In The News 16/17 DEC...

[Jerry]

Voting chance for exiled Iraqis
Posted: Thursday, December 16, 2004


Amman


Logistical preparations are under way to allow at least a million exiled Iraqis to cast their votes in the country's first free elections next month, a senior organiser said.

Polling centres are planned in 14 countries that host the largest numbers of Iraqis abroad, said Peter Erben, head of a programme run by the Geneva-based International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to enable Iraqis abroad to vote.

'We will be able to cater for at least one million voters. The Iraqi population abroad is very difficult to define because there is no registration,' Erben said in an interview in Amman.

http://www.tradearabia.net/tanews/newsdetails.asp?Ref=S&Article=78963&Sn=&Cnt=31

[Jerry]

Posted: Thursday, December 16, 2004


Baghdad


A hundred parties, blocs and independents will contest Iraq's first free election in decades on January 30, the Independent Electoral Commission said.

It said 66 single-party lists were registered for the ballot, plus nine multi-party coalitions and 25 individuals running for a seat on their own.

The deadline for registration passed on Wednesday but full details of the candidates will not be published for some days, to allow for final amendments, a Commission spokesman said....

http://www.tradearabia.net/tanews/newsdetails.asp?Ref=S&Article=78961&Sn=&Cnt=31

[Jerry]

Posted: Thursday, December 16, 2004




Baghdad


Iraq's oil ministry has awarded the country's first post-war oilfield development contracts to Turkish and Canadian firms, an oil official said.

Turkey's Everasia won the contract to develop the Khurmala Dome field in the north, said the official.

A Canadian firm named IOG will develop the Himrin field, the official added....

http://www.tradearabia.net/tanews/newsdetails.asp?Ref=S&Article=78950&Sn=&Cnt=31

[Jerry]

Posted: Thursday, December 16, 2004

Baghdad
A senior official in Iraq's Communications Ministry was shot dead as he was driving to work in Baghdad today, a source at the ministry said.

Gunmen drew up alongside Kassim Imhawi's car and opened fire as he was travelling from his home in a western district of the capital, the source said.

Imhawi was the director general of the Communications Ministry and regarded as one of the minister's top aides...


http://www.tradearabia.net/tanews/newsdetails.asp?Ref=S&Article=78937&Sn=&Cnt=31

[Jerry]

Posted: Thursday, December 16, 2004


Baghdad


A party led by Iraqi elder statesman Adnan Pachachi has presented a list of candidates for Iraq's January 30 election after earlier calling for the poll to be postponed.

The move puts Pachachi's Independent Democratic Gathering on the ballot paper but the secular group may decide not to campaign if it determines that violence will intimidate voters in the Sunni west and north, where it can expect most support.
http://www.tradearabia.net/tanews/newsdetails.asp?Ref=S&Article=78929&Sn=&Cnt=31

[Jerry]

Posted: Thursday, December 16, 2004

Washington


Eight out of 10 businesses expect the Iraqi economy to grow over the next two years and almost half felt the business climate was better than under Saddam Hussein, according to a survey released.

"Safety and security is obviously the first concern, but people thrive in the midst of catastrophe everywhere," said John Zogby, whose organization conducted the poll on behalf of an affiliate of the US Chamber of Commerce....

http://www.tradearabia.net/tanews/newsdetails.asp?Ref=S&Article=78924&Sn=&Cnt=31

[Jerry]

Posted: Thursday, December 16, 2004

Baghdad

London-based Asharq Al Awsat newspaper said it would temporarily shut its office in the Iraqi capital Baghdad as of today after receiving threats.

The pan-Arab daily said armed men calling themselves the mujahideen (holy fighters) threatened on Monday to blow up the office if the newspaper did not publish a story within one week about a militant who had allegedly led battles in Falluja.

http://www.tradearabia.net/tanews/newsdetails.asp?Ref=S&Article=78919&Sn=&Cnt=31

[Jerry]

Posted: Thursday, December 16, 2004

Baghdad

Nobel Peace Prize winner and former US president Jimmy Carter has expressed strong misgivings about Iraqi elections next month and said there was not enough security in the country for a free and safe vote.

