Thursday, September 20, 2007
Report: An Outline of Kurdish Islamist Groups in Iraq
Report
(Jamestown Foundation)
Abstract: This article outlines the history and genesis of Kurdish Islamist groups in Iraq. Based on fieldwork and personal interviews conducted in Iraq in 2003 and 2004, this study presents a significant amount of never-before published details about these movements. Particular attention is paid to the links between various groups, their transformation or splintering into new organizations, and the role of the non-Kurdish Iraqi Muslim Brotherhood in spawning these movements. The conclusion to this study addresses possible strategies for containing radical Islamist movements, and the dilemmas inherent in constructing such strategies.
Abstract: This article outlines the history and genesis of Kurdish Islamist groups in Iraq. Based on fieldwork and personal interviews conducted in Iraq in 2003 and 2004, this study presents a significant amount of never-before published details about these movements. Particular attention is paid to the links between various groups, their transformation or splintering into new organizations, and the role of the non-Kurdish Iraqi Muslim Brotherhood in spawning these movements. The conclusion to this study addresses possible strategies for containing radical Islamist movements, and the dilemmas inherent in constructing such strategies.
Executive Summary:
A great number of Iraqi Kurdish Islamist groups, including militant Islamist movements, have emerged in the last 20 years. Despite the fact that politicized Islam never seemed to enjoy as much broad popularity in Iraqi Kurdistan as it has amongst some neighboring Arab populations, a number of small Kurdish Islamist groups keep multiplying, splintering and occasionally reuniting.
This study pays particular attention to links between various Iraqi Kurdish Islamist movements, their history, their transformation or splintering into new organizations, and the role of the non-Kurdish Iraqi Muslim Brotherhood in spawning these movements in the first place. A historical "map-tree" of the movements is presented in order to better understand various groups’ roots and their relationships with other Islamist movements in Iraq. In some cases, the support of outside states and foreign Islamist organizations appears crucial to explaining what success political Islam in Iraqi Kurdistan has enjoyed.
Labels: Iraqi Kurdish Islamist movements, Iraqi Muslim Brotherhood, Islamist movements, Jamestown Foundation, Kurdistan
Bin Laden threatens Iraq's Shiites in new video
(AFP) - Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden branded Iraq's Shiite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki a "traitorous apostate" in new video that threatens the Shiite Muslim majority in the violence-ravaged country. The 81-minute documentary-style video was made public on Thursday by the US-based SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors Islamist websites.
In it, bin Laden talks of a succession of US-backed government in Iraq since Saddam Hussein was overthrown in 2003 and taunts them for failing to end the US-led occupation of the country. His remarks were made in a documentary style video with English subtitles called "The Power of Truth" in which bin Laden appears in still photographs and video footage.
"We've seen (Iyad) Allawi's government come and go, yet the occupier did not leave; and the (Ibrahim) Jaafari government as well, yet the occupier did not leave. "And there is the traitorous apostate Maliki government taking the same line as the Jaafari government because it is just another face of it." The Al-Qaeda leader, a radical Sunni Muslim, makes a reference to Iraq's majority Shiite Muslims, to which he is virulently opposed, and threatens them with violence.
"It is not possible for such a large number of southerners to participate with American and its allies in violating Fallujah, Ramadi, Baquba, Mosul, Samarra, Qaim and other cities and villages and then in exchange have their region enjoy safety from harm and reaction." Those cities have predominantly Sunni Arab populations.
In it, bin Laden talks of a succession of US-backed government in Iraq since Saddam Hussein was overthrown in 2003 and taunts them for failing to end the US-led occupation of the country. His remarks were made in a documentary style video with English subtitles called "The Power of Truth" in which bin Laden appears in still photographs and video footage.
"We've seen (Iyad) Allawi's government come and go, yet the occupier did not leave; and the (Ibrahim) Jaafari government as well, yet the occupier did not leave. "And there is the traitorous apostate Maliki government taking the same line as the Jaafari government because it is just another face of it." The Al-Qaeda leader, a radical Sunni Muslim, makes a reference to Iraq's majority Shiite Muslims, to which he is virulently opposed, and threatens them with violence.
"It is not possible for such a large number of southerners to participate with American and its allies in violating Fallujah, Ramadi, Baquba, Mosul, Samarra, Qaim and other cities and villages and then in exchange have their region enjoy safety from harm and reaction." Those cities have predominantly Sunni Arab populations.
Labels: Al Qaeda, Nouri Al-Maliki, Osama bin Laden, video
LUKoil to have advatage in West Qurna-2 tender
Oil
(Bloomberg, AP) - LUKoil will have an advantage in a new tender for the West Qurna-2 field in Iraq, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said, Interfax reported Wednesday. LUKoil's investments and work at the field will be taken into consideration should the oil producer bid, Zebari said, Interfax reported. The minister invited LUKoil chief executive Vagit Alekperov to Iraq, Interfax said.
LUKoil has been lobbying Iraq to recognize the West Qurna-2 contract that it signed with former dictator Saddam Hussein's government. LUKoil wants to develop the field with shareholder ConocoPhillips. LUKoil's 1997 contract to drill at West Qurna-2, which has an estimated reserve capacity of 4 billion barrels, has been hamstrung under the new authorities in Iraq. The Iraqi parliament is expected to pass a new law that will review previous oil contracts and open the way to a wave of tenders to tap Iraq's enormous oil wealth.
LUKoil has been lobbying Iraq to recognize the West Qurna-2 contract that it signed with former dictator Saddam Hussein's government. LUKoil wants to develop the field with shareholder ConocoPhillips. LUKoil's 1997 contract to drill at West Qurna-2, which has an estimated reserve capacity of 4 billion barrels, has been hamstrung under the new authorities in Iraq. The Iraqi parliament is expected to pass a new law that will review previous oil contracts and open the way to a wave of tenders to tap Iraq's enormous oil wealth.
Labels: ConocoPhillips, Hoshyar Zibari, LUKoil, oil, tender, Vagit Alekperov, West Qurna-2
U.S. congress considers legislation for private security companies
(McClatchy Newspapers) - The deaths of 11 Iraqis during a shooting involving Blackwater security guards pose the kind of quandary that congressional investigators have been worrying about for years: how to oversee and prosecute contractors accused of crimes in a war-torn country. The shooting also renews focus on congressional efforts to bring more oversight to security contractors, including legislation sponsored by Rep. David Price, D-N.C., one of Congress' most vocal critics of the lack of oversight of private security companies.
Price has sponsored two bills that would bring all U.S. security contractors under federal criminal codes and require that the U.S. government provide more information about the cost and duties of private contractors.
Iraqi officials said Monday that they would revoke Blackwater's license to operate in Iraq and would insist that its employees responsible for the deaths, which Iraqi officials say resulted from an unprovoked shooting spree by the guards, face Iraqi courts.
Price has sponsored two bills that would bring all U.S. security contractors under federal criminal codes and require that the U.S. government provide more information about the cost and duties of private contractors.
Iraqi officials said Monday that they would revoke Blackwater's license to operate in Iraq and would insist that its employees responsible for the deaths, which Iraqi officials say resulted from an unprovoked shooting spree by the guards, face Iraqi courts.
On Wednesday, Iraqi officials also accused Blackwater of involvement in a number of questionable actions, including engineering the jailbreak of an official accused of corruption. Blackwater, based in Moyock, N.C., provides bodyguards for U.S. diplomats in Iraq, including Ambassador Ryan Crocker. On Tuesday, the U.S. Embassy banned civilian travel outside the fortified Green Zone because of Sunday's shooting.
"This is the first time the Iraq government has taken such strong actions against U.S. contract personnel," Price said. "The question of what we're going to do ... is a very crucial question in establishing credibility for dealing with this." Should Iraq follow through, its crackdown could have implications for tens of thousands of armed employees working in Iraq in various jobs. Price and others say it's unclear exactly what rules private security contractors fall under when operating in war zones.
Price's proposed legislation would clarify that private security contractors working for a U.S. government agency are subject to U.S. law. It would set up FBI units in Iraq to investigate suspected misconduct. The Department of State has begun an investigation into Sunday's shooting, but Price said it's unclear what authority the agency has to prosecute any suspects. He has asked Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice for her interpretation.
Bringing the contractors formally under U.S. laws would help the U.S. argument that suspected crimes need not be prosecuted in Iraqi courts. Blackwater is among the most prominent of the private security companies operating in Iraq, in part because of its State Department contract and in part because its employees have been involved in several high-profile incidents.
But the exact number of contractors in Iraq and what their jobs are aren't well known. Price and House Armed Services Chairman Ike Skelton, D-Mo., have asked the Government Accountability Office to issue a report on the subject, and GAO investigators have visited Iraq. The report, however, isn't expected for several months.
"There seems to be a potential conflict brewing about the applicability of Iraqi law," Price said in an interview. "So assuming that there is something here that deserves ... prosecution, then how willing and able the United States is to deal with it is a very important issue and will have a lot to do with the credibility of any case we make against Iraqi prosecution."
Price also has inserted rules in the defense authorization bill, now being debated in the Senate, to set standards for the rules of engagement and hiring of private security contractors, along with improved communication between contractors and the military. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., has included many of the same provisions in an amendment he filed in the Senate to the defense authorization bill.
Republicans in Congress also have made efforts to bring security contractors under U.S. law. Last year, Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, inserted a clause in the defense authorization bill that made contractors working with the U.S. military subject to courts-martial. But the Pentagon hasn't yet drawn up specific guidelines on the clause, according to Peter Singer, a security expert with the Brookings Institution in Washington.
"This is the first time the Iraq government has taken such strong actions against U.S. contract personnel," Price said. "The question of what we're going to do ... is a very crucial question in establishing credibility for dealing with this." Should Iraq follow through, its crackdown could have implications for tens of thousands of armed employees working in Iraq in various jobs. Price and others say it's unclear exactly what rules private security contractors fall under when operating in war zones.
Price's proposed legislation would clarify that private security contractors working for a U.S. government agency are subject to U.S. law. It would set up FBI units in Iraq to investigate suspected misconduct. The Department of State has begun an investigation into Sunday's shooting, but Price said it's unclear what authority the agency has to prosecute any suspects. He has asked Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice for her interpretation.
Bringing the contractors formally under U.S. laws would help the U.S. argument that suspected crimes need not be prosecuted in Iraqi courts. Blackwater is among the most prominent of the private security companies operating in Iraq, in part because of its State Department contract and in part because its employees have been involved in several high-profile incidents.
But the exact number of contractors in Iraq and what their jobs are aren't well known. Price and House Armed Services Chairman Ike Skelton, D-Mo., have asked the Government Accountability Office to issue a report on the subject, and GAO investigators have visited Iraq. The report, however, isn't expected for several months.
"There seems to be a potential conflict brewing about the applicability of Iraqi law," Price said in an interview. "So assuming that there is something here that deserves ... prosecution, then how willing and able the United States is to deal with it is a very important issue and will have a lot to do with the credibility of any case we make against Iraqi prosecution."
Price also has inserted rules in the defense authorization bill, now being debated in the Senate, to set standards for the rules of engagement and hiring of private security contractors, along with improved communication between contractors and the military. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., has included many of the same provisions in an amendment he filed in the Senate to the defense authorization bill.
Republicans in Congress also have made efforts to bring security contractors under U.S. law. Last year, Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, inserted a clause in the defense authorization bill that made contractors working with the U.S. military subject to courts-martial. But the Pentagon hasn't yet drawn up specific guidelines on the clause, according to Peter Singer, a security expert with the Brookings Institution in Washington.
Labels: Blackwater, corruption, legislation
Turkish artillery shells Duhuk
Region
(Voices of Iraq) - Turkish artillery shelled border regions in Duhuk province, a source from the border guard forces said on Wednesday. "The border villages of Zakho and al-Emadiyah cities in Duhuk province were pounded late Tuesday by Turkish artillery," the source told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI) on condition of anonymity, noting that the shelling lasted until 8:00 am on Wednesday.
"More than 82 rounds hit different border regions in Duhuk," he explained. No word was available on the damage caused by the shelling. A local resident said that the Turkish shelling caused panic among civilians. Duhuk is the third province within Iraq's Kurdistan region It is in the far north of Iraq with borders with Turkey. It is located 460 km north of Baghdad.
"More than 82 rounds hit different border regions in Duhuk," he explained. No word was available on the damage caused by the shelling. A local resident said that the Turkish shelling caused panic among civilians. Duhuk is the third province within Iraq's Kurdistan region It is in the far north of Iraq with borders with Turkey. It is located 460 km north of Baghdad.
Labels: al-Emadiyah, Duhuk, Turkish forces, Zakho
Malia Holding and Rotana Hotels announce $55 mn. hotel deal in Erbil
Business
(PortAl Iraq) - Malia Holding and Rotana Hotels have announced the signing of a partnership agreement for the management of a five-star hotel with 205 rooms in Erbil. The more than $55 million hotel will be among a series of projects to be launched by Malia Holding through its tourism investment-affiliated company, Hotel Line. Malia's plans to invest in Erbil stem from the city's economic, social and political climate which make it an ideal destination for investments - particularly in tourism, according to the company announcement.
The Kurdistan area of Iraq - where Erbil is located - has gained an international reputation of being a gateway to Iraqi business, a stable and thriving area with an increasingly prosperous population of five million, according to Rotana. The region has two new international airports and a liberal investment law that attracts foreign investors.
Erbil's Rotana Hotel will be built in front of Sami Rahman park and between the convention center and Erbil Exhibition Fair. The property will feature restaurants and complete recreational areas including a health and fitness club and a swimming pool.
Malia President Jacques Jean Sarraf said: "The prospects of the Erbil project will also benefit the people of Iraq through the creation of hundreds of jobs. Malia is enthusiastic about developments in the Kurdistan and keen on taking an active role in shaping the outlook of tourism and helping rebuild a strong and solid economy in Iraq." Rotana Hotels President and CEO Selim El Zyr said: "We are confident that we will introduce a new dimension of hospitality in the country."
The Kurdistan area of Iraq - where Erbil is located - has gained an international reputation of being a gateway to Iraqi business, a stable and thriving area with an increasingly prosperous population of five million, according to Rotana. The region has two new international airports and a liberal investment law that attracts foreign investors.
Erbil's Rotana Hotel will be built in front of Sami Rahman park and between the convention center and Erbil Exhibition Fair. The property will feature restaurants and complete recreational areas including a health and fitness club and a swimming pool.
Malia President Jacques Jean Sarraf said: "The prospects of the Erbil project will also benefit the people of Iraq through the creation of hundreds of jobs. Malia is enthusiastic about developments in the Kurdistan and keen on taking an active role in shaping the outlook of tourism and helping rebuild a strong and solid economy in Iraq." Rotana Hotels President and CEO Selim El Zyr said: "We are confident that we will introduce a new dimension of hospitality in the country."
Labels: Erbil, hotel, Hotel Line, Malia Holding, Rotana Hotels
Smuggling rife over Kurdistan - Iran border
Crime
(Kurdish Globe) - Near Haji Omeran town near the Iranian border, northeast of Erbil province, smugglers market alcohol on a spot of ground they call Barzari Mashrubfroshan (Market of Alcohol Sellers).
The small smuggling bazaar is located on a foothill where hundreds of sellers hide inside their tents daily, waiting for Iranian customers while avoiding religious authorities who strictly forbid their contraband. The smugglers carry wine and other types of alcohol as well as cigarettes and other illegal items into Iran on the backs of their mules, while border guards from both countries are within eyesight.
In addition to the possibility of being shot by Iranian border guards, the smugglers take a very narrow, difficult path loaded with mines left behind from decades of regional wars. Already many have died in mine explosions. "Our work is very difficult. When smugglers leave toward the Iranian border, they are not sure that they will arrive safe," said Abdul-Aziz Adhami, a 44-year-old alcohol seller. Adhami has fled Iran because of a rebellious political background. "Till now, several of my friends have been shot to death by Iranian border guards."
The most popular starting points of smuggling at the border of Haji Omran-Iran are Bane, Marivan, and Qela Shin. These are the most crowded of many. Alcohol and foreign cigarettes, including Winston, Easton, Magna, etc., that are smuggled into Iran are strictly prohibited by Iranian authorities. Alcohol sellers and even users may face sentences of whipping or at least a monetary fine. Nevertheless, people, especially youths, buy it.
"Different kinds of cigarettes are smuggled to the other side and a little tax is paid to the government here," said Abdulla Hamad Amin, 26, owner of a cigarette store in that market. Whisky, vodka, and champagne are the most popular alcohol smuggled into Iran. They are sold for twice the original price to Iranian customers, and for cities further away from the border, prices get progressively more expensive. Smuggling is the only source of living for many families in Haji Omeran.
Alcohols and cigarettes mostly are legally imported into Kurdistan from the Ibrahim Khalil-Turkey border, where they are distributed through Kurdistan. However, Iranian border guards are very firm in preventing smugglers from entering their land, smugglers said. Meanwhile, observers in Kurdistan constantly accuse the Iranian government of not controlling its borders with Kurdistan, where drugs flow easily into the region.
