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Al-Sudani discusses trading in digital currencies with JP Morgan Bank PoliticsMuhammad Shiaa Al-SudaniDigital CurrenciesJP Morgan Bank 2024-01-17 // 05:06 Shafaq News / Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani and the Regional CEO of JPMorgan Bank discussed on Wednesday coordinating technical efforts with the Central Bank of Iraq in establishing ideas related to trading digital currencies for central banks. The Prime Minister's media office said, in a statement received by Shafaq News Agency, that the latter "met today, on the sidelines of the Davos Economic Forum in Switzerland, the regional CEO of JPMorgan for the Middle East and North Africa, Khaled Hoballah." He pointed out that "the meeting witnessed a discussion of the prospects for cooperation in the financial fields, and the opening of accounts for Iraqi banks, as well as the possibility of the bank participating in the government's efforts to adopt electronic payment applications in the Iraqi markets." He stated, "Discussions took place in coordinating technical efforts between the Central Bank of Iraq and JP Morgan Bank in establishing ideas related to trading digital currencies for central banks." The Prime Minister indicated, according to the statement, “Iraq’s aspiration towards the Bank’s cooperation with the Iraq Fund for Development, and the financing it targets to finance private sector projects in Iraq, stressing that Iraq is proceeding with financial and banking reform steps, in a way that helps in developing this vital sector.” For his part, Khaled Hoballah expressed JP Morgan's readiness to "strengthen cooperation with Iraq as a government, with the Central Bank of Iraq, and the Iraqi banking sector," stressing the bank's intention, as a first stage, to "open accounts for three private Iraqi banks." https://www.shafaq.com/ar/سیاسة/السوداني-يبحث-مع-بنك-جي-بي-مورغان-تداول-العملات-الرقمية
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An American institute dismantles the Chinese puzzle in Iraq: Beijing's investments are supported by factions loyal to Iran Reports And AnalyticsBreakingChinaUnited States Of AmericaInvestment In Iraq 2023-06-08 // 08:24 Shafaq News / The American "Middle East Institute" considered that China's role is growing in the Iraqi energy sector, and that Chinese companies are in a good position to engage in efforts to expand Iraq's capacity, with its active participation in various energy-related projects. For the dominant player in the Iraqi economy, it would be a target that is likely to be difficult to achieve given Iraq's difficult business and controversial politics. And after confirming the report, which was translated by Shafaq News Agency; He must follow up on whether the roots of China's intervention in Iraq will extend deeper and longer. He noted that if the Iraqi Prime Minister, Muhammad Shia' al-Sudani, is to achieve his declared goals, he must not be satisfied with supporting the coalition supporting his government because of the differences between its parties, and he must also deal with With Muqtada al-Sadr's camp. While the American Institute said that the World Bank estimates that oil revenues constitute more than 99% of Iraq's exports, 85% of the government budget, and 42% of GDP, it indicated that the long-term economic prospects for Iraq are facing challenges due to its lack of diversification. Limited investment, a weak private sector, and rampant corruption. However, since the formation of the Sudanese government, Iraq has moved forward with its plans to increase oil production capacity, develop domestic gas supplies, and repair and expand refineries. The report pointed out that Chinese companies are in a good position to engage in efforts to expand Iraq's energy capacity, adding that oil represents the main pillar of the bilateral relationship between Iraq and China, as China represents about 30% of Iraqi oil exports. China's purchases of oil from Iraq, its third largest supplier, increased by about 50% in 2022 compared to the previous year. Despite this, the report said that China's relations with Iraq in the field of energy extend far beyond trade in oil, as Chinese state-owned energy companies have established a strong foothold in the exploration, production and refining market in Iraq, adding that despite the recent downturn in investment Outside of China's Belt and Road Initiative, China's engagement with Iraq in Iraq has continued to grow, mostly in energy and transportation infrastructure. The report reviewed the major Chinese companies that have been active in Iraq for years, such as the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), the China National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC), and the China Petrochemical Company, indicating that Chinese companies are working to deepen their participation in exploration, production and refining operations in Iraq, and to strengthen Its shares are as in the fields of Al-Ahdab, Rumaila, Halfaya, West Qurna, Al-Hawiza, Al-Sinbad, and others. In addition, the report said that the Chinese presence in the Iraqi energy sector also includes many service companies engaged in exploration and production activities such as drilling, supply, construction of surface facilities, pipelines and field management. He noted that the Chinese company (CPECC) and other Chinese contracting companies maintained positive growth momentum in the past year, as they won 87% of all contracts for oil, gas and energy projects awarded by Iraq, at a value of $3.35 billion. In this context, a Chinese consortium was awarded a contract to develop a refinery in Dhi Qar Governorate and to the state-owned China National Chemical Engineering Corporation (CNCEC) to establish a new integrated refining and petrochemical complex, to be fully funded by the Chinese government, on the Faw Peninsula. The Chinese puzzle in Iraq The report indicated that several factors contributed to the expansion of China's presence in the energy sector in Iraq, adding that Chinese state-owned companies have demonstrated their willingness and ability to take advantage of the reluctance of their Western counterparts to invest in Iraq, and in some cases push to liquidate their assets in Iraq. However, the report saw that controversial policies in Iraq are at least partly responsible for the success achieved by Chinese companies and the obstacles they still face in obtaining shares and undertaking energy-related projects, as control of Iraqi energy wealth was the main point of political infighting among the elite. The report stated that former Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi publicly called for Iraq to look east to get rid of Western influence and portrayed China as a champion of "the peoples of the developing world." He added that the "oil-for-reconstruction" agreement that Abdul-Mahdi concluded with China in mid-2019 sparked controversy, with critics and opponents concerned that the terms of the agreement risked mortgaging the country's heritage and exacerbating corruption and waste. On the other hand, the report said that Mustafa Al-Kazemi, the "consensual candidate" who succeeded Abdul-Mahdi, sought to diversify the energy sector partners in Iraq, adding that during Al-Kazemi's tenure between (May 2020 - October 2022), Iraq rejected several times proposals New Chinese investment amid concerns of Oil Ministry officials that Beijing's tightening control over the oil industry could lead to an acceleration of the migration of Western companies. The report pointed specifically to the joint venture with "Lukoil" to develop the West Qurna-2 field, and the attempt to acquire ExxonMobil's share in the West Qurna-1 field. Also, Iraqi officials persuaded the "British Petroleum" company not to sell its share in the Rumaila oil field to the Chinese National Petroleum Corporation. The report indicated that these dynamics, although evident in all parts of Iraq, appear more clearly in the south, where the contrast between the country's wealth and the destitution of its population is stark and where local political and non-state actors compete for economic resources in service of the network of patronage and regional players. He pointed out that the dispute over the Al-Faw Grand Port project is an example of this, as while the militias allied with Iran, such as Kata’ib Hezbollah and Asaib Ahl al-Haq, called on Chinese companies to win the project, the coalition led by Muqtada al-Sadr al-Din favored the Korean “Daewoo” engineering and construction company. He pointed out that when Daewoo won the contract, pro-Iranian parties and militias mobilized protest demonstrations in Basra and Baghdad. The report added that there are supporters of China in Iraq, including the "Silk Road" coalition in Parliament, in addition to the popular campaign called the People's Movement for the Silk Road, which supports more strong economic relations with China in exchange for Western, Korean and Saudi investments. He added that Chinese economic activities in Iraq are protected by militias allied with Iran. In addition, the report indicated that Al-Sudani, after assuming office, set an ambitious agenda to face the many challenges he inherited, including the need to improve health services and educational facilities, increase electricity production, and enhance job opportunities, in addition to developing policies related to the oil industry, adding that the government Al Sudani got off to a fast start, signing six out of 11 oil and gas sector deals in February, and three other promising developments followed. First, the federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government reached an agreement on oil export and revenue management through the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline, and second, Iraq concluded a deal with the French company "Total Energy" to move forward with the long-delayed multi-billion dollar integrated gas development project. And thirdly, the Qatar Energy Company and the Saudi company ACWA Power were invited. And after the report said; "Iraq is in a good position to benefit from the melting of regional geopolitical tensions resulting from the rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran that Baghdad helped facilitate," he said. Conclusion The report stated that after more than 6 months of his term, the Sudanese government proceeded with its efforts to address economic problems, with energy security at the heart of the agenda, adding that Al-Sudani encouraged the participation of foreign companies in the oil and gas industry. With the activation of the oil-for-reconstruction agreement, Chinese companies deeply involved in the energy sector in Iraq have emerged as a strong competitor. The report added that the principles guiding the Sudanese administration and the restrictions it faces in engaging Chinese and other trading partners were determined by the parties that support his presidency, and they reflect the controversial policies and contradictory compromises that brought him to power, a situation that continues. The report indicated that there is fierce competition between the elite under the surface, adding that the great coalition of the forces of the coordination framework and the Kurdish and Sunni parties that together formed the Sudanese government suffer from fragility, adding that the Shiite parties and factions in the coalition are themselves torn apart by rivalries and tensions. Therefore, the report says that al-Sudani, "in order to rule in line with his declared goals and priorities for the state, must not only maintain the support of this divided coalition, but must deal with al-Sadr's camp, which despite its withdrawal from the political process can mobilize thousands of demonstrators against the government." The report concluded by saying that under these circumstances, it remains to be seen whether the Sudanese administration will perform better than its predecessors, or whether it will be fully able to benefit from oil revenues to improve the welfare of Iraqis instead of enriching the ruling elite, observing whether the roots and branches of interference China in Iraq will extend deeper and longer. https://shafaq.com/ar/تقارير-وتحليلات/معهد-مريكي-يفكك-اللغز-الصيني-في-العراق-استثمارات-بكين-مدعومة-من-الفصا-ل-الموالية-ل-يران
