First State Department “New Media Technology” Delegation Travels to Iraq
The delegation includes a mix of CEOs, Vice-Presidents and senior representatives from AT&T, Google, Twitter, Howcast, Meetup, You Tube, Automattic/Wordpress, and Blue State Digital. During their visit to Iraq, they will provide conceptual input as well as ideas on how new technologies can be used to build local capacity, foster greater transparency and accountability, build upon anti-corruption efforts, promote critical thinking in the classroom, scale-up civil society, and further empower local entities and individuals by providing the tools for network building. As Iraqis think about how to integrate new technology as a tool for smart power, we view this as an opportunity to invite the American technology industry to be part of this creative genesis.
April 2009Monthly Archives
Google executives in Iraq
Iraq Stock Exchange First Day Electronic Trading
After four months without a Speaker I’ve kind of got carried away with the last post and forgot about the first day of the electronic trading in the Iraq Stock Exchange.
Great News after this morning trading session the ISX went up approximately 20%.
Remember I’ve said there is a large investment conference in London and PM Maliki will be attending as it is an important meeting and lets hope he can convince companies to invest in Iraq.
Iraq needs outside funding something the private Iraqi banks are not structured appropriately to take on the reconstruction effort that is badly needed in Iraq.
Council of Representatives Elected New Speaker
The winner is Dr. Iyad al-Samarrai. Congratulations.
Iraq parliament promises to push Shell out of gas deal
The Oil and Gas committee was formed by the Ministry of Oil and is trying to follow the constitution and realizes the Shell Oil Company doesn’t cut it.
More problems, we really need a Speaker quick.
PRESIDENT TALIBANI SEEKING 2nd TERM
Around 15 March 2009 Iraq President Talabani announced that he was not going to seek a second term and was going to retire and write his memoirs if I recall correctly. Well, now he has changed his mind and will be seeking a 2nd term as Iraq President.
With all the problems with Kirkuk, Power sharing, Peshmerga’s, Oil and Gas law, PKK and PUK politics and list of other things I guess he wants it all worked out before he hangs up his hat.
Plus I bet he would miss all the plane rides to exotic places and all those bennies..I am joking. I know he cares about Iraq and all Iraqi’s.
The national elections are in December 2009 or early 2010.
IRAQ JORDAN OIL PIPELINE
The Iraqi Ambassador in Amman is Sa’d al-hayyani who recently gave an interview to a Jordanian arabic newspaper and gave comments about the pipeline from Iraq to Jordan.
Iraqi Parliament Speaker Update
As you all know the Iraqi Parliament is in search of a Speaker and is having a difficult time in electing a new Speaker so that they can get on with legislation with the new year. The Council of Representatives have been long frustrated and just recently appointed a parliamentary committee to agree on certain parameters or proceedings in electing the new Speaker.
No Speaker
Even after several weeks, the Iraqi Parliaments vacation did not do them any good. Today, Tuesday, they still could not elect a Speaker, still waiting on the courts decision on the matter. Remember without a Speaker nothing gets done no legislation enacted, no Oil and Gas Law, nothing and the drama continues.
Russian Oil Companies and Iraq
The visit to Russia by PM Maliki is leaving the Russians in a great mood and Lukoil is changing or amending their oil contracts with Iraq to meet the new legislation as the Russians have there eye on Iraq’s West Qurna-2 oilfield.
The agreement to work on the field was signed by a consortium of the Russian companies Lukoil, Mashinoimport and Zarubezhneft.
PM Maliki will be headed to London for an Investment conference he surely does not want to miss.
New Iraqi Political Party
A new political party has just been formed by the ex Iraqi Speaker Mahmud al-Mashhadani, called the Independent National Trend. The new party includes MP’s from various parliamentary blocs.
One member Nadim al-Jabiri, says “We are seeking to spread national ideas in Iraq to confront the sectarian scheme which prevailed in the past and which undermined and caused a split in Iraqi society. We have realized the dangers posed by the sectarian approach to Iraq and to its national and social unity.”
