiving disability payments have also had their payments ceased. The report further stated that expenditure has been reduced by half in one year and that revenues have been reorganized. “Hundreds of millions of Iraqi dinars were returned to the KRG’s treasury,” the KRP continued. The KRG Council of Ministers has also gotten rid of a total of 452 directorates and offices, saving more than one billion Iraqi dinars in rental expenditure, according to the report. More than 2 billion IQD ($1.682 million) for administration expenditure has also been saved. Inquiries into officials who have become “unnaturally and illegally” rich have started, the statement reported, while the purchase of unnecessary equipment including cars for higher ranking officials has been halted. “Electricity expenditure to buy gasoline for electrical stations has become zero from $2-3 billion USD,” the report added. Regarding the biometric system, the KRP said the system will include military, security and interior forces, and security institutions. (NRT)

HOME PRESS RELEASES Update to Statement regarding Dana Gas Update to Statement regarding Dana Gas Update to Statement Regarding Dana Gas - Third Partial Final Award dated 30 January 2017 Updated 15 February 2017 Further to yesterday's statement that the Ministry of Natural Resources published regarding a Dana Gas arbitration award, today we issue the following addendum to the statement: In addition, the KRG confirms that the tribunal has not found that that the KRG has significant liabilities to Dana pursuant to the Strategic Alliance Protocol entered into between the KRG and Dana and another in April 2007 and which the KRG terminated in May 2009 (the SAP). Dana’s press release omits to state that although the Claimants attempted to argue that the KRG’s termination of the SAP was wrongful and the Claimants were entitled to damages arising from the failure to build the “Kurdistan Gas City” as envisaged in the SAP, the Claimants abandoned this claim, which was entirely without basis. The tribunal did not award damages against the KRG in respect of the SAP.

HOME PRESS RELEASES Statement Regarding Dana Gas - Third Partial Final Award dated 30 January 2017 Statement Regarding Dana Gas - Third Partial Final Award dated 30 January 2017 14 February 2017 Statement Regarding Dana Gas - Third Partial Final Award dated 30 January 2017 Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq – On 13 February 2017, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) received a partial ruling from the tribunal in the ongoing arbitral proceedings between the KRG and Dana and others (the Claimants). The arbitration is subject to duties of confidentiality under applicable law and arbitration rules. Without waiving these duties of confidentiality, the KRG is obliged to correct public statements by Dana, which quote selectively from the partial award and create an impression that is materially misleading and incomplete. Further to a hearing in London on 5 September 2016, the tribunal has ruled on some of the claims by the parties. This is a partial award that does not finally determine all of the issues in the arbitration. Dana’s press release omits to state that the tribunal ruled against the Claimants in multiple important respects: - The tribunal rejected the Claimants’ claim for over $1.7 billion in respect of so called excess gas. The tribunal determined that the KRG is entitled to receive all the gas produced by all the existing facilities at Khor Mor without additional charge and the Claimants are not entitled unilaterally to charge the KRG for such gas. - The tribunal entirely rejected a claim that Dana and Crescent had lost some $3.3 billion in respect of earn out payments they claimed they would otherwise have received. - The tribunal entirely rejected further claims by Dana that it could recover over $24 million in damages from the KRG as a result of emergency asset sales it allegedly undertook as a result of its financial difficulties. - The tribunal declined to provide 18 of the 19 declarations the Claimants sought in relation to their alleged rights under the contract. - The tribunal held that some declarations sought by the Claimants on international petroleum industry practice are “wrong” and declined to grant additional determinations sought by the Claimants. Moreover, Pearl remains obliged, under the terms of the accounting procedure in the contract with the KRG, to refund to the KRG the balance of any revenues after recovering its invested petroleum costs and a contractual remuneration fee. The remaining issues will be heard in the next phase of the arbitration. The KRG will continue vigorously to defend its position in all available fora. Dana’s press release is also materially misleading as regards Dana’s own performance. The tribunal did not find that the Claimants managed and performed the project efficiently or well or there was no unreasonable delay in the Claimants’ execution of the project. It merely found that the Claimants’ management of the project progress did not amount to a breach of contract. It took the Claimants over four years to complete the LPG plant despite their original indication that it would take them only nine to ten months to complete. The KRG considers that the Claimants’ approach in the arbitration is unconstructive and unnecessarily escalates the dispute. Rather than embarking on costly and protracted legal action that distracts the KRG from the important tasks it faces, the Claimants should, like other IOCs, cooperate with the KRG to develop the resources of the Kurdistan Region to the optimal benefit of its people. The Claimants are well aware of the enormous financial pressures facing the KRG and the people of the Kurdistan Region. The KRG’s financial difficulties result from taking essential steps that are critically important to both the Kurdistan Region and the international community, including the KRG’s effective fight against ISIL terrorism and its efforts to care for over 1.8 million refugees and IDPs within the Kurdistan Region.

