THE US, THE UN AND IRAQ, ELEVENTH THREAD

ican will never understand the nuances of what's happening, but the rest of you will understand that the Iraqi government is making deals with Iran while the US soldiers get killed while Bush tries to influence Maliki.
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United Nations: Iraq urged regional and world powers on Saturday to back an expanded UN role in Iraq but UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said there was more to be done on security before he could increase UN staff.

Ministers from Iraq, its neighbors and world powers met at UN headquarters, with Washington pressing for implementation of a Security Council resolution passed last month on raising the role of the world body in Iraq.

The meeting brought US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice together with her Iranian counterpart, Manouchehr Mottaki, at a time of tension over Iran's nuclear ambitions but they did not address each other. Washington also accuses Iran of backing militants in Iraq.

Ban told the meeting regional cooperation was vital to reinforce Iraqi efforts at reconciliation and "avoid exacerbating tensions."


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He said it was the duty and responsibility of the United Nations to help and he proposed setting up a small support office in Baghdad and possibly sending staff to the cities of Basra and Arbil in the future.

But when he was asked at a news conference whether security was sufficiently improved to actually commit more UN staff, Ban said: "The security situation, politically, socially ... (is) unstable at this time.

"I would really hope that security will be ensured as soon as possible," he said. "It's true that ... security has been improving, but I think much more has to be done."

Many UN officials are deeply concerned about working in Iraq, remembering a bomb that destroyed its office in Baghdad in August 2003 and killed 22 people, including mission chief Sergio Vieira de Mello.

Maliki said his government was making progress toward national reconciliation and played down defections by Sunni Arab political parties from his government. "When we talk of improvement, this doesn't mean that we don't have some problems but these problems are very small," he said.

"We are going to be able to provide security to the UN in a way that will allow it to perform its role in an effective manner," Maliki told reporters earlier after meeting Ban.

Rice described the talks as an "excellent meeting," saying there was an understanding that "it's the international community's responsibility to help."

"The security situation in Iraq is difficult but improving and certainly the security of UN personnel will be a very high priority for all of the forces there," she told reporters.

Saturday's meeting included members of the Security Council, Iraq's neighbors, members of the Group of Eight leading industrial nations and representatives of regional and international organizations.

Normally I am not one to knock the UN; but I don't understand why they won't go to Iraq even though it is a dangerous place. Isn't that the whole reason they go to places? If the UN or more international bodies came to Iraq maybe we could get some of the control of what happens there out of the US's hands?

KRG.org - 17:48:57 11 Dec. 2006
First Austrian Airlines flight lands in Erbil


Austrian Airlines Airbus 319
Erbil, Kurdistan-Iraq (KRG.org) - The first Austrian Airlines flight number 829 landed in Erbil International Airport today at 2.45pm from Vienna. The flight marks a milestone for the Kurdistan Region as the airline became the first Western regular scheduled carrier to operate there.

The flight landing was followed by a ceremony in which Minister Falah Mustafa Bakir, the Director of the Office of Foreign Relations, thanked Austrian Airlines for its efforts. He said that the initiative will result in the Kurdistan Region becoming "next-door neighbours with Austria, and through them, with Europe and the world".

This connection provides greater opportunities for foreign investors wanting to start businesses in the Kurdistan Region. "European businesses and political officials are now just hours away from seeing for themselves the peace, security and stability of the Kurdistan Region", Mr Bakir said in his speech.

Later in a joint press conference, Mr. Johannes Davoras, Austrian Airlines Executive Vice-President for Corporate Communications, acknowledged the importance of bringing their flights to the Kurdistan Region and said that the Region "is a modern area, with a government doing good work for economic development".

Such developments have been a vital part of economic progress in the Kurdistan Region, which is the Northern Gateway for the rest of Iraq. The airline operates two scheduled flights a week between Vienna and Erbil, and tickets can be booked at any Austrian Airlines office around the world or in Erbil, or through an IATA (International Air Transport Association) member travel agent.

Three separate states will not work, because the north has all the oil. As the saying goes "it's the oil, stupid!"

Three separate states will not work, because the north has all the oil. As the saying goes "it's the oil, stupid!"

c.i. wrote :

Quote:

Three separate states will not work, because the north has all the oil. As the saying goes "it's the oil, stupid!"

but what does that mean for the ordinary iraqis ?
they will all be dead - or have left the country if they are lucky - before they ever see any benefiit from the oil .
a central government might be much too weak to control the large oil companies that will take the treasures out of the ground .
looking at africa , there are countries with enormous natural wealth , yet the citizens live in dire poverty - to put it mildly .

and since the kurds are already reasonably well-established economically , they would not see any reason to join a UNITED IRAQ - whatever that means.
the kurds have been shafted often enough already imo .
should they be FORCED into a united iraq ? the U.S. administration seems content to let them run their own show even now .
i doubt that the U.S. will want to make another enemy .
and the U.N. - looking at the balkan states - would likely not want to force the regions together militarily - and they should not imo .
hbg

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 (UPI) -- President Bush said he "knew nothing" about a deal between Hunt Oil, which has ties to the administration, and the Iraqi Kurdistan government.

