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2011-12-11T18:21:00.000+03:00

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Facebook | Dave Parrish

2009-12-24T07:17:00.000+03:00

Facebook | Dave Parrish

2009-08-04T07:29:00.001+03:00

Dave Parrish

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New beginning

2008-02-01T13:34:00.000+03:00

So this chapter in my life is coming to an end, living and working in Kuwait. A new beginning is in front of me as I head off to another continent. My next big adventure is to learn more about humanism.

Arab Humanism

2008-01-29T16:56:00.000+03:00

Humanism

Many medieval Muslim thinkers pursued humanistic, rational and scientific discourses in their search for knowledge, meaning and values. A wide range of Islamic writings on love poetry, history and philosophical theology show that medieval Islamic thought was open to the humanistic ideas of individualism, occasional secularism, skepticism and liberalism.

Religious freedom, though limited, helped create cross-cultural networks by attracting Muslim, Christian and Jewish intellectuals and thereby helped spawn the greatest period of philosophical creativity in the Middle Ages from the 8th to 13th centuries.[5]

Humanism

2008-01-29T16:06:00.000+03:00

Contemporary humanism can be traced back through the Renaissance back to the Islamic Golden Age to its ancient Greek roots. Humanism can also be traced back to the time of Gautama Buddha (563-483 BCE) and Confucius (551–479 BCE) and the Warring States Period, though the term "humanism" is more widely associated with Western philosophers.

Iraqi Philosopher

2008-01-27T13:50:00.000+03:00

Al-Kindi was born and brought up in Kufah, which was a center for Arab culture and learning in the 9th century. This was certainly the right place for al-Kindi to get the best education possible at this time. Although quite a few details of al-Kindi's life are given in various sources, these are not all consistent. We shall try to give below details which are fairly well substantiated.

Al-Kindi defined Philosophy as 'the establishment of what is true and right' and believed that the pursuit of philosophy was compatible with orthodox Islam. He said - "We ought not to be embarrassed of appreciating the truth and of obtaining it wherever it comes from, even if it comes from races distant and nations different from us. Nothing should be dearer to the seeker of truth than the truth itself, and there is no deterioration of the truth, nor belittling either of one who speaks it or conveys it."

Terrorism

2008-01-27T09:40:00.000+03:00

Backing Kuwait's Stand against Terrorism
By Michael Knights
February 11, 2005

Five firefights between Kuwaiti government forces and terrorist cells since January 10, 2005, have brought the hitherto low-profile issue of Kuwait's role in the war on terror to the fore. The incidents highlight the increased terrorist threat in a country that, in addition to attracting the normal commercial contingent of Western expatriates, plays the vital role of hosting an estimated 37,500 servicemen and military contractors supporting operations in Iraq.

Background

Since the jihad against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan, Kuwait has had no shortage of militants willing to undertake violent acts in the name of Islam. After playing a part in armed resistance to Iraqi occupation, scores of young Kuwaiti militants joined the jihads in the Balkans, Caucasus, post-September 11 Afghanistan, and now Iraq. Kuwaiti militants draw on a range of motivations. The surviving 120 or so veterans of the original Soviet-era jihad in Afghanistan are under tight surveillance, but some of their sons and grandsons have sought out their own jihad experiences. Being too young to recall Palestinian support for the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, younger Kuwaitis have responded to continuous coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on Arab satellite television with increasing anger against the United States and the West. The growing tension between traditionalist tribal society and urban modernity is a further source of radicalization.

Kuwaiti Ambivalence

2008-01-26T11:35:00.001+03:00

Underlying Reasons for Kuwaiti Ambivalence

Kuwait's delicate balancing act with regard to Islamic fundamentalism reflects a society that remains traditionally Muslim in many ways. True, there are no mutawwa (religious police) as in Saudi Arabia, nor do the five daily prayer times make much of an observable dent in public activities. Yet, the Kuwaiti public as a whole supports Islamic traditions, and alcohol, gambling, mixed dancing, and other such Western amusements are difficult for Kuwaitis to find. And since nearly all Kuwaiti citizens are Muslim, Islam provides a unifying identity that promotes national cohesion. Accordingly, any action by the government against Islamists, however legitimate, becomes a sensitive issue.

Kuwaitis on UN Blacklist

2008-01-26T11:33:00.000+03:00

Blacklisting Terrorism Supporters in Kuwait
By David Pollock and Michael Jacobson
January 25, 2008

On January 16, the UN Security Council's "Al-Qaeda and Taliban Sanctions Committee" designated three Kuwaiti nationals for providing support to al-Qaeda. Although the UN measure is a welcome step forward, it is unlikely to have much impact without aggressive implementation by Kuwait. Given the Kuwaiti government's mixed record in cracking down on terrorism financing, there is reason to be skeptical that it will take strong action. At the same time, the UN blacklisting already appears to have affected Kuwaiti counterterrorism efforts in a way that previous requests from the United States alone could not accomplish.

Taliban who?

2008-01-24T15:14:00.000+03:00

The Taliban ("Students of Islamic Knowledge Movement") ruled Afghanistan from 1996 until 2001. They came to power during Afghanistan's long civil war. Although they managed to hold 90% of the country's territory, their policies—including their treatment of women and support of terrorists—ostracized them from the world community. The Taliban was ousted from power in December 2001 by the U.S. military and Afghani opposition forces in response to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the U.S.

Taliban

2008-01-24T15:09:00.000+03:00

Regimes that recognized the Taliban - Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. A look back in history to understand how we arrived at today.

Iraq

2008-01-22T07:48:00.000+03:00

Iraq’s Parliament just passed the Accountability and Justice Act, the official aim of which is to let former officials from the Baath Party back into the government. Do you think it’s a serious step toward political reconciliation?

Al-Qaeda on the Run

2008-01-21T16:16:00.000+03:00

Qaeda on run in Iraq, using more suicide bombers: US experts

20 hours ago

BAGHDAD (AFP) — Al-Qaeda in Iraq is on the run, forcing its elusive Egyptian-born leader to be more selective about targets and to rely increasingly on suicide bombers, US military intelligence experts said Sunday.

Current leader Abu Ayyub al-Masri is less ruthless and more selective about his targets than was his predecessor, Jordanian Musab al-Zarqawi -- killed in June 2006 -- the experts told Western reporters in a background briefing.

