Iraq and Jordan discuss ties

He added that there are four daily flights between the airports of the two countries, and intended to be increased to ten flights, saying that he discussed with his Jordanian counterpart the possibility of establishing a railway line between the two countries.He showed that the Iraqi government has agreed with the Jordanian one on giving back the five Iraqi airplanes which are landing in Queen Alia airport, referring that this matter has been solved interlay, and adding that only two airplanes of them are workable.The minister said that Iraq depends on Aqaba harbor in its commerce, saying that it has been affected by the security situation in Iraq. (Source)AlSabah

Activating terror fight law in Iraq minimizes violance

He added in a statement, that terror is any criminal act done by an individual or a group targeting individuals, formal or informal facilities, and damages public or private services, to preach peace, security situation, national unity, and threaten citizens.He showed that banalities of who prove participating in terror act, committing it, or hospitalizing a terrorist is prison for life, including those who planned and enabled terrorists to do these crimes.The one, who inform authorities before the beginning of a crime or during its planning, will escape banalities.He asked security forces to examine information before arresting suspects and to deal with citizens in a civilized manner, stressing on the accuracy of arresting processors during raids, since there are some groups which practice the authorities of security forces without identifying the side to which they belong.

On the other hand, ministry of justice asked Arab countries to singe the Arabic agreement of fighting terrorism, saying that this agreement has a great importance to enforce cooperation between Arab countries in fighting terrorism.(Source)AlSabah

Iraq Labour ministry gives salary for social insurance

The source affirmed that the Iraq ministry has left the old identity cards issued by the social insurance department so as to ease procedures of distributing the money, pointing out that the ministry would issue new I.C with a new color and information so as to include many people.

It is worth mentioning that families of single person would receive 50 thousand dianrs, which would be increased as more as the number increased up to 120 thousands dianrs for the family of six figures.(Source)AlSabah

Meetings go on in President's House in Iraq

The sources said that the meeting was concentrating on easing atmosphere in preparing for the third session, stressing significance of time according to a source at the consensus front.The sources said that seculars were included in the nine sovereignty leading posts when a secular deputy prime minister of Iraq was proposed in the formula.President Talbani stressed that the national council for security was not of huge authorities, yet it can issue recommendations to the government, affirming that Iraq would witness building a powerful national unity government. Adnan al-Duleimi upheld his views with more optimism.(Source) AlSabah

Almost 30 Iraqi companies taking part in Cairo trade fair

Most firms belong to the public sector and the new exhibits include leather industries, pharmaceuticals, construction materials, textiles and dry batteries.

The minister said his ministry was planning to attend more international trade fairs.

He said he would encourage private sector firms to attend such international trade gatherings in the future.

Only three private firms are taking part in the trade fair in Cairo belong to the private sector.(Source)Hanan Jassim, Azzaman

United Arab Emirates will be constructing three hospitals in Iraq

“It (the campaign) emanates from the spirit of brotherhood and continuity that binds the two countries,” he added.

One hospital will be built in the low-income Baghdad neighborhood of Sadr City, the second in the Kurdish city of Sulaimaniya and the third in the southern city of Nasiriya.

He said a high-level Iraqi medical delegation will visit the U.A.E. to coordinate the relief which a senior Iraqi health official highly praised.

“The initiative by the U.A.E. is not unusual. It is an act we are proud of. U.A.E.’s humanitarian effort is beyond description,” said Sabah al-Hasani, health undersecretary.

The U.A.E, Kaabai said, was aiming to serve vulnerable Iraqi groups, particularly those living in remove areas.

He said his country will deliver the Iraqi Health Ministry “mobile clinics” furnished with the latest medical supplies to visit villages and areas with no access to public health.(Source) Azzaman

Iraq Ministry announces 1,000 new Ph.D. scholarships

“We have 1,000 scholarships that are available for students willing to get their Ph.D.s,“ the minister Sami al-Mudhafar said.

He said the students will be sent to the most prestigious universities in the world to obtain their degrees.

He did not identify the countries he intended to send the students to, but the sending of so many students indicates how serious the ministry is to bridge the gap in science and technology separating Iraq from the rest of the world.

