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| Positive News from Iraq -- 27 |
| 24.2.09 |
There is, of course news of the other sort. But the bad news is easy to find and usually much more widely discussed. Here instead is a round up of the positive news stories from 5 to 23 February 2009 from Iraq. I focus on this, not only to attempt to balance the scales in the tone department, but to tweak the noses of those who seem to know all about the costs of these endeavors and nothing of their value.
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SECURITY
Multinational Force
U.S., Iraqi Defense Leaders Discuss Iraq's Future
Source: American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Feb. 17, 2009 -- Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates met with his Iraqi counterpart at the Pentagon in Washington on 17 February to discuss mutual interests and concerns regarding stability in Iraq, a Pentagon spokesman said. Gates lauded Defense Minister Abd al-Qadir al-Mufriji for his forces’ efforts and success in providing security for the Jan. 31 provincial elections. During the meeting, the defense leaders expressed mutual appreciation for the sacrifices made by troops from both countries. Both agreed that future challenges are approaching Iraq, and a long-term, bilateral relationship between the two countries is necessary for continued stability there, Ryder said.
On the Ground: U.S. Forces in Iraq Train Police, Soldiers
Source: American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Feb. 19, 2009 -- With U.S. operations in Iraq shifting from providing security to ensuring Iraqi sovereignty, troops there are stepping up their training of Iraqi forces. U.S. soldiers in southern Iraq in recent days have trained Iraqi forces in everything from special weapons and tactics to criminal investigations to mortar firing. And, in one program, they trained Iraqi police to train their own. At Forward Operating Base Delta, soldiers with the 772nd Military Police Company introduced Iraqi officers from the Numaniyah police station to its "train-the-trainer" program. Unlike many Iraqi police stations, Zaldua said, the Numaniyah station is in good shape with trainers. It has three training officers who went to school in Baghdad before they were assigned to the station. "They conduct training on vehicle searches, personnel searches and physical training," Iraqi Col. Hamid Khanam Kadim Hassan, assistant district police chief, said.
On the Ground: Meetings Pave Way for Continued Progress in Iraq
Source: American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Feb. 20, 2009 -- Key meetings last week helped to pave the way for the Iraqi navy to assume security responsibility for an offshore oil platform and for the Iraqi government to manage its foreign military sales program effectively. Iraqi navy leaders and their Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq partners met in Baghdad on Feb. 17 to go over plans for the orderly transition of the Khwar Al Amaya oil terminal to Iraqi control. Officials said the Khwar Al Amaya terminal and the nearby Basra terminal handle 75 percent of Iraq’s oil exports, and therefore are critical to Iraq's future. The platforms are key enemy targets; coalition forces repelled an attack on the Basra terminal in 2004.
On the Ground: Meetings Foster Relationships, Equality in Iraq
Source: American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Feb. 13, 2009 -- As Iraq becomes increasingly self-sufficient, U.S. forces remain on hand to offer training and guidance aimed at building relationships and a better future for the nation. These relationships often are fostered at meetings and conferences, where Iraqi and U.S. forces exchange ideas, establish partnerships and bring issues, such as women’s rights, to light. A recent meeting in Kirkuk province laid the groundwork for a military partnership. Army Col. Ryan Gonsalves, commander of the 1st Cavalry Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team, met with two Iraqi generals from the 12th Iraqi Army Division earlier this month to discuss the security situation and economic opportunities in the province. The brigade is replacing elements from the 25th Infantry Division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team, and will work with the 12th Iraqi Army Division, currently operating north of Baghdad. "The purpose of the partnership is to jointly conduct operations and training as a team, with the goal of ultimately preparing the partnered unit to operate on its own," Army Maj. Christopher Norrie, the brigade’s operations officer, said.
U.S. Instructors Train Iraqi Sailors on High-speed Boats
Source: Special to American Forces Press Service BASRA, Iraq, Feb. 17, 2009 -- U.S. instructors are training Iraqi sailors how to operate a new, modern boat during a two-week course in Umm Qasr, a port city in southern Iraq. The sailors are learning engineering, preventive maintenance and basic seamanship for the Iraqi navy’s ridged-hull inflatable boats. The instruction will help the sailors become more capable of securing Iraq’s waterways and oil platforms, officials said.
