If a link in the NCCI newsletter is not working anymore, it might be because the source of the document removed the article from the open access website. Generally you can EDITORIAL find it clicking here Issue 122 – August 7, 2008

Blurring the lines: the means do not justify the end.

Red Cross demands Colombia clarify use of emblem

Colombia must clarify an apparently "deliberate misuse" of the Red GHT

I Cross symbol in a hostage rescue after a video revealed new details of

L the mission, the International Committee of the Red Cross said on Wednesday.

H Intelligence officers disguised as aid workers tricked Marxist FARC rebels into handing over hostages including French-Colombian Ingrid

G Betancourt and three Americans in July. I President Alvaro Uribe last month apologised, saying one of the officers involved slipped on a Red Cross vest when he got nervous

H during the mission after seeing so many rebels on the ground waiting for his helicopter to land. Y But video of the July 2 operation, leaked this week to Colombia's RCN L television, drew criticism after images showed one soldier appearing to

K wear a vest with the Red Cross symbol at the start of the rescue

E operation.

E "If authenticated, these images could clearly establish an improper use of the red cross emblem, which we deplore," the agency's deputy director of operations, Dominik Stillhart, said in a statement. "We are W in contact with the Colombian authorities to ask for further I clarifications." Falsely using the Red Cross symbol, which represents the neutrality of the aid group, is against the Geneva Conventions as it could put humanitarian workers at risk when they are working in war zones. Colombian Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos said he and other

NCC high-ranking officials were not fully informed about the details of the mission. He has called for an investigation into how the video of the mission was made and then leaked. The rescue of Betancourt, a former presidential candidate kidnapped in 2002, the three American contract workers and 11 other hostages has been praised as one of Uribe's greatest successes against the FARC -- the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.

Uribe's U.S.-backed campaign has driven the rebels back into remote areas and sharply reduced violence from the Andean country's four- decade-old conflict.

Source: Reuters BOGOTA, 6 August 2008 – Reporting by Patrick Markey; editing by Mohammad Zargham

------Salaam, NCCI Team

NCCI Weekly Highlight 2 Issue 121 – 07/31/2008

______Humanitarian Updates From NCCI, NGOs’ reports from the field and UN agencies

Operational Humanitarian Space

- Ban outlines options to wind up oil-for-food programme Source: UN Document: Report Date: August 5, 2008 Access: Open Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has outlined options for resolving outstanding issues involved in winding up the oil-for-food programme for Iraq. The oil-for-food programme, under which a sanctions-bound Iraq was allowed to use monitored oil sales revenue for humanitarian purchases, was phased out in 2003 under a Security Council resolution lifting sanctions on the country. In a letter to the Council made public today Mr. Ban recalled that he had described the processing and authentication of outstanding documents relating to the programme as “slow” and had asked for a working group to meet on the issue in June. Commenting on the latest report from the working group, the Secretary-General noted that the processing of payment for 132 letters of credit under the programme, with a value of $273 million, remained outstanding. He also noted that the working group had found that, in a number of cases, suppliers of goods under the programme were claiming that they had delivered products, while the Iraqi Government was requesting the cancellation of their letters of credit. The working group proposed a range of options for ending the programme. One option would be for the working group to continue to monitor progress and to process the remaining letters of credit.

- Armed violence and humanitarian action in urban areas Source: Marion Haroff-Tavel's (ICRC political adviser) Document: Research Date: August 1 , 2008 Access: Open The paper shows how armed conflict and social violence feed each other in urban areas and how it impacts the various armed groups dynamics. Therefore, and as we have increasingly experienced these last years, it becomes trickier to ensure the respect of the humanitarian law and therefore to implement humanitarian activities. The paper then says that humanitarian agencies face three types of challenge in those highly dangerous contexts: identifying people who need protection and assistance; implementing programmes for them, and clarifying humanitarian law, on which those activities are based.

Humanitarian Needs and Assistance

- Assistance to Iraqi IDPs and Refugees Source: ACT Document: Article Date: July 24, 2008 Access: Open The population in Iraq has suffered for years as a consequence of the war in 2003 and the sanctions that were imposed after the Gulf war in 1991. The widespread insecurity due to the collapse of the regime of Saddam Hussein and the absence of adequate security forces forced large parts of the population to take refuge in other parts of Iraq and in neighboring countries, in Europe and North America. Up to 2,5 million internally displaced people (IDPs), according to UNHCR figures in January 2008, continued to be in need of food, water, housing, medical care and education for their children. The Iraqi Red Crescent Society estimates that 38 percent of IDPs are women and children. The number of people who left Iraq is estimated to be more than 2.5 million. Syria alone has an estimated 1.2 million Iraqi refugees. In 2007, as a consequence of the increase in troops, both Iraqi and US, fighting Al Qaida, the security situation had improved somewhat, before deteriorating again in 2008.

