If a link in the NCCI newsletter is not working anymore, it might be because the source of the document remove it from their website. Usually you can find it clicking here EDITORIAL Issue 89 – November 15, 2007 ------Another risk for Iraqis: slackening?

With each passing month, the number of US troops returning back home from with emotional or mental distress is reported in increasing. Recent reports argue that more than a quarter of recent Iraq combat veterans are grappling with various psychological problems, while at least 40 percent of reservists suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

GHT (PTSD).

I

L According to the US National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), “Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD, is an anxiety disorder that can develop

H after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened. Traumatic events that may trigger

G PTSD include violent personal assaults, natural or human-caused

I disasters, accidents, or military combat.”

If 40 percent of the troops who have been trained and prepared to be in a H war context can suffer from such a disease, what about civilians, who have

Y not been trained, who find themselves caught up in the maelstrom of violence afflicting so many of their neighborhoods? L

K These last few weeks, some war-torn areas of Iraq such as Baghdad and Anbar, once considered as the most violent places worldwide, are reported E to have become calmer, or less violent. Actually the level of violence is E reported to have scaled down to the level it was in 2006, which was then considered as unacceptable. However, while widely challenged and mainly due to divisions and withdrawal of neighborhoods, this “positive” trend

W changes little in the life of many Iraqis. Their life does not become safe, but I their environment appears to be now less violent. In psychological terms, is the current level of violence less harmful, more acceptable?

Symptoms of PTSD and other emotional stress usually begin within 3 months of the incident but occasionally emerge years afterward. Generally, they appear once the person can relax or slacken. Therefore, the more that NCC Iraqis feel safer and quieter; the more likely it is that they will begin to display the symptoms of anxiety and trauma disorder that have been suppressed, until now, by preoccupation with the need to survive.

Yet, when such a disorder appears or is diagnosed by a physician, treatment is usually to be conducted through meeting with a mental health

specialist. According to the NIMH, “the practitioners who are most helpful with anxiety disorders are those who have training in cognitive-behavioral therapy and/or behavioral therapy, and who are open to using medication if it is needed.”

In a country where so many families are struggling to survive and to access basic services, how many people facing such stress will be able to consult with a qualified mental health worker? How many will accept to meet with a psychologist or psychiatrist, who are often considered as “doctors for mad- people” in Iraqi society?

After more than 55 months of war, after years of violence, social upheaval and destruction of infrastructure, after the targeting of thousands of health workers, how many mental health specialists remain in Iraq? How many who have knowledge in such therapies are still able to provide the needed help?

If the current trend of a decrease in violence is confirmed in the coming weeks, it will become urgent for the humanitarian community and donors to prepare adequate responses to this new threat. Whether or not this alleged trend is a consequence of the “surge strategy”, there is no social or psychological component embedded within the security operations that can help to relieve the mental distress of the Iraqi population. PTSD and other stress disorders are not only individual problems. The psychological scars of war can affect everyone in Iraq and have consequences on the whole population, on entire communities.

Our wish is that, as soon as possible, every Iraqi will be able to relax and release the pressure they have had on their shoulders for too long. Slackening is not a threat. But its corollary may have huge consequences on the Iraqi society if nothing is prepared on time. But when the time comes that there is a genuine reduction in the level of violence afflicting so many Iraqi civilians, the costs of not accessing their psychological needs in a timely and effective way will be far too expensive for Iraqis and the international community to bear.

------Salaam, NCCI Team

NCCI Weekly Highlight 2 Issue 89 – 11/15/2007

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

Advocacy

- Iraqi Refugees: A Lot of Talk, Little Action Source: Refugees International Document: Report Date: November 14, 2007 Access: Open The situation for Iraqi refugees in the Middle East continues to deteriorate, while the scale of the crisis continues to dwarf the international response. As the number of displaced Iraqis has reached an unprecedented level – more than 4.5 million – Iraq’s neighbors have increased restrictions on the refugees. These restrictions are at least partially a response to the lack of support received from the United States and other donor governments, as well as the government of Iraq itself, to lessen the tremendous burden that the host countries are assuming.

- Private Security Companies Engaging in New Forms of Mercenary Activity Says UN Working Group Source: UNHCHR Document: Press Release Date: November 6, 2007 Access: Open A number of private security companies operating in zones of armed conflict are engaging in new forms of mercenarism, the United Nations Working Group on the use of mercenaries concludes in its second report. The full report

- The has become a disaster that we have chosen to forget Source: The Guardian Document: Opinion Date: November 5, 2007 Access: Open With the media subdued, governments have not been held to account for the biggest political calamity of our time. It can take a generation or more for people to grasp the significance and magnitude of historical events. Facts that are infinitely more bizarre and awful than fiction - as Naomi Klein's book The Shock Doctrine documents - take a long time to be fully absorbed. The Iraq war has been about the abject failure of democracy: governments have not been held to account for a war that has squandered lives, billions in public money and the stability of an entire region with reckless criminality.

- America and the world's executioners join efforts to block UN moves to end death penalty Source: The Independent Document: Article Date: November 15, 2007 Access: Open If last-minute "killer" amendments to a draft UN resolution do not scupper the initiative, the 192-nation UN human rights committee will begin voting on the measure today. If adopted, it will give a powerful moral boost to those campaigning for an end to the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. As of last night, the draft resolution had been sponsored by 85 states, including all 27 European Union nations. The United States, which executed 53 people last year, will vote against. So will China, which put 2,790 people to death last year. In fact 91 per cent of all death sentences carried out happen in six countries: China, the US, Pakistan, Sudan, Iraq and Iran, where two men were publicly hanged for murder and robbery yesterday.

NCCI Weekly Highlight 3 Issue 89 – 11/15/2007

Operational Humanitarian Space

- Response to Iraq Humanitarian Crisis Source: IFRC Document: Report Date: November 5, 2007 Access: Open The present funding status enabled the International Federation to complete relief \ assistance to 13,000 socially vulnerable families in four governorates. Negotiations are under way with donor National Societies to utilize some funds by reallocating to relief operations. The community based first aid (CBFA) programme was re- launched on 20 September 2007.

- Contingency Plan regarding displacement of population in Kurdistan Region of Iraq as a result of Turkish incursion - Draft Source: UNHCR Document: Contingency Plan Date: November 5, 2007 Access: Members This is a draft Contingency Plan addressing the ‘’Internal and External Displacement of population in Kurdistan Region of Iraq as a result of Turkish incursion’’ and is work in progress. It is a confidential document and should not be shared beyond the current circle of recipients. The scenarios indicated in this document are for the planning purposes and humanitarian response only and do not imply any political stance of the participants in the planning process. This document was prepared by UNHCR after intensive consultations with concerned authorities (OCUNA, MoERA-DDM, concerned Governors), UNAMI, UN Agencies, IOM, ICRC and INGOs and is subject to further revisions.