According to smugglers, they easily cross the border into Kurdistan while carrying drugs. "Many smugglers sometimes pay bribes to Iranian checkpoint guards and import opium into Kurdistan," concluded Adhami.
The small smuggling bazaar is located on a foothill where hundreds of sellers hide inside their tents daily, waiting for Iranian customers while avoiding religious authorities who strictly forbid their contraband. The smugglers carry wine and other types of alcohol as well as cigarettes and other illegal items into Iran on the backs of their mules, while border guards from both countries are within eyesight.
In addition to the possibility of being shot by Iranian border guards, the smugglers take a very narrow, difficult path loaded with mines left behind from decades of regional wars. Already many have died in mine explosions. "Our work is very difficult. When smugglers leave toward the Iranian border, they are not sure that they will arrive safe," said Abdul-Aziz Adhami, a 44-year-old alcohol seller. Adhami has fled Iran because of a rebellious political background. "Till now, several of my friends have been shot to death by Iranian border guards."
The most popular starting points of smuggling at the border of Haji Omran-Iran are Bane, Marivan, and Qela Shin. These are the most crowded of many. Alcohol and foreign cigarettes, including Winston, Easton, Magna, etc., that are smuggled into Iran are strictly prohibited by Iranian authorities. Alcohol sellers and even users may face sentences of whipping or at least a monetary fine. Nevertheless, people, especially youths, buy it.
"Different kinds of cigarettes are smuggled to the other side and a little tax is paid to the government here," said Abdulla Hamad Amin, 26, owner of a cigarette store in that market. Whisky, vodka, and champagne are the most popular alcohol smuggled into Iran. They are sold for twice the original price to Iranian customers, and for cities further away from the border, prices get progressively more expensive. Smuggling is the only source of living for many families in Haji Omeran.
Alcohols and cigarettes mostly are legally imported into Kurdistan from the Ibrahim Khalil-Turkey border, where they are distributed through Kurdistan. However, Iranian border guards are very firm in preventing smugglers from entering their land, smugglers said. Meanwhile, observers in Kurdistan constantly accuse the Iranian government of not controlling its borders with Kurdistan, where drugs flow easily into the region.
According to smugglers, they easily cross the border into Kurdistan while carrying drugs. "Many smugglers sometimes pay bribes to Iranian checkpoint guards and import opium into Kurdistan," concluded Adhami.
Labels: alcohol, Barzari Mashrubfroshan, cigarettes, drugs, Haji Omeran, Iran, Kurdistan, smuggling
U.S. forces arrest Iranian in Kurdistan
Region
(AFP) - US forces arrested an Iranian businessman on Thursday at a hotel in Sulaimaniyah, a majority Kurdish city in northern Iraq, a regional government official told AFP. He is the latest Iranian national to be detained in Iraq by the US military, which accuses Iran of helping fund and arm Shiite militia groups in the country's bloody sectarian conflict.
The businessman, identified only as Farhadi, was detained at around 4.00 am (midnight GMT) after US troops raided the Sulaimaniyah Palace hotel, said a spokesman for government of the largely autonomous region of Kurdistan. The businessman was a member of an Iranian commercial delegation visiting Sulaimaniyah, said the spokesman, Jamal Abdullah.
"American troops raided the Sulaimaniyah Palace hotel early in the morning and arrested a man known as Farhadi. He was a member of a commercial delegation from the Iranian province of Kermanshah," Abdullah said. US military spokesman Major Winfield Danielson said he could not immediately comment on the reported detention.
There was no immediate comment frm Tehran. Late last month, US forces briefly detained a group of Iranians, including two diplomats, from a Baghdad hotel in what the military later said was a "regrettable incident." Tehran issued a protest over what it called the "unjustifiable" detention of the Iranians, who were taken by US troops from a hotel in blindfolds and handcuffs after their convoy was stopped at a nearby checkpoint.
Thursday's arrest is the third such action by US troops since January, when five Iranians working in the northern Kurdish city of Arbil were seized for allegedly aiding the anti-American insurgency. They are still in US military custody. It comes amid mounting tension between the United States and Iran, with Washington accusing Tehran of stoking tensions in Iraq and of covertly developing a nuclear weapon.
Iran denies both charges, saying the presence of US troops is the main cause of violence in Iraq and that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes only. Amid a mounting war of words, Iran angered Washington further when it warned on Wednesday that it could bomb Israel if it was attacked by the Jewish state. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is travelling to New York on Sunday and will give a speech at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, the same day that US President George W. Bush is scheduled to speak.
The businessman, identified only as Farhadi, was detained at around 4.00 am (midnight GMT) after US troops raided the Sulaimaniyah Palace hotel, said a spokesman for government of the largely autonomous region of Kurdistan. The businessman was a member of an Iranian commercial delegation visiting Sulaimaniyah, said the spokesman, Jamal Abdullah.
"American troops raided the Sulaimaniyah Palace hotel early in the morning and arrested a man known as Farhadi. He was a member of a commercial delegation from the Iranian province of Kermanshah," Abdullah said. US military spokesman Major Winfield Danielson said he could not immediately comment on the reported detention.
There was no immediate comment frm Tehran. Late last month, US forces briefly detained a group of Iranians, including two diplomats, from a Baghdad hotel in what the military later said was a "regrettable incident." Tehran issued a protest over what it called the "unjustifiable" detention of the Iranians, who were taken by US troops from a hotel in blindfolds and handcuffs after their convoy was stopped at a nearby checkpoint.
Thursday's arrest is the third such action by US troops since January, when five Iranians working in the northern Kurdish city of Arbil were seized for allegedly aiding the anti-American insurgency. They are still in US military custody. It comes amid mounting tension between the United States and Iran, with Washington accusing Tehran of stoking tensions in Iraq and of covertly developing a nuclear weapon.
Iran denies both charges, saying the presence of US troops is the main cause of violence in Iraq and that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes only. Amid a mounting war of words, Iran angered Washington further when it warned on Wednesday that it could bomb Israel if it was attacked by the Jewish state. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is travelling to New York on Sunday and will give a speech at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, the same day that US President George W. Bush is scheduled to speak.
Labels: commercial delegation, Farhadi, Iranian, Kermanshah, Sulaimaniyah, U.S. forces
17 prominent Sadrists released from prison
Security, Politics
(Voices of Iraq) - Seventeen prominent members of al-Sadr movement, or those loyal to Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, will be released today from U.S. prisons in Iraq, Iraqi National Security Advisor Moqaffaw al-Rubaie said on Wednesday. "17 Sadrist detainees in coalition prisons will be set free in response togovernment efforts," al-Rubaie said during a news conference in the Iraqi capital Baghdad. Refusing to reveal the identity of the released prisoners, al-Rubaie said, "I would not describe them as leaders, but some of them are well-known in their regions…"
"This is the fourth batch of Sadrist detainees to be released from coalition forces' prisons," he explained. At the beginning of the conference, al-Rubaie announced an initiative by the Iraqi government that aims at enhancing the performance of security and legal institutions and release detainees from Iraqi prisons, and warned political factions against politicizing the move for "sectarian purposes."
Describing his government's initiative for "enforcing the rule of law" as an attempt "to do justice to the detainees in Iraqi prisons and address their issues in accordance with human rights principles," al-Rubaie said that the Iraqi government is determined to take all necessary measures to improve the performance of its security and legal apparatus.
Al-Rubaie read out the details of the initiative to reporters, which he said urges all concerned state-run institutions, including the ministries of defense, interior, justice, and labor, to provide accurate information about the number of Iraqi detainees and prisoners. The information will be submitted to the Supreme Legal Council, the leadership of the Public Prosecution, and the Ministry of Interior, al-Rubaie indicated.
Acknowledging serious problems in Iraqi prisons and detention centers, the security advisor warned political factions of politicizing the government's initiative. "The government asserts that it is not a political issue. We should put political divisions and factional and sectarian allegations aside and undermine endeavors to make use of the initiative for political or partisan purposes," al-Rubaie noted.
"This is the fourth batch of Sadrist detainees to be released from coalition forces' prisons," he explained. At the beginning of the conference, al-Rubaie announced an initiative by the Iraqi government that aims at enhancing the performance of security and legal institutions and release detainees from Iraqi prisons, and warned political factions against politicizing the move for "sectarian purposes."
Describing his government's initiative for "enforcing the rule of law" as an attempt "to do justice to the detainees in Iraqi prisons and address their issues in accordance with human rights principles," al-Rubaie said that the Iraqi government is determined to take all necessary measures to improve the performance of its security and legal apparatus.
Al-Rubaie read out the details of the initiative to reporters, which he said urges all concerned state-run institutions, including the ministries of defense, interior, justice, and labor, to provide accurate information about the number of Iraqi detainees and prisoners. The information will be submitted to the Supreme Legal Council, the leadership of the Public Prosecution, and the Ministry of Interior, al-Rubaie indicated.
Acknowledging serious problems in Iraqi prisons and detention centers, the security advisor warned political factions of politicizing the government's initiative. "The government asserts that it is not a political issue. We should put political divisions and factional and sectarian allegations aside and undermine endeavors to make use of the initiative for political or partisan purposes," al-Rubaie noted.
COMMENT: It would appear that deals have been cut in the wings. One of al-Sadr's conditions for not turning on the government and to consider rejoining it were that imprisoned Sadrists be released. COMMENT ENDS.
Labels: Moqaffaw al-Rubaie, prisoners, Sadrists
INL members go independent
Politics
(Voices of Iraq) - Iraqi National List's (INL) members of parliament Safiyah al-Sehil and Hachem al-Hassani announced their withdrawal from the secular list, which is led by former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, saying they will sit as independents in the Iraqi parliament. "We announce our defection from the INL and we will sit as independents in the parliament," the two parliamentarians said in a joint news conference before the session of the parliament.
When asked about the reasons behind his decision, al-Hassani told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI) that divisions within the secular list over the decision-making process resulted in a complete lack of harmony between some of its members.
Al-Hassani was the former speaker of Iraq's Transitional National Assembly, the first Iraqi parliament formed after the 2005 elections. He was also a leading member in the Iraqi Islamic Party and was appointed as the minister of industry in Allawi's interim government. During the second legislative elections in 2005, al-Hassani joined the secular alliance led by Allawi, which includes many political parties of different ethnic affiliation.
Meanwhile, al-Sehil said that the list's deviation from the moderate and liberal line and its adoption of a "national Baathist line" led some of its senior members to consider reform. "We have tried to bring in reforms and rectify the path of the INL, but we unfortunately failed," al-Sehil said. After the defections of the two parliamentarians the INL now has 22 seats in the 275-member parliament.
When asked about the reasons behind his decision, al-Hassani told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI) that divisions within the secular list over the decision-making process resulted in a complete lack of harmony between some of its members.
Al-Hassani was the former speaker of Iraq's Transitional National Assembly, the first Iraqi parliament formed after the 2005 elections. He was also a leading member in the Iraqi Islamic Party and was appointed as the minister of industry in Allawi's interim government. During the second legislative elections in 2005, al-Hassani joined the secular alliance led by Allawi, which includes many political parties of different ethnic affiliation.
Meanwhile, al-Sehil said that the list's deviation from the moderate and liberal line and its adoption of a "national Baathist line" led some of its senior members to consider reform. "We have tried to bring in reforms and rectify the path of the INL, but we unfortunately failed," al-Sehil said. After the defections of the two parliamentarians the INL now has 22 seats in the 275-member parliament.
Labels: Hachem al-Hassani, Iraqi National List, Iyad Allawi, Safiyah al-Sehil
Dawa Party reiterates commitment to UIC
Politics
(Voices of Iraq) - The Daawa Party-Iraq has reiterated its commitment to the Shiite Unified Iraqi Coalition (UIC), denying reports that indicate its withdrawal from the bloc. "We continue to support Nouri al-Maliki's government and our main aim is to tackle all pending issues inside the UIC," the leader of the party, Abdul Kareem al-Anzi, said at a press conference held on Wednesday in Baghdad.
He denied reports that indicated its withdrawal from the UIC, but said they will work towards a strong coalition. Al-Anzi said last Sunday that the party may withdraw from the Shiite UIC if efforts to heal the rift within the Shiite alliance fail. The party's MP Abd al-Mousawi said that the Daawa Party had announced its commitment to the unified national government, underlining the importance of the presence of the Fadhila party and the Sadrist bloc in the UIC.
The party holds 13 seats out of the 83-seat UIC. The UIC was composed of several (Shiite) religious and political organizations and parties that entered the first legislative elections in Iraq to be held after foreign troops entered the country and unseated the regime in April 2003. The UIC now has 83 seats, after two members on the Risalyoon list, an offshoot of the Sadrist bloc, quit in solidarity. The step was preceded by the withdrawal of the Islamic Fadhila (Virtue) Party, which had 15 seats in March 2007.
He denied reports that indicated its withdrawal from the UIC, but said they will work towards a strong coalition. Al-Anzi said last Sunday that the party may withdraw from the Shiite UIC if efforts to heal the rift within the Shiite alliance fail. The party's MP Abd al-Mousawi said that the Daawa Party had announced its commitment to the unified national government, underlining the importance of the presence of the Fadhila party and the Sadrist bloc in the UIC.
The party holds 13 seats out of the 83-seat UIC. The UIC was composed of several (Shiite) religious and political organizations and parties that entered the first legislative elections in Iraq to be held after foreign troops entered the country and unseated the regime in April 2003. The UIC now has 83 seats, after two members on the Risalyoon list, an offshoot of the Sadrist bloc, quit in solidarity. The step was preceded by the withdrawal of the Islamic Fadhila (Virtue) Party, which had 15 seats in March 2007.
Labels: Abdul Kareem al-Anzi, Dawa party, Fadhela party, Risalyoon list, Sadrist bloc, Unified Iraqi Coalition
Wounded Iraqis speak out about Blackwater incident
Security
(CNN) -- It was last Sunday in western Baghdad. Helicopters circled overhead while armed guards, privately hired by the U.S. government, were conducting an ordinary mission to protect U.S. State Department employees. But within minutes there was an explosion, a hail of gunfire, and bodies in the streets. The Iraqi Interior Ministry says at least 10 Iraqis were killed and 10 wounded. Another government spokesman, Ali al-Dabbagh, told CNN that at least 20 people died, with 35 wounded.
So what happened on that day on a square in the Mansour district of Baghdad? It depends on whom you ask.
Blackwater USA, the private security firm at the center of the controversy, says its employees simply defended themselves against armed attackers. Two men hospitalized with gunshot wounds disagree. They say the guards fired on people for no reason.
Hasan Jaber Salman lies in Yarmouk Hospital, bandages covering gunshot wounds in his back. Salman says he is a lawyer who was headed from a courthouse to the Ministry of Justice when he found his route blocked by four armored Blackwater SUVs. The roadblock soon caused a traffic snarl, so armed Blackwater guards began waving at the drivers, telling them to turn around and leave the area.
"So we turned back, and as we turned back they opened fire at all cars from behind," Salman said. "All my injuries, the bullets are in my back. "Within two minutes the security force arrived in planes -- part of the security company Blackwater. They started firing randomly at all citizens." Blackwater, in a statement issued after the incident, denied that gunfire came from aircraft. "The helicopters providing aerial support never fired weapons," it said.
The firm also said its employees "acted lawfully and appropriately in response to a hostile attack." But Salman claims the attack was unprovoked. "No one fired at them, they were not attacked by gunmen, they were not targeted by an explosion," he said. The firing continued until Salman's car crashed into a police checkpoint and flipped over, he said, adding that eight bullets struck his car and four struck him.
"My left shoulder is broken ... and my arm is broken. I had a surgery. ... They opened up my stomach," he said. "I swear to God no one did anything to them at all." The lawyer said he intends to sue Blackwater, which he already did in 2005 after his son was involved in a similar incident outside al-Muthana Air Base near Baghdad's international airport. That lawsuit has not yet been resolved, he said.
Laborer Abul-Raheem Amir said he was on his way to a job when the minibus he was in got caught in a traffic jam caused by an explosion. "A security company called Blackwater, they got out and kept on firing randomly at people, starting with the people walking or working the street -- even the traffic policeman, even the people who work in the area," Amir said.
"People at first thought we were safe in the minibus, but when they realized they were not, they started getting out and went to other places to save themselves," he recounted. "Unfortunately that did not work. As they got out, people were shot and killed." He said he tried to make a run for it after the driver and two women next to him on the minibus were shot. "I ran about 50 meters [about 55 yards] and then was shot, the first bullet. Still I kept running, but the second bullet dropped me to the ground. ... It broke my bones, and the third one made me start crawling."
Some people helped get him off the street and away from the carnage. The shooting lasted for about a half-hour, and there were some 30 bodies in the street, he said. "I remember people strewn on the streets, children, elderly, young men, elderly women. ... The street turned into the street of the dead, a graveyard," he said. "There was nothing I could do. Every man was for himself." Amir wonders what the Blackwater employees were thinking.