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How Iran Won the Iraq War Iranian soldiers march during the annual military parade marking the anniversary of the outbreak of the devastating 1980-1988 war with Saddam Hussein's Iraq, in the capital Tehran on September 22, 2022. AFP-Getty Images BY FRANK SOBCHAK AND MATTHEW ZAIS MARCH 22, 2023 1:44 PM EDT Sobchak is a retired Army Special Forces Colonel; Zais is a retired Infantry Colonel. Both are West Point graduates and authors of the Army’s History of the Iraq War. As we observe the twentieth anniversary of the Iraq War, which claimed more than 4,600 American lives and countless Iraqis, we must make an honest assessment of the war. The war cost the U.S. trillions, upended Middle East stability, and ultimately benefited Iran’s aggressive and expansionist agenda by capturing much of the political and military institutions in Baghdad and Damascus. Despite its tremendous cost, the war weakened America’s geostrategic position and damaged our national credibility. What can be learned from this calamity? As authors of the U.S. government’s definitive study on the Iraq War, two somewhat conflicting central points stand out. First, the war should never have occurred. Second, once the war began, it should not have been abandoned without leaving behind a stable Iraq, even if that meant staying for years. Invading Iraq in 2003 was strategic folly and one of the worst foreign policy decisions in the history of the Republic. Tainted and inaccurate intelligence provided justification for disarming Saddam Hussein of weapons of mass destruction that didn’t exist. Pretending that Iraq could be the hearth for democracy in the Middle East or that it was abetting Al Qaeda terrorists were similar delusions. But the decision to invade defied an even larger truth, one that was clear even before the war. Iraq provided a physical and practical buffer to Iran, a country that few disputed had an active weapons of mass destruction program in 2003 and which has consistently demonstrated the intent to use such a capability alongside its terrorist objectives. Iran, which regularly calls for the destruction of the U.S. and actively supports our enemies, was the larger and clearer threat to our interests both then and now. Regime change in Iraq destroyed a status quo that, by extension, benefitted the U.S. In essence, Iraq’s geostrategic position in 2003 helped regional security by focusing Iran’s attention and resources next door. In addition to this geopolitical damage, the preemptive invasion, conducted without U.N. Security Council authorization and on the basis of dubious intelligence, squandered our international standing and goodwill, which was abundant in the wake of 9/11. Once the invasion occurred and Iraq’s security forces evaporated those same considerations should have driven U.S. policy to restore the country’s stability, vis-à-vis Iran. The region represents a vital strategic interest for the U.S., as does blocking the expansion of Iranian influence. Unfortunately, the U.S. chose to ignore this reality and when politically expedient, withdrew from Iraq and hoped for the best. Beyond the error of the initial invasion, withdrawing was nearly as significant a strategic error, placing Iraq’s future into the hands of a corrupt and sectarian Prime Minister who was intent to establish Shia domination and Iranian alignment. While Iraq’s condition had improved significantly since 2003, sufficient signs existed in 2011 that progress was fragile. Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki’s sectarianism and authoritarianism, toxic components that would lead to further destruction of Iraq, had been on full display and reported to Washington. Iraq, shattered by decades of war, sanctions, and corruption, needed longer to heal and needed American help to prevent an Iranian takeover. Although we had decided that we were done with Iraq and all its associated challenges, Iraq wasn’t done with us. American strategic myopia enabled Maliki’s government to kill or disenfranchise Sunnis and financially isolate the Kurds, paving the way for the rise of ISIS and a return of U.S. forces. We are still in Iraq today, and still without a status of forces agreement that was used for political cover to end our military presence in 2011. But today’s Iraq looks very different. Iranian-backed militias, on the Iraqi payroll, now outnumber the Iraqi Army. The Ministry of Defense now includes officers and generals who are designated terrorists. Iranian aligned militias have captured state resources through political representation in Parliament and by controlling key posts in lucrative ministries. Iran’s influence now waxes in an uninterrupted arc from Tehran to the Mediterranean, traipsing across Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. Retaining U.S. forces in Iraq would have been a difficult decision for a war weary America. But a residual force that was closely tied to key political objectives and aimed at reducing Iranian influence could have prevented the treacherous strategic situation we face today: Iraq as a broken and devastated nation, serving as a base and transit point for Iranian forces. Luckily, the U.S. retains some tools to steer Iraq to a more constructive and stable future. The U.S. can impose high economic costs on the Iraqi military and government to remove Iran-backed terrorists from its payroll, withhold U.S. banknote transfers that inexplicably continue despite their laundering by Iran, and remove sanctions waivers so Iraq can free itself from an artificial energy dependence on Iran. And perhaps most importantly, the U.S. must militarily deter Iran so that it retracts rather than expands its regional aggression. Only these measures are likely to reverse the tailspin of Iraq’s perilous future, a future that we set in motion twenty years ago. https://time.com/6265077/how-iran-won-the-iraq-war/
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Gulf Cup: Iraq draws closer to Arab Neighbours 5th January 2023 in Leisure and Tourism in Iraq, Politics / Iraq Business News From Amwaj Media. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Gulf Cup gives Iraq chance to draw closer to Arab neighbors Iraq is about to embark on a new chapter in its sporting history. From 6th-19th January, Basra will host the 25th edition of the Arabian Gulf Cup (AGC), a biennial football tournament amongst Gulf Arab states. Iraq will be the venue of a major international football competition for the first time since it both hosted and won the AGC in 1979. Eight regional teams-Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen-will participate in the tournament. Matches will take place at the Basra International Stadium and the Al-Minaa Olympic Stadium (pictured), venues with capacities of 65,000 and 30,000 spectators respectively. https://www.iraq-businessnews.com/2023/01/05/gulf-cup-iraq-draws-closer-to-arab-neighbours/
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Iraq's Population Exceeds 42 Million 5th January 2023 in Iraq Industry & Trade News - By John Lee. Iraq's Ministry of Planning has announced new population data for Iraq. According to its Central Statistical Organization (CSO), Iraq's total estimated population of Iraq is now 42,248,883 -- an increase of 2.5 percent on the previous year. Males account for 50.5 percent, females 49.5 percent; Births during the past year were 1,310,894; Deaths were 236,469; 40.5 percent are under the age of 15 years; The percentage of those of working age (15-64 years) is 56.5 percent; The percentage aged 65 years and over fell to a low of 3.1 percent; Life expectancy at birth is 74.5 years -- 72.5 years for males and 76.6 years for females; 69.9 percent live in urban areas, 30.1 percent in rural areas; 9 million people -- 21.3 percent of the total -- live in Baghdad governorate. (Source: Ministry of Planning) https://www.iraq-businessnews.com/2023/01/05/iraqs-population-exceeds-42-million/
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Link: https://oilprice.com/Energy/Crude-Oil/Is-OPECs-No2-Finally-Complying-With-Output-Cuts.html Article: Is OPEC’s No.2 Finally Complying With Output Cuts? By Tsvetana Paraskova - Jun 09, 2020, 10:00 AM CDT Join Our Community OPEC’s second-largest producer, Iraq, which also happens to be the least compliant member of OPEC+ since the group started managing supply to the market in 2017, may have finally started taking its obligations seriously. Iraq’s State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO) has asked some of the Asian buyers of its Basrah crude grades if they could give up delivery of some already contracted cargoes for loading this month and next, sources familiar with the matter told Bloomberg News on Tuesday. The request for buyers to forgo some cargoes for those months suggests that this time, Iraq may be earnest in its attempt to play ball in the OPEC+ production cuts, after being the biggest cheater in all previous pacts. Iraq’s (as well as Nigeria’s) non-compliance with the record OPEC+ cuts in May nearly wrecked last week’s meeting of the pact, ahead of which the two leaders of the group, Saudi Arabia and Russia, had insisted that there would be an extension by one month to the current level of cuts only if laggards in compliance ensured over-compliance going forward to compensate for flouting their quotas so far. OPEC+ agreed on Saturday to extend the record production cuts of 9.7 million bpd by one month through the end of July, contingent on all countries in the pact complying 100 percent with their quotas and compensating for lack of compliance by overachieving in the cuts in July, August, and September. Before the meeting, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister and then-acting Oil Minister, Ali Allawi, vowed that his country would further reduce production as it remains committed to the OPEC+ pact. At the video news conference following the OPEC+ meeting, Saudi Arabia’s Energy Minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, emphatically said on Monday that “We have no room whatsoever for lack of conformity.” Today, Iraq’s new Oil Minister, Ihsan Abdul Jabbar Ismaael, confirmed in a phone call with his Saudi counterpart Iraq’s “full commitment” to the cuts, OPEC said in a press release on Tuesday. Iraq confirms “its commitment to the voluntary oil production adjustments of June and July 2020, as well as the voluntary adjustments for the period following the end of July, despite the economic and financial challenges,” Ismaael told the Saudi energy minister. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com
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China: America is the most serious threat to world peace Internationals 2019-12-11 | 07:24 813 views Today, Wednesday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman described the United States as "the most serious threat to world peace," noting that Washington continues to fabricate charges against other countries. Chun Ying said, in press statements, that the United States is doing this to start wars around the world, so the United States poses a great threat to international peace and security. And this week, The Washington Post revealed testimonies and statements by American officials indicating that the US government was hiding the truth from the war in Afghanistan, and contradicted what the US presidents and military leaders announced that they had made progress in Afghanistan and that there was a requirement to enter into this war. . What the newspaper disclosed is a slap in the face for American officials advocating for human rights, according to a spokeswoman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, but only reveals the visible portion of the floating iceberg. Ying said that the United States took allegations of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq as a pretext for directing military strikes in this country, which led to tens of thousands of casualties and the displacement of many Iraqis. Later the United States recognized that this pretext was fabricated and that evidence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq’s possession was washing powder. Finally, the United States used the proofs of the White Helmets evidence of "chemical attacks" in Syria as an excuse to direct air strikes in this country, which led to many casualties and the displacement of many. Hua Chun Ying pointed out that the United States is still fabricating the charges in order to start wars around the world, and thus has become the most serious threat to international peace and security and has also become the most serious violation of human rights.