On the Ground: U.S. Forces Build Security at Sea, On Land in Iraq
Source: American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Feb. 12, 2009 -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and a Mississippi National Guard unit are clearing the way to a safer and more self-sufficient Iraq -- one at sea and the other on land. In Basra province, the Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region Division is slated to begin construction next month of a $53 million pier and seawall in Umm Qasr. The state-of-the-art berthing facility for the Iraqi navy will support patrol vessels charged with securing the vital port infrastructure and seaways in Iraq’s territorial waters, officials said.
On the Ground: Troops Keep Transportation, Humanitarian Efforts on Track
Source: American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Feb. 11, 2009 -- In Taji, Iraq, northwest of Baghdad, Iraqi and U.S. forces completed a transportation project, signifying a step forward for Iraq’s distribution capability. A 20-car Iraqi Railroad train picked up 40 empty containers on 10 February from Iraqi Transportation Network trucks in Camp Taji and moved the cargo to the port of Umm Qasr, marking the first operation for the rail spur since 2004. The operation was an important step in linking Iraqi trucking, rail and port operations, officials said. Sustainers and transportation experts from the 10th Sustainment Brigade provided partnership and planning for the operation. Elsewhere in Iraq, a humanitarian effort delivered cargo of a different kind, this time to children. More than 800 blankets and dozens of children’s toys were donated to Iraqi civilians during an Iraqi-led humanitarian drive Feb. 4 in eastern Baghdad’s New Baghdad district.
US tests military exit routes out of Iraq
Source: AP 21 February 2009 BAGHDAD -- The American military is shipping battlefield equipment through Jordan and Kuwait, testing possible exit routes in advance of a U.S. withdrawal in Iraq, military officials said. The convoys -- carrying armored vehicles, weapons and other items -- mark the Pentagon's first steps in confronting the complex logistics of transporting the huge arsenal stockpiled in Iraq over nearly six years. It's also part of a wider assessment, ordered by U.S. Central Command, to decide what items the military can transfer, donate, sell or toss away once a full-scale withdrawal is under way, Marine Corps and Army officials told The Associated Press.
U.S. starts to leave key Iraq bases
Source: Washington Times 23 February 2009, BAQOUBA, Iraq -- American troops in Iraq are beginning to pull back from bases and outposts that were linchpins in the U.S. surge that helped reduce violence, prevent a civil war and allow peaceful elections. In Baghdad, the Iraqi Ministry of Trade now has possession of what was once Forward Operating Base (FOB) Callahan, the locus last year for operations to quell militias loyal to anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in and around the Muslim Shi'ite slum of Sadr City. U.S. military officials said about 15 other bases in Baghdad will follow suit before June 30, when all American troops are to have relocated from the nation's cities, towns and villages. The pullback is stipulated by the status of forces agreement that since Jan. 1 has governed the continued U.S. military presence in the country.
Military Fields 10,000th Mine-resistant Vehicle to Troops in Iraq
Source: American Forces Press Service BAGHDAD, Feb. 20, 2009 -- The U.S. military fielded its 10,000th mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicle in Iraq on 20 February during a ceremony on Camp Liberty, just 22 months after it was introduced into the theater of operations. Servicemembers and civilians from across Victory Base Complex gathered among rows of MRAPs at the largest fielding site in Iraq to acknowledge the success the vehicle has had in protecting thousands of troops from blasts caused by roadside bombs. The first MRAP was fielded in Iraq in April 2007. Since then, more than 11,700 vehicles have been fielded across the U.S. Central Command area of operations. In Iraq alone, this marks the 10,000th vehicle fielded and more than 22,000 personnel trained.
