Reports From Irak July 3rd 2007
Today’s reports are from various Arabic sources and some English reports from Aswat Al Iraq and Al Zaman.
Oil Law Ratified Sent For Debate
The green zone government cabinet has endorsed the oil law and is sending it to parliament. The Oil Ministry said last month that an agreement had been reached between the central government in Baghdad and Kurdish officials on the controversial points in the bill of oil. The cabinet had approved the law in February but its provisions which enabled the Baghdad government to faced strong opposition from the Kurdish parties in the ruling coalition who object to its provisions that took control of oilfields from regional governments and gave it to a new state oil company. The oil and gas law is one of the most contentious issues in Irak, and there are strong differences between the political blocs around the law. The law gives investors Iraqis and foreigners the right to establish facilities and oil refineries and invest in them on exceptionally favourable terms for a period of up to 50 years, after which they would revert to the Iraki government. The law the debate on which is to start tomorrow in the green zone parliament is one of several major sources of internal political friction in Irak others are:
- The law abolishing the Ba’ath Party.
- The status of Kirkuk.
- The Law on Local Elections.
- The review of the Iraqi constitution.
The green zone government has been subjected to considerable pressure by the American invaders of Irak to pass legislation on these matters in tune with American desires.
More than half of the Iraqi oil production is subject to smuggling and theft
An Iraqi oil expert said that more than half of Iraqi oil goes to unknown destinations as a result of the theft involving some countries and major international companies. He said that the theft was carried out through Basra, in cooperation with senior officials in the Basra governorate and the Ministry of Oil. He pointed out that May and June had witnessed a big rise in robbery, as the theft of more than 50% of crude oil production. And said that that the scandals disclosed recently were an attempt to cover up the largest thefts. Full report here.
Human Rights In KRG
Human Rights Watch have issued a report on Human Rights in Iraki Kurdistan. The report details the widespread use of torture by the Kurdish security forces, use of electricity on the body, beatings with metal rods, flogging using cables, are among the techniques practised.
Extract:
In routinely ill-treating detainees and denying them basic due process rights, the Kurdistan authorities have violated both international human rights law and Iraqi law. Iraq is a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and other treaties that prohibit torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and which provide detainees with due process rights, including the right to be notified of charges at the time of arrest. Iraq’ s Code of Criminal Procedure (CCP), which applies to all persons in Iraq, including residents of Kurdistan, provides protections against arbitrary arrest and detention, such as requiring criminal suspects to be brought before an investigating judge within 24 hours of arrest. Amendments to the CCP enacted by the Kurdistan National Assembly provide detainees with further protections, including the right to engage legal counsel or have legal counsel appointed at the investigative stage.
Source: Caught in the Whirlwind: Torture and Denial of Due Process by the Kurdistan Security Forces: I. Summary. The Arabic version of the report is here, the report in Kurdish can be downloaded as a PDF from here, the English links are as follows:
- Read the full report
- Read the Summary
- Read the Recommendations
- The report is also available as a PDF.
Reports From Baghdad
10 people were killed and 20 wounded in the car bombing of the market in al-Shaab (north of Baghdad) many of the victims were women and children and the toll is expected to rise. The market is large and busy and people come to it from all around. The bombing took place at a time which is generally relatively quiet and security sources say this may indicate a change in tactics.
Major Hisham Saleh an interior ministry police intelligence officer was shot dead in central Baghdad.
Five civilians have been wounded so far in this evening’s mortar attacks in Baghad. Two in Bai’aa (west Baghdad) three in the town of Mahmoudiyah, (south of Baghdad,).
19 unidentified bodies were found in Baghdad.
The health system in Al Kharkh (Western side of the river) is short more than 6000 medical staff and is unable to repair its aged equipment such as sonar devices, radiology equiment such as x-ray machines, or even devices used in surgery according Dr. Jalil Shamari the head of the service.
An American tank was destroyed by a bomb on the New Baghdad Road south west Baghdad witnesses said that the explosion “caused casualties among the crew of the tank,” There is a large American military base close by.
A U.S. helicopter was shot down south of Baghdad and its two pilots were rescued by another U.S. helicopter.
The ministry for education has said that
20,000 teacher positions are vacant and
invited teachers to apply for jobs.
The deadline for submission of applications
July 15th 2007
There are moves within the green zone government ruling coalition to replace Maliki as premier with his predecessor Ibrahim al-Jaafari, the former green zone government premier ousted at the behest of the American occupiers.
The Islamic Party led by by Tariq Al Hashimi announced its refusal to join four-party alliance.
