Saturday, February 24, 2007
$1.5 million for Mosul airport
Reconstruction
(Al-Sabah) The Nineveh Province council has allocated $1.5 million to rehabilitate al-Mosul Civilian Airport while the Ministry of Health has signed an ID20 billion contract to supply the health establishments at the province with medical requirements. An official source at Nineveh provincial council said that the council had approved the project of rehabilitating the airport and allocated $1.5 million from last year's reconstruction project budget which the Iraqi cabinet was allocated for reconstruction projects in the province. Rehabilitation work will include supplying the airport with modern equipment to serve passengers to check luggage in addition to repairing the airport runway and supplying the airport with other service facilities.
Labels: Mosul airport, reconstruction
Fuel prices to rise
Economy
(Iraq Business News) Consumer fuel prices will be hiked by around 15 percent in March as Iraq implements an agreement with the International Monetary Fund to cut subsidies, Oil Minister Hussain al-Shahristani said. Iraq has the world's third largest known oil reserves but decades of war, sanctions, under-investment and now widespread violence and sabotage have left it critically short of fuel. It has to import much of its gasoline.
The government continues to control prices, fostering a thriving black market in fuel for those unwilling to queue for hours, sometimes days, to fill their vehicles. Shahristani told Arabiya television in an interview broadcast on Friday the price of benzene would rise from 350 dinars (about 27 U.S. cents) to 400 dinar and the price of gasoline would rise from 300 dinar to 350 dinar by mid-March. Iraq won a loan accord with the IMF in December 2005 and a $14 billion debt swap with private lenders. Since then, the price of a litre of ordinary gasoline has risen from 20 dinars.
Labels: fuel prices, Hussain al-Shahristani
The silent death toll - contractors
Security, Reconstruction
(AP) In a largely invisible cost of the war in Iraq, nearly 800 civilians working under contract to the Pentagon have been killed and more than 3,300 hurt doing jobs normally handled by the U.S. military, according to figures gathered by The Associated Press. Exactly how many of these employees doing the Pentagon's work are Americans is uncertain. But the casualty figures make it clear that the Defense Department's count of more than 3,100 U.S. military dead does not tell the whole story.
Employees of defense contractors such as Halliburton, Blackwater and Wackenhut cook meals, do laundry, repair infrastructure, translate documents, analyze intelligence, guard prisoners, protect military convoys, deliver water in the heavily fortified Green Zone and stand sentry at buildings - often highly dangerous duties almost identical to those performed by many U.S. troops.
The U.S. has outsourced so many war and reconstruction duties that there are almost as many contractors (120,000) as U.S. troops (135,000) in the war zone. The insurgents in Iraq make little if any distinction between the contractors and U.S. troops.
The AP obtained figures on many of the civilian deaths and injuries from the Labor Department, which tracks workers' compensation claims, after repeated efforts including a Freedom of Information Act request. By the end of 2006, the Labor Department had quietly recorded 769 deaths and 3,367 injuries serious enough to require four or more days off the job.
Although contractors were widely used in Vietnam for support and reconstruction tasks, they have never before represented such a large portion of the U.S. presence in a war zone or accounted for so many security and military-like jobs, experts say. Some of the workers are former U.S. military personnel. Some are foreigners. The companies and the U.S. government say they do not keep track of how many are Americans.
The contractors are paid handsomely for the risks they take, with some making $100,000 or more per year, mostly tax-free - at least six times more than a new Army private, a rank likely to be driving a truck or doing some other unskilled work.
Employees of defense contractors such as Halliburton, Blackwater and Wackenhut cook meals, do laundry, repair infrastructure, translate documents, analyze intelligence, guard prisoners, protect military convoys, deliver water in the heavily fortified Green Zone and stand sentry at buildings - often highly dangerous duties almost identical to those performed by many U.S. troops.
The U.S. has outsourced so many war and reconstruction duties that there are almost as many contractors (120,000) as U.S. troops (135,000) in the war zone. The insurgents in Iraq make little if any distinction between the contractors and U.S. troops.
The AP obtained figures on many of the civilian deaths and injuries from the Labor Department, which tracks workers' compensation claims, after repeated efforts including a Freedom of Information Act request. By the end of 2006, the Labor Department had quietly recorded 769 deaths and 3,367 injuries serious enough to require four or more days off the job.
Although contractors were widely used in Vietnam for support and reconstruction tasks, they have never before represented such a large portion of the U.S. presence in a war zone or accounted for so many security and military-like jobs, experts say. Some of the workers are former U.S. military personnel. Some are foreigners. The companies and the U.S. government say they do not keep track of how many are Americans.
The contractors are paid handsomely for the risks they take, with some making $100,000 or more per year, mostly tax-free - at least six times more than a new Army private, a rank likely to be driving a truck or doing some other unskilled work.
Labels: civilians, contractors, death
Iraqi Union for Journalists demands apology for raid
Security, Media
(AP) The Iraqi Union for Journalists said Friday it has demanded an apology and compensation for a U.S.-led raid on the group's headquarters this week. The U.S. military insisted American troops were not involved. International journalism advocacy groups also expressed outrage over the raid, which occurred Monday in the northern Baghdad neighborhood of Waziriyah, a predominantly Sunni area.
Reporters Without Borders said a U.S. Army mobile unit fired at the headquarters after seeing armed guards, then Iraqi soldiers stormed onto the premises, detained the guards and seized computer equipment. The chairman of the union, Shihab al-Timimi, said he had written to U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad and Iraqi leaders to demand an apology and compensation because the unit broke furniture and other equipment when it stormed into the building.
Khalilzad's spokesman Lou Fintor said the allegations were being taken "very seriously" but that preliminary information indicated "there were no Multinational Forces-Iraq related operations in the vicinity of the Iraqi Journalists' Union during the timeframe described." U.S. military spokesman Lt. Col. Christopher Garver also said the raid was not conducted by American forces. Al-Timimi insisted U.S. troops were involved, saying "they were accompanied by a translator as well."
Reporters Without Borders said a U.S. Army mobile unit fired at the headquarters after seeing armed guards, then Iraqi soldiers stormed onto the premises, detained the guards and seized computer equipment. The chairman of the union, Shihab al-Timimi, said he had written to U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad and Iraqi leaders to demand an apology and compensation because the unit broke furniture and other equipment when it stormed into the building.
Khalilzad's spokesman Lou Fintor said the allegations were being taken "very seriously" but that preliminary information indicated "there were no Multinational Forces-Iraq related operations in the vicinity of the Iraqi Journalists' Union during the timeframe described." U.S. military spokesman Lt. Col. Christopher Garver also said the raid was not conducted by American forces. Al-Timimi insisted U.S. troops were involved, saying "they were accompanied by a translator as well."
Labels: Iraqi Union for Journalists, raid, Shihab al-Timimi
Mass protest over arrest of SCIRI leader's son
Politics, Security
(Reuters) Iraqis took to the streets of Shi'ite towns and cities on Saturday to protest over the detention by U.S. troops of the eldest son of Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, one of Iraq's most powerful Shi'ite leaders. There were no reports of violence. The U.S. military said Ammar al-Hakim was held on Friday because members of his convoy were acting suspiciously at a border checkpoint while returning from Iran.
The incident could strain good ties between Washington and the elder Hakim's Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), the dominant party in the Shi'ite-led government. SCIRI supporters held protests in Najaf, Kerbala, Basra, Kut and other towns in the mainly Shi'ite south of Iraq, witnesses and local media said.
The incident could strain good ties between Washington and the elder Hakim's Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), the dominant party in the Shi'ite-led government. SCIRI supporters held protests in Najaf, Kerbala, Basra, Kut and other towns in the mainly Shi'ite south of Iraq, witnesses and local media said.
Ammar al-Hakim told reporters on Friday U.S. troops said his passport had expired. He said the document was valid. "The way I was arrested was disrespectful and not appropriate for a political and religious figure like me. They cuffed my hands and blindfolded my eyes. They raised their weapons against me," he said after his release. Hakim was released within hours and U.S. ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad sought to contain any political fallout by saying on Friday "we do not mean any disrespect" to the family.
Labels: Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, Ammar al-Hakim, Iran-Iraq border, SCIRI
Friday, February 23, 2007
Crossed swords destroyed
(Newsweek) It's the postcard image of Baghdad: a pair of gigantic crossed swords clenched in massive fists. On Tuesday afternoon in the International Zone, 10-foot bronze chunks cut from one fist were stacked haphazardly at the base of the monument, the first step in bringing the swords down. "I was very shocked when I heard they started destroying it," says Mustafa Khadimi, executive director of the Iraq Memory Foundation (IMF), an organization that has meticulously documented the atrocities of the former regime.
The Iraqi government has yet to issue an official statement about the dismantling of the swords, but the effort is clearly already underway. Khadimi says Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki made the decision to bring down the monument last week in coordination with a governmental body named the Committee for Removing Symbols of the Saddam Era. Representatives from the IMF have sent letters of protest to the Iraqi government as well as UNESCO. "We need to use these two swords as proof to further generations to show what happened to Iraqi people," says Khadimi.
Like Saddam's bungled execution, a hasty decision to dismantle the monument could inflame sectarian tensions. Many Sunnis, whether they supported Saddam or not, will likely interpret the move as a direct snub by a Shiite-led government. Not exactly the kind of message the government should send while enforcing a new security plan. "The timing doesn't serve anything," says Wamidh Nadhmi, a political science professor at Baghdad University. "This would be a defeat for the whole idea of reconciliation."
Labels: al-Maliki, crossed swords, Hands of Victory, Iraq Memory Foundation
Iraqi media round-up
Confiscations Planned Under Security Plan
(Al-Sabah) Property including cars and houses used to target security forces is to be confiscated and residents arrested, under the new anti-terror plan. Prime minister Nouri al-Maliki asked security forces not only to fight the outlaws, but also to destroy them to ensure the plan is a success. (Al-Sabah is a daily independent publicly owned newspaper.)
