sandy040

Compared to living with my ex wife, the dog house looks like heaven,

Also please remember the soldiers from other nations that also gave their lives. I know the US bore the brunt of this conflict but there are others that have suffered so all of us and the people of iraq may prosper

sessi, where in uk are you, if you anywhere near me i think your hat may need a chinstrap or you goingto lose it in this wind

mate please dont think we are all like that, that is our house of lords, a bunch of un elected idiots.

3 November 2010 Last updated at 18:13 Share this pageFacebookTwitter ShareEmail Print Iraqi parliament meeting to elect speaker next week Iraq's parliament will convene on Monday to elect a new speaker and two deputies, nearly eight months after inconclusive elections, officials say. The move, ordered by the Supreme Court, is being seen as a deadline for Iraqi parties to agree on the new government. Correspondents say Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is likely to keep his job, having won over key Kurdish allies. Mr Maliki's State of Law bloc won 89 seats in March, two fewer than former PM Iyad Allawi's al-Iraqiyya movement. Since then, Iraq's parliament has met for just 20 minutes - and the country has set a world record for the longest time taken to form a new government. Leadership race "A session will convene on Monday to elect the president of the parliament and his two associates," the caretaker speaker Fouad Masum said in a statement on Wednesday. At the moment, it looks as though PM Maliki is very likely to keep his job, having slowly won the support of a number of other factions for his nomination, says the BBC's Jim Muir in Baghdad. The Kurds, who control more than 50 seats, still hold the balance. They seem to be tilting in his direction, but they have not announced anything yet. The key question is whether the secular al-Iraqiyya coalition headed by Iyad Allawi, which came out narrowly ahead in the inconclusive elections, is somehow included in what is being billed as a government of national partnership, or whether he will form an opposition, says our correspondent. Since he has the bulk of the Sunni vote behind him, that would be seen as a potentially dangerous development, underlined by the recent upsurge of violence, our correspondent adds. Fears of violence On Tuesday night, about a dozen co-ordinated bombs targeted Shia districts across the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, killing more than 60 people and wounding hundreds. The attacks came two days after at least 52 people were killed as police stormed a church in Baghdad where hostages were being held. Analysts say the spike in violence could be a last-ditch attempt by al-Qaeda to exploit the country's political vaccuum. They warn of more attacks over the weekend as the political negotiations come to a head. Al-Iraqiyya (Iraqi National Movement): Nationalist bloc led by former PM Iyad Allawi, a secular Shia. Includes Vice-President Tariq al-Hashemi, a Sunni Arab, and senior Sunni politician Saleh al-Mutlaq State of Law: Led by Prime Minister Nouri Maliki and his Shia Islamist Daawa Party, the alliance purportedly cuts across religious and tribal lines. Includes some Sunni tribal leaders, Shia Kurds, Christians and independents Iraqi National Alliance (INA): Shia-led bloc includes followers of the radical cleric, Muqtada al-Sadr, the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council (SIIC), and the Fadhilah Party, along with ex-PM Ibrahim Jaafari and Ahmad Chalabi Kurdistan Alliance: Coalition dominated by the two parties administering Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region - the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), led by President Jalal Talabani http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11688572

nice to see the two British lads in there

"Good people sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." George Orwell "All that's required for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing" Edmund Burke