The leadership of the jihadist network inside Iraq is dominated by foreigners although most rank and file fighters are Iraqis, said the experts, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

"Zarqawi was very ruthless and did a lot of massive indiscriminate killing," said one expert. "Masri is more tempered ... and has to be more selective about his targets."

The Egyptian, however, is not to be underestimated.

"He is powerful and very elusive. Very few people have contact with him."

The experts declined to speculate on how many Al-Qaeda fighters are operating in Iraq but believed the number to be less than the 10,000 that US commanders gave a year ago.

The significant growth in the past year of "Awakening" anti-Qaeda fronts -- termed concerned local citizens (CLCs) by the US military -- combined with increased capabilities of the Iraqi and US militaries was impacting on Al-Qaeda's ability to plan operations, according to the intelligence chiefs.

"It's tough to plan an operation when you're on the run," said one. "They have less mobility, less access to caches and are resorting more and more to suicide attacks as their ability to stage car bombings is eroded."

US military spokesman Rear Admiral Gregory Smith earlier told a press conference that operations by Iraqi and US forces in 2007 had seen some 2,400 Al-Qaeda fighters killed and 8,800 captured.

"Of those, we captured or killed 52 emirs, 32 improvised explosive device (bomb) leaders, 24 cell leaders and 92 facilitators," said Smith.

"Their areas of control and influence were diminished. We have reduced their (car bomb) networks, disrupted the flow of foreign terrorists, weapons and logistical weapons, and kept constant pressure on Al-Qaeda, forcing their leadership to be on the run."

Camp Arifjan

2008-01-16T16:55:00.000+03:00

Understanding

2008-01-16T16:51:00.000+03:00

How can our finite brains understand an infinite universe?

The Dark Side

2008-01-12T15:18:00.000+03:00

"A lot of what needs to be done here will have to be done quietly, without any discussion, using sources and methods that are available to our intelligence agencies," Cheney told Americans just after 9/11. He warned the public that the government would have to operate on the "dark side."

In "The Dark Side," FRONTLINE tells the story of the vice president's role as the chief architect of the war on terror, and his battle with Director of Central Intelligence George Tenet for control of the "dark side." Drawing on more than 40 interviews and thousands of documents, the film provides a step-by-step examination of what happened inside the councils of war.

click the title "The Dark Side" to go to the Frontline site and watch the story. Very interesting that one man, Dick Cheney, and his neocon brothers, can send America to war in Iraq just because that's what he wants to do. Again I'll say we need to be in Afghanistan looking for UBL and not in Iraq.

Bush meets top Iraq aides in Kuwait

2008-01-12T11:29:00.001+03:00

CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait (AFP) — US President George W. Bush met with his top political and military commanders in Iraq at a US base in Kuwait Saturday, a day after conceding that US troops could stay in Iraq for a decade.

Bush, on the first leg of a four-nation Gulf tour, held talks with General David Petraeus, the commander of US forces in Iraq, and with US ambassador to Baghdad Ryan Crocker at Camp Arifjan, a US military base 60 kilometres (35 miles) south of Kuwait City, a US official said.

He was due to address US troops stationed in Kuwait and hold a meeting with Kuwaiti women activists on Saturday before leaving for Bahrain -- another key military ally and home of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet.

Around 15,000 US troops are stationed in Kuwait, which served as a springboard for the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq and hosts Camp Arifjan, one of Washington's largest military bases in the region, and other camps.

Iraq has been hit by a new surge of violence since the start of the new year with more than 100 people killed in bombings, suicide attacks and shootings, half of them in Baghdad.

On Thursday the US military unleashed a massive air blitz on Al-Qaeda targets south of the Iraqi capital, in which 47,500 pounds (21,500 kilograms) of explosives were dropped on 47 targets within 10 minutes.

Bush told NBC television in an interview broadcast on Friday that US troops could have a long-term stay in Iraq.

Asked whether it might last 10 years, Bush said: "It could easily be that, absolutely."

Iraq is at the centre of Bush's preoccupations and a surprise visit by the US president to Kuwait's violence-wracked neighbour has not been ruled out.

Bush has been to Iraq three times since he ordered the invasion of the country in March 2003, most recently in September last year.

The US president arrived on Friday in Kuwait, ahead of trips to Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, to rally the support of Sunni Arab allies against what he calls the "threat" posed by Shiite Iran.

Bush flew in aboard Air Force One after his first presidential trip to the Holy Land, where he said he believed a peace treaty would be signed within a year and called on Arab nations to reach out to the Jewish state.

His tour of the oil-rich Gulf region comes amid escalating tensions between the United States and Iran over a naval confrontation in the strategic Strait of Hormuz last Sunday.

Iranian speedboats approached US naval vessels in two previously undislosed incidents in the Strait of Hormuz in December, including one in which a US warship fired warning shots, a Pentagon official said Friday.

But several commentators in the region have voiced strong misgivings about Bush's intentions, amid fears Washington could resort to military action to halt Iran's disputed nuclear drive.

In Israel on Wednesday, Bush warned that Iran posed "a threat to world peace" and should not be allowed to develop the know-how to build a nuclear weapon. Iran denies seeking nuclear arms.

Although Kuwait is welcoming Bush as a friend, officials have said the emirate will not allow the United States to use its territory as a launchpad for any strike against Iran.

"Mr President, the region needs smart initiatives not smart bombs," the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Rai said in a front-page editorial.

The chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Michael Mullen, also warned Iran over the Strait of Hormuz incident.

"Please do not misread restraint for lack of resolve," Mullen said in Washington, adding that US warships were always ready to defend themselves.

Tehran has accused Washington of using the incident in the waterway -- a vital conduit for energy supplies -- as a propaganda stunt to paint Iran in a bad light during Bush's regional trip.

On Friday night, Kuwaiti ruler Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah hosted a banquet for Bush after a round of talks that focused on Middle East developments and bilateral ties.

Gulf from Above

2008-01-10T16:13:00.000+03:00

Bush to visit Middle East

2008-01-09T01:04:00.000+03:00

By Matt Spetalnick

WASHINGTON, Jan 8 (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush heads for the Middle East on Tuesday, aiming to nurture Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts in the face of deep skepticism while trying to rally Arab opposition to Iran.

Once wary of hands-on Middle East diplomacy, Bush will make his first presidential visit to Israel and the West Bank in a bid to shore up fragile negotiations aimed at forging a peace treaty by the end of the year.

