News, Rumors and Opinions Tuesday Afternoon 9-12-2023
KTFA:
Clare: urgent.. In the video.. Al-Sudani: A soon-to-be ministerial reshuffle will be preceded by the change of 15 undersecretaries and advisors
9/11/2023
Al-Sudani said in a statement to a number of local Iraqi media outlets: “We will announce the change of 15 undersecretaries and advisors in all ministries during this week and according to the minister’s evaluation,” noting that “the ministerial change is coming and it has been delayed due to the delay in the financial budget and the evaluation is coming, and certainly there is a ministerial reshuffle soon.”
Regarding the crisis in Kirkuk Governorate, the Prime Minister said, “Kirkuk is a symbol of brotherhood and peaceful coexistence, and it is coming to elections that will be held for the first time since 2005, and they will be national,” noting that “the political forces agreed in their ministerial platform to hand over party headquarters, which is not a governmental measure.”
He added, "I said at the state administration meeting that what is happening is your political commitment and otherwise is reflected on the citizens," noting that "the problem in Kirkuk is not security, but political, and the investigative committee to identify those who fired shots in the Kirkuk incidents is continuing its work."
He pointed out that "arrest warrants have been issued against those who carried weapons and incited the events in Kirkuk, and the results of the investigation will be announced."
Regarding the water crisis in Iraq, he said, “Today we are facing a global crisis in the issue of water scarcity facing Iraq and the region due to climate change. Iraq has suffered greatly because of water, and the solutions regarding the issue are immediate, not strategic. This summer is the harshest season that has ever passed in the history of the Iraqi state, and water resources for the first time record numbers in this regard.” The decrease in the reserve of water and the Iranian side had significant releases into the Karun River, and we were able to double the water releases from Turkey 20 days before the Arba’in visit, and we will present a plan for radical strategic solutions to address the water issue in all its aspects. We need optimal investment in water, and there is a flaw in its management.”
Regarding the recent American military movements, Al-Sudani said that “it was an operation to replace the forces present in Syria, one brigade with another, and the movement of what is present in the bases in Iraq that include advisors, all of which are subject to the approval of the Iraqi government,” stressing that “there is no movement of the existing forces without the knowledge of the Iraqi government,” indicating "The visit of the security delegation to Washington was very successful and we obtained important information about the locations of ISIS leaders in Iraq and they were targeted," pointing out that "our philosophy is to strike ISIS and not wait and attack it everywhere, and we targeted ISIS's command center in the Anbar desert."
He stressed that "Iraq does not need any foreign combat forces, and we have announced it explicitly. We are part of any international effort to fight ISIS, and the Iraqi-American Joint Committee will hold its meeting in mid-September to determine the form of the relationship with the international coalition."
Regarding the railway connection projects with Iraq, the Prime Minister said, “We will not agree to the railway connection with any country to transport goods without completing the Al-Faw port project and the development road. My position is firm and the Iraqi state is serious about putting the development road and Al-Faw port projects into practice, and the railway connection with Iran is for transporting passengers,” he pointed out. "The Minister of Transport is discussing in Saudi Arabia the file of railway connectivity to transport Iraqi passengers and pilgrims."
He stated that "the Grand Corridor and Silk Road projects do not have a corridor inside Iraq, and the development road is considered the best, shortest, and least expensive for transportation and transit. Iraq created it, and there was no seriousness in implementing the Al-Faw port project for the past years, and today we are part of the economic corridors of the world," noting that Iraq "is establishing To industrial cities along the development path, and the industrial city in the Master Plan of the Al-Faw Port project is the largest industrial city in the Middle East.
He noted that he "follows up on a weekly basis the completion rates in Al-Faw Port and the Al-Faw Port and Development Road projects that create a new Iraq with a diversified economy," denying that "there is any delay in the completion of Al-Faw Port and the five berths project in Al-Faw Port, in which the completion rate has reached 73 percent, that is, more than planned." In the year 2025, the Al-Faw Port project will be completed, pointing out that “soon we will invite the countries that have expressed their desire to participate in the path of development to hold a meeting in Baghdad.”
He continued, "The development road is the shortest and least expensive for transporting goods between the East and the West. Technical discussions are continuing. We have confirmed the path of the development road, and we have begun the step of going to an international consultant, and within two weeks the discussions will be resolved to implement the project, and the project has not been implemented in Iraq or the region previously."