IRAQ'S DEPUTY FINANCE MINISTER REMOVED FROM POSITION, DETAINED IN ERBIL 24 mins ago Views 51 SULAIMANI – Iraq’s Deputy Minister of Finance, Fazil Nabi, has been removed from his position, a document obtained by NRT shows, while one source said Nabi is currently under house arrest in Erbil. NRT obtained a document on Tuesday (February 14) revealing that Iraq's Finance Minister has now chosen another individual for the position of Deputy Finance Minister. According to the document, Iraq’s Director-General of the Budget Department will take on the tasks that are originally set aside for the person occupying the deputy finance minister position. There was no reference as to the reason for the removal of Nabi from the position. NRT sources from the Kurdistan Region and Baghdad revealed on February 4 that Nabi had been detained in Erbil International Airport while on his return to the region. Since then, Nabi has remained under house arrest in his home in the Kurdistan Region’s capital of Erbil, a source told NRT. According to information NRT has obtained, Nabi did not participle in a meeting of Iraq’s Council of Ministers on Tuesday, but did participate in all previous meetings. NRT will continue to investigate the issue and release more information when available. (NRT)

Iraq Plans For Enormous Boost To Refining Capacity By Irina Slav - Feb 14, 2017, 2:59 PM CST Iraq’s government is ambitious and it wants to make the most of the country’s oil and gas reserves. Plans for an expansion of the country’s refinery network have been circulating for years, but the war with IS has put these on hold. What’s worse is that the prospects for these plans are gloomy unless it gets a significant amount of external help. Before the war with IS engulfed OPEC’s second-largest exporter, plans were to add five new refineries to the network over a period of 20 years, starting in 2008. At the time, the refining capacity of Iraq stood around 886,000 bpd. Since then, the only progress made has been the start of construction of the Karbala refinery, as one expert, the former chief of the Energy Study Secretarial of OPEC, notes in an industry analysis. In it, Saadallah al Fathi quotes information from an unnamed industry insider who had told media that Iraq’s government is planning the construction of not five but twelve to thirteen new refineries with combined installed capacity of between 1.425 and 1.530 million bpd. All this is supposed to happen in the next four years, no less. Al Fathi is right to be suspicious of this information. He is also suspicious of the unnamed source’s statement that Iran will be helping Iraq prop up its downstream industry, but these suspicions are not so well grounded: Iran’s current rulers are allies of the government of Haider al-Abadi, and it makes sense to suggest that the neighbors have realized that if they work together they may reap more benefits than if they try to compete. The suspicion surrounding the timeline for the construction of these twelve or more refineries, however, is sound. Iraq is still fighting IS – the army has not yet retaken Mosul. Progress with that mission has been slow, but it is being made and we will probably see the terrorist group ousted from its last big stronghold in Iraq later this year. This, however, will not solve Iraq’s security problems: the consensus in army circles seems to be that a prolonged presence of U.S. forces will be needed to help the Iraqi army maintain peace between various religious groups and deal with the very likely resurgence of IS. This situation is by no means conducive to business. Investors are bound to be wary when they make decisions about throwing money at new refineries. And without external investors, Iraq’s refinery expansion plan is doomed. The country’s coffers have been drained from the war with IS and the oil price crash. Iraq can’t even make the most of the price improvement because it has to cut its production as per the agreement struck with the other members of OPEC as a way of propping up prices. It can’t wriggle out of the agreement because traders and analysts are watching it like hawks: Iraq is considered the most likely OPEC member to cheat on its compliance with the agreement precisely because it needs more oil revenues desperately. Last month, Oil Minister Jabar al-Luaibi reassured the market that Iraq will stick to its undertaking in the production cut agreement, adding that it plans to tender five new refineries on an investment basis, and expand existing ones, most of them damaged during the war with IS. Saadallah al Fathi is skeptical – the investment basis has been advertised before but has failed to attract meaningful investor interest. While skepticism may be in order when it comes to war-torn Iraq, it is still the country with the fifth-largest oil reserves in the world, and that changes things. It all seems to hinge on the success in rooting out IS from Iraq and on the success of the output cut deal, which has so far been limited. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