The chances of a deal before Bush leaves office in January 2009 appear slim, and no breakthroughs are expected during three days of talks following up on an international conference he hosted in Annapolis, Maryland, in November.

Ron Paul

2008-01-08T01:52:00.001+03:00

follow link

Dr. Paul

2008-01-08T01:13:00.000+03:00

Dr. Ron Paul is running for president of the US. He has some very interesting ideas that I like including smaller government and fiscal responsibility in monetary policy. I hope to hear more from him in the debates, if they let him participate. Just another reason I think Fox News is a joke.
----

MANCHESTER, N.H. — Shut out of a GOP presidential candidate forum sponsored by Fox News, Ron Paul staged his own televised town hall meeting today in which he fielded questions from undecided voters two days before the key primary election here.

The Lake Jackson Republican congressman faced a range of questions from the audience of about 100 people in the public access television station several miles from where four other presidential contenders were to later participate in the Fox debate.

Paul responded to one participant who asked why he should chose the libertarian-leaning Texan over more mainstream GOP contenders such as Mitt Romney or Mike Huckabee, saying he had been more consistent in his views than his rivals.

"They are seen as flip-floppers," Paul said. "People look at my record and say he's a stick-to-his guns guy."

One voter noted that Paul was running hard-hitting ads that pledged a crackdown on illegal immigration. He suggested that the campaign promise would entail a beefed up federal bureaucracy and would be inconsistent with Paul's philosophy of reduced government.

Paul said his plan would not mean more federal employees, but rather would bring home border guards now serving in Iraq.

Asked about his views on the Arab Israeli conflict, Paul suggested that he had been unfairly portrayed as anti-Semitic because he opposed U.S. aid to Israel. The congressman said he would also block foreign aid to Arab countries, which would be to Israel's benefit.

The one-hour forum was choreographed to portray Paul in a positive light. He was introduced and questioned by his campaign chairman, Kent Snyder.

On the side of the studio sat his supporters, who clapped enthusiastically after each of his answers.

At times Paul took a professorial approach, lecturing the crowd on the history of monetary policy and his view that abandoning the gold standard was a critical mistake.

The decision by Fox to limit participation in the forum infuriated Paul supporters and even drew the ire of the New Hampshire Republican Party, which withdrew its sponsorship of the event.

Fox had invited Republican candidates Rudolph Giuliani, John McCain, Romney, Huckabee and Fred Thompson to the forum, but excluded Paul as well as California congressman Duncan Hunter.

Paul protested, arguing that he raised $20 million in the last quarter of 2007, almost the same amount as Hillary Clinton. Furthermore, a Research 2000 poll published in the Concord Monitor released Sunday showed Paul garnering 7 percent of the vote, besting Thompson and only 1 point behind Giuliani in the state.

Throughout the day Paul was accompanied by Barry Goldwater, Jr., the son of the late Arizona GOP senator who unsuccessfully ran for president in 1964.

bennett.roth@chron.com

Islamic Republic News Agency (IRAN)

2008-01-06T14:15:00.000+03:00

The Islamic Republic News Agency in Retrospect

The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) was established in 1934 by the Foreign Ministry of Iran as the country's official national news outlet. For the next six years it operated under the Iranian Foreign Ministry working to disseminate national and international news. Pars Agency, as it was then known, published a bulletin twice a day in French and in Persian which it circulated among government officials, international news agencies in Tehran and the local press.

In May 1940, the General Tablighat Department was founded and the agency then became an affiliate of the department organizationally.

Agence France Press (AFP) was the first international news agency whose reports Pars Agency used. Gradually, the Iranian news agency expanded its sources of news stories to include those of Reuters, the Associated Press (AP) and the United Press International (UPI). An agreement with the Anatolia News Agency of Turkey further expanded the agency's news outlets to countries worldwide. The link-up also enabled it to provide classified bulletins to a limited number of high-ranking public officials.

It was in 1954 that Pars Agency made a significant move forward. It recruited better-educated people thereby improving its professional services while continuing to avail of dispatches of international newsagencies. It also went on air with radio broadcasts of international
news which it translated into Persian and offered to subscribers
locally.

Expanding further in news coverage, it operated under the supervision of various state offices and ministries such as the Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Post, Telegraph and Telephones, Office of the Prime Minister and the Labor Ministry until 1947. In 1957, the General Department of Tablighat fell under the supervision of the Publications Department of Tehran Radio as an independent department.

In 1963 the Information Ministry was created and activities of Pars
Agency was brought under this ministry. Its name was changed to `Pars News Agency,' or PANA, which then began operating 'round the clock.

In July 1975 a bill was passed by the country's legislature which
established the Ministry of Information and Tourism and changed the status of Pars News Agency to a joint public stock with capital assetsof about 300 million rials. It then became an affiliate of the new ministry. Its Articles of Association in 23 paragraphs and notes were adopted by the then National Consultative Assembly of Iran.

After the triumph of the Islamic Revolution in February 1979 the
revolution's council, in June 1979, decided to rename the Ministry of Information and Tourism to the National Guidance Ministry (or Ministry of National Guidance). This was followed in December, 1981 bya bill passed by the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Majlis) changing the name of the country's official news agency from Pars News Agency to Islamic Republic News Agency.

Arab Foreign Ministers

2008-01-06T14:10:00.000+03:00

Politics 1/6/2008 1:28:00 PM

CAIRO, Jan 16 (KUNA) -- Israel's settlement policy, the implications on peaceful settlement and the negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians based on the Annapolis peace conference topped the agenda of a closed session for the Arab Foreign Ministers on Sunday.
Up to 17 Arab Foreign Ministers together with representatives of five Arab countries are taking part in an extraordinary ministerial meeting that kicked off today at the Arab League in Cairo.
The closed meeting was devoted to the settlement issue and how the Arabs would respond to that obstacle that constitutes a menace to a peaceful settlement in the region. The forthcoming Middle East tour by the US President George W Bush featured high on the meeting agenda, an informed source that attended told KUNA.

Kuwait

2008-01-06T14:01:00.000+03:00

My last two years in Kuwait have been enlightening and dangerous. This is not a safe country, especially on the roadways. It has been interesting to live in an Arab culture for a time though I have not interacted with many Kuwaitis. It seems that their are more people from other countries than from Kuwait. I am looking forward to leaving and will spend some time thinking more about what I have seen and experienced in Kuwait.
I have also traveled to Afghanistan, Qatar and Bahrain during the last two years and especially enjoyed the beauty of Afghanistan.