- Aid agencies ready for N.Iraq refugees over war worry Source: Alertnet Document: Article Date: November 2, 2007 Access: Open Aid agencies are gearing up on Friday to deal with thousands of people fleeing their homes in northern Iraq, where small groups are already on the move out of fear of Turkish troops invading to quell Kurdish rebels. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) is preparing supplies for up to 12,000 displaced people in the north of the country, spokeswoman Jemini Pandya said.

- Regional Dimensions to the Iraqi Displacement Crisis and the Role of the United Nations Source: Brookings Institution Document: Speech Transcription Date: October 25, 2007 Access: Open Let’s start with numbers. The best estimates today are that there are some 2.25 million internally displaced Iraqis and over 1.5 million Iraqis in Syria, 500-750,000 in Jordan, 150,000 in Egypt, 55,000 in Iran, 40,000 in Lebanon, 10,000 in Turkey and 200,000 in the Gulf (including Saudi Arabia.) With the exception of a few hundred Iraqi Palestinians, none of these refugees live in camps. This is an urban refugee situation – just as inside Iraq, it is an urban IDP situation. In fact, this is the largest urban refugee situation in the world.

Blurring the Lines

- Muddled merger: Military, politics and aid Source: ISN Security Watch Document: Article Date: October 25, 2007 Access: Open International military and crisis management circles discuss integrated peace operations as a way to address 21st century conflicts but coordination is proving a challenge. "Neutrality of NGOs and humanitarian groups is absolute nonsense," said the planner. "Building schools is not a humanitarian activity: It is a political one. Modern war conditions are very different than when these agencies and their operating principles were first elaborated decades ago. Today's intra-state violence is chaotic. NGOs have to address a whole range of activities and this forces them to bump into the dirty side of a conflict, whether they like it or not." So how can dialogue between military and non-military actors to carry out IPO planning be created?

NCCI Weekly Highlight 4 Issue 89 – 11/15/2007

Humanitarian Needs and Assistance

- Humanitarian Crisis in Iraq – Facts and Figures Source: UNAMI Document: Fact Sheet Date: October 20, 2007 Access: Open Update on main facts and figures regarding the Iraq Humanitarian Crisis

- As winter approaches, ICRC warns of deepening crisis for hundreds of thousands who have fled their homes Source: ICRC Document: Video transcipt Date: November 6, 2007 Access: Open This video report offers testimonials of people living in Gardasin, one of a number of camps for the displaced in northern Iraq. It is set on a desolate plain, burning hot in summer, and with sub-zero temperatures in mid-winter. It shows how the Iraqi Red Crescent Society and the ICRC come to help.

- Iraq in the Time of Cholera Source: The Guardian Document: Opinion Date: November 13, 2007 Access: Open The cholera epidemic aggravates what is already, by any measure, a serious humanitarian and public health emergency. According to Jeremy Hobbs, director of Oxfam International: "The terrible violence in Iraq has masked the ongoing humanitarian crisis. Malnutrition amongst children has dramatically increased and basic services, ruined by years of wars and sanctions, cannot meet the needs of the Iraqi people. Millions of Iraqis have been forced to flee the violence, either to another part of Iraq or abroad. Many of those are living in dire poverty."

Health & Mental Health

- Situation Report on Cholera Outbreak in Northern Iraq #34 Source: WHO-Iraq Document: Sitrep Date: November 11, 2007 Access: Open The most important development during weeks 44-45, is the steep increase in the number of cholera cases reported from Baghdad. Out of the 51 new cholera cases reported this week 29 (57%) were reported from Baghdad. The cumulative number of laboratory-confirmed cases increased 2.6-fold, from 19 to 49. 57% of new laboratory-confirmed cholera cases this week were reported mainly from the high-risk areas in the 4 most disadvantaged districts in Baghdad (Sadder City, Me’dain; Baladiat and Al-Resafa). Data provided from Baghdad is neither complete nor timely; therefore, reported cholera cases may underestimate the real situation. What is reported from Baghdad seems to be the tip of the iceberg. While the cholera out break is moving quickly towards Baghdad; WHO and UNICEF are running short of the needed resources to improve case reporting; management and containment activities in all affected areas especially in Baghdad. Situation Report on Cholera Outbreak in Northern Iraq #31 (Oct. 31) Situation Report on Cholera Outbreak in Northern Iraq #32 (Nov. 4) Situation Report on Cholera Outbreak in Northern Iraq #33 (Nov. 8)

- Lack of expertise leaves refugees without proper mental care - In English and in Arabic Source: IRIN Document: Article Date: November 1, 2007 Access: Open Jordan's public mental health institutions lack expertise, according to aid agencies, prompting Iraqi refugees or Jordanians suffering from mental disorders to rely on NGOs under the umbrella of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). Marwa el-Ansary, refugee team leader for CARE, an aid agency, said Jordan lacked the capacity to treat the increasing number of Iraqi refugees with mental health symptoms.

NCCI Weekly Highlight 5 Issue 89 – 11/15/2007

- Burying the eye to heal the mind - In English and in Arabic Source: IRIN Document: Article Date: November 8, 2007 Access: Open "What is left of my son? His legs are gone and now I carry his eye in my hands to bury it," the Iraqi man told the doctor before bursting into tears. Hussein's son, seven-year-old Ali, lost half his face and both legs in a Baghdad explosion early this year. The boy is receiving treatment at a hospital run by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), the French NGO, which has rented a ward in a Red Crescent Society hospital to treat Iraqi war victims.

IDPs

- The IDPs in Iraq – Update 27 - In English and Arabic Source: Iraqi Red Crescent Document: Report Date: November 4, 2007 Access: Members The Iraqi RC statistics showed that the number of IDP was 2,299,425 people by the end of September 2007. This marked a 16 percent increase from the end of August. Children less than 12 years comprised more than 65 percent of the total number. The majority of the displaced people (63.6 percent) were in Baghdad governorate. The majority of the IDP in the governorates of Basrah, Najaf, Karbala, Diwaniya, Missan, Babil, Thi qar, Wassit and Muthanna were Muslim Shia, while the majority of the IDP in the governorates of Kirkuk, Ninawa, Saladin and Anbar were Muslim Sunni. Erbil and Dohuk governorates have witnessed more population movement among the Christians.The Internally Displaced People suffer from difficulties in most aspects of life.