U.S. Policies
Analysis: Obama faces split opinion on Iraq future
Source: AP 21 February 2009 WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama faces split opinions within the military on whether to make the speedy withdrawal from Iraq he championed as a candidate. Obama's top generals in Baghdad are pressing for an elongated timetable. Some influential senior advisers inside the Pentagon are more amenable to a quicker pullout. Obama has yet to decide the matter. But his recent announcement that he is sending thousands more combat troops to Afghanistan implies a drawdown of at least two brigades from Iraq by summer. That does not answer the question whether Obama will stick to his stated goal of a 16-month pullout or opt for a slower, less risky approach. Gen. Ray Odierno, the top American commander in Baghdad, favors a longer timetable for leaving Iraq. He sees 2009 as a pivotal year, with parliamentary elections set to be held in December; he doesn't want to lose more than two of the 14 combat brigades that are now in Iraq before the end of the year. And he believes the U.S. military will need to remain engaged in Iraq, to some degree, for years to come.
Iraqi Forces
US and Iraqi armies in race against 2011 clock
Source: AFP 20 February 2009, TAJI, Iraq -- The Iraqi military, hobbled by Saddam Hussein's disastrous wars, and its American allies are in a race against the clock before a US pullout, with logistics a key priority. While the Iraqi side appears confident, its Western allies doubt the country's army will be able to stand up on its own in logistics terms by the end-of-2011 deadline for US soldiers to withdraw. Australian Major John Snell, whose country supports the logistics training mission as part of the US-led coalition that toppled Saddam, said supply chain issues were key to rebuilding Iraq's military. "If we left today they could defend themselves, but they would soon fall apart," Snell said.
Iraqi military lists reconciliation demand
Source: UPI BAGHDAD, Feb. 20 -- The end of a de-Baathification law and all sectarian affiliations in the armed forces will bring about reconciliation in Iraq, Iraqi military officials say. Iraqi Gen. Nouri al-Ubaidi said military officials want the Iraqi government to cancel the de-Baathification law that forbids any former Arab Baath Party members from ever holding a governmental or public post, Azzaman reported. Military officials said if the notorious law is removed and the armed forces are rid of all sectarian affiliations, they would consider reconciliation with the government. "The Iraqi government has not yet shown enough good will towards the former army. We will return as part of a national reconciliation package and part of a government that distances itself from foreign occupation and sectarian and ethnic militias," al-Qaisi said.
'Sons of Iraq' Transition Into New, Long-term Jobs
Source: American Forces Press Service BAGHDAD, Feb. 17, 2009 -- The transfer of the "Sons of Iraq" civilian security group to Iraqi government control and the transition into new employment and education activities is moving ahead according to plan, coalition and Iraqi government officials said. "It's gone very smoothly," Navy Lt. Cmdr. Jason Ward, the reconciliation operations officer for Multinational Corps Iraq, said. "Today, we've got just under 72,000 Sons of Iraq that have transferred to Iraqi control." Sons of Iraq members in Anbar province successfully transferred to the Iraqi government Feb. 1, and in April, Salahuddin province will be the final province to transfer its grassroots security group. "It is just incredible, the level of commitment so many people have shown towards the Sons of Iraq due to their security contribution," Ward said.
US, Iraqi forces launch anti-al-Qaida offensive
Source: AP 22 February 2009, BAGHDAD -- U.S. and Iraqi forces have begun a new military offensive in northern Iraq aimed at rooting out al-Qaida and other Sunni insurgents, American and Iraqi officials said on 22 February. The offensive -- dubbed Operation New Hope -- has netted 84 suspects in the provincial capital of Mosul and surrounding towns, said Iraqi Brig. Gen. Saeed Ahmed al-Jubouri. Most of the arrests occurred in Tal Abta, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) west of Mosul. Claims by Sunni Arabs and Kurds over disputed territory in the northern Ninevah province have fueled significant violence in the area around Mosul, which U.S. officials have called Iraq's last major urban battleground in the war against insurgents. U.S. and Iraqi forces have staged many operations in Mosul and other areas north of Baghdad where levels of violence remain high even as they have significantly dropped elsewhere in the country.
Iraqi, Coalition Troops Discover Bombs, Detain Criminals
Source: American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Feb. 16, 2009 -- Iraqi security forces and Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers discovered an improvised explosive device on 15 February while conducting daytime operations in the Mansour district of northwestern Baghdad, military officials reported. An Iraqi army explosive ordinance disposal unit, along with U.S. soldiers, secured and safely disarmed the IED in the Yarmouk neighborhood.