Carter, whose nonpartisan Carter Center has monitored more than 50 elections around the world, said he would not be involved in observing the January 30 vote and was not optimistic about the situation in Iraq....

http://www.tradearabia.net/tanews/newsdetails.asp?Ref=S&Article=78917&Sn=&Cnt=31

[Jerry]

By Muthana Tabaqchali

Azzaman, 2004-12-16

Iraqis residing in Scandinavian countries will take part in the January 30 elections, according to Abdumajeed al-Ameri.
Ameri is head of Iraqi-Swedish Friendship Society which also represents Iraqis residing in Norway and Denmark.
Ameri estimated the number of Iraqi refugees in these two countries at 200,000....


http://www.azzaman.com/english/index.asp?fname=news\2004-12-9\10189.htm

[Jerry]

By Asmaa al-Khalidi

Azzaman, 2004-12-16

There should be 30 million more olive trees in the country in 2014, Minister of Agriculture Sawsan Sherif has announced.

If the ministry’s olive tree program succeeds, Iraq will turn into a major olive oil producer in the Middle East.
The program, once completed, will perhaps be the greatest success story for the post-Saddam agricultural development as it boosts the number of olive trees in the country from one million to 31.....

http://www.azzaman.com/english/index.asp?fname=news\2004-12-9\10188.htm

[Jerry]

By Bassem al-Sheik Ali

Relative stability in the southern city of Amara has encouraged private entrepreneurs to draw plans for the construction a refinery, a power plant and a liquefied gas factory.
The local branch of business and industry chambers in the city has set up a “consultancy board to energize the role of the private sector,” said Ali Jaber.
“We are preparing for the construction of a refinery and have submitted a feasibility study to the Ministry of Oil,” Jaber, who leads Amara’s business chambers, said.....

http://www.azzaman.com/english/index.asp?fname=news\2004-12-9\10186.htm

[Jerry]

WASHINGTON, December 16, 2004 — So-called 527 committees raised and spent just over a half-billion dollars during the 2003-2004 election cycle-double the amount spent during the 2002 cycle, according to a report by the Center for Public Integrity....

http://www.publicintegrity.org/527/report.aspx?aid=435&sid=300

I know this has nothing to do with Iraq but I think some may find it particularly interesting.

[Jerry]

Shaalan warns Iran, boycotters receive forms secretly, work of Mosul commission tarried
Baghdad, Dec 16, P1

Hazim al- Shaalan the Minister of Defense said that Iran is the source of terrorism as Iran runs grand circle of terrorism in Iraq, warning that Iran is a dangerous foe for Iraq and Arabs as a whole .

"We will not permit Safawis state re-rule Iraq once more" . Adding "terrorism in Iraq is feeding by Iranian and Syrian intelligence in coordination with ex- Iraqi intelligence and Al- Zarqawi".....

http://www.alsabaah.com/English.html

[Jerry]

Basra, Dec 16, P2

Upon cooperation between ministries of oil and interior, borders guard's fourth zone , is capable to secure protection for the southern oil pipelines .

Brigadier Ali Hammadi al- Mousawi the commander of fourth borders force said " Our task lies in controlling the international borders with three neighboring countries 1500 km length in Shaat al- Arab and Khor Abdallah , further for protecting pipelines transporting vital fuels from Basra oil refinery towards Dhi Qar and Khor Abdallah to the south....

http://www.alsabaah.com/English.html

[Jerry]

Baghdad , Dec 16, P2

Cadres of Rasheed and Manour general contracting companies belonged to ministry of construction has achieved projects of potable and sewerage waters stations in Baladroz and Rasafa compound belonged to ministry of justice .

They realized advanced steps in other projects at total cost of 22 billions , 850 millions and 74 ,000 Iraqi dinars .
http://www.alsabaah.com/English.html

[Jerry]

Baghdad, Dec 16, P2

Iraqi jurists ended a training course in Zech capital Prague .Over two weeks; trainees received courses on penal code, human rights and DNA.