UTILITIES | Tue Feb 14, 2017 | 12:02pm EST UPDATE 1-Egypt nearing deal with Iraq in search for crude oil imports (Adds quotes) By Lin Noueihed and Eric Knecht Feb 14 Egypt is nearing a deal to import crude oil from Iraq and is looking to other countries to help secure supply, Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation's chief Tarek al-Hadidi said. Cairo's search for additional crude comes after Saudi Arabia's state oil firm Saudi Aramco halted shipments of oil products to Egypt last year. The $23 billion Saudi aid deal had included 700,000 tonnes of refined oil products per month for five years. Aramco has never provided a reason for why the deal was halted. Egypt has turned to the spot market in recent months to make up for the missing products. The EGPC last month announced it was seeking up to 1.012 million tonnes of gasoil for delivery in February and March compared to around 200,000 tonnes of gasoil per month before the Aramco cutoff. Egypt has turned to Iraq in search of a longer term solution to make up for the shortfall, and is in talks to import 1 million barrels per month of crude oil from Baghdad, which would then be refined into petroleum products in Egypt. An Egyptian delegation is set to visit Iraq this month to work out final details.Hadidi said Egypt would look for similar deals with other countries as a way of securing its crude supplies."We are now in the final stages with the Iraqi government and ministry of oil in Iraq to supply 1 million barrels per month, this will be a good way to secure our crude supplies," EGPC's Hadidi told an oil conference in Cairo on Tuesday. "We are trying to have an agreement with other countries as well..goverment to government deals," he said. (Writing by Asma Alsharif; Editing by Jason Neely and Alexander Smith) http://www.reuters.com/article/egypt-oil-iraq-idUSL8N1FZ6IX?rpc=401&

IS Leaders Discuss Appointment of Al-Baghdadi's Successor Reports on his death remain unconfirmed Shoguna B. Sobir 14 February 2017 Iraq ERBIL — Islamic State (IS) leader Abu Bakir al-Baghdadi may have been killed during a strike by the Iraqi army. The strike on a house in Iraq's western province of Anbar in a village near the town of Qaim near the Syrian border where al-Baghdadi was holing a meeting with other high ranking IS militants resulted in the deaths of 13 IS militants. However, whether al-Baghdadi was killed remains uncertain as of now. Al-Baghdadi's moment had been tracked by the Iraqi intelligence. On Saturday, a convoy of three-vehicles containing al-Baghdadi arrived in a village where the meeting was held. The aim of the meeting was reportedly to discuss the defeat of the IS group in eastern Mosul and to determine who will be al-Baghdadi's successor should he die during the Mosul operation. Three additional IS sites in Qaim and the nearby Akashat area were also struck, causing the deaths of 40 IS militants and 24 IS suicide bombers. Abu Bakir al-Baghdadi became the leader of the IS on May 16, 2010, after his predecessor Abu Omar al-Baghdadi's death. The operation to liberate Mosul from the IS began on October 17, 2016. Eastern half of the city was liberated at the end of January. The Iraqi ground troops are currently awaiting orders to move forward to the western areas.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2017 Disclosure of Iraqi smuggled funds 8:00 AM ADMIN Baghdad/ Iraq TradeLink: Member of the Iraqi Integrity Commission Adel Nouri disclosed the names of the countries that harbor Iraqi smuggled Funds. He added that the countries are Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Britain, European Union, USA and Australia. "These funds were smuggled by Iraqi officials", he pointed out. On the other hand, he added that a committee was formed to retrieve the smuggled funds, but criticized the mechanism of its work, charging it with delayed procedures. Posted in: Baghdad,Economy