Bill Moyers Journal

2008-01-05T23:18:00.000+03:00

Bill Moyers Journal

Good Ideas

2008-01-05T23:05:00.000+03:00

Dr. Ron Paul seems to have lots of good ideas. Ideas that have been thought out and considered. What a refreshing change of pace in politics. Someone who thinks before he acts. Someone with reason and intelligence. We need to watch this US presidential candidate.

Ron Paul

2008-01-05T22:17:00.001+03:00

Happy New Year

2008-01-02T16:30:00.000+03:00

Happy New Year to all. 2008 is going to be a great year for me since I will be returning home for good this year.

Orion Movie

2007-12-29T23:43:00.000+03:00

Crab Nebula

2007-12-29T23:20:00.000+03:00

Stupid is the only word

2007-12-15T15:00:00.000+03:00

I have seen them do this down the freeway I drive home on.

Human missles

2007-12-15T14:54:00.001+03:00

I drive this everyday

2007-12-15T14:50:00.000+03:00

Below are video examples of the crazy drivers in Kuwait. I have to drive this everyday.

Highway Death

2007-12-15T14:29:00.001+03:00

Kuwait Driving

2007-12-15T14:24:00.000+03:00

Kuwait Car Crash Video

2007-12-15T14:16:00.000+03:00

Kuwait Car Crash

2007-12-15T14:13:00.000+03:00

Crazy Kuwait Drivers

2007-12-15T13:59:00.001+03:00

Crazy Kuwait drivers are everywhere. They kill each other and the innocent people on the roadways. They are rude, dangerous and completely unconcerned with anyone else but themselves. Everyday I see crashed cars along the highways. The Kuwait drivers have no concern for life or can even practice common courtesy. They change lanes without looking. They flash their lights at you even when it is physically impossible to change lanes. They are morons who put us all in danger. This is a drivers hell with morons at the wheels.

moments

2007-12-13T20:35:00.000+03:00

I imagined the past as an epoch that never returned,
and the future as one that could never be reached.
Now I realize that the present moment
contains all time and within it
is all that can be hoped for,
done and realized.

- Kahlil Gibran

Oberoi Hotel Lombok

2007-12-10T15:15:00.000+03:00

The Oberoi hotel in Lombok is fantastic! Click the title to this blog entry to go to their website. Looks like a place to relax and enjoy being alive.

The NY Times Travel section has a list of 53 places to travel in 2008 and Kuwait City is on the list. Kuwait City? http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/09/travel/09where.html?pagewanted=2&ei=5087&em&en=5cff9323c3f7aed1&ex=1197435600

The other 52 destinations really look great. The article has good links, one of which lead me to the Oberoi Hotels & Resorts site.

Enlightenment

2007-12-04T20:39:00.000+03:00

The Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment opened a path for independent thought, and the fields of mathematics, astronomy, physics, politics, economics, philosophy, and medicine were drastically updated and expanded. The amount of new knowledge that emerged was staggering. Just as important was the enthusiasm with which people approached the Enlightenment: intellectual salons popped up in France, philosophical discussions were held, and the increasingly literate population read books and passed them around feverishly. The Enlightenment and all of the new knowledge thus permeated nearly every facet of civilized life.

When will we experience the next enlightenment? We need enlightenment 2.0 don't you think? I think so. Think

Faith - (Fear & Trembling)

2007-12-03T18:58:00.000+03:00

Faith - That which is required in order to make the leap into the absurd, which is required for the religious. Faith is spoken of dismissively by Hegel, who suggests that it is a lower, irrational form of thought that must be moved beyond. Johannes (Fear & Trembling) asserts that faith is in fact higher, and that it cannot be understood by simple reflection: faith demands passion.

Reference: Fear & Trembling by Soren Kiekegaard

Reason is a better path for man in the long run.

Cheated Death Again

2007-12-02T08:14:00.000+03:00

The first day of December was a good day because I cheated death once again. By that I mean the drive to and from work ended with me being able to walk into my apartment alive!!! So cool when you can dodge the killer Kuwaiti drivers on the local highways of death.

Last day of November

2007-11-30T19:11:00.001+03:00

This entry is to note that it is the last day of November 2007 and thus a bit closer to going home for a short vacation. Can't wait to be home and spend some time with the family and my friends.

Language

2007-11-25T17:36:00.000+03:00

Interesting that the only comments on my last blog entry were three different versions of the Arabic word for child, kid, etc. Wonder when child, kid was added to the Arabic language? All languages evolve over time, words are added and deleted due to non use. The source for my entry was from a book entitled "The Arab Mind" by Raphael Patai, the 2007 revised edition, the book was originally published in 1973. The book is well respected in the Social Sciences and Ethnic Studies arenas. This whole thing illustrates how hard it is to communicate with people. The response to my blog entry was to attack! I would be very interested to know when child and or kid was added to the Arabic language. My reason for reading The Arab Mind is to try to understand these people a little better. But for me the main point of the last entry was the loss to humanity and our future if we don't take full advantage of all members of the global society, men and women. No one had anything to comment about that.

"Children"

2007-11-25T07:27:00.000+03:00

We are all aware that Arabs treat males better than females. One interesting fact I just read is that the Arab language does not have a word for "child". It has a word for son and a word for daughter but none for children. What affect does this have on the Arab culture? How does it manifest itself in daily life? Most of the rest of the world values it children as their future. Arabs value sons. What a waste of human potential.

Defining Arab

2007-11-24T19:49:00.001+03:00

"Arab" is defined independently of religious identity, and pre-dates the rise of Islam, with historically attested Arab Christian kingdoms and Arab Jews. The earliest documented use of the word "Arab" as defining a group of people dates from the 9th century BC. [1] Islamized but non-Arabized peoples, and therefore the majority of the world's Muslims, do not form part of the Arab World, but comprise what is the geographically larger and diverse Muslim World.