Ahlaam Hamami in charge of information section at judiciary council said that Iraqi participators received lectures on the penal code and human rights and updated technology in computer and internet , conducted by experienced professors besides lectures on DNA...

http://www.alsabaah.com/English.html

[Jerry]

Baghdad, Dec 16, P2

Thamir Abbas al- Ghadban the Oil Minister received British ambassador to Baghdad Edward Chaplin.

During the meeting, Chaplin expressed optimism on promoting volume of cooperation with Iraq in oil field....

http://www.alsabaah.com/English.html

[Jerry]

Baghdad, Dec 16, P3

The technical and engineering staffs in the Ministry of Electricity are continuing their work to return and rehabilitate Electricity Power Station at Baji after it recently had subjected to a sabotage accident completely halted it beside cutting the electricity current in all over the country.

An official source at the ministry said that the staffs had capable to control on putting the electricity grid to return work in the station besides entering a number of electrical units allover stations of the city of Baghdad as well as number of provinces...

http://www.alsabaah.com/English.html

[Jerry]

Falluja, Dec 16, P3

An official military source has announced that each Fallujian family has the intention to return to Falluja will receive $500 from Marines Forces as a partial compensation for destruction affiliated their city at a time confrontations are still underway between insurgents and US forces.

Capitan Poll Batty from Marines Forces informed AFP that each family will receive $500 as a compensation for big harms inflicted Falluja, "we would like to inform them that we are sorry for what happening in their city during the wide military operations launched by the US army on Nov 8, in addition to the irregular confrontations...


http://www.alsabaah.com/English.html

[Mucho Dinaro]

Posted: Thursday, December 16, 2004

Baghdad

Nobel Peace Prize winner and former US president Jimmy Carter has expressed strong misgivings about Iraqi elections next month and said there was not enough security in the country for a free and safe vote.

Carter, whose nonpartisan Carter Center has monitored more than 50 elections around the world, said he would not be involved in observing the January 30 vote and was not optimistic about the situation in Iraq....

http://www.tradearabia.net/tanews/newsdetails.asp?Ref=S&Article=78917&Sn=&Cnt=31

This guy (Carter) continues to just "baffle" me. Here is a guy who isn't optimistic about Democracy returning to Iraq, but not too long ago wanted to re-establish relations and lift sanctions against CUBA!! Oh yeah, lets get excited about that, but have no confidence in Iraq. What a moron. :rolleye03:

[Jerry]

Amman, Dec 16, P3

The Jordanian National Center for Human Rights in cooperation with Arab Institute in Tunis and the National Organization for Granting American Democracy is holding a training course, the 1st of its kind for 40 participants of Iraqi governmental and NGOs working in human rights, woman, children and development domains. The course will be run on Dec 22-28, the participants will be chosen according to certain criteria valid by the international sides interesting in human rights...


http://www.alsabaah.com/English.html

[Jerry]

Baghdad, Dec 16, P3

A delegation from Human Rights Ministry has participated in the training course held at the Jordanian capital, Amman organized by Human Rights Institute at Totanham.


http://www.alsabaah.com/English.html

[Jerry]

Friday 17 December 2004, 13:39 Makka Time, 10:39 GMT


Syria has rejected Iraqi accusations that it and Iran were supporting al-Qaida-linked fighters in Iraq.



Interim Iraqi Defence Minister Hazim Shaalan had on Wednesday accused Iranian and Syrian intelligence agents, plus former operatives from Saddam Hussein's security forces, of cooper-ating with the purported al-Qaida group in Iraq that is allegedly headed by Jordanian fugitive Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/7B81134A-B6DF-4D9A-A385-7E647723B970.htm

[Jerry]

Friday 17 December 2004, 10:32 Makka Time, 7:32 GMT

Iraq's interim defence minister has accused Iran and Syria of aiding Jordanian fugitive Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and Saddam loyalists to create instability in Iraq.


Hazim al-Shaalan poured scorn on Iran in a speech to US, British, Iraqi and other military officers on Wednesday....


http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/5E2E16CC-4E17-4CF9-B2D9-9C17D9EA0BD2.htm

[Jerry]

Friday 17 December 2004, 10:18 Makka Time, 7:18 GMT

An Italian captive identified as Salvatore Santoro has been killed by his captors in Iraq, Aljazeera reported.



