Zig’s Place Chat and News Thursday PM 4-1-21

Zig:  Welcome to zig's place, a chat room for dinar speculators and others....discuss any topic that you wish here

Xyz   4-1-2021 Intel Guru Frank26 All I know is this blessing is coming. I have no doubt.

Butterfly     Meet the brave women defusing mines in Iraq 2021-04-01 15:06

Shafaq News/ Despite opposition from friends and family, a group of brave Iraqi women are dedicated to saving lives.  Suited up in protective gear, a team of women fan out across the rugged fields of Basra.

Defying rigid gender norms in Iraq, they search with careful precision for dangerous explosives.

Hind Ali explains why she joined the all-female demining team.

"The main reason I joined the team is a humanitarian one. Vast areas of the province of Basra have a lot of mines, people have been prevented from living on those lands. Moreover, there is a lack of awareness among some people that has caused countless accidents in the province of Basra."

Ridding their province from landmines – the 14 women were trained over the course of 40 days.

Equipping them with the tools and knowledge to find and safely clear different types of mines.

The difficulty and danger of the task however, was not their only obstacle.But rejection from their community for women to take up such tasks has also proven difficult.

"Until now, no one has encouraged me in this field, because, well you know, families are worried. Just hearing the term 'demining' causes immense fear for many people, especially with parents and close relatives, even now, my family and close friends are completely against it."

Over the past years, mines have killed and injured dozens of Iraqis in the east and west of the city.

In Basra, there are thousands of kilometres still full of mines, as a result of the Iraq-Iran war and the Gulf war. With each piece of new ground cleared, these women are saving lives.

https://shafaq.com/en/Iraq-News/Meet-the-brave-women-defusing-mines-in-Iraq

butterfly  https://www.rcinet.ca/en/2021/04/01/canada-to-welcome-more-yazidi-refugees-and-other-survivors-of-isis/     Posted: Thursday, April 1, 2021 15:00

Last Updated: Thursday, April 1, 2021 15:57 The federal government is planning to resettle in Canada hundreds of additional Yazidi refugees and other survivors of the Islamic State reign of terror in Northern Iraq in an effort to help reunite refugees with surviving members of their extended families, federal officials told Radio Canada International Thursday.

Since 2017, Canada has resettled about 1,400 survivors – mostly women and girls – of the ISIS genocidal campaign to target religious minorities in Northern Iraq. However, many of the refugees had to leave family members behind.

Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Marco Mendicino announced Tuesday a new policy that will allow these refugees to reunite with extended family members, including siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles.

“Having survived abuse, torture and even genocide at the hands of Daesh, the Yazidis and other groups are among the most vulnerable refugees in the world,” Mendocino said in a statement, referring to the Arabic acronym for ISIS.

“Guided by compassion, we are now redoubling our efforts to reunite their families. Our new policy will ensure that more Yazidis and other survivors can be reunited with loved ones so that they can start new lives in Canada.”

Canada to resettle 1,200 Yazidi refugees

Mendicino’s press secretary, Alexander Cohen, told Radio Canada International that the federal government expects that this new policy will support the resettlement of some 250 family and extended family members who were in captivity or missing as well as others who didn’t meet the definition of immediate family member or refugee.

butterfly  “We are already working with partners to identify vulnerable Yazidi women and children and other survivors of Daesh and their family members, and we expect to begin welcoming them to Canada later this year,” Cohen said in an email.

These kinds of operations are “extremely difficult and complex” given the volatility in region, Cohen said.

“Furthermore, identifying vulnerable Yazidi women and children and other survivors of Daesh for resettlement is particularly challenging and makes this effort very different from Canada’s resettlement of Syrian refugees, where government-assisted refugees were selected from pools of refugees already registered with the United Nations Refugee Agency,” Cohen said.

Thousands of Yazidis are ready to move to Canada: NGO

In anticipation of these new refugees, the federal government has plans and personnel in place to ensure these families are properly supported, he added.

“Due to reasons of operational security and to protect the safety of the survivors of Daesh, as well our partners and our staff, we cannot provide details on if or when personnel may be dispatched to the region,” Cohen said.

In 2017, Canadian officials worked in close collaboration with the Iraqi government, the Kurdish Regional Government in Northern Iraq, the International Organization for Migration, the United Nations refugee agency, and Yazda, an international NGO working to help Yazidi survivors of ISIS atrocities, to identify and process refugees for resettlement in Canada.