Al-Sudani went on to say, “Previous budgets did not go to infrastructure, and our government vision is directed to infrastructure, and the service effort has entered areas that service departments have not entered for years. We now have 963 lagging projects, up from 1,453, and 40 percent of the stalled school projects have been completed, and there will be 3 hospitals in Baghdad is equipped with the latest devices, all of which have been idle since 2012, and the completion of bottleneck-relieving projects, which exceed 25 projects in Baghdad, will change the reality of the capital,” noting that “Baghdad has not witnessed any bottleneck-relieving project since the 1980s, and services will improve clearly.”
The Prime Minister pointed out that "all the details of the process of preparing fertilizers, from the contracts to the farmer, are tainted with corruption and do not reach those who deserve them. We have taken a decision regarding sprinkler irrigation and launched the import of fertilizers, and there will be a review next October of the prices received for the wheat crop and we intend to increase them," pointing out that "Iraq has gone through the most successful season." Agricultural history, and we have a year’s supply of wheat.”
Regarding the dollar exchange rate, Al-Sudani said, “The dollar is linked to many sectors and cannot be dismantled. The banking and financial sector has not witnessed any reform process since 2003, and the Central Bank addressed a previous decision that was not considered when it reduced the current dollar exchange rate, and Iraq’s trade is now reliable and real.”
He added, "The Iraqi and Iranian central banks are working on a mechanism to regulate trade and break the back of the parallel market," noting that "the tobacco trade has zero revenues despite it being the strongest trade. We have real reforms to the financial sector and the teams are working on that matter, and the banks that were banned from dealing in dollars were supposed to be punished by the central bank, and there it is." American understanding of all actions taken regarding reforms from Iraq.”
Regarding anti-corruption efforts, Al-Sudani said, “The commitment to combating corruption is a practical reality and is not part of promises. The will to combat corruption exists and there are no red lines before any file. Investigation committees are formed with all reports and appeals related to corruption and all reports from members of Parliament regarding corruption files. We have investigations and procedures to combat corruption.” "Professionally," indicating that "the principle of recovering money and wanted persons has become a reality and countries have begun to respond to Iraq. For the first time, the corrupt feel that they are being pursued and will not be protected by nationality. Our relationship with countries depends on responding to this file, and that many of those wanted abroad have begun to contact and some of them have surrendered themselves."
The Prime Minister revealed that "the fourth license will soon be presented to the Council of Ministers."
Regarding the crisis in the Kurdistan Region’s employees’ salaries and the region’s budget, Al-Sudani said: “There is no funding in the budget law for the salaries of the region’s employees, but rather Kurdistan’s share, and they are obligated to implement the tripartite budget law, and there are difficulties in implementing it,” stressing that “the region has no surplus funds, and the issue of the region’s salaries is a moral national entitlement towards our citizens.” In Kurdistan.
He explained, "The Council of Ministers does not have the authority to bypass the law, but we can grant loans, and Parliament yesterday requested the finance ministers of the center and the region, and we will alleviate the crisis and the suffering of the citizens of the Kurdistan region."
Regarding the drug file, the Prime Minister described, "Drugs are the first threat facing Iraq, and most of our borders face smuggling. We have set the goal of confronting the drug phenomenon by targeting dealers who have moved to the stage of establishing drug factories."
He added, "We seized tons of drugs and arrested many dealers. The judiciary contributed to resolving many cases. The drug battle requires everyone's solidarity. We are currently conducting a legal review to examine two options: either establishing an independent drug control agency or creating a special agency in the Ministry of Interior to combat drugs."
Al-Sudani continued, "There are institutions concerned with treating addiction to those affected and the establishment of five centers for that."
He stressed, "The State Administration Coalition confirmed that local elections will be held on time. We have allocated and disbursed funds for these elections. We want an elected council that represents the people of the governorate to supervise the distribution of financial allocations." LINK
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Clare: Prime Minister: All ministers are subject to evaluation, and we will work to replace any minister proven to be negligent in his work, and this week we will relieve 15 deputies.
9/11/2023 LINK
Courtesy of Dinar Guru
Guru Nader From The Mid East This is straight from the horses mouth, straight from Sudani. He had an interview today...He talked about security...ISIS and any other terrorist group does not have anymore power in our life. Stability, Iraq is stable. It's amazing. Cannot get more stable than this. Three...we signed all the agreements. It's ready with world trade. It's done. Finished...Iraq become the hub of Asia, Middle East, North Africa and maybe Europe...
Nader From The Mid East The exchange rate has been discussed with the WTO, World Bank...last week in New York they all agreed into it. Iran tried to slow it down but they can't anymore. That's it. They're done...Now we're just waiting for the approval of United States Treasury. They just have to sign it. Everything is done. This is from the horses mouth... Sudani...Happy day today. [Post 2 of 2]
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Major news IQD Iraq
Nader: 9-12-2023