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- Security Trend Analysis – August 2008 Source: NCCI Document: Report Date: July 31, 2008 Access: Members Security Trend Analysis August 2008.

- Protection Outcome Team Matrix Diyala Source: UNHCR Document: Matrix Date: July 31, 2008 Access: Members Attached is the Protection Outcome Team Rapid Information Collection Form, including updated information on as of Thursday 31st of July 2008, following the start of the military operation in Baquba, Diyala.

- Foreign aid workers slowly returning to Iraq Source: Alternet Document: Article Date: July 31, 2008 Access: Open Foreign aid agencies are slowly returning to address Iraq's massive humanitarian woes following a fall in violence in the country to four-year lows. The five-year-old conflict in Iraq has displaced around 2.8 million people internally, while health and education services have been badly hit by a lack of funding and the loss of qualified staff who have fled abroad. The World Health Organisation (WHO) said earlier this month it had quietly redeployed expatriate workers to Iraq, re-establishing a permanent international presence in the country after five years. The United Nations' refugee agency has also recently returned foreign staff to Iraq. U.N. agencies withdrew international staff after the deadly bombing of its Baghdad headquarters in August 2003, with Iraqi nationals continuing their aid projects.

- IRAQ: MAG saves lives in Pirijan Source: MAG Document: Report Date: July 29, 2008 Access: Open In 1992, villagers were forced to leave Pirijan and take up residence in neighbouring towns while the Iraqi Army established a military base in the region. The purpose of the base was to defend the borders of Kirkuk from potential attack by Kurdish forces, and many landmines were laid as a result. The Iraqi military left the area in 2003 during Operation Iraqi Freedom, and the residents of Pirijan were finally allowed to return home. However, the area remained contaminated by small arms and light weapons (SALW) and other conventional weapons left behind by the military, and three villagers were killed in different accidents in the area. A MAG Community Liaison team identified this area as having a high level of contamination and it was prioritised for clearance as a result. Mine Action Teams have since completed successful clearance tasks in the village. They have been supported by SALW teams who have assisted in the removal and destruction of dangerous items found in the area.

Human Rights and Protection

- Detainee population in U.S. custody in Iraq falls Source: Reuters Document: Article Date: August 2, 2008 Access: Open The U.S. military in Iraq has released more than 10,000 detainees so far this year, it said on Saturday, at least a 12 percent increase on the total number freed in 2007. A spokesman said the military was detaining people at the rate of about 30 people a day -- or roughly 6,500 for the year to date. Less than 1 percent of those released have been detained again, the military said. American forces hold just under 21,000 detainees in Iraq, with the average detention time of 330 days, the military said in a statement. Almost all detainees are Iraqi.

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Health

- Filthy Iraqi drinking water raises cholera fears Source: AP Document: Report Date: August 2, 2008 Access: Open Nearly three years later, the plant remains an abandoned shell. Raw sewage is still flowing freely through giant pipes into the Tigris River, ending up in some of the capital's drinking water. And those pipes are hardly the only source of contamination. Many residents only have to sniff the tap water to know something is not right. "I fear giving it to my children directly unless I boil it," said Enam Mohammed Ali, a 36-year-old mother of four in the New Baghdad district in the eastern part of the city.

IDPs

- Iraq Displacement Assessment and Statistics Source: IOM Document: Report Date: August 1, 2008 Access: Open Iraq Displacement Assessment and Statistics report for 1 August. This report’s statistics include whether the IDP family has been visited by a health care worker in the past 30 days and if the IDP family has been involved in a vaccination campaign (based on date of interview). Also attached is IOM’s Iraq Returnee Assessment report for August. A summary of the findings for the returnee assessment is below.

