Reuters: U.S. to sanction Iran petrochemical industry

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States plans to sanction Iran’s petrochemical industry, sources familiar with the matter said on Friday, seeking to raise pressure on Tehran after fresh allegations it may be pursuing nuclear weapons.

Senior level, US delegation from United States arrives in Baghdad today

The arrival of high-level U.S. delegation to Baghdad
On: Friday 11/18/2011 18:23

Baghdad (news) .. arrived this afternoon the delegation of high-level U.S. visit to Baghdad last for three days.

A source at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (agency news) on Friday: that the delegation of senior U.S. reached this afternoon, to Baghdad, where they will be several meetings most notably with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and President Jalal Talabani and other political leaders.

Economist Opinion: The establishment of an Iraqi national oil company would reduce dependence on foreign companies

Experts: establishing a national oil company will reduce Iraqi dependence international companies
18/11/2011 16:11

Beirut, November 18 (Rn) – confirms the experts in the field of energy that ventured on the formation of Iraq’s national oil company will help reduce dependence on foreign companies to develop Iraqi oil fields.

Iraq has signed contracts with international energy companies to develop 11 giant oil fields discovered but not exploited through three rounds of licenses.

Baghdad says that these deals would raise the country’s production of crude oil to 12 million barrels per day by 2017 from 2.8 million barrels per day currently.

Tripartite Committee on the affairs of the missing Kuwaitis hold its 34 in Geneva attended by representatives of Iraq and Kuwait

11/18/2011 |

Baghdad / with held the Tripartite Committee on the affairs of the missing Kuwaitis its 34 in Geneva attended by representatives of Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the International Red Cross.

and opened the agenda with a speech by the International Committee of the Red Cross, followed by the word Iraq, delivered by Minister of Human Rights, and then the word of the Kuwaiti delegation, followed by the Saudi delegation and other members of the observers, touched each side of the Iraqi and Kuwaiti to the possibility of developing a joint action between the parties to resolve the remaining of the outstanding problems regarding the issue of missing Kuwaitis in Iraq. ” ,

Press Release: Sen. Rand Paul Introduces Resolution to Officially End War in Iraq

Nov 17, 2011
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today in the U.S. Senate, Sen. Rand Paul introduced an amendment to the Department of Defense Authorization bill to formally end the war in Iraq.

The war in Iraq cannot be considered definitively concluded if Congress does not reclaim its constitutional power to declare war by repealing the underlying authorization. Until Congress takes this action, the President would still possess the legal authority to move troops into Iraq or to conduct kinetic operations within its borders, agreements with the Iraqi government notwithstanding.

Iraq confirms its readiness to protect their assets in America

With the beginning of the countdown to the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq by the end of this year, approached the expiry date of the protection of U.S. President Barack Obama’s Iraq funds on deposit balances in U.S. banks and several European and booked at the disposal of an international compensation issues for years.

The Central Bank of Iraq that Baghdad will be able to protect their money in U.S. banks, and that the American president decided to lift the immunity it.

After the end of the international trusteeship of Iraqi funds abroad, the middle of this year, issued a U.S. President is putting this money under American protection and the prevention of judicial decisions booking them, and used to settle debts and claims for damages brought by individuals and companies against Iraq, mostly due to the practices of the former regime, but this protection will not continue beyond May 2012.

Iraqi political movement before the start of the parliament’s sessions next week

Not yet crystallized the possibility of convening a meeting of a new round-table with Iraqi political leaders, especially after the escalation of tension after the federation. But with, it began to intensive bilateral meetings between the top political leaders in the country to clear the atmosphere of political will. Was the president of the republic, Jalal Talabani, has welcomed Prime Minister nouri Al-Maliki.

According to a presidential statement, the two sides discussed various situations in the country, and particularly the challenges facing the political process and democracy.

The statement also pointed out that the views were identical between the president of the republic and the prime minister to diagnose problems and resolve them in a way that serves to strengthen the process of nation-building and meet the challenges to the wants to hinder that process.