Iraq’s Oil Flow to Plunge as Maintenance Helps Meet OPEC Pledge by Laura Hurst , Sam Wilkin , and Khalid Al Ansary 13 February 2017, 14:24 GMT Basra exports planned at 3.01 million barrels per day in March Iraq is cutting crude production under last year’s OPEC deal 0:200:30 IEA Sees OPEC Achieving 90% Production Cut Compliance Saudi Arabia Cuts Oil Output by Most in 8 Years Iraq’s oil exports are poised to slump to a seven-month low in March as ongoing maintenance at some of its biggest fields coincides with a seasonal slump in shipments, potentially helping the country to meet a pledge to OPEC that it would restrict crude supply. The second-biggest producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries will export 3.01 million barrels a day of crude from its Persian Gulf export terminals, down from 3.64 million in February, loading programs obtained by Bloomberg show. The March figure is the lowest since August, while this month’s flows are scheduled to be the highest since October 2015. While the slump could help Iraq to honor its commitment to OPEC, what’s harder to judge is the extent to which the reduced flows reflect a government-led push to restrict supply. Some key fields will be undergoing maintenance in March, limiting what they pump. Also, planned cargo flows have dropped during the month from February every year stretching back to at least 2012, often amid stormy weather at export terminals. Nonetheless, it is not clear if the authorities would have factored weather into their schedule for this year, said Robin Mills, chief executive officer of consultant Qamar Energy. “They schedule what they can, then that may get disrupted by bad weather,” Mills said by phone from Dubai. “They’re constrained on the exports anyway so they have to try to cram in as much as they can.” Production Cuts The most important market news of the day. Get our markets daily newsletter. Sign Up Iraq pledged on Nov. 30 to cut 210,000 barrels a day from what it was pumping in October, as part of a drive by global producers to reduce a crude glut. The nation so far reduced by about half that amount, the International Energy Agency in Paris estimated on Feb. 10. OPEC itself is attempting to limit supplies by about 1.2 million barrels a day, with non-member states also promising curbs of about 550,000 barrels a day.A spokesman for Iraq’s Oil Ministry could not be reached for comment by phone, and a spokesman for the state-run South Oil Co. declined to comment as he was away from the office. Iraq’s export capacity increased by more than 1 million barrels a day this month with the addition of a new pipeline at the Basra Oil Port, South Oil Co. said last week. The Persian Gulf port, Iraq’s largest export facility, increased its capacity to 2.5 million barrels a day, from about 1.4 million previously. The oil ministry has allocated most of its OPEC cuts to state-operated oil fields. International oil companies have also started maintenance work at some fields, which is likely to trim their output. Iraq’s largest oil field Rumaila, operated by BP Plc, started maintenance in January that is due to finish in June. The Majnoon field operated by Royal Dutch Shell Plc was due to start maintenance this month, to finish in April, according to a person familiar with the matter. Exports of Basrah Light crude are set to fall to 2.21 million barrels a day in March, from 2.75 million this month, the loading plan shows. Basrah Heavy shipments are due to slip to 806,000 barrels a day from 893,000 in February. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-02-13/iraq-s-oil-flow-to-plunge-as-maintenance-helps-meet-opec-pledge

