Monday, September 17, 2007
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
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Cholera outbreak in northern Iraq could spread south
Health
(AP) -- A cholera outbreak in northern Iraq has so far been limited to three provinces but could spread south, a Health Ministry official said Wednesday. Since the disease broke out in mid-August, 10 people have died and some 700 others have been confirmed with cholera, said Adel Muhsin, the Health Ministry's inspector general. Another 11,000 are suffering from such symptoms as severe diarrhea and vomiting, Muhsin said.
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. Worst hit has been the city of Sulaimaniyah, in the province of the same name, which has seen 4,600 cases of diarrhea and 300 cases of cholera, said Sherko Abdullah, the head of the regional health ministry department. Nine of the 10 deaths have been in the city, he said. It has also been reported in the northern provinces of Irbil and Tamim.
"No new cases have been discovered yet in other parts in Iraq and it is not impossible this will happen, but we are taking steps to contain and prevent the disease from spreading to other areas," Muhsin said. Last week, United Nations Development Program official Paolo Lembo said the outbreak was caused by the "inadequacy of the water supply system and deteriorated infrastructure" of the area.
Medical teams are regularly testing drinking water in Baghdad and other areas, and the Health Ministry is working to provide chlorine to drinking water plants, which can kill the bacteria responsible for cholera. "The more we pay attention to the drinking water regarding chlorine, the more we prevent an outbreak of this disease elsewhere," Muhsin said.
Abdullah said the number of new cases has been slowing now that the problem has been identified with the water, and that measures are being taken to fix the situation. The World Health Organization said this week that all public water supply systems in the affected districts have been chlorinated by provincial authorities.
"In addition, water samples from the public water supply sources are being collected and tested routinely to ensure they meet potable water safety standards," the WHO said. The health agency did not recommend any special restrictions on travel or trade to or from affected areas.
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. Worst hit has been the city of Sulaimaniyah, in the province of the same name, which has seen 4,600 cases of diarrhea and 300 cases of cholera, said Sherko Abdullah, the head of the regional health ministry department. Nine of the 10 deaths have been in the city, he said. It has also been reported in the northern provinces of Irbil and Tamim.
"No new cases have been discovered yet in other parts in Iraq and it is not impossible this will happen, but we are taking steps to contain and prevent the disease from spreading to other areas," Muhsin said. Last week, United Nations Development Program official Paolo Lembo said the outbreak was caused by the "inadequacy of the water supply system and deteriorated infrastructure" of the area.
Medical teams are regularly testing drinking water in Baghdad and other areas, and the Health Ministry is working to provide chlorine to drinking water plants, which can kill the bacteria responsible for cholera. "The more we pay attention to the drinking water regarding chlorine, the more we prevent an outbreak of this disease elsewhere," Muhsin said.
Abdullah said the number of new cases has been slowing now that the problem has been identified with the water, and that measures are being taken to fix the situation. The World Health Organization said this week that all public water supply systems in the affected districts have been chlorinated by provincial authorities.
"In addition, water samples from the public water supply sources are being collected and tested routinely to ensure they meet potable water safety standards," the WHO said. The health agency did not recommend any special restrictions on travel or trade to or from affected areas.
Labels: Adel Muhsin, cholera, Irbil, Sulaimaniyah, Tamim, UNDP, WHO
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Byblous Bank Is First Lebanese Bank In Irbil
Trade
(Asharq Al Awsat Newspaper) - 25 JUL - The Lebanese Byblous Bank has opened in the Kurdish capital, Irbil. It is the first Lebanese bank to invest in the Iraqi market. Previously, the Commercial Lebanese Bank announced that it would enter the Iraqi market, but the Qatar government which owns 97% of this bank decided to postpone this investment.
Now Byblous Bank is the only foreign bank working in Irbil. The bank will provide customers with commercial banking services, opening accounts, guaranteeing loans and document storage. The bank has a new strategy which is to expand into the growing markets. Since 2003, Arab and international banks such as “HSBCA,” National Kuwait Bank, Jordanian Capitol Bank and the Qatar National Bank have succeeded in buying part of Iraqi banks.
Labels: Byblous Bank, Irbil, Lebanon, Qatar government
Four Employees Kidnapped And 19 Million ID Stolen In Irbil
Security
(Al Mada Newspaper) - 25 JUL - An official Irbil IP source said that unidentified people kidnapped four employees, one of whom was in possession of 19 million ID ($15,217) which was intended for the office’s employees’ salaries. The source told Iraqi Voices News Agency that the employees were working at the Makhmour Electricity Office, 68 KM SE of Irbil, and had been traveling in their office vehicle.