"Is this some kind of a show of force for them to flex their muscles?" he said. "Are they doing this to us, the victims, so they can advertise and promote their abilities through the Western media? ... Is their mission to protect one person by killing 10 unarmed people? And if they are protecting two people, then they shoot 100 unarmed people. ... Is this Vietnam? ... "Enough, enough," he said. "Enough of all that's happening. God's fury is coming. Enough of this. Enough."
So what happened on that day on a square in the Mansour district of Baghdad? It depends on whom you ask.
Blackwater USA, the private security firm at the center of the controversy, says its employees simply defended themselves against armed attackers. Two men hospitalized with gunshot wounds disagree. They say the guards fired on people for no reason.
Hasan Jaber Salman lies in Yarmouk Hospital, bandages covering gunshot wounds in his back. Salman says he is a lawyer who was headed from a courthouse to the Ministry of Justice when he found his route blocked by four armored Blackwater SUVs. The roadblock soon caused a traffic snarl, so armed Blackwater guards began waving at the drivers, telling them to turn around and leave the area.
"So we turned back, and as we turned back they opened fire at all cars from behind," Salman said. "All my injuries, the bullets are in my back. "Within two minutes the security force arrived in planes -- part of the security company Blackwater. They started firing randomly at all citizens." Blackwater, in a statement issued after the incident, denied that gunfire came from aircraft. "The helicopters providing aerial support never fired weapons," it said.
The firm also said its employees "acted lawfully and appropriately in response to a hostile attack." But Salman claims the attack was unprovoked. "No one fired at them, they were not attacked by gunmen, they were not targeted by an explosion," he said. The firing continued until Salman's car crashed into a police checkpoint and flipped over, he said, adding that eight bullets struck his car and four struck him.
"My left shoulder is broken ... and my arm is broken. I had a surgery. ... They opened up my stomach," he said. "I swear to God no one did anything to them at all." The lawyer said he intends to sue Blackwater, which he already did in 2005 after his son was involved in a similar incident outside al-Muthana Air Base near Baghdad's international airport. That lawsuit has not yet been resolved, he said.
Laborer Abul-Raheem Amir said he was on his way to a job when the minibus he was in got caught in a traffic jam caused by an explosion. "A security company called Blackwater, they got out and kept on firing randomly at people, starting with the people walking or working the street -- even the traffic policeman, even the people who work in the area," Amir said.
"People at first thought we were safe in the minibus, but when they realized they were not, they started getting out and went to other places to save themselves," he recounted. "Unfortunately that did not work. As they got out, people were shot and killed." He said he tried to make a run for it after the driver and two women next to him on the minibus were shot. "I ran about 50 meters [about 55 yards] and then was shot, the first bullet. Still I kept running, but the second bullet dropped me to the ground. ... It broke my bones, and the third one made me start crawling."
Some people helped get him off the street and away from the carnage. The shooting lasted for about a half-hour, and there were some 30 bodies in the street, he said. "I remember people strewn on the streets, children, elderly, young men, elderly women. ... The street turned into the street of the dead, a graveyard," he said. "There was nothing I could do. Every man was for himself." Amir wonders what the Blackwater employees were thinking.
"Is this some kind of a show of force for them to flex their muscles?" he said. "Are they doing this to us, the victims, so they can advertise and promote their abilities through the Western media? ... Is their mission to protect one person by killing 10 unarmed people? And if they are protecting two people, then they shoot 100 unarmed people. ... Is this Vietnam? ... "Enough, enough," he said. "Enough of all that's happening. God's fury is coming. Enough of this. Enough."
Labels: Blackwater, Iraq, private security contractors
Suspect in murder of Russian diplomats arrested
Security
(AP) - Iraq's foreign minister said Iraqi authorities have arrested a man suspected of organizing the murder of four Russian diplomats in Baghdad last year, Russian news agencies reported Wednesday. Speaking during a trip to Russia, Hoyshan Zebari was quoted by Interfax and RIA-Novosti as identifying the suspect as a man named Abu Nur and said he was a member of the terrorist group al-Qaida in Iraq.
"We have arrested one suspect. All efforts are now being taken to speed up the investigation," he was quoted by RIA-Novosti as saying. No further information was given. Law enforcement officials in Baghdad could not be reached for comment because of the Ramadan holiday. The abduction and killing of the diplomats in Baghdad in June 2006 angered Moscow, which complained that Iraqi and U.S. coalition forces were not doing enough to provide security in Baghdad.
Russia has been a consistent critic of the U.S.-led military campaign in Iraq. In January, after the Russian Embassy in Baghdad was shelled, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to complain about the security situation.
"We have arrested one suspect. All efforts are now being taken to speed up the investigation," he was quoted by RIA-Novosti as saying. No further information was given. Law enforcement officials in Baghdad could not be reached for comment because of the Ramadan holiday. The abduction and killing of the diplomats in Baghdad in June 2006 angered Moscow, which complained that Iraqi and U.S. coalition forces were not doing enough to provide security in Baghdad.
Russia has been a consistent critic of the U.S.-led military campaign in Iraq. In January, after the Russian Embassy in Baghdad was shelled, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to complain about the security situation.
Labels: Abu Nur, Al Qaeda in Iraq, Hoyshan Zebari, murder, Russian diplomats
Iraqi parliamentary session cancelled after majority fail to attend
Politics
(RFE/RL) - The Council of Representatives cancelled its September 18 session after the majority of representatives failed to appear for the session, RFE/RL's Radio Free Iraq reported the same day. Only 115 out of 275 parliamentarians appeared for the session. Meanwhile, a committee formed by the United Iraqi Alliance has failed to lure parliamentarians loyal to Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr back to work, Al-Sharqiyah television reported on September 18. The news channel also reported that "some members" of the so-called moderates' front in the parliament asked two members of the Iraqis List to leave the list and join the front in exchange for government posts and other privileges.
Labels: Council of Representatives, Iraq, politics
Joint Iraqi-U.S. committee to investigate Blackwater incident
Security
(RFE/RL) - Ali al-Dabbagh announced on September 19 that a join Iraqi-U.S. committee has been formed to investigate the September 16 killing of 10 Iraqi civilians by contractors working for the U.S.-based security firm Blackwater USA, Iraqi media reported. On September 19, the United States banned diplomats and civilians from leaving Baghdad's Green Zone due to a lack of protection forces. The Iraqi government announced on September 18 that it has revoked Blackwater's license. Adil Barwari, a member of the Council of Representatives' Security and Defense Committee, told state-run Al-Iraqiyah television on September 18 that the committee should seek legal action against the contractors should the investigation warrant prosecution.
Meanwhile, Major General Abd al-Karim Khalaf, the director of the National Command Center at the Interior Ministry, said on September 18 that a preliminary report showed that Blackwater security guards were not ambushed, as they claimed, but rather fired on a car that did not heed a policeman's call to stop, resulting in the death of a couple and their infant, international media reported. He added that the ministry's investigation into the incident includes eyewitness testimonies, including the testimonies of people wounded in the incident.
Labels: Ali al-Dabbagh, Blackwater, investigation
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
AQI militants seize village in Diyala
Insurgency
(AFP) - Al-Qaeda in Iraq militants have seized control of an village in the restive province of Diyala after a two-day battle with a rival Sunni insurgent group, police said on Wednesday. Dozens of fighters from the Islamist extremist group arrived in boats on Monday and launched an attack on Al-Shuan village on the banks of the Diyala river, police Lieutenant Colonel Ibrahim al-Obeidi said
Members of the rival Brigades of the 1920 Revolution fought back but the Sunni Arab village eventually fell to the Al-Qaeda militants. Obeidi said the village had been attacked after its 300 or so inhabitants refused to align with Al-Qaeda in its fight against Iraqi and US security forces. "Al-Qaeda militants attacked the village two days ago and took control of it (Tuesday)," said Obeidi.
Quoting villagers who escaped the assault, Obeidi said seven of the 30 houses in the village had been destroyed but he gave no casualty figures. Many Sunni militants of the Brigades of the 1920 Revolution, an insurgent group formed to fight US forces in Iraq, have now joined with US and Iraqi troops to fight Al-Qaeda in Sunni Arab areas of Iraq. They also offer protection to vulnerable Sunni Arab villages under threat from Al-Qaeda as it seeks recruits for its anti-American insurgency.
Diyala, the second most dangerous region in Iraq after Baghdad, has been the focus in the past few months of a concerted military crackdown by US and Iraqi troops. According to US military commanders, dozens of fighters linked to Al-Qaeda have been killed or captured in the operation.
Members of the rival Brigades of the 1920 Revolution fought back but the Sunni Arab village eventually fell to the Al-Qaeda militants. Obeidi said the village had been attacked after its 300 or so inhabitants refused to align with Al-Qaeda in its fight against Iraqi and US security forces. "Al-Qaeda militants attacked the village two days ago and took control of it (Tuesday)," said Obeidi.
Quoting villagers who escaped the assault, Obeidi said seven of the 30 houses in the village had been destroyed but he gave no casualty figures. Many Sunni militants of the Brigades of the 1920 Revolution, an insurgent group formed to fight US forces in Iraq, have now joined with US and Iraqi troops to fight Al-Qaeda in Sunni Arab areas of Iraq. They also offer protection to vulnerable Sunni Arab villages under threat from Al-Qaeda as it seeks recruits for its anti-American insurgency.
Diyala, the second most dangerous region in Iraq after Baghdad, has been the focus in the past few months of a concerted military crackdown by US and Iraqi troops. According to US military commanders, dozens of fighters linked to Al-Qaeda have been killed or captured in the operation.
Labels: Al Qaeda in Iraq, Al-Shuan, Diyala, the 1920 Revolution Brigades
Iraqi security source - 142 assassinations in Karbala in 2007
Security
(RFE/RL) - A security source in the holy city of Karbala told the independent Voices of Iraq that there have been 142 assassinations in the city since the beginning of 2007. "These included operations against senior officials in the governorate, police and army officers, and unknown citizens," the source said. He noted that assassinations decreased sharply after clashes erupted on August 28 during a Shi'ite religious festival between Iraqi security forces and members of Shi'ite cleric al-Sadr's militia, the Imam Al-Mahdi Army, leaving 52 people dead and more than 200 injured. The source said heightened security in the city has led to the decrease in killings.
Labels: assassinations, Karbala
Attack shuts down Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline
Oil
(UPI) - The international oil market will still have to rely on Basra to supply Iraq's oil exports as an apparent attack shuts down the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline again. The pipeline is key to increasing Iraq exports, providing the capacity to increased production. The Bush administration, during benchmark stump speeches last week, held up the newly reopened pipeline as a success story.
Iraq produced just less than 2 million barrels per day last month, according to estimates by the global energy information firm Platts. The country usually exports slightly more than three-fourths of what it produces. Most of that is coming from export terminals in Basra, in south Iraq, since attacks on the pipeline feeding oil to a terminal in Ceyhan, Turkey, has rendered it virtually useless.
Media reports are quoting sources on the ground that a pre-dawn bomb ripped open the pipeline between Kirkuk and Baiji, sending oil into the Tigris River, forcing water pumps in Tikrit and Baiji to shut down and threatening the supply into Baghdad. Last month Iraq officials gave a hushed admission that the line had been repaired and oil was flowing to Turkey, most likely in test quantities, said Rochdi Younsi, Middle East analyst for the business risk firm Eurasia Group.
"They did say that they were completing a series of tests that appear to be promising, tests meaning that they were pumping a certain volume through the pipeline," Younsi said. "But frankly no one expected the Iraqi government to make an announcement because doing that usually leads to an attack." Iraq recently announced an Oct. 5 tender for shipments of oil from Ceyhan, a move that comes after enough oil had been shipped to storage tanks there.
"Yesterday a report came out saying basically that exports of oil through the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline had been abruptly interrupted for the past six days, which basically implies that it was working before that," Younsi said. "And then this morning we heard about the explosions." Younsi said it is an added dynamic in the power struggle in Iraq. Kurds in the relatively safe and semi-autonomous northern region will be "growing impatient with the deterioration of security in that area," which the federal government controls.
Iraq produced just less than 2 million barrels per day last month, according to estimates by the global energy information firm Platts. The country usually exports slightly more than three-fourths of what it produces. Most of that is coming from export terminals in Basra, in south Iraq, since attacks on the pipeline feeding oil to a terminal in Ceyhan, Turkey, has rendered it virtually useless.
Media reports are quoting sources on the ground that a pre-dawn bomb ripped open the pipeline between Kirkuk and Baiji, sending oil into the Tigris River, forcing water pumps in Tikrit and Baiji to shut down and threatening the supply into Baghdad. Last month Iraq officials gave a hushed admission that the line had been repaired and oil was flowing to Turkey, most likely in test quantities, said Rochdi Younsi, Middle East analyst for the business risk firm Eurasia Group.
"They did say that they were completing a series of tests that appear to be promising, tests meaning that they were pumping a certain volume through the pipeline," Younsi said. "But frankly no one expected the Iraqi government to make an announcement because doing that usually leads to an attack." Iraq recently announced an Oct. 5 tender for shipments of oil from Ceyhan, a move that comes after enough oil had been shipped to storage tanks there.
"Yesterday a report came out saying basically that exports of oil through the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline had been abruptly interrupted for the past six days, which basically implies that it was working before that," Younsi said. "And then this morning we heard about the explosions." Younsi said it is an added dynamic in the power struggle in Iraq. Kurds in the relatively safe and semi-autonomous northern region will be "growing impatient with the deterioration of security in that area," which the federal government controls.
Labels: attack, Basra, Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline, oil
Total and Chevron submit development plans for Majnoon
Oil
(Dow Jones) - Oil giants Total SA (TOT) and Chevron Corp. (CVX) have jointly submitted to the Iraqi Oil Ministry a study on the development of one of Iraq's biggest oil fields, Majnoon, in the south of the country, a ministry statement said Tuesday. "Total and Chevron jointly prepared studies about Majnoon oil field and were submitted to the ministry on the form of a memorandum of understanding," said the statement, a copy of which was obtained by Dow Jones Newswires.
"The ministry has set up a committee headed by Director General of the South Oil Company, Abdul Jabbar Lauby, to study the possibility of signing a memorandum of understanding with the two companies," the statement said. However, if a memorandum of understanding is signed with these two companies that doesn't imply they have been promised the right to develop the field, the statement noted.
"The ministry has set up a committee headed by Director General of the South Oil Company, Abdul Jabbar Lauby, to study the possibility of signing a memorandum of understanding with the two companies," the statement said. However, if a memorandum of understanding is signed with these two companies that doesn't imply they have been promised the right to develop the field, the statement noted.
Labels: Abdul Jabbar Lauby, Chevron Corp., Iraqi oil ministry, Majnoon, South Oil Company, Total SA
Armed groups set oil tankers on fire
Security, Oil
(Voices of Iraq) - Armed groups set a number of oil tankers ablaze on the Falluja-Samarra road, a police source said on Tuesday. “An armed group burned more than 20 oil tankers on the Falluja-Samarra road between Anbar and Salah el-Din province and kidnapped a number of drivers on Tuesday morning,” the source told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI) on condition of anonymity.
“Most of the trucks’ drivers, from Anbar and Salah el-Din provinces, are carrying crude oil from Baiji refinery to export it to Jordan and Syria through Anbar,” he added. “A number of the kidnapped drivers managed to escape,” the source also said. The Falluja-Samarra road is 100 km north of Baghdad. It links Baghdad to Anbar and Salah el-Din.
“Most of the trucks’ drivers, from Anbar and Salah el-Din provinces, are carrying crude oil from Baiji refinery to export it to Jordan and Syria through Anbar,” he added. “A number of the kidnapped drivers managed to escape,” the source also said. The Falluja-Samarra road is 100 km north of Baghdad. It links Baghdad to Anbar and Salah el-Din.
Labels: abduction, armed groups, oil tankers
Defense Ministry issues shoot-to-kill policy to oil and power guards
Security
(UPI) - The Iraqi Defense Ministry has issued a shoot-to-kill order to helicopter gunners guarding Iraq's vulnerable oil and power infrastructure. Azzaman reports the Ministry of Defense has brought in armed helicopters, possibly Russian, to protect the power and fuel supply to Baghdad. Iraq as a whole suffers from drought of fuels and electricity, and Baghdad is especially targeted by insurgents looking to choke the country's capital. The newspaper reports pilots are to shoot at anyone approaching the oil pipelines or power lines and towers.
Labels: helicopters, oil infrastructure, power, Russia
Study finds 50,000 more Iraqis displaced since July
Humanitarian
(AFP) - The number of people displaced in Iraq has increased by about 50,000 to 2.25 million since July, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Tuesday. The IOM's new data for mid-September includes some 1,058,424 people who fled their homes since the bombing of a Shiite shrine in Samarra in February 2006 sparked the latest upsurge in Iraq's sectarian violence, the IOM noted.
