News

A new political bloc will be announced in the coming days. The Iraqi Al-Tawafuq Front will be setting up a new alliance with members of other political blocs to include the Al-Iraqiyah List. Some are suggesting this could be a sunni group forming as a political bloc. The Al-Iraqiyah List has called on the leaders of the new political group to join them and participate in the forming of the new government.

The Iraqi Accord and Iraq Unity Lists have formed an alliance and are now called Iraqi Centrist Alliance. They say that the Iraqi Centrist Alliance was “to perform an active parliamentary force representing all groups, contribute to defusing the current political crisis and accelerating the formation of a government.” The Iraqi Centrist Alliance is closer to the Al-Iraqiyah List.

The Al-Iraqiyah List is looking forward to meetings with the State of Law (SOL) coalition. They are just waiting on a formal invitation from them. The Al-Iraqiyah list is also looking to have the three sovereign posts back on the table. Unfortunately, the SOL is refusing to include any of the three posts, only the position of National Council for Strategic Policies.

Prime Minister Al-Maliki has continued to deny offering the Al-Sadr Trend the security ministry position. The Al-Sadr Trend has been offered other ministry positions within the Iraqi government. It is interesting to note that, Prime Minister Al-Maliki has offered the Parliament Speaker position to Iyad Allawi.

The Arab League Summit due to be held in Baghdad in March 2011 could possibly be held in a different location. It is still being negotiated. The Iraqi government would like to see the Arab Summit in Baghdad.

The Iraq Finance Minister has finished his meeting with the U.S. Treasury and will shortly be restructuring state banks as well as continue the support of private banks.

The provisions of the Kurdish Paper that was sent to the Al-Iraqiyah list several weeks ago could very well be unconstitutional and other items may require a national census.

1.) Verizon is attempting to bid for the fourth mobile phone license in Iraq along with other leading mobile companies.

2,) The International Monetary Fund (IMF) will be opening an office in Baghdad in the near future.