- Iraq encourages displaced people to return home Source: USAtoday Document: Article Date: August 6, 2008 Access: Open Iraq's government has given people occupying houses that were abandoned by refugees fleeing the violence one month to evacuate or face legal action, an official said Wednesday. After a sharp decline in violence, the government last month adopted a number of measures to encourage the return of internally displaced people and refugees who had moved to other countries. Iraqi military spokesman Maj. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi said the decision took effect on Aug. 1 and those who refused to comply would be prosecuted. Tens of thousands of internally displaced people and refugees have returned to Baghdad and surrounding areas over the past year. But returnees have found their homes destroyed, looted or occupied by other displaced families.

Refugees

- Iraqi refugees: No Place to Call Home Source: IRC Document: Article Date: July 14, 2008 Access: Open Even though more than four million Iraqis have been displaced within and outside of Iraq since the 2003 invasion, the humanitarian tragedy of the war story remains largely untold and misunderstood. That’s part of my assignment here for the IRC – to help tell this story .Before I left, many of my generally well informed friends asked if I was going to visit refugee camps in Jordan. The fact is, there are no refugee camps here. Iraqis fled terrible violence, family by family, and now live scattered throughout the poorest neighborhoods of Amman and other Jordanian cities, tucked away in back alley apartments that often take two or three phone calls to find.

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- Protection Outcome Team Source: UNHCR Document: MoM Date: August 4, 2008 Access: Members Minutes of meeting held earlier this month and SGBV Coordination.

- Palestinian refugees to Iceland and Sweden Source: UNHCR Document: Article Date: August 5, 2008 Access: Open The two groups include some of the most vulnerable women and children with urgent medical needs requiring immediate attention. As you know, UNHCR has for the past two years been seeking urgent humanitarian help for this group – even if temporary relocation elsewhere. An estimated 2,300 Palestinians are living in desperate conditions in two refugee camps along the Syria-Iraq border, unable to return to Iraq or to cross the borders to neighbouring countries. Al Waleed camp is presently home to over 1,400 refugees while Al Tanf camp, situated within the no-man's land between Iraq and Syria, has doubled in size since October 2007, with close to 900 refugees living there.

- Inter Agency Meeting Source: UNHCR Document: MoM Date: August 1, 2008 Access: Open 1. Consolidated Appeals Process (CAP) preparations underway: the CAP will consist of two pillars: one appeal within Iraq and the other appeal, the second pillar, dealing with the issue of refugees. 2. Repatriation: UNHCR believes that it is still too early to promote or facilitate returns but not too early to plan. It is important to be pragmatic and to ensure regional consistency in planning. 3. “Statement” that GOJ will not be renewing residency permits to Iraqis: UNHCR contacted officials within MOI vis-à-vis this matter and MOI officials informed UNHCR that this is not a policy decision and only a rumour. A corrigendum was released on the second day that the article was released in local newspapers.

- SYRIA: UNHCR cash for Iraqi refugees, but many vow never to return Source: IRIN Document: Article Date: August 6, 2008 Access: Open With a Shia mother and a Sunni father, and having worked for the US forces in Iraq, Asad al-Johari and his family found themselves a target for both sides of Baghdad’s civil war. His mother was murdered in a Sunni neighbourhood of west Baghdad, two years ago, but when they moved east to the Shia stronghold of Sadr City the family received a letter telling them to “leave or die”. Now, like many of the 1.5 million Iraqi refugees who sought shelter in Syria, Johari says he may never see his homeland again. “We will never go back. It’s just too dangerous,” said the engineer, who has a wife and seven children to support in their new life as refugees in Damascus.

______-----__ Iraq Context

General Overview

- Iraq Crisis Report (IraqHAR) Source: Centre of Excellence on Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance Document: Weekly report Date: August 6, 2008 Access: Open Political: On Thursday (July-31), US President George W. Bush delivered a positive assessment regarding security strides in Iraq as US troop deaths were at their lowest monthly total since early in the war. He added

NCCI Weekly Highlight 6 Issue 121 – 07/31/2008 that violence is down to its lowest level since spring of 2004 and is now in the third consecutive month with reduced violence levels. If security remains, troop reductions could continue and US Army troops newly deployed in Iraq would only serve 12 months rather than 15. For currently deployed troops, however, tours would not be reduced. Bush credits last year’s increase in US troop strength and the rising competency of Iraqi security forces for the reduction in violence. (CNN, July-31) In addition, Reuters comments that the deployment of additional US troops, the decision by Sunni Arab tribal leaders to turn against al-Qaeda and the ceasefire imposed by Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr on his Mehdi Army all contributed to the improved security situation in Iraq. US military commander Gen. David Petraeus will make recommendations to Bush in September on troop levels. However, Petraeus and other commanders warn that security gains in Iraq are fragile and capable of being reversed. (Reuters, Aug-1)

- Juan Cole’s informed comment’s excerpt Source: Informed Comment – Juan Cole’s Web Blog. Document: Selection of daily comments Date: July 31 – August 7, 2008 Access: Open Juan Cole is a Professor of Modern Middle East and South Asian History at the University of Michigan. As such he brings daily much needed expertise and historical perspective to issues surrounding Iraq, Afghanistan and the Middle East. Good reading to have a weekly review of the Iraq daily situation.