Police Efforts Lead to Improvements in Iraqi Province, Colonel Says
Source: American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Feb. 17, 2009 -- Although police in Iraq’s Salahuddin province still require U.S. military support to professionalize, equip and train their officers, they are leading the counterinsurgency effort, Army Col. Walter Piatt, commander of 25th Infantry Division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team there said on 17 February. Piatt said Iraqi security forces have had no problem implementing the U.S.-Iraq security agreement, which calls for U.S. forces to recede to a supporting role of Iraqi security efforts. By June, U.S. forces hope to decrease their footprint in Salahuddin from operating out of 20 base camps to only eight, he said.
Iraq Accuses 12 Policemen In a String Of Killings
Source: NYT 23 February 2009, BAGHDAD -- Twelve Iraqi police officers have been arrested for carrying out a string of kidnappings and killings, including the killing of the sister of one of Iraq’s vice presidents, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry said Monday. The detainees, all of whom were low-level police officers, admitted to being involved in the killing of Maysoon al-Hashemi, the sister of Tariq al-Hashemi, one of Iraq's two vice presidents, said Maj. Gen. Abdul Karim Khalaf, the ministry spokesman. Ms. Hashemi, who was director of women's affairs for her brother's Iraqi Islamic Party, was killed by gunmen in a drive-by ambush in 2006.
Security Threats
Anti-US Iraqi cleric facing leadership challenge
Source: AP 20 February 2009, BAGHDAD -- The firebrand anti-American cleric whose militia battled U.S. troops for years is facing a strong challenge for leadership of Iraq's poor, urban Shiites from a small, well-organized faction with loose links to Iran, senior figures within his movement say. The split within Muqtada al-Sadr's organization has widened as Shiite groups weigh the outcome of last month's provincial elections and prepare for a national ballot this year that will determine the leadership in Baghdad. The dissident faction is expected to mount a campaign to become a rival force appealing to al-Sadr's base among poor Shiites, senior officials close to the cleric said in interviews this week. This would offer greater openings for Tehran's influence in Iraq and give political cover to the so-called "special groups" of Sadrists that have continued attacks on U.S.-led forces.
Security Situation
Troops in Iraq Find Recently Made Iranian Munitions
Source: American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Feb. 18, 2009 -- American and Iraqi forces have discovered Iranian weapons in Iraq that were manufactured as recently as last year, Army Col. Philip Battaglia, commander of the 1st Cavalry Division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team said on 18 February. The seized weapons include hundreds of 107 mm and 122 mm rockets, and about 500 deadly bombs that military officials call "explosively formed penetrators" because they’re designed to pierce armor in various stages of construction, Col. Battaglia said. The colonel’s area of operations, known as Multinational Division Center, covers the Iraqi provinces of Dhi Qar, Muthanna and Maysan, the latter of which borders Iran.
GOVERNANCE
Iraqi election results confirm Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki's victory
Source: Miami Herald 20 February 2009, BAGHDAD -- Final election results released on 19 February echoed what already was known: The political party of Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki won big in provincial polls Jan. 31, a victory stemming from his crackdown on sectarian violence in the war-torn nation. Preliminary results released early this month showed that Maliki's State of Law coalition won a plurality in nine of the 14 provinces that voted, more than any other party. The success highlighted that voters want a strong central and secular-minded government, marking a departure from the religious parties that had enjoyed power. The incumbents, the Iranian-allied Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, performed poorly. The success of Maliki's State of Law coalition -- highlighted in oil-rich Basra province, where his party locked 20 out of 35 seats -- will boost the prime minister's popularity ahead of parliamentary elections slated for later this year. Maliki's party also took 28 out of 57 seats in Baghdad province. Iraq's Independent High Electoral Commission estimated voter turnout at 51 percent. Maliki enjoyed a surge in popularity over the past year after he successfully cracked down on Shiite Muslim militias in Baghdad and southern Iraq. At the same time, the Islamist prime minister redrew himself as a pragmatic leader bent on stamping out sectarian violence and divisions. Iraqi provincial election results
Former Sunni militia fighters gain strong political voice in Iraqi provincial vote
Source: AP 19 February 2009, BAGHDAD -- Sunni tribal leaders who led an uprising against insurgents expanded their political clout and the Shiite-led government reaped rewards for security crackdowns in Iraq's biggest cities, according to full results. The elections were seen as a chance to extend the Sunni political voice and test the strength of main Shiite parties before national races later this year. But there were worries the final results could bring a violent backlash in the western desert of Anbar, where Sunni tribes that formed groups known as Awakening Councils claimed that Sunni rivals planned to hijack their expected victory. In the end, however, Awakening leaders applauded the outcome after being awarded eight of 29 provincial seats in Anbar -- giving them a strong hand to form a governing coalition with smaller Sunni groups across the province that extends from near Baghdad to the borders of Syria and Jordan.