The source said, “The kidnappers were from the Ansar Al Sunna group. Three of the kidnapped people were released and one was kept as a hostage.” The kidnappers are demanding $100,000 for the release of the remaining hostage. Finally, the source said that the three released employees are under investigation.
Labels: Ansar Al Sunna, hostage, Irbil, Makhmour Electricity Office
Monday, July 09, 2007
Iranian companies pull out of Thi Qar, focus on Kurdistan
Business
(Iraq Directory article) - Two Iranian companies abandoned obligations to implement investment projects in Thi Qar (400 km south of Baghdad) because of violence there. Deputy governor of Thi Qar Ahmed Al-Sheikh Ali said in a statement that the clashes in the province prompted the investment companies to withdraw cement plant structures and plastic pipes ready for export to Iraq from Iranian ports, and apologized for failure to implement the agreement with the province, a great loss because such projects could have provided jobs.
On the other hand an Iranian trade delegation consisting of representatives of 52 companies arrived in Irbil for coordination and expansion of cooperation between Iranian and Kurdish companies. Chairman of the Trade and Industry Chamber of Kurdistan region Dara Jaleel Khayyat said the chamber organized meetings in Kurdistan between the Iranian trade delegation and a group of traders and investors, and visited trade institutions and projects being implemented.
The coordination official in the Iranian Trade and Industry Chamber, Khosro Maarufi, expected that the visit would result in providing opportunities for Iranian investors to work in the Kurdistan region; the delegation included representatives from industry, construction materials, oil, electricity, water and medicine sectors.
It is noteworthy that Iranian companies hold annual trade fairs in Kurdistan.
On the other hand an Iranian trade delegation consisting of representatives of 52 companies arrived in Irbil for coordination and expansion of cooperation between Iranian and Kurdish companies. Chairman of the Trade and Industry Chamber of Kurdistan region Dara Jaleel Khayyat said the chamber organized meetings in Kurdistan between the Iranian trade delegation and a group of traders and investors, and visited trade institutions and projects being implemented.
The coordination official in the Iranian Trade and Industry Chamber, Khosro Maarufi, expected that the visit would result in providing opportunities for Iranian investors to work in the Kurdistan region; the delegation included representatives from industry, construction materials, oil, electricity, water and medicine sectors.
It is noteworthy that Iranian companies hold annual trade fairs in Kurdistan.
Labels: Ahmed Al-Sheikh Ali, Dara Jaleel Khayyat, Iranian companies, Irbil, Khosro Maarufi, Thi Qar
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Chemical Ali to be hanged in Kurdistan
Crime
(AP) -- Saddam Hussein's cousin Ali Hassan al-Majid, known as "Chemical Ali," and two other regime officials will probably be hanged in Kurdistan if the appeals court upholds their death sentences, an Iraqi official said Tuesday. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not supposed to release the information to the media, said no final decision had been taken but the executions would probably take place in either Irbil or Halabja.
Also sentenced to death were Sultan Hashim Ahmad al-Tai, the former defense minister who led the Iraqi delegation at the cease-fire talks that ended the 1991 Gulf War, and Hussein Rashid Mohammed, a former deputy director of operations for the Iraqi armed forces. They were convicted Sunday of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity for their roles in "Operation Anfal," a 1987-88 crackdown on Iranian-backed Kurdish rebels during the final years of the Iran-Iraq war.
The prosecution said up to 180,000 Kurds - including women and children - died in chemical weapons attacks, artillery barrages and mass deportations. Two other defendants were sentenced to life in prison for their roles in the crackdown and one was acquitted for lack of evidence.
Death sentences are automatically appealed, and the appellate court faces no time limit in reviewing cases. If the sentences are upheld, executions are supposed to take place within 30 days. Saddam was among the defendants when the trial began Aug. 21. But he was hanged in Baghdad on Dec. 30 for his part in the deaths of more than 140 Shiite Muslims in Dujail. Iraq's government is dominated by Shiites and Kurds.
Also sentenced to death were Sultan Hashim Ahmad al-Tai, the former defense minister who led the Iraqi delegation at the cease-fire talks that ended the 1991 Gulf War, and Hussein Rashid Mohammed, a former deputy director of operations for the Iraqi armed forces. They were convicted Sunday of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity for their roles in "Operation Anfal," a 1987-88 crackdown on Iranian-backed Kurdish rebels during the final years of the Iran-Iraq war.