Parliament to Approve Ministerial Change
(Al-Iraq al-Yoom) The Iraqi government is awaiting parliamentary approval to change the ministers of health, transportation, culture, justice and tourism along with one of the deputies of the prime minister. The parliamentary blocs have presented the prime minister their nominees for each of the ministerial posts. (Al-Iraq al-Yoom is a weekly newspaper issued by Isra Shakir.)
Turkey Supports Iraqi Political Process
(Al-Ittihad) Vice president Adil Abdul Mahdi met the Turkish premier Rajab Ardugan to discuss national, regional and international issues. They talked about organisations that used Iraq as a base for their activities against Turkey and the impact of that on the Iraqi security. They also discussed preparations for the neighbouring states conference on Iraq to be held in Baghdad and its importance in enhancing the political process and achieving security and stability in Iraq. (Al-Ittihad is published daily by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan.)
Al-Qaeda in Iraq leader vows retaliation after Sunni women rape allegations
Insurgency
(Reuters) - The leader of al Qaeda's wing in Iraq vowed militants would avenge a Sunni woman who said she had been raped by members of Iraq's Shi'ite-dominated police, according to an audio tape posted on the Internet on Thursday. "More than 300 militants asked to go on martyrdom (suicide) operations in the first 10 hours of hearing the news," said the speaker on the tape identified as Abu Hamza al-Muhajir, also known as Abu Ayyub al-Masri.
It was the first recording purported to be from Masri since some Iraqi officials said he had been wounded in a clash last week. The U.S. military said it had no indication he had been hurt. Charges by a Sunni woman in Baghdad that she had been raped by the policemen have set off a political furor in Iraq and highlighted the growing friction between the two sects. A second woman has accused soldiers of attacking her in her home in northern Iraq.
"(Government leaders) have cheated the nation and committed so much treason that honor is being violated in the name of politics," said the speaker. The authenticity of the 12-minute recording, entitled "To your rescue, sister" could not be verified but it was posted on a Web site often used by Islamists.
A group called Islamic State in Iraq, which includes Sunni Islamist al Qaeda and several minor insurgent groups, earlier vowed an "earth-shaking response" to the alleged rapes. The group is blamed for some of the worst bombings in Iraq. The mayor of the northern city of Tal Afar said an army officer and three soldiers had been detained in connection with the second rape case. Masri, an Egyptian, assumed the leadership of al Qaeda in Iraq after Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed in a U.S. air strike in June 2006.
It was the first recording purported to be from Masri since some Iraqi officials said he had been wounded in a clash last week. The U.S. military said it had no indication he had been hurt. Charges by a Sunni woman in Baghdad that she had been raped by the policemen have set off a political furor in Iraq and highlighted the growing friction between the two sects. A second woman has accused soldiers of attacking her in her home in northern Iraq.
"(Government leaders) have cheated the nation and committed so much treason that honor is being violated in the name of politics," said the speaker. The authenticity of the 12-minute recording, entitled "To your rescue, sister" could not be verified but it was posted on a Web site often used by Islamists.
A group called Islamic State in Iraq, which includes Sunni Islamist al Qaeda and several minor insurgent groups, earlier vowed an "earth-shaking response" to the alleged rapes. The group is blamed for some of the worst bombings in Iraq. The mayor of the northern city of Tal Afar said an army officer and three soldiers had been detained in connection with the second rape case. Masri, an Egyptian, assumed the leadership of al Qaeda in Iraq after Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed in a U.S. air strike in June 2006.
Labels: Abu Ayyub al-Masri, Islamic State of Iraq, rape, video tape
Doctors outline deterioration in health system to Blair
Health
(Japan Times) In a letter addressed to British Prime Minister Tony Blair, 100 prestigious doctors have denounced the harm to children's health and lives wrought by the war in Iraq. The signatories -- British doctors who have worked in Iraq, Iraqi doctors, leading British consultants and general practitioners -- state that conditions in Iraqi hospitals constitute a breach of the Geneva Convention. They demand that the United States and Britain -- Iraq's "occupying powers" as recognized by the United Nations -- address this situation, for which they are responsible.
According to Save the Children, 59 of every 1,000 babies born in Iraq die -- one of the highest infant-mortality rates in the region. The number of premature babies in Iraq is soaring, due in part to the stress of war on mothers. Doctors at Basra's Maternity and Child Hospital have noted that every month between 14 and 16 new cases of leukemia are reported but cannot be treated for lack of medication. Deteriorating sanitation conditions combined with the heat during the summer months have led to a steep increase in cases of Kala Azar, a potentially fatal parasitic disease transmitted by the sand fly that preys on the internal organs of those affected. Although the disease can be treated with Pentostam, the drug is practically unavailable in southern Iraq.
Security issues and corruption among government officials also play a role. Pharmaceuticals, possibly diverted from Iraqi warehouses, appear on the market in neighboring countries or in private pharmacies, leading to the suspicion that organized crime has become involved in drug distribution.
Lack of proper nutrition is also of concern. A U.N. Human Rights Commission report has indicated that malnutrition among Iraqi children under 5 has practically doubled since the U.S.-led invasion -- to at least 8 percent. The situation is worsened by the widespread occurrence of intestinal infections due to lack of potable water and appropriate medicines.
The U.S.-led invasion of the country has greatly affected Iraqi children's psychological development, according to a report of the Association of Psychologists of Iraq (API) released in 2006. One thousand children were interviewed for the report, which concluded that fear of kidnappings and explosions has led to severe stress among children. Ninety-two percent of the children examined had learning disabilities, in particular those whose parents are government employees or high-ranking professionals such as doctors.
The disastrous state of the health infrastructure and a shortage of doctors and nurses are complicating factors. Doctors are targets of violence and kidnappings. A report issued by the Brookings Institute in December 2006 states that 2,000 Iraqi doctors have been murdered and some 250 kidnapped since the invasion. Fearing for their lives, many doctors and nurses refuse to work in hospitals. More than half of Iraq's 34,000 doctors have left the country, in many cases after being targeted by criminal gangs. Stranded in neighboring countries, they lead economically strained lives.
According to Save the Children, 59 of every 1,000 babies born in Iraq die -- one of the highest infant-mortality rates in the region. The number of premature babies in Iraq is soaring, due in part to the stress of war on mothers. Doctors at Basra's Maternity and Child Hospital have noted that every month between 14 and 16 new cases of leukemia are reported but cannot be treated for lack of medication. Deteriorating sanitation conditions combined with the heat during the summer months have led to a steep increase in cases of Kala Azar, a potentially fatal parasitic disease transmitted by the sand fly that preys on the internal organs of those affected. Although the disease can be treated with Pentostam, the drug is practically unavailable in southern Iraq.
Security issues and corruption among government officials also play a role. Pharmaceuticals, possibly diverted from Iraqi warehouses, appear on the market in neighboring countries or in private pharmacies, leading to the suspicion that organized crime has become involved in drug distribution.
Lack of proper nutrition is also of concern. A U.N. Human Rights Commission report has indicated that malnutrition among Iraqi children under 5 has practically doubled since the U.S.-led invasion -- to at least 8 percent. The situation is worsened by the widespread occurrence of intestinal infections due to lack of potable water and appropriate medicines.
The U.S.-led invasion of the country has greatly affected Iraqi children's psychological development, according to a report of the Association of Psychologists of Iraq (API) released in 2006. One thousand children were interviewed for the report, which concluded that fear of kidnappings and explosions has led to severe stress among children. Ninety-two percent of the children examined had learning disabilities, in particular those whose parents are government employees or high-ranking professionals such as doctors.
The disastrous state of the health infrastructure and a shortage of doctors and nurses are complicating factors. Doctors are targets of violence and kidnappings. A report issued by the Brookings Institute in December 2006 states that 2,000 Iraqi doctors have been murdered and some 250 kidnapped since the invasion. Fearing for their lives, many doctors and nurses refuse to work in hospitals. More than half of Iraq's 34,000 doctors have left the country, in many cases after being targeted by criminal gangs. Stranded in neighboring countries, they lead economically strained lives.
Labels: health system, infant mortality rates, Kala Azar, leukemia, pharmaceuticals
Japan to give Iraq $145 million
Aid
(AP) Japan will give Iraq US$145 million (€110.64 million) in a new humanitarian grant as part of international efforts to help rebuild the war-torn country, the Foreign Ministry said. The aid covers security and basic services ranging from food to medical support, ministry official Masato Usui said.
The aid, which tops up Japan's previously pledged US$1 billion (€760 million) grant, will be disbursed through international agencies such as the U.N. Development Program, the World Food Program and the World Health Organization, he said. Japan also sent ground troops to southern Iraq on a humanitarian mission after the March 2003 U.S.-led invasion. The contingent was withdrawn last year, but Japan still operates airlifting in the region in support of U.S.-led forces.
The aid, which tops up Japan's previously pledged US$1 billion (€760 million) grant, will be disbursed through international agencies such as the U.N. Development Program, the World Food Program and the World Health Organization, he said. Japan also sent ground troops to southern Iraq on a humanitarian mission after the March 2003 U.S.-led invasion. The contingent was withdrawn last year, but Japan still operates airlifting in the region in support of U.S.-led forces.
Labels: humanitarian grant, Japan
Rape allegations widen political sectarian rift
Politics, Security
(CNN) Allegations that a Sunni woman was raped by Shiite police officers, and the Iraqi government's response has strained the already frayed relations between followers of the Muslim sects. The woman appeared Monday on Al-Jazeera alleging she was raped Sunday by three members of the security forces. She said the rape occurred at a police facility after she was seized in a Baghdad raid, allegedly for helping Sunni insurgents.
She didn't identify the attackers as Shiites. But there is an assumption that they were, because Shiites are predominant in the police force. Many Sunnis regard infiltration by Shiite death squad and militia members in the police force as widespread. Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's Shiite-dominated government said Monday that the allegations were investigated and that "medical examinations [show] that the woman has not been subjected to any sexual attack whatsoever."
