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To: Brumar89 who wrote (257450)	7/10/2008 5:28:21 PM
From: Brumar89	Respond to of 793927

Iraq: 2 new refinery deals close Another sign of increasing normality. By SINAN SALAHEDDIN 10 July, 2008 Associated Press Newswires BAGHDAD (AP) - Iraq's Oil Ministry said Thursday that it is close to signing contracts to build two new oil refineries in southern Iraq. The ministry is expected to sign one contract for a 300,000 barrel-per-day refinery in Nasiriyah province by the end of July or early August, a senior oil official said. The official said the ministry was studying proposals presented by international companies to build another 150,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Karbala. The official, who declined to name the companies, spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to make statements. "There is no doubt that we will offer these contracts to well-known international companies in this field," the official said. He said the refineries would meet increasing need for oil products in central and southern Iraq and lead to a reduction in imports. Nasiriyah is about 200 miles south of Baghdad, while Karbala about 50 miles south of the capital. Iraq has the world's third-largest known crude oil reserves, with an estimated 115 billion barrels, but it suffers acute shortages in petroleum refined products as most infrastructure was damaged or destroyed after years of U.N. sanctions and war. Iraq's three main oil refineries are running at roughly half the 700,000 barrels daily capacity they maintained before the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003. In 2006, the ministry built a refinery in Najaf, about 160 kilometers (100 miles) south of Baghdad. It has a refining capacity of about 20,000 barrels per day. Last March, the ministry declared a US$85 million deal with the Colorado Industrial Construction Services Co. to help expand the refinery by 10,000 barrels per day. The shortfall has forced Iraq to turn to imports from neighboring Iran, Kuwait and Turkey. The country has been forced to import around 8,000 tons each day, or about 60,000 barrels, according to figures released early this year by the State Oil Marketing Organization. Insurgents have attacked pipelines, hoping to rob the government of oil revenue. The number of attacks has dropped sharply since last year.

To: Brumar89 who wrote (257450)	7/10/2008 11:44:04 PM
From: Triffin	Respond to of 793927

U.S. General: Iraqi Forces to Be Fully Ready in '09 We've heard that one before .. They were supposed to be 'ready' in '05 & '06 & '07 & '08 .. Hope he's right this time .. I'm looking forward to the day when there's no need for the 'green' zone in Baghdad .. The Green Zone is completely surrounded by high concrete blast walls, T-Walls and barbed wire and access was available through a handful of entry control points, all of which were controlled by Coalition troops. This has led the insurgents to frequently shell the Green Zone with mortars and rockets, though these attacks cause few casualties. In October 2004 it was hit by two suicide bombings, which destroyed the bazaar and the Green Zone Cafe. On April 12, 2007, a bomb went off in the Iraqi Parliament cafeteria, killing Mohammed Awad (a member of the Sunni National Dialogue Front) and injuring 22, including one of the vice presidents. The Green Zone was shelled daily following Easter 2008, causing numerous civilian and military casualties. On April 6, 2008, two U.S. soldiers were killed and 17 more wounded when a rocket or mortar attack struck inside the green zone[1]. Triff ..