In the modern era, defining who is an Arab is done on the grounds of one or more of the following three criteria:

Genealogical: someone who can trace his or her ancestry to the tribes of Arabia - the original inhabitants of the Arabian Peninsula - and the Syrian Desert. This definition covers fewer self-identified Arabs than not, and was the definition used in medieval times, for example by Ibn Khaldun.
Linguistic: someone whose first language, and by extension cultural expression, is Arabic, including any of its varieties. This definition covers more than 250 million people. Certain groups that fulfill this criterion, such as many Egyptians, reject this definition on the basis of genealogy.^[5]^[6]. See also Egypt#Identity.
Political: in the modern nationalist era, any person who is a citizen of a country where Arabic is either the national language or one of the official languages, or a citizen of a country which may simply be a member of the Arab League and thus having Arabic as an official government language, even if not used by the majority of the population. This definition would cover over 300 million people. It may be the most contested definition as it is the most simplistic one. It would exclude the entire Arab diaspora, but include not only those genealogically Arabs (Gulf Arabs and others, such as Bedouins, where they may exist) and those Arabized-Arab-identified, but also include Arabized non-Arab-identified groups (such as some Maronite Lebanese) and even non-Arabized indigenous ethnicities which may be non-Arabic-speaking, monolingually or otherwise (such as the Berbers in Morocco, Kurds in Iraq, or the Somali majority of Arab League member Somalia).

Who & What is an Arab?

2007-11-24T16:06:00.000+03:00

Anyone care to take a shot at answering who and what is an Arab? Someone who speaks arabic, yes. Most likely Muslim. Belief in the "Arab World" of old. More to follow...

Kuwait Forecast: Economist

2007-11-21T11:01:00.001+03:00

Executive-legislative relations will remain fraught over the outlook period, as ongoing threats by MPs to cross-examine ministers lead to further votes of no confidence. The result is likely to be further ministerial resignations and/or cabinet reshuffles, although the emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Jabr al-Sabah, will seek to avoid being forced to dissolve the National Assembly (parliament) and call early elections, which would be held under a new five-constituency system that could advantage opposition groupings. Although the emir will remain pre-eminent in Kuwaiti politics, government policy will continue to be made on a consensual basis, following consultations within the ruling family and in some cases with the leaders of key groupings within parliament. No sudden changes in policy direction are expected, and there will be few, if any, major political reforms. Although the loose "opposition" parliamentary coalition of Sunni and Shia Islamists, centrists and liberals will remain divided on key issues, limiting parliament's ability to influence policies on which the government takes a strong line, domestic opposition (combined with the habitual caution of the ruling Al Sabah family) will also prevent the government from implementing any major economic reforms. The current account is projected to remain strongly in surplus, on the back of high oil earnings, averaging around 46% of GDP in 2008-09.

Punish the Victim?

2007-11-21T10:50:00.000+03:00

(CNN) -- A court in Saudi Arabia increased the punishment for a gang-rape victim after her lawyer won an appeal of the sentence for the rapists, the lawyer told CNN.
The 19-year-old victim was sentenced last year to 90 lashes for meeting with an unrelated male, a former friend from whom she was retrieving photographs. The seven rapists, who abducted the pair, received sentences ranging from 10 months to five years in prison.

Can you say stone age?

Life Sucks

2007-11-19T21:38:00.000+03:00

Today life sucks and I just want to go home. The end.

From Al-Sabah to oil

2007-11-18T20:11:00.000+03:00

The present Al-Sabah dynasty was established in Kuwait in the mid-eighteenth century -- about 1760. Kuwait was nominally a province of the Ottoman Empire, ruled from Constantinople. This was observed on paper but seldom in fact.

When the Turks threatened to take actual control of the country in 1899, the ruling Sheikh sought and eventually received British protection.

The "Kuwait Oil Company" discovered oil in Kuwait in 1938, but due to the eruption of World War II, it was not exported until 1946. The large-scale exploitation of oil reserves turned Kuwait into a large trading centre.

Kuwait remained a British protectorate until 1961 when it became independent under Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah. However, when Iraq claimed the emirate in the early 1960s, it once again received British protection.

In July 1961 Kuwait joined the Arab League and in 1963 became a member of the United Nations. Also in 1963 the first legislative elections were held and Sheikh Abdullah, the Emir of Kuwait, inaugurated the first National Assembly on 29 January1963.

In 1966 Kuwait and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia settled the "neutral zone" border dispute by dividing it equally between them. The "Central Bank of Kuwait" was created in 1969; a Social Security Law and a Law of Reserves for Future generations were passed in 1976. Oil changed the entire country in a few years and population's educational standards and life expectancy rose. Kuwait played a major role in establishing the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) consisting of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and the Sultanate of Oman in 1981.

A campaign of terror started in the early 1980s; the American embassy was bombed and a Kuwait Airways plane was hijacked; two bomb explosions claimed the lives of many innocent civilians in two sea-front cafés. There was also an assassination attempt in 1995 against His Highness the Emir and another Kuwaiti civilian airliner was later hijacked. Kuwait, like most Arab states, supported Iraq in the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988).

Iraqi allegations of Kuwait and the UAE deliberately overproducing oil were followed by Sadam Husein moving his troops to the Kuwaiti-Iraqi borders. In the early hours of the 2^nd of August 1990, the Iraqi troops invaded Kuwait and occupied the country until its liberation on the 26^th of February 1991.

Kuwait has since then embarked on a continuous process of redeveloping and reconstructing itself to overcome the destruction of devastation caused by the Iraqi invasion and occupation. This process managed so far in salvaging basic amenities, restoring facilities in a determined bid to return the country to normalcy.

AQI Wiped Out

2007-11-17T09:42:00.000+03:00

BAGHDAD: U.S. forces have routed Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, the Iraqi militant network, from every neighborhood of Baghdad, a top American general said, allowing U.S. troops involved in the "surge" to depart as planned.

Major General Joseph Fil Jr., the commander of U.S. forces in Baghdad, also said Wednesday that U.S. troops had yet to clear some 13 percent of the city, including Sadr City and several other areas controlled by Shiite militias. But, he said, "there's just no question" that violence has declined since a spike in June.

"Murder victims are down 80 percent from where they were at the peak," and attacks involving improvised bombs are down 70 percent, he said.

Fil attributed the decline to improvements in the Iraqi security forces, a cease-fire ordered by the Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr, disruption of financing for insurgents and, most significant, Iraqis' rejection of "the rule of the gun."

His comments, in a broad interview in a Green Zone conference room, were the latest in a series of upbeat assessments he and other commanders have offered in recent months. But his descriptions revealed a city still in transition: tormented by its past, struggling to find a better future.

By Damien Cave

OIF Website

2007-11-16T19:19:00.000+03:00

Check out this website for news from Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF).