Iraqi living Condition

- Still no electricity Source: Niqash Document: Article Date: July 30, 2008 Access: Open Wandering around Baghdad today, air conditioners and water coolers are everywhere in electrical stores. As the summer heat grows in intensity, the demand for cooling devices is becoming ever stronger. Yet, despite the growing heat and the wide prevalence of these cooling devices, the truth is that they are not being used - as many Iraqis would sarcastically acknowledge. Today an Iraqi family's share of daily electrical power from government stations is two hours or less: an hour during the day and another during the night. This crisis was not born yesterday; it goes back seventeen years. During the Gulf War of 1991, alliance forces led by the United States of America destroyed all power stations, as well as other vital utility services. Many cities in Iraq, including Baghdad, had their power cut for weeks until powers stations were brought back to service, albeit with limited efficiency. International sanctions prevented full power being restored during the 1990s.

- IRAQ: Increased oil revenues to fund housing scheme for the poor Source: IRIN Document: Article Date: August 7, 2008 Access: Open The Iraqi government is planning to make use of increased oil revenues to fund the construction of simple houses for poor families currently living in inadequate shacks. A government spokesman on 5 August said the scheme would be implemented when the new “complementary budget” is approved by parliament, which it was on 6 August. Finance Ministry spokesman Adnan Abdul-Rahman said some 25 billion Iraqi dinars (about US$21 million) had been allocated to each of the 18 provinces for the construction of “simple houses for poor people who are living in inadequate places made either of reeds or strips of metal.” The houses “planned to be one- storey buildings with two rooms, a kitchen and a bathroom/toilet” would be built by private companies over the coming five months, he said, adding that the local authorities would determine who would benefit. Internally displaced persons would not be covered.

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Violence and (Un-) security

- Police Bombings Raise New Fears Source: IPS Document: Article Date: July 31, 2008 Access: Open Astonishing attacks have been launched against police leaders during the past weeks in Fallujah, 69 km west of Baghdad, after reports of the U.S. and Iraqi government's plans to raid active and sleeping militant cells in the city. "There were attacks that targeted senior officers, and we thank god they failed and our colleagues are safe," Major Abdul Aziz of the Fallujah Police told IPS. "Investigations are still ongoing to see who was behind the attacks, and it is too early to point out motives, although they appeared to be of al-Qaeda style." "On Monday morning, Jul. 21, we were startled by an explosion in the house of Colonel Issa al-Issawi, who is known as the leader of the campaign against militants in Fallujah and surroundings house," Mahmood Hakky, an English language teacher who lives near the colonel told IPS. "To our surprise, the explosion took place on the roof where at least four guards were posted."

- U.S. Deaths In Iraq Fall To Lowest Of the War Source: Washington Post Document: Article Date: July 31, 2008 Access: Open The number of Iraq-related American troop fatalities in July -- a total of 13 when noncombat deaths and the discovered bodies of two missing soldiers are included -- is a dramatic drop from just over a year ago, when more than 100 troops a month were confirmed dead for several months in a row. In a brief statement at the White House early Thursday, President Bush suggested that the decreasing violence in Iraq would allow him to withdraw additional U.S. troops before he leaves office. He said that the top American commander in Iraq, Gen. David H. Petraeus, would make recommendations in September for "further reductions in our combat forces, as conditions permit."

- Iraq's female bombers rise as Qaeda's men fall Source: Alternet Document: Article Date: August 6, 2008 Access: Open In a video sold in Baghdad's souks, a group of women draped in cartridge belts and clutching pistols and rifles explained why they had taken up arms against the U.S. military in Iraq. "We are defending Islam and its sanctity. This is the country we were raised in. Why should we stand by while our men are defending the country?" said one woman, her face covered. "What's stopping women?"