And they want to cover that from head to toe in a burkha.....what a waste

Ha ha poor cathy must be getting fed up with that question, i asked the same thing last week and got the same response you did about an hour ago.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11528363 This is from the BBC , thought the video report was intresting . 12 October 2010 Last updated at 20:34 Help Iraq's Kurdish population, once terrorised by Saddam Hussein, may hold the key to the country's deadlocked election. Iraqis voted in March, but with no party winning an outright majority, the country remains without a fixed government seven months later - a world record. Kurds hold 57 seats, enough to determine the winner between the Sunni-backed Iraqiyya bloc and the Shiite State of Law coalition. Jim Muir reports from Baghdad.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11459461 2 October 2010 Last updated at 17:20 Share this pageFacebookTwitter ShareEmail Print End to Iraq's epic journey in sight?By Jim Muir BBC News, Baghdad Iraq has broken the world record for the length of time it is taking to form the new government The decision by the Shia National Alliance to support Nouri Maliki for a second term as prime minister has raised some hope for an end to Iraq's epic journey from elections to a new government. The step came just as the country was winning the dubious distinction of breaking the world record for the length of time it is taking to form the new government, passing the 208-day mark set by the Netherlands in 1977. But it seems likely that the old record will be broken by quite a substantial margin, as the process of settling the contending factions into a viable governing formation still has some way to run. Continue reading the main story Struggle for IraqIn pictures: Seven years of war Iraq war in figures Bittersweet memories for Iraqis Shrunken superpower Winning the support of his fellow Shia in the National Alliance was always a necessary step for Mr Maliki. The fact that it has taken so long is testimony to the antagonisms and rivalries that have prevented the Shia from forming a cohesive bloc in the current struggle, and which could well bedevil the smooth functioning of a new administration. Even if Mr Maliki has won the support of all the factions grouped in the National Alliance - which does not seem to be the case - he would still be a few seats short of the 163 he needs to enjoy an outright majority in the new parliamentary. In fact, he may be more than a few seats short. The militant young cleric Moqtada Sadr - who has been living in Iran for several years now - performed a sharp about-turn to put his 39 seats behind Mr Maliki. But there is no love lost between the two men - the incumbent prime minister crushed Mr Sadr's Mehdi Army militia in 2008 - and they are likely to make uncomfortable bedfellows. Mr Sadr's followers took part in Mr Maliki's first government, but pulled out in 2006. Alternative Ex-PM Iyad Allawi could still stitch together a coalition to outgun Mr Maliki Other factions in the Shia alliance have not signed up to supporting Mr Maliki's bid for a second term. They include the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, headed by Ammar al-Hakim, and a smaller party called Fadhila. Together, they command some 24 places in the 325-seat parliament. Mr Maliki's chief rival, former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, who came out just ahead in the election race with 91 seats to Mr Maliki's 89, could theoretically still stitch together a coalition that would outgun the incumbent. If Mr Allawi won the support of the Kurds, who control 57 seats, and brought on board the leftover Shia factions, a small Sunni group and a smaller independent one, he could on paper amass 175 seats or more, and thus win a majority. The coming days - possibly even weeks or months - will see a lot more jostling and probing to try to find a combination that will work. The Kurds, for example, are unlikely to fall meekly in behind Mr Maliki, with whose previous rule they were not happy. They will want to exact a high price from him, or any other aspirant, in terms of their own national goals and demands, such as their claim to the disputed oil-rich province of Kirkuk. Log-jam Continue reading the main story “ Start Quote It is not a question of which factions should be involved in the new government, but who should lead it, what the balance should be within it, and who gets which jobs ” End Quote Numbers are important, but it is not simply a numbers game. All have agreed from the beginning that the four major electoral factions - Mr Allawi's secular, but Sunni-supported Iraqiya list; Mr Maliki's Shia State of Law coalition; the other Shia alliance; and the Kurds - must all be included in the new government. The Kurds cannot be excluded in this binational country, based on a sometimes tense partnership between them and the Arabs. And to exclude Mr Allawi's bloc would be to marginalise not just the biggest vote winner but also the bulk of the Sunni electorate, with potentially explosive consequences. But Mr Allawi, who spent some time exploring a possible power-sharing deal with Mr Maliki, has said his followers would not take part in a Maliki-led government. That log-jam, pitting the two main contenders in a head-to-head tussle in which neither will cede to the other, is the most central of many complications, and it could hold up rapid progress towards a new government for a long time. It is not a question of which factions should be involved in the new government, but who should lead it, what the balance should be within it, and who gets which jobs. Foreign players Behind the relatively overt local sparring, there is also a discreet proxy struggle going on, involving regional and international powers, which are watching developments closely. The shape the new government takes will reflect the perceived balance of regional power, which is one reason it is taking so long, as often nebulous factors such as "influence" are asserted and tested in a constantly changing environment. Iran is believed to have used its clout to persuade Moqtada Sadr to swing behind Mr Maliki, although Tehran's relations with the incumbent are somewhat ambivalent. The move was not warmly welcomed by Washington, which would probably have preferred to see the militant cleric - whose followers fought US forces - sidelined from an otherwise inclusive administration. The Americans have not overtly backed any of the contenders, but certainly would regard the exclusion of Mr Allawi and his Sunni supporters as a dangerous and potentially destabilising development, despite their concern about some of his alleged Baathist connections. Mr Allawi has the support of most of Iraq's Sunni Arab neighbours, but also apparently of Syria, whose president, Bashar al-Assad, flew to Tehran on Saturday to confer with his Iranian allies over Iraq and other regional contests, such as Lebanon and the Palestinian-Israeli struggle. Security concerns With no end in sight to Iraq's protracted uncertainty, much concern has been expressed about the implications of political stagnation for the security situation, as US forces continue a withdrawal that should see them all gone by the end of next year. July and August were among the worst months for violence since 2008, though September, with 273 Iraqis killed, was the best month since January, when fewer than 200 were reported to have died violent deaths. Overall levels of violence are still far below what they were during the sectarian carnage of 2006 and 2007. But security official are warning that informers, on whom they count for tip-offs that help thwart militant attacks, are now hedging their bets and holding back in the uncertain political climate. The uncertainty is also being blamed for a sharp reduction since the 7 March election in the number of Iraqi refugees returning from abroad to try to rebuild their lives in the country, While it's hard to measure something that is not happening, the overall reconstruction effort is certainly well behind where it had been expected to be by now, and investors are clearly wary about risking money in an unstable situation. Al-Iraqiyya (Iraqi National Movement): Nationalist bloc led by former PM Iyad Allawi, a secular Shia. Includes Vice-President Tariq al-Hashemi, a Sunni Arab, and senior Sunni politician Saleh al-Mutlaq State of Law: Led by Prime Minister Nouri Maliki and his Shia Islamist Daawa Party, the alliance purportedly cuts across religious and tribal lines. Includes some Sunni tribal leaders, Shia Kurds, Christians and independents Iraqi National Alliance (INA): Shia-led bloc includes followers of the radical cleric, Muqtada al-Sadr, the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council (SIIC), and the Fadhilah Party, along with ex-PM Ibrahim Jaafari and Ahmad Chalabi Kurdistan Alliance: Coalition dominated by the two parties administering Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region - the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), led by President Jalal Talabani

$50,000 per unit.....that's not very affordable housing for people earning a few hundred dollars a month. Could this be a sign of an RV.