Iraqi PM, anti-U.S. group reach local alliance deal
Source: Khaleej Times Online 21 February 2009, BAGHDAD -- Followers of anti-American Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr are nearing a deal with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to form coalitions in Iraq’s provinces following last month’s election, officials said on 21 February. Where the Sadrists and allies of the increasingly assertive prime minister together won a majority of seats on provincial councils the two groups may rule as a coalition, said Ameer Tahir al-Kinani, a senior member of a list of candidates backed by Sadr. The provincial alliances may be named "Public Service Front", he said.
Iraqi Kurdish politician wants rights protected
Source: AP 21 February 2009, BAGHDAD -- A Kurdish politician whose electoral list won nearly a third of the vote in a volatile, ethnically mixed province in Iraq said on 21 February his group will cooperate with its Sunni Arab rivals if they respect Kurdish constitutional rights related to disputed territory. Claims by Sunnis and Kurds over disputed territory in the northern Ninevah province have fueled significant violence in the provincial capital of Mosul. U.S. officials have called the city Iraq's last major urban battleground in the war against al-Qaida and other Sunni insurgents.
Runoff vote for Iraqi speaker fails
Source: UPI BAGHDAD, Feb. 19 -- Iraqi lawmakers once again failed to choose a candidate for the position of Parliament speaker on 19 February after a round of secret balloting, officials said. Lawmakers voted in a runoff on 19 February between Sunni lawmakers Iyad al-Samarrai and deputy speaker Khalil Jadua, both with the Iraqi Accordance Front coalition. Iraq has been without a speaker since Mahmoud Mashhadani stepped down from the position in December.
Iraqi speaker row may head to courts
Source: UPI BAGHDAD, Feb. 23 -- The three-member presidential board in Iraq may send the results of a runoff vote for the speaker of Parliament to federal courts, lawmakers said.
Rule of Law
Iraqi lawmaker disputes claims that he ordered attacks
Source: McClatchy 23 February 2009, BAGHDAD -- Sunni Muslim Arab lawmaker Mohammed al Dayni on 23 February blasted accusations that he'd ordered mafia-like murders, charging that the case was politically motivated because of his hard-line stance on human rights issues. The Iraqi military says that he orchestrated a string of deadly attacks that ranged from burying his rivals alive to hiring a suicide bomber who killed one person and wounded 22 others in a cafeteria in Baghdad's fortified Green Zone . His rebuttal came a day after Iraqi authorities announced at a news conference that they'd issued an arrest warrant alleging that Dayni was the chief architect of several deadly attacks on the Green Zone . The Iraqi military based the warrant on statements given by two former bodyguards of Dayni's, one of whom is his nephew.
Iraqi Police and Judges Work More Closely to Solve Crimes
Source: American Forces Press Service FORWARD OPERATING BASE DELTA, Iraq, Feb. 10, 2009 -- Historically in Iraqi culture, police and judges didn’t work with each other to solve cases. That is beginning to change as the nascent police investigative branch in Iraq’s Wasit province is working hand-in-hand with the province’s investigative judges. The chief judge for Wasit province, in coordination with the province’s director of police, is working to change that by training a group of 15 police investigators two days per week for a month in the proper way to gather and process evidence. The training is scheduled to continue throughout the year, with a new group of 15 investigators attending every month.