- The tragic last moments of Margaret Hassan Source: Independent Document: Article Date: August 6, 2008 Access: Open She stands in the empty room, a deplorable, terrible, pitiful sight. Is it Margaret Hassan? Her family believe so, even though she is blindfolded. I'm not sure if videos like this should ever be seen – or perhaps the word is endured – but they are part of the dark history of Iraq, and staff of the Arab Al Jazeera satellite channel have grown used to watching some truly atrocious acts on their screens. The "execution" – the cold-blooded, appalling murder of Margaret Hassan, the Care worker who was a friend as well as a contact of mine – is among the least terrible of the scenes that lie in the satellite channel's archives.

NCCI Weekly Highlight 8 Issue 121 – 07/31/2008

Reconstruction

- INTERVIEW-Iraq's Basra set for multibillion-dollar investment Source: Alternet Document: Article Date: July 31, 2008 Access: Open Most headlines about Basra, the port city in southern Iraq that is home to the bulk of the country's vast oil wealth, tend to focus on death, destruction and wasted opportunity after five years of war. Yet after seven months as co-chair of the Basra Development Commission, a British-Iraqi body responsible for kick-starting the area's economy and attracting foreign investment, Michael Wareing is a confirmed optimist. Not only has security shown sustained improvement in recent months, but large multinational companies are actively looking to pour money into the country, not just into oil and gas industries, but secondary ones such as fertiliser and finance. In fact, says Wareing, the international chief executive of tax and consulting giant KPMG, a turning point may have been reached that could see billions of dollars of international investment flow into the city in the next two to three years.

Iraqi Political process

- The politics of oil in Kurdistan Source: Niqash Document: Article (English and Arabic) Date: July 25, 2008 Access: Open The province of Kurdistan is the most secure area of Iraq and its status has become, since several years, the focus of much political, diplomatic and economic debate. On one hand, many diplomatic consulates have opened in Erbil, and on the other hand, investment projects in the economy’s infrastructure and trade are expanding every day. In addition to strengthening internal rule and establishing its position in the regional political equation, the regional government has put immense effort into the development of economic and investment fields. Recently, the regional government signed 21 “production sharing contracts” for oil fields with international companies.

- Iraq parl't puts off divisive elections vote Source: Alternet Document: Article Date: August 3, 2008 Access: Open Iraqi parliamentarians failed on Sunday to pass a law on provincial elections, putting the date of important polls in doubt and leaving unresolved a political standoff that has stoked ethnic tensions. After struggling for hours to reach a quorum, lawmakers indefinitely postponed a special session they had called to pass the law, which has come unstuck over plans for the disputed northern city of Kirkuk and angered minority Kurds. The delay may mean the elections, originally planned for Oct. 1, could be put off until next year. Electoral officials have said they need months to plan once the law is passed.

- UNAMI Focus - Voice of the Mission News Bulletin Jul 2008 Source: UNAMI Document: Article Date: July 31, 2008 Access: Open UNAMI leads an International Electoral Assistance Team that is comprised of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), the European Union (EU), the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) and other partners that provide technical assistance to the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) in Iraq. UNAMI also provides technical and legal assistance to the Iraqi Council of Representatives (CoR) in election law drafting. In 2005, there were more than 50 international advisors co-located at the IHEC. Now there are between 7 and 15 on a daily basis. Advisors are placed in the key departments of the IHEC and with the Board of Commissioners. This includes IHEC operations, logistics, security, procurement, training and procedures, public outreach, media, information technology, political party entities and the legal departments. In addition, we bring short term experts to the IHEC to provide training in highly specialized areas such as ballot design. Co-locating with IHEC is the key to UNAMI's assistance as we work side-by-side with more than 400 Iraqi counterparts

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- New UN proposal aims to end Iraq election impasse Source: Alternet Document: Article Date: August 5, 2008 Access: Open A new U.N.-backed plan to resolve a deadlock over Iraq's provincial elections would let polls go ahead across almost all of the country but leave the fate of the disputed city of Kirkuk undecided, politicians said on Tuesday. The proposal, presented at late-night negotiations between political leaders, could offer a way out of the impasse which has threatened to delay elections seen by Washington as a key test of Iraq's fledgling democracy, the politicians said. "I believe this new proposal will be agreed by all the parties, because we have reached a dead end and there must be a new solution," said Iyad al-Samarrai, a top Sunni Arab lawmaker. The elections are scheduled for Oct. 1 but their timing is in jeopardy after Kurds refused to back a law authorising them and President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, vetoed it.