Shiites make up some 65 percent of the displaced, while 31 percent are Sunnis and 4 percent Christian, according to an IOM survey of 114,732 families. "The majority of the displaced assessed are renting substandard shelter or are staying with friends of family, placing new burdens on host communities," the IOM said in its latest "Emergency Needs Assessments" report on Iraq.
The problem is compounded by many provinces now restricting entry and registration of displaced persons, and by the decision of Iraq's neighbors, Syria and Jordan, to impose visa requirements in order to stem the flow of refugees, it added. The organization's latest review did cite some progress in parts of Baghdad and the western province of Anbar but warned that it was by no means uniform or certain to continue.
Increased security, particularly in the capital, is the central aim of US President George W. Bush's "surge" strategy, which has come under heavy attack in recent weeks. "Some areas, such as Anbar and parts of Baghdad, have seen improved security and therefore decreased displacement," the IOM said in the report. However, people do continue to be displaced in the capital and often for a myriad reason of localized political factors, it said.
In Anbar Province, the IOM said there had been a stabilization in the number of displaced people since January, with "waves" of inhabitants returning coming to its capital, Ramadi, due to better security. A coalition of 42 Sunni tribes has joined with US forces in their fight against Al-Qaeda in Iraq since last year under the umbrella heading of the Anbar Rescue Council. The alliance is credited with helping improve security, but it suffered a grave blow last week after insurgents killed key US ally Sheikh Abdul Sattar Abu Risha.
Shiites make up some 65 percent of the displaced, while 31 percent are Sunnis and 4 percent Christian, according to an IOM survey of 114,732 families. "The majority of the displaced assessed are renting substandard shelter or are staying with friends of family, placing new burdens on host communities," the IOM said in its latest "Emergency Needs Assessments" report on Iraq.
The problem is compounded by many provinces now restricting entry and registration of displaced persons, and by the decision of Iraq's neighbors, Syria and Jordan, to impose visa requirements in order to stem the flow of refugees, it added. The organization's latest review did cite some progress in parts of Baghdad and the western province of Anbar but warned that it was by no means uniform or certain to continue.
Increased security, particularly in the capital, is the central aim of US President George W. Bush's "surge" strategy, which has come under heavy attack in recent weeks. "Some areas, such as Anbar and parts of Baghdad, have seen improved security and therefore decreased displacement," the IOM said in the report. However, people do continue to be displaced in the capital and often for a myriad reason of localized political factors, it said.
In Anbar Province, the IOM said there had been a stabilization in the number of displaced people since January, with "waves" of inhabitants returning coming to its capital, Ramadi, due to better security. A coalition of 42 Sunni tribes has joined with US forces in their fight against Al-Qaeda in Iraq since last year under the umbrella heading of the Anbar Rescue Council. The alliance is credited with helping improve security, but it suffered a grave blow last week after insurgents killed key US ally Sheikh Abdul Sattar Abu Risha.
Labels: IDPs, International Organization for Migration, Iraq
Sistani aide survives assassination attempt in Basra
Security
(Voices of Iraq) - An aide to the top Shiite cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani survived on Tuesday evening an attempt on his life in the southern Iraqi city of Basra, an eyewitness said. "Unknown gunmen opened fire at Imad Abdul-Karim, Imam of Mosa al-Kadhem mosque, this evening, in al-Hussein neighborhood, western Basra," Sheikh Saied al-Saadi told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
The eyewitness added "Abdul-Karim sustained minor wounds and was taken to a nearby hospital." Abdul Karim is a representative of Sayyed Sistani in Basra. The attack also resulted in killing one of Abdul-Karim's bodyguards, the witness said. Over the last two weeks, two aides to Sistani were killed in separate attacks in Basra.
The eyewitness added "Abdul-Karim sustained minor wounds and was taken to a nearby hospital." Abdul Karim is a representative of Sayyed Sistani in Basra. The attack also resulted in killing one of Abdul-Karim's bodyguards, the witness said. Over the last two weeks, two aides to Sistani were killed in separate attacks in Basra.
Labels: assassination attempt, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Basra, Imad Abdul-Karim, Mosa al-Kadhem mosque
U.S. embassy in Iraq suspends diplomatic convoys across Iraq
Security
(Al Jazeera) - The US embassy in Baghdad has suspended all diplomatic convoys outside the heavily fortified Green Zone and the rest of Iraq. The move comes as the Iraqi government said it would review the status of all private security companies working in the country following a deadly shooting on Sunday involving guards from the US firm Blackwater.
The government announced the investigation on Tuesday, after the interior ministry decided to "halt the licence" of Blackwater, which provides security to US diplomats in Iraq. Ali al-Dabbagh, a government spokesman, announced the decision "to review the operations of foreign and local security companies in Iraq". He said: "This came after the flagrant assault conducted by members of the American security company Blackwater against Iraqi citizens."
In a notice sent to Americans in Iraq, the US embassy said it had acted to review the security of its personnel and possible increased threats to those leaving the Green Zone while accompanied by security details after the weekend killing of Iraqi civilians involving Blackwater guards.
"In light of a serious security incident involving a US embassy protective detail in the Mansour District of Baghdad, the embassy has suspended official US government civilian ground movements outside the International Zone [Green Zone] and throughout Iraq," the notice said.
"This suspension is in effect in order to assess mission security and procedures, as well as a possible increased threat to personnel travelling with security details outside the International Zone," said the notice. Blackwater said on Monday that it had received no official notice from Iraq's interior ministry.
The toll from the shooting rose to nine - 10 civilians and one policeman - on Tuesday, according to a local hospital medic. US officials in Baghdad have yet to clarify the legal status of foreign security contractors in Iraq, including whether they could be liable for prosecution by Iraqi authorities. Riad Kahwaji, director of the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military analysis, told Al Jazeera: "Only the party that brought them [the private security firms] into Iraq can take them out of Iraq - and that is the US."
He said that under their contracts "neither Blackwater nor the other [private security] companies are obliged to obtain a licence from Iraq". Kahwaji said: "The chances are they are going to stay. Because a lot of the foreign companies and contractors that are rebuilding Iraq rely totally on these Western, or US-based, security companies. "They don't have any confidence in the Iraqi police and the Iraqi security services."
Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, telephoned Nuri al-Maliki, Iraq's prime minister, on Monday to express regret over the death of innocent civilians. US and Iraqi sources said the shooting erupted after a bomb exploded near a US diplomatic convoy, but a US government incident report said armed men fired on the convoy and Blackwater guards responded. "Blackwater's independent contractors acted lawfully and appropriately in response to a hostile attack in Baghdad on Sunday," said a statement from the North Carolina company, reported by CNN on its website.
"Blackwater regrets any loss of life, but this convoy was violently attacked by armed insurgents, not civilians, and our people did their job to defend human life." Nevertheless, Abdul Sattar Ghafour Bairaqdar, a judge from Iraq's highest court, the Supreme Judiciary Council, said Blackwater could face trial. "This company is subject to Iraqi law and the crime committed was on Iraqi territory and the Iraqi judiciary is responsible for tackling the case," he said.
Muqtada al-Sadr, the Shia leader of the al-Mahdi Army militia, added his voice to anger over the incident, urged the government to "cancel this company's work, and the rest of the criminal and intelligence companies".
The government announced the investigation on Tuesday, after the interior ministry decided to "halt the licence" of Blackwater, which provides security to US diplomats in Iraq. Ali al-Dabbagh, a government spokesman, announced the decision "to review the operations of foreign and local security companies in Iraq". He said: "This came after the flagrant assault conducted by members of the American security company Blackwater against Iraqi citizens."
In a notice sent to Americans in Iraq, the US embassy said it had acted to review the security of its personnel and possible increased threats to those leaving the Green Zone while accompanied by security details after the weekend killing of Iraqi civilians involving Blackwater guards.
"In light of a serious security incident involving a US embassy protective detail in the Mansour District of Baghdad, the embassy has suspended official US government civilian ground movements outside the International Zone [Green Zone] and throughout Iraq," the notice said.
"This suspension is in effect in order to assess mission security and procedures, as well as a possible increased threat to personnel travelling with security details outside the International Zone," said the notice. Blackwater said on Monday that it had received no official notice from Iraq's interior ministry.
The toll from the shooting rose to nine - 10 civilians and one policeman - on Tuesday, according to a local hospital medic. US officials in Baghdad have yet to clarify the legal status of foreign security contractors in Iraq, including whether they could be liable for prosecution by Iraqi authorities. Riad Kahwaji, director of the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military analysis, told Al Jazeera: "Only the party that brought them [the private security firms] into Iraq can take them out of Iraq - and that is the US."
He said that under their contracts "neither Blackwater nor the other [private security] companies are obliged to obtain a licence from Iraq". Kahwaji said: "The chances are they are going to stay. Because a lot of the foreign companies and contractors that are rebuilding Iraq rely totally on these Western, or US-based, security companies. "They don't have any confidence in the Iraqi police and the Iraqi security services."
Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, telephoned Nuri al-Maliki, Iraq's prime minister, on Monday to express regret over the death of innocent civilians. US and Iraqi sources said the shooting erupted after a bomb exploded near a US diplomatic convoy, but a US government incident report said armed men fired on the convoy and Blackwater guards responded. "Blackwater's independent contractors acted lawfully and appropriately in response to a hostile attack in Baghdad on Sunday," said a statement from the North Carolina company, reported by CNN on its website.
"Blackwater regrets any loss of life, but this convoy was violently attacked by armed insurgents, not civilians, and our people did their job to defend human life." Nevertheless, Abdul Sattar Ghafour Bairaqdar, a judge from Iraq's highest court, the Supreme Judiciary Council, said Blackwater could face trial. "This company is subject to Iraqi law and the crime committed was on Iraqi territory and the Iraqi judiciary is responsible for tackling the case," he said.
Muqtada al-Sadr, the Shia leader of the al-Mahdi Army militia, added his voice to anger over the incident, urged the government to "cancel this company's work, and the rest of the criminal and intelligence companies".
Labels: Abdul Sattar Ghafour Bairaqdar, Ali al-Dabbagh, Blackwater, Condoleezza Rice, diplomatic convoys, Green Zone, Moqtada Al-Sadr, private security companies, U.S. embassy Iraq
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
CRS report on Private Security Contractors in Iraq
Congressional Research Service (CRS) - Private Security Contractors in Iraq:
Background, Legal Status, and Other Issues – Updated July 2007
Background, Legal Status, and Other Issues – Updated July 2007
Summary:
The United States is relying heavily on private firms to supply a wide variety of
services in Iraq, including security. From the information available in published
sources, this apparently is the first time that the United States has depended on
contractors to provide such extensive security in a hostile environment, although it
has previously contracted for more limited security services in Afghanistan, Bosnia,
and elsewhere. In Iraq, private firms known as Private Security Companies (PSC)
are currently providing security services such as the protection of individuals, nonmilitary
transport convoys, buildings and other economic infrastructure, as well as
the training of Iraqi police and military personnel.
services in Iraq, including security. From the information available in published
sources, this apparently is the first time that the United States has depended on
contractors to provide such extensive security in a hostile environment, although it
has previously contracted for more limited security services in Afghanistan, Bosnia,
and elsewhere. In Iraq, private firms known as Private Security Companies (PSC)
are currently providing security services such as the protection of individuals, nonmilitary
transport convoys, buildings and other economic infrastructure, as well as
the training of Iraqi police and military personnel.
Legal Status and Authorities
Contractors to the coalition forces in Iraq operate under three levels of legal
authority: (1) the international order of the laws and usages of war and resolutions
of the United Nations Security Council; (2) U.S. law; and (3) Iraqi law, including
orders of the CPA (CPA Order number 17) that have not been superceded. Under the authority of
international law, contractors working with the military are civilian non-combatants
whose conduct may be attributable to the United States.44 Iraqi courts do not have
jurisdiction to prosecute them for conduct related to their contractual responsibilities
without the permission of the Sending State.45 Some contractors, particularly U.S.
nationals, may be prosecuted in U.S. federal courts or military courts under certain
circumstances.
Contractors to the coalition forces in Iraq operate under three levels of legal
authority: (1) the international order of the laws and usages of war and resolutions
of the United Nations Security Council; (2) U.S. law; and (3) Iraqi law, including
orders of the CPA (CPA Order number 17) that have not been superceded. Under the authority of
international law, contractors working with the military are civilian non-combatants
whose conduct may be attributable to the United States.44 Iraqi courts do not have
jurisdiction to prosecute them for conduct related to their contractual responsibilities
without the permission of the Sending State.45 Some contractors, particularly U.S.
nationals, may be prosecuted in U.S. federal courts or military courts under certain
circumstances.
Blackwater said its guards reacted "lawfully and appropriately" to a hostile attack. It said late on Monday it had received no official notice from Iraq's Interior Ministry.
U.S. officials in Baghdad have yet to clarify the legal status of foreign security contractors in Iraq, including whether they could be prosecuted by Iraqi authorities.
Many Iraqis see the contractors, who have worked in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion to topple Saddam Hussein in 2003, as private armies that have acted for too long with impunity. "These cases have happened more than once and we can't keep silent in the face of them," Interior Minister Jawad al-Bolani said on Monday.
Ministry spokesman Brigadier-General Abdul-Karim Khalaf said Iraq did have the right to take action if the Blackwater force had fired on civilians. "Definitely we have the right. If they committed this act this should be tried," he said.
U.S. officials in Baghdad have yet to clarify the legal status of foreign security contractors in Iraq, including whether they could be prosecuted by Iraqi authorities.
Many Iraqis see the contractors, who have worked in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion to topple Saddam Hussein in 2003, as private armies that have acted for too long with impunity. "These cases have happened more than once and we can't keep silent in the face of them," Interior Minister Jawad al-Bolani said on Monday.
Ministry spokesman Brigadier-General Abdul-Karim Khalaf said Iraq did have the right to take action if the Blackwater force had fired on civilians. "Definitely we have the right. If they committed this act this should be tried," he said.
Labels: Blackwater, Congressional Research Service, CPA order 17, CRS, Iraq, private security contractors
Al-Qaeda in Iraq Takes Responsibility for Assassination of Abu Risha
Insurgency, Tribal
(MEMRI) - On September 14, 2007, the Islamist website www.al-ekhlaas.net/forum, which is hosted in Malaysia, posted an announcement by the Al-Qaeda-founded Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) taking responsibility for the assassination of 'Abd Al-Sattar Abu Risha, head of the Al-Anbar Salvation Council. The statement declared that the assassination came because of Abu Risha's collaboration with the Americans and with the Al-Maliki government. It also announced the establishment of "special security committees" which will eliminate other senior figures from the Al-Anbar tribes who collaborate with these elements.
The following are excerpts:
"On Thursday, September 13, 2007, Allah allowed your brothers in the [ISI] Ministry of [General] Security to track and kill the imam of heresy and apostasy called 'Abd Al-Sattar Abu Risha, head of the so-called Al-Anbar Salvation Council, in a courageous operation that took over a month to prepare...
"Members of the noble tribes [in the Al-Anbar district] asked the soldiers of the Islamic State [of Iraq] to rescue them from the militias that are collaborating [with the Americans and with the Al-Maliki government], and from the corruption they have spread in the city of Al-Ramadi...
"Other apostate leaders who are collaborating with the American plan should be aware that the swords of the mujahideen are lying in wait for them. We hereby announce the establishment of special security committees that will track and kill top tribal leaders who have sullied the reputation of their noble tribes by being friendly towards the soldiers of the Cross and towards the Shi'ite Al-Maliki government...
"We apologize for not giving [more] details about this courageous operation. [We do this] for security reasons, in order to protect the lives of the blessed tribe members who took part in this successful and blessed operation."
The following are excerpts:
"On Thursday, September 13, 2007, Allah allowed your brothers in the [ISI] Ministry of [General] Security to track and kill the imam of heresy and apostasy called 'Abd Al-Sattar Abu Risha, head of the so-called Al-Anbar Salvation Council, in a courageous operation that took over a month to prepare...
"Members of the noble tribes [in the Al-Anbar district] asked the soldiers of the Islamic State [of Iraq] to rescue them from the militias that are collaborating [with the Americans and with the Al-Maliki government], and from the corruption they have spread in the city of Al-Ramadi...
"Other apostate leaders who are collaborating with the American plan should be aware that the swords of the mujahideen are lying in wait for them. We hereby announce the establishment of special security committees that will track and kill top tribal leaders who have sullied the reputation of their noble tribes by being friendly towards the soldiers of the Cross and towards the Shi'ite Al-Maliki government...
"We apologize for not giving [more] details about this courageous operation. [We do this] for security reasons, in order to protect the lives of the blessed tribe members who took part in this successful and blessed operation."
Labels: Al Qaeda, Anbar Salvation Council, assassination, Islamic State of Iraq, Malaysia, Sheik Abdul-Sattar abu Risha
Risk Advisory Group opens office in Dubai
Business, Security
(BI-ME) - The Risk Advisory Group (TRAG), leading international corporate investigations, business intelligence and security consultancy, today announced the formal opening of its new office in Dubai. Based in Knowledge Village and headed by Gary Wood, former Director of Operations of TRAG's political and security risk subsidiary Janusian, the office supports clients' business, regulatory risk and security needs in the Middle East. It also acts as the regional hub for TRAG's wider Middle East practice and will support Janusian's burgeoning security and safety training programs for companies operating in the region.