- Tension in the North Poses Additional Burden on Internally Displaced Source: IOM Document: Press Release Date: November 1, 2007 Access: Open The situation of internally displaced people (IDPs) in Iraq’s northern governorates is continuing to deteriorate with monitors observing an increase in forced prostitution among IDPs desperate to survive, according to the latest update of IOM’s monitoring and assessment of the displacement crisis in the country. The full IOM Iraq Displacement Assessments and Statistics (Nov. 1st)

- Food Subgroup meeting Source: WFP Document: MoM Date: November 5, 2007 Access: Members Minutes of the last food subgroup meeting held in Amman on November 5th.

- 2.3 million Iraqis reported displaced Source: Los Angeles Times Document: Article Date: November 6, 2007 Access: Open Red Crescent figures on more internal refugees may not reflect a possible turnaround. Another group warns of fallout from border tensions.

- Kurds and Arabs Shelter Side by Side in Distrust and Misery Source: New York Times Document: Article Date: November 14, 2007 Access: Open On a barren, trash-strewn plain on the outskirts of this city, two groups — one poor and Kurdish, the other displaced and Arab — huddle side by side in distrust and suspicion. They are united only in their misery, their fear of the coming winter and their envy of those thriving nearby in Sulaimaniya, the largest city in the Iraqi region of eastern Kurdistan. The estimated 200 Kurds living in the tent city here say they find work one or two days a week as day laborers. A good day brings $10. Living in a tent with no running water keeps the overhead down. NCCI Weekly Highlight 6 Issue 89 – 11/15/2007

- Aid agencies struggle to support over two million displaced Iraqis - In English and in Arabic Source: IRIN Document: Article Date: November 8, 2007 Access: Open As violence continues to force an average of 60,000 Iraqis from their homes every month, according to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), aid agencies are warning that limited access to the displaced is causing a deterioration of their living conditions, and with cold winter months upon them, the situation is likely to get even worse.

- Millions Trapped in Their Own Country Source: IPS Document: Article Date: November 5, 2007 Access: Open At least five million Iraqis have fled their homes due to the violence under the U.S.-led occupation, but half of them are unable to leave the country, according to well-informed estimates.

- Iraq says families returning home as violence ebbs Source: Alertnet Document: Article Date: November 7, 2007 Access: Open A senior Iraqi military official said on Wednesday that more than 46,000 people had returned to their homes in Baghdad from outside Iraq in October as security improved in the capital. The figure was a large jump from earlier government estimates that 3,200 families had returned to their homes in Baghdad since January. The Iraqi Red Crescent has reported that the number of people displaced within Iraq has grown steadily for almost two years, reaching 2.3 million at the end of September.

- Basra shuts doors on fleeing Iraqis Source: Azzaman Document: Article Date: November 3, 2007 Access: Open The Province of Basra has made it clear that it has no capacity to accommodate the increasing numbers of Iraqis seeking refuge there, Basra's deputy governor said. Luay al-Battat said the province's public services were "very strained" and there were not enough resources to cater for the influx of refugees. The number of Iraqis fleeing their homes to safer areas has soared despite reports that levels of violence have receded recently.

Refugees

- ANERA provides Iraqi refugee children with educational opportunities in Jordan Source: ANERA Document: Press Release Date: November 2, 2007 Access: Open American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA) will provide educational opportunities to approximately 1,000 Iraqi refugee children in Jordan, aged 6 through 12, with support from a $725,000 grant from the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (BPRM). Jordan’s King Abdullah opened a window of opportunity for ANERA by overturning a Ministry of Education restriction on education to anyone lacking a residency permit.

- Conditions deteriorate for 2,000 Palestinians stuck at Iraq-Syria border Source: UNHCR Document: Article Date: November 9, 2007 Access: Open The UN refugee agency warned on Friday that the situation for Palestinians trapped in camps at the Iraq-Syria border was becoming very precarious, with nearly 2,000 people facing deteriorating weather conditions.

NCCI Weekly Highlight 7 Issue 89 – 11/15/2007

- Iraqi Refugee Women and Girls in Jordan: Desperate and Alone Source: Women’s commission for refugee women and children Document: Advocacy Campaign Date: November 14, 2007 Access: Open The Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children has developed three short films on the RH needs of Iraqi refugees in Jordan in addition to a longer report that is now available in both English and Arabic. Film - Overview of Iraqi Refugees in Jordan Film - Violence Against Iraqi Women and Girls Film - Health Care for Iraqis in Jordan Report - Iraqi Refugee Women and Youth in Jordan: Reproductive Health Findings – in English and in Arabic Advocacy Brief

- Update on SGBV Forms, prevention, Response and challenges Source: UNHCR Document: Report Date: November 15, 2007 Access: Members Recommendations: Initiate a dialogue with line authorities on the issue of prostitution, forced prostitution, marriage at very young age, etc; to propose joint mechanism with the authorities to provide protection, assistance and monitoring to women and girls used in nightclubs, dancing places, massage places, etc; to discuss possible alternatives for survivors of SGBV apart from detention especially for young girls; more presence of HCR staff and partners in the field

- Jordan's Ruweished camp empty as last family leaves Source: UNHCR Document: Article Date: November 5, 2007 Access: Open The isolated Ruweished camp was empty on Monday after the last nine Palestinian refugees left the desert facility in eastern Jordan en route to a new life in Brazil. The camp, which once provided shelter for some 1,000 refugees, is not expected to reopen.

- Iraqi expatriates around half-a-million Source: Jordan Times Document: Article Date: November 14, 2007 Access: Open Jordan is hosting around half-a-million Iraqi nationals who are mainly residing in the capital, according to results of a survey released yesterday from an independent research institute. The government commissioned Norway's FAFO Institute for Applied International Studies to provide detail on the state of affairs of Iraqis in Jordan earlier this year. FAFO’s Managing Director Jon Pedersen said: “While figures as high as one million or about 16 per cent of the total population have been aired, this study concludes that there are between 450,000- 500,000 Iraqi residents in Jordan as of May 2007.” More on the FAFO survey The Full FAFO report

- Iraqi refugees face prison and deportation - In English and in Arabic Source: IRIN Document: Article Date: November 6, 2007 Access: Open The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) puts the number of Iraqi refugees in Lebanon at 50,000 people, of whom only 8,476 are registered. Another 500 are being held in prison, it says, merely for violating immigration rules.

NCCI Weekly Highlight 8 Issue 89 – 11/15/2007

- Iraqi Refugees in Arizona Source: Washington Post Document: Article Date: November 8, 2007 Access: Open Many Families Find Adjustment Tough, Even Though the Southwest Reminds Them of Home. After escaping death threats in a town north of Baghdad, Nadhum Ali al-Hasnawi and his family landed in the United States six weeks ago as refugees, hoping to build a new life for themselves. But since its arrival, the family has rarely left their apartment.