Aljazeera on Thursday broadcast pictures of Santoro's passport and showed him sitting bound and blindfolded in a ditch with a gun to his head. In separate footage, four masked and armed men were shown reading a statement....
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/5B65D4E2-8D3B-48B7-A696-95F1DDC4BF61.htm

[Jerry]

Iraq: Thursday, December 16 - 2004 at 09:33

Bumar wins USD236m Iraq deal
State-owned Polish weapons firm Bumar has won a USD236m order for military equipment from Iraq. It includes helicopters, grenades, pistols, automatic rifles, ambulances and fuel and water systems. Bumar won a USD54m Iraqi contract in September.

http://www.ameinfo.com/news/Detailed/50725.html

[Jerry]

Thursday, 16 December 2004


A senior U.S. military official said suspected Islamic militant leader Abu Mus'ab al-Zarqawi is "most likely" in Baghdad after losing his sanctuary in the western city of Al-Fallujah, CNN reported on 16 December. "He can operate pretty safely, we think," said Lieutenant General Lance Smith, the deputy chief of U.S. forces in the Middle East....

http://www.rferl.org/newsline/2004/12/6-SWA/swa-161204.asp#351290

[Jerry]

Thursday, 16 December 2004



Officially registering his candidacy for Iraq's parliamentary elections, interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi vowed to put an end to the violence and sectarian divisions that have plagued his country, international news agencies reported on 16 December....


http://www.rferl.org/newsline/2004/12/6-SWA/swa-161204.asp#351290

[Jerry]

17 Dec, 2004

US-funded reconstruction in Iraq is gaining pace in some areas, albeit on a smaller scale than hoped, despite mounting attacks and intimidation by insurgents, said a senior US official yesterday.

The United States has shifted to smaller, low visibility projects from the high-profile, more expensive ones originally planned and the approach is paying off, said Charles Hess, head of the Project and Contracting Office in Baghdad.

"We have taken all the smaller ones we planned and moved them to the front of the queue. We can get out there with these and have more impact," said Hess, whose office is in charge of much of the US-funded reconstruction work in Iraq.

In an interview from the Pentagon, where Hess is meeting US contractors, he said design work was going ahead on billions of dollars of large projects announced last March but building on most would begin only when security improved.

The US Congress last year allocated $ 18.4 billion towards reconstruction work in Iraq, where locals complain this money has done little so far to improve their lives. US politicians criticise the slow pace of rebuilding programmes.

"We are in a situation where people are shooting at us almost every day, but I think we are making good progress," Hess said.

He cited growing numbers of Iraqis employed on US-funded projects as proof that work was pushing ahead and said the pace of spending, a major focus of criticism, had quickened on these smaller projects.

As of Wednesday, Hess said, a daily average of about 100,000 Iraqis were employed on US-funded projects and he expected this would peak to 140,000-150,000 by next summer.

Dirt had been turned on 1,167 projects worth about $ 3bn and 70 to 100 new ones were starting each week. Of the $ 18.4bn, he said, $ 2bn had been paid out and $ 9.6bn legally contracted with companies to do work.

These projects included work on 364 schools, 15 hospitals, 116 border posts, 20 police stations, 66 road projects, 42 fire stations and 93 water and sewer facilities.

The decision to focus on smaller-scale projects had lowered security costs, he said, to between 10-20 per cent of funding whereas two months ago up to 40pc went to security and insurance in some areas.

Asked how much work was being done in trouble spots such as the Sunni Triangle area around Baghdad, Hess said very little was happening there in terms of reconstruction but that work was to start soon in Fallujah.

"If the contractors who do the work believe that the security environment is so unsafe that they cannot protect themselves, then they will not turn up for work," he said.

The intimidation of Iraqi workers and their families has stalled a lot of reconstruction, with contractors saying days can go by when frightened workers fail to turn up.

While "no-shows" were a problem, Hess said, the United States was working hard to remain low-key so as not to attract the attention of insurgents.