His office released what it said was a copy of the findings of the medical examination. The report, in English from Ibn Sina Hospital, the U.S.-run medical facility in the Green Zone, said there were "no vaginal lacerations or obvious injury." A U.S. military spokesman confirmed only that the woman was admitted to a medical facility on Sunday and released the next day. The U.S. military said it is gathering information about the incident, which has sparked "great concern."
She didn't identify the attackers as Shiites. But there is an assumption that they were, because Shiites are predominant in the police force. Many Sunnis regard infiltration by Shiite death squad and militia members in the police force as widespread. Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's Shiite-dominated government said Monday that the allegations were investigated and that "medical examinations [show] that the woman has not been subjected to any sexual attack whatsoever."
His office released what it said was a copy of the findings of the medical examination. The report, in English from Ibn Sina Hospital, the U.S.-run medical facility in the Green Zone, said there were "no vaginal lacerations or obvious injury." A U.S. military spokesman confirmed only that the woman was admitted to a medical facility on Sunday and released the next day. The U.S. military said it is gathering information about the incident, which has sparked "great concern."
News of the incident reverberated throughout Iraq, spurring outrage from the villages and city neighborhoods. There is also concern in the halls of Iraqi power, where Sunni and Shiites are bickering over how the case is being handled.
The Shiite-dominated government says the "fabricated" story is serving to undermine a security effort -- called Operation Enforcing the Law -- to target insurgents regardless of their ethnic or religious affiliation. Al-Maliki said three warrants have been filed against the woman, but he didn't disclose the charges. He also said that because the rape claims had been made up, he has ordered that the accused officers be rewarded.
Baghdad security plan spokesman Gen. Qassim Atta said the woman, from western Baghdad, is identified as a freedom fighter by some members of the Iraqi Islamic Party, the Sunni political movement. He said that police officers found the clothes of a slain kidnap victim in the woman's house. Although she lived alone, the woman had been seen preparing food for about 10 people at least twice, supporting accusations that she was cooking for insurgents, Atta said. Police also found a passage leading to a neighboring house with a small infirmary and large amounts of medicine, he said.
The Shiite-dominated government says the "fabricated" story is serving to undermine a security effort -- called Operation Enforcing the Law -- to target insurgents regardless of their ethnic or religious affiliation. Al-Maliki said three warrants have been filed against the woman, but he didn't disclose the charges. He also said that because the rape claims had been made up, he has ordered that the accused officers be rewarded.
Baghdad security plan spokesman Gen. Qassim Atta said the woman, from western Baghdad, is identified as a freedom fighter by some members of the Iraqi Islamic Party, the Sunni political movement. He said that police officers found the clothes of a slain kidnap victim in the woman's house. Although she lived alone, the woman had been seen preparing food for about 10 people at least twice, supporting accusations that she was cooking for insurgents, Atta said. Police also found a passage leading to a neighboring house with a small infirmary and large amounts of medicine, he said.
One leading Sunni -- Ahmed Abdul-Ghafour al-Samaraie, who heads a group that takes care of Sunni mosques and shrines -- was dismissed from his government post by al-Maliki, who gave no reason. News reports say al-Samaraie was let go after he joined a chorus of Sunnis asking for an international investigation.
The Iraqi Islamic Party and other Sunni groups condemned what they say was a rape and the subsequent investigation. The Muslim Scholars Association also condemned what it said was an attack by the police force. The story is prominent on many Sunni-oriented Web sites, which refer to the incident as a crime. The Islamic Army in Iraq, a Sunni insurgent group, said in a written statement that it has declared a state of emergency and its operations will now focus on the Iraqi government "and its so-called" security forces. Discussion of rape is taboo in Arab and Muslim society, making the woman's comments on TV shocking.
The Iraqi Islamic Party and other Sunni groups condemned what they say was a rape and the subsequent investigation. The Muslim Scholars Association also condemned what it said was an attack by the police force. The story is prominent on many Sunni-oriented Web sites, which refer to the incident as a crime. The Islamic Army in Iraq, a Sunni insurgent group, said in a written statement that it has declared a state of emergency and its operations will now focus on the Iraqi government "and its so-called" security forces. Discussion of rape is taboo in Arab and Muslim society, making the woman's comments on TV shocking.
Labels: al-Maliki, al-Samaraie, Gen. Qassim Atta, Iraqi Islamic Party, Muslim Scholars Association, rape
Government bodies disbanded by U.S. to get jobs back
Security, Politics
(Azzaman) Members of government bodies the U.S. disbanded in the aftermath of its 2003 invasion will all have their jobs back, according Fayadh Ali, head of a committee charged with looking into the fate of Iraqis who had lost their jobs. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis who were employed by the former regime in the army, security, intelligence and other sensitive bodies were sacked.
The move is now seen as a major catalyst that fueled violence in the country. The government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki wants to reverse those decisions as part of a reconciliation package to lure opponents to the political process. Fayadh is a member of the High Reconciliation Commission and says Maliki was keen to accommodate all those who were affected by U.S. decisions to dismantle several organs of the former government.
In all, the Americans disbanded 18 institutions among them the army, the Baath party, security apparatus, police and the Republican Guards. Fayadh says members of these organizations have two options: either join the ranks of the bodies created by the new government or opt for retirement. He said forms will be forwarded to members of the disbanded organizations and all former employees whether civil or military have the right to apply.
If the plan succeeds, it will be the first comprehensive and tangible move towards reconciliation in Iraq currently torn by sectarian strife and violence. “We must turn a new page and leave behind rancor and hatred which have strained the Iraqi street,” said Lt. Gen. Thamer Sultan of the Defense Ministry. The ministry, he said, was working to accommodate most members of the former army and those who cannot find a place, particularly senior officers, will get a ‘decent’ pension, he said. “There is sincere intention to solve this issue this time. It is not for procrastination and the prime minister himself has issued clear orders to have the plan implemented,” he said.
The move is now seen as a major catalyst that fueled violence in the country. The government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki wants to reverse those decisions as part of a reconciliation package to lure opponents to the political process. Fayadh is a member of the High Reconciliation Commission and says Maliki was keen to accommodate all those who were affected by U.S. decisions to dismantle several organs of the former government.
In all, the Americans disbanded 18 institutions among them the army, the Baath party, security apparatus, police and the Republican Guards. Fayadh says members of these organizations have two options: either join the ranks of the bodies created by the new government or opt for retirement. He said forms will be forwarded to members of the disbanded organizations and all former employees whether civil or military have the right to apply.
If the plan succeeds, it will be the first comprehensive and tangible move towards reconciliation in Iraq currently torn by sectarian strife and violence. “We must turn a new page and leave behind rancor and hatred which have strained the Iraqi street,” said Lt. Gen. Thamer Sultan of the Defense Ministry. The ministry, he said, was working to accommodate most members of the former army and those who cannot find a place, particularly senior officers, will get a ‘decent’ pension, he said. “There is sincere intention to solve this issue this time. It is not for procrastination and the prime minister himself has issued clear orders to have the plan implemented,” he said.
Labels: al-Maliki, Fayadh Ali, High Reconciliation Commission
Attacks increase in outlying villages as security plan targets Baghdad
Security
(Azzaman) The Baghdad security plan in which tens of thousands of Iraqi and U.S. troops are taking part is faltering, officials said. The officials, refusing to be named, said while violence has relatively receded in certain quarters in the capital, insurgents and terrorists have increased attacks in other parts and in areas outlying Baghdad.
The insurgents have apparently shifted their focus on towns and villages south and north of Baghdad where pitched battles are reported amid a substantial rise in U.S. casualties and losses, they said. Car and suicide bombings in Baghdad have continued unabated. The horrific sight of scores corpses dumped daily on streets, which came to a halt for only a few days, is seen as a heavy blow to the plan.
Nonetheless Iraqi army generals are upbeat, saying the plan was bearing fruit. They say they have killed tens of ‘terrorists’ captured hundreds of them and seized huge quantities of weapons. But with the troops so concentrated in Baghdad, rebels and insurgents have intensified their operations in other strongholds and are reported to have even spread their influence to areas so far outside their direct hegemony. There have been bombings in southern cities and highways south of Baghdad are said to be extremely dangerous to take particularly at night.
The insurgents have apparently shifted their focus on towns and villages south and north of Baghdad where pitched battles are reported amid a substantial rise in U.S. casualties and losses, they said. Car and suicide bombings in Baghdad have continued unabated. The horrific sight of scores corpses dumped daily on streets, which came to a halt for only a few days, is seen as a heavy blow to the plan.
Nonetheless Iraqi army generals are upbeat, saying the plan was bearing fruit. They say they have killed tens of ‘terrorists’ captured hundreds of them and seized huge quantities of weapons. But with the troops so concentrated in Baghdad, rebels and insurgents have intensified their operations in other strongholds and are reported to have even spread their influence to areas so far outside their direct hegemony. There have been bombings in southern cities and highways south of Baghdad are said to be extremely dangerous to take particularly at night.
Labels: Baghdad, operation Imposing Law
Iraqi government welcomes UK decision to withdraw troops
Security
(AP) The Iraqi government on Thursday welcomed the British decision to withdraw troops from Iraq, saying it is in line with plans for Iraqi forces to assume security for the country. Britain announced Wednesday that it will withdraw around 1,600 troops from Iraq over the coming months and aims to further cut its 7,100-strong contingent by late summer if local forces can secure the southern part of the country.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said it was "a decision in harmony with the government's intention to assume security responsibilities in the province," referring to Basra, a predominantly Shiite area 340 miles southeast of Baghdad. President Jalal Talabani also applauded the decision, with his spokesman saying it would act as a "catalyst for Iraqi forces to assume security responsibilities."
"His excellency considers it as a positive step and thanks British forces for their role in liberating Iraq from dictatorship and maintaining stability in Iraq," Talabani's spokesman Hiwa Othman said. British troops will remain in Iraq until at least 2008 and work to secure the Iran-Iraq border and maintain supply routes to U.S. and coalition troops in central Iraq, British Prime Minister Tony Blair told the House of Commons.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said it was "a decision in harmony with the government's intention to assume security responsibilities in the province," referring to Basra, a predominantly Shiite area 340 miles southeast of Baghdad. President Jalal Talabani also applauded the decision, with his spokesman saying it would act as a "catalyst for Iraqi forces to assume security responsibilities."