Education – Child Protection

- Schools, Academics in the Gun Sights Source: IPS Document: Article Date: November 8, 2007 Access: Open A "dramatic increase" in targeted violence against schools and educational institutions, mostly in conflict zones, is having a devastating effect on students, teachers, trade unionists, administrators and education officials, according to a new U.N. study released here.

Human Rights & Protection

- Interagency Protection Strategy - Draft Source: UNHCR Document: Strategy Paper and Action Plan Date: November 3, 2007 Access: Members First draft of the Interagency Protection Strategy for comments and feedback

- Bolstering free and independent media in Iraq Source: UNESCO Document: Press Release Date: November 9, 2007 Access: Open Iraqi broadcasters, parliamentarians and representatives of the judiciary, have drafted a proposal to strengthen existing legislation to guarantee free and independent media in the country. In a meeting organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and UNESCO in Amman, (Jordan) a draft was finalized which, if endorsed by parliament, would confirm the continued existence of Iraq’s Media and Communication Commission (CMC), the independent regulator that has been in place since mid-2004.

- Iraqi Prisoners: Interrogations Depend on Sectarian Identity - In English and Arabic Source: Niqash Document: Article Date: October 31, 2007 Access: Open Niqash is publishing a special report on the problems with arbitrary arrests, which occur because the multinational forces rely on local informers and sectarian forces, like Shi'ite police or Kurdish security forces.

Demining and MRE

- Iraq Landmine Impact Survey Source: UNDP Document: Report Date: October 2007 Access: Open The Landmine Impact Survey in Iraq summarizes the results of a socioeconomic survey of the affects of landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) on communities in that country. This survey was conducted over a two-year period, ending in late 2006. This document is only one in a series of reports, which collectively constitute the Global Landmine Survey initiative.

NCCI Weekly Highlight 9 Issue 89 – 11/15/2007

Agencies’ Communication

- NGO Micro Grant and Expanded Humanitarian Response Fund Bulletin No. 2 Source: OCHA Document: Report Date: November 10, 2007 Access: Open This is an update on two funding mechanisms for humanitarian action in Iraq. The bulletin will onward be produced on monthly basis. The NGO Micro Grant has provided small-scale funds for NGOs operating in Iraq since 2004. The Expanded Humanitarian Response Fund (ERF) for Iraq was approved and established in May 2007 and is administered by OCHA.

______-----__ Iraq Context

General Overview

- Iraq Crisis Report (IraqHAR) Source: Centre of Excellence on Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance Document: Weekly report Date: November 14, 2007 Access: Open A weekly Iraq humanitarian assistance report Compiled by Pacific Disaster Management Information Network

- Juan Cole’s informed comment’s excerpts Source: Informed Comment – Juan Cole’s Web Blog. Document: Selection of daily comments Date: November 2-15, 2007 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.

Non-Violence and Reconciliation

- Together to stop violence against women Source: Iraqi NGO Document: Report Date: November 5, 2007 Access: Members Two Workshops have been run by this NGO with the cooperation of UNIFEM in Thiqar and Muthanna Universities on October & November

- How Iraq’s Elections Set Back Democracy Source: New York Times Document: Opinion By Ayad Allawi Date: November 2, 2007 Access: Open IN the six weeks since Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker delivered their report to Congress on the situation in Iraq, there has been much criticism over the lack of progress made by the Baghdad government toward national reconciliation. Unfortunately, neither Washington nor the government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki seems to understand that reconciliation between Iraq’s ethnic and religious groups will begin only when we change the flawed electoral system that was created after the fall of Saddam Hussein.

NCCI Weekly Highlight 10 Issue 89 – 11/15/2007

- UNSG, In remarks to Istanbul Meeting Says it is in best interest of neighbouring countries to contain deterioration of situation in Iraq Source: UN Document: Speech Transcription Date: November 5, 2007 Access: Open Following is the text of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks at the expanded meeting of Iraq’s neighbours, in Istanbul, Turkey, on 3 November: It is the central responsibility of the Government of Iraq to advance national reconciliation and to create conditions for a more stable political and security situation. Iraq’s neighbours can reinforce the work of the Government of Iraq. In the face of the unrelenting challenges and potential changes, neighbouring countries, and those in the region, remain vital for stability in Iraq. The magnitude of the challenges confronting the Government requires a comprehensive approach embraced by all actors, regional and international.

- Istanbul conference ends with int'l commitment to helping restore peace in Iraq, combating terrorism Source: Xinhua Document: Article Date: November 4, 2007 Access: Open An international conference on Iraq ended here on Saturday with participating parties pledging support to the Iraqi government and people's efforts to restore permanent peace, stability and prosperity as well as international cooperation against terrorism. The participants agreed in a 23-point communique ending the conference to contribute to the Iraqis' efforts to restore permanent peace, stability and prosperity in their country through invigoration of the existing national reconciliation dialogue, in combating terrorism, strengthening the rule of law and widening participation in the political process. In addition to the pledges, the communique also endorses the creation of a Baghdad-based "support mechanism" that would be charged with regularly reviewing progress in implementing the decisions from the meeting and other such talks. The final statement also called for further talks on issues of security, energy and displaced persons.

- OIC Secretary General Ihsanoglu announces a new OIC initiative to reactivate the Makkah Declaration signed between the religious leaders of the Iraqi Sunnis and Shiites Source: OIC Document: Speech Transcription Date: November 5, 2007 Access: Open At the Expanded Conference of the Foreign Ministers of the Neighboring Countries of Iraq, He further informed the participants that the OIC will soon announce a new initiative to reactivate the Makkah Declaration process to stop the sectarian violence with a view to promoting national reconciliation and that the OIC office in Baghdad will very soon be opened to forge direct contacts and follow up its initiatives.

- In Mixed Slice of Baghdad, Old Bonds Defy War Source: New York Times Document: Article Date: November 13, 2007 Access: Open Ten centuries later, Bab al Sheik is less grand, but still extraordinary: it has been spared the sectarian killing that has gutted other neighborhoods, and Sunnis, Shiites, Kurds and Christians live together here with unusual ease. It has been battered by bombings around its edges, but the war has been kept from its heart, largely because of its ancient, shared past, bound by trust and generations of intermarriage.

- Baghdad's blast barriers inspire artists Source: IRIN Document: Article Date: November 15, 2007 Access: Open Artists eager to bring hope to residents of the war-ravaged Iraqi capital Baghdad have been painting grey concrete walls, erected to protect commercial and residential areas from car bombings and other attacks, with vibrant murals of proud moments in the country's history.