"If I put up a sign that says this project is brought to you courtesy of the U.S. government, it will be the target of terrorist activity," said Hess. "Although these projects are a gift from the United States, we just don't say that."

Payed Subscription

[Jerry]

16th-17th Dec 2004

US warns of terrorist attacks in Kuwait; ‘Embassy has credible information’

KUWAIT CITY (Agencies): The United States warned on Wednesday that “terrorist groups” were preparing to carry out attacks in Kuwait in the near future. The US embassy has “credible information that terrorist groups are developing near-term plans for attacks against unspecified targets in Kuwait,” the US embassy said in a warden message circulated to American nationals in the country. The message urged Americans to exercise caution, maintain a low profile and avoid areas where Westerners are known to congregate. It also told them to immediately report any suspicious activity to the Kuwaiti police or the embassy.

Some 12,000 American civilians live in Kuwait, where about 25,000 US troops are stationed. The soldiers are deployed at one major base in Arifjan, about 70 kilometers (45 miles) south of Kuwait City, and several desert camps in the north and northwest of the country, near the border with Iraq. Kuwait is used as a transit point for US and other coalition troops coming in and out of Iraq. Europeans in Kuwait number 9,000, and there are also some 1,000 Australians living in the country. Kuwait boosted security measures around major Western embassies after the Dec 6 Jeddah attack, in which five non-American staff members were killed.

Kuwait has been a major ally of Washington since a US-led coalition fought the 1991 Gulf War that liberated it from a seven-month Iraqi occupation. The small oil-rich state that depends on the United States for protection, was the launch pad for the war that toppled Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein about two years. However, some fundamentalist militants have attacked American military personnel in recent years, killing one Marine and an American civilian contracted to the military.

http://www.arabtimesonline.com/arabtimes/kuwait1.asp

[Jerry]

16th-17th Dec 2004

Sponsor's brother murders Asian driver over car keys; Police detain 'fake' matchmaker

KUWAIT CITY: An Asian driver, working for a Kuwaiti family in Sabah Al-Salem died at the hands of the sponsor's brother because he refused to hand over the keys of the vehicle belonging to the family, reports Al-Rai Al-Aam daily...

Sister threatened: A Kuwaiti woman living in a suburb of Rihab recently called the Operations Department of the Interior Ministry when her brother pointed a gun at her and threatened to kill her...

Matchmaker detained: Police have arrested a fake female matchmaker in Salwa for receiving KD 50 a each woman who wanted to marry, reports Al-Qabas daily...

2 escape with KD 5,000: Police are looking for two persons who allegedly broke into an apartment of a Kuwaiti woman in Dasman and escaped with KD 5,000...

Apartment broken into: Police are looking for three men who allegedly broke into the apartment of an Arab man in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh...

Indian held for offence: Police have arrested an Indian man, identified as Mohammad Elias Kamal for entering the Ahmadi Educational Directorate with a sex toy and explaining how to use it to some female students...

What the?????

Teachers fight in class: Two teachers of Islamic Education at the Mishaan Intermediate School for Boys have been referred for interrogation by the school's administration for fighting....

Nothing in life is free... Even sand.... IN THE DESERT????

3 held for stealing sand: Policemen manning a checkpoint recently arrested three expatriates for allegedly stealing sand from a desert in Subbiya...

Youths not to be interrogated:

The six Kuwaiti youths who made it to the Abdali border after having escaped from armed Iraqi bandits will not be referred to the State Security department for interrogation...

http://www.arabtimesonline.com/arabtimes/kuwait4.asp


Yes these are all TRUE events happeing in the lovely middle eastern country I live in. "We're not in Kansas any more Toto..."

[Jerry]

WASHINGTON, 17 December 2004 — For the second time in four months, the US has accused Israel of spying against Washington. This week, the FBI charged the Israeli Defense Ministry of industrial espionage, and accused it’s defense officials of trying to access US top secret technological and intelligence data.

Washington allegedly is so furious over the spying allegations that it has demanded the resignation of Amos Yaron, director general of Israel’s Defense Ministry, according several news sources.

