KTFA Members "News and Views" Saturday 8-22-2020

KTFA:

Samson:  Al-Kazemi returns to Baghdad after concluding his visit to Washington

08/22/2020 17:28:53

 The Prime Minister, Mustafa Al-Kazemi, arrived in the capital, Baghdad, on Saturday afternoon, after concluding his visit to Washington. His office said in a brief statement that Al-Furat News received a copy, that "Al-Kazemi returns to Baghdad after concluding his visit to Washington."

After arriving in the American capital, Washington, DC, after midnight last Tuesday, Al-Kazemi held a round of talks with US President Donald Trump and senior officials that resulted in the conclusion of investment contracts with US companies in the economic, humanitarian, political and cultural fields. It was also agreed to continue joint coordination to combat the terrorist ISIS.

Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi described his meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday as "important and successful." Al-Kazemi said, "We agreed with the American side on the redeployment of forces outside Iraq, and we also agreed to set up a technical team to find a mechanism for this deployment." He added, "Iraq has an opportunity to benefit from its partnership with a major industrial country."

Al-Kazemi announced the "signing of an important and beneficial bill for the whole of Iraq regarding oil in Dhi Qar Governorate."   LINK

Samson:  Al-Kazemi concludes his first visit to Washington and returns to Baghdad

22nd August 2020

The Office of the Prime Minister, Mustafa Al-Kazemi said on Saturday that the latter had concluded his first visit to the United States of America.

22nd August 2020

In a brief statement received by Shafaq News, the office said that Al-Kazemi "returns to Baghdad after concluding his visit to Washington."

Al-Kazemi left Tuesday for Washington on his first visit to the United States of America since he took office last May. Al-Kazemi and his accompanying delegation met with US administration officials led by President Donald Trump, and the visit also witnessed a second round of strategic dialogue talks.

Al-Kazemi had said, following his meeting with Trump on Thursday, that the latter had pledged to withdraw the remainder of his country's forces from Iraq within 3 years.

And Iraq concluded in Washington agreements with US energy companies worth up to $ 8 billion, according to a statement issued by the US Department of Energy.   LINK

DeepWoodz:  Take a look at the second picture, zoom in, and this is what I think of....

Lead the way...

George Washington ... 1st President. During the American Revolution, he led the colonial forces to victory over the British and became our national hero. Our beginning of freedom.

Donald J. Trump...45th President and 223 years later. He is leading the charge against what we call an extreme radical left agenda, but should be considered the culmination of evil from around the globe and through the years, that seeks to destroy our United States of America from within because we are too strong any other way.

Mustafa Al-Kahdimi...Prime Minister of Iraq 2020. Good student rubbing shoulders with greatness. Soon to be a great ally and brother in arms to our great United States. You can see it in his smile. It’s genuine, it’s bold, and it’s sincerely appreciative of what our people have sacrificed to put his people on the path to decency. I dare say that with his perspective, he IS Iraq’s first great President.

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Samson:  Mohamed Darraji Reveals A Corruption File Worth 11 Trillion Dinars

22nd August, 2020
Representative Muhammad Sahib al-Darraji revealed that there is corruption in customs imports and the currency auction is estimated at more than 11 trillion dinars.

Al-Darraji said in a tweet on Twitter, followed by Al-Mustaqila, today, Saturday, that “On Wednesday, Customs announced that its imports were two billion dinars, or about one million and 600 thousand dollars, and on the same day the Central Bank sold 226 million dollars, on the basis that it was converted to import.”

He added that "if we take 5% as a minimum for customs, the least thing should be 11.3 million dollars, or about 13 trillion dinars," noting that "there is a difference of 11 trillion dinars."

Al-Darraji asked, "Where did these sums go?"   LINK

Samson:  For the first time in two decades, a surprise US-European agreement on tariff cuts for some goods

22nd August, 2020

The United States and the European Union announced that they had agreed to reduce tariffs imposed on lobsters and some crystal glassware, in a surprise move that could pave the way for a truce in the trade war between the two parties

In a joint statement, the two countries said, "The US Trade Representative, Robert Lighthizer, and European Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan, announced an agreement on customs cuts that would increase the value of US and European exports to hundreds of millions of dollars. "This is the first time in more than two decades that the United States and the European Union announce a reduction in customs duties," the statement added

Since Donald Trump received the keys to the White House, trade tensions between the United States and the European Union have continued to increase after the US president pursued a firm protectionist agenda and imposed punitive tariffs on US steel and aluminum imports from Europe and other countries that were previously considered partners of his country. The US president especially targeted Germany and its exports of cars, as well as France and its exports of wine and cheese. A source in the European Union said, "We consider this agreement a first step towards easing tensions between the United States and the European Union

According to the agreement reached by the two parties, the European Union will cancel customs duties on its imports of American lobsters, both frozen and live. According to the statement, the United States exported in 2017 to the countries of the Union 111 million dollars of these crustaceans, and customs duties on these imports will be canceled retroactively from 1 August 2020 for a period of 5 years

For its part, Washington will reduce by 50% the customs duties it imposes on a number of goods exported by the European Union to the United States, which are valued at $ 160 million annually and include some ready meals, some crystal glassware, lighters and their spare parts, for a period of 5 years that began with a retroactive effect. On August 1

Lighthizer and Hogan emphasized in their statement that this agreement is "mutually beneficial", improves relations between the European Union and the United States, and brings positive results for both . economies.  He stressed that this is only the beginning of a process in which other agreements will be concluded, allowing for more free, fair and equitable transatlantic trade relations   LIN