NCCI Weekly Highlight 11 Issue 89 – 11/15/2007

Iraqis Living Conditions

- Death Squad at your Door? That’s no Excuse for Skiving off Work Source: The Times Document: Article Date: November 14, 2007 Access: Open Azhaar al-Wasety, 48, a manager at the Ministry of Finance, knows all about skiving staff. The first call he receives every morning is from a member of staff excusing himself or herself from work. “They say things like the security forces have closed the road because of a car bomb . . . or there is fighting between the police and the militia,” Mr al-Wasety said. “I ask them to try to find another way to work or wait and see whether a particular road reopens. I know, however, that they will call later to say it is still not possible to come in.”

- Liquor stores return to Baghdad Source: Los Angeles Times Document: Article Date: November 3, 2007 Access: Open Alcohol is again being sold, though very discreetly, as improved security brings back once-scared customers.

- Where Better Security Brings No Reassurance Source: IPS Document: Article Date: November 2, 2007 Access: Open The much touted "surge" of U.S. troops in Baquba has caused more problems that it has solved, residents say.

- A Tale of One City, Now Two Source: IPS Document: Article Date: November 12, 2007 Access: Open The separation of religious groups in the face of sectarian violence has brought some semblance of relative calm to Baghdad. But many Iraqis see this as the uncertain consequence of a divide and rule policy.

Violence and (Un-) security

- Buying Personal Weapons by Installments - In English and Arabic Source: Niqash Document: Article Date: October 30, 2007 Access: Open In Mosul, citizens who want to buy guns can now pay for them in installments as increased demand has caused prices to go up, reports Adel Kamal. Facing massive crime the city's residents are arming themselves, and now it is quite common for women to have guns in their purses when they go to work.

- Bloody rivalry between Iraqi insurgents Source: Los Angeles Times Document: Article Date: November 11, 2007 Access: Open In Samarra, the Islamic Army is in an all-out battle against a group led by Al Qaeda in Iraq. The offer was simple. The Islamic Army must hand over its weapons to a rival Sunni insurgent group led by Al Qaeda in Iraq. It had one week to surrender. The deadline passed and then the war began in Samarra.

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- When Killing Becomes Personal Source: Alternet Document: Interview and Photo Slide show Date: November 8, 2007 Access: Open Freelance photojournalist Ashley Gilbertson has been covering the war on Iraq for major media outlets, including The New York Times since 2003. He was awarded the Robert Capa award and the National Press Photographer's Association award. His first book, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, published by University of Chicago press is the most comprehensive photographic coverage of the war to date. AlterNet and multimedia co-sponsor BAGnewsNotes are pleased to present a multimedia slideshow and an interview with Gilbertson. More here

- What I saw in Fallujah Source: New Statesman (Dahr Jamail) Document: Book Excerpt Date: November 1, 2007 Access: Open Dahr Jamail set out to report the truth about the US invasion of Iraq and its terrible impact on daily life. Determined to remain independent of the army, he embedded himself instead with the Iraqi people

- Fewer Deaths Bring No Reassurance Source: IPS Document: Article Date: November 9, 2007 Access: Open Despite claims by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and Bush administration officials that violence in Iraq is decreasing, residents in the capital tell a different story.

- Call an air strike Source: Asia Times Online Document: Article Date: November 9, 2007 Access: Open Amid the George W Bush administration's relentless campaign to "change the subject" from Iraq to Iran, how to "win" the war against the Iraqi resistance, Sunni or Shi'ite, now means - according to counter-insurgency messiah General David Petraeus - calling an air strike. […] When Fil says the Iraqi forces are "much, much more effective", what he means is they are much more ferocious. Terrified middle class, secular Shi'ite residents have told Asia Times Online these guards - Shi'ites themselves - roaming Baghdad with their machine guns pointing to the sidewalks are "worse than the Americans".

- In Iraq, a Lull or Hopeful Trend? Source: Washington Post Document: Article Date: November 2, 2007 Access: Open Signs of Declining Violence Leave Residents, U.S. Commanders Cautious. From store clerks selling cigarettes by generator power, to military commanders poring over aerial maps, Iraqis and Americans are striving to understand the sharp decrease in violence over the past several months and what it might herald for the future of Iraq.

“Reconstruction” is not going so well…for Iraqis

- Employment centers have names of more than 1 million jobless Iraqis Source: Azzaman Document: Article Date: November 9, 2007 Access: Open Employment and training centers across the country have to deal with an army of jobless Iraqis whose numbers have recently shot to more than 1.2 million, a statement by the ministry of labor and social affairs said.

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- Even in the more stable south, Iraq rebuilds slowly Source: Alternet Document: Article Date: November 11, 2007 Access: Open Local leaders in southern Iraq pleaded for greater reconstruction assistance this weekend even as U.S. and Iraqi officials touted tentative improvements since 2003 in rebuilding a country crippled by war.

- Despite turmoil, Iraq to spend $19 billion on projects Source: International Herald Tribune Document: Article Date: November 14, 2007 Access: Open Iraqi will spend an unprecedented $19 billion on capital projects across Iraq in 2008, including $900 million in Baghdad, senior Iraqi officials said Wednesday, even as they warned that the fight against insurgencies, gangs and militias was far from over.

- KRG signs five more petroleum contracts Source: KRG Document: Press Release Date: November 12, 2007 Access: Open Dr Ashti Hawrami, the KRG Minister for Natural Resources, today announced that the five production sharing contracts (PSCs) previously approved by the Council have been signed by the KRG with TNK-BP affiliate Norbest Limited, with a Korean consortium headed by Korean state-owned oil company KNOC, with Hillwood International Energy company HKN Energy, and with subsidiaries of UK-listed Sterling Energy LLC and Denver- based Aspect Energy LLC. Map of the Kurdistan Region contract areas that remain open for negotiation Updated guidelines of commercial terms for Oil exploitation in KRG

- Iraqi Police Academy Remains Largely Unusable Source: New York Times Document: Article Date: November 6, 2007 Access: Open More than a year after the Parsons Corporation, the American contracting giant, promised Congress that it would fix the disastrous plumbing and shoddy construction in barracks the company built at the Baghdad police academy, the ceilings are still stained with excrement, parts of the structures are crumbling and sections of the buildings are unusable because the toilets are filthy and nonfunctioning.

- 'Hidden Costs' Double Price Of Two Wars Source: Washington Post Document: Article Date: November 13, 2007 Access: Open The economic costs to the United States of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan so far total approximately $1.5 trillion, according to a new study by congressional Democrats that estimates the conflicts' "hidden costs"-- including higher oil prices, the expense of treating wounded veterans and interest payments on the money borrowed to pay for the wars.

