GC PRESIDENT: ELECTIONS ARE HARD CHOICE AT CURRENT STAGE

Baghdad, As-Sabah, Jan 14, Page 1  Dr. Adnan al-Pachachi, the current president of the GC, said deliberations are going on to find the best formula to elect members of the National Transitional Assembly. In statements to As-Sabah, Al-Pachachi said that the general elections is the best way to chose members of the NTA yet, the current stage at the Iraqi arena makes this matter hard."Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary General sees that time left to handover

 power to Iraqis is short as elections need more time concerning mechanisms and procedures required to hold elections. Al-Pachachi said that contacts with the UN Secretariat – General aims at preparing for the expected meeting between the Security Council and the Secretariat General and the CPA on Jan 19^th in New York. 

6 ICDC BATTALIONS BEFORE APRIL
Baghdad, As-Sabah, Jan 14, Page 1 
The Baghdad Advisory Council held its weekly meeting on Tuesday to discuss the issues on its agenda, in the presence of Mr. Andy Morrison and Colonel Joe Rice from the CPA. The meeting also hosted General Damsey, responsible for creating the Iraqi Civil Defense forces ICDC as saying: "Next June, the date of handing authority over for Iraqis, we will either be your guests or we will not be here at all". He added that there are now three battalions and within the coming two months, these battalions will be six". Concerning security forces, he said that creating these forces is worthless without training some intelligence members stressing that they have already started training a number of them as a first step, teaching them to serve the citizen not any other direction".   

LARGE QUANTITIES OF COUNTERFEITED ID AT IRAQI BANKS SEIZED
Baghdad, As-Sabah, Jan 14, Page 1 
The Committees of Board of Supreme Audit ( BSA) seized large quantities of counterfeited ID worth of 2 billions and a half at Rafideen Bank, Quds branch, As- Sabah learned that the necessary interrogations have got underway to hand over these sums for the bank. Mr. Ihsan Karim al- Ghanim chief BSA said that the concerned committees representing personnel of the BSA , Finance Ministry , and the Central Bank have seized hundreds millions of counterfeited ID at other banks , Adding that around ID 40,000,000 , from ID 10,000 denomination was found at Raqfideen Bank , Wihda branch. On top that, teams of BSA have paid more than 250 inspection visits for the bank during which it unveiled connivance of some banks personnel with forgery networks. The Finance Ministry has referred the suspects into interrogation. He indicated that the problem faced with the bank lies in the accumulation of more than ID 500, 000,000 not checked due to the load. Chief BSA unveiled names of the banks at which hundreds millions of counterfeited currency were found. 

ANBAR CONFERENCE DISCUSSES LOCAL GC ELECTIONS
Baghdad, As-Sabah, Jan 14, Page 1 
Ramadi national conference hekld a general conference to discuss proposals of electing a new local Governing Council of the province after the coalition provisional administration CPA has adopted a decision to change the current council which is subjected to more criticizes over the last months. The conference attended by more than 300 politicians top of whom members of Anbar conference political bureau chieftains , former military men , technocrats, contractors , professors and former political prisoners . During the conference, representative of CPA Mr. Keith addressed a speech in the name of the CPA. The conferees submitted a paper in accordance with latest proposal and modifications of the different activities in the city. The paper includes selected formation for the local council including 40 figures. The CPA seeks to give Anbar large national role in the course of representation. The conferees demanded to give more representation for chieftains, women and politicians. The new proposal divided the province into three constituencies, 11 seats for the downtown and 10 seats for Falluja and similar given to the western region and districts. The meeting focused on mechanism of better election and methods of electing representatives of the legislative institutes. Further , the conference tackled expanded national topics related to federalism .      

   DECISION TO REWARD JUDGES, GENERAL PROSECUTOR'S FAMILIES AFTER DEATH
Baghdad, As-Sabah, Jan 14, Page 2  
In accordance with the proposal of the judicial council , the administrative director of the CPA has issued a decision in compliance with the family of the judge who dies at work will be rewarded around % 80 of the salary his counterpart yet in service received and around % 100 in case the judge assassinated . Mr. Midhat Mahmoud chief judicial council clarified that the salary is to be spent in agreement with the distribution put by Minister of Justice, adding that the decision will be put into force starting from the issuance day. The decision includes cases occurred from 1^st June, 2003 and on, noting that the decision exemplifies human step to comfort and grantee  judge's family or general prosecutor's they will not suffer poverty in future.     