Genel Energy one step closer to exporting gas from Iraqi Kurdistan Posted on February 13, 2017 by Editorial Staff in Oil & Gas Iraqi oil fields. Photo: AP LONDON,— Genel Energy is one step closer to creating the “cornerstone” of gas exports to Turkey after finalizing the sharing contracts terms for the Miran and Bina Bawi gas fields in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region. Genel Energy confirmed finalised documentation of previously agreed terms of Amended and Restated Production Sharing Contracts (‘PSC’s) and Gas Lifting Agreements (‘GLA’s) for both the Miran and Bina Bawi gas fields in Iraqi Kurdistan, the company said in a press release. The statement said: “The Amended and Restated PSCs and GLAs for Miran and Bina Bawi incorporate the commercial terms as announced in the term sheets signed in 2015 by Genel and the Kurdistan Regional Government (‘KRG’) and reiterated in the Appendix below. With the PSC and GLA terms formally confirmed, Genel will now be able to progress the project. The Company remains committed to developing these large scale, low-cost, onshore gas fields, which will form the cornerstone of gas exports to Turkey under the 2013 KRG-Turkey Gas Sales Agreement. The GLAs contain conditions precedent, which, inter alia, include the execution of final agreements on the midstream gas processing facilities and pipeline transportation, the execution of the financing documents and the completion of updated competent person’s reports for Miran and Bina Bawi. Both Genel and the KRG have the option to terminate the GLAs by February 2018. If the conditions precedent are not satisfied within 12 months, the KRG has a right to terminate the GLAs. In the event of termination, and a subsequent failure to conclude new gas lifting agreements within one year period, the KRG can also terminate the Miran and Bina Bawi PSCs. During the three year period following such a termination, Genel would have a right of first refusal to participate in the development of the Miran and Bina Bawi gas fields with a 49% working interest on the same terms offered to any third party.” Murat Özgül, Chief Executive of Genel, said: “We are very pleased to have signed definitive agreements for our gas project and are now focused on the next step of concluding negotiations with potential partners, and moving the gas project towards the FID. We are determined that 2017 will be a watershed year as we seek to create a gas business that will be transformational for both Genel and the KRG.” Genel Energy is an independent oil and gas exploration and production company listed on the main market of the London Stock Exchange (LSE: GENL). The Company, with headquarters in London and offices in Ankara and Erbil, is one of the largest London-listed independent oil producers, and is the largest holder of reserves and resources in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Through its Miran and Bina Bawi gas fields, the Company is set to be a cornerstone provider of gas to Turkey under the KRI-Turkey Gas Sales Agreement. Genel also continues to pursue further growth opportunities within the Middle East and Africa. http://ekurd.net/genel-closer-gas-kurdistan-2017-02-13

TRADE BETWEEN IRAQ, IRAN REACHED $6 BILLION IN LAST TWO YEARS, MINISTRY SAYS 20 mins ago Views 731 SULAIMANI — The trade exchange between Iraq and Iran has reached $6 billion in the last two years, the Iraqi Ministry of Trade announced on Monday (February 13). The ministry released a statement announcing trade between Iraq and Iran has increased due to the interest of both countries to improve economic and trade relations. “The annual rate of increase of the trade exchange between Iraq and Iran has reached more than $250 million,” the statement reported. “The rate continuously increases despite the oil price, which is low at international markets.” Iraq exported goods worth $60 million to Iran in 2015 and 2016, according to the statement. There are a number of crossings connecting to the two countries, the statement reported, including al-Shib, Zarbatiya, Mundhiriya, Mandali, Soomar and Shalamja, as well as Haji Omaran, Sayran Ban and Parwezkhan in the Kurdistan Region. Trade and economic relations between Iraq and Iran have increased since 2003. Authorities from both countries say they try to strengthen the economic and trade relations through contracts to open more crossing borders between both countries. (NRT)

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2017 Da'ish Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi hit in Iraq, news 7:03 PM ADMIN Baghdad/ Iraq TradeLink: Iraqi media circles reported today, quoting security sources, that Da'ish (ISIS) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was hit by an air raid in Qa'im city, near the Iraqi-Syrian borders. The Iraqi forces are waging a continued war against Da'ish organization with the assistance of the International Coalition's forces. The news was broadcasted on the social media in Iraq. No official confirmation was given by the Iraqi government. Posted in: Baghdad,Security