Iraq reopens Abu Ghraib prison west of Baghdad
Source: Xinhuanet BAGHDAD, Feb. 21 -- The Iraqi authorities on 21 February reopened the notorious prison of Abu Ghraib, which was known as a symbol of American abuse of some Iraqi prisoners. The name of the prison compound is now changed to Baghdad Central Prison as the authorities believe that the old name has left a bitter feeling in the memories of Iraqis. The new facility has recreational areas, including a sewing room, exercise equipment, computers, a library and green houses. The renovated prison is now reopened for 300 prisoners and their number will increase to more than 3,000 inmates, rehabilitation chief Abdul-Mutalb Jassim told reporters.
Regional Relations
Foreigners entering Iraq via Kurd region will be deported -- interior ministry
Source: Azzaman February 10, 2009 -- The Interior Ministry says it will arrest foreigners using the border crossing with Kurdish region to enter Iraq without a visa issued by the central government. Lt. Gen. Abdulkarim Khalaf said only visas issued by the central government were valid and that entry permits issued the Kurdish authorities were null and void. Khalaf, who is also the ministry’s spokesman, made the statement after the arrest of a foreign reporter in the city of Falluja who had entered the country via the Kurdish region.
Head of OIC visits Maliki
Source: Alsumaria 23 February 2009, Iraq -- Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki received a delegation of the Organization of the Islamic Conference headed by its Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu and discussed the progresses in Iraq. The delegation had met President Jalal Talibani with whom he studied means to revive the Organization’s work in Iraq. OIC Secretary General added that the organization supports Iraqi people and the ongoing political process.
Kuwait receives $13 bln compensation from Iraq
Source: AFP 23 February 2009 KUWAIT CITY -- Kuwait said on on 23 February it has received a total of 13.3 billion dollars in compensation from Iraq for the 1990 invasion and occupation of the oil-rich emirate by Saddam Hussein's forces. The Public Authority for Compensation said in a statement that Kuwait was pursuing tens of billions more. Iraq is required to pay five percent of its oil revenues into a fund created by the UN Security Council to pay reparations for war damage during the seven-month occupation of its neighbour.
Iraq-based joint command center in fight against PKK starts operations
Source: Hürriyet 23 February 2009 -- The Arbil-based joint command center established by Turkey, Iraq and the U.S. to fight against the PKK has launched operations against the terror organization. The center includes military and civilian officials from Turkey, the United States, the Iraqi central government and the regional Kurdish administration in northern Iraq.
Iraqi president to visit Iran Wednesday; Rafsanjani to visit Iraq
Source: Mehr News Agency 23 February 2009 -- Iraqi President Jalal Talabani will visit Tehran on 25 February for a two-day visit, Iraqi sources said. The president will be accompanied by four cabinet ministers. Iraq's ambassador to Tehran, Mohammad Majid Al-Shaikh, has told the Kuwaiti News Agency that Talabani may encourage Iranian officials for a new round of Tehran-Washington talks on Iraq.
Iraq's Maliki to make first Russia visit
Source: AFP 22 February 2009, BAGHDAD -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is to make his first visit to Moscow for talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, a foreign ministry official said on 22 February. "The presence of Russian companies in Iraq is very important, and we call on these companies to work and participate in construction projects and reconstruction," he said.
ESSENTIAL SERVICES & RECONSTRUCTION
Reconstruction
On the Ground: Efforts Continue Toward Iraq's Self-sufficiency
Source: American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Feb. 6, 2009 -- Coalition forces and members of the U.S. Agency for International Development are continuing their efforts to make Iraq self-sufficient. Northwest of Baghdad, coalition forces transitioned control of Joint Security Station Salmiyat, an idle rail and rail-car production facility, to the Iraqi Transportation Ministry. The transfer bolsters production and employment in Iraq, officials said. In addition to the efforts of U.S. military units, the U.S. Agency for Internal Development is helping Iraqis continue their progress toward being self-sufficient. USAID has focused its resources in the Multinational Division Center area of operations on three programs, Velu said: agriculture, democracy and governance, and community stabilization. "The democracy and governance program encourages integration of democratic principals into all levels of Iraqi government," said Renuka Naj, development and outreach communications officer for USAID’s Iraq mission. The community stabilization program, Naj said, provides military-aged men and women with job training and then with jobs that use the skills they’ve learned. The agriculture program is working to revitalize agricultural production, stimulate income and rehabilitate the country's natural resources, Velu said.