- Iraqis may push election vote despite impasse Source: USAtoday Document: Article Date: August 6, 2008 Access: Open Several Iraqi lawmakers vowed to force a vote Wednesday on one of the country's most sensitive political issues, setting up a potentially violent showdown between Arabs and minority Kurds. The vote would set a legal framework for provincial elections, which President Bush has said are key to healing wounds between Iraq's religious and ethnic sects.The issue has been stuck in parliament for weeks because the same law could also end up determining the future of the city of Kirkuk. The oil-rich area has long been contested between Arabs and Iraq's Kurds, who want to incorporate it into their semi-autonomous region in northern Iraq.

- Iraq's provincial elections law Source: Alternet Document: Article Date: August 6, 2008 Access: Open A feud over the oil-rich city of Kirkuk is holding up a law that will pave the way for provincial elections in Iraq, seen as an important step in strengthening the country's fragile democracy. The polls will mark the first time Iraqis vote since the thick of an insurgency three years ago, and are seen as a chance to give a greater voice to factions that shunned past elections. Below are facts about the provincial elections and the law governing them. THE PROVINCIAL POLLS * The elections are for seats on Iraq's provincial councils. The polls were originally scheduled for Oct. 1 but are now likely to be held towards the end of 2008 at the earliest. * Many Sunni Arabs and some Shi'ite groups boycotted the last provincial elections in 2005, alienating some of Iraq's key factions and creating political imbalances that continue to fuel instability.

Policies and Strategies

- Deal with Shia prisoner left Basra at mercy of gangs, colonel admits Source: Independent Document: Article Date: August 3, 2008 Access: Open British commanders in Iraq made an astonishing secret deal with a Shia prisoner to withdraw from Basra which left the city at the mercy of criminal gangs, one of the UK's senior military officers serving in Iraq has said. Colonel Richard Iron said the "understandable but inexcusable" deal was one of several "terrible mistakes" the British have made during their occupation of the south of the country. In an exclusive interview with The Independent on Sunday, Col Iron, who leads the teams mentoring the Iraqi army in central Basra, said the deal had included the release of 120 prisoners and had the effect of leaving the city in a lawless state.

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- Iraq arms sales request worth over nine billion dollars: Pentagon Source: AFP Document: Article Date: August 1, 2008 Access: Open The biggest proposed sale was for 392 Light Armored Vehicles, radios and anti-tank weapons at an estimated cost of three billion dollars, the Defense Security and Cooperation Agency said. Congress also was notified of a possible sale of 140 upgraded M1A1 Abrams tanks as well as armored Humvees, tracked logistics vehicles, armored ambulances, vehicles to carry shelters and command posts, and trucks to transport heavy equipment. It was valued at 2.16 billion dollars. A separate 2.4 billion dollar helicopter deal would provide the Iraqi government with 24 Bell Armed 407 helicopters or 24 Boeing AH-6 helicopters, along with engines, missiles, mortars, machineguns, and rocket launchers.

- British troops set sights on role in Iraq Source: Financial Times Document: Article Date: August 5, 2008 Access: Open Britain has begun negotiations with thegovernment in Baghdad on a long-term military commitment to Iraq that UK officials say could leave significant numbers of UK troops in the country beyond next year. The Ministry of Defence envisages a possible longer-term relationship with the Iraqi military similar to the type that the UK has with other armed forces in the region, such as those of Oman or Jordan. Some officials are keen to counteract media reports that by the middle of next year substantially all British troops will be out of Iraq.

- New Operation Gets Surprise Support Source: IPS Document: Article Date: August 5, 2008 Access: Open The Sahwa are the 'Awakening Forces' created and paid by the U.S. military to co-opt militants and to fight al- Qaeda, but which have become a force of their own parallel to the military and the police. They are a mostly Sunni militia of about 90,000 comprising mostly former anti-occupation resistance fighters and even al-Qaeda members. Each member is paid 300 dollars monthly. The Sahwa have long been at odds with the regular Iraqi forces, but they came out in strength this time following a promise of 3,000 jobs for their members in the national police. The move came after Maliki, who leads a Shia dominated government, dropped his long opposition to absorption of Sahwa members in government forces. "Tomorrow you will take your role with us in our operation to attack al-Qaeda militants," General Ali Gaidan, commander of the ground forces, said at a meeting of Sahwa leaders with Maliki at a camp near Kanan district, 12 km northeast of Baquba on Aug. 2.