The Government of Brazil has offered to resettle an estimated 100 Palestinian refugees who formerly lived in Iraq. Most of the Palestinians have been living in Ruwayshed inside Jordan – 60 km from the Iraq border – for the past four years. There, they have faced extremely harsh conditions in a dusty and scorpion-infested desert camp with nowhere to go. Read in full
Almelaf are giving its readers a chance to submit questions to be answered by the electricity minister.
Reports From The Governorates & Other Reports
Relatively quiet day.
Including two reports from English edition of Al Zaman:
- Even Green Zone has it own fuel crisis : Baghdad’s Green Zone, the only relatively quiet area in Baghdad, is suffering from the chronic fuel crisis gripping the country since the 2003-U.S. invasion…. more 03/07/2007
- Our abnormal government! : The political administration of the country is passing through a stage unseen in the history of any nation. The administration we have is so abnormal to the extent that none of its politicians are worthy to rule. They in fact need someone to rule over them…. more 03/07/2007
Al Anbar Governorate
A suicide bomber gained access to the home of Sheikh Kamel Mohammed al-Dahal al-Issawi in Amiriyat al-Falluja district, 20 km south of Fallujah when he dotnated his bomb he killed 4 people and wounded seven. The Sheikh is the head of is the chairman of the American-supported Anbar Salvation Council
The American base at Saqlawiyah came under mortar attack.
At-Ta’mim (Kirkuk) Governorate
In Kirkuk a car bomb parked near a fuel station in al-Waseti exploded as the convoy of Colonel Adnan Mohammad chief of police of al-Adala was passing. He survived, two civilians were killed, 19 people were wounded 12 of them civilians and 7 of them police.
Babil Governorate
The Journalistic Freedoms Observatory (JFO) have said that the head of the Babil governorate Mohammad al-Massoudi is, responsible for the attack on reporters from Radio Sawa in Hilla, Hussein al-Abassi, and al-Sumariya satellite television in Babel, Iman Mohammad, by security guards and police and are demanding an investigation into the incidents. The Arabic report is here The English report is here.
Gunmen hijacked a convoy of four tankers laden with Kerosine north of Hilla the convoy was en route to Baghdad. Armed men forced the drivers to stop near Rashid (70 km north of Hilla,) and leave their trucks. Police were able to track them as far as Latifiyah but lost the scent then.
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Basra Governorate
Men dressed in police uniforms killed a civilain in a market in Basrah. Also an artist was kidnapped.
The British bases and the JCC came under attack, no casualties.
Ninawa Governorate
Major General Al-Haj Issa the the President of the Ninawa Governorate Council was arrested on Monday for embezzlement and participation in an organised corruption ring. An arrest warrant has also been issued for another member of the council (the finance committee) Francis Mansour, current whereabouts unknown. PUK media describe the amounts of money involved as “huge.” [Note to readers: The post of head of Ninawa province is reserved to the police in Mosul.]
Six children aged between three and nine were injured by a mortar shell that hit their home in the Cairo neighborhood north of Mosul on Tuesday evening. In a separate incident a policeman was killed and two others wounded as they investigated a corpse that had been booby trapped with a bomb.
The case of the prominent Kurdish leader arrested in Sinjar following the escape of a kidnapped soldier that we reported yesterday continues. Today there are reports that phones to the area have been cut and that he has been directly implicated in terror campaign of intimidation and ethnic cleansing being carried out against Turkmen and Arabs in the area to persuade the to vote for integration into the Kurdish ruled governorates. Some sources have named him as as Talal Hussein a local leader of the KDP.
A cache containing explosives was discovered in a village near Tal Afar. In a separate incident a truck loaded with food and Katyusha rockets was discovered and seized as it approached Tal Afar.
Mosul observer:
11:09
US forces raids a mosque in Mosul today 3/7/2007.
US forces raided this morning Thiyab Mosque in Al-Muharibeen district, east part of City of Mosul. The mosque was searched and the resident caretaker, Abu Ahmed, was arrested.
8:59
Arrest order for Francis Mansour, Member of Nineveh Governorate (County) Council (NGC)
Anti Corruption Commission issued an arrest order on Francis Mansour, another member of NGC. Mr Mansour was Chair of the Finance Committee and has been accused of malfeasance, however, Mr Mansour is a fugitive and has not been arrested yet.
Six children aged between three and nine were injured by a mortar shell that hit their home in the Cairo neighborhood north of Mosul on Tuesday evening. In a separate incident a policeman was killed and two others wounded as they investigated a corpse that had been booby trapped with a bomb.
Wasit Governorate
Residents in Kut say that Camp Delta came under mortar attack early this morning, recently it has been subjected to repeated attacks with Katyusha rockets and mortar shells.