- Will 'armloads' of US cash buy tribal loyalty? Source: The Christian Science Monitor Document: Article Date: November 8, 2007 Access: Open Since June, Mr. Hassani, who claims to be one of the princes of the legendary Shammar tribe, which numbers nearly 7 million across the Arab world, says he has received at least $100,000 in cash and numerous perks from the US military and the Iraqi government. With his help, at least $1 million has also been distributed to other tribal sheikhs who have joined his Salahaddin Province "support council," according to US officers. Together, they have assembled an armed force of about 3,000tribesmen dubbed the "sahwa [awakening] folks."

NCCI Weekly Highlight 14 Issue 89 – 11/15/2007

- U.S. finds a way to pacify Iraqi town — by using cash Source: Mc Clatchy Document: Article Date: November 13, 2007 Access: Open With that, the U.S. reached its next deal. It agreed to employ Sheik Sabah’s fellow tribesmen and former insurgents as concerned local citizens, as the U.S. calls the local security forces it’s been creating.The members of the new security force would earn $375 a month, and it would be up to Sheik Sabah to distribute the funds. Some of their salaries would go toward buying weapons; another part was presumed to go to Sheik Sabah. And it would be up to him to secure the town. When the money was doled out, the violence dropped immediately. The U.S. military had offered the residents a better deal than the Islamists had. The former insurgents were now paid to be the town’s guardians.

- U.S. courts sheiks in Hussein terrain Source: Los Angeles Times Document: Article Date: November 14, 2007 Access: Open Hoping to replicate gains in Anbar, American officials have signed $5.2 million in deals with Salahuddin tribesmen. But some Iraqi commanders are unhappy about the participation of tribesmen in the offensive operations, particularly ones outside their own regions. Six tribal fighters were killed when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb on the way to the training base.

- Hurdles Stall Plan For Iraqi Recruits Source: Washington Post Document: Article Date: November 12, 2007 Access: Open Shiite Leadership Wary of Bringing Fighters Into Ranks. The U.S. effort to organize nearly 70,000 local fighters to solidify security gains in Iraq is facing severe political and logistical challenges as U.S.-led forces struggle to manage the recruits and the central government resists incorporating them into the Iraqi police and army, according to senior military officials.

- Broken Supply Channel Sent Arms for Iraq Astray Source: New York Times Document: Article Date: November 11, 2007 Access: Open As the insurgency in Iraq escalated in the spring of 2004, American officials entrusted an Iraqi businessman with issuing weapons to Iraqi police cadets training to help quell the violence. By all accounts, the businessman, Kassim al-Saffar, a veteran of the Iran-Iraq war, did well at distributing the Pentagon-supplied weapons from the Baghdad Police Academy armory he managed for a military contractor. But, co-workers say, he also turned the armory into his own private arms bazaar with the seeming approval of some American officials and executives, selling AK-47 assault rifles, Glock pistols and heavy machine guns to anyone with cash in hand — Iraqi militias, South African security guards and even American contractors.

- Defense, oil and trade most corrupted ministries, commission says Source: Azzaman Document: Article Date: November 14, 2007 Access: Open The ministries of defense, oil and trade are among the most corrupted institutions in the country, according to the new director of the accountability and transparency commission. Mousa al-Shuwaili said rampant corruption in these ministries was mainly due to the pressure and meddling of influential political factions. The commission’s former head has escaped to the U.S. where he accused the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki of nurturing and encouraging a culture of corruption. 17,000 sham names getting monthly salaries

NCCI Weekly Highlight 15 Issue 89 – 11/15/2007

Iraqi Political process

- Shiite Politics in Iraq: The Role of the Supreme Council Source: International Crisis Group Document: Article Date: November 15, 2007 Access: Open The U.S. should take advantage of its privileged ties with the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI) to moderate the party’s behaviour and curb its sectarian practices rather than use it as an instrument to confront the Sadrists. Shiite Politics in Iraq: The Role of the Supreme Council, the latest report from the International Crisis Group, outlines how the competition between its major Shiite movements – ISCI and Sadr’s Mahdi army – will help determine the country’s future. A protracted power struggle between the two is likely, marked perhaps by temporary alliances. The U.S. has fully backed ISCI in its rivalry with the Mahdi army, but this is a dangerous policy that will further deepen intra-Shiite divisions and ignores the Sadrists’ stronger mass base.

- Fadhila Party: "At the Moment Iraqis are Ill-equipped for Federalism"- In English and Arabic Source: Niqash Document: Article Date: October 29, 2007 Access: Open Ali Faruq in Basra interviewed Durgham al-Ajwadi, deputy leader of the Islamic Fadhila Party in Basra, on the party's stance towards federalism, democracy, public morality, and the current political situation in Basra, where one of its members is governor but the province's security affairs have been turned over to an independent institution.

- Article 140 Threatens Unity and Stability - In English and Arabic Source: Niqash Document: Article Date: October 28, 2007 Access: Open Muhammad al-Tamimi reports from Kirkuk that Article 140 of the Iraqi constitution on the future of Kirkuk is causing strife between Kurds on the one and Arabs and Turkmen on the other side, as the former insist on its immediate application and the latter on its postponement.

- Sadr MP demands dissolution of Iraq parliament Source: AFP Document: Article Date: November 13, 2007 Access: Open A top parliamentarian from radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's political bloc on Tuesday called for the dissolution of Iraq's parliament and the holding of fresh legislative elections.

- The Sunni in Iraq's Shiite leadership Source: The Christian Science Monitor Document: Article Date: November 14, 2007 Access: Open Tariq al-Hashemi says he cringes when he's described as Iraq's Sunni vice president. Mr. Hashemi, one of two vice presidents – the other, Adel Abdul-Mahdi, is Shiite – says he is trying to reach out to all Iraqis. In September, he met for the first time with Iraq's most influential Shiite cleric, the reclusive Grand Ayatollah Ali al- Sistani, at his home in the holy Shiite city of Najaf. He also drafted an Iraqi National Compact – his 25-point plan to lessen sectarian and ethnic strife.

NCCI Weekly Highlight 16 Issue 89 – 11/15/2007

- Iraqis Wasting An Opportunity, U.S. Officers Say Source: Washington Post Document: Article Date: November 15, 2007 Access: Open Senior military commanders here now portray the intransigence of Iraq's Shiite-dominated government as the key threat facing the U.S. effort in Iraq, rather than al-Qaeda terrorists, Sunni insurgents or Iranian-backed militias. The lack of political progress calls into question the core rationale behind the troop buildup President Bush announced in January, which was premised on the notion that improved security would create space for Iraqis to arrive at new power-sharing arrangements. And what if there is no such breakthrough by next summer? "If that doesn't happen," Odierno said, "we're going to have to review our strategy."