BBC: Aberdeen seminar on Iraq oil opportunities

17 November 2011 Last updated at 06:45 ET

About 15 service companies attended a free seminar in Aberdeen hosted by the city’s local authority.

The event was organised by consultants Upper Quartile, which also owns the Iraq Business News.

It said Scottish-based firms could tap into business worth billions of pounds but warned it was a very competitive international market.

Read More:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-15772059

Trade Bank of Iraq recovers $400m

The Iraqi state-run Trade Bank of Iraq (TBI) has recovered around $400 million of a $900 million default on loans handed out with little or no security by the previous management, the bank’s new chief has said.

Former TBI president Hussein al-Uzri fled Iraq in early June after Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki ordered a judicial inquiry into the bank when a committee that including officials from the anti-corruption commission and audit authority reported financial violations.

In a Reuters interview, Uzri said the allegations were fabricated and called himself a victim of a power grab by people close to Maliki.

Arab News says the scandal cast a shadow over the TBI, which foreign investors regarded as a success story in a country recovering from years of economic sanctions and war following the US invasion in 2003.

Boeing gets Iraq Contract

Posted on 17 November 2011

Iraq’s transport minister, Hadi al-Amiri, said in an interview with Al Sumaria News that his ministry “has contracted with Boeing to buy 45 aircraft.”

The planes are to be delivered between 2013 and 2020.

(Source: Al Sumaria News)

http://bit.ly/tQSJS6

Political analyst: Expect Maliki nominate security minister without reference to the Iraqi List

Friday, 18 November 2011 08:12

Expected political analyst Ahmed al-Maliki, the White is in the coming days named Minister without reference to the security of the Iraqi List. ”

He told all of Iraq [where] the day that Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki will probably provide the names of security ministers to parliament after the end of the second legislative term holiday without reference to the names that have been nominated by the Iraqi List. ”

United Nations strengthen its partnership with Iraq to fight corruption and promote democracy

17/11/2011 11:39

BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: official announced high-level United Nations Development Programme, Thursday, for strengthening the presence of the program in Iraq, at the end of a visit to Baghdad, saying the Iraqi people renewed commitment of the United Nations through the promotion of partnership and cooperation, where the program will work with the Iraqi government President of the partner to support democratic governance and efforts to combat corruption and improve basic services and protection of human rights and the provision of sustainable employment opportunities.

Awadi: Maliki’s visit to America will decide the issue of immunity for trainers

On: Friday 11/18/2011 11:08

Baghdad (news) .. According to a member state of law and MP / National Alliance / Ihsan Al-Awadi that Maliki’s visit to the United States of America will be one of important visits to discuss several topics, including the resolution of the immunity of trained Americans.

He said Al-Awadi said in a statement (of the Agency news) on Friday : Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki will discuss a number of issues, including immunity trained and that his visit will be resolved this issue by granting them immunity or not.

Iraqi delegation has lessons for the modern foundations of a democratic vote in America

The Iraqi news agency Independent – n to – in an effort to support freedom, democracy, and voting in Iraq, a delegation of students and professors Iraqi city of Jacksonville to participate in a workshop on strengthening the foundations of democracy, freedom, and voting in the elections in Iraq.

And the transfer of the reporter (and independent Iraqi news agency) that the delegation will spend two days with Mr. Jerry Holland, an expert on the Middle East and the supervisor of elections in Iraq in 2005, and will Mr. Jerry-depth lessons on transparency in the electoral process.

Economic Reports: 40% of Iraqs oil reserves in Kurdistan

Newspaper reports revealed that the local economic region of Kurdistan in its territory includes forty percent of oil reserves in Iraq.

They noted reports that the region intensifies its efforts to raise the ceiling on oil production to two hundred and fifty thousand barrels per day by the end of this year.

Press reports indicated the economic to the Minister of Natural Resources in the province Iachta Hawrami announced at a conference of oil and gas contract in the region in the thirteenth of this month, attended by the largest foreign oil companies operating in the province, the government struck a deal with the world’s largest oil company is Exxon Mobil and the U.S. that will work under which exploration and extraction in six oil fields in the region.

http://bit.ly/sGY540