Bush was pressed on the controversial production-sharing contract during a news conference Thursday.

"Our embassy also expressed concern about it," Bush said when asked if it undermined a national oil law. "I knew nothing about the deal."

"I need to know exactly how it happened," he added. "To the extent that it does undermine the ability for the government to come up with an oil revenue-sharing plan that unifies the country, obviously I'm -- if it undermines that, I'm concerned."

The revenue-sharing law is different than the oil law.

The Kurdistan Regional Government has signed a number of oil and gas deals with private oil companies since the toppling of Saddam Hussein. The KRG sees it as a sign of economic development in a war-torn and struggling country, but the move is seen by others as undercutting the federal Iraqi government.

Iraq hasn't been able to pass an oil law, which it is waiting for before moving forward on developing its vast oil sector.

The Hunt Oil deal was announced by the KRG Sept. 8. Iraqi Oil Minister Hussain al-Shahristani said all but a handful of KRG oil deals are considered illegal and will not be upheld.

But the Hunt deal has raised concerns in the United States, considering the connections of Ray Hunt, its chief executive officer.

Hunt was appointed by Bush twice to the president's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board -- "which is said to have access to intelligence that experts acknowledge is advantageous to the international energy interest of the Hunt Oil Company," according to a statement by Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, who has called for investigations into the deal.

Hunt has also been a major fundraiser for Bush and held a top Republican Party position.

Because they are punishing the US for the invasion.

Oil is currently getting more than $80 per barrel. Who is getting that revenue? Currently, the governments of the oil producing states are getting that revenue.
What do those governments do with that revenue? They use some to produce and ship their oil.
What do they do with the rest?

KRG.org - 15:25:58 17 Sep. 2007
US senators meet President Barzani in Kurdistan


Erbil, Kurdistan-Iraq, KRG DFR (krg.org) - A bi-partisan delegation of four US senators yesterday visited the Kurdistan Region to meet President Masoud Barzani and see first-hand the Region's political and economic development.

Mr Masoud Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Region, received Max Baucus (Democrat-Montana), Olympia Snowe (Republican-Maine), Ben Nelson (Democrat-Nebraska), and Ken Salazar (Democrat-Colorado). Their discussions focused on the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) development efforts and infrastructure projects and the situation in Iraq. The President stressed that a federal solution was essential to create a viable Iraq, and that the rest of the country could learn from the KRG's reconstruction steps. President Barzani said that KRG was working closely with the federal government in Baghdad to arrive at mutually agreeable solutions to shared problems. The President added that he wished the recent Petraeus/Crocker testimony had highlighted the excellent security and development situation in the Kurdistan Region.

Minister Falah Mustafa Bakir, Head of the KRG Department of Foreign Relations said, "As the debate over Iraq continues in Washington DC, this is a welcome opportunity to show the peace, stability and development of our Region to decision makers in the United States Senate." Mr. Bakir further commented that it was important for congressional delegations to visit the Kurdistan Region to understand the many opportunities for foreign direct investment.

The senators also visited Erbil market, where they spoke to shopkeepers benefiting from a micro-credit programme. The KRG is dedicated to providing a supportive environment for these types of private-sector civil-society development activities.

First Official Austrian Trade Mission to the Kurdistan Region

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25 January 2007 (Kurdish Globe)

From the 19th to the 22nd of January a delegation of 27 Austrian businessmen and representatives of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber have visited Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region.

From the 19th to the 22nd of January a delegation of 27 Austrian businessmen and representatives of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber have visited Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region. Around 20 companies of different sectors have held business meetings with their Kurdistani counterparts. They were specialists in the gas and oil sector, in power supply, Waste and Water Management, Hospital and Hospital Supply, Engineering and Consultancy and Electrical Supply. The Trade Mission was organized by the Erbil Office of the Commercial Section of the Austrian Embassy together with the Austrian Federal Chamber of Commerce. "We thank the Kurdistan Regional Government together with the Erbil Chamber of Commerce and the Businessmen Union that were very supportive during the preparation and the events", says Sipan Berwari, Assistant to the Commercial Councellor.

The Austrian companies had successful meetings with 10 ministries and more 130 companies from the Kurdistan Region. Even some companies from Baghdad came to meet the companies at the Erbil International Hotel. The Minister as well as the president were hosting the Trade delegation together with the Austrian Airline board for a ceremony and a press conference. Both the Prime Minister and the president stressed the very good relations between Austria and the Kurdish people. A special offer has been made to the KRG for vocational training and a contract has been presented to the Ministry of Planning. The Institute for Economic Development at the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber has very valuable experience in the Export of Know How and the training of governmental and business managers.