- Chalabi returns to prominence and power Source: Los Angeles Times Document: Article Date: November 13, 2007 Access: Open After spurning him, the U.S. is working with the Iraqi politician now overseeing the restoration of vital services to Baghdad. As for pushing the U.S. to war, he says: "We wanted to get rid of Saddam. We did not mislead anyone." Back at his office compound in the Green Zone, nicknamed the "squash court," the roof and wall are damaged where a Katyusha rocket struck in the middle of the night about four months ago. All it would take to fix them, Chalabi reasons, is a few hundred dollars worth of cement and a few hours' work. Yet despite his best efforts battling the Iraqi bureaucracy, they have not been fixed. "This is a small thing," he says. "Can you imagine what happens on the outside?"

Rule of Law

- Trial Nearer for Shiite Ex-Officials in Sunni Killings Source: New York Times Document: Article Date: November 5, 2007 Access: Open An Iraqi judge has ruled that there is enough evidence to try two former Health Ministry officials, both Shiites, in the killing and kidnapping of hundreds of Sunnis, many of them snatched from hospitals by militias, according to American officials who are advising the Iraqi judicial system.

- Blackwater's loopholes Source: Los Angeles Times Document: Opinion Date: November 15, 2007 Access: Open Federal agents investigating the Sept. 16 killing of 17 Iraqi civilians by operatives of the Blackwater security company have concluded that 14 were victims of unjustified and unprovoked shootings. Some died in a hail of bullets as they fled. The investigators also have rejected assertions by Blackwater that its forces were defending themselves, saying there is no evidence to support that claim. This initial glimpse into the evidence uncovered by the FBI bolsters the Iraqi government's claim (made within hours of the shootings in Baghdad's Nisoor Square) that the killings were criminal, as well as the findings of a U.S. military investigation that called all 17 of the killings unjustified. But that raises a crucial and complicated question: Who will prosecute the killers? The answer may be no one.

- Iraqi Government to UN: 'Don't Extend Mandate for Bush's Occupation' Source: Alternet Document: Article Date: November 9, 2007 Access: Open The United Nations Security Council, with support from the British and American delegations, is poised to cut the Iraqi parliament out of one of the most significant decisions the young government will make: when foreign troops will depart. It's an ugly and unconstitutional move, designed solely to avoid asking an Iraqi legislature for a blank check for an endless military occupation that it's in no mood to give, and it will make a mockery of Iraq's nascent democracy (which needs all the legitimacy it can get).

NCCI Weekly Highlight 17 Issue 89 – 11/15/2007

- Iraqi MPs Challenge Coalition Mandate Source: IPS Document: Article Date: November 13, 2007 Access: Open The United Nations Security Council has been warned by Iraqi parliamentarians of a potentially "serious" constitutional and political crisis if it decides to renew the mandate of the U.S.-led multinational force (MNF) beyond December 2007, without approval from lawmakers.

Policies and Strategies

- Meet Abu Abed: the US's new ally against al-Qaida Source: The Guardian Document: Article Date: November 5, 2007 Access: Open With summary beatings and imprisonments, he has the methods of a mafia don. But he and others like him are crucial to American strategy. Critics of the plan say they are simply creating powerful new strongmen who run their own prisons and armies, and who eventually will turn on each other. A senior Sunni sheikh, whose tribe is joining the new alliance with the Americans against al-Qaida, told me in Beirut that it was a simple equation for him. "It's just a way to get arms, and to be a legalised security force to be able to stand against Shia militias and to prevent the Iraqi army and police from entering their areas," he said.

- Iraq: Positive Signs Source: Strategic Forecasting Document: Article Date: November 13, 2007 Access: Open The latest reports concerning the war in Iraq suggest the situation is looking up for the United States. It is tempting to say the United States has turned the corner on the war. The temptation might not be misplaced, but after many disappointments since 2003, it is prudent to be cautious in declaring turning points -- and it is equally prudent not to confuse a turning point with a victory. That said, given expectations that the United States would be unable to limit violence in Iraq, and that Sunni insurgents would remain implacable -- not to mention the broad expectation of a U.S. attack against Iran and must be taken seriously.

- Inside the Surge Source: The New Yorker Document: Article Date: November 19, 2007 Access: Open The American military finds new allies, but at what cost?

- Military Chaplains: Tour of Higher Duty Source: The Christian Science Monitor Document: Series of Articles Date: October 30 – November 12, 2007 Access: Open They carry no guns, yet US military chaplains are considered a force multiplier in the war theater. Today, in Iraq and Afghanistan, the military expects chaplains to meet the spiritual needs of troops. But it also recognizes their importance in everything from counseling the young soldier crying in his bunk over a Dear John letter to being a leveling moral presence among troops trained to fight and kill. Reporter Lee Lawrence spent three months with dozens of military chaplains in Iraq and Afghanistan. She profiles six of them in a weekly series.

- A Year in Hell for 1,000 Dollars a Month Source: IPS Document: Article Date: November 6, 2007 Access: Open Former Peruvian noncommissioned army officer Norman Alfonso Solano is happy because he has once again been recruited to work as a private security guard in one of the most dangerous places in the world: Iraq. The U.S. private military company Triple Canopy, which has drawn criticism for taking advantage of the high unemployment and low wages in Peru to recruit workers, has been hiring former members of Peru’s security forces to work in Iraq for the past several years. It also hires workers from Chile, Colombia and El Salvador.

NCCI Weekly Highlight 18 Issue 89 – 11/15/2007

- Is Maliki's corruption worth American lives? Source: Los Angeles Times Document: Opinion By Henry A. Waxman Date: November 5, 2007 Access: Open Two truths have emerged from Iraq in recent months. First, corruption is so pervasive in Prime Minister Nouri Maliki's government that political progress in Iraq may be impossible. Second, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and our embassy in Baghdad are inexplicably neglecting this corrosive threat.

- US, British and Australian forces build oil-protection base in Iraq Source: WSWS Document: Article Date: November 13, 2007 Access: Open The US Navy, with the assistance of British and Australian commandos, is building a permanent base to guard two oil-export platforms in Iraqi waters at the northern end of the Persian Gulf, according to a report Monday in the Wall Street Journal.

- Approach to Humanitarian and Development Assistance in Iraq 2007- 2010 Source: AUSAID Document: Strategy Date: November 6, 2007 Access: Open The goal of ’s aid program to Iraq from 2007 to 2010 is to support he reconstruction effort by improving the quality of life of Iraqi people and srengthening governance systems and security. Australia has an interest in secure and democratic Iraq including to enhance stability in the Middle ast region.