The prosecution said up to 180,000 Kurds - including women and children - died in chemical weapons attacks, artillery barrages and mass deportations. Two other defendants were sentenced to life in prison for their roles in the crackdown and one was acquitted for lack of evidence.
Death sentences are automatically appealed, and the appellate court faces no time limit in reviewing cases. If the sentences are upheld, executions are supposed to take place within 30 days. Saddam was among the defendants when the trial began Aug. 21. But he was hanged in Baghdad on Dec. 30 for his part in the deaths of more than 140 Shiite Muslims in Dujail. Iraq's government is dominated by Shiites and Kurds.
Labels: Ali Hassan al-Majid, Chemical Ali, execution, Halabja, Irbil
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Suicide truck bomb kills 19 in Irbil
Security, Kurdistan
(AP) - A suicide truck bomb ripped through the Interior Ministry in the relatively peaceful Kurdish city of Irbil on Wednesday morning, killing at least 19 people and wounding 80, officials said. Kurdish officials blamed al-Qaida linked insurgents for the devastating attack.
The bombing came just as Vice President Dick Cheney arrived in Baghdad for an unannounced visit that was to include meetings with top Iraqi government officials, leaders of influential Iraqi factions and the senior U.S. military commander here. Cheney's visit was aimed at encouraging rival Iraqi factions to work together to overcome their divisions to work together to end the conflict.
The explosion in Irbil, 215 miles north of Baghdad, underscored how even relatively safe areas of the country were not immune from the violence. Irbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdistan region, had been spared much of the violence wracking the rest of Iraq. The Interior Ministry building was badly damaged. Kurdish television showed rubble laying in piles and twisted metal beams. Rescue workers reached into the wreckage to pull out one of the victims of the blast. Windows were blown out down the street and wreckage was scattered nearly 100 yards away.
The nearby security headquarters was also damaged. Zariyan Othman, the Kurdish health minister, said 19 people were killed and 80 were wounded, including five who were in serious condition. Hamza Ahmed, a spokesman for the Irbil governor's office, said the dead and wounded included police and civilians.
Kurdish lawmaker Mahmoud Othman blamed the attack on Ansar al-Sunnah, a Sunni Arab insurgent group, and Ansar al-Islam, a mostly Kurdish militant group with ties to al-Qaida in Iraq. Ansar al-Islam has been blamed for a number of attacks, including attempts to assassinate Kurdish officials. Othman said authorities learned that insurgents were planning a large attack a week ago when police arrested a militant cell in the town of Sulaimaniyah.
"During questioning they confessed that were getting training lessons in a neighboring country and that was
Iran," he said. The last major attack in Irbil took place Feb. 1, 2004, when twin suicide bombers killed 109 people in two Kurdish party offices. Ansar al-Sunnah claimed responsibility for that attack. "Kurdistan is a safe region and this will have its affect on trade, and companies will fear coming to this region," Othman said.
The bombing came just as Vice President Dick Cheney arrived in Baghdad for an unannounced visit that was to include meetings with top Iraqi government officials, leaders of influential Iraqi factions and the senior U.S. military commander here. Cheney's visit was aimed at encouraging rival Iraqi factions to work together to overcome their divisions to work together to end the conflict.
The explosion in Irbil, 215 miles north of Baghdad, underscored how even relatively safe areas of the country were not immune from the violence. Irbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdistan region, had been spared much of the violence wracking the rest of Iraq. The Interior Ministry building was badly damaged. Kurdish television showed rubble laying in piles and twisted metal beams. Rescue workers reached into the wreckage to pull out one of the victims of the blast. Windows were blown out down the street and wreckage was scattered nearly 100 yards away.
The nearby security headquarters was also damaged. Zariyan Othman, the Kurdish health minister, said 19 people were killed and 80 were wounded, including five who were in serious condition. Hamza Ahmed, a spokesman for the Irbil governor's office, said the dead and wounded included police and civilians.
Kurdish lawmaker Mahmoud Othman blamed the attack on Ansar al-Sunnah, a Sunni Arab insurgent group, and Ansar al-Islam, a mostly Kurdish militant group with ties to al-Qaida in Iraq. Ansar al-Islam has been blamed for a number of attacks, including attempts to assassinate Kurdish officials. Othman said authorities learned that insurgents were planning a large attack a week ago when police arrested a militant cell in the town of Sulaimaniyah.
"During questioning they confessed that were getting training lessons in a neighboring country and that was
Iran," he said. The last major attack in Irbil took place Feb. 1, 2004, when twin suicide bombers killed 109 people in two Kurdish party offices. Ansar al-Sunnah claimed responsibility for that attack. "Kurdistan is a safe region and this will have its affect on trade, and companies will fear coming to this region," Othman said.