"His excellency considers it as a positive step and thanks British forces for their role in liberating Iraq from dictatorship and maintaining stability in Iraq," Talabani's spokesman Hiwa Othman said. British troops will remain in Iraq until at least 2008 and work to secure the Iran-Iraq border and maintain supply routes to U.S. and coalition troops in central Iraq, British Prime Minister Tony Blair told the House of Commons.
Labels: al-Maliki, British troop withdrawal, Talabani
Islamic State of Iraq to step up attacks in retaliation for rape of Sunni women
Insurgency
(SITE) In a statement issued on Wednesday, the office of the Emir of the Believers, Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, addressed the recent allegations by Sunni women in Baghdad and Tal Afar that Shi’ite police officers had raped them. The group argues that as Sunnis are helpless to rely on Sunni politicians in the “mockery government”, it is the role of the Mujahideen to respond with physically to these attacks. Baghdadi instructs the Mujahideen of the Islamic State to step up operations against the “Crusaders” and Shi’ites, and states: “You will see the cataclysmic response with the help of Allah Almighty, and what you saw of the blessed operations in the last days - which shook the security plan - are only the beginning, with the help of Allah.”
Labels: Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, Islamic State of Iraq, Mujahideen, rape
U.S. military warns of possible further chemical attacks
Security, Insurgency
(AP) The U.S. military warned Thursday that insurgents are adopting new tactics in a campaign to spread panic after troops uncovered a car bomb factory with propane tanks and chlorine cylinders, possible ingredients for more chemical attacks following three explosions involving chlorine.
Those blasts and a recent spate of attacks against helicopters have raised fears that insurgents are trying to develop new ways to confront U.S. and Iraqi forces. Any increase in chemical bombings could complicate the Baghdad security crackdown, now in its second week.
Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, the No. 2 American commander in Iraq, said he did not think the attacks signaled a more capable insurgency. Instead, he said they were merely an attempt to provoke fear. "What they're trying to do is ... adapt in such ways where they can continue to create instability," Odierno said.
Those blasts and a recent spate of attacks against helicopters have raised fears that insurgents are trying to develop new ways to confront U.S. and Iraqi forces. Any increase in chemical bombings could complicate the Baghdad security crackdown, now in its second week.
Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, the No. 2 American commander in Iraq, said he did not think the attacks signaled a more capable insurgency. Instead, he said they were merely an attempt to provoke fear. "What they're trying to do is ... adapt in such ways where they can continue to create instability," Odierno said.
Labels: chemical warfare, chlorine, insurgents
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Islamic State in Iraq denies leader wounded
Insurgency
(MEMRI) On February 16, 2007 the Islamic State in Iraq (ISI) posted a communiqué on Islamist websites denying reports that its leader, Abu Hamza Al-Muhajir, has been wounded. The communiqué states: "The [Iraqi] government has announced that members of the apostate and collaborator forces wounded Sheikh Abu Hamza Al-Muhajir and killed his assistant in North Baghdad... However, [the fact is that] he and his immigrant brothers are living comfortably among [the Iraqi mujahideen]..." The communiqué adds that if Al-Maliki's government has to resort to such lies, which even the Americans deny, its downfall must be imminent.
Labels: Islamic State in Iraq
Al-Sadr's offices raided
Security, Politics
(KUNA) A joint force of the Iraqi Army and US troops Tuesday bombarded the office of Shiite leader Muqtada Al-Sadr in Al-Shula area, west of Baghdad, a security source told KUNA. The source said some 14 military vehicles surrounded the office and Iraqi and US soldiers could be seen confiscating material and documents. Muqtada Al-Sadr himself is out of the country over fears for his safety.
Labels: Moqtada Al-Sadr, raid
Iraqi media round-up
PUK and Dawa Discuss National Unity
(Al-Mada) The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, PUK, and the Dawa Party met recently to discuss political developments. PUK head, President Jalal Talabani, said it was the second time the two parties had met in an attempt to improve relations and exchange views on the current situation in Iraq. The parties agreed to address unity in Iraq and back government plans to impose law and order. (Al-Mada is issued daily by Al-Mada institution for Media, Culture and Arts.)
Diala Ready To Help Government
(Al-Ittihad) Hundreds of the displaced families in Diala province support implementing a security plan similar to Baghdad’s, paving the way for more than 8,000 families to return to their own homes. Residents of many neighbourhoods in Diala said they were ready to provide security forces with the names of hundreds of terrorists and criminals responsible for their displacement. (Al-Ittihad is published daily by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan.)
Centre To Help Returning Families
(Al-Bayan) The minister of migrants and displacement has announced the formation of a special centre that will support returning families. Each family will also get 250,000 Iraqi dinars to cover their most pressing needs. (Al-Bayan is issued four times weekly by the Islamic Dawa Party, chaired by Vice-President Ibrahim al-Jafari.)
Plans Afoot To Increase Refinery Production
(Al-Iraq al-Yoom) The oil ministry has developed a plan to increase the production of Iraqi refineries. A source at the ministry said new refineries would be built and improvement made to existing facilities. (Al-Iraq al-Yoom is a weekly newspaper issued by Isra Shakir.)
Bomb kills 13 in Shiite holy city
Security, Religion
(AFP) A suicide car bomber attacked an Iraqi police checkpoint in the Shiite holy city of Najaf on Wednesday, killing at least 13 people and wounding dozens more, police said. Najaf's governor, Assaad Abu Gilel, said the dead were seven police, three women and three children. The attack targeted a police checkpoint in Maydan Square near Najaf's old city, which holds the mausoleum of Imam Ali, the holiest site in Shiite Islam, and the offices of several leading clerics.
"This was a terrorist operation. The police checkpoint prevented the car from entering the old city, so the terrorist blew himself on the spot," the governor said. Gilel said authorities had received intelligence reports that several car bombers were targeting Shiite provinces in central Iraq, and that five bombs had been found and made safe in neighbouring Karbala and Babil.
A medic said the city's Al-Hakim hospital was treating 34 people wounded in the blast. Najaf is an almost entirely Shiite city and security is controlled by local Iraqi units rather than US-led forces. It has been spared the worst of the sectarian war raging elsewhere in central Iraq. Nevertheless, it has been attacked by Sunni extremists bent on provoking greater conflict and has seen killings linked to Shiite political in-fighting.
"This was a terrorist operation. The police checkpoint prevented the car from entering the old city, so the terrorist blew himself on the spot," the governor said. Gilel said authorities had received intelligence reports that several car bombers were targeting Shiite provinces in central Iraq, and that five bombs had been found and made safe in neighbouring Karbala and Babil.
A medic said the city's Al-Hakim hospital was treating 34 people wounded in the blast. Najaf is an almost entirely Shiite city and security is controlled by local Iraqi units rather than US-led forces. It has been spared the worst of the sectarian war raging elsewhere in central Iraq. Nevertheless, it has been attacked by Sunni extremists bent on provoking greater conflict and has seen killings linked to Shiite political in-fighting.
Labels: Najaf, suicide bomber
PM advises Mahdi Army to hide in Iran in leaked letter
Security, Politics
(KurdishMedia) The Iraqi Prime Minister advised the Mahdi Army leaders to hide in Iran, revealed a leaked letter from the office of the prime minister and posted online by the Kurdish website peyamner on Tuesday.
A letter issued by the office of the Iraqi Prime Minister, Nuri al-Maliki, with the coordination of the Iraqi National Security Advisor, Muwaffaq al-Rabii, advices Muqtada al-Sadir to hide the leaders of his militants, the Mahdi Army, in the Islamic Republic of Iran, in case they are “arrested or killed by the American forces”. Al-Maliki, in his letter states, “The current situation requires to keep the leaders of the Mahdi Army, who are affiliated to the organisation of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, away from the front line.”
The letter, dated 14 January 2007 and signed by Iraqi Prime Minister, is written after a telephone conversation between Muqtada al-Sadir and the Iraqi Prime Minister. The Iraqi National Security Advisor, Muwaffaq al-Rabii appears to be part of the operation. The letter is classified as confidential, private and immediate.
The letter states the name of 11 leaders of the Mahdi Army who have links with the Islamic Guards and who are advised by the office of the Prime Minister to leave to Iran. They are: Abas al-Kufi, Amir Muhsin Khwja, salim Hussein, Azhar al-Maliki, al-Shiekh Farhan al-Sayidi (Najaf), Fadhil al-Sarii (the adviser of the Prime Minister), Riyadh al-Nuri (Najaf), Ali al-Firtusi, Hayidar al-Araji, Ahmad al-Darraji and Amir al-Sayidi. The letter is copied to the Iranian Embassy in Baghdad, the leadership of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) and the office of al-Sadir.
A letter issued by the office of the Iraqi Prime Minister, Nuri al-Maliki, with the coordination of the Iraqi National Security Advisor, Muwaffaq al-Rabii, advices Muqtada al-Sadir to hide the leaders of his militants, the Mahdi Army, in the Islamic Republic of Iran, in case they are “arrested or killed by the American forces”. Al-Maliki, in his letter states, “The current situation requires to keep the leaders of the Mahdi Army, who are affiliated to the organisation of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, away from the front line.”
The letter, dated 14 January 2007 and signed by Iraqi Prime Minister, is written after a telephone conversation between Muqtada al-Sadir and the Iraqi Prime Minister. The Iraqi National Security Advisor, Muwaffaq al-Rabii appears to be part of the operation. The letter is classified as confidential, private and immediate.
The letter states the name of 11 leaders of the Mahdi Army who have links with the Islamic Guards and who are advised by the office of the Prime Minister to leave to Iran. They are: Abas al-Kufi, Amir Muhsin Khwja, salim Hussein, Azhar al-Maliki, al-Shiekh Farhan al-Sayidi (Najaf), Fadhil al-Sarii (the adviser of the Prime Minister), Riyadh al-Nuri (Najaf), Ali al-Firtusi, Hayidar al-Araji, Ahmad al-Darraji and Amir al-Sayidi. The letter is copied to the Iranian Embassy in Baghdad, the leadership of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) and the office of al-Sadir.
