Easy Bourse, August 4 – The International Monetary Fund said Thursday it approved two reviews of Iraq’s economic reform program, keeping open a precautionary credit line to the government.
Congress called to expand oversight of Iraq rebuilding
The Providence Journal, August 4 – A federal auditor says that the case of Rhode Island-based Custer-Battles illustrates some of the pitfalls of insufficient planning for postwar reconstruction.
U.S. Interests on Line in Iraq
ROBERT H. REID, AP, August 4 – BAGHDAD, Iraq — American generals have laid bare the facts: Baghdad is on the brink of chaos, and the specter of all-out civil war looms.
Instead of standing down, as had been hoped this year, the U.S. military is preparing for a major operation to try to take back Baghdad’s streets from Shiite and Sunni extremists. The goal is to stem sectarian violence that Iraqi security forces could not control.
US donates USD 2.7 million to Pakistan for troops” deployment at Afghan
KUNA, August 3 – The United States Thursday donated USD 2.7 million in aid to its war ally, Pakistan, for deployment of 50 additional Frontier Constabulary (FC) troops at the porous Pak-Afghan border to curb drug smuggling and terrorism.
Hezbollah kills eight Israelis in southern Lebanon, northern Israel
RAMALLAH, Aug 3 (KUNA) – Two Israeli soldiers were killed in fighting with Hezbollah in southern lebanon, while six others were killed in Hezbollah rocket attacks against northern Israel, accroding to the Israeli army and medical sources Thursday.
Kidnap of Iraqi-American commerce chamber chairman postpones forum in Jordan
Kuna, August 8 – As a form of protest to the kidnapping of its chairman in Baghdad by unknown gunmen, the Iraqi-American Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IACCI) postponed on Wednesday a forum scheduled to take place in Jordan.
Iraq Oil Pipeline two years Behind
Washington Post, August 3 – A project to build a critical oil pipeline in northern Iraq has fallen more than two years behind schedule, costing the Iraqi government $14.8 billion in revenue and jeopardizing the safety of local water supplies, according to a report by U.S. government auditors released yesterday.
Johanns, U.S. Agriculture Secretary visits Iraq
Brown Field Network, August 8 – The US Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns arrived in Iraq Monday to discuss the future of Iraqi agriculture with high level officials and Iraqi agricultural producers. Agriculture is the second largest industry in Iraq and employs a quarter of the nation’s work force.
200m UAE Dirham to be invested in Marina 101
UAE daily Khaleej Times reported on August 3 that Sheffield willinvest an additional Dh200 million to the Dh1.4 billion Marina 101 concepttower — the group’s flagship project. Sheffield Real Estate yesterdayalso said that they have got clearances from the Government of Dubai,Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing to operate a full fledged hotel atMarina 101.
Fiddling While Iran Arms
Russia and China delay meaningful U.N. pressure on Tehran.
Los Angeles Times, August 2 – THE U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL issued another ultimatum to Iran on Monday: Give up on your nuclear weapons program by Aug. 31 — or we’ll hold yet another meeting to discuss your fate. As ultimatums go, it wasn’t especially effective. It may even play into Iran’s hands by allowing it to keep stalling.
The leaders of Iran’s extremist regime have repeatedly played the Security Council and other international bodies, making occasional cooperative noises and claiming that they’re only interested in civilian power while continuing to accelerate their nuclear activities. Most experts think the country is still years away from being able to produce a nuclear weapon, but with each passing month it enriches more uranium — which can be used for power and weapons — and increases its capabilities. Even if Iran eventually suspends this work, the more progress it makes now, the more dangerous it could be later.
Tehran’s response to a European offer in June, said to include such incentives as advanced technology and an end to the ban on sales of U.S. aircraft parts, was typical: It simply didn’t respond. The day the offer was made, Iranian engineers began enriching more uranium. Weeks later, Tehran announced that it would make a decision Aug. 22. On Tuesday, Iran responded belligerently to the U.N. resolution, with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad saying his country would never give in to such threats.
