The Central Bank closed shop banking is approved
July 31 2012

Economists hailed the decision of the Iraqi Central Bank of Iraq was closed more than 190 Mketbalchirfah unlicensed dealing in U.S. dollars.

He said the economist, Dr. Hilal Taan that although this decision came too late, but he is correct and wise, because it will stand general currency smuggling, and money laundering operations, and operations of speculation, which aims to Zazh prices, and the instability of the exchange rate of the Iraqi dinar. To the one that showed the banking stores in Baghdad displeasure with this resolution, which he said was issued without prior warning, as well as the closure of these shops will increase the price of the dollar.
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It’s not clear when we’ll meet again for oil and gas law, says parliamentary committee
July 31 2012

ERBIL (AKnews) : A member of Iraq’s parliamentary oil and gas committee announced that members do not know when the committee and legal committee will meet to choose one of the three draft oil and gas laws sent to parliament.

Farhad Atrushi said: “There was a suggestion for the oil and gas and legal committees to hold a meeting on Wednesday to choose one of the three oil and gas drafts but the meeting was postponed and we don’t know when we will meet to start a discussion about the draft.
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Iraqi Army carries out Exercise with life ammunition
31/07/2012 22:05:00

Baghdad (NINA) : The Iraqi Army conducted a “live-fire” training exercise on July 17 as part of an ongoing effort to improve its military strategic skills. The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, through the Office of Security Cooperation in Iraq (OSC-I), supported the Iraqi-led exercise as part of its commitments under the Strategic Framework Agreement.

A statement issue on Tuesday, July 31, by the Embassy of the United States said, "The exercise, which featured American-made M113 armored personnel carriers, and the “live fire” use of mortars and artillery, demonstrated the Iraqi Army’s capability to plan and train for realistic combat scenarios. The exercise also introduced Iraqi junior officers and soldiers to the effects of direct and indirect fire."
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Ministry of Finance provide the date payment of salaries on the occasion of the approaching holiday
07.31.2012

Baghdad (news): The Ministry of Finance to bring forward the pay of staff of the ministries of all, mark the end of the feast. statement said the ministry has received the Agency (news) a copy of it on Tuesday: That came to the approaching holiday Eid al-Fitr for the purpose of open space for spending units to exchange salaries of a father and a coincidence time payment of salaries during the holiday. He added that the date for payment of salaries to the staff of the ministries will be starting from August 12 to 15 thereof.
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Bankers are preparing the country's entry of global banks a real incentive to invest
Wednesday 1/8/2012 6:57

Baghdad / Ahmed Abed Rabbo : welcomed banking experts to enter the international banks of the country by opening branches fixed it, pointing out that it would pay the wheel of investment as well as the introduction of technology of modern banking.
announced that Arab banks to open branches in Baghdad and the provinces, while there are international banks other Kalawrobeh and American

Expressed willingness to open branches in Iraq during the coming period. The director of government banks in the Ministry of Finance Crescent Taan entry of international banks of the country by opening branches in a profitable business for both parties because the investment market in Iraq in need of capital-in the foreign banks as the latter aims to achieve profits.

said Taan (range): The sector banking system in Iraq is Ghaderaly keep pace with evolution in fact the investment witnessed in the economic sectors, pointing out that it is necessary to enter the banking world as it has large amounts of capital that will promote major projects as well as create competition with local banks in addition to training Iraqi personnel in place.
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Total to hunt for oil in Iraq's Kurdish north
July 31, 2012

BAGHDAD (AP) : French oil giant Total S.A. said Tuesday it has acquired an interest in two oil exploration areas in Iraq's Kurdish north from Marathon Oil Corp., joining U.S. oil majors Exxon Mobil Corp. and Chevron Corp. in the self-rule region.

The deal threatens to worsen tensions between the Kurds and Iraqi authorities in Baghdad, who insist the country's energy resources should be managed on a national level.

Total and Houston-based Marathon said the deal will give the French company a 35 percent stake in the Harir and Safen blocks, which are located northeast of the regional capital Irbil. They cover areas of 705 and 424 square kilometers (272 and 164 square miles) respectively.
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Parliamentary Finance: political blocs delay the supplementary budget
Wednesday 1/8/2012 9:47

Baghdad / Mohammad Sabah : revealed the Finance Committee in parliament about the presence of serious reservations by the political blocs to approve the supplementary budget, pointing out that the Cabinet had allocated (24) A degree of functional interior and defense of the total (40) A score allocated to all institutions State.

The federal government has provided the supplementary budget to parliament last week for a total of $ 9.8 trillion dinars (about $ 10 billion) were distributed among two trillion dinars for the projects of the Ministry of electricity and 1.4 trillion for the ration card trillion dinars and allocations to the Ministry of Defence. The Cabinet had approved the third of this month on the supplementary budget of 10 billion dollars.
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US targets banks that help Iran// Iraq's Elaf Islamic Bank
Aug 1 2012

Washington (IANS): US President Barack Obama Tuesday announced new sanctions against foreign banks that help Iran sell its oil.

Obama said the latest round of sanctions is to "deter Iran from establishing payment mechanisms for the purchase of Iranian oil to circumvent existing sanctions".

China's Bank of Kunlun and Iraq's Elaf Islamic Bank have been targeted for "knowingly" enabling financial transactions for blacklisted Iranian banks, Xinhua reported.
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Heads of parliamentary blocs gathered this evening at Maliki's office
7/31/2012 11:57:46 Tuesday

Baghdad (news) : Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, to the heads of parliamentary blocs to hold a meeting with them in his office this evening, to discuss the political crisis and the solutions are discussed on the seriousness of the situation in the region, especially the Syrian crisis.

The source, who kept his name in the statement (of the Agency news) on Tuesday: that al-Maliki and the point of an official invitation to the heads of parliamentary blocs in the House of Representatives, with their presence to his office this evening, in order to discuss the political developments and the search for solutions to the current political crisis, adding that the meeting will address to the seriousness of the situation surrounding the country, including the Syrian crisis and its repercussions on Iraq.
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Iraq's new violence leaves some US military members questioning war; others say wait and see
July 31 2012

Just months after the U.S. military departed, violence in Iraq is increasing. Hundreds of people have died in recent weeks in bombings and drive-by shootings, some claimed by al-Qaida insurgents.

How do the U.S. troops who fought in Iraq for nearly nine years, and in December completed withdrawing from what was supposed to be an emerging democracy, view the turmoil? What do they feel it means to the legacy of their time on the ground? Associated Press reporters who cover military bases and communities in the U.S. asked some of those veterans.

More than 1.5 million Americans served in the Iraq War, and these are just a handful of voices from among those ranks, offering a range of perspectives. Some worry the sacrifices may have been for nothing. Others have put all news of Iraq behind them as they focus on their civilian lives. Some take a long view and say history has yet to decide the war's outcome. Here are their views.
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