Labels: al-Maliki, Iran, Mahdi Army, Moqtada Al-Sadr
Oil pipeline attacks force refineries to operate at 50% capacity
Security, Oil
(Azzaman) Iraq is losing up to 400,000 barrels of oil a day due to attacks targeting its oil infrastructure, a senior oil ministry official said. Assem Jihad, the ministry’s spokesman, said at current high prices on international markets the loss is massive as it amounts to billions of dollars a year. Jihad said there were 159 major attacks on oil installations in 2006, about one attack every other day. Most of the attacks targeted the country’s pipelines, he said.
There were 116 attacks on pipelines mainly those leading to refineries or export terminals in the north. “These attacks have forced the country’s refineries to operate at nearly 50% of capacity,” he said. There is no special force to guard the pipelines and the ministry relies on Iraqi security forces which have been engaged in ferocious city fighting against rebels. The government has earmarked $2.5 billion for the reconstruction of the oil sector this year.
There were 116 attacks on pipelines mainly those leading to refineries or export terminals in the north. “These attacks have forced the country’s refineries to operate at nearly 50% of capacity,” he said. There is no special force to guard the pipelines and the ministry relies on Iraqi security forces which have been engaged in ferocious city fighting against rebels. The government has earmarked $2.5 billion for the reconstruction of the oil sector this year.
Labels: attacks, oil pipelines
Turkey asks for delay on Kirkuk referendum
Security, Politics, Region
(AP) Turkey's prime minister on Tuesday urged one of Iraq's two vice presidents to delay a referendum on the future of Kirkuk, fearing Iraqi Kurdish groups could seize control of the northern, oil-rich city. Turkey, which has been trying to quell a Kurdish insurgency for more than two decades, is concerned about the growing power of Iraqi Kurds and has repeatedly warned Iraqi Kurdish groups against trying to seize control of Kirkuk.
Iraq's constitution calls for a referendum on Kirkuk's future by the end of the year. The Kurds want to incorporate the city and its rich oilfields into their self-ruled region, a move the Turks have strongly opposed. Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Iraqi Vice President Adil Abdul-Mahdi the normalization of security sought by the Iraqi constitution has not occurred in Kirkuk and the referendum must be postponed, the state-run Anatolia news agency reported. Turkey fears Iraq's Kurds want Kirkuk's oil revenues to fund a bid for independence that could encourage separatist Kurdish guerrillas in Turkey, who have been fighting for autonomy since 1984. The conflict has claimed the lives of 37,000 people. Erdogan also asked Abdul-Mahdi to stop attacks by separatist Kurdish guerrillas, based in Iraq, on Turkey.
Iraq's constitution calls for a referendum on Kirkuk's future by the end of the year. The Kurds want to incorporate the city and its rich oilfields into their self-ruled region, a move the Turks have strongly opposed. Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Iraqi Vice President Adil Abdul-Mahdi the normalization of security sought by the Iraqi constitution has not occurred in Kirkuk and the referendum must be postponed, the state-run Anatolia news agency reported. Turkey fears Iraq's Kurds want Kirkuk's oil revenues to fund a bid for independence that could encourage separatist Kurdish guerrillas in Turkey, who have been fighting for autonomy since 1984. The conflict has claimed the lives of 37,000 people. Erdogan also asked Abdul-Mahdi to stop attacks by separatist Kurdish guerrillas, based in Iraq, on Turkey.
Labels: Adil Abdul Mahdi, Kirkuk referendum, Kurdistan, Turkey
UK, Denmark plan to withdraw troops from Iraq
Security
(AP) Britain will withdraw nearly half its troops from Iraq by the end of the year if local forces can secure the southern part of the country, Prime Minister Tony Blair planned to announce Wednesday. Around 1,500 of Britain's 7,000-strong force will return home shortly, a British government official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak before Blair's statement. Britain has long been America's biggest coalition partner in Iraq.
Another coalition member, Denmark, was also expected to announce plans to begin withdrawing its troops from Iraq, Danish media reported. Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen had earlier said he hoped Denmark would begin scaling back its 460-troop contingent this year, without setting a precise timetable.
Blair's office said the British leader would make a statement on Iraq and the Middle East to Britain's parliament following his weekly House of Commons questions session. It would not disclose the content. But the official said Blair planned to outline a strategy which would leave about 4,000 British soldiers in southern Iraq by the end of 2007 if the security there is sufficient.
Blair and President Bush talked by secure video link Tuesday morning about the proposals, U.S. National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said. Bush views Britain's troop cutbacks as "a sign of success" in Iraq, he said. According to the Brookings Institution, other major partners in the coalition include South Korea (2,300 troops), Poland (900), Australia and Georgia (both 800) and Romania (600).
Another coalition member, Denmark, was also expected to announce plans to begin withdrawing its troops from Iraq, Danish media reported. Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen had earlier said he hoped Denmark would begin scaling back its 460-troop contingent this year, without setting a precise timetable.
Blair's office said the British leader would make a statement on Iraq and the Middle East to Britain's parliament following his weekly House of Commons questions session. It would not disclose the content. But the official said Blair planned to outline a strategy which would leave about 4,000 British soldiers in southern Iraq by the end of 2007 if the security there is sufficient.
Blair and President Bush talked by secure video link Tuesday morning about the proposals, U.S. National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said. Bush views Britain's troop cutbacks as "a sign of success" in Iraq, he said. According to the Brookings Institution, other major partners in the coalition include South Korea (2,300 troops), Poland (900), Australia and Georgia (both 800) and Romania (600).
Labels: Blair, Denmark, troop withdrawal, Uk
al-Maliki fires al-Samaraie over rape case
Politics, Security
(AP) Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki fired a top Sunni official Wednesday after he called for an international investigation into the rape allegations leveled by a Sunni Arab woman against three members of the Shiite-dominated security forces.
A statement by al-Maliki's office gave no reason in announcing the dismissal of Ahmed Abdul-Ghafour al-Samaraie, head of the Sunni Endowments. Al-Samaraie, whose organization cares for Sunni mosques and shrines in Iraq, had joined other prominent Sunnis in criticizing the government's handling of the case.
Al-Samaraie, speaking from Amman in neighboring Jordan, disputed al-Maliki's right to fire him, arguing that only Iraq's Presidential Council, which comprises President Jalal Talabani and his two deputies, has that authority.
A statement by al-Maliki's office gave no reason in announcing the dismissal of Ahmed Abdul-Ghafour al-Samaraie, head of the Sunni Endowments. Al-Samaraie, whose organization cares for Sunni mosques and shrines in Iraq, had joined other prominent Sunnis in criticizing the government's handling of the case.
Al-Samaraie, speaking from Amman in neighboring Jordan, disputed al-Maliki's right to fire him, arguing that only Iraq's Presidential Council, which comprises President Jalal Talabani and his two deputies, has that authority.
In a statement posted on the Web, a major Sunni insurgent group, the Islamic Army in Iraq, declared "we will not sleep or be satisfied until we avenge you and every free woman who was stripped of her virtue and dignity." The authenticity of the statement could not be confirmed.
Labels: al-Maliki, al-Samaraie, rape case, Sunni Endowments
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Row over rape leads to further sectarian political tensions
Security, Politics
(AFP) - Allegations that a squad of Iraqi policemen enforcing a new Baghdad security plan took turns to rape a young Sunni woman have fed sectarian tensions at the summit of the Iraqi government. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's office dismissed the woman's complaint out of hand Tuesday, and accused Sunni politicians of exploiting the drama to undermine a joint US-Iraqi operation to quell factional fighting in the capital.
But an aide to
Iraq's Sunni vice president denounced the Shiite premier's response, and claimed initial medical tests carried out at a hospital run by the American military showed that the woman had been sexually assaulted. The rape allegation surfaced on Monday when a Sunni religious body accused police of raping a woman called Sabrin al-Janabi, who repeated the charge herself in an interview with the satellite television network Al-Jazeera.
"One of them hit me. I fell and my head hit the ground," the alleged victim -- the report described her as a 20-year-old married woman -- said in the television interview, speaking from behind a traditional Islamic veil. "One of them raped me. Then another came and raped, and a third. I was screaming, crying and begging them, but he held my mouth so no-one could hear," she continued, calmly but with eyes moist with tears. "Someone came and said to them, 'Are you done? Can we come and take our turn?' But one of them said, 'No, there's an American patrol coming'."
The woman said she was brought before a judge to be arraigned, then taken back by police, raped again, beaten on the thigh with a rubber hose and threatened that she would be killed if she made a complaint.
Maliki's office initially promised a full inquiry then, just four hours later, issued a second statement formally denying the allegations and ordering that the accused officers be commended. "The aim of this fabrication by some known groups is to sow confusion about the security plan and tarnish the reputation of our forces which are tracking terrorist organisations and working to stabilize Baghdad," it said.
The rape row strikes a blow against Maliki's attempts to portray the security plan as even handed, after a series of bomb attacks on Shiite targets undermined early successes in cutting the murder rate. Omar Jaburi, Vice President Tareq al Hashemi's adviser on human rights, said he had been put in charge of the dossier and denounced the statement by Maliki's office as "false" and an attempt to mislead the media.
After she was taken to an Iraqi base, US soldiers arrived and, when she alleged that she had been raped, they transferred her to a hospital overseen by the US military in the fortified Green Zone, Jaburi told AFP. "The initial hospital report confirmed what she had said," Jaburi claimed. "A panel of medical experts is reviewing the evidence, we expect them to report tonight. The hospital is overseen by US forces and is neutral." A spokesman for the US military, Lieutenant Colonel Chris Garver, said: "We've seen the reports. I can't confirm anything at this time."