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Iraq-Saudi border crossing to reopen after nearly 30 years A signpost close to the Arar border crossing between Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Photo: AFP ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — An Iraq-Saudi Arabia border crossing is set to reopen after nearly three decades of closure, Iraq’s border crossing department announced on Thursday. A meeting held between Iraqi and Saudi border authorities at the Arar crossing set October 15 as a test period for its reopening, a department statement said. Anbar provincial council member Amira Odaie spoke to Rudaw on Thursday about the meeting. “Early on Thursday morning, Iraq’s border crossing department met with their Saudi Arabian counterparts to discuss the opening of Arar crossing border, in order to boost trades and tourism between the two countries,” Odaie said. Opening the Arar crossing will also provide job opportunities to Anbar province’s young people currently suffering from high rates of unemployment, she added. Graphic: Mohammed Alsafar | Rudaw English, Maps4news Arar crossing closed back in 1991, when relations between the two countries deteriorated after then-president Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait. Iraq-Saudi relations were further damaged under former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s tenure. Rapprochement between the two began in 2015, when Saudi Arabia reopened their Baghdad embassy after 25 years of closure. A Saudi-Iraqi Coordination Council was established in October 2017 with the aim of strengthening relations between the two countries. Vying for influence in the country over regional rival Iran, Saudi Arabia opened a consulate in Baghdad in April 2019 after a visit from a 100-person Saudi delegation, including nine ministers. Riyadh pledged $1.5 billion in loans to Iraq during the trip. Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi visited Saudi Arabia later that month, when the two countries signed 13 deals in the fields of political consultation, investment promotion and protection, agriculture, energy, electricity, and higher education. The Arar border crossing currently opens once a year, to allow Iraqi pilgrims to enter Saudi Arabia to perform the Islamic rite of Hajj. Link: https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/12092019
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This only from my research and opinion about Iraq economic. It’s hard for me to explain because English is not my native language. I found an article in French about economic and dinar is so interesting but it’s so bad I’m not fluent in the French language but I'm good analytical thinking. .My opinions 1) Iraq will focus crude oil as main of export in their country to give positive for them GDP because Iraq has much debt in the country, not external debt( financial report 2017). Because debt/GDP is the best measure of an economy’s capacity to handle debt, as long as the economy is growing faster than debt, the debt will fall relative to GDP. exporters become more competitive in a global market. Exports are encouraged while imports are discouraged. There should be some caution, however, for two reasons. First, as the demand for a country's exported goods increases worldwide, the price will begin to rise, normalizing the initial effect of the devaluation. The second is that as other countries see this effect at work, they will be incentivized to devalue their own currencies in kind in a so-called "race to the bottom." This can lead to *** for tat currency wars and lead to unchecked inflation. ( We will through revalue and peg with dollar and devaluation when inflation is less. 2) The value of money depends on confidence in the future of the economy and politics, of production and productivity, as the analyzes of the classics of economics on "value" have shown. That'S why we cannot see revalue if Iraq doesn’t solve politic issues.( Sadr is the point to get revalue dinar) 3) IRAQ having been forced to sell a fraction of its foreign exchange reserves in dollars to support its currency. (auction) 4) Iraq needs to revalue their currency to support foreign exchange reserves the function is to maintain liquidity in case of an economic crisis. For example, a flood or volcano might temporarily suspend local exporters' ability to produce goods. That cuts off their supply of foreign currency to pay for imports. In that case, the central bank can exchange its foreign currency for their local currency, allowing them to pay for and receive the imports.
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Trump gives Pentagon more flexibility on Iraq, Syria troops Associated Press 10:15 p.m Wednesday, April 26, 2017 National & World News NATION & WORLD Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford talks as they walk from an all Senators briefing on the situation in the Koreas, Wednesday, April 26, 2017, at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex in Washington. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) WASHINGTON The White House is giving the Pentagon greater flexibility to determine the number of U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria, in another move by President Donald Trump to shift greater power to his military leaders. The decision will give Defense Secretary Jim Mattis the authority to send more forces into Syria, to assist U.S.-backed local troops as they move to retake Raqqa from the Islamic State group, which has used the city as a de facto capital. It will also let him adjust the force numbers in Iraq, in the ongoing fight to oust IS from Mosul and stabilize it as the rebuilding begins. The Pentagon has already been making quiet, incremental additions to the troop levels in both countries in recent months, adding hundreds of Marines in Syria to provide artillery support, and sending more advisers into Iraq to work with units closer to the fight in Mosul. Those moves were done with White House approval, but without any formal adjustment to the longstanding troop caps that had been set by the Obama administration. Dana White, chief spokesperson for the Pentagon, said Wednesday that Mattis has not made any changes yet to the current authorized force levels. Under the Obama White House, military leaders chafed about micromanagement that forced commanders to get approvals for routine tactical decisions and personnel moves, and provide justification for any troops sent into war zones. Commanders have argued that they should be able to determine troop deployments based on the military capabilities they believe are needed at any given time. The new authority will provide greater transparency about the actual number of U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria after several years of public confusion about the accurate totals. Under the Obama-mandated caps, the U.S. was limited to 503 officially deployed troops in Syria, and 5,262 in Iraq. The Pentagon, however, has closer to 7,000 in Iraq, and hundreds more than the cap in Syria, but doesn't count them because they are on temporary duty or not counted under specific personnel rules. The change, however, could trigger concerns — particularly in Iraq, where there are political sensitivities about the footprint of American and coalition troops and fears about occupation forces. Officials worry that if they publicly acknowledge there are thousands more troops there, it could fuel opposition and problems for the Iraqi government. Trump's decision applies only to the two countries, and so far does not affect Afghanistan, although that change has also been discussed. "This does not represent a change in our mission in Iraq and Syria to defeat ISIS," said White, using another name for the Islamic State group. She said the U.S. will continue to work through and with local forces, but giving Mattis the authority to make troop-level decisions will allow commanders to be "more agile, adaptive and efficient in supporting our partners, and enables decisions that benefit unit readiness, cohesion and lethality." She added that the change will allow the Pentagon be more open with Congress and the public.