Labels: Ansar al-Sunnah, Dick Cheney, Irbil, Kurdistan, Ministry of Interior, suicide truck bomber, Zariyan Othman
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Barzani - while Iranians captured in Irbil, Al-Quds force visiting Kurdish officials
Iran, Kurdistan, U.S.
(AP) - American forces who captured five Iranians in the northern city of Irbil three months ago were really after commanders of Iran's Revolutionary Guards who were visiting Kurdish officials, the Kurdish leader said in remarks broadcast Saturday. Massoud Barzani, president of the 15-year-old Kurdish autonomous region in northern Iraq, told Al-Arabiyah television that the Iranian commanders first visited Iraqi President Jalal Talabani in the northern city of Sulaimaniyah and then went to visit him. Barzani did not say where he met the commanders, although he was thought to have been in Irbil at the time.
He also did not say how he knew U.S. forces were trying to capture the commanders or where they were when the Americans raided a house in Irbil on Jan. 11 and detained the five Iranians, who still are in U.S. custody. Irbil is the capital of the Kurdish region. "It (the house) was not a secret Iranian office. It is impossible for us to accept that an Iranian office in Irbil was doing things against coalition forces or against us. That office was doing its work in a normal way and had they been doing anything hostile, we would have known that," Barzani said.
"They did not come to detain the people in that office. There was an Iranian delegation, including Revolutionary Guards commanders, and they came as guests of the president. He was in Sulaimaniyah. They came to Sulaimaniyah and then I received a call from the president's office telling me that they wanted to meet me as well." U.S. Defense Department officials in Baghdad did not immediately respond to telephone and e-mail requests for comment.
Washington has said the five captured Iranians were rounded up on suspicion they were providing aid to Shiite militia fighters who are targeting U.S. and Iraqi troops and civilians. "They (the commanders) came here and they came openly. Their meetings with the president and myself were reported on television. The Americans came to detain this delegation, not the people in the office," he said. "They came to the wrong place at the wrong time. The only place where there is no Iranian influence is Irbil. I will never allow such influence in Kurdistan, whether Iranian or otherwise," Barzani added.
He also did not say how he knew U.S. forces were trying to capture the commanders or where they were when the Americans raided a house in Irbil on Jan. 11 and detained the five Iranians, who still are in U.S. custody. Irbil is the capital of the Kurdish region. "It (the house) was not a secret Iranian office. It is impossible for us to accept that an Iranian office in Irbil was doing things against coalition forces or against us. That office was doing its work in a normal way and had they been doing anything hostile, we would have known that," Barzani said.
"They did not come to detain the people in that office. There was an Iranian delegation, including Revolutionary Guards commanders, and they came as guests of the president. He was in Sulaimaniyah. They came to Sulaimaniyah and then I received a call from the president's office telling me that they wanted to meet me as well." U.S. Defense Department officials in Baghdad did not immediately respond to telephone and e-mail requests for comment.
Washington has said the five captured Iranians were rounded up on suspicion they were providing aid to Shiite militia fighters who are targeting U.S. and Iraqi troops and civilians. "They (the commanders) came here and they came openly. Their meetings with the president and myself were reported on television. The Americans came to detain this delegation, not the people in the office," he said. "They came to the wrong place at the wrong time. The only place where there is no Iranian influence is Irbil. I will never allow such influence in Kurdistan, whether Iranian or otherwise," Barzani added.
Labels: Iran's Revolutionary Guards, Iranian detainees, Irbil, Jalal Talabani, Massoud Barzani, Sulaymaniyah
Friday, April 06, 2007
U.S. - no plans to release Iranian detainees in Iraq
Iran, U.S.
(Al Jazeera) - Robert Gates, the United States defence secretary, has said that the US has no plans to release five Iranians who were captured in Iraq and accused of supporting anti-government fighters there. He also rejected speculation that the US had been part of a deal which led Iran to release 15 British servicemen earlier on Thursday.
"I think there's no inclination right now to let them go," Gates told reporters in Washington when asked about the five Iranians, who were captured by US forces in northern Iraq in January. Washington has denied that it had been involved in any deal which offered concessions to Iran in return for the release of the 15 British servicemen, who were seized by Iranian troops near the southern Iraqi city of Basra.