But an aide to
Iraq's Sunni vice president denounced the Shiite premier's response, and claimed initial medical tests carried out at a hospital run by the American military showed that the woman had been sexually assaulted. The rape allegation surfaced on Monday when a Sunni religious body accused police of raping a woman called Sabrin al-Janabi, who repeated the charge herself in an interview with the satellite television network Al-Jazeera.
"One of them hit me. I fell and my head hit the ground," the alleged victim -- the report described her as a 20-year-old married woman -- said in the television interview, speaking from behind a traditional Islamic veil. "One of them raped me. Then another came and raped, and a third. I was screaming, crying and begging them, but he held my mouth so no-one could hear," she continued, calmly but with eyes moist with tears. "Someone came and said to them, 'Are you done? Can we come and take our turn?' But one of them said, 'No, there's an American patrol coming'."
The woman said she was brought before a judge to be arraigned, then taken back by police, raped again, beaten on the thigh with a rubber hose and threatened that she would be killed if she made a complaint.
Maliki's office initially promised a full inquiry then, just four hours later, issued a second statement formally denying the allegations and ordering that the accused officers be commended. "The aim of this fabrication by some known groups is to sow confusion about the security plan and tarnish the reputation of our forces which are tracking terrorist organisations and working to stabilize Baghdad," it said.
The rape row strikes a blow against Maliki's attempts to portray the security plan as even handed, after a series of bomb attacks on Shiite targets undermined early successes in cutting the murder rate. Omar Jaburi, Vice President Tareq al Hashemi's adviser on human rights, said he had been put in charge of the dossier and denounced the statement by Maliki's office as "false" and an attempt to mislead the media.
After she was taken to an Iraqi base, US soldiers arrived and, when she alleged that she had been raped, they transferred her to a hospital overseen by the US military in the fortified Green Zone, Jaburi told AFP. "The initial hospital report confirmed what she had said," Jaburi claimed. "A panel of medical experts is reviewing the evidence, we expect them to report tonight. The hospital is overseen by US forces and is neutral." A spokesman for the US military, Lieutenant Colonel Chris Garver, said: "We've seen the reports. I can't confirm anything at this time."
Labels: al-Maliki, rape, Sabrin al-Janabi
Iraqi media round-up
Iraq Conferences To Be Held At Home
(Al-Ittihad) The government has decided to hold conferences and work out contracts and agreements relating to Iraq in Baghdad rather than in neighbouring states. This change coincided with the launch of the new security plan to make Iraq a safer place to host such activities. Syria, Jordan, Egypt, United Arab Emirates and Turkey have hosted previous events relating to Iraq. (Al-Ittihad is published daily by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan.)
Al-Hashimi: Declare Mahdi Army A Terrorist Group
(Tareek al-Shaab) Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi said that the United Stated should label the al-Mahdi army led by Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr as a terrorist group. Sunni leaders accuse death squads related to the Mahdi army of responsibility for much of the recent violence. (Tareek al-Shaab is issued by the Iraqi Communist Party.)
Talabani Meets Rice
(Al-Mada) In a meeting with US foreign minister Condoleezza Rice attended by American ambassador Zalmai Khalilzad, President Jalal Talabani stressed the need to make the national reconciliation process a success and improve security and stability in Iraq. Talabani said meetings are underway between Iraq’s political blocs and the presidential and ministerial councils to achieve true political participation of the various parties in government. (Al-Mada is issued daily by Al-Mada institution for Media, Culture and Arts.)
Citizens Hit Streets And Markets
(Al-Sabah) Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki expressed optimism about the success of the new security plan, noting that many Iraqis took to the streets and markets on Saturday, despite it being a holiday. (Al-Sabah is a daily independent publicly owned newspaper.)
Australia to increase troops in Iraq
Security
(ABC) The Iraqi Government says it is very supportive of Australia's decision to boost its troop numbers in Iraq. Prime Minister John Howard announced yesterday that up to 70 military trainers from Australia would join troops in Iraq. Iraq's Deputy Foreign Minister Labeed Abbawi says the trainers will support the Iraq military, and early withdrawal of troops would have negative consequences.
Labels: Australia, military trainers
PUK, KDP deny supporting PKK
Kurdistan, Turkey, Security, Politics
(Voices of Iraq) Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) denied in a joint official statement supporting the Turkish Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). "We in the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) are strongly denying these groundless statements of supporting the PKK, asserting that we are looking forward to bolster ties with Turkey", the joint statement said.
"We are keen to have good and strong ties with our neighbors, as we are not interfering in other states' internal affairs", according to the statement received by the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI). Anatolian news agency reported last Saturday that Turkey's army chief had accused the two main Kurdish factions of supporting Turkish Kurd fighters. The statements coincided with the Iraqi Kurds' welcome to the statement made by the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyib Erdogan on establishing good relations with Iraq's Kurdistan region.
(Voices of Iraq) Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) denied in a joint official statement supporting the Turkish Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). "We in the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) are strongly denying these groundless statements of supporting the PKK, asserting that we are looking forward to bolster ties with Turkey", the joint statement said.
"We are keen to have good and strong ties with our neighbors, as we are not interfering in other states' internal affairs", according to the statement received by the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI). Anatolian news agency reported last Saturday that Turkey's army chief had accused the two main Kurdish factions of supporting Turkish Kurd fighters. The statements coincided with the Iraqi Kurds' welcome to the statement made by the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyib Erdogan on establishing good relations with Iraq's Kurdistan region.
Labels: KDP, Kurdistan, PKK, PUK, Turkey
Attacks step up as Operation Imposing Law continues
Security
(Al Jazeera) More than 40 civilians and several Iraqi and US soldiers have died in a series of attacks in Baghdad, a day after more than 60 people were killed when two car bombs were detonated near a market. Monday's killings were the latest blow to a joint security operation by US and Iraqi forces aimed at improving security in the capital.
In Baghdad, the bloodshed included at least 11 people killed in a mortar attack on a Shia enclave and five killed when a suicide attacker detonated a bomb-rigged belt on a public bus headed for the mostly Shia area of Karradah, police reported.
On a highway about nine miles northwest of Baghdad, armed men stopped a minivan and assassinated all 13 occupants, including an elderly woman and two boys, accusing them of opposing al-Qaeda in Iraq, police and witnesses said. North of Baghdad, a suicide car bomber attacked a house in the Khazraj district belonging to an Iraqi army major, killing five soldiers and wounding 10 others, police said. In a separate incident, one person was killed and seven others were injured in a car bomb explosion in Mahmudiya, south of Baghdad, police said. In the northern city of Tal Afar, five people, including a six-year-old boy, were killed by a roadside bomb, Najim Abdullah, a local official, said.
In Baghdad, the bloodshed included at least 11 people killed in a mortar attack on a Shia enclave and five killed when a suicide attacker detonated a bomb-rigged belt on a public bus headed for the mostly Shia area of Karradah, police reported.
On a highway about nine miles northwest of Baghdad, armed men stopped a minivan and assassinated all 13 occupants, including an elderly woman and two boys, accusing them of opposing al-Qaeda in Iraq, police and witnesses said. North of Baghdad, a suicide car bomber attacked a house in the Khazraj district belonging to an Iraqi army major, killing five soldiers and wounding 10 others, police said. In a separate incident, one person was killed and seven others were injured in a car bomb explosion in Mahmudiya, south of Baghdad, police said. In the northern city of Tal Afar, five people, including a six-year-old boy, were killed by a roadside bomb, Najim Abdullah, a local official, said.
Outside Baghdad, nearly 150 people were hospitalized complaining of breathing problems, vomiting and other ailments after a truck carrying a chlorine-based substance was hit by a roadside bomb north of Baghdad, said Brig. Gen. Qassim Moussawi, a military spokesman. Two people died in the blast and the others were treated after being exposed to fumes and debris near Taji, about 12 miles northwest of Baghdad, Moussawi said. All those treated were in stable condition.
Tens of thousands of US and Iraqi troops have been deployed in Baghdad as part of Operation Fardh al-Qanoon - Operation Imposing Law - which officially started last week.
Tens of thousands of US and Iraqi troops have been deployed in Baghdad as part of Operation Fardh al-Qanoon - Operation Imposing Law - which officially started last week.
Labels: Operation Fardh al-Qanoon, Operation Imposing Law -
New studies show substantial oil and natural gas deposits in Sunni lands
Oil
(New York Times) Iraq has substantially increased its estimates of the amount of oil and natural gas in deposits on Sunni lands after quietly paying foreign oil companies tens of millions of dollars over the past two years to re-examine old seismic data across the country and retrain Iraqi petroleum engineers.
Although engineers in Iraq and the West have always known there are some oil formations beneath Sunni lands, the issue is coming into much sharper focus with the new studies, according to senior Iraqi Oil Ministry officials. The question of where Iraq's oil reserves are concentrated is taking on still more importance as it appears that negotiators are close to agreement on a long-debated oil law that would regulate how Iraqi and international oil companies would be allowed to develop Iraq's fields.
The new studies have increased estimates of the amount of oil in a series of deposits in Sunni territory to the north and east of Baghdad and in a series of deposits that run through western Iraq like beads on a string, and could contain as much as a trillion cubic feet of natural gas. And while it would take years to actually begin pulling gas and oil out of the fields even if the area soon became safe enough for companies to work in, energy corporations have been excited about the area's potential, even if it falls short of reserves in the Shiite south and Kurdish north. The deposit is the Akkas field, one of the beads on the string that runs from Ninewa Province in the north to the border with Saudi Arabia in the south.
Although engineers in Iraq and the West have always known there are some oil formations beneath Sunni lands, the issue is coming into much sharper focus with the new studies, according to senior Iraqi Oil Ministry officials. The question of where Iraq's oil reserves are concentrated is taking on still more importance as it appears that negotiators are close to agreement on a long-debated oil law that would regulate how Iraqi and international oil companies would be allowed to develop Iraq's fields.
The new studies have increased estimates of the amount of oil in a series of deposits in Sunni territory to the north and east of Baghdad and in a series of deposits that run through western Iraq like beads on a string, and could contain as much as a trillion cubic feet of natural gas. And while it would take years to actually begin pulling gas and oil out of the fields even if the area soon became safe enough for companies to work in, energy corporations have been excited about the area's potential, even if it falls short of reserves in the Shiite south and Kurdish north. The deposit is the Akkas field, one of the beads on the string that runs from Ninewa Province in the north to the border with Saudi Arabia in the south.