ATTACK ON AS-SABAH RECEIVE WIDE CONDEMNATION
Baghdad, As-Sabah, Jan 14, Page 2 
For the third day successively, attack on As-Sabah HQ receives wide condemnation.  Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Bahr al-Uloom, the Minister of Oil sent a telegram in which he condemned the coward attack.  The daily received a telegram of support from Dawood al-Farhan, Secretary of the Arab Journalists Union.  Many figures visited As-Sabah office to voice support with the daily staff and to denounce the coward attack. Among them are Hasaballah Yahya, the advisory of Information at the Ministry of Culture, Editorial-manager of al-Ta'akhi daily, Dr. Raouf al-Ansari, the Coordinator General of Civil Community and Democracy in Iraq Organization and Mohan al-Dhahir. As-Sabah received a bouquet and a telegram of condemnation from As-Sahafa daily. The attack also denounced by al-Mada and al-Itihad newspapers.     

JAN. 15^TH ---DEADLINE OF ID EXCHANGE
Baghdad, As-Sabah, Jan 14, Page 4 
The current week is the deadline for the ID exchange, after then governmental and private banks will halt accepting the ID exchange process Thursday afternoon, 15^th January 2004. Mr. Khairulddin Sabri Ahmed the director general of Central Bank of Iraq in Nineveh said that work of banks in general escalated recently to make it available for citizens depositing their old currency or exchanging with new ID . Around 25 banks all over Mosul , Sinjar, Telafar , Makhmor , Shirgat and Rabi'a regions were prepared for this process. "after the finishing this process , the central bank in Nineveh suffered a shortage in the new ID the mini ID 50, 250 denominations as the central bank circulated large quantities of this currency at the active banks in the province to make these denominations available in the market dealings. As regards the waste, burned, burred or wet old currencies, Nineveh Central Bank authorized the section of compensating damaged currency to shoulder this responsibility.      

  WOMAN'S POLITICAL ROLE DISCUSSED
Baghdad, As-Sabah, Jan. 14, Page 4 
The Advisory Committee of Iraqi Women's Affairs has recently held its second extended meeting at Al-Elwiya Club. The meeting was chaired by minister of Municipalities and Labors, the engineer Nessrine Perwary who discussed the participation of Iraqi women in the policy process in cooperation with the Organization of Woman's Support, the UN Development Program and the British Foreign Assistance Department. The Iraqi women's participation includes the women's involvement in the current political and cultural affairs in Iraq and the establishment of Supreme Council of the Iraqi Woman. The meeting pointed out that great sums of money is allocated for the council by the US and British governments. The concluding statement that has been issued at the end of the meeting confirmed on the necessity of respecting women's rights in Iraq and the building of new state that depends mainly on law and justice. The conference also drafted a letter addressed to the Iraqi Governing Council. The letter insisted that Iraqi women should be treated with justice concerning the personal Status Law and enacting it according to the modern bases. Later on a great demonstration has been held by the women who took part in the conference to condemn the decision that the Governing Council has been taken recently to cancel the Personal Status Law that had been worked with for forty years. Mrs. Ala Al-Talbani, the advisor of the Supreme Council of Iraqi Women, said that a delegation from the council will meet the President of the Governing Council Mr. Adnan Al-Patchechi to inform him about the rejection of women of the latest decision previously mentioned.     

IBF TO PARTICIPATE IN REBUILDING IRAQ
Baghdad, Al-Sabah, Jan. 14, Page 4 
500-member of Iraqi businessmen union (IBF) is to participate in the big international and economic forum which will be held in Kuwait Jan.19-23 under the motto "Rebuilding Iraq 2004". This exhibition is to be considered as a great opportunity to meet representatives of 1200 companies from 46 states. On the fringe of the exhibition a specialized seminars are to be held for two days to discuss the reconstruction issues in Iraq and the mechanism of signing the contracts within sectors of building, oil, gas and security and municipality services in addition to health, communications, education, industry, agriculture and trade.     

CELL PHONES TO START WORKING IN MOSUL
Mosul, Al-Sabah, Jan. 14, P. 4 
The Iraqi- Kuwaiti joint company Asiacell has finished the operation of lying out the net work of the mobiles at the borders of the city of Mosul and its neighborhoods after operating 5 towers of 11 distributing in allover the city. Essmat Mustafa al- Farru the director of Nineveh communications Department made it clear that the net work of the mobiles is to be finished and start official work on Jan.15 as a first stage and the second one is to be started on the beginning of February which will include the management units which are related to the city and are to be finished during two months.    