The Ministry of Electricity calling the World Bank to secure amounts of money for investment projects
Source: Iraq Directory 21 February 2009 -- The Ministry of Electricity, called the World Bank to secure the sum of one billion and three million dollars to cover a portion of the contracts' funds with the U.S. (General Electric) company, and for the investment and engineering studies regarding the electrical sector, and stressed on the need for the completion of power transmission lines projects in line with the implementation of production and distribution projects. the Ministry of Electricity's spokesman, Aziz Sultan stated that the Minister of Electricity Karim Wahid has met the Director of the World Bank's branch in Iraq, and the two sides addressed the issue of rehabilitation of Al-Hartha station in Basra province, which was referred to the Russian company (Technobrom) of 124$ million dollars, and the reasons behind the company's lag in implementation.
Iraqi Bridge Work Spurs Hopes of Economic Development
Source: American Forces Press Service BASRA, Iraq, Feb. 9, 2009 -- Provincial government officials and coalition partners laid the first batch of cement for a new bridge crossing the Shatt Al Arab River here Feb. 7. The new Tannumah Bridge will link downtown Basra with its eastern neighborhood of Tannumah. The Iraqi-engineered bridge, which is scheduled to be completed next year, has increased safety features. The Iraqi construction company building it is expected to employ nearly 1,000 people to complete the $11.6 million project.
Iraq invites France to build nuclear reactor -- agency
Source: IranVNC Washington, 23 February -- Iraq’s Electricity Minister Karim Wahid al-Hasan on 22 February invited France to build a nuclear power plant in his country. Under the deposed dictator Saddam Hussein, Iraq reached agreement with France to build the Osarik nuclear reactor. Construction began in 1979 but in 1981- amid the Iran-Iraq war -- Israeli warplanes destroyed the unfinished reactor, which Israel feared Saddam would use to build nuclear weapons.
Education & Training
On the Ground: U.S. Forces Build Schools, Businesses, Media
Source: American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Feb. 18, 2009 -- Improving a school, issuing small business grants and providing vocational training were just a few of the civil and economic enhancements U.S. forces completed in southern Iraq in recent days. Such projects are typical throughout the country as U.S. forces work to return Iraq to sovereignty. But one mission stood out -- the 1st Cavalry Division added a TV and radio news station to the refurbishment list. The 4th Brigade Combat Team's 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment "Thunder Horse" soldiers put the finishing touches on the An-Nasr station in Dhi Qar province Feb 11.
Media
Stamford native helps Iraqi city build a new media
Source: Advocate 22 February 2009 -- The work of a Marines reserve infantry unit stationed in Iraq is proving that community news is an important commodity no matter where that community is. In the city of Rutbah, in western Iraq, that means finding out about the latest local soccer team match, listening to the city council's meetings, hearing an announcement of a special occasion broadcast over the local radio station or having a way to access emergency announcements from municipal officials. "This mission is quite different from conventional warfare," writes Capt. Timothy Leonard, a Stamford native who is a member of the Reserve Marines of 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment. He is stationed at Camp Korean Village in the Al Anbar Province and responded to questions via e-mail. He and others in the unit have been using their communications know-how to help local officials rebuild the technological infrastructure so it can sustain a free, monthly newsletter, Web site and radio station. It has allowed this relatively remote city of 20,000 near the Jordanian and Syrian borders to enter the modern media era. Where residents once primarily received news by limited satellite television and word of mouth, they now have the means to get accurate news about their neighborhood and beyond.