The office will be supported by Martin Stone, head of TRAG's Middle East & North Africa practice, and Dr David Claridge, Managing Director of Janusian Security Risk Management. Gary Wood said: "Our new office has a strong, experienced team who are well-placed in an area with high business potential." "Dubai is among the fastest-growing cities in the world, with huge development in finance, construction, telecoms and tourism. Excellent communications, transportation and business infrastructure have attracted thousands of companies to a growing number of well-run free zones, with the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) being the latest example.
"However, these are potentially intricate markets and Western business practices can conflict with local law, local custom and, in some instances, religion, which add new layers of complexity to the business planning process. The new office allows TRAG to offer on-the-ground service levels to existing and new clients who are increasingly basing their regional operations in Dubai," he said.
"This development continues TRAG's international expansion and we are pleased to add such a valuable region to our portfolio, at a point where businesses increasingly need our services as they are entering new, higher-risk markets."
The office will be supported by Martin Stone, head of TRAG's Middle East & North Africa practice, and Dr David Claridge, Managing Director of Janusian Security Risk Management. Gary Wood said: "Our new office has a strong, experienced team who are well-placed in an area with high business potential." "Dubai is among the fastest-growing cities in the world, with huge development in finance, construction, telecoms and tourism. Excellent communications, transportation and business infrastructure have attracted thousands of companies to a growing number of well-run free zones, with the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) being the latest example.
"However, these are potentially intricate markets and Western business practices can conflict with local law, local custom and, in some instances, religion, which add new layers of complexity to the business planning process. The new office allows TRAG to offer on-the-ground service levels to existing and new clients who are increasingly basing their regional operations in Dubai," he said.
"This development continues TRAG's international expansion and we are pleased to add such a valuable region to our portfolio, at a point where businesses increasingly need our services as they are entering new, higher-risk markets."
Labels: Dr David Claridge, Dubai, Gary Wood, Janusian, Martin Stone, Risk Advisory Group, security, TRAG
Ma’in Tribes (Sunnis) Thank Abu Dschir’s (Shiite) Residents For Receiving (Welcoming) Hor Rijab’s (Displaced Sunni) People
Security
(Quttoff Newspaper) - 17 SEP - The Sunni Al Ma’in tribes …who live in the Hor Rijab area (of southern Baghdad)… thanked the (Shiite) residents of the neighboring Abu Dschir area, for receiving (accepting and welcoming) the displaced (Sunni) families and providing them with assistance. During a press conference, a source in the (Sunni) Hor Rijab Awakening Council said, “Abu Dschir’s (Shiite) people received about 160 families from the Hor Rijab people… who were displaced since Tuesday… because Al Qaida members attacked the Hor Rijab area, and took control of it.
Abu Dschir’s people said that they are ready to help the (Hor Rijab) Awakening Council …and to fight like brothers… in one line! The source added, “The number of Al Qaida members who attacked the Hor Rijab area was in the hundreds… from different (various foreign) nationalities. They burned (innocent) civilians’ houses in addition to the houses of the Awakening Council’s members.”
Abu Dschir’s people said that they are ready to help the (Hor Rijab) Awakening Council …and to fight like brothers… in one line! The source added, “The number of Al Qaida members who attacked the Hor Rijab area was in the hundreds… from different (various foreign) nationalities. They burned (innocent) civilians’ houses in addition to the houses of the Awakening Council’s members.”
Labels: Abu Dschir, Al Ma’in tribes, Hor Rijab area
A “Salvation Council” And Two “Battalions” Have Been Formed In Mosul To Fight Al Qaida
Security, Tribal
(Azzaman Newspaper) - 17 SEP - Duraid Mohammed Kashmula - Ninawa’s Governor said “Al Qaida members have been coming into Mosul …after fleeing from Baghdad and Anbar provinces.” During a meeting with “Bill Rowe, the MNF’s Deputy Commander”, who visited Mosul on Saturday, Kashmula said, “The (Ninawa Province’s) security forces are suffering from a shortage of equipment and weapons.” Kashmula called for the government to take care of the security forces in Mosul. Kashmula also said, “The central Government has not helped Mosul; the central government has not hired new people for Mosul’s government facilities.”
During a press conference that was held in Washington DC, General David Petraeus, the US forces Commander in Iraq, said: Al Qaida is planning on conducting operations in Mosul…Al Qaida has lost its safe haven in Anbar.
In related news, Sheikh Fawaz Al Jarba said, “The Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki has agreed to form a Mosul Salvation Council (similar to Anbar’s Salvation Council). This Council will include Mosul’s tribes (that are willing) to fight Al Qaida.” Al Jarba clarified “Two battalions, including the tribal fighters will be formed.” Sheikh Al Jarba told Iraq Voices news agency “The council includes tribes of: Shimar, Taie, Al Nay’im, Albu Badran, Yazidi (sect’s) tribe and Jarjariya. All these tribes will cooperate in cleansing the Province of Al Qaida (ridding the Province of Al Qaida).”
Al Jarba added, “I received an official message from the Prime Minister, Nuri Al Maliki; this message included an agreement (authorization) to form two ‘military battalions’ that include (fighters from) these tribes. Each battalion will have 650 fighters. In the past, similar (Salvation or Awakening) Council’s have formed in (the Provinces of) Anbar, Diyala, Salah Ad Din, and Baghdad. The purpose of these councils is to fight Al Qaida. These Councils cooperate with the Iraqi government and the MNF forces.
Al Jarba also said “Our Council wants (intends) to control the highway between Mosul and Ramadi. This highway is used by Al Qaida to infiltrate Mosul. We have a plan to ‘clear’ the villages and towns located around Mosul; and then to move into the City’s center.” Al Jarba also mentioned “The Mosul Salvation Council members have contact with Kurdish leaders. The Kurdish leaders have expressed their support for this Council.”
Al Jarba added, “Al Qaida in Mosul has fought and targeted residents and civilians; therefore everyone wants to support the government to fight Al Qaida. The Shimar tribe has lost nine men, from (just) one family, killed by Al Qaida.”
During a press conference that was held in Washington DC, General David Petraeus, the US forces Commander in Iraq, said: Al Qaida is planning on conducting operations in Mosul…Al Qaida has lost its safe haven in Anbar.
In related news, Sheikh Fawaz Al Jarba said, “The Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki has agreed to form a Mosul Salvation Council (similar to Anbar’s Salvation Council). This Council will include Mosul’s tribes (that are willing) to fight Al Qaida.” Al Jarba clarified “Two battalions, including the tribal fighters will be formed.” Sheikh Al Jarba told Iraq Voices news agency “The council includes tribes of: Shimar, Taie, Al Nay’im, Albu Badran, Yazidi (sect’s) tribe and Jarjariya. All these tribes will cooperate in cleansing the Province of Al Qaida (ridding the Province of Al Qaida).”
Al Jarba added, “I received an official message from the Prime Minister, Nuri Al Maliki; this message included an agreement (authorization) to form two ‘military battalions’ that include (fighters from) these tribes. Each battalion will have 650 fighters. In the past, similar (Salvation or Awakening) Council’s have formed in (the Provinces of) Anbar, Diyala, Salah Ad Din, and Baghdad. The purpose of these councils is to fight Al Qaida. These Councils cooperate with the Iraqi government and the MNF forces.
Al Jarba also said “Our Council wants (intends) to control the highway between Mosul and Ramadi. This highway is used by Al Qaida to infiltrate Mosul. We have a plan to ‘clear’ the villages and towns located around Mosul; and then to move into the City’s center.” Al Jarba also mentioned “The Mosul Salvation Council members have contact with Kurdish leaders. The Kurdish leaders have expressed their support for this Council.”
Al Jarba added, “Al Qaida in Mosul has fought and targeted residents and civilians; therefore everyone wants to support the government to fight Al Qaida. The Shimar tribe has lost nine men, from (just) one family, killed by Al Qaida.”
Labels: Al Nay’im, Al Qaeda, Albu Badran, Jarjariya, Mosul, Mosul Salvation Council, Shimar, Taie, Yazidis
Al-Sadr demands removal of foreign security companies in Iraq
Security, Politics
(AFP) - Powerful Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr on Tuesday demanded the ouster of all "criminal" foreign security companies from Iraq after private contractors gunned down civilians in a Baghdad square. The Iraqi government has already announced it is revoking the licence of US security firm Blackwater following Sunday's shootout in Baghdad's Al-Yarmukh neighbourhood which left eight people dead and wounded 13.
"We say the Iraqi government should cancel the licence of this company and all other criminal companies," Sadr said in a statement issued from his headquarters in the holy city of Najaf. "Most of (Blackwater's) members are criminals and those who have left American jails," the statement said. A top Iraqi judge said Tuesday that Blackwater could be tried in an Iraqi court over the shootout.
"This company is subject to Iraqi law and the crime committed was on Iraqi territory and the Iraqi judiciary is responsible for tackling the case," said Abdul Sattar Ghafour Bairaqdar from Iraq's Supreme Judiciary Council, the country's highest court. The judge said the case against Blackwater could be filed either by the relatives of the victims or by the government.
US and Iraqi sources in Baghdad said Sunday's shooting erupted after a bomb exploded near a US diplomatic convoy, but a US government incident report said armed insurgents fired on the convoy and Blackwater guards responded. "We have heard of the cowardly attack committed by the so-called security company against our people without any justification," said Sadr, who heads the country's most powerful Shiite movement and who is backed by a thousands-strong militia known as the Mahdi Army.
"This has only happened because the occupier brought this company to our country," he added, referring to the US military. "We demand an urgent investigation by the government so that the criminals are punished... We also demand compensation for families of all the dead and wounded." But there was doubt on Tuesday that Baghdad will go ahead with its threat to evict the 1,000 or so Blackwater guards providing personal security for US civilian officials working in Iraq after US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice attempted to smooth tempers with a diplomatic phone call.
Political analyst Peter Singer, in an article posted on the Brookings Institution website, said the US military in Iraq is stretched thin and the US government's diplomatic security force "has been hollowed out." This means that in the short term, he said, Washington will have to "ignore the Iraqis' wishes and just keep on using Blackwater contractors as before; find another company to step in and quick-fill take on these roles in lieu of the firm; or negotiate with the Iraqis to find terms under which (Blackwater) might continue to carry out the operation."
"We say the Iraqi government should cancel the licence of this company and all other criminal companies," Sadr said in a statement issued from his headquarters in the holy city of Najaf. "Most of (Blackwater's) members are criminals and those who have left American jails," the statement said. A top Iraqi judge said Tuesday that Blackwater could be tried in an Iraqi court over the shootout.
"This company is subject to Iraqi law and the crime committed was on Iraqi territory and the Iraqi judiciary is responsible for tackling the case," said Abdul Sattar Ghafour Bairaqdar from Iraq's Supreme Judiciary Council, the country's highest court. The judge said the case against Blackwater could be filed either by the relatives of the victims or by the government.
US and Iraqi sources in Baghdad said Sunday's shooting erupted after a bomb exploded near a US diplomatic convoy, but a US government incident report said armed insurgents fired on the convoy and Blackwater guards responded. "We have heard of the cowardly attack committed by the so-called security company against our people without any justification," said Sadr, who heads the country's most powerful Shiite movement and who is backed by a thousands-strong militia known as the Mahdi Army.
"This has only happened because the occupier brought this company to our country," he added, referring to the US military. "We demand an urgent investigation by the government so that the criminals are punished... We also demand compensation for families of all the dead and wounded." But there was doubt on Tuesday that Baghdad will go ahead with its threat to evict the 1,000 or so Blackwater guards providing personal security for US civilian officials working in Iraq after US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice attempted to smooth tempers with a diplomatic phone call.
Political analyst Peter Singer, in an article posted on the Brookings Institution website, said the US military in Iraq is stretched thin and the US government's diplomatic security force "has been hollowed out." This means that in the short term, he said, Washington will have to "ignore the Iraqis' wishes and just keep on using Blackwater contractors as before; find another company to step in and quick-fill take on these roles in lieu of the firm; or negotiate with the Iraqis to find terms under which (Blackwater) might continue to carry out the operation."
Labels: foreign security companies, Moqtada Al-Sadr, PSCs
Insurgents target Iraqi interpreters in Basra
Security
(UPI) - There were unconfirmed reports Monday Iraqi insurgents targeting Basra citizens who worked for British forces had abducted and killed a former interpreter. Police Col. Ali Manshed told a Times of London correspondent the bullet-riddled body of Moayed Ahmed Khalaf had been found dumped in a city street.
Three other sources said about 10 men stormed the man's house and beat him in front of his wife and mother before taking him away. While the sources said Khalaf had worked as an interpreter for British forces, a military spokesman told the newspaper the army could find no record of Khalaf's employment.
Iraqis who worked for the British are considered collaborators by insurgents and when the British turned over their downtown Basra post to the Iraqi army two weeks ago, Iraqi officials warned former employees to seek safety elsewhere. "All the people who worked for the British forces are not safe now," Manshed told the newspaper. "Even people who quit one or two years ago are in danger."
Three other sources said about 10 men stormed the man's house and beat him in front of his wife and mother before taking him away. While the sources said Khalaf had worked as an interpreter for British forces, a military spokesman told the newspaper the army could find no record of Khalaf's employment.
Iraqis who worked for the British are considered collaborators by insurgents and when the British turned over their downtown Basra post to the Iraqi army two weeks ago, Iraqi officials warned former employees to seek safety elsewhere. "All the people who worked for the British forces are not safe now," Manshed told the newspaper. "Even people who quit one or two years ago are in danger."
Labels: Basra, Basrah, British military, insurgents, Iraqi interpreters, Moayed Ahmed Khalaf
Turkish investors leave n. Iraq in fear of Turkish incursion
Region
(Azzaman) - Many Turkish investors are leaving northern Iraq in droves amid fears of a massive Turkish military operation into the Kurdish region to dislodge Turkish Kurdish rebels there. Turkish businessmen flocked to northern Iraq where Iraqi Kurds have set up a semi-independent enclave which is relatively quiet and peaceful in comparison to the rest of the country. And to lure foreign investors, the Kurdish administration has passed legislation that makes it easy and profitable to do business in the region.
Turkey has topped foreign investors, spending nearly $5 billion a year on a variety of projects. The influx of investments is visible in major urban centers such Dahouk, Arbil and Sulaimaniya. Kurdish authorities say nearly 10,000 Turkish workers have been involved in developing the region. Many of the reconstruction projects such as new roads, buildings and bridges have been done by Turkish contractors. Shops brim with Turkish goods particularly in Dahouk.
But analysts warn that the ‘Kurdish-Turkish business honey moon’ is coming to its end with Ankara warning of an imminent military campaign unless Turkish Kurdish rebels are forced to stop attacks. Residents in Arbil say they have noticed a drop in Turkish commodities in shops and a plunge in the numbers of visiting Turks.
A Turkish campaign is bound to destabilize the region and Kurdish leaders fear it may leave a power vacuum which al-Qaeda may rush to fill as it did with the central parts of Iraq. But Massoud Barzani, the President of the semi-independent Kurdish region has praised economic ties with Turkey, saying that “crises with Ankara will not affect bilateral cooperation.”
Turkey has topped foreign investors, spending nearly $5 billion a year on a variety of projects. The influx of investments is visible in major urban centers such Dahouk, Arbil and Sulaimaniya. Kurdish authorities say nearly 10,000 Turkish workers have been involved in developing the region. Many of the reconstruction projects such as new roads, buildings and bridges have been done by Turkish contractors. Shops brim with Turkish goods particularly in Dahouk.
But analysts warn that the ‘Kurdish-Turkish business honey moon’ is coming to its end with Ankara warning of an imminent military campaign unless Turkish Kurdish rebels are forced to stop attacks. Residents in Arbil say they have noticed a drop in Turkish commodities in shops and a plunge in the numbers of visiting Turks.
A Turkish campaign is bound to destabilize the region and Kurdish leaders fear it may leave a power vacuum which al-Qaeda may rush to fill as it did with the central parts of Iraq. But Massoud Barzani, the President of the semi-independent Kurdish region has praised economic ties with Turkey, saying that “crises with Ankara will not affect bilateral cooperation.”
Labels: business, Kurdistan, PKK, Turkey
Iraq incapable of protecting Shatt al-Arab
(Voices of Iraq) - Iraq has become incapable of protecting the Shatt al-Arab, despite having had the biggest naval force in the Arab Gulf, the commander of the Iraqi river protection force said on Monday, noting that smugglers, who are active off the Iraqi coast, have more weapons that the Iraqis. “The river protection force has only some boats with limited speed, compared to the armored and high speed boats that smugglers have,” Brigadier Abdul Hakim Jasem told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
“The smugglers’ boats have more advanced weapons than we have,” he added. Jasem’s statement came in response to comments made by some Iraqi parliamentarians who warned against the increase in the smuggling of crude oil through the Shatt al-Arab. “Iraqi naval forces had dominated the Arab Gulf, but now they are incapable of protecting our coast,” he also said, highlighting the need for more advanced and faster boats to face the smugglers.