Al-Qaeda in Iraq (Mesopotamia)

2007-11-16T19:07:00.000+03:00

Al-Qaeda in Iraq, also known as al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia, is a Sunni Muslim extremist group that seeks to sow civil unrest in Iraq, with the aim of establishing a caliphate—a single, transnational Islamic state. Established by the late Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, an Arab of Jordanian descent, AQI rose to prominence after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. After being released from a Jordanian prison in 1999, Zarqawi reportedly commanded volunteers in Afghanistan before fleeing to northern Iraq in 2001. There he joined with Ansar al-Islam (Partisans of Islam), where he led Ansar’s Arab contingent. Many analysts say it’s this group, and not al-Qaeda, that was the precursor of AQI, though U.S. officials dispute this.

Jerry Bremer

2007-11-16T07:23:00.001+03:00

I just finished L. Paul Bremer's book "My Year In Iraq" which is a first person narrative of his time as the US Ambassador to Iraq and leader of the CPA. It is a good review of the events from 2003 to 2004 from his perspective and reminded me of many issues which I need to revisit. Like the Iraq Constitution (see last post to my blog). All in all it is a easy read and has a few insights, like the fact that he suggested to the Bush whitehouse to surge troops, something they, at the time did not want to do. But as we all now know they have done. We are at about 130,000 troops in Iraq according to the media.

Iraqi Constituion text

2007-11-14T20:20:00.000+03:00

Full Text of Iraqi Constitution
Draft Document, to Be Presented to Voters Saturday

Courtesy the Associated Press
Wednesday, October 12, 2005; 3:06 PM

The following is the full text of the draft constitution being voted on by Iraqis in Saturday's referendum. It was translated from the Arabic by the United Nation's Office for Constitutional Support, and the translation was approved by the Iraqi government. Items in parentheses are amendments approved Wednesday by parliament and translated by The Associated Press. The amendments were made too late to be included in the U.N.-translated text being distributed to Iraqi voters and will be publicized in the press.

THE PREAMBLE

In the name of God, the most merciful, the most compassionate

We have honored the sons of Adam.

We are the people of the land between two rivers, the homeland of the apostles and prophets, abode of the virtuous imams, pioneers of civilization, crafters of writing and cradle of numeration. Upon our land the first law made by man was passed, the most ancient just pact for homelands policy was inscribed, and upon our soil, companions of the Prophet and saints prayed, philosophers and scientists theorized and writers and poets excelled.

Acknowledging God's right over us, and in fulfillment of the call of our homeland and citizens, and in response to the call of our religious and national leaderships and the determination of our great (religious) authorities and of our leaders and reformers, and in the midst of an international support from our friends and those who love us, marched for the first time in our history toward the ballot boxes by the millions, men and women, young and old, on the thirtieth of January two thousand and five, invoking the pains of sectarian oppression sufferings inflicted by the autocratic clique and inspired by the tragedies of Iraq's martyrs, Shiite and Sunni, Arabs and Kurds and Turkmen and from all the other components of the people and recollecting the darkness of the ravage of the holy cities and the South in the Sha'abaniyya uprising and burnt by the flames of grief of the mass graves, the marshes, Al-Dujail and others and articulating the sufferings of racial oppression in the massacres of Halabcha, Barzan, Anfal and the Fayli Kurds and inspired by the ordeals of the Turkmen in Basheer and as is the case in the remaining areas of Iraq where the people of the west suffered from the assassinations of their leaders, symbols and elderly and from the displacement of their skilled individuals and from the drying out of their cultural and intellectual wells, so we sought hand in hand and shoulder to shoulder to create our new Iraq, the Iraq of the future free from sectarianism, racism, locality complex, discrimination and exclusion.

Accusations of being infidels, and terrorism did not stop us from marching forward to build a nation of law. Sectarianism and racism have not stopped us from marching together to strengthen our national unity, and to follow the path of peaceful transfer of power and adopt the course of the just distribution of resources and providing equal opportunity for all.

We the people of Iraq who have just risen from our stumble, and who are looking with confidence to the future through a republican, federal, democratic, pluralistic system, have resolved with the determination of our men, women, the elderly and youth, to respect the rules of law, to establish justice and equality to cast aside the politics of aggression, and to tend to the concerns of women and their rights, and to the elderly and their concerns, and to children and their affairs and to spread a culture of diversity and defusing terrorism.

We the people of Iraq of all components and shades have taken upon ourselves to decide freely and with our choice to unite our future and to take lessons from yesterday for tomorrow, to draft, through the values and ideals of the heavenly messages and the findings of science and man's civilization, this lasting constitution. The adherence to this constitution preserves for Iraq its free union, its people, its land and its sovereignty.

SECTION ONE: FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES

Article 1:

(The Republic of Iraq is a single, independent federal state with full sovereignty. Its system of government is republican, representative 61/27Parliamentary63/47 and democratic. This Constitution is the guarantor of its unity)

Article 2:

First: Islam is the official religion of the State and it is a fundamental source of legislation:

A. No law that contradicts the established provisions of Islam may be established.

B. No law that contradicts the principles of democracy may be established.

C. No law that contradicts the rights and basic freedoms stipulated in this constitution may be established.

Second: This Constitution guarantees the Islamic identity of the majority of the Iraqi people and guarantees the full religious rights of all individuals to freedom of religious belief and practice such as Christians, Yazedis, and Mandi Sabeans.

Article 3:

(Iraq is a country of many nationalities, religions and sects and is a founding and active member of the Arab League and is committed to its covenant. Iraq is a part of the Islamic world.)

Article 4:

First: The Arabic language and Kurdish language are the two official languages of Iraq. The right of Iraqis to educate their children in their mother tongue, such as Turkmen, Syriac and Armenian, in government educational institutions in accordance with educational guidelines, or in any other language in private educational institutions, is guaranteed.

Second: The scope of the term official language and the means of applying the provisions of this article shall be defined by law which shall include:

A. Publication of the official gazette, in the two languages;

B. Speech, conversation and expression in official settings, such as the Council of Representatives, the Council of Ministers, courts, and official conferences, in either of the two languages;

C. Recognition and publication of the official documents and correspondences in the two languages;

D. Opening schools that teach the two languages, in accordance with the educational guidelines;

E. Use of both languages in any settings enjoined by the principle of equality such as bank notes, passports and stamps.

(Third: The federal institutions and agencies in the Kurdistan region shall use the Arabic and Kurdish languages.)

Fourth: The Turkmen language and Syriac language are two other official languages in the administrative units in which they represent density of population.