History and Culture
Iraqi Museum Reopens Amid Security Fears
Source: NPR 23 February 2009 -- Iraq's National Museum formally reopened on 23 February, nearly six years after the building was ransacked by looters in the chaos after the U.S.-led invasion. Some 15,000 items were plundered at the time, and U.S. commanders were widely criticized for failing to protect one of the richest collections of antiquities in the Middle East. Only eight of the museum's more than 20 halls have been reopened, but those halls were packed with dignitaries and media as Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki made his way through the exhibition.
Bridge built by Alexander the Great found north of Mosul
Source: Azzaman February 11, 2009 -- Road construction workers have come across an old bridge Alexander the Great had it built after conquering Iraq, an Iraqi archaeologist says. Archaeologist Omer Sharif, who inspected the ancient bridge, said he was certain of its antiquity and attribution. Historians say Alexander entered Babylon, the then Iraq’s capital, without a fight and had all the Mesopotamia, the present-day Iraq, under his rule by 331 B.C. Sharif said low water levels in a small river helped the construction workers to tell that they were running into an ancient monument. He said he ordered the construction company to "immediately halt" all activities in the area. "I have asked the Antiquities Department in Baghdad to send a team of specialists to evaluate the discovery," he said.
ECONOMY
Iraq seeking contractor to revamp pipeline via Syria
Source: Azzaman February 23, 2009 -- The Ministry of Oil is seeking foreign help to repair a rickety pipeline linking Iraqi oil fields to terminals in Syria, an official said. The ministry had contracted a Russian firm for the repairs but Jihad said the Russians reneged on promises and agreements to do the job. If repaired, the pipeline should carry at least 200,000 barrels of Iraqi crude daily to international markets, the official said.
Iraq As Investment Opportunity
Source: AINA 22 February 2009 -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy's recent trip to Iraq was a good omen for Iraq and also for America. Sarkozy was candid about his aims. "I came to show France's willingness to take part in the economic development of Iraq, in the rehabilitation of its infrastructure," he said. "Our collaboration has no limits." Left unsaid was a desire to make sure the French oil company Total - which once held contracts with Saddam Hussein - will be given consideration as Iraq begins writing new contracts with foreign oil companies. Sarkozy's visit means that France sees Iraq as a sound investment opportunity.
Oilfields in south readied for installation of drilling towers
Source: Azzaman February 14, 2009 The Missan Oil Company in southern Iraq is reading three producing oil fields for the installations of new drilling towers, a company source said. The source, refusing to be named due to security reasons, said the project was part of the Oil Ministry’s bid to increase production in 2009. Iraq hopes to lift exports to 2 million barrels a day in 2009 from their current average of 1.5-1.8 million barrels daily.
Coalition Re-opens Iraqi Fish Market, Reviving Ancient Industry
Source: Special to American Forces Press Service FORWARD OPERATING BASE FALCON, Iraq, Feb. 11, 2009 -- For thousands of years, fishermen near Ma Baynaa al-Nahreen, or "the Land Between the Two Rivers," sold their catch to others to sustain their existence. The fish market is important not only to Saydiyah, but also to the rest of the Iraqi capital, Sheik Abdulnazzaq, the Saydiyah Tribal Support Council chairman, said. The 1st Brigade Combat Team’s embedded provincial reconstruction team displayed a tremendous effort in using the co-ops in Baghdad and the neighborhood councils to come up with this fantastic opportunity, Army Col. Ted Martin, the brigade’s commander, said. "We are priming the pump to bring a better life back to the Cherry Street Market," he said. "The only reason we can do a project like this is because of the increase in security in Saydiyah. It was a hot spot for insurgent activity, but now all the sects get along to live together peacefully."
Iraq and Iran draw roadmap to hike bilateral trade to $5 billion
Source: Azzaman February 12, 2009 -- Iraq and Iran have drawn up a roadmap that will boost the value of trade exchange between the countries to $5 billion next year, Trade Minister Abdulfalah al-Sudani said. The minister said Iran was emerging as Iraq’s top trading partner with Iranian goods and pilgrims streaming into the country at record levels. The current trade exchange is estimated at more than $3 billion a year.Labels: Positive News: Iraq |
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