106 KM OF SANITATION SYSTEM TO BE REPLACED
 Baghdad, Al-Sabah, Jan. 14, Page  4 
The USAID is studying recently special tenders to replace sanitation pipelines of al- Karrda municipality. This project which its length reached about 106 km is considered one of the most important projects for Baghdad sanitation department which is financed by a donor from LGP organization which will employ about 50000 workers of the neighborhood in addition to facilitate the service works in it.     

IRAQI-QATARI OIL NEGOTIATIONS
Baghdad, Al-Sabah, Jan. 14, Page  4 
An Iraqi delegation from the oil ministry has arrived Doha yesterday to discuss the finishing touches of the technical Iraqi-Qatari committee's agreements to help enhance the bilateral ties in oil field. The delegation headed by Abdul Illah al-Amir the consultant at the MOO is to negotiate the possibility of supplying Iraq with oil products especially the liquid gas. The delegation is authorized to take the necessary decision and to sign agreements in this respect.  

MOE'S DELEGATION OFF TO TEHRAN
Baghdad, Al-Sabah, Jan. 14, Page 4 
An Iraqi delegation from the ministry of electricity is to visit Tehran next week to discuss the possibility of supplying Iraq with electricity. The Iranian officials have announced more than once their country's desire to supply Iraq with electricity to overcome the current shortages. The MOE has earlier made agreements with Kuwait, Turkey, Syria, Jordan and Egypt to serve the purpose.  

IP DEFUSES EXPLOSIVE CHARGES, ARRESTS GANG
Baghdad, As-Sabah, Jan.14, page 4, 
The Baghdad police, the explosive charge's experts have succeeded to defuse five explosive charges and missiles directed towards the BP's HQ, Brigadier General Hassan Mali, the head of the BP said. BG Mali pointed out that the terrorists chose residential sites to execute their operations, aiming at shaking the security situation in Baghdad. The experts succeeded to defuse a number of explosive charges in different neighborhoods in Baghdad. They defused an explosive charge and two missiles of 100 kg., put in the main street of Median, an explosive charge in Mansour, another one with a missile base containing seven missiles in Doura and an explosive charge in Rahmaniya of 12 grenade of PEA.  In al-Amiriya neighborhood the IP experts defused an explosive charge of nine TNT fingers with 230gr.gunpowder. Meanwhile, the IP checkpoint at New Baghdad neighborhood has arrested 2-member-car-looting gang, seizing a car with a hand grenade and a rifle. 

IBF TO ESTABLISH INVESTMENT BANK, COMMERCIAL CENTER
Baghdad, As-Sabah, Jan.14, page 4, 
The Iraqi Businessmen Federation to establish an investment bank related to the Iraqi business world and a commercial center to develop the exports. The 2004 plan include much projects characterized with investments and development features. It is expected to set the primary study of the project during the first months of this year.  

TU TO HOLD 4 COURSES
Baghdad, As-Sabah, Jan.14, page 4, 
Electric Engineering Department at the Technology University to organize a course in Auto CAD at the department and 3 other courses held at the continuous learning center. Professors of the department originated some designs and made experiments at the communication and others.  Last year, 2 graduated from the Department with Ph.D. and 14 others with MA degree.       

MOTHERHOOD STATUE RESTORED
Baghdad, As-Sabah, Jan.14, page 4, 
The motherhood bronze statue, by the late artist Khalid Al-Rahal, weight 800 kg has been restored. One of Al-Sadr city citizens kept during this period.  A source at the Ministry of Culture said that the statue was given to the minister Mufeed Al-Jazaeri and it is expected to be put in the frontage of the ministry headquarter.          

CBI ISSUES STATISTICS BULLETIN
Baghdad, As-Sabah, Jan.14, page 4, 
Mr. Mudher M. Saleh, the director general of Statistics and Research Department at the Central Bank of Iraq said that after a stoppage for 9 months, the bank issued its statistic bulletin.   He added that after removing the handicaps, the bank resumed activities by publishing the special issue of the statistics booklet 1999-2003. This marks the beginning of publishing the periodical bulletins and annul reports.