I lived in Kuwait for several years. I knew a few kuwatis thar had made a lot of money from there own dinar, and they were all buying IQD, that's what made me get invested.

Girl ya farts do stink, you just blame it on the puppy

Ya big soppy bungalow head x x

I afraid that the old dinar... The lower demons didn't have saddams face on them.

.23 will do me. I was always told to hope for.33 so that is close enough, just means a second hand Aston Martin instead of a new one... Can live with that

Your not alone mate, there are a couple of us Brits on here.

i had heard the same thing six years ago when i bought into this, that saddam had set the rate but in reality the real rate was .33....no links or evidence just what i was told by the kuwati that got me into this.

whilst on way to the Aston Martin showroom i would ring the boss and tell him where to poke his job and give him the address of said showroom so he can come pick up his company car....cause i wont be needing it

Netinfo, i am glad you have come clean, good to know we have an Iraqi on board...i spent 4 years there came home last year...i miss the place and the people, well most of em:) some of them kept shooting at me

http://en.aswataliraq.info/?p=127822 ISX to cease trading during elections March 1, 2010 - 03:16:28 BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: The Iraqi Stock Exchange (ISX) announced on Monday that it will cease trading during the elections vacation between March 4-8, approved by the council of ministers.

like others in this thread i was also in Iraq during last elections, i was in every major city during the buildup and the elections themselves, this security alert is standard for any major event, they flood the citys with checkpoints and patrols...plus if and when it does RV do you think the iraq police will be at work, we wont be the only ones off to the bank

To the citizens of the United States of America... In light of your failure to elect a competent President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective immediately. Her Sovereign Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths and other territories (except Kansas , which she does not fancy), as from Monday next. Your new prime minister, will appoint a governor for America without the need for further elections. Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire may be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed. To aid in the transition to a British Crown Dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect: 1. You should look up "revocation" in the Oxford English Dictionary. Then look up "aluminium," and check the pronunciation guide. You will be amazed at just how wrongly you have been pronouncing it. 2. The letter 'U' will be reinstated in words such as 'colour', 'favour' and 'neighbour.' Likewise, you will learn to spell 'doughnut' without skipping half the letters, and the suffix "ize" will be replaced by the suff ix "ise." 3. You will learn that the suffix 'burgh' is pronounced 'burra'; you may elect to respell Pittsburgh as 'Pittsberg' if you find you simply can't cope with correct pronunciation. 4. Generally, you will be expected to raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels (look up "vocabulary"). Using the same twenty-seven words interspersed with filler noises such as "like" and "you know" is unacceptable and inefficient form of communication. 5.There is no such thing as " US English." We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take account of the reinstated letter 'u' and the elimination of "-ize." 6. You will relearn your original national anthem, "God Save The Queen", but only after fully carrying out Task #1 (see above). 7. July 4th will no longer be celebrated as a holiday. November 2nd will be a new national holiday, but to be celebrated only in England .. It will be called "Come-Uppance Day." 8. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you're not adult enough to be independent. Guns should only be handled by adults. If you're not adult enough to sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist then you're not grown up enough to handle a gun. 9. Therefore, you will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous than a vegetable peeler. A permit will be required if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public. 10. All American cars are hereby banned. They are rubbish and this is for your own good. When we show you German cars, you will understand what we mean. 11. All intersections will be replaced with roundabouts, and you will start driving on the left with immediate effect. At the same time, you will go metric immediately and without the benefit of conversion tables. Both roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour. 12. The Former USA will adopt UK prices on petrol (which you have been calling "gasoline") - roughly $8/US gallon. Get used to it. 13. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries are not real chips, and those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called "crisps." Real chips are thick cut, fried in animal fat, and dressed not with mayonnaise but with vinegar. 14. Waiters and waitresses will be trained to be more aggressive with customers. 15. The cold tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually beer at all. Henceforth, only proper British Bitter will be referred to as "beer," and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as "Lager." American brands will be referred to as "Near-Frozen Gnat's Urine," so that all can be sold without risk of further confusion. 16. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as good guys. Hollywood will also be required to cast English actors to play English characters. Watching Andie MacDowell attempt English dialogue in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" was an experience akin to having one's ears removed with a cheese grater. 17. You will cease playing American "football." There is only one kind of proper football; you call it "soccer". Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to play rugby (which has some similarities to American "football", but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like a bunch of nancies). 18. Further, you will stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the "World Series" for a game which is not played outside of America . Since only 2.1% of you are aware that there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable. 19. You must tell us who killed JFK. It's been driving us mad. 20. An internal revenue agent (i.e. tax collector) from Her Majesty's Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all monies due backdated to 1776. Thank you for your co-operation and have a nice day

i cant see that making it over beeches brook