On Sunday, The Minister of Transportation, Hadi Al-Amiri, directed[F1]  to send an Iraqi aircraft to the Libyan capital Tripoli to evacuate[F2]  Iraqis.

Baghdad Operation Command confirmed on Friday that it didn't record any security breaches during today's demonstration in Baghdad and other provinces. BOC praised the commitment of the demonstrators to express their demands peacefully and the control of the security forces.

In a phone call with Radio Dijla, BOC spokesman, Qassim Atta said, "Today's demonstration didn't record any security incidents in Baghdad and other provinces, where there were a complete control on the protests by the organized authorities."

Atta praised the commitment of the demonstrators to express their demands peacefully as well as the great discipline of the security forces, which is in charge and exist in the places of the events.

اكدت قيادة عمليات بغداد اليوم الجمعة، انها لم تسجل اية خروقات امنية خلال تظاهرات اليوم في بغداد والمحافظات الاخرى، مشيدة بالتزام المتظاهرين بسلمية التعبير عن مطالبهم، وانضباط القوات الامنية.

المتحدث باسم عمليات بغداد قاسم عطا، قال في اتصال هاتفي مع راديو دجلة، " لم نسجل اليوم اية حوادث امنية خلال تظاهرات اليوم الجمعة في بغداد والمحافظات حيث كانت هناك سيطرة كاملة على التظاهرات من قبل الجهات المنظمة لها".

واشاد عطا، بالتزام المتظاهرين بسلمية التعبير عن مطالبهم فضلا عن الانضباط الكبير للقوات الامنية المكلفة بالتواجد في اماكن التظاهرات

The President of al-Iraqiya List, Ayad Allawi, said Iran has realized[B1]  it is unable to gulp down [B2] Iraq, pointing out at the same time his quest for building serious and balanced relations with Iran. He noted that he made an agreement with both the Sadrist Trend leader and the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI) to take Iraq out of the current crisis.

In a press conference, Allawi said Iran, at the moment, is facing a series of internal and external malfunctions, affirming that Tehran has understood very well that it will never be able to swallow Iraq, for Iraq and her policies are not easy to put down.

Regarding the convergence between al-Iraqiya and the other blocs, Allawi said he sensed frankness, truthfulness, and loyalty from the Sadrist Trend leader, Muqtada Al-Sadr, President of ISCI, Ammar Al-Hakim, and Kurdistan Region's President, Masoud Barzani.

Allawi went on expressing his satisfaction by saying, "Any regional or international stance will not affect these leaders."

Iraq has signed agreements worth nearly $4 million to build small emergency power stations throughout the country to help double the supply of electricity for up to 16 hours a day by the summer of 2012.

After eight years since the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime, Iraq is stil suffering from severe shortage of electricity that is only enough for a few hours a day. This is the major source of popular anger toward the authorities that have failed to overcome the problem, despite of the abundance of oil revenues.

The General Director of the Investment and Contract Department in the Ministry of Electricity, Laith Hameed, said Iraq signed an agreement with a South Korean Company worth $3.2 million to build 25 stations with a total capacity of 2,500 MW in different parts of the country.

He added that the ministry also signed a contract with the Elite Jordanian Company to build power plants with total capacity of 600 MW, pointing out that the ministry would sign two additional agreements in the next few days to build power stations with a total capacity of 1,900 MW.

Kurdistan Regional Government President Massoud Barzani met with Muhammad Messrs Simsek, the Turkish Minister of Finance, Hamdi Tobjo, Turkish Airlines Director General as well as their accompanying delegation in Salah ad-Din Thursday.

Baiz Talbani, KRG Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashtee Hurami, Minister of Natural Resources, and Falah Mustafa, Department of Foreign Affairs Director, also attended the meeting.

Barzani told Simsek about the first flights of Turkish Airlines (Turkc Airline) to the KRG capital, Arbil.

Sismek said the government and Turkish people have strong aspirations to develop relations in the form that serves that interests both sides. He saidtha the Turkc Airline flights will be a catalyst to strengthening historical ties that bind the people of Turkey and Kurdistan.

