AMERICAN CONTRACTOR INTEL - 1/24/10

24 January 2010

The Iraqi Parliament failed again to ratify the 2010 Iraq budget. In accordance with the Iraqi Constitution their legislative session ends on 31 January 2010. The Iraqi Parliament now has 6 days (31 Jan) to pass the budget. Are some Parliament members conducting blackmail, saying you pass this and I will pass that.

From all the political bickering going on chances of passing (budget) are very small. It looks like political suicide from here. Just think the same political blocs that are in power now in the current Iraq Parliament are the same political blocs that will be candidates in the upcoming elections 7 March. Just different people of course.

The Iraqi National Alliance (INA) are very adamant about certain provisions that need to be in the 2010 Iraq budget. INA saying if they don't do this then no problem we will do it when we form the next new government. I think the INA is getting ahead of themselves.

With all of this going on now you have another holiday. The Al-Arba'in pilgrimage religious holiday being celebrated for the next few days. The worshipers would be heading to Karbala for the holy rituals. Surely, the Iraqi parliament members would skip this holiday ritual, right?!! This week is very important or maybe not.

In Diyala, you had 13,000 members of the Awakening leave there checkpoints in protest for the arrests of members and other managers. Just in time the government does this right before the election in March. Unemployed and have guns.

The members who are on the list whom have been banned in the upcoming elections have 72 hours to appeal. The Iraqi Parliament have set up a cassation committee to look at all the appeals. The cassation committee is made up of seven judges appointed by the High Judicial Council.

The President Jalal Talabani, went on Iraqi TV and had this to say about the banned names. Talabani says that "a solution that observes the law and constitution will be sought by which the law is applied to all," adding that "we discussed the need to guarantee that the elections are held on time, and if there are legal issues that require time to be reviewed and resolved, then we hope they are postponed until after the elections."

This is great but how long do you think it will take to hear every appeal out of the 511 names? That is if everyone appealed, days, weeks, years? The names are dwindling down as 75 candidates who handed in there documents to the electoral commission were actually forged documents. They must have ran them through a del a rue machine.

The Kurdistan Alliance is getting out front and getting some press time talking about VP Biden visit. Firyad Rawaanduzi, who is the current spokesman, said that Biden visit will not reverse the Justice and Accountability Commission (JAC) decision to ban those election candidates. I wonder if VP Biden, had any incentives or did he just do lunch and left as quickly as he came. I wonder if they were any benni's maybe they will be released in due time. And no I am not talking about an RV either. I am talking about serious matters.

Rawanduzi did say this "The first option is the one that is supported by the majority, and this is to let the law to scrutinize those candidates who have been mentioned in the (JAC) lists, to see whether they have links to the former regime's Ba'th Party or not; if not then they can take part in the election.

My comments is Firyad, how long do you think this is going take? You still think we will have the elections on time?

The reason VP Biden came to Iraq and all this from my friends at the Baghdad coffee shop on Hiyfa Street.

1. The Framework Strategic Treaty between the U.S. and Iraq
2. To assist Iraq in exiting out of the United Nations Chapter Seven
3. The Security measures to start the U.S. withdrawal in August 2010

Biden was smart enough not to make comments about Iraq's internal affairs so he had a plan B and I give him credit for that.

The United Nations has authorized the extension of the U.S. President memo to protect the DFI funds. Remember it was suppose to expire in May and now the U.N. has extended the mandate to the end of the year 2010. I already knew this as I told you last summer it was always going to be extended and do not be surprised the way things are going in the Iraqi Government could very well could be extended again till the end of 2011. Just so you know Chapter Seven and DFI protection are one.

The governates are in need of funds to operate so the Iraq Finance Minister Bayan Jabr al-Zubaydi, has advised those governates to come and collect 20% of the 2010 Budget. Maybe that will keep them from rioting later.

A Ministry of Trade report says 166 different factories established in Kurdistan Region in 2009.

The Iraqi government is making headway on recovering money from others during the oil for food program.

The Iraqi government is looking at signing deals with Russia for weapons very shortly.

PM Maliki had announced that 70,000 army and police officers who served in the former army and police are considered for retirement pensions after the election in March. Maybe the Iraqi government will come out and say no you can not get a pension because you were a member of the Ba'ath party or in any case that's a lot of money in retirement pensions.

The Ration Card; if you make more then 2,100 usd a month you no longer get the staples, the benefits of the Ration Card.

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