9 rivers dug in eastern Shatt al-Arab

The Basra reconstruction and services committee has completed digging nine rivers in al-Salehiya island in the eastern bank of Shatt al-Arab River after eliminating all landmines, the secretary general of the committee said on Monday.

"The total cost of the project is 1.674 billion Iraqi dinars," Tareq al-Moussawi told Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq - (VOI).

"The project also included opening nine channels, while works underway to set up the required dams," he added.

"A number of farmers, who left their farms, are resolved to return after the project's completion and the prices of the lands in al-Salehiya island soared," al-Moussawi noted.

The Basra reconstruction and services committee was formed under state minister for the parliament affairs, Safaa al-Din al-Safi, and coincided with the launch of Saulet al-Foursan (Knights Assault) security plan last March.

It is assigned to spend $100 million, a grant presented by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to Basra province.

A river channel, about 193 km (120 mi) long, of southeast Iraq formed by the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and flowing southeast to the Persian Gulf. The Shatt al Arab forms part of the Iraq-Iran border, and navigation rights to the channel have long been disputed by the two countries.

Basra, 590 km (340 miles) south of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, has an estimated metropolitan population of 2,300,000 in 2008.

Basra is the cradle of the first civilization of Sumer. It has the seven main Iraqi ports. The first built in Islam 14 A.H. (After Hegira), the city played an important role in early Islamic history.

The area surrounding Basra has substantial petroleum resources and many oil wells. The city's oil refinery has a production capacity of about 140,000 barrels per day (bpd).

Basra is in a fertile agricultural region, with major products including rice, maize corn, barley, pearl millet, wheat and dates as well as livestock.

A network of canals flowed through the city, giving it the nickname "The Venice of the Middle East" at least at high tide.

(Voices of Iraq)

19 projects referred to sewer department in Wassit

The contracts committee in Wassit referred 19 projects on Monday to the sewage department to be implemented by local companies within 2008 projects to develop provinces, a media source said.

“The services projects will cost 10.837 billion Iraqi dinars within projects to develop provinces in 2008,” Thamer Abd al-Saheb told Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq - (VOI).

“The projects are divided into four groups; implementing networks and sewer stations (11 projects), preparing studies and designs for networks and stations (2 projects), establishing buildings and offices for the department (3 projects), and the fourth group includes projects to prepare sewer pipelines (3 projects),” he added.

Wassit, 180 km south of Baghdad, is in the east of the country. Its name comes from the Arabic word meaning "middle," as it lies along the Tigris about midway between Baghdad and Basra.

Its major cities include the capital, Kut, and al-Hayy. Prior to 1976 it was known as Kut Province.

(Voices of Iraq)

ISX opens with two contracts on Sun.

The Iraqi Stock Exchange (ISX) opened its session on Sunday, the first this week, with two contracts, totaling over 2 million shares.

The first contract was concluded by an Iraqi company, which bought 400,000 shares from al-Shamal (North) Bank at a value of 3 Iraqi dinars per share; while the second was concluded by a foreign company, which bought 2 million shares from the Islamic Bank at a value of 0.85 Iraqi dinars (1 U.S. dollar = 1,119 Iraqi dinars) per share.

The Iraqi Stock Exchange, established under Law No. 74 of the year 2004, held its first session on June 24, 2004. The stock market holds three sessions a week: Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday.

(Voices of Iraq)

ISX closes with 20 million share contract

The Iraqi Stock Exchange (ISX) closed its session on Sunday, the first this week, with a 20 million share contract at a value of 1.2 Iraqi dinars (1 U.S. dollar= 1,119 Iraqi dinars) per share.

The stock market opened its session this morning with two contracts worth of over 2 million shares.
The first contract was concluded by an Iraqi company, which bought 400,000 shares from al-Shamal (North) Bank at a value of 3 Iraqi dinars per share; while the second was concluded by a foreign company, which bought 2 million shares from the Islamic Bank at a value of 0.85 Iraqi dinars per share.

The Iraqi Stock Exchange, established under Law No. 74 of the year 2004, held its first session on June 24, 2004. The stock market holds three sessions a week: Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday.
(Voices of Iraq)

Plan to rebuild Sadr city at $10b

Baghdad's municipality on Saturday revealed a plan to rebuild Sadr city according to modern and international standards at a cost of $10 billion.

"The cabinet has unanimously approved a plan set out by Baghdad's municipality to reconstruct Sadr city…, making it a model city that copes with the requirements of modern life…," according to a statement released by the municipality and received by Aswat al-Iraq- Voices of Iraq- (VOI).

"The plan aims at compensating local residents for the shortage of services and congestion, which is the result of overpopulation," the statement noted.

The statement quoted the secretary general of Baghdad's municipality, Sabir al-Isawi, as saying that a higher committee has been set up for this purpose.

The plan includes the establishment of three residential compounds in the city, particularly in the areas of al-Habibya (southern Sadr city), Ur neighborhood (in the north), and Khalf al-Sadda, comprising no less than 30,000 residential units.

Sadr city has an estimated population of nearly 3 million. It was built in 1959 by Prime Minister Abdelkarim Qassim and later unofficially renamed Sadr City after deceased Shiite leader Mohammad Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr. Sadr City is one of nine administrative districts in Baghdad. It is a main stronghold of Shiite Cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army.

(Voices of Iraq)

Diwaniya's southern entrance rehabilitated at 4b dinars

A local company has initiated a project to rehabilitate Diwaniya's southern entrance at a total cost of 4 billion Iraqi dinars (1 U.S. dollar= 1,119 Iraqi dinars), the province's governor assistant for technical affairs said on Saturday.