George Bush, the US president, said on Tuesday that he agreed with Tony Blair, the British prime minister, "that there should be no quid pro quos when it comes to the hostages". Gates, however, said that US and Iraqi officials were considering arranging for Iranian representatives to visit the captured men, whom Iran says are legitimate diplomats.
Iraqi government officials and US officials are discussing if there's some way, perhaps, that there could be some kind of Iranian access to them," he said. "But as far as I know, there's no requirement for that. "I don't think that consular access is being considered. I think the issue is whether there's some other means by which some other access might be given."
Gates's comments came after Major-General William Caldwell, a US military spokesman, told reporters in Baghdad that a consular request to visit the five Iranians was "being assessed". The five Iranians were arrested by US forces in the northern city of Irbil, in Iraqi Kurdistan, on January 11.
US officials accused the men of being members of the elite Al-Quds brigade of Iran's Revolutionary Guards and of helping organise attacks on US and Iraqi forces. Washington and Tehran broke off diplomatic ties almost 27 years ago and US interests in Iran are conducted via Switzerland.
(Al Jazeera) - Robert Gates, the United States defence secretary, has said that the US has no plans to release five Iranians who were captured in Iraq and accused of supporting anti-government fighters there. He also rejected speculation that the US had been part of a deal which led Iran to release 15 British servicemen earlier on Thursday.
"I think there's no inclination right now to let them go," Gates told reporters in Washington when asked about the five Iranians, who were captured by US forces in northern Iraq in January. Washington has denied that it had been involved in any deal which offered concessions to Iran in return for the release of the 15 British servicemen, who were seized by Iranian troops near the southern Iraqi city of Basra.
George Bush, the US president, said on Tuesday that he agreed with Tony Blair, the British prime minister, "that there should be no quid pro quos when it comes to the hostages". Gates, however, said that US and Iraqi officials were considering arranging for Iranian representatives to visit the captured men, whom Iran says are legitimate diplomats.
Iraqi government officials and US officials are discussing if there's some way, perhaps, that there could be some kind of Iranian access to them," he said. "But as far as I know, there's no requirement for that. "I don't think that consular access is being considered. I think the issue is whether there's some other means by which some other access might be given."
Gates's comments came after Major-General William Caldwell, a US military spokesman, told reporters in Baghdad that a consular request to visit the five Iranians was "being assessed". The five Iranians were arrested by US forces in the northern city of Irbil, in Iraqi Kurdistan, on January 11.
US officials accused the men of being members of the elite Al-Quds brigade of Iran's Revolutionary Guards and of helping organise attacks on US and Iraqi forces. Washington and Tehran broke off diplomatic ties almost 27 years ago and US interests in Iran are conducted via Switzerland.
Labels: Al-Quds brigade, British sailors, Iranian detainees, Irbil, Robert Gates, U.S.
No Iranians in ICRC delegation that visited Iranian detainees
Iran, U.S.
(AP) - The U.S. military issued a statement Friday clarifying that there were no Iranians in an International Committee of the Red Cross team who had visited five Iranians in American detention after they were arrested three months ago in Irbil. On Wednesday, U.S. military spokesman said Maj. Gen. William Caldwell said that an ICRC delegation had visited the captive Iranians and that one of the group was Iranian.
Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, a military spokesman, issued the clarifying statement Friday in an e-mail statement to The Associated Press. "The ICRC committees that visited the five Iranians detained in Irbil on two occasions did not contain an Iranian national. One of the two committees contained an individual who speaks Farsi and lived in Iran, but he is a British citizen by birth," Garver said.
U.S. Embassy spokesman Lou Fintor, meanwhile, said the United States was still considering an Iranian government request to visit the five. Washington has said the five men, who were arrested in Irbil, the capital of the Kurdish semiautonomous region in northern Iraq, were rounded up on suspicion that they were providing aid to militia fighters who are targeting U.S. and Iraqi troops and civilians.
Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, a military spokesman, issued the clarifying statement Friday in an e-mail statement to The Associated Press. "The ICRC committees that visited the five Iranians detained in Irbil on two occasions did not contain an Iranian national. One of the two committees contained an individual who speaks Farsi and lived in Iran, but he is a British citizen by birth," Garver said.
U.S. Embassy spokesman Lou Fintor, meanwhile, said the United States was still considering an Iranian government request to visit the five. Washington has said the five men, who were arrested in Irbil, the capital of the Kurdish semiautonomous region in northern Iraq, were rounded up on suspicion that they were providing aid to militia fighters who are targeting U.S. and Iraqi troops and civilians.
Labels: ICRC, International Committee of the Red Cross, Iranians, Irbil