- Iraqi militia leader to order followers to lay down their arms Source: Guardan Document: Article Date: August 6, 2008 Access: Open The leader of one of the most powerful militias in Iraq, Moqtada al-Sadr, is to order his followers to disarm and transform themselves into a purely social and political organisation, according to a new strategy document published yesterday. Such a shift would mark a significant step forward for US and Iraqi government attempts to pacify Iraq. Sadr's Mahdi army, committed to forcing US troops out of Iraq, has been behind much of the violence since the 2003 invasion. His forces have maintained a ceasefire since May.

- US military works to keep out Iraq militia leaders Source: AP Document: Article Date: August 6, 2008 Access: Open U.S. commanders believe many senior militants escaped the offensives by going to sympathetic areas in southern Iraq and neighboring Iran. That has raised concerns that the militants — many of them nominally loyal to anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr — are trying to regroup."The leadership has by and large departed the area," said Lt. Col. Tim Albers, director of intelligence for U.S. forces in Baghdad. "We do have indications that they want to return. ""We're certainly concerned with it," he said during a press briefing. "We're trying to be pre- emptive with our operations to prevent it and make it an inhospitable environment for them."

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Iraq and International policies

- Iraq, Iran and United States: Problems and Prospects Source: ICG Document: Article Date: July 30, 2008 Access: Open A major political initiative is required to build the long-term foundations for stability in Iraq. But with the potential for violent confrontation ever-present, and the three countries involved facing elections in 2008-09, this outcome is far from certain. Joost Hiltermann reports. The restoration of a semblance of normalcy in key parts of Iraq, the Nouri al-Maliki government's new assertiveness and a growing clamour for a timetable for the withdrawal of United States troops all demand a reassessment of the US's military "surge" policy and a fresh look at Iraq's future. The questions are interlinked and pressing: * did the surge succeed? * has the al-Maliki government really been successful in restoring law and order? * are political conflicts on the way to resolution, via legislation and provincial elections? * what would happen if US forces began to withdraw after January 2009?

______Humanitarian world perspectives & Quality of Aid

- Anthropology and Humanitarian Aid Source: Université Nanterre Paris X, France Document: Call for proposal Date: August 4, 2008 Access: Open As humanitarian aid work attracts rising levels of funding and engages a growing number of decision makers and actors around the world, it is widely accepted that socio-cultural differences must be central considerations for those who provide such aid. In effect, the humanitarian sector must mobilize not only specific skills (technical, scientific, diplomatic, etc.) but also seek to understand the historical, social and cultural contexts in play among populations of concern, which are not addressed by a simple exercise of goodwill. This begs a number of central questions: How to take into account the social, cultural, political, economical or religious specificities, and the expectations, of the populations to be helped? How to decode the particular mindsets of associations, NGOs and local governments, without losing sight of the individuals whose suffering is the reason for the intervention?

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This Page is your page

If you have an announcement (training, workshop, etc) regarding your organisation, if you are aware about meetings, events, humanitarian update, if you would like to make known some information, please send them to [email protected] Weekly Schedule

We encourage you to check regularly our Weekly Schedule on our Website for updates. We have added on our weekly schedule some events hold in Iraq or Jordan that concern only specific invited people. They are highlighted as “restricted”. This is to give better information on what is going on to our members.

Upcoming important dates

August- 08/ SHa’baan-07 Announcement of Iraq-Iran Ceasefire (1988) August-09/ SHa’baan-08 Imam Al-Zemana (Mahdi) Dispearance starts August-12/ SHa’baan-11 Ali Al-Akbar Bin Hussein Birthday/International Youth Day August-14/ SHa’baan-13 Sinjar attack on Yazidis Anniversary (2nd more imp. terrorist attack worldwide-2007)

Updates & Announcements

We would also like to introduce to you new Jordanian visa procedure for Iraqi citizens.

The Helsinki II Agreement can be checked here.

NCCI is organizing Do No Harm workshop in Amman on 24 August, 2008.

IFES –Iraq (Baghdad) is looking for Election Liaison Officer Assistant in Baghdad (International Zone) if interested please contact [email protected] and tel.-no. (0) 79059902 88.

NCCI has posted new vacancy (Secretary).

UPP Amman, INTERSOS, ACTED and IRC Erbil are looking for new staff. Their vacancies can be checked on the NCCI web. NCCI’s Contact List

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