Aggiedad77 just recapping the news articles.

Tuesday News and Commentaries

So the COM got their work accomplished and agreed on the 2015 budget....but there is where the misinformation seems to start....what exactly did they approve....$70 oil or $60 oil....or maybe something else entirely.....and the Parliament needs 72 hours to bring all members back together, for their initial meeting on the budget....should prove to be an interesting rest of the week....oh and we also see some evidence that perhaps Mosul won't be as difficult to retake as some may have thought.

Basra joins Revenue Sharing Talks

Now that Maliki is out of office, at least out of the PM office and power, Basra is speaking up asking for what it believes has been its right since 2009....an extra $5 share of the petrodollar for their efforts with oil and gas work within the province....something that Maliki never wanted to consent to....but now with the government change that possibility seems to be looming ahead in a good way for Basra.
....

Unknown group of traders are buying homes in Mosul at double the price

Hmmmm.....if most people are gone from Mosul, makes you wonder who's homes they are selling....hoping this isn't some scheme to scam project....not a good thing.

Budget in Parliament this week

The COM held its meeting today and voted in favor of the 2015 budget.....now the budget passes to the Parliament where they too must read and vote the budget....something they have promised to reconvene on an emergency basis if they were given the budget....so now the tag game has them spotted and we shall see what transpires from this point....can they get it done before the end of the year.....COM has pointed at an austerity program that largely affects the operations part of the budget....cutting where they could to minimize the deficit....looking at ways to offset the decline in oil prices through taxation of certain goods and products....there could even be some sort of compulsory savings program of 10% for all citizens.

US politician: Iraq has made reconciliation and defeated Daash in 100 Days

PM Abadi's first 100 days are being seen as generally good and proactive on many fronts, especially so in combatting DAASH in many areas of Iraq....this comes with a resurgence in faith in the military command that Abadi has put in place....as well as his efforts to rekindle trust and faith with various Iraqi tribal leaders around Iraq and convince them to pick up arms against the terrorists.....it also comes with an increased presence of US troops/trainers who are helping get the army and other militia's back into a better fighting shape.

Cabinet approves budget bill and transmits it to Parliament

Ok, we are going to work off of this one headline and cover a number of "budget" related articles that have been found this morning....yes the COM voted to approve the budget....NO this does not mean the budget has been approved....it still must go before Parliament and be read...three times...this put in the Gazette....hopefully they get this accomplished this year....thru emergency meetings they promised would happen if they got the budget in their laps....we see them wanting to invoke some taxation efforts to help offset the shortfall of the price of oil....we also see conflicts in the value of the oil either $70 or $60 per barrel in the budget....looking for Parliament to meet as early as Thursday, yes Christmas Day to start the budget process in their house.

Urgent .. gangs Daash preparing to escape from Mosul to convert their money into hard currency

According to some members of DAASH are affecting the price of the dollar against the dinar in Mosul....seeing the exchange move to 1260 in some areas....so the smuggle run is on to get not only the DAASH terrorists out of Mosul but money as well....time to kick butt and take names later.

Deputy for the National: Mosul will be released soon

You say released....I say liberated.....either way Mosul is about to be freed of the clutches of the terrorists....with luck the Peshmerga forces will join with other Iraqi forces to push DAASH completely from Mosul and the province.

The arrival of the first American force "Marine" armored to al-Baghdadi base

Iraqi military forces are reaching forward bases now, armed with US supplied armored vehicles, weapons, training and advisors....this movement is believed to be accomplished with the help of US air transports....and F-16's are on their way scheduled to arrive this month.....let's get it done right this time.

Rafidain Bank opens its doors in Ramadi

Raidain Bank opens its doors in Anbar province....in Ramadi the capital....this is a good sign.....security is back on the upswing in Ramadi it seems.

National reconciliation project .. a severe crisis in front of al-Abadi

A National Reconciliation meeting is coming.....something that would have never materialized with Maliki in charge.....I think this will lead to further good things for Iraq in 2015.....PM Abadi is doing his level best to involve and include all political and religious components in his government....he is being seen as one who can make promises and keep them....keeping to assigned deadlines....his road will still be a tough one....given who his enemies are.....but he seems to have the confidence of a great leader in the making.

Advisor to the Prime Minister: the tax will be imposed gradually and inflation in Iraq universally accepted

Dr. Saleh spoke of a gradual taxation that is to take place meanwhile seeing inflation as being accepted.....standing at near 2%....they are also looking at certain products having duties placed upon them as imports...but any taxation done on citizens should be done on a gradual basis....in other words don't rock the boat too severely at the start.

Government sources confirm that the liberalization of Mosul has become a large and Hika..mjamia of "Daash" fleeing to Syria

As evidenced by recent victories over terrorist cells in Sinjar, the liberation of Mosul appears to be imminent.....at least some terrorists are believed to be exiting back into Syria at this time ahead of any push into Mosul by Iraqi forces.....they are attempting to move large numbers of captured military vehicles with them as well as large sums of currency.

SOC: funds for social benefits paid from the company's budget promises the imminent approval of oil and gas law

The South Oil Company has stated, with approval of the Oil Ministry, that it appears Parliament is close to an agreement on a new oil and gas law.....or will they just approve the old one.....well just as long as they move the ball forward that is the positive thing to see here....with this approval will come certain social benefits to the Iraqi people.....a good thing for them....and there will be good things from this for other ministries as well.

Aajl..alajabura's [where]: a special meeting held on Thursday to discuss budget

Time to cut vacations short....calling Parliament back into session as promised....meeting set up for Thursday it appears to begin discussions on the 2015 budget.

Parliamentary Finance allude to the possibility of approving the budget in one month

One month.....I'm thinking that PM Abadi has a whole other number in his mind....more like one week dudes.....it's in your lap now....get 'er done......he has the support in Parliament I think to get this budget pushed through in the quickest manner possible....it will be interesting to see what transpires.

Well we await the transition of Parliament back into session and to see what they will be required to do in order for this budget to be passed.....Look for a number of articles pointing in all different directions between now and Thursday I would think. Sit tight and know that our own attitudes are not in control of this process.....just watch what is delivered and read with an open mind all that you see. Time to be strong.....then be STRONGER.

Aloha   Randy