"We believe that this successful meetings and the regular flights to and from Erbil with Austrian Airlines will encourage more and other European countries and business associations to follow soon", says Oskar Smrzka, Austrian Commercial Councillor. The head and Special Economic Adviser to the Austrian Government mentioned the participation of Austrian companies at the coming International Fair in Erbil.

Boosted by the very positive reactions of the Austrian companies the Commercial Section is planning to send a delegation of Kurdistan companies from Erbil, Suleymanieh and Duhok to Austria in the near future.

Iraq Oil Production 2007
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According to oil ministry experts, overall "the Iraqi oil infrastructure is in desperate need of upgrades and improvements," says the SIGIR assessment.

That need can be seen in the nation's production levels. In the first quarter of 2007 Iraqi crude oil production averaged 1.95 million barrels per day, according to the US Special Inspector General. That's far short of the Iraqi goal of some 2.5 million BPD.

In fact, Iraq has missed oil production targets every quarter since 2004.
Unsurprisingly, the nation's continued violence is a big reason for this shortfall. Since the US invasion there have been some 400 insurgent or terrorist attacks against pipelines, pumping stations, oil fields, and other parts of Iraq's oil infrastructure, according to the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank.

But security isn't the only problem. Mismanagement of oil reservoirs, inadequate maintenance of pumps and pipes, and shortage of storage facilities at offshore loading terminals in the Gulf has hampered production as well, according to a recent report on Iraq's oil sector by Amy Myers Jaffe, an energy expert at Rice University's James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy.

Nor has Iraq brought any new oil fields on-line since 2003. "The main reason for this lack of investment has not been lack of funds, but rather the politicization of the oil ministry, the absence and/or exodus of trained personnel, and poor or corrupt management in the oil sector," writes Ms. Jaffe.
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UPDATE 1-Iraq Kurdish region signs oil deal with U.S. Hunt
Sat Sep 8, 2007 8:41pm BST


DUBAI, Sept 8 (Reuters) - The government of Iraq's Kurdish region said on Saturday it had signed a gas and oil production sharing contract with a unit of U.S.-based Hunt Oil Co. and with Impulse Energy Corp.

The deal covers exploration activity in the Dihok area, and Hunt Oil Co. of the Kurdistan Region will begin geological survey and seismic work by the end of 2007 and has plans to drill an exploration well in 2008, a statement from the Kurdistan Regional Government said.

The statement did not give financial details of the deal, the first such contract since the largely autonomous region passed its own oil law in August, while Iraq's parliament failed to pass a national law after months of negotiations.
(this seems to say something about the advantage of autonomous regional government . hbg)

The regional government signed five production sharing agreements earlier with foreign companies.

Iraq has the world's third-largest oil reserves, which are mainly in the north and the south of the country.


© Reuters 2007. All rights reserved

My Iraq: Kurdish businessman

Delsoz Sherwani is the CEO of Zagros Group, which started life as a construction company 15 years ago.
He is 51 and is based in the Kurdish capital, Irbil.

The group has diversified into air travel, bringing Kurdistan closer to the outside world.

We are in the top three companies in Kurdistan; we employ 400 people.

Zagros Air was the first airline to be registered in Kurdistan after the liberation. We registered in 2004, after Irbil International Airport was opened.

We fly direct from here to Dubai, Istanbul and Vienna several times a week.

Most of the passengers are foreigners coming to do business in Kurdistan - especially those people flying from Austria.

Or they are Kurdish people living abroad who are visiting home.

We started this airline when we saw Iraqi Airways could not provide what we wanted.

Foreign investment

It's not been simple; we have invested a lot of time and money.

Actually, many, many companies are now starting up in Irbil. Some are in partnership with foreigners.

There's a lot of construction - housing and factories. Lebanese, UAE and American companies are investing in housing here.


Many start with their HQ in Irbil and then follow up other activities in other parts of Iraq.

They choose Irbil because of the security and because it is the governmental capital.

They are also investing in Suleimaniya and Dohuk.

It is all growing faster than we imagined, actually.

Back in 1991 we started by helping our regional Kurdish government in construction projects: buildings, water projects.

Since 2003 we have diversified into IT, the medical sector and telecommunications.


Before 2003 all businesses suffered from the banking system - there wasn't one.

We had to take our currency to neighbouring countries.

Now, we have an international system which meets international standards. It's easier for us because we can operate from Irbil.

People can reach Kurdistan easily now.

So, things are improving here. But we are not happy because other parts of Iraq are suffering.

We hope every part of Iraq will be secure.

For me, I feel secure in Kurdistan.


Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/6467659.stm

Published: 2007/03/21 00:54:43 GMT

© BBC MMVII