“It is about 180 km in length, and needs more soldiers and equipment to protect it,” he explained. The brigadier blamed the shortage in oil which, according to him, “hampers our moves.” The Shatt al-Arab is a river in southwest Iraq, formed by the convergence of the Euphrates and the Tigris rivers at the town of al-Qurnah in Basra, southern Iraq.
“The smugglers’ boats have more advanced weapons than we have,” he added. Jasem’s statement came in response to comments made by some Iraqi parliamentarians who warned against the increase in the smuggling of crude oil through the Shatt al-Arab. “Iraqi naval forces had dominated the Arab Gulf, but now they are incapable of protecting our coast,” he also said, highlighting the need for more advanced and faster boats to face the smugglers.
“It is about 180 km in length, and needs more soldiers and equipment to protect it,” he explained. The brigadier blamed the shortage in oil which, according to him, “hampers our moves.” The Shatt al-Arab is a river in southwest Iraq, formed by the convergence of the Euphrates and the Tigris rivers at the town of al-Qurnah in Basra, southern Iraq.
Labels: Brigadier Abdul Hakim Jasem, oil, security, Shatt al-Arab, smugglers
Quartet alliance want Fadhela Party
Politics
(Voices of Iraq) - A member of parliament from the Islamic Fadhlia (Virtue) party said on Monday that senior Iraqi officials have voiced “desire” for the party to enter the four-way alliance, while some Shiite officials are trying to convince the party to return to the Unified Iraqi Coalition (UIC). “The Quartet coalition has a desire for us to join, but we have not received an official invitation in this regard so far,” Basem Sharief told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
The Islamic Daawa Party, the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC), and the two main Kurdish parties formed a four-way alliance in mid-August that they claim aims at backing the current Iraqi government following the withdrawal of some political blocs from the cabinet.
Regarding the withdrawal of the Sadrist bloc and the Fadhila party of the UIC, the parliamentarian said “The two have the desire to continue negotiations to agree on a project that serves the national interest.” The spokesman for the Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's movement announced on Saturday the withdrawal of the Sadrist parliamentary bloc from the Shiite Unified Iraqi Coalition. Six months ago, the Shiite Fadhila (Virtue) party, which holds 15 seats in the parliament, withdrew from the UIC.
The Islamic Daawa Party, the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC), and the two main Kurdish parties formed a four-way alliance in mid-August that they claim aims at backing the current Iraqi government following the withdrawal of some political blocs from the cabinet.
Regarding the withdrawal of the Sadrist bloc and the Fadhila party of the UIC, the parliamentarian said “The two have the desire to continue negotiations to agree on a project that serves the national interest.” The spokesman for the Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's movement announced on Saturday the withdrawal of the Sadrist parliamentary bloc from the Shiite Unified Iraqi Coalition. Six months ago, the Shiite Fadhila (Virtue) party, which holds 15 seats in the parliament, withdrew from the UIC.
Labels: Basem Sharief, Dawa party, Fadhila Party, Kurdistan Coalition, SIIC, UIC
Czech republic to help build a new Iraq
International
(VOI) – Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek expressed his government's willingness to help build a new Iraq, a statement from the Czech Foreign Ministry reported on Monday. During his reception of Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zibari in Prague on Monday morning, Topolanek said that bilateral relations with Iraq are a top priority in the Czech political agenda, according to the statement that the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI) received.
"The Czech government is following up on the developments of events in Iraq and is ready to continue offering help to the Iraqi government to build a new Iraq…," the statement indicated. Zibari expressed his government's gratitude for "the support offered by the Czech government with regards to providing stability and security, and training Iraqi security forces…," the statement said.
Describing the Czech government's solidarity with Iraq as a "long-term investment that serves the interests of the people of both countries," Zibari gave a detailed overview of recent developments in the political and security situation in Iraq, and expressed his government's keenness to settle unresolved issues.
"The Czech government is following up on the developments of events in Iraq and is ready to continue offering help to the Iraqi government to build a new Iraq…," the statement indicated. Zibari expressed his government's gratitude for "the support offered by the Czech government with regards to providing stability and security, and training Iraqi security forces…," the statement said.
Describing the Czech government's solidarity with Iraq as a "long-term investment that serves the interests of the people of both countries," Zibari gave a detailed overview of recent developments in the political and security situation in Iraq, and expressed his government's keenness to settle unresolved issues.
Labels: Czech republic, Hoshyar Zibari, Iraq, Mirek Topolanek
Mosul curfew lifted
Security
(Gulf News) - The four-day curfew imposed on Mosul since late last Friday because of potential threats from Al Qaida to attack targets in the Sunni-dominated city was lifted yesterday, residents said. Duraid Kashmolah, Mosul's governor, announced in an earlier statement "that because of threats from Al Qaida, and to preserve the security of the city, a curfew was decided starting from late last Friday and early Monday morning."
It was not immediately known what security measures were taken in the city to face any possible threats from Al Qaida. Mosul has approximately three million inhabitants, mostly Sunni Arabs and Kurds, Christians, Yezides and Sabians. The province is facing disputes between Arabs and Kurds yet is expected to resolve this under article 140 of the permanent Iraqi constitution.
The deteriorating security situation has turned the province into a city of panic. Citizens erected barricades to the entrance of each neighbourhood after the recent attacks in the Sinjar area which claimed the lives of 344 Yezide Kurds according to the latest statistics. Meanwhile, Arab-Kurdish tension continues to prevail in the city.
Zuhair Al Tamimi, a political researcher at Mosul University, told Gulf News: "I believe there is an American and Turkish conspiracy against Mosul which aims to raise ethnic, religious and sectarian divisions...I think violence has already led citizens to a complete geographical segregation.. It means the city is divided with no official announcement, beside people cannot coexist together nor trust each other."
Talkaif, a Christian-inhabited area rushed to fortify its neighbourhoods with barriers and formed a night watch, Joseph Najeeb, an Iraqi engineer living in Talkaif, told Gulf News. "Christians will be targeted later by bloody explosions. It does not mean there is an Islamic-Christian conflict because those who do these acts are targeting Christians, Muslims, Arabs and Kurds alike. I think the plan is to empty Mosul from its original inhabitants to be controlled by regional forces."
Mosul turns into a ghost town after about 6pm. Many of its population supported Saddam's regime and some commemorate the anniversary of the deaths of Uday and Qusay (Saddam's sons) in 2003 in Mosul .Omar Al Faydhi, a cleric in Mosul, told Gulf News: "The American occupation succeeded in creating mistrust among Mosul citizens, they managed to make them accuse and kill each other."
It was not immediately known what security measures were taken in the city to face any possible threats from Al Qaida. Mosul has approximately three million inhabitants, mostly Sunni Arabs and Kurds, Christians, Yezides and Sabians. The province is facing disputes between Arabs and Kurds yet is expected to resolve this under article 140 of the permanent Iraqi constitution.
The deteriorating security situation has turned the province into a city of panic. Citizens erected barricades to the entrance of each neighbourhood after the recent attacks in the Sinjar area which claimed the lives of 344 Yezide Kurds according to the latest statistics. Meanwhile, Arab-Kurdish tension continues to prevail in the city.
Zuhair Al Tamimi, a political researcher at Mosul University, told Gulf News: "I believe there is an American and Turkish conspiracy against Mosul which aims to raise ethnic, religious and sectarian divisions...I think violence has already led citizens to a complete geographical segregation.. It means the city is divided with no official announcement, beside people cannot coexist together nor trust each other."
Talkaif, a Christian-inhabited area rushed to fortify its neighbourhoods with barriers and formed a night watch, Joseph Najeeb, an Iraqi engineer living in Talkaif, told Gulf News. "Christians will be targeted later by bloody explosions. It does not mean there is an Islamic-Christian conflict because those who do these acts are targeting Christians, Muslims, Arabs and Kurds alike. I think the plan is to empty Mosul from its original inhabitants to be controlled by regional forces."
Mosul turns into a ghost town after about 6pm. Many of its population supported Saddam's regime and some commemorate the anniversary of the deaths of Uday and Qusay (Saddam's sons) in 2003 in Mosul .Omar Al Faydhi, a cleric in Mosul, told Gulf News: "The American occupation succeeded in creating mistrust among Mosul citizens, they managed to make them accuse and kill each other."
Labels: Al Qaeda, curfew, Duraid Kashmolah, Mosul
Iraqi government to review status of all private security firms in Iraq
Security
(BBC) - Iraq has said it will review the status of all private security firms operating in the country after a gunfight in Baghdad left eight civilians dead. The Iraqi government said it wanted to determine whether such contractors were operating in compliance with Iraqi law. The review comes a day after the Iraqi authorities ordered the US-based firm, Blackwater USA, to suspend all operations and leave Iraq immediately.
Blackwater has said its guards acted in self-defence in Sunday's incident. But the Iraqi interior ministry has claimed the men fired "randomly at citizens" in a crowded square in the capital, killing innocent bystanders and a policeman. The Blackwater guards were protecting a convoy carrying officials from the US State Department at the time.
Earlier, the US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, telephoned Prime Minister Nouri Maliki to express her regret over the deaths and pledge to help carry out a "fair and transparent" investigation into the incident.
BLACKWATER USA FACTS
Founded in 1997 by three former US Navy SEALs
Headquarters in North Carolina
One of at least 28 Private Security Companies in Iraq
Employs 744 US citizens, 231 third-country nationals, and 12 Iraqis to protect US state department in Iraq (May 2007)
Provided protection for former CPA head Paul Bremer
Four employees killed by mob in Falluja in March 2004
Personnel have no combat immunity under international law if they engage in hostilities
A spokesman for the US State Department told the AFP news agency that during her phone call to Mr Maliki, Ms Rice had "reiterated that the United States does everything it can to avoid such loss of life in contrast to the enemies of the Iraqi people who deliberately target civilians". The two agreed to hold any wrongdoers accountable, according to Mr Maliki's spokesman.
Thousands of often heavily armed private security guards are employed in Iraq. Although they have no combat immunity under international law if they engage in hostilities, many critics say they are accountable only to their employers. Blackwater is one of the biggest private security contractors in Iraq and is reported to have a contract worth $300m (£150m) with the State Department to protect its diplomatic staff and equipment there. The BBC's Justin Webb in Washington says Blackwater's suspension could be a potentially serious blow to the department's work in Iraq.
Blackwater has said its guards acted in self-defence in Sunday's incident. But the Iraqi interior ministry has claimed the men fired "randomly at citizens" in a crowded square in the capital, killing innocent bystanders and a policeman. The Blackwater guards were protecting a convoy carrying officials from the US State Department at the time.
Earlier, the US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, telephoned Prime Minister Nouri Maliki to express her regret over the deaths and pledge to help carry out a "fair and transparent" investigation into the incident.
BLACKWATER USA FACTS
Founded in 1997 by three former US Navy SEALs
Headquarters in North Carolina
One of at least 28 Private Security Companies in Iraq
Employs 744 US citizens, 231 third-country nationals, and 12 Iraqis to protect US state department in Iraq (May 2007)
Provided protection for former CPA head Paul Bremer
Four employees killed by mob in Falluja in March 2004
Personnel have no combat immunity under international law if they engage in hostilities
A spokesman for the US State Department told the AFP news agency that during her phone call to Mr Maliki, Ms Rice had "reiterated that the United States does everything it can to avoid such loss of life in contrast to the enemies of the Iraqi people who deliberately target civilians". The two agreed to hold any wrongdoers accountable, according to Mr Maliki's spokesman.
Thousands of often heavily armed private security guards are employed in Iraq. Although they have no combat immunity under international law if they engage in hostilities, many critics say they are accountable only to their employers. Blackwater is one of the biggest private security contractors in Iraq and is reported to have a contract worth $300m (£150m) with the State Department to protect its diplomatic staff and equipment there. The BBC's Justin Webb in Washington says Blackwater's suspension could be a potentially serious blow to the department's work in Iraq.
Labels: Blackwater, Iraq, Iraqi government, PMCs, private security firms, PSCs, security, U.S. State Department
Monday, September 17, 2007
Iraq: Energy profile
Iraq: Energy profile - A new Energy Profile of Iraq by Energy Publisher
Iraq has the world's third largest proven petroleum reserves and some of the lowest extraction costs, but security issues continue to hold back rehabilitation of Iraq’s energy sector.
Iraq has the world's third largest proven petroleum reserves and some of the lowest extraction costs, but security issues continue to hold back rehabilitation of Iraq’s energy sector.
According to the March 2007, review by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), in 2006, crude oil export revenues represented around 60 percent of GDP and 89 percent of government revenues. In 2006, the U.S Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported that Iraq was the world’s 15th biggest oil producer and Iraq meets approximately 94 percent of its energy needs with petroleum.
Iraq’s use of abundant natural gas resources and hydropower is limited. According to the findings of the December 2006, Iraq Study Group (ISG), led by former Secretary of State James A. Baker and former Congressman Lee H. Hamilton, the stabilization of Iraq is highly correlated with Iraq’s economic success or failure, which in the medium-term is highly dependent on its hydrocarbons industry.
Iraq’s use of abundant natural gas resources and hydropower is limited. According to the findings of the December 2006, Iraq Study Group (ISG), led by former Secretary of State James A. Baker and former Congressman Lee H. Hamilton, the stabilization of Iraq is highly correlated with Iraq’s economic success or failure, which in the medium-term is highly dependent on its hydrocarbons industry.
Labels: energy profile, Energy Publisher, Iraq, oil
Ethnic violence forces more Arabs to flee Kirkuk
Security
(IRIN) -- Iraqi Arab residents of the northern oil-rich city of Kirkuk, some 250km from Baghdad, say scores of Arab families are fleeing the city as ethnic violence increases there. "The attacks on our community have worsened since February 2007. We are being forced to leave the city almost empty-handed and the government isn't taking any action to support us," said Ali Akram Mahmoud, a spokesperson for Kirkuk's Arabs Association (KAA), formed in 2003 with the aim of safeguarding the rights of Arabs who had settled in the city.
"The number of [Arab] families fleeing the city has increased by 20 percent on previous years. Their flight will seriously affect the upcoming referendum in which Kurds will have a majority not because of their numbers but because, with guns in their hands, they will have forced all Arabs to flee the city. It is absolutely unfair," he said. The December 2007 Kirkuk status referendum is due to decide whether the city becomes part of the Iraqi Kurdistan region.
"The most common scene in Kirkuk is of families filling cars with their relatives and fleeing the city in the early morning," said Jihad Muhammad, a political analyst at Mustansiriyah University. Kirkuk was long considered a microcosm of Iraq with its diversity of ethnic and religious groups. However, former President Saddam Hussein's "Arabisation" policy in the early 1980s and during the 1990s forced tens of thousands of Kurds and other non-Arabs to flee. They were replaced with pro-government Arabs from the impoverished south.
Following the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003, tens of thousands of Kurds returned to Kirkuk, with their house keys, to find their homes either sold or given to Arabs. This led to attacks by Kurds on Arabs. A local Iraq Red Crescent senior official, who prefers anonymity for security reasons, said since June 2007 at least 2,000 Arab families had fled Kirkuk. "Hundreds of families are fleeing the city without their belongings." They had been forced to search for displacement camps and many had joined the nearly one million displaced families in southern governorates, whilst others were staying on roadsides or in poor areas, he said.
In a local police station IRIN witnessed dozens of families begging for help from police after being forced from their homes by Kurdish militias. They were all told the same thing - that they could not be given individual protection and that they would be best advised to find more secure accommodation in southern Iraq. The city, a multi-ethnic mix of Kurds, Arabs, Assyrians, Turkomans and Armenians, has plenty of oil, but may not have much time left to avoid being dragged into sectarian bloodshed.
"The number of [Arab] families fleeing the city has increased by 20 percent on previous years. Their flight will seriously affect the upcoming referendum in which Kurds will have a majority not because of their numbers but because, with guns in their hands, they will have forced all Arabs to flee the city. It is absolutely unfair," he said. The December 2007 Kirkuk status referendum is due to decide whether the city becomes part of the Iraqi Kurdistan region.
"The most common scene in Kirkuk is of families filling cars with their relatives and fleeing the city in the early morning," said Jihad Muhammad, a political analyst at Mustansiriyah University. Kirkuk was long considered a microcosm of Iraq with its diversity of ethnic and religious groups. However, former President Saddam Hussein's "Arabisation" policy in the early 1980s and during the 1990s forced tens of thousands of Kurds and other non-Arabs to flee. They were replaced with pro-government Arabs from the impoverished south.