According to government statistics, as of Jan. 31, 2021, Canada has welcomed 1,356 government-assisted survivors of ISIS (1,149 Yazidi women and girls) and 94 privately sponsored survivors (all Yazidi women and girls).

Butterfly   They’ve been primarily resettled to Toronto, London, Winnipeg, and Calgary. These cities were chosen following comprehensive consultations with stakeholders to identify where existing Yazidi communities were established and where adequate support, including medical, psychosocial, and interpretation services, was in place, officials said.

butterfly  Dave I thought you could pat yourself on the back for what Canada is doing.

Dave  sarcasm

butterfly  If it wasn't for immigrants, none of us would be here.

Dave bingo....or thats what a Humanitarian may think?

PeteV  hi peoples

Dave  remote possibility....we be rich soon?

PeteV hope so

butterfly  https://www.shafaq.com/en/Report/Challenges-and-risks-for-NATO-in-Iraq  Challenges and risks for NATO in Iraq 2021-04-01 06:40

Shafaq News/ War on The Rocks, an American website specialized in military affairs, considered that when NATO suspended its training and advisory mission in Iraq following the killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani in January 2020, the alliance experienced its first reality check on its new enterprise in the country.

Iraq reportedly was and remains a tragic playground for domestic, regional, and international competition. Now NATO member states have agreed to expand the alliance’s Iraqi mission. “What has changed in the last year? And how will the alliance fare?”

COVID-19 may have temporarily constrained the behavior of some regional actors, particularly Iran, but the situation remains as challenging as ever and the distance between the level of ambition in Brussels and the reality on the ground in Baghdad remains significant.

Despite renewed support for the alliance, the new U.S. administration appears still eager to continue with progressive disengagement from Iraq. The mission will therefore test NATO’s well-known burden-sharing problems. European allies will be called to a greater role in the mission as the United States draws down, a factor that will necessarily bring about significant operational challenges to overcome.

The expanded mission will present NATO with the opportunity to evaluate its limited role in the Middle East, as well as its ability to deliver effective results in security-sector reform in such a polarizing political and security environment.

The mission will only succeed if it is properly resourced by the alliance nations and rooted in serious and meaningful engagement with the Iraqis.

NATO needs to decide whether it wants to invest in building effective political influence in the Middle East or be confined to the role of providing technical capacity-building.

butterfly  A Greater European Role

In February 2021, NATO defense ministers agreed to enlarge the alliance’s mission in Iraq. The expanded mission will work with a broader range of ministries beyond just the Ministry of Defense, and will possibly operate outside the Baghdad area.

There will be a significant rise in personnel too: Up to 4,000 civilian and military staff are set to join the mission, up from a maximum of 500. The expansion will be incremental, conditions-based, and negotiated step by step with the Iraqi authorities.

Established in 2018, NATO Mission Iraq has thus far focused on professionalizing the Iraqi security forces, advising national security institutions — the Ministry of Defense and the Office of the National Security Advisor — and training the trainers, including the Iraqi Army Bomb Disposal School, the School of Administration and Logistics, and the Military Medical School.

These activities have complemented the work of the American-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIL, the United Nations, and the European Union Advisory Mission in Iraq, the last of which is small and confined to strategic-level advising at Iraq’s Ministry of Interior.

Over the last year, however, many of these activities have stalled due to a double whammy of factors — the killing of Soleimani in January 2020 and the global COVID-19 pandemic — that have together contributed to halting progress and led to a departure of NATO personnel from Iraq.

butterfly  With the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIL reducing its footprint and activities in Iraq, the upgraded NATO mission is set to expand its scope. For instance, it is expected that the mission will initially broaden its role within the Ministry of Defense to include advising on leadership development, good governance, and policy and planning.

In the future, and subject to Iraqi requests, NATO may also undertake the advising of the federal police, which sits under the Ministry of Interior and has up until recently been trained and advised by the Italian Carabinieri.

Italy will take the command of NATO Mission Iraq from Denmark in 2022, reflecting the sustained willingness of European countries to play their role in NATO’s burden-sharing. Spain, which is a leading European contributor to the anti-ISIL coalition and already plays a prominent role in NATO Mission Iraq’s training activities, is also well-placed to undertake a future leadership role.