Fifth: Each region or governorate may adopt any other local language as an additional official language if the majority of its population so decide in a general referendum.

Article 5: The law is sovereign. The people are the source of authorities and its legitimacy, which the people shall exercise in a direct general secret ballot and through their constitutional institutions.

Article 6:

Transfer of authority shall be made peacefully through democratic means as stipulated in this Constitution.

Article 7:

First: No entity or program, under any name, may adopt racism, terrorism, the calling of others infidels, ethnic cleansing, or incite, facilitate, glorify, promote, or justify thereto, especially the Saddamist Baath in Iraq and its symbols, regardless of the name that it adopts. This may not be part of the political pluralism in Iraq. This will be organized by law.

Second: The State shall undertake combating terrorism in all its forms, and shall work to protect its territories from being a base or pathway or field for terrorist activities.

Article 8:

Iraq shall observe the principles of a good neighborliness, adhere to the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other states, endeavor to settle disputes by peaceful means, establish relations on the basis of mutual interests and reciprocity, and respect its international obligations.

Article 9:

First:

A. The Iraqi Armed Forces and Security Services will be composed of the components of the Iraqi people with due consideration given to its balance and its similarity without discrimination or exclusion and shall be subject to the control of the civilian authority. The Iraqi Armed Forces shall defend Iraq and shall not be used as an instrument of oppression against the Iraqi people, shall not interfere in the political affairs and shall have no role in the transfer of authority.

B. The formation of military militia outside the framework of the armed forces is prohibited.

C. The Iraqi Armed Forces and its personnel, including military personnel working at the Ministry of Defense or any subordinate departments or organizations, may not stand for election to political office, campaign for candidates, or participate in other activities prohibited by the Ministry of Defense regulations. This ban encompasses the activities of the personnel mentioned above acting in their personal or official capacities. Nothing in this Article shall infringe upon the right of these personnel to cast their vote in the elections.

D. The Iraqi National Intelligence Service shall collect information, assess threats to national security, and advise the Iraqi government. This service shall be under civilian control and shall be subject to legislative oversight and shall operate in accordance with the law and pursuant to the recognized principles of human rights.

E. The Iraqi Government shall respect and implement Iraq's international obligations regarding the non-proliferation, non-development, non-production, and nonuse of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons, and shall prohibit associated equipment, materiel, technologies, and delivery systems for use in the development, manufacture, production, and use of such weapons.

Second: National service will be stipulated by law.

Article 10:

The holy shrines and religious places in Iraq are religious and cultural entities. The State is committed to confirming and safeguarding their sanctity, and guaranteeing the free practice of rituals in them.

Article 11:

Baghdad is the capital of the Republic of Iraq.

Article 12:

First: The flag, national anthem, and emblem of Iraq shall be fixed by law in a way that represents the components of the Iraqi people.

Second: A law shall regulate the decorations, official holidays, religious and national occasions and the Hijri and Gregorian calendar.

Article 13:

First: This constitution is the sublime and supreme law in Iraq and shall be binding in all parts of Iraq without exception.

Second: No law shall be enacted that contradicts this constitution. Any text in any regional constitutions or any other legal text that contradicts it is deemed void.

SECTION TWO: RIGHTS AND LIBERTIES

CHAPTER ONE: RIGHTS

FIRST: Civil and Political RightsFIRST: Civil and Political Rights

Article 14:

Iraqis are equal before the law without discrimination based on gender, race, ethnicity, origin, color, religion, creed, belief or opinion, or economic and social status.

Article 15:

Every individual has the right to enjoy life, security and liberty. Deprivation or restriction of these rights is prohibited except in accordance with the law and based on a decision issued by a competent judicial authority.

Article 16:

Equal opportunities are guaranteed for all Iraqis. The state guarantees the taking of the necessary measures to achieve such equal opportunities.

Article 17:

First: Every individual shall have the right to personal privacy, so long it does not contradict the rights of others and public morals.

Second: The sanctity of the homes is inviolable and homes may not be entered, searched, or put in danger, except by a judicial decision, and in accordance with the law.

Article 18:

(First: Iraqi nationality is the right of every Iraqi and shall be the basis of his citizenship.)

(Second: An Iraqi is any person born to an Iraqi father or mother. This will regulated by law.)

Third:

A. An Iraqi citizen by birth may not have his nationality withdrawn for any reason. Any person who had his nationality withdrawn shall have the right to reclaim it, and this will be stipulated by law.

B. The Iraqi nationality shall be withdrawn from the naturalized in the cases stipulated by law.

Fourth: An Iraqi may have multiple nationalities. Everyone who assumes a senior, security sovereign position must abandon any other acquired nationality. This will be organized by law.

Fifth: Iraqi citizenship shall not be granted for the purposes of the policy of settling people that cause an imbalance in the population composition of Iraq.

Sixth: A law shall regulate the provisions of nationality. The competent courts shall consider the suits resulting from it.

Article 19:

First: The judiciary is independent and no power is above the judiciary except the law.

Second: There is no crime or punishment except by a stipulation. The punishment shall only be for an act that the law considers a crime when perpetrated. A harsher sentence than the applicable sentence at the time of the offense may not be imposed.

Third: Litigation shall be a safeguarded and guaranteed right for all.

Fourth: The right to a defense shall be sacred and guaranteed in all phases of investigation and trial.

Fifth: The accused is innocent until proven guilty in a fair legal trial. The accused may not be tried on the same crime for a second time after acquittal unless new evidence is produced.

Sixth: Every person has the right to be treated with justice in judicial and administrative proceedings.

Seventh: The proceedings of a trial are public unless the court decides to make it secret.

Eighth: Punishment is personal.

Ninth: A law does not have a retroactive effect unless the law stipulates otherwise. This exclusion shall not include laws relating to taxes and fees.

Tenth: Criminal law does not have a retroactive effect, unless it is to the benefit of the accused.

Eleventh: The court shall delegate a lawyer at the expense of the state for an accused of a felony or misdemeanor who does not have a defense lawyer.

Twelfth:

A. (Unlawful) detention is prohibited.

B. detention or arrest is prohibited in places not designed for it, pursuant to prison regulations covered by health and social care and subject to the scrutiny of the law.

Thirteenth: The preliminary investigative documents must be submitted to the competent judge in a period not to exceed twenty-four hours from the time of the arrest of the accused. It may be extended only once and for the same period.

