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By Adnan Abu Zeed for Al Monitor. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. 

Iraq is boosting its efforts to extradite fugitives wanted in corruption cases.

On Jan. 25, Iraqi authorities in cooperation with Interpol took custody of former Trade Minister Abdel Falah al-Sudani, who had been extradited from Lebanon. Sudani, a fugitive since 2009, had been tried and sentenced in absentia to seven years in prison for corruption.

Ziad al-Qattan, the former general secretary in the Ministry of Defense, was extradited from Jordan and handed over to Iraqi authorities Jan. 11.​ Qattan is accused of embezzling about $1 billion from the ministry.

“Such steps toward trying accused [politicians] in a country that is at the top of the list of the most corrupt countries, such as Iraq, are of paramount importance to regain the people’s confidence in the Iraqi judiciary and its ability to tackle corruption,” legal expert Ali Jaber told Al-Monitor.

“The extradition of wanted people is twofold. The procedure goes through the bilateral agreement between Iraq and other countries and through the international police [Interpol],” he said.

The UN Charter allows countries fighting terrorist groups to ask for assistance from the Security Council, which is the case with Iraq. These countries can also claim funds that had been smuggled abroad.

“Many countries have been helping Iraq to recover funds and take fugitives into custody," Jaber said. "I believe that Iraq will witness many breakthroughs in the future at this level, especially since the Iraqi government said tackling corruption will be its top priority after the end of the war on the Islamic State.”

In early January, a representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency met in Iraq with Integrity Commission Chairman Hassan al-Yasiri to discuss, among other topics, coordinating anti-corruption efforts.

The Integrity Commission said Iraq, with Interpol's help, recovered about 2 billion Iraqi dinars ($1.68 million) in December from nine convicted fugitives by tracking their money and conducting investigations to follow financial transactions globally.

Many officials accused of corruption remain free, however. Some have dual nationality, which makes it easier for them to leave. For example, Basra Gov. Majid al-Nasrawi used his Australian passport to flee Iraq in August. He faces charges of stealing public money.

There are also warrants out for the arrests of fugitive officials wanted on corruption charges, including former Minister of Electricity Ayham al-Samarrai, former Transport Minister Louay al-Ors and former Defense Minister Hazim Shaalan, who was accused in 2005 of being involved in the theft of at least $1.3 billion from the ministry.

Judge Abdul-Sattar al-Birqdar, a spokesman for Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council in Baghdad, explained extradition procedures to Al-Monitor. “The Supreme Judicial Council issues warrants for the recovery of smuggled funds. The Extradition Division in the public prosecutor's office follows up on the matter. The prosecutor then issues the necessary decisions," which could entail property confiscation.

Legal expert Tariq Harb told Al-Monitor, “The current process in Iraq is that the authorities hand over the official documents of charges of the accused to Interpol. In the event Interpol catches the accused, the Iraqi security authorities will take them into custody to stand a fair trial."

Iraq's increased efforts to recover assets from abroad will help speed up the often lengthy process of extradition. However, "this doesn't mean this road won't be fraught with many obstacles, as many of the accused are linked to powerful politicians who could pull some strings to derail or end the procedures." Some countries might also use prisoners as bargaining chips, he said.

Ahmad al-Jubouri, a member of the parliamentary Legal Committee, told Al-Monitor, “The process to recover funds and arrest [those accused] is of major importance, as the Iraqi people have been demanding reforms and the fight against corruption. Under this pressure, the Iraqi government has started to take serious steps" and has even hired foreign companies to help track funds and facilitate extradition. "The upcoming period will witness major changes in corruption investigations,” he said.

He added, “The arrest of Sudani and Qattan will open the door to further arrests of the people who misused and smuggled public funds to neighboring countries. Some of the accused are traders and businessmen who made illicit deals in the name of influential politicians or political parties. Iraq is known for the rampant corruption among politicians. The arrests will include all those who took part in or facilitated embezzlement of public funds. This will be a crucial step in recovering these funds."

By John Lee.

Financial Times reports that Iraq will comply with OPEC-led efforts to restrict crude oil production, even as Saudi Arabia said it is striving to boost its export capacity.

It quotes Oil Minister Jabar Ali al-Luaibi [Allibi, Luiebi] as saying that Iraq’s export capacity would reach 5m bpd by the end of this year, but adding that it will comply with OPEC declarations.