Simsek also said there is great importance in stability and prosperity in the region and in this regard congratulated Barzani on the security situation in the Kurdistan Region. Simsek wished Barzani further progress and prosperity and expressed his country's readiness to contributing in the reconstruction of the Kurdistan region.

Barzani thanked the Turkish Government for opening the flights of Turkc Airline, saying that the opening of the line will provide great services to the Kurdistan region. Barzani said the countries' relationship has reached a summit when Turkey's Prime Minister visited the Kurdistan Region recently.

A senior U.S. official in Baghdad alerted the Iraqi leaders not to rely on the return of U.S. Forces to their country in the event of a crisis, after the withdrawal by the end of the year.

The senior U.S. officer, who declined to reveal his name, said, "The best warning to everyone is, if we leave, not to imagine we will return to extinguish the fire in the event an agreement is not previously signed in this regard."  The U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates during his visit to Iraq Friday stressed the ball is in the court of Baghdad, with regards to the possibility of extending the U.S. military mission. In a speech to the American Soldiers at Camp Marez (North), Gates said, "We are open to this possibility, but they have to ask us, and the clock is ticking in Washington." There are about 50 thousand American Soldiers deployed in Iraq who have to withdraw by the end of the year to implement the bilateral agreement.

The American officer explained Wednesday the Iraqi Army needs more weapons and training to cope with external threats. He added, "After our withdrawal, the capacity of Iraq would be less than its neighbors in terms of military equipment. This problem will not be solved unless Iraq is able to purchase more equipment and be able to use it. In any case, the security forces will not be strong enough by the end of the year to the degree that some people think." The Shiite leader Muqtada Al-Sadr, on the 8th anniversary of the fall of the former regime Saturday, threatened to reactivate JAM if the U.S. troops do not withdraw from Iraq in a timely manner.

وقال هذا الضابط الاميركي الكبير رافضا كشف هويته ان "افضل تحذير يمكن ان نوجهه الى الجميع انه اذا غادرنا فلا تتصوروا اننا سنعود لاطفاء النار في حال لم يتم توقيع اتفاق مسبق" في هذا الصدد. وشدد وزير الدفاع الاميركي روبرت غيتس خلال زيارته للعراق الجمعة على ان الكرة في ملعب بغداد في ما يتصل باحتمال تمديد مهمة الجيش الاميركي. وقال غيتس في مداخلة امام جنود اميركيين في قاعدة كمب ماريز (شمال) "نحن منفتحون على هذا الاحتمال، ولكن عليهم ان يطلبوا ذلك والوقت يمر في واشنطن". ولا يزال نحو خمسين الف جندي اميركي ينتشرون في العراق على ان ينسحبوا منه مع نهاية العام تنفيذا لاتفاق ثنائي. واوضح الضابط الاميركي الاربعاء ان الجيش العراقي يحتاج الى الاسلحة ومزيد من التدريب لمواجهة التهديد الخارجي. وقال "بعد انسحابنا، فان قدرات العراق ستكون ادنى من جيرانه على صعيد المعدات العسكرية"، ولن تحل هذه المشكلة قبل ان يتمكن العراق "من شراء مزيد من المعدات ويكون قادرا على استخدامها". واضاف "في اي حال، لن تكون (القوى الامنية) قوية في نهاية العام الى الدرجة التي يعتقدها البعض". وهدد الزعيم الشيعي مقتدى الصدر السبت في الذكرى الثامنة لسقوط النظام السابق بالغاء تجميد جيش المهدي اذا لم تنسحب القوات الاميركية من العراق في الموعد المحدد، اي نهاية العام الحالي

The head of the Iraqi House of Representatives, Usama Al-Nujaifi, described Wednesday the scene in Iraq as 'worrisome' because of what he called 'the abandoning of agreements' through which the formation of the government and dividing leaderships came about according to the semi-official al-Iraqiya TV channel.