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Prophecy of Babylon in the last days The Apostle John was given a peek into the future. He wrote it down and it is called the Book of Revelation. In it, John, describes the condition of Babylon in the last days and how its rise affected the whole world. Revelation 18:16:“…That great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!” 18:18 “…What city is like unto this great city!” 18:19 “Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich….” 18:23 “…Thy merchants were the great men of the earth…” It is prophesied that Iraq will be rich once again and will make all kings, nations, and merchants rich because of her riches. Revelation 18:3 “For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.” 18:9 “And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her…” 18:15 “The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her…” It even describes Babylon’s(Iraq) exports and ISX, (Iraqi Stock Exchange). Rev. 18:12-13: “The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, and cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.” We are now standing at the edge of the beginnings of these things. Those of us who hold the Iraqi Dinar are about to enjoy the blessing of that which “hath been” becoming that which “shall be”. The Children of GOD who are invested in this incredible last days blessing will be made rich along with unbelievers who are also invested. “It rains on the good and bad alike.” And this is okay, as long as we use this miracle of wealth for the Glory of GOD and with the wisdom HE gives us. That is not to say GOD does not want us to enjoy it, but “Seek HIM and HIS Kingdom first” with it, and “All these things shall be added unto you”. Know also there will be a time when GOD calls HIS children out of Iraq and the things of it. Rev. 18:4: “Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins…” GOD has provided for us to be apart of this blessing, while at the same time staying out of the “fornications” of this world. Just like the Children of Israel being given the “Promised Land”, GOD warned them not to become like the peoples that were living there. This will be a GREAT Blessing, and it is a Blessing from GOD. Know this. GOD does not Bless us with a curse, and does not curse us with a blessing. However, it is up to us how we use it. It is up to us if we give the enemy, the devil a hand in it. We can allow the enemy to steal it from us, or we can plant it in “GOOD” ground and reap an hundred fold. Gen. 26:12: “Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the SAME year an hundredfold and the LORD blessed him.” The LORD longs to bless us the same way. We are HIS Children. Enjoy this Blessing and know that GOD has foreseen it for such a time as this and has chosen us to be a part of it. 11
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4 – Significant Bronze Age city discovered in Northern Iraq Archaeologists from the University of Tübingen perform excavation work just 45 kilometers from IS territory – the settlement may have been an outpost of the Akkadian Empire. Archeologists from the Institute for Ancient Near Eastern Studies (IANES) at the University of Tübingen have uncovered a large Bronze Age city not far from the town of Dohuk in northern Iraq. The excavation work has demonstrated that the settlement, which is now home to the small Kurdish village of Bassetki in the Autonomous Region of Kurdistan, was established in about 3000 BC and was able to flourish for more than 1200 years. The archaeologists also discovered settlement layers dating from the Akkadian Empire period (2340-2200 BC), which is regarded as the first world empire in human history. Find out more Excavating the eastern slope of the upper part of Bassetki, where several fragments of Assyrian cuneiform tablets were discovered. Photo: P. Pfälzner http://www.heritagedaily.com/2016/12/top-10-archaeological-discoveries-of-2016/113678
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Washington (AFP) - Before blowing up a jihadist cash hoard in Iraq, the US military warned bystanders of an impending strike by using a Hellfire missile to deliver the wartime equivalent of a doorknock, an official said Tuesday. It was the first time the Pentagon has conducted a "knock operation" in Iraq and Syria, and the inspiration came from watching the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) pioneer the controversial tactic in Gaza, Major General Peter Gersten said. The Baghdad-based commander told Pentagon reporters that ahead of the strike on a cash-storage facility on April 5 in Mosul, the military learned that a woman, children and other "non-combatants" also were using the building.He said the United States aims to avoid civilian casualties, and in this instance decided to warn occupants by exploding a missile just above the roof. "We went as far as actually to put a Hellfire on top of the building and air burst it so it wouldn't destroy the building, simply knock on the roof to ensure that she and the children were out of the building," he said. "Then we proceeded with our operations." Ultimately, the woman died anyway because she ran back just after US forces launched bombs to blow it up. "Much as we tried to do exactly what we wanted to do and minimize civilian casualties, post-weapons release, she actually ran back into the building," Gersten said. "That's ... very difficult for us to watch." Gersten said several men had also fled the building. He did not say if they were IS jihadists. "The men that were in that building, multiple men, literally trampled over her to get out," he said. The coalition has carried out about 20 strikes on IS cash, blowing up as much as $800 million worth of cash in the process, Gersten said. Critics of the 20-month-old US-led coalition attacking the IS group in Iraq and Syria say the military is overly cautious in avoiding civilian casualties. In a move ridiculed by hawkish opponents in the US Congress and privately by some coalition partners, pilots dropped pamphlets before bombing trucks ferrying illicit oil around Syria for the IS group. The IDF has for years warned occupants of buildings suspected of housing Hamas weapons to get out by "roof knocking." The technique has drawn sharp criticism. Observers say occupants are sometimes killed in the warning strike, or even run up to their rooftops to see what happened -- only to be killed in the follow-up strike. http://tinyurl.com/h383aaa PS: And let's say a prayer, not only for the woman who died, but her family and all those who died anyway. ~ Peace Out
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Is this President O's big legacy? If this is true, how will it affect the RV? https://www.superstation95.com/index.php/world/884 Russia will have no choice but to use Tactical (Battlefield) Nuclear Weapons to defend Syria once a ground invasion begins within 18 days, by 350,000 troops, 20,000 Tanks, 2,450 military planes and 460 Helicopters from 25 countries massing in northern Saudi Arabia. Syria has warned "any aggressor entering the country will go home in wooden coffins;" Russia has said "any country sending ground troops into Syria without permission will be considered a declaration of war." Thousands of soldiers from regional countries are set to participate in what is being "called" a military "exercise" media reports say. Saudi media said some 350,000 forces from Persian Gulf Arab states and a number of other countries will take part in a Saudi-led military maneuver in the area of Hafer al-Batin in northern Saudi Arabia. In addition to the massive troop build-up, some 2,540 warplanes, 20,000 tanks and 460 helicopters will also participate in the "exercise," dubbed “North Thunder.” The "exercise" is scheduled to last 18 days, during which the airspace over northern Saudi Arabia will be closed. Media reports say the "exercise" will be the largest in the history of the region. However, SuperStation95 has done research and there is no known example of this much military power being massed for an "exercise" . . . anywhere . . . ever. It seems quite obvious to any thinking person that the notion of an "exercise" is fraudulent on its face; this is an invasion force and when it moves, it will mean war. Egypt, Sudan, Pakistan and Persian Gulf Arab states are among the 25 countries that will also take part in the "exercises." The maneuver comes at a sensitive time after Saudi Arabia announced readiness to participate in any ground incursion in Syria if the US-led coalition decides to start such an operation. (Gee, what a coincidence.) Saudi Arabia is a member of the US-led coalition that has been conducting air raids inside Syria. The airstrikes have been going on without any authorization from the Syrian government or a UN mandate since September 2014. The Saudi "exercise" is believed as preparation for a possible ground incursion into Syria. Reacting to the troop deployment, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem said Saturday, “Let no one think they can attack Syria or violate its sovereignty because I assure you any aggressor will return to their country in a wooden coffin.” Pavel Krasheninnikov, a deputy of Russia’s State Duma, has warned Saudi Arabia that any military ground operation in Syria without Damascus’ consent would amount to a declaration of war. WHY NOW? The civil war which has been wrecking Syria for the past several years has been funded and backed by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United States and other countries. Months ago, when Russia entered the fray to protect their ally, Syria, the Russians began impacting the rebels in a big way. Within the last week, it became very clear that the rebel/ISIS stronghold in Alleppo, Syria would be surrounded and cut-off by the Russians and the Syrian Arab Army. Once Alleppo is liberated by the legitimate Syrian government, the entire rebel effort will collapse. That's why this past weekend, Saudi Arabia publicly floated the "offer" of providing 150,000 ground troops for a "U.S. lead invasion force to enter Syria to fight ISIS." Trouble is that ISIS is part of the rebel effort and the Saudis, Qataris' Turks and the USA all knew it. If the Saudis, Qataris, Turks and USA enter with ground troops, it will NOT be to "fight ISIS" but rather will be to protect the rebels! US Defense Secretary Ash Carter publicly replied that the Saudis had a good idea and he would take it up with our other allies. But if Alleppo falls, then the final holdout of the terrorists and rebels, a city called Raqqa, will fall as well and at that point, the civil war is over and the bad guys will have lost. As of tonight, February 10, 2016, Alleppo is now surrounded and cut-off. The Saudis are getting desperate to help their rebel/terrorist buddies. The only way the Saudis, Qataris, Turks and USA can possibly _hope_ to protect their rebel pals is to enter in such massive force, they overwhelm the Russians. This triggers another problem: Russia has a doctrine of using tactical nuclear weapons FIRST to protect their interests and their territory. TACTICAL NUKES MUST BE USED - NO OTHER CHOICE During the Cold War, when the old Soviet Union posed an invasion threat to western Europe, NATO's war plan called for NATO to use tactical nuclear weapons FIRST to stop the . . . 