In a departure from President Donald Trump, the Joe Biden administration has been quick to praise and reinforce the role of NATO allies and the value of multilateral frameworks, including in Iraq. With the U.S. presence in Iraq drawing down, European nations’ willingness to step in to fill the likely operational gaps will therefore be crucial to the sustainability of NATO’s mission in Iraq.

butterfly   Operational Challenges

The report mentioned the drawdown of the anti-ISIL coalition will have some significant implications for NATO in Iraq, but the upgraded NATO mission should not be simply considered as a transition of activities from the coalition to NATO. The two missions’ mandates are different — unlike the coalition, the NATO operation remains a non-combat mission with NATO personnel not involved in the training or accompanying of military units at the tactical level.

But NATO will build upon the coalition’s gains and will be likely to put more emphasis on strategic-level advisory efforts once the main coalition-supported military operations end. While the coalition is in the last phase of its military campaign, we do not yet have an announced end-date for its operations.

In light of a greater European role within the NATO mission in Iraq, there are likely to be teething problems. Moving from the agile and flexible coalition framework to the highly standardized, bureaucratic, and consensus-based NATO mechanisms will bring operational challenges.

NATO’s force-generation process, the formal and often lengthy procedure through which alliance nations provide the necessary personnel and equipment for missions and operations, will take time to reach the required operational capability. Any significant expansion of the mission will therefore have to deal with a protracted process before it is properly equipped.

The NATO mission in Iraq is the first such mission with a strong civilian component, which mainly provides strategic-level advice to the Ministry of Defense. The expanded NATO mission will likely see an increase in these civilian elements. Success will therefore rest on NATO allies providing high-quality civilian personnel capable of navigating the complex bureaucracies of the Ministry of Defense and possibly the Ministry of Interior.

butterfly  The NATO mission aims to become more self-sufficient but currently relies on the anti-ISIL coalition’s enablers — mainly American-provided intelligence, infrastructure, basing, and logistics. Some countries may decide to reflag their military personnel under the NATO umbrella, but the mission will require its own enablers, as briefly alluded to by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg during a recent press conference. If European allies are serious about burden-sharing, this is an area where they could do more.

It is not yet clear whether and how the NATO mission will go beyond the Baghdad area. It is not unimaginable that NATO could move to providing some level of strategic advising to the Kurdish Peshmerga in the north of Iraq in the future.

Any such expansion, however, will have to be requested by the Iraqi government and approved by NATO countries, to include Turkey. Given the difficult triangle of relations between Iraqi Kurdish factions, Baghdad, and Ankara, this will be tricky to negotiate.

Expectations for NATO in Iraq and in the Middle East

As per the report, the upgraded NATO Mission in Iraq will be demand-driven, and the relevant question is: What does the Iraqi government want or need? The Iraqi government has definitely requested support in the professionalization of their security institutions.

However, NATO should not overlook the political, security, and socio-economic context in which the mission will operate in order to link strategic ambitions with realistic expectations.

butterfly  Iraq is still experiencing a delicate transition process from a military campaign to recovery, reconstruction, and wider stability. There are myriad issues to consider — an ambitious economic reform program, looming parliamentary elections, the unresolved future of the Popular Mobilization Forces, resurgent jihadist activity, and the uncertain prospect of American-Iranian relations.

In opening up to the expansion of the NATO mission in Iraq, with a demand-driven approach and more of a European face than an American one, Iraq’s Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi has attempted to reach the dual objective of an assertion of Iraqi sovereignty coupled with a U.S. drawdown.

He has also tried to seriously engage with neighboring countries, including Iran, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia, to secure political and economic support and navigate the region’s dangerous and delicate competitions.

In this context, the NATO mission will play a role in wider security-sector reforms — an important domain, but one that cannot deliver quick wins and is highly polarizing in Iraq. And such reforms are not a panacea for wider structural problems.

NATO can provide technical capacity-building to Iraq in the form of training or advisory activities. However, this will be futile if not streamlined in a coherent strategy developed by the Iraqi government and supported by NATO, which is a highly politically sensitive process.

NATO therefore should be more politically savvy with regards to what is happening in Iraq and its power relations, rather than just limiting itself to technical capacity-building. Iraq will continue to be at the crossroads of several regional and international issues — relations between the United States and Iran and between Iran and the Gulf monarchies, as well as Turkey’s regional ambitions.

butterfly  The expanded NATO mission cannot ignore this political context by staying in its comfort zone of capacity-building — it needs to be more proactive if it wants to earn relevance. Bridging this political versus technical gap will contribute to NATO attaining a more significant and positive influence in achieving its stated objective of projecting stability in neighboring and partner countries in order to ensure the alliance’s own security.