______Humanitarian world perspectives & Quality of Aid

- Do Private Security Companies Have a Role in Ensuring the Security of Local Populations and Aid Workers? Source: Jean S. Renouf Document: Article Date: November 6, 2007 Access: Open This paper was first presented during the fifth edition of the Autumn’s Humanitarian University organised by the French think-tank Groupe URD on “The security of humanitarian actors and the protection of civilian populations”. The paper refers to some ideas discussed in previous articles by the author. Within the framework of the debates regarding the concept of protection, this paper examines whether private security companies have a role to play in ensuring the physical security of local populations and whether they can improve the security management of humanitarian actors. The paper introduces the private security industry, highlights its strengths and weaknesses and outlines its impact on humanitarian action.

- No room for Humanitarianism in 3D policies: Have forcible humanitarian interventions and integrated approaches lost their way? Source: Journal of Military and Strategic Studies Document: Article Date: November 2007 Access: Open From an aid worker’s perspective, the challenges and opportunities associated with civil-military coordination are seen in the context of the evolution from the tradition of neutral humanitarian assistance to the more controversial (yet now widely accepted) practice of forcible humanitarian interventions (HI). Arguably this ideological progression has removed the primacy of the ‘Humanitarian Imperative’ and a victim’s right to assistance according to need and supplanted it with a concept of aid as justice and as a tool for promoting peacebuilding and human security agendas. This paper will review the evolution of these integrated approaches as they pertain to humanitarians and seek to highlight the different responses to 3D policies by classic humanitarian organizations and multi-mandate development organizations. By providing an overview of past forcible interventions, but with a particular focus on the heightened difficulties present in Afghanistan, we will trace the practical and ideological challenges faced by aid agencies attempting to maintain quality independent programming in such contexts.

NCCI Weekly Highlight 19 Issue 89 – 11/15/2007

- A Holistic Approach to the War on terror? Source: HD Centre Document: Opinion Paper Date: November 12, 2007 Access: Open So, what is to be done, not just in Afghanistan but more generally in response to “rogue” or “failing” states that pose a threat to international peace and security, which no-one disputes was true of Afghanistan under the Taliban even if with the benefit of hindsight it was not true – at least not to the extent imagined - of Iraq under Saddam ? […] We must understand better that “humanitarian” assistance is by definition impartial and cannot be used to secure a political objective; also that “development” can be facilitated, but not engineered. Both are important in helping to achieve a fairer, safer, world, but they need their own space if they are to be effective.

- Report of the Secretary-General on the protection of civilians in armed conflict Source: UN Document: Report Date: October 28, 2007 Access: Open The present sixth report on the protection of civilians in armed conflict is submitted in accordance with Security Council resolutions 1674 (2006) and 1738 (2006). Resolution 1674 (2006) marked a watershed in the protection of civilians by providing a clear framework for action by the Council and the United Nations in this area — action that is as critical and necessary today as it was eight years ago, when the Council considered the first report on the protection of civilians.

NCCI Weekly Highlight 20 Issue 89 – 11/15/2007

October 2007 Monthly Prices Indicators ------

NCCI is following Prices Indicators in Iraq since 2003. The purpose of these indicators is to help NGOs to have a concrete idea of the trend of the prices in Iraq.

The current surveys cover Baghdad and Basra. We also have the aim to cover other areas (North…) in cooperation with other NGOs and partners.

Methodology:

This trend analysis is based on a qualitative compilation of prices (not quantitative). Statistics presented here are collected weekly in wholesale markets and may not reflect real retail prices. We are interested in the trend and not the real price. The prices below represent a monthly average. All prices are in Iraqi Dinars.

The NCCI Prices Indicators are available on our website for our members in the Indicators Section

Since March 2006 we have changed the items in order to be more accurate and have more appropriate prices with the Iraqis’ reality. This report is divided in 5 sections: Food; Construction; Transports – Communication; Energy and Living costs.

For Baghdad, we are able to add graphs showing the evolution of these prices. In each table we already added a column showing the monthly evolution. The graphs accompanying these tables are formatted from a base-price (100) as March06 indicator. Regarding Basra prices, it is still too recent to show any evolution.

NCCI Weekly Highlight 21 Issue 89 – 11/15/2007

------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

Focus on Operationality meeting in Erbil and Sulaymaniah this week 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. We encourage you to check regularly our Weekly Schedule on our Website for updates.

Upcoming important dates

November 16th International Day for Tolerance

November 20th International Day of Child Rights

November 20th-21st Imam Ali Raza Birthday (Sunni-Shiite Hijri)

Updates & Announcements

NCCI New Staff NCCI Welcomes Mr. Maurizio Mascia as NCCI Deputy Executive Coordinator from Monday, November, 12th. Mr. Mascia is dealing with the Iraqi context since summer 2005, when he joined the NGO Italian Consortium of Solidarity as Program Manager. He can be reached at [email protected] and +962 79 5549110

------Focus on Operationality It is a new project of NCCI. The project will gather, analyze, document and disseminate lessons-learned from concrete field experience in 10 areas. We welcome your participation. We are depending on the most experienced aid workers in and a round Iraq to help us by telling their stories and sharing with us what they have learned in the field. We invite you to send us your stories and examples by e-mail, and welcome any input you have. You can contact Greg Hansen who conduct the project at [email protected] or +962 079 982 7896

------Angeli Distratti Un Ponte Per is promoting a movie called "Angeli Distratti" ("Absent Angels") officially presented this week in Roma in a press conference, and coming soon in several Italian movie houses. Some more details on the movie’s website. The movie (in Itali an) is kind of a documentary film set in Fallujah during the 2004 bombing over the town, and recalls the dramatic situation of Iraq. It's taken from the theatre play "Canto per Falluja" (A song for Falluja), written by Francesco Nicolini for our association; the play will be on stage next year. "Angeli Distratti" comes from the collaboration between Un Po nte Per and Gianluca Arcopinto (both producer and movie maker), and it is enriched by contribution of Simona Torretta, UPP Desk Officer in Roma, who participated to the film-script and to the set up as well.

------UNESCO hosts Iraqi Cultural Week from 12 to 21 November The wealth and diversity of Iraq’s arts and culture will be celebrated at UNESCO Headquarters from 12 to 21 November. The week long programme of events will highlight Iraq’s leading contemporary artists, musical traditions and its millenary heritage. It is being organised by UNESCO in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of State for Tourism and Antiquities of Iraq.

New NGO Vacancies and CV on our website

UN team schedule of events – November 2007

NCCI’s Contact List NCCI Weekly Highlight 22 Issue 89 – 11/15/2007