20,000 Russian tanks and overwhelming troops. The same way NATO knew that's the only way to stop 20,000 tanks and several hundred thousand man invasion force, the Russians know it too! And the Russians will be FORCED to use tactical nukes in order to protect Syria. As soon as those troops and tanks begin to cross into Syria, the Russian S-300 and S-400 missiles will begin taking-out the 2,450 military planes and 460 helicopters. The S-400 is probably the single most advanced anti-aircraft system in the world and the aggressor jets will drop like flies. But when the 350,000 troops and 20,000 tanks start crossing the border, the ONLY solution for the Syrians and the Russians will be to use tactical nukes. Perhaps those artillery-launched nukes would be fired inside Syria, but they would detonate on the border with Jordan, or Iraq (wherever the troops are entering from) and the wind will start carrying the fallout deeper into those countries. Perhaps the nukes would be fired into Saudi Arabia itself (because that's where the mass of troops is coming from.) Either way, the Arabs do not seem to realize who they are dealing with. Russia is a nuclear super power. Russia will NOT allow itself to be over-run or humiliated in Syria. Russia will do what Russia HAS to do; and an awful lot of Arab troops, who were lead down the primrose path by the US who is probably telling them they have nothing to worry about, will find out what it's like to see a sudden, bright, white flash, as their troops get vaporized. The U.S. will not strike Russia back on behalf of the Arabs, because the US knows Russia would then start launching missiles into the US heartland. The Arabs will have been lead down the road to utter destruction, by a US President whose allegiance is questionable. Is he Sunni . . . . or is he Shia? Has anyone bothered to verify it? He certainly gave Iran a sweetheart nuclear deal. Iran is Shia, isn't it? HERE IS HOW THIS WILL BE PRESENTED TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE Right now, the mass media in the US is totally silent about how close we are to war. This is by design. When the Saudis and their pals begin the invasion and the Syrians and Russians are FORCED to use tactical nukes to stop them, the American people will suddenly be told "Russia has just attacked our ally, Saudi Arabia, with nuclear weapons. We must enter to defend our allies!" The American people, kept blissfully ignorant of who really started this and why, will say to themselves, "My God, those filthy bastards used nukes . . . .let's get em!" . . . . . and off to war we go. Obama - if he is Shia - would then achieve another goal: destroying "the Great Satan" as Iran has called us! So we in the US have to ask ourselves, is Obama a Christian - as he has claimed - or is he a Muslim as many have said? And again, if he is Muslim, is he Sunni or is he Shia? We need only look at the sweetheart deal he gave to Iran to get a very good idea of the actual answer! DIVERT ATTENTION FROM ECONOMIC COLLAPSE The reason this is going to take place is simple: The government in the US, and those in Europe, need a DIVERSION to shift the public's attention away from the coming economic collapse. Right now, banks throughout Europe are on the edge of collapse from their bad loans, speculation and corruption. In Germany, for instance, Deutsch Bank has seen more than fifty percent (50%) of its stock value get wiped out, with 40% of that fall since January 1. People are pulling money out in droves. The banks are becoming unstable. If (or when) Deutsch Bank collapses, they are exposed to "Derivatives" worth $50 TRILLION. When the bank fails, the $50 TRILLION hits the rest of the banks and they collapse too. In the USA, the "too big to fail" banks are now also heading into collapse because instead of changing when they needed bailouts in 2008, they kept right on doing what they were doing! Now they are all bigger and in worse debt! The governments do not have the credit or the cash to bail out the banks again, so when the banks go under -- and they will -- the governments need to divert people's attention from the fact that their life savings and retirement moneys have been wiped out; and a "limited nuclear war" is just what they need to shift people's attention away from losing their life savings! IT MAY ALREADY BE TOO LATE We may not be able to stop what's coming, but we have to at least TRY. There does not have to be a war. There is no reason or legitimate interest, in overthrowing the government of Syria and we are backing the bad guys if we continue trying to do that. If we allow Saudi Arabia and their Muslim buddies to go into Syria, it absolutely, positively will result in immediate war with Russia, and the Saudis are massing so much firepower and armor that the only way Russia can defend Syria is to use tactical nukes. Once that happens, the US will get sucked-in and our children will be sent to fight and die . . . . all as a diversion from the economic collapse caused by greedy bankers and inept politicians. Please post links to this article via FACEBOOK, TWITTER, Google+, Pinterest, Instagram, Craig's List and whatever bulletin boards or forums you frequent. We HAVE to get the word out about what is taking place so our fellow citizens are not blind-sided by a war that does not have to take place. Time is of the essence. There are only a maximum of 18 days left before it all goes to hell, and it may happen sooner than that. Update: Saudi’s decision to send troops to Syria in an attempt to bolster and toughen efforts against militants is “final,” the spokesman of the Saudi-led coalition force in Yemen announced on Thursday. Brig. Gen. Ahmed Al-Assiri, said that Riyadh is “ready” and will fight with its U.S.-led coalition allies to defeat ISIS militants in Syria, however, he said Washington is more suitable to answer questions on further details about any future ground operations. “We are representing Saudi’s [decision] only” in sending troops, he said.
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Iraq's about to plunge off a fiscal cliff — and the consequences could be dire From Business Insider The plunge in oil prices is already having far-reaching effects on countries whose economies are dependent on oil exports. But in Iraq, the stakes of cheap oil are even higher than in Saudi Arabia, which is instituting unprecedented taxation and austerity, or in Nigeria, which isnow asking for an $11 billionWorld Bank loan. What little remains of Iraq's government and social order might collapse if oil remains in its current price trough — with dire consequences. According to a Monday AFP report, Iraq is now selling oil at half of the country's apparent fiscal break-even price. Right now, Iraq is selling its oil at around $22 a barrel, half of what it would need to fetch for the country to be able to fund the upcoming year of government budgetary obligations, the report said. United Nations Joint Analysis UnitIraqi government revenue by year, divided by oil and non-oil sources. But Iraq's situation is actually even worse. As recently as the 2014 fiscal year, Iraq was formulating its national budget on the assumption that oil would remain at around $90 a barrel and that the country's oil exports would continue to climb (which they have). Iraqi government revenue experienced dramatic annual increases between 2009 and 2013, almost entirely because of oil (see the chart on the left). That's all over, now that oil is expected to stay under $40 a barrel through the end of the year. Though Iraqi oil is comparatively cheap to extract, it also contains unusually high levels of sulfur, meaning that it typically sells for around 10% less than Brent crude, the global price benchmark. The Iraqi government is still making money pumping oil — just not nearly enough to fund the country's anticipated national budget. Such a daunting fiscal cliff would be challenging for a stable or politically coherent country. But it's potentially disastrous in a place like Iraq, where the majority of territory is split between the terrorist group ISIS and the Kurdistan Regional Government. Even the areas still under some semblance of federal control are fought over by a constellation of militia groups with ties to recognized political parties. Ali Khedery, the CEO of Dubai-based Dragoman Partners, a former adviser to US Central Command, and a former Exxon executive with extensive on-the-ground experience in Iraq, warned that cheap oil threatens the country's last remaining semblance of order. "You are looking at a significant possibility of state collapse due to civil unrest," he told Business Insider. RNGS ReutersTerritorial control of Iraq as of January 22nd, 2016. ISF refers to the Iraqi Security Forces, the state's official uniform military. Cheap oil will eat into the Iraqi state's ability to continue fighting ISIS, which still controls Mosul, the country's second-largest city. And it could have an alarming effect on the patronage, corruption, and militancy that buoys the already dysfunctional Iraqi state. As Khedery explained to Business Insider, the number of Iraqi government employees is believed to have shot up from around 850,000 at the time of the US-led invasion in 2003 to more than 2.5 million by early 2015. It's a revealing statistic, considering Iraq's transition from a strong, centralized state under Saddam Hussein to a loose and often-violent federation under its current system. Khedery said that people were added to government rolls because of family, sectarian, or tribal connections. Some officials would pocket money through "ghost job" scams, embezzling salaries from employees that didn't actually exist. Some of the government's oil revenues would go towards militias with ties to official Iraqi political parties — organizations like the powerful Badr Group. "Why did the number of government employees go up 200%? The reason is that Iraq is a kleptocracy built on systemic corruption and patronage as a means of buying votes," Khedery told Business Insider. As a result, Iraq has little ability to hedge against against a plunge in oil prices. "Unlike Russia or Saudi, which have hundreds of billions in hard currency reserves and trillions in assets and state owned entities, Iraq is insolvent and bankrupt," he said. In a price crunch, Saudi Arabia has the option of selling off chunks of Saudi Aramco, itsperhaps multi-trillion-dollar state oil concern — which is exactly what Riyadh is reportedly planning on doing. Russia is a major gas exporter, and has a more-diversified economy than many other rentier states. Iraq, on the other hand, has little to show for the nearly half-trillion dollars in oil-export revenue the country received just in the decade after the 2003 invasion. It's largely been stolen, or dispensed to militia groups. The Brookings InstitutionIraq's oil export revenues in the decade after the 2003 US-led invasion of the country. As Khedery explained, an Iraqi "hard landing" has some alarming ramifications. A plunge in federal revenue would only harden the division between Baghdad-administered Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government, which already has is own oil ministry, government, and security apparatus, and which sells more than 600,000 barrels of oil a day independently of Baghdad. In addition to hastening the country's breakup, a budget plunge would also badly destabilize Basra, the southern export point for the vast majority of Iraq's oil. The city has already seen increases in violence between Shi'ite militia groups that the federal government has been unable to disarm. Once organizations like Khataib Hezbollah, Jaysh al-Mahdi, and Asaib Ahl al-Haq see their bottom line threatened, the city on which much of the Iraqi economy is dependent could begin to erupt. "The militias are going to start turning on the state, and they're going to start turning on each other," Khedery told Business Insider. "They're basically vultures who feasted on ethno-sectarian hatreds and high oil prices and patronage. And now they're going to have to start fighting each other for the scraps as the oil-funded pie has shrunk by more than 80%."