December output stood at 4.4 million bpd.

(Source: Financial Times)

By John Lee.

Saudi Arabia's King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz received in Al Yamama Palace in Al Riyadh the Iraqi Planning/Trade Minister (acting) Dr. Salman Al Jumaily, Head of the Iraqi side in the Iraqi-Saudi Coordination Council, Dr. Sami R. Al Araji, Chairman of the National Investment Commission (NIC), Mr. Kadhim Mohamed Al Iqabi, Chairman of the Borders Crossings Commission, Engineer Adil Kereem, Vice Minister of Industry and Minerals and the Chargé d’affaires of the Iraqi Embassy to the Kingdom.

During the meeting, the importance of the council was emphasized in developing and enhancing the mutual cooperation between the two countries in various fields.

Prince Abdul Aziz Bin Saood Bin Naif Bin Abdul Aziz, Minister of Interior Affaires and Minister of Trade and Investment the head of the Saudi side in the Coordination Council both attended the reception.

(Source: NIC)

By Salam Zidane for Al Monitor. Any views expressed here are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. 

Iraq has much to gain from gas-supply pact with Kuwait

Kuwait will begin importing natural gas from neighboring Iraq this year, a development welcomed in Baghdad as it could improve Iraq's relations with the Gulf countries — relations that ruptured when Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990.

Most of Iraq’s gas is associated petroleum gas, also known as flare gas. Associated petroleum gas is a byproduct of oil production, as opposed to natural gas that comes directly from gas reservoirs in the ground.

The Iraqi Ministry of Oil has decided to export associated petroleum gas from international oil companies operating in southern Iraq to Kuwait via a gas pipeline near Basra. Kuwait would then turn it into dry gas, condensates and liquid gas, among other types. According to the Ministry of Oil, Iraq flares 1.5 billion cubic feet of gas daily.

Ministry spokesman Assem Jihad told Al-Monitor, “Iraq will export to Kuwait the associated gas, part of which is flared on a daily basis. Processing natural gas is a complex and expensive industrial process that requires building plants through local and foreign companies.”

Jihad said, “Iraq is set to supply Kuwait with 50 million cubic feet of gas daily, which will gradually increase to 200 million cubic feet [depending on] international prices. The gas will be exported through the three-decade-old pipeline linking the two countries. The pipeline, however, needs maintenance. Iraq will take care of maintenance over the 30 kilometers [19 miles] of pipeline stretching within its territory, while Kuwait will handle its part of the pipeline.”

Iraq has lost billions of dollars annually as a result of wasteful gas flaring and its importation of diesel fuel for electricity. That's not to mention the low levels of energy efficiency because many Iraqi power stations run on dry gas, which is not produced locally.

What has compounded the problem is the reluctance of some oil companies to exploit associated gas despite the increase in Iraq's crude oil production from an average of about 1 million barrels per day in 2003 to roughly 4.3 million per day in December, which increased gas flaring from 700 million cubic feet to 1.5 billion cubic feet daily.

Kuwait will lay the pipeline to the neighboring Rumaila oil field, the largest in the world, under the supervision of the BP oil company. The agreement is likely to be implemented soon, since Kuwait has a demand for natural gas that exceeds its supply by an estimated 500 million cubic feet daily. Kuwait has been unable to curb this deficit in part because of tension among Gulf countries that has prevented Qatari gas from flowing into Kuwait via Saudi Arabia; Reuters reports that much of the shortfall is being covered by imports of liquefied natural gas.

The Iraq-Kuwait associated petroleum gas deal should help Iraq pay off the remaining reparations for the invasion of Kuwait, amounting to $4.5 billion.

Iraq's parliamentary Oil and Gas Committee criticized the government's energy policy for relying on the development of oil production and neglecting natural gas processing, which could put an end to the country's electricity crisis and launch petrochemical industries. Committee member Zaher al-Abadi told Al-Monitor, “Iraq is losing billions of dollars in flaring gas, while the Ministry of Oil is standing idly by.”

Oil expert Hamza al-Jawahiri, who is knowledgeable about the agreements between international oil companies and the Ministry of Oil, and between the ministry and various countries, said Kuwait will process the natural gas in Iraq and then transport it to its cities.