"The completion period of the project is 330 days," Engineer Hazem Omran told Aswat al-Iraq­- Voices of Iraq- (VOI).

"The Diwaniya-Afak entrance is a significant project because it represents one of the main faces of the city. It is also a key entrance for those coming from southern provinces," Omran explained.

Meanwhile, the engineer supervising the project, Hussein Kate', told VOI that the entrance street is 1 km long and 11 m wide. Work will also include two side streets, which are 6-7 m wide each, he added.

Diwaniya, the capital city of Diwaniya province, lies 180 km south of the Iraqi capital Baghdad.

(Voices of Iraq)

11b dinars for Karbala bridge's 3rd stage

The Iraqi Ministry of Housing and Construction has earmarked 11 billion Iraqi dinars for the third stage of Karbala's al-Hindiya II Bridge on the Euphrates River in the east of the city, an official source said on Saturday.

"The bridge is situated on the Euphrates River and is considered to be the main entrance to the city for those coming from southern provinces," the director of the roads and bridges department, Jamal Mohammed Redha, told Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq - (VOI).

The third stage includes the establishment of intersections on two levels, the director noted, estimating the cost of the first stage at 6.5 billion Iraqi dinars (1 U.S. dollar = 1,119 Iraqi dinars), and the second stage at 10 billion dinars.

"Work on the project, which began in 2006, is scheduled to be completed this year," Redha said.

"It is one of the strategic projects in Karbala province, which aims at reducing traffic congestion on al-Hindiya I Bridge during pilgrimages," Redha explained.

Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims converge on the city of Karbala every year to celebrate religious occasions.

Karbala, with an estimated population of 572,300 people in 2003, is the capital of the province and is considered to be one of Shiite Muslims' holiest cities.

The city, 110 km south of Baghdad, is one of Iraq's wealthiest, profiting both from religious visitors and agricultural produce, especially dates.

It is made up of two districts, "Old Karbala," the religious center, and "New Karbala," the residential district containing Islamic schools and government buildings.

At the center of the old city is Masjid al-Hussein, the tomb of Hussein Ibn Ali, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad by his daughter Fatima al-Zahraa and Ali Ibn Abi Taleb.

(Voices of Iraq)

Customs revenues exceed 122b. Iraqi dinars in 7 months

Iraq's Customs Administration achieved revenues of more than 122 billion Iraqi dinars (roughly $102 million) during the past seven months, an Administration's official media source said on Saturday.

"The Administration's revenues during the first half of this year totaled more than 101 billion Iraqi dinars, while proceeds from other customs outlets during July 2008 hit 21 billion Iraqi dinars," the source, who asked not to have his name revealed, told Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq – (VOI).

The Customs Administration, a government-owned institution, is affiliated to the finance ministry.

"The Administration's revenues would maximize the state resources and enhance the federal government's budget," the source said.

(Voices of Iraq)

Basra port receives 5 ships on Sat.

Basra's port of Abu Falous on Saturday received five cargo ships, the public relations and media director at the State Company for Iraqi Ports said.

"Today, Abu Falous Port received five ships: the Iranian Shihab 2, carrying 799 tons of iron; the Iranian Muhajireen, with 717 tons of iron; the Iranian Sima Bahader with 642 tons of iron; the Korean al-Rashed, transporting 1000 tons of containers; and a Panamanian ship with 1,500 tons of varied cargo," Abdul Kareem al-Basri told Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq - (VOI).

The Shiite province of Basra, 590 km south of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, has five commercial ports and two oil ports: al-Maaqal, established in 1916 by the British forces and handed over to Iraqi authorities in 1937; and Faw, a small port on the al-Faw Peninsula near the Shatt al-Arab and the Persian Gulf.

In the early 1970s, Umm al-Qasr port was built, and in 1974, Khour al-Zubeir and Abu Falous ports were established on the Shatt al-Arab.

(Voices of Iraq)

Karbala’s local official calls on developing tourism infrastructures in Shiite province

Karbala’s local official on Friday called on developing tourist infrastructures in the holy Shiite city, citing an increase in numbers of Arab and foreign pilgrims.

The drastic decline in violence in the past year has led to increasing optimism among security U.S and Iraqi commanders, who have been wary of declaring success after past lulls proved short-lived.the lull is followed by increasing number of pilgrims to religious shrines.

“The city is looking forward to Mid-Shaaban(the anniversary of Imam al-Mahdi Birthday)visit and many Arab and foreign tourists are coming to the holy places,” Abdel al-Al al-Yasiri, the chief of Karbala’s provincial council, told Aswat al-Iraq-Voices of Iraq(VOI).

He noted “we have to set a strategic plan to be implemented by the concerned offices, such as, board of tourism and urban planning along with investment committees”,
The local official pointed out “Karbala, unlike countries that are promoting their tourism with whopping propaganda, has holy shrines that grab tourists to its religious and historical places”.

Iraq has been a no-go zone for most civilian aircraft for almost two decades. First, there were U.N. sanctions after Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait in 1990. Then U.S.-led forces toppled the dictator in 2003, and violence engulfed the country.

Yet, now that armed attacks and sectarian bloodshed have ebbed over the past year, Iraq's government is beginning to promote tourism. It will be a tough sell — and even if officials can grab the attention of the adventuresome, Iraq's tourism facilities are shabby
The opening of a new airport last month in the southern city of Najaf is expected to help boost the number of religious pilgrims, mostly Iranians, visiting Shiite shrines to 1 million this year, double the number that came in 2007.

(Voices of Iraq)