Following the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003, tens of thousands of Kurds returned to Kirkuk, with their house keys, to find their homes either sold or given to Arabs. This led to attacks by Kurds on Arabs. A local Iraq Red Crescent senior official, who prefers anonymity for security reasons, said since June 2007 at least 2,000 Arab families had fled Kirkuk. "Hundreds of families are fleeing the city without their belongings." They had been forced to search for displacement camps and many had joined the nearly one million displaced families in southern governorates, whilst others were staying on roadsides or in poor areas, he said.
In a local police station IRIN witnessed dozens of families begging for help from police after being forced from their homes by Kurdish militias. They were all told the same thing - that they could not be given individual protection and that they would be best advised to find more secure accommodation in southern Iraq. The city, a multi-ethnic mix of Kurds, Arabs, Assyrians, Turkomans and Armenians, has plenty of oil, but may not have much time left to avoid being dragged into sectarian bloodshed.
Labels: Iraq Red Crescent, Kirkuk, Kirkuk's Arabs Association, sectarian violence
WHO - cholera cases in Iraq continue to rise
Health
(AP) -- The number of suspected cholera cases in northern Iraq continues to rise, with 16,000 people now showing symptoms, the World Health Organization said Friday. As of Sept. 10, 6,000 have been reported with symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting in the province of Sulaimaniyah, another 7,000 in Tamim province, and 3,000 in Irbil province, the WHO said in a statement.
To date 10 people have died and 844 cases of the disease have been confirmed, the WHO said. Earlier in the week, regional authorities reported 11,000 people with symptoms, 700 confirmed cases and 10 deaths. Cholera is a gastrointestinal disease that is typically spread by drinking contaminated water and can cause severe diarrhea that in extreme cases can lead to fatal dehydration. It broke out in mid-August and has so far been limited to northern Iraq.
The WHO reported earlier this week that all public water supply systems in the affected districts have been chlorinated by provincial authorities in an attempt to stop the disease from spreading further.
To date 10 people have died and 844 cases of the disease have been confirmed, the WHO said. Earlier in the week, regional authorities reported 11,000 people with symptoms, 700 confirmed cases and 10 deaths. Cholera is a gastrointestinal disease that is typically spread by drinking contaminated water and can cause severe diarrhea that in extreme cases can lead to fatal dehydration. It broke out in mid-August and has so far been limited to northern Iraq.
The WHO reported earlier this week that all public water supply systems in the affected districts have been chlorinated by provincial authorities in an attempt to stop the disease from spreading further.
Labels: cholera, Irbil, northern Iraq, Sulaimaniyah, Tamim, WHO
Islamic State of Iraq threatens to assassinate Sunni leaders
Security, Tribal
(AP) -- An al Qaeda front group threatened to assassinate Sunni leaders who "stained the reputations" of their people by supporting the Americans as the Iraqi government's parliament base fragmented Saturday with the defection of a hardline Shiite bloc. The two developments cast doubt over prospects for political and military progress in Iraq as the U.S. Senate gears up for a debate next week on Democratic demands for deeper and faster troop cuts than President Bush plans.
The threat against Sunni leaders came from the Islamic State of Iraq, which claimed responsibility for the assassination Thursday of Abdul Sattar Abu Reesha, the mastermind of the Sunni Arab revolt against al Qaeda in Anbar province. Bush met Abu Reesha at a U.S. base in Anbar this month and praised his courage.
The threat against Sunni leaders came from the Islamic State of Iraq, which claimed responsibility for the assassination Thursday of Abdul Sattar Abu Reesha, the mastermind of the Sunni Arab revolt against al Qaeda in Anbar province. Bush met Abu Reesha at a U.S. base in Anbar this month and praised his courage.
In a Web posting, the Islamic State said it had formed "special security committees" to track down and "assassinate the tribal figures, the traitors, who stained the reputations of the real tribes by submitting to the soldiers of the Crusade" and the Shiite-led government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. "We will publish lists of names of the tribal figures to scandalize them in front of our blessed tribes," the statement added.
In a second statement, the purported head of the Islamic State, Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, said he was "honored to announce" a new Ramadan offensive in memory of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the founder of al Qaeda in Iraq killed last year in a U.S. air strike. Hours after the announcement, a car bomb exploded late Saturday in a mostly Shiite area of southwest Baghdad, killing at least 11 people lined up to buy bread at a bakery. Two of the dead were children, police said.
The blast occurred at the start of iftar, the evening meal at which Muslims break their dawn-to-dusk Ramadan fast. The bloodshed was a blow to government hopes that a peaceful Ramadan would demonstrate the success of the seven-month operation in the capital.
A prominent Sunni sheik told The Associated Press that the province's leaders would not be intimidated by al Qaeda threats and would continue efforts to drive the terror movement from their communities. "We as tribesmen will act against the al Qaeda, and those standing behind it who do not want us to put an end to it," Ali Hatem al-Suleiman said.
Still, the al Qaeda threats and the assassination of Abu Reesha, one of the best protected tribal figures in Iraq, could cause some tribal leaders in other Sunni provinces to reconsider plans to stand up against the terror movement.
In a second statement, the purported head of the Islamic State, Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, said he was "honored to announce" a new Ramadan offensive in memory of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the founder of al Qaeda in Iraq killed last year in a U.S. air strike. Hours after the announcement, a car bomb exploded late Saturday in a mostly Shiite area of southwest Baghdad, killing at least 11 people lined up to buy bread at a bakery. Two of the dead were children, police said.
The blast occurred at the start of iftar, the evening meal at which Muslims break their dawn-to-dusk Ramadan fast. The bloodshed was a blow to government hopes that a peaceful Ramadan would demonstrate the success of the seven-month operation in the capital.
A prominent Sunni sheik told The Associated Press that the province's leaders would not be intimidated by al Qaeda threats and would continue efforts to drive the terror movement from their communities. "We as tribesmen will act against the al Qaeda, and those standing behind it who do not want us to put an end to it," Ali Hatem al-Suleiman said.
Still, the al Qaeda threats and the assassination of Abu Reesha, one of the best protected tribal figures in Iraq, could cause some tribal leaders in other Sunni provinces to reconsider plans to stand up against the terror movement.
Labels: Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, Ali Hatem al-Suleiman, Islamic State of Iraq, Sheikh Abu Sattar Abu Risha, Sunni leaders
Bahrain to host Iraqi reconstruction forum in November
Reconstruction
(Iraq Directory) - Ghassan Hussein, Iraqi ambassador to Manama, said that Bahrain will host the first Iraqi-Gulf Forum and Exhibition on Iraqi Reconstruction this November. He stressed that consolidating relations with Bahrain is a priority of the Iraqi embassy there, expressing thanks to King Hamad Bin Issa Al Khalifa for kind gestures towards the treatment of Iraqi children and training of various Iraqi cadres.
He added that Iraq's oil and economic policies led to improvements despite deteriorating security, confirming that Bahraini investors have already invested, especially in the region of Iraqi Kurdistan which enjoys the highest level of security.
The Iraqi ambassador said that choosing Bahrain to hold a forum and exhibition is of great significance for the deepening relationship between the two countries, and that the Bahrain event is the first stage toward the success of other Gulf States forums. He expected that 2000 Iraqi businessmen and officials will attend the forum as there are many positive responses to this Conference, which is supported by the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Bahraini-American Chamber of Commerce.
The Iraqi Forum was supposed to be organized last March but the States were not ready then, so it was postponed to November. Many nations have announced participation, notwithstanding that the Iraqi community in Bahrain does not exceed 1400 persons according to an earlier press statement by the Iraqi ambassador to Manama.
He added that Iraq's oil and economic policies led to improvements despite deteriorating security, confirming that Bahraini investors have already invested, especially in the region of Iraqi Kurdistan which enjoys the highest level of security.
The Iraqi ambassador said that choosing Bahrain to hold a forum and exhibition is of great significance for the deepening relationship between the two countries, and that the Bahrain event is the first stage toward the success of other Gulf States forums. He expected that 2000 Iraqi businessmen and officials will attend the forum as there are many positive responses to this Conference, which is supported by the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Bahraini-American Chamber of Commerce.
The Iraqi Forum was supposed to be organized last March but the States were not ready then, so it was postponed to November. Many nations have announced participation, notwithstanding that the Iraqi community in Bahrain does not exceed 1400 persons according to an earlier press statement by the Iraqi ambassador to Manama.
Labels: Bahrain, Iraqi reconstruction forum, Iraqi-Gulf Forum and Exhibition on Iraqi Reconstruction
Kurdistan flights to Sweden and Germany to resume
Kurdistan
(KRG) - KRG (Kurdistan regional government) minister of transportation Burhan saeid Sofi announced during a press conference that Kurdistan Region Flights to Resume to Sweden and Germany in the next week. "Kurdistan region's sky is secure and investigations of the Swedish airlines company showed that news that allegedly Swedish airplanes has been shot were baseless" said, KRG minister of transportation.
"Flights from Sweden to Sulaimaniyah will resume by the next week, but another company will conduct those flights." He added. In August, Sweden has suspended commercial flights to and from Kurdistan region (Iraq) after an apparent rocket attack against a passenger jet as it took off from the northern city of Sulaimaniyah, the Nordic country's aviation authority said Tuesday. Sulaimaniyah International Airport Authority, Kamaran Ahmed, said a local investigation found no evidence that a missile was fired and blamed the scare on bright lights being used on the ground.
"Flights from Sweden to Sulaimaniyah will resume by the next week, but another company will conduct those flights." He added. In August, Sweden has suspended commercial flights to and from Kurdistan region (Iraq) after an apparent rocket attack against a passenger jet as it took off from the northern city of Sulaimaniyah, the Nordic country's aviation authority said Tuesday. Sulaimaniyah International Airport Authority, Kamaran Ahmed, said a local investigation found no evidence that a missile was fired and blamed the scare on bright lights being used on the ground.
Labels: Burhan saeid Sofi, Germany, KRG, Nordic Airways, Sulaimaniyah, Sweden
Al-Sadr to appoint new political board
Politics
(Voices of Iraq) - Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr instructed that a new political board should be appointed following the withdrawal of his group from the Shiite Unified Iraqi Coalition (UIC), an Iraqi legislator said. "The new board will be headed by Liwaa Semesam, the minister of tourism & antiquities who withdrew from the government," Falah Shanshal, a member of parliament from the Sadrist bloc, or Iraqis loyal to Sadr, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI) on Sunday.
Shanshal revealed no further details about the new board. The Sadrists officially announced their resignation from the UIC on Saturday in Najaf. "The bloc discussed and approved the decision," Saleh al-Ubaidi, the spokesman for the Sadrist bloc, said during a press conference. The Sadrists currently hold 30 out of a total 275 seats in the Iraqi parliament.
Shanshal revealed no further details about the new board. The Sadrists officially announced their resignation from the UIC on Saturday in Najaf. "The bloc discussed and approved the decision," Saleh al-Ubaidi, the spokesman for the Sadrist bloc, said during a press conference. The Sadrists currently hold 30 out of a total 275 seats in the Iraqi parliament.
Labels: Liwaa Semesam, Moqtada Al-Sadr
Dawa Party may withdraw from UIC
Politics
(Voices of Iraq) - The Daawa Party-Iraq Organization may withdraw from the Shiite Unified Iraqi Coalition (UIC) if efforts to heal the rift within the Shiite alliance fail, the leader of the party, Abdul Kareem al-Anzy, said on Sunday. The decision comes less than 24 hours after the defection of the Sadrist bloc from the UIC, the largest parliamentary bloc in the Iraqi parliament.
In statements to the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI), al-Anzi said that his party, which holds 13 seats in the 275-member parliament, will make every effort to "mend the rift within the coalition." "If our attempts prove unsuccessful, we will seriously consider forming an alliance with the Sadr movement, al-Fadila Party, and others," al-Anzi added.
Al-Anzi held Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki responsible for the subsequent withdrawal of the coalition's components, claiming that divisions have reached the Islamic Daawa party, led by al-Maliki, and described the Sadrist bloc's defection as a "strike to the core." "Al-Maliki made a strategic mistake when he joined the four-way alliance without consulting his coalition," al-Anzi noted.
The Islamic Daawa Party, the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC), and the two main Kurdish parties formed a four-way alliance in mid-August that they said aims at backing the current Iraqi government following the withdrawal of some political blocs from the cabinet.
In statements to the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI), al-Anzi said that his party, which holds 13 seats in the 275-member parliament, will make every effort to "mend the rift within the coalition." "If our attempts prove unsuccessful, we will seriously consider forming an alliance with the Sadr movement, al-Fadila Party, and others," al-Anzi added.
Al-Anzi held Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki responsible for the subsequent withdrawal of the coalition's components, claiming that divisions have reached the Islamic Daawa party, led by al-Maliki, and described the Sadrist bloc's defection as a "strike to the core." "Al-Maliki made a strategic mistake when he joined the four-way alliance without consulting his coalition," al-Anzi noted.
The Islamic Daawa Party, the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC), and the two main Kurdish parties formed a four-way alliance in mid-August that they said aims at backing the current Iraqi government following the withdrawal of some political blocs from the cabinet.
Labels: Abdul Kareem al-Anzy, alliance, Dawa party, Fadhela party, Sadr bloc, United Iraqi Coalition
Furtehr conflict expected between the Shiite Unified Iraqi Coalition
Politics
(Voices of Iraq) - More conflicts are expected to arise within the Shiite Unified Iraqi Coalition (UIC), the Sunni Iraqi Accordance Front (IAF) and the Kurdistan Coalition (KC), the leader of the secular National Dialogue Front (NDF), Saleh al-Motlaq, said on Sunday, describing the three blocs as "sectarian." Such divisions will be used to withdraw confidence from Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's government, al-Motlaq added.
"Those who seek to set up a national salvation front will benefit from al-Sadr movement's withdrawal from the Shiite coalition and call for a vote of no confidence against al-Maliki's government," al-Motlaq told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI) by phone. The statements come following the withdrawal of the Sadrist bloc from the Shiite coalition and the defection of the planning minister Ali Baban from the IAF two days ago.
Denying any intention to form an opposition front to what he described as the Shiite-Kurdish bloc, al-Motlaq said, "We want to set up a national salvation front, not an opposition front." The Shiite Daawa Islamic Party, the Shiite Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC), and the two main Kurdish parties formed a four-way alliance in mid-August that they said aims at backing the current Iraqi government following the withdrawal of some political blocs from the cabinet.
Describing the withdrawal of some political blocs from the Shiite coalition as a "national awakening," al-Motlaq claimed that the formation of "sectarian blocs" will plunge the country into an abyss of violence. The NDF holds 11 seats in the 275-member parliament.
"Those who seek to set up a national salvation front will benefit from al-Sadr movement's withdrawal from the Shiite coalition and call for a vote of no confidence against al-Maliki's government," al-Motlaq told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI) by phone. The statements come following the withdrawal of the Sadrist bloc from the Shiite coalition and the defection of the planning minister Ali Baban from the IAF two days ago.
Denying any intention to form an opposition front to what he described as the Shiite-Kurdish bloc, al-Motlaq said, "We want to set up a national salvation front, not an opposition front." The Shiite Daawa Islamic Party, the Shiite Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC), and the two main Kurdish parties formed a four-way alliance in mid-August that they said aims at backing the current Iraqi government following the withdrawal of some political blocs from the cabinet.
Describing the withdrawal of some political blocs from the Shiite coalition as a "national awakening," al-Motlaq claimed that the formation of "sectarian blocs" will plunge the country into an abyss of violence. The NDF holds 11 seats in the 275-member parliament.
Labels: Iraqi Accordance Front, Kurdistan Coalition, National Dialogue Front, Saleh al-Motlaq, United Iraqi Coalition
UIA to negotiate with Sadr bloc after decision to pull out
Politics
(KUNA) - The United Iraqi Alliance announced Monday forming a committee to negotiate with Muqtada Al-Sadr's parliamentary bloc to convince it to stay within the alliance. The alliance said in a press release that it was surprised by the decision of the bloc on quitting the alliance, as dialogue and discussions were taking place among alliance members.
All parties are ready to discuss the demands and views of Al-Sadr bloc, especially those regarding the vacant ministerial posts, it stressed. The alliance called the bloc to reconsider its decision, emphasizing the importance of unity among all Iraqi political groups. Al-Sadr's bloc announced its decision to quit Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki's alliance late Saturday.
All parties are ready to discuss the demands and views of Al-Sadr bloc, especially those regarding the vacant ministerial posts, it stressed. The alliance called the bloc to reconsider its decision, emphasizing the importance of unity among all Iraqi political groups. Al-Sadr's bloc announced its decision to quit Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki's alliance late Saturday.
Labels: Sadr bloc, United Iraqi Coalition
Greenspan says Iraq invasion was driven by oil
(The Guardian) - Alan Greenspan, the consummate Washington insider and long-time head of the US central bank, has backed the position taken by many anti-war critics - that the invasion of Iraq was motivated by oil. His claim comes in his newly published autobiography, The Age of Turbulence, in which he also castigates George Bush's administration for making "grave mistakes" in economic policy.