Labels: Akkas field, natural gas, oil, Sunni territory
Sunni tribes in Anbar work with U.S. to combat violence
Security
(UPI) Sunni tribes in troubled Anbar province have begun working closely with U.S. and government forces, contributing nearly 2,400 men to the police department and 1,600 to a newly organized tribal security force, authorities say. U.S. troops are training and equipping the new tribal forces, which are called Emergency Response Units (ERUs), and are charged with defending the areas where they live, according to the local U.S. commander.
By a U.S. count, 12 of the Ramadi area's 21 tribes are cooperating in the security effort, six are considered neutral, and three are actively hostile. That is almost the reverse of the tribal posture last June, when three were cooperative and 12 were hostile. For nearly four years, the tribes around Ramadi survived by playing both sides, working with U.S. forces when it suited them, while at the same time helping or tolerating Sunni insurgent groups and al Qaeda in Iraq.
That changed in August, according to U.S. Army Col. Sean MacFarland, commander of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, which has been responsible for security operations in Ramadi since June. Al Qaeda in Iraq -- which has also turned its intimidation tactics on the tribal leaders -- kidnapped and killed Sheik Khalid of the Albu Ali Jassim tribe and left his body where it could not be found, preventing the family from burying him within 24 hours as prescribed by Muslim tradition. "Al Qaeda overplayed its hand," Col. MacFarland said at his headquarters, a dusty base on the west side of Ramadi.
At a meeting that month, several sheiks drew up an 11-point declaration vowing to fight al Qaeda, within the rule of law, and declaring solidarity with coalition and government security forces. It is a movement referred to by the tribes as "the Awakening" led by Sheik Sitar. Al Qaeda killed several of his family members along with 14 other sheiks from different tribes.
From July 2006 to January 2007, the daily average number of attacks fell by 38 percent and roadside bomb attacks dropped by 57 percent to an 18-month low. The roadside bombs also are getting smaller and less complex, enabling the brigade and the Iraqi police to find more than 80 percent of improvised explosive devices before they detonate.
It is "a very significant indicator that this potent weapon system has become less effective in Ramadi," Col. MacFarland said. More important to the colonel, attacks are occurring farther from the town center and from the main road -- suggesting that residents are not tolerating insurgents the way they once did, and are tipping off police to suspicious activities.
By a U.S. count, 12 of the Ramadi area's 21 tribes are cooperating in the security effort, six are considered neutral, and three are actively hostile. That is almost the reverse of the tribal posture last June, when three were cooperative and 12 were hostile. For nearly four years, the tribes around Ramadi survived by playing both sides, working with U.S. forces when it suited them, while at the same time helping or tolerating Sunni insurgent groups and al Qaeda in Iraq.
That changed in August, according to U.S. Army Col. Sean MacFarland, commander of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, which has been responsible for security operations in Ramadi since June. Al Qaeda in Iraq -- which has also turned its intimidation tactics on the tribal leaders -- kidnapped and killed Sheik Khalid of the Albu Ali Jassim tribe and left his body where it could not be found, preventing the family from burying him within 24 hours as prescribed by Muslim tradition. "Al Qaeda overplayed its hand," Col. MacFarland said at his headquarters, a dusty base on the west side of Ramadi.
At a meeting that month, several sheiks drew up an 11-point declaration vowing to fight al Qaeda, within the rule of law, and declaring solidarity with coalition and government security forces. It is a movement referred to by the tribes as "the Awakening" led by Sheik Sitar. Al Qaeda killed several of his family members along with 14 other sheiks from different tribes.
From July 2006 to January 2007, the daily average number of attacks fell by 38 percent and roadside bomb attacks dropped by 57 percent to an 18-month low. The roadside bombs also are getting smaller and less complex, enabling the brigade and the Iraqi police to find more than 80 percent of improvised explosive devices before they detonate.
It is "a very significant indicator that this potent weapon system has become less effective in Ramadi," Col. MacFarland said. More important to the colonel, attacks are occurring farther from the town center and from the main road -- suggesting that residents are not tolerating insurgents the way they once did, and are tipping off police to suspicious activities.
Labels: Al Qaeda in Iraq, Ramadi, tribal sheiks
Monday, February 19, 2007
Draft version of oil law submitted to cabinet
Oil, Politics
(New York Times) A draft version of the long-awaited law that would govern the development of Iraqi oil fields and the distribution of oil revenues has been submitted to Iraq’s cabinet, the first step toward approving the legislation, two members of a senior negotiating committee said this weekend.
The move seemed to signal that negotiators had arrived at the outlines of a compromise that would satisfy the Kurdish, Shiite and Sunni members of the committee and break a deadlock that has held up approval of the law for months. Because the Iraqi budget depends almost entirely on oil revenues, the law is considered an essential element of creating a stable and functioning government.
Earlier drafts of the law described to The New York Times indicate that Iraq’s central government in Baghdad would retain substantial control over oil revenues and the right to review the contracts that regional governments sign with Iraqi and international companies to develop the fields and to pump oil.
Negotiations had snagged because of the insistence by the Kurds that they maintain a degree of autonomy in managing their northern fields. But two members of the negotiating committee confirmed that a draft had been sent to the cabinet, indicating that a compromise might be in sight.
Neither of those negotiators — Hussain al-Shahristani, the current oil minister, and Thamir Ghadban, a former oil minister — provided details of the compromise. But a senior official in the Kurdish regional government also said that a deal was near and hinted that the Kurds had received concessions on how the law would affect existing contracts with oil companies that agreed to work in the north.
If the cabinet approves the draft law, it would then be sent to Parliament for ratification. Parliament for the most part automatically passes laws that have been approved by leaders of the main political parties, which run along ethnic and sectarian lines.
The move seemed to signal that negotiators had arrived at the outlines of a compromise that would satisfy the Kurdish, Shiite and Sunni members of the committee and break a deadlock that has held up approval of the law for months. Because the Iraqi budget depends almost entirely on oil revenues, the law is considered an essential element of creating a stable and functioning government.
Earlier drafts of the law described to The New York Times indicate that Iraq’s central government in Baghdad would retain substantial control over oil revenues and the right to review the contracts that regional governments sign with Iraqi and international companies to develop the fields and to pump oil.
Negotiations had snagged because of the insistence by the Kurds that they maintain a degree of autonomy in managing their northern fields. But two members of the negotiating committee confirmed that a draft had been sent to the cabinet, indicating that a compromise might be in sight.
Neither of those negotiators — Hussain al-Shahristani, the current oil minister, and Thamir Ghadban, a former oil minister — provided details of the compromise. But a senior official in the Kurdish regional government also said that a deal was near and hinted that the Kurds had received concessions on how the law would affect existing contracts with oil companies that agreed to work in the north.
If the cabinet approves the draft law, it would then be sent to Parliament for ratification. Parliament for the most part automatically passes laws that have been approved by leaders of the main political parties, which run along ethnic and sectarian lines.
Labels: draft, Kurdistan, law, oil
Insurgents attack U.S. combat post
Security
(AFP) A suicide bomber has attacked a US outpost north of Baghdad, detonating an explosives-laden vehicle that killed two American soldiers and wounded 17 more. An Iraqi security official told AFP the attack was carried out against an American base in Tarmiyah, 30 kilometres (19 miles) north of the capital.
"Insurgents initiated the attack on the outpost with a suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device detonation," a US military statement said Monday. "The attack site has been secured and wounded soldiers have been evacuated." The deaths brought the number of US servicemen and women to have died in the Iraqi campaign since the March 2003 invasion to 3,133, according to an AFP tally based on Pentagon figures. Suicide car bombs are a hallmark of Iraq's Sunni-led insurgency and are often used in attacks on US patrols and Iraqi troops and civilians. It is rare, however, for bombers to be able to strike fixed American positions.
"Insurgents initiated the attack on the outpost with a suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device detonation," a US military statement said Monday. "The attack site has been secured and wounded soldiers have been evacuated." The deaths brought the number of US servicemen and women to have died in the Iraqi campaign since the March 2003 invasion to 3,133, according to an AFP tally based on Pentagon figures. Suicide car bombs are a hallmark of Iraq's Sunni-led insurgency and are often used in attacks on US patrols and Iraqi troops and civilians. It is rare, however, for bombers to be able to strike fixed American positions.
Labels: assault, insurgents, Tarmiyah, U.S. combat post
Al-Hashimi - classify Mehdi Army as terrorists
Politics, Security
(Reuters) The United States should classify radical Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's Mehdi Army militia as a "terrorist" group, Iraq's Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi said in comments aired on Sunday. "What is expected from the U.S. administration, to avoid double standards, is to classify the Mehdi Army and the militias that worked under its umbrella and banner as terrorist militias and to apply international standards against them," al-Hashemi, a Sunni, told Al Jazeera television.
Deemed by the Pentagon to be the biggest threat to Iraq, the Mehdi Army has kept a low profile, appearing on the streets without their guns, since U.S. and Iraqi troops launched an offensive last week to quell sectarian violence. Iraqi President Jalal Talabani last week said Sadr had ordered his militia leaders to leave Iraq while the security operation was under way. The U.S. military says Sadr has fled to Iran, although Iran again denied this on Sunday. The cleric's aides insist he is still in Iraq.
Deemed by the Pentagon to be the biggest threat to Iraq, the Mehdi Army has kept a low profile, appearing on the streets without their guns, since U.S. and Iraqi troops launched an offensive last week to quell sectarian violence. Iraqi President Jalal Talabani last week said Sadr had ordered his militia leaders to leave Iraq while the security operation was under way. The U.S. military says Sadr has fled to Iran, although Iran again denied this on Sunday. The cleric's aides insist he is still in Iraq.