IRAQI FORCES READY TO LAUNCH OFFENSIVE TO LIBERATE WESTERN MOSUL, SAYS COMMANDER A member of the Iraqi rapid response forces fires during a battle with Islamic State militants at the Tigris river frontline near Mosul, Iraq, January 25, 2017. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah 18 mins ago Views 48 SULAIMANI — Iraqi forces are ready to launch the next phase of the offensive to liberate western Mosul from Islamic State (ISIS) militants, a commander from counter-terrorism services said. Commander Abdulghani Asadi said during a press conference on Sunday (February 12) that logistic and military preparations have been finished for the liberation of western Mosul. “We are waiting for zero hour by commander in chief of Iraqi Armed Forces,” the counter-terrorism service’s commander added. “The control of western Mosul will be in a way which cannot be expected.” He noted ISIS sleeper cells are still in the eastern side of Mosul, which Iraqi forces secured on January 24. Hashid al-Shaabi (Shia paramilitaries) will participate in the offensive, according to Asadi. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced the complete liberation of Eastern Mosul on 24 January after more than 100 days of hard urban battle against ISIS. The campaign to capture Mosul started on October 17, with air and ground support from a U.S.-led coalition. The offensive to take Mosul, the largest city under ISIS control in either Iraq or Syria, is turning into the biggest battle in Iraq's turbulent history since the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003. (NRT)

Coexistence Will No Longer Work in Iraq: MP He says the security situation in Iraq is beyond control Leyla Hemid 12 February 2017 Iraq ERBIL — Different ethnicities of Iraq cannot peacefuly live together anymore and the security situation is out of control, warned a Kurdish lawmaker to the Iraqi House of Representatives. Speaking to BasNews on Sunday, Islam Hussein said the future of Iraq is "extremely vague." "Iraq is only a name left on the map and the Iraqi people do not live together and have lost their trust in each other," Islam said, adding "The best solution for Iraq is division into three states." Hussein explained that there are 68 armed organizations in Iraq, each led by a politician, which he described as a "threat" against the future of Iraq. As an example he alluded to Saturday evening's rocket attack against the Green Zone of Baghdad. The attack took place after Muqtada Sadr, leader of al-Sadr Movement and Sadr militias, vowed to retaliate for the victims of Friday march. In the one-million demonstration against the Iraqi government on Friday, four people were killed and more than 230 got wounded. Islam believed the Sadrist Movement leader was aware of the intentions for the rocket attack and "he was involved in the plot." Therefore, the Kurdish lawmaker was "100% sure" that the Sadr supporters will launch more attacks and stir the situation further. http://www.basnews.com/index.php/en/news/iraq/329874

BRITISH DEFENSE MINISTER MEETS WITH BARZANI, KRG PM 25 mins ago Views 291 SULAIMANI – British Defense Minister Michael Fallon met with Masoud Barzani and Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) premier Nechirvan Barzani to discuss the fight against Islamic State (ISIS) and the liberation of Mosul. Barzani received a British delegation headed by defense minister Fallon on Sunday (February 12) in the capital of the Kurdistan Region, Erbil, according to a statement by the Kurdistan Region’s Presidency. Both sides discussed the offensive to liberate Mosul from ISIS, the post-ISIS stage in the country, the role of the KRG and Iraqi government, as well as the role of Coalition forces and provision of security to Nineveh province after ISIS. Fallon praised the role of the Peshmerga forces in the ISIS war and reaffirmed his country’s support for the Peshmerga forces, the KRP’s statement added. In a separate meeting, the British delegation met with KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani and Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani on Sunday morning. Fallon said the British government would provide experts to the KRG Ministry of Peshmerga to modernize the ministry, the KRG website reported. The British defense minister also restated the offers of military and humanitarian aid to the region. Fallon arrived in Erbil on Saturday and reiterated his county’s support for Peshmerga forces as part of the coalition efforts against Islamic State (ISIS). Over 40,000 Peshmerga and Iraqi forces have been trained by British military advisers, according to the UK official. (NRT)