“As per the agreement, Kuwait will bear the expenses of building plants, processing and piping the gas,” he said. The gas will be processed in Iraq by separating impurities and non-methane hydrocarbons and fluids to produce dry natural gas.

Jawahiri added that Kuwait signed an agreement months ago with Basrah Gas Company, which is part of the latest gas export agreement, noting that other sources of gas will include rich oil and gas fields in southern Iraq. Basrah Gas is a consortium of three businesses including the majority shareholder South Gas Co., Shell and Mitsubishi. The consortium exploits gas from three oil fields.

Shaalan al-Daraji, Basrah Gas chief information officer, told Al-Monitor the company’s plan, which runs until 2021, aims to end the flaring of gas in the Zubair, Qurna 1 and Rumaila oil fields. “The company currently produces 700 million cubic feet of gas daily and has a strategic plan to stop gas flaring in oil fields," Daraji said.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi expressed great support for the Kuwait agreement, which could end Iraq’s long-standing estrangement with the Gulf countries, as Kuwait has asked the United Nations Security Council to lift sanctions on Iraq.

By Padraig O'Hannelly.

The year just gone by has seen many changes in Iraq, including the successful routing of the so-called Islamic State (IS, ISIS, ISIL, Daesh), the holding of a controversial vote on Kurdish independence, and a long-awaited improvement in relations with Saudi Arabia.

The latter part of the year also saw a steady and welcome increase in oil prices, which, coupled with record oil export volumes, has helped to prop up the country's finances.

As we publish our first newsletter of the new year, we'd like to say a special word of thanks to all of our contributors, including our panel of Expert Bloggers, who have given us the benefit of their wisdom and observations over the past twelve months:

• Alessandro Bacci
• Mark DeWeaver
• Ashley Goodall (Iraq Britain Business Council)
• Ahmed Mousa Jiyad
• Hal Miran (Bite.Tech)
• Aziz Al Nassiri (RiTS)
• Ahmed Tabaqchali (AFC Iraq Fund)
• GardaWorld

We look forward to reading more from them in the coming year.

We'd also like to thank all our readers and well-wishers for making Iraq Business News the must-read publication for everyone with an interest in Iraq, and we ask you to please support our valued advertisers, who make all of this possible.

It is also important to remember two Iraq-focussed charities that are doing amazing and much-needed work in the country:

• AMAR International Charitable Foundation; and,
• Iraqi Children Foundation (ICF).

Any donations made to them will make a big difference to the lives of so many vulnerable people in Iraq.

Having welcomed a new year, many of us will have hopes and dreams for the twelve months ahead. What do you wish for Iraq in 2018, and what are your predictions for the state of the country one year from now? Whatever your connection with Iraq, we’d love to read your opinions in the comments section below.

With another challenging but potentially rewarding year to come, Iraq Business News will be with you every step of the way, wishing all of you a happy, peaceful and prosperous 2018.

US-based Jacobs has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Iraq Oil Company to explore mutual benefits of cooperation in the region of Basra, Iraq.

The vast majority of Iraqi oil production takes place in Basra. Iraq Oil Company is looking for business partners based in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to support economic and social development in the Basra region through investments in upstream, downstream, refining, and other sectors.

David Zelinski, Jacobs Petroleum and Chemicals Senior Vice President and General Manager Middle East, said:

“Jacobs was selected as single engineering partner to sign this strategic non-binding agreement.

“We will explore possibilities to deliver our services in support of the Oil & Gas, Refining and Petrochemicals sectors in Iraq, from our Saudi Arabian office – where we have had a presence for more than 40 years – as this aligns well with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 to increase the export of services.”

The signage took place during a business event attended by HH Khalid Al Faleh, Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources of Saudi Arabia and Chairman of Saudi Aramco; Jabbar al-Luaibi, Iraq Minister of Oil; Asad Al Eidani, the Governor of Basra; and Abdulaziz Al Shammary, the Saudi Ambassador in Iraq.

The governments of Iraq and Saudi Arabia work closely together to establish a clear regulation and warrantees for potential investors in terms of protection, trading and financial transactions.

(Source: Jacobs)

This article was originally published by Niqash. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News.

Posted in Security Comments Off on The Islamic State Group Lives On - in Iraq’s Deserts