Labels: Mahdi Army, Moqtada Al-Sadr, Tariq al-Hashemi, terrorist group
Oracle to sponsor Iraq IT and Education summit in the UAE
Business
(PortAl Iraq) Oracle Middle East has confirmed its keynote sponsorship of the Iraq Information Communication Technology and Education Summit (ICTE) in Sharjah, UAE, to be held Feb. 27 and 28. According to the Iraq Development Program (IDP), the summit aims to facilitate the Iraqi government's strategy for forming and strengthening relationships with leading international operators to bring best-in-breed technology, training and management skills to the country.
The summit will welcome a delegation of senior level officials from the Iraqi Ministries of Communications, Science and Technology, and Higher Education and Scientific Research, as well as from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). The summit will also be attended by relevant officials from the Iraq Reconstruction Management Office (IRMO), as well as a number of leading global education institutions.
Ministerial objectives include "the establishment of computer and electronic communication standards, secure communications networks, developing mobile telecommunications infrastructure and equipment, modernization of information technology infrastructure, IT procurement, provision of computer training for government employees and planning for Iraq's IT programs."
Ministerial objectives include "the establishment of computer and electronic communication standards, secure communications networks, developing mobile telecommunications infrastructure and equipment, modernization of information technology infrastructure, IT procurement, provision of computer training for government employees and planning for Iraq's IT programs."
Labels: Iraq Information Communication Technology and Education Summit (ICTE)
Iranians deny al-Sadr is in Iran
Politics, Security
(AP) Iran's Foreign Ministry denied Sunday that radical Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr was in Iran, calling statements by U.S. and Iraqi officials saying he had traveled to Iran "psychological warfare. No, he is not in Iran," Mohammad Ali Hoseini, spokesman for the Ministry, told journalists during a regular press briefing in Iran's first comment on the issue. "The report is baseless and a kind of psychological warfare against Iran by the U.S. to put more pressure on Iran."
An adviser to Iraq's prime minister said last Thursday that al-Sadr, a close ally of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, was in Iran, but denied that the cleric had fled there due to fear of arrest during a security crackdown by coalition forces. A member of al-Sadr's bloc in parliament said the cleric had left Iraq three weeks earlier.
The chief U.S. military spokesman in Iraq, Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, said Thursday that al-Sadr "is not in the country" and that "all indications are, in fact, that he is in Iran." Caldwell said U.S. authorities have been tracking al-Sadr's movements for months. Al-Sadr's Mahdi Army militia in Iraq is widely believed to receive Iranian money and weapons, but his relations with Tehran are not as close as are those of some Kurdish and Shiite parties allied with the Americans.
An adviser to Iraq's prime minister said last Thursday that al-Sadr, a close ally of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, was in Iran, but denied that the cleric had fled there due to fear of arrest during a security crackdown by coalition forces. A member of al-Sadr's bloc in parliament said the cleric had left Iraq three weeks earlier.
The chief U.S. military spokesman in Iraq, Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, said Thursday that al-Sadr "is not in the country" and that "all indications are, in fact, that he is in Iran." Caldwell said U.S. authorities have been tracking al-Sadr's movements for months. Al-Sadr's Mahdi Army militia in Iraq is widely believed to receive Iranian money and weapons, but his relations with Tehran are not as close as are those of some Kurdish and Shiite parties allied with the Americans.
Labels: Iran, Mahdi Army, Moqtada Al-Sadr
Study finds one third of Iraq's population now lives in poverty
Economics
(Voices of Iraq) From a thriving middle income economy in the 70's and 80's, one-third of today's Iraqi population lives in poverty with more than five percent living in extreme poverty. These are some of the startling findings from the latest study prepared by the Iraqi Central Organization for Statistics and Information Technology (COSIT) with the support of UNDP.
Launched jointly by the Ministry of Planning and Development Cooperation and UNDP, the Unsatisfied Basic Needs (UBN) study shows that a high percentage of people in Iraq live under various levels of poverty and human deprivation despite the huge economic and natural resources of the country.
The policies applied to transform the Iraqi economy to a free market such as the lifting of subsidies and the dismantling of state instruments, are exacerbating deprivation levels. The situation in the country shows a deeply complex political and security crisis with no quick apparent solution, according to UNDP in the Jordanian capital Amman on Sunday.
The study also highlights significant variations in living standards across the country, with the southern region in Iraq showing the highest level of deprivation, followed by the centre and then the north. Rural areas show three times higher levels of deprivation than urban areas, with the Baghdad area being the best in the country. The highest deprivation levels are in access to basic services such as electricity and water, followed by economic status of households, then the housing environment.
Launched jointly by the Ministry of Planning and Development Cooperation and UNDP, the Unsatisfied Basic Needs (UBN) study shows that a high percentage of people in Iraq live under various levels of poverty and human deprivation despite the huge economic and natural resources of the country.
The policies applied to transform the Iraqi economy to a free market such as the lifting of subsidies and the dismantling of state instruments, are exacerbating deprivation levels. The situation in the country shows a deeply complex political and security crisis with no quick apparent solution, according to UNDP in the Jordanian capital Amman on Sunday.
The study also highlights significant variations in living standards across the country, with the southern region in Iraq showing the highest level of deprivation, followed by the centre and then the north. Rural areas show three times higher levels of deprivation than urban areas, with the Baghdad area being the best in the country. The highest deprivation levels are in access to basic services such as electricity and water, followed by economic status of households, then the housing environment.
Labels: COSIT, economy, living standards, poverty, UBN study, UNDP
Scores killed by bombs as security operation continues
Security
(Al Jazeera) At least 13 people have died in a series of bombings in Baghdad, a day after more than 60 people were killed when two car bombs were detonated near a market. The bombings were the latest blow to a joint security operation by US and Iraqi forces aimed at improving security in the capital.
Five commuters were killed when a bomb which was hidden on a minibus exploded in the Karradah district, police said. In a second attack, a roadside bomb exploded by a police patrol, killing two people and wounding 40 bystanders, in the nearby district of Zafaraniyah, a security official said. North of Baghdad, a suicide car bomber attacked a house in the Khazraj district belonging to an Iraqi army major, killing five soldiers and wounding 10, police said. In a separate incident, one person was killed and another seven injured in a car bomb explosion in Mahmudiya, south of Baghdad, police said.
Five commuters were killed when a bomb which was hidden on a minibus exploded in the Karradah district, police said. In a second attack, a roadside bomb exploded by a police patrol, killing two people and wounding 40 bystanders, in the nearby district of Zafaraniyah, a security official said. North of Baghdad, a suicide car bomber attacked a house in the Khazraj district belonging to an Iraqi army major, killing five soldiers and wounding 10, police said. In a separate incident, one person was killed and another seven injured in a car bomb explosion in Mahmudiya, south of Baghdad, police said.
Tens of thousands of US and Iraqi troops have been deployed in Baghdad as part of "Operation Fardh al-Qanoon" - Operation Imposing Law - which officially started last week."As displaced families return home peacefully, and hopes are raised by 'Operation Fardh al-Qanoon', criminal terrorists are not happy to see life returing to normal in Baghdad," Nuri al-Maliki, the Iraqi prime minister, said, blaming Sunni fighters and supporters of Saddam Hussein for the attacks. Soldiers deploying to new security posts had met little organised resistance, although two US troops have been killed, and the number of corpses of murder victims found every day had dropped dramatically. US forces reportedly came under attack north of Baghdad after a suicide bomber apparently tried to break through barriers around a joint base with Iraqi forces.
Outside the capital, two suicide car bombers blew themselves up in Ramadi, killing at least 11 people and wounding four, police and witnesses said. The first explosion hit the blast walls outside the house of Abdul Setar Abu Risha, a tribal leader who has led a government-backed campaign to fight al-Qaeda-linked fighters in al-Anbar province. The second suicide bomber crashed his vehicle into the house before blowing himself up. Five police officers and six civilians were killed in the blasts, witnesses said.
Outside the capital, two suicide car bombers blew themselves up in Ramadi, killing at least 11 people and wounding four, police and witnesses said. The first explosion hit the blast walls outside the house of Abdul Setar Abu Risha, a tribal leader who has led a government-backed campaign to fight al-Qaeda-linked fighters in al-Anbar province. The second suicide bomber crashed his vehicle into the house before blowing himself up. Five police officers and six civilians were killed in the blasts, witnesses said.
Labels: bombings, operation Imposing Law
Mayhem as border posts open with Syria
Security
(Al Jazeera) The ending of a three-day border closure between Iraq and Syria has led to chaotic scenes at two crossings as more people try to escape the continuing violence in Iraq. There was "pandemonium" at the Rabia border crossing as thousands of civilians converged on what was one of the only two entry points into Syria on Sunday.
According to witnesses, the congestion was the result of the closure of the Iraqi border since February 14, when authorities implemented a new security crackdown in the capital Baghdad. The border reopened late on Saturday. When Iraqi border police failed to halt the stream of people surrounding the processing centre, US soldiers moved into the crowds with police dogs in hopes of bringing order. Later, they fired shots into the air to disperse the crowds, witnesses said.
The shots could be clearly heard at the al-Ya'roubia crossing on the Syrian side of the border. At 3pm, after all efforts to stabilise the situation failed, Iraqi border police collected all the passports and proceeded to issue exit stamps, abandoning once rigid security checks. Witnesses said commercial traffic was stopped at the border and the queue extended some 40km into Iraqi territory.
According to witnesses, the congestion was the result of the closure of the Iraqi border since February 14, when authorities implemented a new security crackdown in the capital Baghdad. The border reopened late on Saturday. When Iraqi border police failed to halt the stream of people surrounding the processing centre, US soldiers moved into the crowds with police dogs in hopes of bringing order. Later, they fired shots into the air to disperse the crowds, witnesses said.
The shots could be clearly heard at the al-Ya'roubia crossing on the Syrian side of the border. At 3pm, after all efforts to stabilise the situation failed, Iraqi border police collected all the passports and proceeded to issue exit stamps, abandoning once rigid security checks. Witnesses said commercial traffic was stopped at the border and the queue extended some 40km into Iraqi territory.