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Over the last two weeks, Russia has been destroying the “living pipeline” that has allowed Turkey to steal tens of millions of barrels of Syrian crude oil, much of it at peak market prices, while only paying their ISIS allies a pittance. This process isn’t new. Turkey did this all during the Bush era, having cut a deal with US “manager” Paul Bremmer, a deal VT insiders helped manage for Bremmer and that I was witness to personally. The game involved playing [baghdad, Iraq] against [E(I)rbil, Iraq In The Kurdistan Region] and bleeding off oil revenues from the Kirkuk Oil Fields, largest oil reserves in the world, as they moved by pipeline through Kurdistan and into Turkey. PoliticalVel Craft
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By Tim Lister and Nick Paton Walsh, A push to take back the Iraqi town of Sinjar from ISIS by Peshmerga forces has begun, the Kurdistan Region Security Council said Thursday. "Operation Free Sinjar will include up to 7,500 Peshmerga from three fronts to cordon off Sinjar city, take control of ISIL's strategic supply routes and establish a significant buffer zone to protect the city and its inhabitants from incoming artillery," the council statement said. Coalition warplanes will provide close air support to Peshmerga forces throughout the operation, it said. The world watched in horror last year as some 50,000 Yazidis scrambled up Mount Sinjar in northern Iraq to escape the ISIS onslaught. About 5,000 men and boys in Sinjar and nearby villages were massacred, according to U.N. estimates, while teenage girls and women were sold into slavery. Since then, Sinjar has become a chaotic jumble of demolished buildings whose only inhabitants are a few hundred ISIS fighters facing off against small detachments of Kurdish Peshmerga forces. But an operation to retake the town has been looming. Now, some 5,000 Yazidi fighters have been mobilized under the command of the Kurdish Peshmerga to take the battle to ISIS. Most are farmers; a very few have military experience. In Snuny, Iraq, a village that sits in the shadow of Mount Sinjar, Peshmerga forces have set up camp and Yazidi civilians have started to return home. Speaking to CNN last week, they vowed to take back Sinjar and exact revenge on ISIS. And this month, the tempo of airstrikes against ISIS positions in and around the town has picked up. Sinjar matters existentially to the Yazidis, but it's also important in the wider effort to defeat ISIS. The artery that passes through the town links Mosul -- ISIS' prized possession -- with cities it holds in Syria. Cutting this route is big one step toward dividing the "caliphate" that ISIS claims it is establishing. But the road also carries badly needed supplies to the 1.5 million people who still live in Mosul, where prices are rising and activists report hunger. Before the push to retake Sinjar began, Kurdish fighters said they knew it wouldn't be easy. Peshmerga commanders have estimated some 300 ISIS fighters are still inside Sinjar and likely plan to die there. They believe they will encounter hundreds of landmines and booby traps. http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/11/middleeast/iraq-free-sinjar-isis/index.html
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The UN Security Council on Wednesday extended for another year the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) and expressed its intention to review the operation’s mandate in 12 months or sooner, if requested by the Iraqi Government. Adopting a resolution, the Council extended UNAMI’s mandate through 31 July 2016, and, in line with the recommendations in the Secretary-General’s latest report to revise and prioritize the Mission’s tasks, requested the UN chief, in full consultations with the Iraqi Government, to report back with further details within the next 90 days. In the report, the Secretary-General describes a UN strategic assessment mission conducted from 21 to 29 April. Based on an overview of the current situation in Iraq as a point of departure, as well as extensive consultation with the Iraqi authorities and key national and international partners on the ground, the strategic assessment mission report endeavoured to look beyond the current crisis and to provide recommendations for UN strategy and configuration in Iraq in the next several years. The Secretary-General noted that while the current mandate of UNAMI would benefit from some streamlining, any changes to the mandate be made in full consultation with the Iraqi Government in order to complement its priorities. To that end, his recommendations included, among others, for UNAMI to maintain its focus on political good offices, as well as to facilitate humanitarian assistance, enhance mission activities in human rights and the rule of law and play a support role in specialized areas such as electoral assistance, and stabilization activities in areas liberated from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). In the resolution adopted today, the Security Council noted that the presence of ISIL on Iraq’s territory is “a major threat” to the country’s future, and underscored that the only way to address such a threat is for all Iraqis to work together by addressing both security and political concerns. The long-term solution to instability, the Council stressed, will require Iraq’s political leadership to make decisions that will united the country. The Council emphasized the support of the international community in this regard. http://www.iraq-businessnews.com/2015/07/30/security-council-renews-unami-mandate/
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U.N. Security Counsel Had Extended UNAMI Mandates In Iraq Until July 31, 2015. I wrote UNAMI to see if they will be extending UNAMI mandates on July 31, 2015. I received a note back from them and they told me that they are expecting to extend the mandates. Just another piece of the puzzle. My take is that Iraq is not quit ready to be left on their own!