Sounding more like an activist than a lifelong Republican who worked alongside six US presidents, Mr Greenspan, the former Federal Reserve chairman, said in an interview with the Guardian that the invasion of Iraq was aimed at protecting Middle East oil reserves: "I thought the issue of weapons of mass destruction as the excuse was utterly beside the point."
Mr Greenspan said it was clear to him that Saddam Hussein had wanted to control the Straits of Hormuz and so control Middle East oil shipments through the vital route out of the Gulf. He said that had Saddam been able to do that it would have been "devastating to the west" as the former Iraqi president could have just shut off 5m barrels a day and brought "the industrial world to its knees".
In the book Mr Greenspan writes: "Whatever their publicised angst over Saddam Hussain's 'weapons of mass destruction', American and British authorities were also concerned about violence in the area that harbours a resource indispensable for the functioning of the world economy. I am saddened that it is politically inconvenient to acknowledge what everyone knows: the Iraq war is largely about oil."
Asked to explain his remark, he said: "From a rational point of view, I cannot understand why we don't name what is evident and indeed a wholly defensible pre-emptive position." As longest-serving chairman of the Fed, Mr Greenspan was renowned for his cryptic statements about the economy. But in his memoir, which went on sale over the weekend, he uncharacteristically criticises the Bush administration, while praising Bill Clinton and his advisers. "Little value was placed on rigorous economic policy debate or the weighing of long-term development," he writes of the current administration.
The 81-year-old's attack will hurt a White House already suffering feeble approval ratings and a faltering economic background. Describing ballooning government deficits under President Bush, he condemns the way deficit spending was used to support the legislative agenda: "It was a struggle for me to accept that this had become the dominant ethos and economic policy of the Republican party."
Sounding more like an activist than a lifelong Republican who worked alongside six US presidents, Mr Greenspan, the former Federal Reserve chairman, said in an interview with the Guardian that the invasion of Iraq was aimed at protecting Middle East oil reserves: "I thought the issue of weapons of mass destruction as the excuse was utterly beside the point."
Mr Greenspan said it was clear to him that Saddam Hussein had wanted to control the Straits of Hormuz and so control Middle East oil shipments through the vital route out of the Gulf. He said that had Saddam been able to do that it would have been "devastating to the west" as the former Iraqi president could have just shut off 5m barrels a day and brought "the industrial world to its knees".
In the book Mr Greenspan writes: "Whatever their publicised angst over Saddam Hussain's 'weapons of mass destruction', American and British authorities were also concerned about violence in the area that harbours a resource indispensable for the functioning of the world economy. I am saddened that it is politically inconvenient to acknowledge what everyone knows: the Iraq war is largely about oil."
Asked to explain his remark, he said: "From a rational point of view, I cannot understand why we don't name what is evident and indeed a wholly defensible pre-emptive position." As longest-serving chairman of the Fed, Mr Greenspan was renowned for his cryptic statements about the economy. But in his memoir, which went on sale over the weekend, he uncharacteristically criticises the Bush administration, while praising Bill Clinton and his advisers. "Little value was placed on rigorous economic policy debate or the weighing of long-term development," he writes of the current administration.
The 81-year-old's attack will hurt a White House already suffering feeble approval ratings and a faltering economic background. Describing ballooning government deficits under President Bush, he condemns the way deficit spending was used to support the legislative agenda: "It was a struggle for me to accept that this had become the dominant ethos and economic policy of the Republican party."
Labels: Alan Greenspan, Iraq invasion, oil, Straits of Hormuz, The Age of Turbulence
Islamic State of Iraq steps up attacks
Insurgency
(Gulf News) - At least 30 people were killed as militants stepped up bombings and shootings across Iraq on Sunday. This followed a threat by Al Qaida to launch a new phase of violence. Suspected Al Qaida militants shot dead 14 people in the predominantly Sunni Arab town of Muqdadiya north of Baghdad and torched at least 12 shops in the town, Iraqi police said.
A suicide bomber on a booby-trapped bicycle killed six people at an outdoor cafe in the northern town of Tuz Khurmato. In Baghdad, eight people were killed in four separate bombings. In the raids on the villages of Jichan and Ghizlayat, the fighters arrived from several different directions and residents fought back until Iraqi security forces arrived and chased the attackers, who fled to nearby farms. The clashes about 60 miles north of Baghdad lasted about two hours, officials and witnesses said.
An Al Qaida-led group, the Islamic State in Iraq, had said on Saturday it was launching a fresh round of attacks to mark the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which started late last week. Meanwhile, the US military said it had caught a suspected Al Qaida militant believed to be behind the killing last week of a key Sunni Arab tribal leader in Anbar province.
Shaikh Abdul Sattar Abu Risha, who met US President George W. Bush two weeks ago in Anbar, was killed in a bomb attack on Thursday near his home. He led an alliance of tribes that helped US troops push Al Qaida out of much of the vast western area.
A suicide bomber on a booby-trapped bicycle killed six people at an outdoor cafe in the northern town of Tuz Khurmato. In Baghdad, eight people were killed in four separate bombings. In the raids on the villages of Jichan and Ghizlayat, the fighters arrived from several different directions and residents fought back until Iraqi security forces arrived and chased the attackers, who fled to nearby farms. The clashes about 60 miles north of Baghdad lasted about two hours, officials and witnesses said.
An Al Qaida-led group, the Islamic State in Iraq, had said on Saturday it was launching a fresh round of attacks to mark the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which started late last week. Meanwhile, the US military said it had caught a suspected Al Qaida militant believed to be behind the killing last week of a key Sunni Arab tribal leader in Anbar province.
Shaikh Abdul Sattar Abu Risha, who met US President George W. Bush two weeks ago in Anbar, was killed in a bomb attack on Thursday near his home. He led an alliance of tribes that helped US troops push Al Qaida out of much of the vast western area.
Labels: Al Qaeda, booby-trapped bicycle, Islamic State in Iraq, Muqdadiya, suicide bomber, Tuz Kharmatu, violence
U.S. military says southern Sheiks want to join forces
Security, Tribal
American commanders in southern Iraq say Shiite sheiks are showing interest in joining forces with the US military against extremists, in much the same way that Sunni clansmen in the western part of the country have worked with American forces against Al Qaida.
Sheik Majid Tahir Al Magsousi, the leader of the Migasees tribe here in Wasit province, acknowledged tribal leaders have discussed creating a brigade of young men trained by the Americans to bolster local security as well as help patrol the border with Iran. He also said last week's assassination of Abdul-Sattar Abu Risha, who spearheaded the Sunni uprising against Al Qaida in Anbar province, only made the Shiite tribal leaders more resolute.
''The death of Shaikh Abu Risha will not thwart us,'' he said. ''What matters to us is Iraq and its safety.'' The movement by Shiite clan leaders offers the potential to give US and Iraqi forces another tactical advantage in curbing lawlessness in Shiite areas. It also would give the Americans another resource as they beef up their presence on the border with Iran, which the military accuses of arming and training Shiite extremists.
Similar alliances with Sunni tribes in the western Anbar province helped break the grip of groups such as Al Qaida in Iraq and were widely cited in the Washington hearings as a major military success this year. Such pacts to fill the vacuum left by Iraqi police and soldiers unable or unwilling to act against Shiite militias carry even greater potential spin-offs for Iraq's US-backed leadership -- but also higher risks. Shiites represent about 60 per cent of Iraq's population and the bulk of the security forces and parliament. Worsening the current Shiite-on-Shiite battles could ripple to the highest levels.
But US officials at the heart of the effort hope to tap a wellspring of public frustration with militias and criminal gangs to recruit the tribal volunteers, although they stress it is still in the early stages. ''It's an anti-militia movement ... Shiite extremists of all stripes,'' said Wade Weems, head of a Provincial Reconstruction Team leading the dialogue in the Wasit province southeast of Baghdad.
But while the military has made inroads with Sunni leaders in some Baghdad neighborhoods and areas surrounding the capital, including Diyala province, officials stressed it's too early to know if efforts to extend the strategy to Shiite leaders will take root.
Sheik Majid Tahir Al Magsousi, the leader of the Migasees tribe here in Wasit province, acknowledged tribal leaders have discussed creating a brigade of young men trained by the Americans to bolster local security as well as help patrol the border with Iran. He also said last week's assassination of Abdul-Sattar Abu Risha, who spearheaded the Sunni uprising against Al Qaida in Anbar province, only made the Shiite tribal leaders more resolute.
''The death of Shaikh Abu Risha will not thwart us,'' he said. ''What matters to us is Iraq and its safety.'' The movement by Shiite clan leaders offers the potential to give US and Iraqi forces another tactical advantage in curbing lawlessness in Shiite areas. It also would give the Americans another resource as they beef up their presence on the border with Iran, which the military accuses of arming and training Shiite extremists.
Similar alliances with Sunni tribes in the western Anbar province helped break the grip of groups such as Al Qaida in Iraq and were widely cited in the Washington hearings as a major military success this year. Such pacts to fill the vacuum left by Iraqi police and soldiers unable or unwilling to act against Shiite militias carry even greater potential spin-offs for Iraq's US-backed leadership -- but also higher risks. Shiites represent about 60 per cent of Iraq's population and the bulk of the security forces and parliament. Worsening the current Shiite-on-Shiite battles could ripple to the highest levels.
But US officials at the heart of the effort hope to tap a wellspring of public frustration with militias and criminal gangs to recruit the tribal volunteers, although they stress it is still in the early stages. ''It's an anti-militia movement ... Shiite extremists of all stripes,'' said Wade Weems, head of a Provincial Reconstruction Team leading the dialogue in the Wasit province southeast of Baghdad.
But while the military has made inroads with Sunni leaders in some Baghdad neighborhoods and areas surrounding the capital, including Diyala province, officials stressed it's too early to know if efforts to extend the strategy to Shiite leaders will take root.
Labels: Al Qaeda in Iraq, Migasees tribe, Sheik Abdul-Sattar abu Risha, Sheik Majid Tahir Al Magsousi, Shiite sheiks, southern Iraq, Wade Weems, Wasit
Iraqi government pulls Blackwater's security license
Security
(AP) - The Iraqi government said Monday that it was pulling the license of an American security firm allegedly involved in the fatal shooting of civilians during an attack on a U.S. State Department motorcade in Baghdad. The Interior Ministry said it would prosecute any foreign contractors found to have used excessive force in the Sunday shooting. It was latest accusation against the U.S.-contracted firms that operate with little or no supervision and are widely disliked by Iraqis who resent their speeding motorcades and forceful behavior.
Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul-Karim Khalaf said eight civilians were killed and 13 were wounded when security contractors believed to be working for Blackwater USA opened fire in a predominantly Sunni neighborhood of western Baghdad. "We have canceled the license of Blackwater and prevented them from working all over Iraqi territory. We will also refer those involved to Iraqi judicial authorities," Khalaf said.
The spokesman said witness reports pointed to Blackwater involvement but said the shooting was still under investigation. It was not immediately clear if the measure against Blackwater was intended to be temporary or permanent. Blackwater, based in Moyock, N.C., provides security for many U.S. civilian operations in the country. Phone messages left early Monday at the company's office in North Carolina and with a spokeswoman were not immediately returned.
The U.S. Embassy said a State Department motorcade came under small-arms fire that disabled one of the vehicles, which had to be towed from the scene near Nisoor Square in the Mansour district. An embassy official provided no information about Iraqi casualties but said no State Department personnel were wounded or killed. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to media.
He said the shooting was being investigated by the State Department's diplomatic security service and law enforcement officials working with the Iraqi government and the U.S. military. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki late Sunday condemned the shooting by a "foreign security company" and called it a "crime." The decision to pull the license was likely to face a challenge as it would be a major blow to a company that was at the forefront of one of the main turning points in the war.
The 2004 battle of Fallujah — an unsuccessful military assault in which an estimated 27 U.S. Marines were killed, along with an unknown number of civilians — was retaliation for the killing, maiming and burning of four Blackwater guards in that city by a mob of insurgents. Tens of thousands of foreign private security contractors work in Iraq — some with automatic weapons, body armor, helicopters and bulletproof vehicles — to provide protection for Westerners and dignitaries in Iraq as the country has plummeted toward anarchy and civil war.
Monday's action against Blackwater was likely to give the unpopular government a boost, given the contractors' widespread unpopularity. Many of the contractors have been accused of indiscriminately firing at American and Iraqi troops, and of shooting to death an unknown number of Iraqi citizens who got too close to their heavily armed convoys, but none has faced charges or prosecution.
The question of whether they could face prosecution is a gray legal area. Unlike soldiers, they are not bound by the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Under a special provision secured by American-occupying forces, they are exempt from prosecution by Iraqis for crimes committed there. Khalaf, however, denied that the exemption applied to private security companies.
Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul-Karim Khalaf said eight civilians were killed and 13 were wounded when security contractors believed to be working for Blackwater USA opened fire in a predominantly Sunni neighborhood of western Baghdad. "We have canceled the license of Blackwater and prevented them from working all over Iraqi territory. We will also refer those involved to Iraqi judicial authorities," Khalaf said.
The spokesman said witness reports pointed to Blackwater involvement but said the shooting was still under investigation. It was not immediately clear if the measure against Blackwater was intended to be temporary or permanent. Blackwater, based in Moyock, N.C., provides security for many U.S. civilian operations in the country. Phone messages left early Monday at the company's office in North Carolina and with a spokeswoman were not immediately returned.
The U.S. Embassy said a State Department motorcade came under small-arms fire that disabled one of the vehicles, which had to be towed from the scene near Nisoor Square in the Mansour district. An embassy official provided no information about Iraqi casualties but said no State Department personnel were wounded or killed. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to media.
He said the shooting was being investigated by the State Department's diplomatic security service and law enforcement officials working with the Iraqi government and the U.S. military. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki late Sunday condemned the shooting by a "foreign security company" and called it a "crime." The decision to pull the license was likely to face a challenge as it would be a major blow to a company that was at the forefront of one of the main turning points in the war.
The 2004 battle of Fallujah — an unsuccessful military assault in which an estimated 27 U.S. Marines were killed, along with an unknown number of civilians — was retaliation for the killing, maiming and burning of four Blackwater guards in that city by a mob of insurgents. Tens of thousands of foreign private security contractors work in Iraq — some with automatic weapons, body armor, helicopters and bulletproof vehicles — to provide protection for Westerners and dignitaries in Iraq as the country has plummeted toward anarchy and civil war.
Monday's action against Blackwater was likely to give the unpopular government a boost, given the contractors' widespread unpopularity. Many of the contractors have been accused of indiscriminately firing at American and Iraqi troops, and of shooting to death an unknown number of Iraqi citizens who got too close to their heavily armed convoys, but none has faced charges or prosecution.
The question of whether they could face prosecution is a gray legal area. Unlike soldiers, they are not bound by the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Under a special provision secured by American-occupying forces, they are exempt from prosecution by Iraqis for crimes committed there. Khalaf, however, denied that the exemption applied to private security companies.
Iraqi police said the contractors were in a convoy of six sport utility vehicles and left after the shooting. A witness said the gunfire broke out following an explosion. "We saw a convoy of SUVs passing in the street nearby. One minute later, we heard the sound of a bomb explosion followed by gunfire that lasted for 20 minutes between gunmen and the convoy people who were foreigners and dressed in civilian clothes. Everybody in the street started to flee immediately," said Hussein Abdul-Abbas, who owns a mobile phone store in the area.
The wartime numbers of private guards are unprecedented — as are their duties, many of which have traditionally been done by soldiers. They protect U.S. military operations and diplomats and have guarded high-ranking officials including Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Baghdad. They also protect journalists, visiting foreign officials and thousands of construction projects. Blackwater has an estimated 1,000 employees in Iraq, and at least $800 million in government contracts. It is one of the most high-profile security firms in Iraq, with its fleet of "Little Bird" helicopters and armed door gunners swarming Baghdad and beyond.
The secretive company, run by a former Navy SEAL, is based at a massive, swampland complex. Until the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, it had few security contracts. Since then, Blackwater profits have soared. And it has become the focus of numerous controversies in Iraq, including the May 30 shooting death of an Iraqi deemed to be driving too close to a Blackwater security detail.
The wartime numbers of private guards are unprecedented — as are their duties, many of which have traditionally been done by soldiers. They protect U.S. military operations and diplomats and have guarded high-ranking officials including Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Baghdad. They also protect journalists, visiting foreign officials and thousands of construction projects. Blackwater has an estimated 1,000 employees in Iraq, and at least $800 million in government contracts. It is one of the most high-profile security firms in Iraq, with its fleet of "Little Bird" helicopters and armed door gunners swarming Baghdad and beyond.
The secretive company, run by a former Navy SEAL, is based at a massive, swampland complex. Until the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, it had few security contracts. Since then, Blackwater profits have soared. And it has become the focus of numerous controversies in Iraq, including the May 30 shooting death of an Iraqi deemed to be driving too close to a Blackwater security detail.
Labels: Abdul-Karim Khalaf, Blackwater Security Consulting, Interior Ministry, Iraqi government, Mansour, PSC, security firm