The report concluded that it will provide NATO with more robust political reach and relevance in the Middle East — limited thus far — and give much-needed coherence to the multitude of military partnerships established in the region.

butterfly  https://www.dijlah.tv/index.php?page=article&id=281683  An economist expects a recession in the Iraqi market after the budget is approved 01-04-2021 The economic expert on behalf of Antoine predicted, on Thursday, an economic recession in the Iraqi markets, after the adoption of the dollar exchange rate proposed by the government, in the Federal Budget Law for 2021, which was approved by the House of Representatives during its session held yesterday.

Antoine told "Tigris" that "the government must complete the stalled projects and pump the sums into the local markets, with the aim of reducing unemployment and poverty," pointing out that "the first period will witness a reaction as a result of the shock caused by the decision to raise the dollar exchange rate, which led to weakness." Purchasing power".

Regarding the possibility of ending the economic recession, Antoine asserted that "if the government knows how to manage the economic crisis, it will create new activity," noting the importance of "disbursing contractors' dues with the aim of reinvigorating the private sector."

It is noteworthy that the House of Representatives voted, during its session held yesterday, Wednesday (March 31, 2021), on the Federal Budget Law, after conflicts and tensions between political forces, due to controversial points in the law.

TWW  View true intention China taking down our USA...  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Akwzj88Xzc 

TWW   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Akwzj88Xzc

Butterfly  https://www.thenationalnews.com/gulf/saudi-arabia/sadr-pm-al-kadhimi-s-visit-to-saudi-arabia-will-bring-iraq-out-of-isolation-1.1195408  Sadr: PM Al Kadhimi's visit to Saudi Arabia will bring Iraq 'out of isolation'

Baghdad has been working to restore regional ties since the US-led invasion of 2003 April 1, 2021

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi’s trip to Saudi Arabia will allow the country to restore ties with its Arab counterparts, influential Shiite cleric Moqtada Al Sadr said on Thursday.

After former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, Saudi Arabia, along with many countries in the region and the wider world, severed ties with Iraq.

Baghdad has been working to restore regional ties since the US-led invasion of 2003. “I’m looking at my brother Al Kadhimi's visit to Saudi Arabia with eyes of hope,” Mr Al Sadr said on Twitter.

Mr Al Sadr commands a large following among the urban poor of Baghdad and southern cities and was once the leader of a powerful militia who fought against American forces stationed in Iraq.

Iraq lies on the fault line between the Shiite Muslim power Iran and the Sunni-ruled countries that are Tehran's regional rivals, among them Saudi Arabia.

“It is a door that takes Iraq out of isolation from its historical Arab environment, hoping that it will be a visit of friendship and partnership in various fields and an end to conflicts and crises,” he said.

Mr Al Sadr made a rare visit to Saudi Arabia in 2017, where he met Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and other officials.

It was seen by experts and officials as a significant development for regional stability and countering Iran’s expansionism in the region.

butterfly  Since 2003, successive US administrations have pushed for more Saudi engagement with the new Iraqi government, which Baghdad embraced by maintaining good ties with Riyadh and Tehran.

Relations between Saudi Arabia and Iraq have improved since Riyadh reopened its embassy in Baghdad in late 2015. The kingdom has taken a more proactive role in regional policy, building stronger ties with Iraqi leaders has become a priority to limit Iran’s influence in the country, where it has ties to Shiite groups that have dominated Iraqi politics since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003.

Mr Al Sadr rose to prominence as a firebrand who led militias against US troops in Iraq who were seen as backed by Iran, but his ties to Tehran have been ambiguous.

Mr Al Kadhimi’s first trip abroad as leader last year was to Iran, shortly after he visited the US.

butterfly  Mr Al Kadhimi’s first trip abroad as leader last year was to Iran, shortly after he visited the US.

He was scheduled to travel to Saudi Arabia in his first foreign trip as prime minister last July, but the visit was cancelled at the last minute when King Salman had an operation to remove a gall bladder.

The Iraqi leader began his visit to the kingdom on Wednesday where he was received at Riyadh’s international airport by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Iraq and Saudi Arabia agreed to set up a $3bn fund to boost the private sector in Iraq.