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Fight against ISIL is helping the Kurds win their battle for independence. Photo: AP Fight against ISIL is helping with a different battle Jesse Rosenfeld February 11, 2015 Updated: February 11, 2015 06:30 PM The international community has, on occasion, been shocked by atrocities committed against the Kurds, but it has generally treated them as localised acts of oppression against a minority community in Iraq, Syria, Turkey or Iran. For years, the world turned a blind eye to Kurdish aspirations for self-determination. However, their centrality in the battle against ISIL and the unity forged by the Kurds as they fight a common enemy is forcing the world to see Kurdish demands for political and cultural rights in a new light. “The Kurdish people have been fighting for their existence for 40 years,” Ayse Efendi, recently told me in Suruc, the Turkish border town next to Kobani. “But since the war [with ISIL] the world is starting to understand what we are fighting for.” As a leader of the Kurdish Syrian refugee community, Ms Efendi, 55, plays a central role in organising the return of refugees to fight on the Syrian front. She is also the wife of Salih Muslim, leader of the political wing of the Syrian Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG). With one son killed in the Syrian civil war and another fighting as a guerrilla in the armed wing of Turkey’s banned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), Ms Efendi’s life exemplifies the tightening cross-border ties between Kurds. Labelled a terrorist organisation across most of the West for its 29-year-old armed uprising against Nato member, Turkey, the PKK has become an essential fighting force against ISIL in northern Iraq. The PKK bolstered the US-backed Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga forces and trained Yazidi volunteer units on Mount Sinjar. And heavy artillery brought by the peshmerga to bolster the YPG, a PKK sister organisation, was essential to Kobani’s liberation. The Kurds are now in a very different political situation from the 1990s. At the time, the international community turned a blind eye to Turkey’s brutal repression of them and to the Kurdish civil war in Iraq. Now, the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq is a major oil supplier to Turkey and Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government is the first to begin peace talks with the PKK. Iraqi Kurdistan’s economy is doing well and political autonomy has strengthened in the past few years. Meanwhile, there’s been some easing of restrictions on the Kurdish language in Turkey. Even so, any attempt to mobilise Kurdish nationalists in Turkey’s south-east is often firmly repressed by state security forces and PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan remains in a Turkish prison. And Turkey actively blocked attempts by Turkish Kurds to bolster their Syrian compatriots who were fighting ISIL around Kobani. As a result, the cross-border response to ISIL is both a fight for survival against a new and bloody threat and a means to overcome long-standing injustices. Suruc, a town of Turkish Kurds, is an example of the changes under way in Kurdish society. In September, the town became flanked by refugee camps that housed many of the 200,000 people who fled Kobani and the surrounding areas and came across the border into Turkey. This has drawn Kurds from around Turkey and as far away as Iran to volunteer in Suruc’s poorly equipped camps. Meanwhile, hospitals run by the Kurdish municipality covertly treat YPG fighters who would be arrested if they went to Turkish government hospitals. The refugee camps and Suruc town are united in a general sense of political admiration for Mr Ocalan and his left wing, secular, nationalist movement. Mr Ocalan has shaped the Kurdish struggle for decades, from the founding of the PKK- inspired Kurdish Iranian guerrilla group, PJAK, to the creation of autonomous Kurdish cantons in Syria in 2014. Last year, when he declared from his prison cell that the Kurdish struggle should be directed at creating a federation of locally driven democratic and autonomous communities, it was a shift away from the aspirations to statehood. But this seems to have been about realist concerns – how best to tell the West and Turkey that a resolution with Ankara was possible without creating a separate state? It also addressed a key problem for the Kurds – how to assert sovereignty across so many borders. Even so, in Suruc, Mr Ocalan is seen as a symbol of sacrifice and commitment to the cause of the Kurdish peoples. Inside the thin plastic refugee tents, he is revered for leading a struggle to put Kurds on the map or at least to get them to the point where they can live freely and speak their own language. The advance of ISIL and the Kurdish resistance campaign to the extremist group is redrawing the borders of Syria and Iraq. While ISIL has accelerated the sectarian splintering in both countries, the Kurds have more territory in their control than at any time in recent history. The political shift away from statehood has made the Kurds’ goals of greater autonomy and self-determination in Kurdish areas more possible. Amid the carnage, Kurdish national aspirations are strengthening. Jesse Rosenfeld is a Canadian journalist based in Turkey. He has lived in the Middle East since 2007 On Twitter: @jrosyfield
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OMG!!! This woman is so long winded -- it just amazes me how she can go on & on -- I hope she is wrong about it maybe being another month !!!! UU1012 – “Re-positioning Iraq for Wealth” by Mnt Goat Hi Everyone, Today’s news letter is a long one. Sorry but there is so much confusion now and people are anxious and wondering where is the RV. So I have to take some time now to explain to you what is going on. I hope everyone also read my last news letter dated 01/28 and 01/30 since this is a continuation of this ongoing saga and this news letter will then make more sense to you. Today’s News Today is Monday Feb 2nd and still no RV. Very, very interesting articles coming out of Iraq now in the aftermath of last week’s historical passing of the 2015 Budget Law. One article in particular I thought I would share with you and should be explained in detail since it is telling so much on when they intend to open and spend parts of their budget. We all should know by now that when they do begin to spend the 2015 budget they will need to fund it somehow. They will have to have an international currency to meet their international obligations. There is no way around it. Perceptions/Speculation If they open this budget and do not have the funding to meet it (liquidity) they will be insolvent. This will not go over too well with the international community since there are international obligations within the budget they needed to fulfill. They will lose credibility. In the face of what they are confronting with the money needed to fight ISIS and all the bad publicity about the corruption of Maliki, (the 800+ billion of missing funds) and how they are trying to create a safe haven for investors and tourists to come into Iraq, I sincerely do not believe they will want to be looked at as an insolvent country. I do not believe this will happen. In fact in my mind I fully believe this funding must come very soon. I believe they have already provided for some of these funds, as I described in my last couple news letters. I will not explain this again and I rely on you to go read them. We see yet more articles too on this topic coming out such as the needed international tie-in for the Mastercard. Did you read this one? I sensed a frustration in that one. There is also the ATM machines where they can not use the 3 zero notes. These machines have been purchased as a great cost to modernize Iraq years ago however they can only be used when the lower denominations are issued (such as when the purchasing power of their currency increases significantly). Kuwait too has decided to postpone future war reparation payments as they make backdoor deals to get this owed money on other terms. Can they ratify the budget and then just sit on it? Yes they certainly can do this. They have done this with countless other laws already. This has been a huge problem all along for anyone trying to figure out this process. It is the not as straight forward as we would like it to be. But remember also we are not in the Maliki administration anymore. Things are now different and moving along. There is a whole “package” of laws they are sitting on. They are all related and interconnected with the implementation of the budget law and so we can expect them all to be released about the same timeframe. Something for all of us to watch for in the Iraqi news. Could it be other laws still need a fine-tuning? Does placing the budget in the Gazette (their law library) automatically cause it to be implemented? Technically the answer to this question is – YES. This is how it is supposed to work. However they have already taken many laws in the past and posted them in the Gazette only to implement them months later. So there is no guarantee they will not now do this with the 2015 budget law if they get stalled in implementing the revaluing process of their currency. I am not saying they are going to do this but I am saying it is a possibility. If we do not see some re-pricing of the dinar very soon – like this week sometime we know the CBI is having issues with establishing the value they need for the currency and they will not revalue until the economy of Iraq is re-positioned to do so. I explain all this in much more detail under the topic of “future value of the IQD” section of this news letter. What explain what I mean by “re-positioned” or “re-positioning”. But first let’s look at the current news about the 2015 budget saga because this event is driven by the target timeline (or deadline) of this re-positioning to be completed as you will see. Current News Article It was announced by the parliamentary Finance Committee member Ola Nashi that the 2015 budget was sent to the presidency on Sunday for ratification as required. The president of Iraq now has 30 days to approve the bill or voice his objections to parliament. Nashi also added in a statement to the press that the process of sending the law to the presidency and ratified take one month only. So he confirmed the process for us. Nashi also commented that it would be announced in the Official Gazette and rendering it to online sites for the citizens to view. Now here is the interesting part of her news blast. She also explained that money to allocated to the ministries of justice, agriculture, trade, and for Intelligence and National Security will begin as of the first of the next month of March. The allocations for the Ministry of Education will begin starting from September of this year. What does this mean to us. This tells us where they are in the process of finalizing the budget. Technically president Masoum could take till the end of February to ratify it and they could be in a holding pattern for any re-pricing of their currency until this timeframe. Nashi does say in fact that the allocations for certain ministries would not begin until March. This tells that even if Masoum does speedily ratify the budget they are not in a position to open it and begin spending it for these ministries until this time. I believe she is making this news conference to satisfy the citizens and to let them know when the funding is to be applied. sort of settling the crowds since they have been promised these reforms for so long. But what about all the other ministries like the interior ministry? There are huge sums allocated for items related to this ministry. Here we see is where all the reconstruction projects are and the money for the National Guard efforts. We know these security forces have been without pay now for over a month. They are now threatening to walk off the job if not paid. Can they wait until March? Nashi is not saying they would since she does not talk about when the allocations for this ministry would be spent. $$$ Future Value of the IQD $$$ This is one of the most misunderstood issues in these dinar intel forums. I see how these so called dinar “gurus” have messed with your minds and totally confused many on this topic. Many of these gurus have no business preaching news about this currency revaluation since they really know very little. So let me explain and clarify this topic for you. I hope this will help you. However it is a long read and my explanation takes time to understand but it is well worth the long read. So please settle back and relax. Get a cup of coffee and your reading glasses. Maybe even print it out and take it to the toilet with you….lol….. Remember the CBI can not just arbitrarily