Mudhafar said his ministry had drawn a plan in which geographical distribution and population densities of various provinces are to be considered when selecting students for the scholarships.

For example there are 275 scholarships for Baghdad, 83 for Nineveh, 70 for Basra, 39 for Anbar and 57 for Arbil.

The scholarships, the minister said, were part of his ministry’s plan to eventually set up one university in each of the country’s 18 provinces.(Source)Basel al-Khateeb, Azzaman

Southern province of Iraq warms up to Iran

“The crossing will greatly expand commercial and economic ties between Iran and Iraq and revitalize trade exchange and create new job opportunities,” declared Governor Adel Radhi.

Radhi made the remarks following a joint meeting of officials from across the province in which he announced the opening of the border post.

“We have relied on our own resources on building this post,” he said, adding that construction of new roads was underway to link the crossing to the rest of the country.

Iran’s border with Iraq runs for more than 1,500 kilometers. The southern province of Misan shares the eastern border flank with Iran.

A majority Shiite Arab province, it suffered a great deal during the 1980-1988 Iraq-Iran war. Its capital al-Amara came under British occupation in 2003.

But the province’s relations with British occupation troops are strained at a time they are seeing marked improvement with Iran.

Governor Radhi told the meeting that he might suspend all ties with the Brits unless the soldiers accused of abusing Iraqi youth are tried in Iraqi courts.

He said he had written to senior British military officers asking them to reveal the names of those committing the abuses to have them tried inside Iraq.

He also said the Brits should open a prison they run in Basra for a visit by members of the provincial council he runs.

“Otherwise we are going to cut all relations with the British troops,” he vowed.(Source) Basem Ali, Azzaman

Turkey to build ‘huge industrial city’ in Kirkuk, Iraq; open new border crossing

The oil-rich northern city of Kirkuk is home to a sizeable Turkish ethnic community known in Iraq as Turkmen.

Jalabi was positive about his Ankara visit, saying Turkish authorities were prepared to expand economic cooperation with the country.

However, he said, as part of a caretaker government the implementation of the understanding he had with Ankara should be left for the new government to implement.

He said the Turks were ready to open a new border crossing point as the current one via the Kurdish northern town of Zakho could no longer handled the upsurge in the flow of goods and travelers between the countries.

Jalabi said Turkey has also promised to reschedule the debts Iraq owes it which he said amounted to $1.4 billion.(Source) Khalid Talib, Azzaman

Iran will be investing $1 billion in Iraq

It said the money will be in the form of a long-term loan as it is being raised by an Iranian bank set up to encourage Iranian exports.

The statement said the bank has already earmarked up to $400 million for immediate investment and urged Iraqi entrepreneurs to hold talks with the Iranians on the kind of projects they want to participate in.

The Iranian side will cover the whole financing but only own 33% of the projects to be implemented. The other 66% will be owned by the Iraqi side.

Iraqis will start paying their share of investments 10 years after the completion of these projects in addition to only 1% interest.

The statement quoted the minister as saying that it was essential “for all Iraqi industrialists in take part in the legal, technical and economic negotiations with Iranian side that are scheduled to start very soon.”

Najafi said his ministry was keen to take part but would rather encourage the private sector to have the lion’s share of the investments.

“Iraq’s economic policy for the future is to solidify the private sector to enable it to have a pivotal role in the economy,” the minister said.

It is the first such deal the ministry signs with a foreign country. Negotiations with other countries failed due to security reasons.

However, the Iranians have said they will proceed ahead with their investment despite mounting insecurity.

A team of Iranian industrial experts is due in Iraq to map out the sectors of mutual interest, the statement said.

Seven major Iranian companies will be involved.

The Iranians would like to start up a new car company in Iraq as well as factories for the manufacture of electrical transformers and appliances, steel and glass.

“The money is there. The companies willing to do the job are there. And above all the governments of the two countries are keen to see the projects implemented,” said Sami al-Araji, undersecretary of the Industry and Minerals Ministry.(Source)Muthana Aidan, Azzaman