KDP SEEKING NEW PRESIDENCY TERM FOR BARZANI, SAY SOURCES 4 hours ago Views 1591 + - SULAIMANI – The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) is seeking a new presidency term for Masoud Barzani – whose two-year presidential term extension expired at midnight on August 20, 2015 – reliable sources have told NRT. Barzani’s second term as president ended in July 2013 but was extended by two years after Kurdish MPs decided the region was not ready to elect a new leader at the time. That two-year extension expired at midnight on August 20, 2015, but subsequent political infighting prevented the region’s leaders from agreeing on a new president and how to go about appointing one. Speaking to NRT under a condition of anonymity, a source from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) politburo disclosed that the KDP had expressed a position against changes to be made to the Kurdistan Region’s Presidency, during a meeting with PUK officials on January 11. Deputy leader of the KDP Nechirvan Barzani told PUK officials that Barzani will remain in his position as president and that his party won’t compromise on it, the source said. During NRT’s Tawtwe program, PUK politburo member Qadir Aziz confirmed that the “KDP withdrew from its position for changes in the Kurdistan Presidency.” NRT obtained information that during a PUK and KDP meeting prior to the one held on January 11, the KDP had showed some willingness for change in the Kurdistan Presidency. Masoud Barzani had urged political parties in a statement on November 20 last year, to establish a new government and select a successor until presidential elections take place. Crises inside the Kurdistan Region deepened after the five major political parties failed to reach an agreement on the Kurdistan presidency issue in October 2015, following the expiration of the President’s term. (NRT)

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2017 Iraqi cash flow reaches 88 trillion dinars, CBI 2:39 AM ADMIN Baghdad/ Iraq TradeLink: Central Bank of Iraq sources reported that the Iraqi cash flow reached to 88 trillion dinars, last year. Governor Ali al-Alaq pointed that the selling of the dollar is one of the main duties of the central banks around the world. He pointed that the governmental expenditures were increased from 31 trillion dinars in 2004 to more than 100 trillion in the last few years. "This led to the increase of the cash flow, which 4% is accepted as a ratio, but in Iraq it reached to more than 22%", he confirmed. In addition, he pointed that the local production capabilities were not increased, as well as those of the public sector, which depended on governmental funding, Al-Alaq added. He confessed that the deficit of the last year in the Iraqi budget was supposed to be covered by internal and external bonds and loans, but nothing was achieved. "The CBI was obliged to interfere to cover this shortage", he confirmed. Posted in: Baghdad,Economy

PoliticsVIDEO: Kurds to receive more support from US, says Trump campaign adviser Mewan Dolamari 3 hours ago 0 comments A-AA+ Walid Phares, the top Middle East adviser of the US President Donald Trump during the presidential campaign in an exclusive interview with Kurdistan24, Feb. 9, 2017. (Photo: Kurdistan24) Tag : Walid Phares Donald Trump US Washington Kurdistan Kurds Iraq Mosul WASHINGTON DC, United States (Kurdistan24) – Not only the government but also the people of the Kurdistan Region are the allies of the US, former Trump adviser said on Thursday. In an exclusive interview with Kurdistan24, Walid Phares, the campaign adviser of the US President Donald Trump said that the battle against the Islamic State (IS) will be serious and very fast. “There would be no abandoning of our friends, allies, and partners,” Phares stated. He mentioned that the US allies would be part of the military operation in eradicating the extremist group. “It is also going to be making sure that the people with whom we worked, including Kurds, Arabs, and other countries will be part of the process,” he continued. “So it is not just the fight against terrorism, but also a fight to rebuild the lives of these societies that have been destroyed by terrorism.” The Adviser explained that the US would not allow the emergence of other extremist groups following the collapse of the so-called IS as the people who liberated their areas will protect their towns. “When we remove ISIS, we are not going to have policies that would bring other jihadists or having other parties in the region such as Iran or other forces replace. We want the people who liberate their lands from ISIS to be in charge of their future,” Phares added. He highlighted that President Trump is aware of the role of the Kurds in defeating the IS. “President Trump during the campaign--if we go back to that because we have only two weeks of the administration-- has cited and mentioned the Kurds in every single foreign policy speech.” According to Phares, Trump views the Kurds as one of the natural allies of the US. “He realizes that the Kurds in general and those in northern Iraq, the KRG, and the population are our natural allies. They are natural allies not because of the government but as the civil society, and this is something that our next policy of Trump's policy is going to be taken into consideration.” He pointed out that the Kurds have been fighting the extremist group on their own. “There is no doubt also that we're going to increase the support to the Kurds of the KRG area, but then after that, we will stand by them as far as the future,” Phares concluded. Peshmerga has been praised as one of the most effective ground troops in defeating IS. Since June 2014, they have liberated large swaths of territory in northern Iraq. According to Peshmerga Ministry, over 1,500 Peshmerga soldiers have fallen while battling IS and about 10,000 more have been wounded. Editing by Ava Homa (Rahim Rashidi conducted the interview)

