A new Pentagon report says the Iraqi Oil Ministry’s ability to administer its capital budget is slowly improving, Ben Lando reports for United Press International.
The report, “Measuring Stability and Security in Iraq,” released Tuesday by the U.S. Defense Department, said the ministry spent 36 percent, or $727 million, of its $2.4 billion capital budget through Nov. 1.
Iraq’s ministries, and especially the all-important Oil Ministry, have been criticized for an inability to put allocated money to use. The Oil Ministry in 2006 spent around 3 percent of a $3.5 billion capital budget.
The report also jumps on the increasing ability to produce and export oil, despite corruption.
As for electricity delivery, Iraqis are receiving more than last year, but obstacles remain.
The report, which can be found here, is measurably optimistic, but leaves one wanting for answers. For example, polls it cites have confusing end notes explaining necessary context like margin of error, and lack information on methodology and confidence. That is necessary to gauge if the poll is worthy of front page headlines or two ply. Also, there is no raw data available to back up claims of decreased violence and attacks.
More on the report from Nancy A. Youssef in McClatchy Newspapers.
Iraq hopes to call the first open tenders to develop its vast oil fields at the beginning of 2008, the country’s deputy oil minister said Tuesday, Hassan Hafidh reports for Dow Jones Newswires.
The Turkish invasion and bombing of northern Iraq has made quite an impression. Last night, during an Eid reception for reporters at the Iraq embassy in Washington, Ambassador Samir Sumaida’ie called out Turkey for not addressing their Kurdish issue, and thus allowing it to spill over to Iraq.
He said Iraq is an example of being inclusive, ensuring Kurds are given the same rights as all other citizens, and if Turkey wants to get to the root problem of the separatist Kurdistan Workers Party, it would do the same.
Bloomberg’s Viola Gienger and Camilla Hall have that as well in their recap of events.
It may not be over, however, as a spokesman for the Peshmerga, the Kurdish military, says it will “defend thier citizens,” Elena Becatoros reports for The Associated Press.
The United Nations has expressed concern that the Turkish shelling has displaced citizens in Iraq.
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