Butterfly The Central Bank of Iraq announced that it has added the feature of protecting banknotes from bacteria and viruses, including the Corona virus strain, which will soon be put into circulation, by adding the biological pesticide developed by international companies specialized in printing banknotes in coordination with the competent authorities .

The Central Bank of Iraq  Information Office  March 22, 2021

butterfly  The Board of Directors of the Center for Banking Studies at the Central Bank of Iraq held its first meeting for the year 2021 chaired by the Deputy Governor Dr. Ammar Hamad Khalaf. A number of topics on the agenda were discussed, the most prominent of which is the training courses achieved during the first semester as well as the special training curriculum for the payments sector through Preparing a plan that includes training advanced and specialized cadres in electronic payment companies licensed by this bank, and this comes in light of the global and local trend towards creating an advanced generation that depends on an electronic banking industry.

butterfly  Nothing in the CBI, Iraqi Parliament, Kurdistan Parliament websites about the budget. hmmm

Butterfly  https://www.centralbanking.com/central-banks/currency/digital-currencies/7817761/richmond-fed-is-us-ready-for-digital-dollar Richmond Fed: is US ready for digital dollar?

butterfly  Can I trade the Iraqi Dinar (IQD)?

At this time, FOREX.com does not offer trading in the Iraqi Dinar (IQD). However, we do offer forex trading in over 80 currency pairs in addition to silver and gold trading.

NORV  LINK

https://alforatnews.com/news/%D9%88%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D8%BA%D9%8A%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D8%B5%D8%B1%D9%81-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%85%D8%B1-%D9%84%D9%81%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%B7%D9%88%D9%8A%D9%84%D8%A9-%D9%88%D9%87%D8%B0%D8%A7-%D8%AA%D9%88%D9%82%D8%B9%D9%87-%D8%B9%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%88%D9%8A%D9%85

butterfly   News  Economical  Finance Minister: The change in the dollar’s ​​exchange will continue for a long time, and this is his expectation of the flotation

Finance Minister: The change in the dollar’s ​​exchange will continue for a long time, and this is his expectation of the flotation

Time: 03/31/2021 10:07:48 Read: 16,484 times  {Economist: Al Furat News} The Minister of Finance, Ali Allawi, said that the change of the dollar’s ​​exchange rate will continue for a long time.

Al-Mukhtasar al-Mufid .. In important news, you can find it on the Al Furat News channel on the Telegram .. To subscribe, click here

On the recent devaluation of the Iraqi dinar by the government and the Central Bank, Allawi said in a press statement that "negative expectations on commodity price levels were expected and what happened came less than expected, but it was a necessary step for years because of its importance in structuring the economy and reducing the bill to support the dinar," He explained, "The negative effects of the devaluation gradually fade away."

He added, "The current price of the Iraqi currency against the US dollar after reducing its value will continue for a long time, and a full float may occur in the future, but the central bank will work now to maintain the current exchange rate level for as long as possible."

It is noteworthy that the exchange rates of the US dollar in exchange offices and local markets in the capital, Baghdad, reach 1435 dinars for purchase, and 1445 dinars for sale.

It is noteworthy that the Central Bank of Iraq decided on 19 December to amend the exchange rate of the dollar as follows:

1450 dinars per dollar is the purchase price of foreign currency from the Ministry of Finance.

1 Apr 21, 09:29 PM butterfly  1460 dinars per dollar, the selling price of foreign currency to banks.

1470 dinars per dollar is the selling price of foreign currency to the public.

It is noteworthy that Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi said during the Cabinet session held today, Tuesday, "We hope to stay away from auctions in the issue of the dollar exchange rate. The decision was taken by the Central Bank according to a targeted vision and strategy, and we began to see the results on the growth of the cash reserve, and on the classification of Iraq Credit internationally. "

"We look forward to expediting the passage of the federal budget law, and the paragraphs it contains that address the needs of the poorest classes, and support service projects that affect the lives of citizens," he added.

Ammar Al-Masoudi

butterfly  {Al Furat News} publishes the text of the 2021 budget law in full

Time: 04/01/2021 19:51:31  {Economic: Al Furat News} Our agency publishes the text of the federal budget law for the year 2021 in full.

Al-Mukhtasar al-Mufid .. In important news, you can find it on the Al Furat News channel on the Telegram .. To subscribe, click here https://t.me/alforat_tv2

The House of Representatives voted to approve the budget law.   Ammar Al-Masoudi

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