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2017 Reports on NATO's military base in Iraq 8:00 AM ADMIN Baghdad/ Iraq TradeLink: International media reports said the the Atlantic Treaty Organization. (NATO) is planning to establish a military base in Iraq to train the joint security personnel to combat terrorism. The trainers, from different countries, will train Iraqi security and soldiers how to dismantle hand-made explosives . The reports quoted a Spanish Colonel that the base aims at "improving the work of the Iraqi forces in the fight against Da'ish (ISIS). He added that this mission will be implemented within the framework of a general program called "science for peace and security", which is run by the NATO. This week, the NATO announced training Iraqi security personnel inside Iraq, which shall concentrate on training officers to combat explosives' terrorism. Up till now, the NATO did not participate in the war against Da'ish organization, despite the presence of an international coalition fighting in the country and Syria under the leadership of the United States. http://www.iraqtradelinknews.com/2017/02/reports-on-natos-military-base-in-iraq.html

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2017 Iraq charges countries of demanding "false" compensations 3:46 AM ADMIN Baghdad/ Iraq TradeLink: The Iraqi government charged some "un-named" countries demanding "false" debts. Adviser to Iraqi Premier Mudh'hir Mohammed Saleh expressed Iraqi "readiness" to settle any debt to be proved right by Paris Club. He charged some countries and circles of announcing that 40 billion dollars were not yet settled, pointing that these are "unreal debts". "If so, they should be audited by Paris Club, where 80% of them should be deducted or more", he confirmed. Iraqi 2017 national budget contained less than 5 billion dollars were allocated to pay internal and external debts. The deficit in the Iraqi budget will reach to more than 18 billion dollars, particularly loans from USA, Britain, France, Canada, Italy, Sweden, Japan, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, the Islamic Development Bank and other world banks. http://www.iraqtradelinknews.com/2017/02/iraq-charges-countries-of-demanding.html

Shi'ite MP Urges Iraqi Parties to Discuss Kurdish Independence with Barzani He says Barzani's status is important for settling issues in Iraq Print Email Leyla Hemid 08 February 2017 Iraq ERBIL — For the upcoming phase in Iraq, the parties should consult with Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani and discuss his demand for Kurdistan Region independence from Baghdad, said a lawmaker form the Shi'ite National Alliance. Rasul Razi told the Iraqi media outlets on Wednesday that the recent visit by a delegation from the Shi'ite National Alliance aimed at resolving the political issues. This week a delegation led by Ammar al-Hakim, leader of Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI), met with Barzani. According to Razi, in the meeting the Shi'ite delegation among other issues discussed a recently proposed project by ISCI leader for reconciliation among the Iraqi peoples. "Masoud Barzani has a strong personality in Kurdistan and possesses a strong status, [therefore] the discussion between Ammar al-Hakim and Barzani was significant," Razi declared. An advisor to Barzani told BasNews earlier that Hakim's project does not propose for reconciliation but rather it paves the way for the monopoly of power by the Shi'ite factions. Speaking to BasNews, Mohammed Sa'daddin Anwar, the leader of Turkmen Development Party, who attended Barzani and Hakim's meeting, said he was surprised when he saw the parties discussing the independence of Kurdistan openly. "This was something new," Anwar said "This development is a positive sign for the future of Kurdistan." He added that the talks with the rest of the Iraqi parties over this demand by the Kurdish authorities are expected to continue.