Nujaifi said this was reflected in the widening dispute over several files, including the selection of candidates for security offices and the inability of the government which set a 100 day grace period to meet the demands of the Iraqi people.

In addition, continued Nujaifi, the government's disclaimer on implementing the political agreements document within the framework of the Initiative put forth by the President of the Kurdistan region, Masoud Barzani.

Nujaifi warned of a continuation of the political strife and its reflection on the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq at the end of the current year.

He called on the parliamentary blocs to reconsider their positions and settle their differences through the expeditious completion of the laws that contribute to improving government performance and the legislations related to the achievement of national reconciliation.

President of Iraqiya List, Ayad Allawi, said his list is waiting for Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki's position on the withdrawal of U.S. Forces from Iraq, and readiness of Iraqi security forces to take responsibility for security and stability.

During a meeting with a number of EU Ambassadors in Baghdad, Allawi said the security agreement signed between Baghdad and Washington is still vague, and Iraqiya hasn't received an explanation from the government yet.

Al-Iraqiya List doubted that Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki will be able to accomplish anything before the 100-day deadline, stressing that some ruling political parties are repeating Saddam's mistakes when dealing with neighboring countries.

Iraqiya spokesman, Haidar Al-Malla, said, "The amount of problems theIraqi's suffer from needs partnership, we don't feel that State of Law done anything to accomplish that. Early elections is the solution to return the decision back to the Iraqi people."

Maliki couldn't distinguish between the issue of participation and partnership, Malla added.

A survey conducted by the Arab-European Center for Studies based in Paris reported the exit of the occupation forces is a general demand by Iraqis.

Eighty-six percent of those questioned do not support the stay of U.S. Forces in Iraq, and they see the presence of American Forces in Iraq contributing to the increase of sectarian rift and looting of Iraq's wealth.

While 11.8 percent supports the stay of U.S. Forces in Iraq, even symbolically, in order to ensure regional balance and push toward a civil society in the Arab region.

The respondents felt Iraq would be the model country where identities are integrated to establish an Iraqi nation. A modern state where all Iraqis aspire to sit in its shade. Two percent saw this is an internal Iraqi affair, and it is for the Iraqi people to decide.

Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki held a press conference Wednesday in Baghdad and discussed the latest updates in Iraq, including the U.S. withdrawal by the end of this year.

Maliki insinuated the political blocs will possibly request the extension of U.S. Forces in Iraq. He said the political bloc leaders will consult on the issue and he will make the final decision.

Regarding the threats made by al-Sadr Trend leader to reactivate al-Mahdi Army if the U.S Forces remain in Iraq, Maliki said the Trend is part of the political process and it has to accept the opinion of the Iraqi majority or it has to withdraw from the political process.

Also, Maliki ruled out the possible withdrawal of the Iraqiya List from the political process but he indicated if the Iraqiya List withdraws it will not affect the government, according to him.

عقد رئيس الوزراء نوري المالكي مؤتمرا صحفيا في بغداد اليوم الأربعاء تناول فيه المستجدات على الساحة العراقية من بينها الإنسحاب الأميركي المقرر نهاية العام الحالي.

وألمح المالكي خلال المؤتمر الصحفي إلى احتمال أن تطلب الكتل السياسية من القوات الأميركية تمديد بقائها في العراق، وقال إنه سيستفتي رؤساء الكتل السياسية حول هذا الموضوع وإنه سيتبنى النتيجة النهائية التي ستفضي إليها المشاورات.

وحول تهديد زعيم التيار الصدري بإعادة تنشيط جيش المهدي ما لم تنسحب القوات الأميركية من العراق في الموعد المحدد، قال المالكي إن التيار جزء من الساحة السياسية العراقية وإن عليه أن يقبل رأي أغلبية العراقيين وإلا فإن عليه أن ينسحب من العملية السياسية.

من ناحية أخرى، إستبعد المالكي إحتمال انسحاب قائمة العراقية من العملية السياسية، غير أنه أشار إلى أن انسحاب العراقية، حتى ولو حدث، فإنه لن يؤثر على عمل الحكومة، على حد قوله.