The report comes just days after the FBI raided the pro-Israel lobbying group, AIPAC, in Washington and interrogated AIPAC officials, resulting in four of AIPAC’s top officials being subpoenaed by a federal grand jury. The US has accused a Defense Department analyst, Lawrence Franklin, of passing classified US information on Iran to Israel.

Additionally, FBI officials say that Israeli officials who visited US military sites have tried to steal confidential US technology information. FBI agents have interrogated a number of Israeli officials over the past few months, including IDF officers, diplomats, and military industry officials.

Israel has called the US accusations that Tel Aviv’s defense officials were engaged in industrial espionage “a misunderstanding based on chutzpah and general nosiness,” according to yesterday’s Jerusalem Post.

“High-ranking political sources in Israel reiterated that all the tension is the result of cultural differences, such as the Israeli practice of cutting corners or pressuring officials to give up information. The Americans interpret these in a completely different way, they said,” notes the Post.

Knesset Member Yuval Steinitz, chairman of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee denied Israel was involved in industrial or any other kind of espionage in the United States.

“There is no Israeli espionage in the US. Period,” he told Israel Army radio. “There is a lot of very good cooperation, including military and security industrial cooperation. There is also a mutual exchange of information. Both sides contribute information. Perhaps it is this to which (the Americans) are referring.”

But a US defense expert disagrees. He told Arab News yesterday the Israelis have been spying on US military systems for years - this, he said is “well-known” within the defense community. “They took our Arrow, our Patriot missile system, and a knock-off of our F-16, the Davi and made their versions of it,” said the source, who insisted on anonymity.

“The irony is that they copy our weapons and then turn around and sell them to countries where we don’t want them to go.”

“In this case, Pakistan now has a spin-off of the F-16 and is using US technology that came via Israel and China.”

“During Gulf War I, the US stationed their Patriot missiles in Israel and their experts crawled all over it. They helped themselves to whatever they could to make a similar weapon, and several of our Patriots disappeared while there,” he said.

Payed Subscription

[Jerry]

17 December 2004

WASHINGTON — UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said yesterday the UN is on track in preparing for elections in Iraq, but cautioned that there are still security issues in the country that need to be addressed....

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/Displayarticle.asp?section=middleeast&xfile=data/middleeast/2004/december/middleeast_december440.xml

[Jerry]

17 December 2004



AMMAN — Nine militants said to be linked to Al Qaeda ally Abu Musab Al Zarqawi went on trial in Jordan on Wednesday, accused of plotting a chemical attack using suicide bombers against government and US targets in the kingdom....


http://www.khaleejtimes.com/Displayarticle.asp?section=middleeast&xfile=data/middleeast/2004/december/middleeast_december434.xml

[Jerry]

17 December 2004



AMMAN — The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has refused a meeting with three French lawyers, including former Foreign Minister Roland Dumas, who form part of the Amman-based defence team of ousted Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, the panel’s official spokesman announced on Wednesday....


http://www.khaleejtimes.com/Displayarticle.asp?section=middleeast&xfile=data/middleeast/2004/december/middleeast_december431.xml

[Jerry]

By Bassem al-Sheik Ali



Relative stability in the southern city of Amara has encouraged private entrepreneurs to draw plans for the construction a refinery, a power plant and a liquefied gas factory.



The local branch of business and industry chambers in the city has set up a “consultancy board to energize the role of the private sector,” said Ali Jaber.



“We are preparing for the construction of a refinery and have submitted a feasibility study to the Ministry of Oil,” Jaber, who leads Amara’s business chambers, said....

http://www.azzaman.com/english/index.asp?fname=news\2004-12-9\10186.htm

[evilbyte]

WOW, Thanks Jerry your on it, lots of great reading you have posted. Great to see someone working hard to pick-up info for our education. I wish I had more time to search for this kind of stuff. :huge:
Thanks again to all the incredible members we have here.

[DarkRing]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=2027&ncid=2027&e=1&u=/chitribts/20041217/ts_chicagotrib/debtdealisaboonforiraq


Some info