just say their currency is worth a new value. THEY MUST CREATE THE VALUE FIRST ! So what does it mean to CREATE VALUE to a currency? For the sake of argument let’s say Iraq did arbitrarily come out with a $3.58 rate. Can they sustain this rate long term? Many of you are now saying – Of course they can! Do you say this just because you heard about all the oil reserves they have? Really? Think not! Let me explain. You probably answered this question only from what these “gurus” have been telling you and not from the facts of where the re-pricing process currently is. Re-pricing process? Yes - there is a plan and this is why everyone keeps saying there is so much for the CBI to do to set up for the revaluation. However it is really not so much the CBI as it is the GOI doing all the ground work. We see this everyday with the new laws and the unification process. This is all related the positioning of Iraq for a new phase in its history. Abadi and his team along with the parliament and the workforce here. The CBI is just the brains of this re-positioning effort. So how to find the value of this $3.58 rate I would first ask this question - What did they “peg” it to? There must be a standard currency used to gauge the new value. The US dollar index is the most widely used and it is widely used in pricing for trade between nations. You see this international trade is very important. They will need to peg it to something since any rate is arbitrary until substantiated. Trade revenue is what brings in wealth from other nations. The game is simple- you (meaning other international countries) have wealth and we (Iraq) would like to have it. If we are successful in our trade policies we can provide goods and services to you and you provide us with a stream of revenue. If Iraq manages these new revenues appropriately (prevent corruption) they can become a very wealthy nation. Contrary to many who believe that Iraq is already wealthy let me say this. Wealth is real money in the bank or a legally substantiated potential for wealth. Iraq will not be “wealthy” until they can figure out how to milk their trading partners and do it so their trade balance is normalized with higher net revenues (cost of net exports exceeds cost of net imports). I am no economist but this was all clearly explained to me as to how the CBI plans to create value to their new currency. This value must be realized prior to any revaluation. So listen carefully to these next paragraphs as to how they intend to do this. All these laws you have been reading about are not for nothing. They all move this country in a direction towards increased “future” wealth. It is more than just reinstating the IQD such as what they did in Kuwait and I think this is leading many to confusion. The effort in Iraq is monumental in what they are doing in comparison. We should all be glad too since Iraq will then be able to sustain long term growth. I can’t wait for the huge spike in value too once the investors home in. Personally I am taking 10% of my IQD and putting it aside to exchange later on this spike in value. I am going to be patient and wait. This is my plan not any advisement. Back to the news….lol… Next I would look as a host of variables that substantiate the increased value, i.e. how much oil, gold and other minerals. There have been many articles in this area so we know they have the wealth in the ground as with their great oil reserves. But also I would look at the exports. What exports does Iraq currently have? Yes oil is an export but it does no good if kept in the ground. It is not an export if in the ground. Wealth is measured at realized revenue stream or a legalized potential for wealth. This is in part what brings up the value of your currency. So oil reserves discovered in the ground is great but alone is not true wealth. Having a legalized plan (pumping so many barrels per year to market) is a projected export. But still how do you guarantee this extraction and the bringing of it to market s you can include this value into your currency valuation equation? (especially when you know the tribes do not get along in Iraq. The Kurds own all the oil and the Sheites and Sunnis need it). They must establish legal pumping requirements to let investors know what they intend to take out of the ground on a scheduled basis. If this becomes law then they can substantiate this future wealth. Get how it works? Thus you can now see the need for the HCL law and why it was so important? Why they needed this law to establish any real future and present value from this oil commodity? We have read many articles from the WTO and the IMF too already stating that Iraq must diversify its exports such as in agriculture and other products for trade. What did they mean by this? Let me give you a few examples. We also know they have not one but two of the largest gold mines. What will they do with all this gold? They will make it into products of course such marketable items as necklaces, watchbands, rings, etc..and then export them or sell them to tourists. Gold is also used in electronics and many other industrial processes. Iraq also has the largest bauxite ore mine in the world. Did you know this? Do you know what bauxite is used for? It is to be exported as a raw mineral in the making of aircraft parts. It is used in the manufacturing of light weight, high strength aluminum skins and parts for aircraft. So these are just some of their higher end exports. But again how do they get the bauxite ore to the barges to ship as an export? Again this is where the funding of the 2015 budget comes into play. There is funding for infrastructure of roads and rail lines from the mines upto the ports for transportation. Are you now getting it? So if they can substantiate and show how they can bring this bauxite ore to market then it becomes a REAL part of the value equation (of any revaluation formula) and not just ore sitting in the ground. Many politicians are simple politicians and do not understand this. Dr, Shabibi knows it well and is coaching them well on this topic. But what about the potential for a booming tourism trade? Don’t under rate the revenues from tourism. They can be substantial. But they will need security and a safe place to have fun and see the sites of the cradle of civilization and museums. Thus the National Guard and other infrastructure funding is important such as the need for constant electricity, hospitals, good airports, transportation, shopping malls, hotels, roads, clean cities, etc,,. This is in the budget too. Thus this effort to decentralize has a duel purpose. Are you beginning now to see how it is all interconnected? The 2015 budget is to provide the funding for these efforts. You now see how it all pieces together nicely to begin to CREATE value to the Iraq dinar by legally obligating them to complete these projects by providing the funding. See how Iraq is positioning itself to provide for this REAL future value in their currency. See how they must implement some of these simple laws we overlook as trivial but are important to any RV. So to make a long story short we will never figure out just how they are re-pricing their currency and what formulas they are using since it is a kept secret. I can go on forever on this topic. So please put this to rest. Stop guessing on what rate will come out. Take your time instead to study more of how they could increase the value by what they are doing in all these projects they have slated. Study the new laws, the future infrastructure projects, exporting practices, tariffs and the timing to rolling them out. This is time better spent ! This will give you more of an indication of the RV timing than anything else. Please stop listening to these “guru” who are telling you everyday its going to RV just because their “contacts” tell them it will. They may be well intended but not factual. How many of you readers work in the insurance industry? Would you give away your underwriting secrets and actuarial formulas to competitors? Of course not. This is your bread and butter. If you were to know this information you could drastically alter and influence the marketable rates of your competitors. So it is the same with a countries currency rates. You could theoretically influence an entire economy of a country and cause currency manipulations if you knew these secrets. You could make billions in currency trading and you could create havoc. So my advice is just stop trying to figure out what the new rate of the dinar will be. It is way too complicated for us. We know the rate will be fair and that Dr Shabibi (now heading the CBI once again) wants it as high as needed to jump start their economy. But first there must be these re-valuing items like I mentioned about put into place so he can substantiate the value prior to rolling it out. He is relying on the GOI and parliament to do this for him. He is not in control of this area. He has had many meetings already with the GOI and head of parliament to establish is expectations in this area. So we must look at what we know to be facts. This is all we can go by. The only facts we have is what they tell us in the articles, the news media and any contacts we might have in Iraq feeding us day-to-day information. We can’t forget what was told to us in the past. We must remember and tie it in with what they now are doing. Everything has a purpose. Everything is for a reason. The CBI did say they would be pegging the new value to a “basket of currencies”. What is in this basket is not yet officially known. We wait for them to announce it to us. This will be a huge sign to us that we are yet even closer to the revaluation. I believe the Kuwait dinar and currencies of other neighboring countries will be included in this basket. This is my opinion. But remember this is only one or many factors used in the re-pricing. Other facts that we know is that the CBI has begun the project to delete the zeros YEARS AGO and is completed with the project in-country. Nearly 80% of all the 3 zero notes have been recycled back to the banks and turned back into the CBI already. In return the CBI gave them USD. This was in an article by the CBI not rumor but fact. So there are very little dinars left on the streets in Iraq. So where are they going to get this $119 trillion dinars from for the new budget funding? Did you wonder about this? So the mainstream currency being used in Iraq is once again the US dollar since they turned in 80% of the 3 zero notes in exchange for USD. Now that they dollarized once again it is time to de-dollarize to complete the conversion process for the next step. You can’t just give out FREE money. So the next step is to exchange the USD for the lower denom notes or coins ($1. $5, $10, $20, $50 bills). But here is the clincher. The CBI has told us in many articles that they are prohibiting the future use of the USD in international trade transactions and in-country commerce. So you now see why they did this. They have not yet enforced this law. Just another one of those laws ratified and in the Gazette but not yet fully implemented, as I mentioned. How can they do this until the lower denoms are fully distributed and the new currency value is announced. Do you see what I mean? There is so much interconnected in this revaluation process. It is truly almost all set up now. So there you have it. You now know why it may or may not take a bit more time to “position” the country to a revaluing situation. If Iraq can not truly substantiate the value they need they will continue this re-positioning effort until the CBI is satisfied of the value needed. It may take some more time or they be now be completed. Who truly knows- do you? So bottom line – If no REAL substantiated value for an increase in rate then no RV will happen. This process is spearheaded by the GOI with guidance from the CBI. The governor of the CBI knows this process well and is working closely with the GOI to complete this re-positioning process. It will be completed soon. It simply has to. Since no one really knows just how far reaching this effort goes (we don’t have a checklist) we can only suppose that the RV could happen any day now but from what the recent articles are telling me it might be later than sooner meaning maybe another month. Just my opinion from what I am now hearing and reading. Please don’t shoot the messenger ! I too find it hard to believe we must wait this long. So you see Al-Abadi along with the CBI have to make a decision soon on when to RV this currency. I believe this decision has already been made weeks ago and we are now in the final countdown window now that the budget is truly done. Can Iraq be fully positioned in increased value in time to open and begin spending this budget to meet this RV timeline? Peace and Luv To Ya All, Mnt Goat
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