Article 20:

The citizens, men and women, have the right to participate in public affairs and to enjoy political rights including the right to vote, to elect and to nominate. Article 21:

First: No Iraqi shall be surrendered to foreign entities and authorities.

Second: A law shall regulate the right of political asylum to Iraq. No political refugee shall be surrendered to a foreign entity or returned forcibly to the country from which he fled.

Third: No political asylum shall be granted to a person accused of committing international or terrorist crimes or any person who inflicted damage on Iraq.

SECOND: Economic, social and cultural liberties

Article 22:

First: Work is a right for all Iraqis so as to guarantee them a decent living.

Second: The law regulates the relationship between employees and employers on economic basis and with regard to the foundations of social justice.

Third: The State guarantees the right of forming and joining professional associations and unions. This will be organized by law.

Article 23:

First: Personal property is protected. The proprietor shall have the right to benefit from, exploit and utilize personal property within the limits of the law.

Second: No property may be taken away except for the purposes of public benefit in return for just compensation. This will be organized by law.

Third:

A. Every Iraqi has the right to own property throughout Iraq. No others may possess immovable assets, except as exempted by law.

B. Owning property for the purposes of population change shall be prohibited.

Article 24:

The State guarantees freedom of movement of Iraqi manpower, goods and capitals between regions and governorates. This will be organized by law.

Article 25:

The State guarantees the reform of the Iraqi economy in accordance with modern economic principles to ensure the full investment of its resources, diversification of its sources and the encouragement and the development of the private sector.

Article 26:

The state guarantees the encouragement of investments in the various sectors. This will be organized by law.

Article 27:

First: Public property is sacrosanct, and its protection is the duty of each citizen.

Second: The provisions related to the protection of State properties and its management and the conditions for its disposal and the limits under which none of these properties can be relinquished shall all be regulated by law.

Article 28:

First: No taxes or fines may be imposed, amended, exempted or pardoned from, except in accordance with law.

Second: Low wage earners shall be exempted from taxes in a manner that ensures the upholding of the minimum wage required for survival. This will be organized by law.

Article 29:

First:

A. The family is the foundation of society; the State preserves its entity and its religious, moral and patriotic values.

B. The State guarantees the protection of motherhood, childhood and old age and shall care for children and youth and provides them with the appropriate conditions to further their talents and abilities.

Second: Children have right over their parents in regard to upbringing, care and education. Parents shall have right over their children in regard to respect and care especially in times of need, disability and old age.

Third: Economic exploitation of children shall be completely prohibited. The State shall take the necessary measures to protect them.

Fourth: All forms of violence and abuse in the family, school and society shall be prohibited.

Article 30:

First: The state guarantee to the individual and the family -- especially children and women -- social and health security and the basic requirements for leading a free and dignified life. The state also ensures the above a suitable income and appropriate housing.

Second: The State guarantees the social and health security to Iraqis in cases of old age, sickness, employment disability, homelessness, orphanage or unemployment, and shall work to protect them from ignorance, fear and poverty. The State shall provide them housing and special programs of care and rehabilitation. This will be organized by law.

Article 31:

First: Every citizen has the right to health care. The state takes care of public health and provide the means of prevention and treatment by building different types of hospitals and medical institutions.

Second: Individuals and institutions may build hospitals or clinics or places for treatment with the supervision of the state and this shall be regulated by law.

Article 32:

The State cares for the handicapped and those with special needs and ensure their rehabilitation in order to reintegrate them into society. This shall be regulated by law.

Article 33:

First: Every individual has the right to live in a safe environment.

Second: The State undertakes the protection and preservation of the environment and biological diversity.

Article 34:

First: Education is a fundamental factor in the progress of society and is a right guaranteed by the state. Primary education is mandatory and the state guarantees to eradicate illiteracy.

Second: Free education is a right for all Iraqis in all its stages.

Third: The State encourages scientific research for peaceful purposes that serve man and supports excellence, creativity, invention and the different aspects of ingenuity.

Fourth: Private and public education is guaranteed. This shall be regulated by law.

CHAPTER TWO: LIBERTIES

Article 35:

First:

A. The liberty and dignity of man are safeguarded.

B. No person may be kept in custody or interrogated except in the context of a judicial decision.

C. All forms of psychological and physical torture and inhumane treatment shall be prohibited. Any confession coerced by force, threat, or torture shall not be relied on. The victim shall have the right to compensation in accordance with the law for material and moral damages incurred.

Second: The State guarantees the protection of the individual from intellectual, political and religious coercion.

Third: Compulsory service (unpaid labor), serfdom, slave trade (slavery), trafficking of women and children, and the sex trade is prohibited.

(Fourth: The State will promote cultural activities and institutions in a way that is appropriate with Iraq's civilizational history and culture. It will take care to depend on authentic Iraqi cultural trends.)

Article 36:

The state guarantees in a way that does not violate public order and morality:

A. Freedom of expression, through all means.

B. Freedom of press, printing, advertisement, media and publication.

C. Freedom of assembly and peaceful demonstration. This shall be regulated by law.

(D. Every Iraqi has the right to engage in sports, and the State should encourage its activities and promotion and will provide its necessities)

Article 37:

First: The freedom of forming and of joining associations and political parties is guaranteed. This will be organized by law.

Second: It is prohibited to force any person to join any party, society or political entity or force him to continue his membership in it.

Article 38:

The freedom of communication, and mail, telegraphic, electronic, and telephonic correspondence, and other correspondence shall be guaranteed and may not be monitored, wiretapped or disclosed except for legal and security necessity and by a judicial decision.

Article 39:

Iraqis are free in their commitment to their personal status according to their religions, sects, beliefs, or choices. This shall be regulated by law.

Article 40:

Each individual has freedom of thought, conscience and belief.

Article 41:

First: The followers of all religions and sects are free in the:

A. Practice of religious rites, including the Husseini ceremonies (Shiite religious ceremonies)

B. Management of the endowments, its affairs and its religious institutions. The law shall regulate this.

Second: The state guarantees freedom of worship and the protection of the places of worship.

Article 42:

First: Each Iraqi enjoys the right of free movement, travel, and residence inside and outside Iraq.

Second: No Iraqi may be exiled, displaced or deprived from returning to the homeland.

Article 43:

First: The State shall seek to strengthen the role of civil society institutions, to support, develop and preserve its independence in a way that is consistent with peaceful means to achieve its legitimate goals. This will be organized by law.

Second: The State shall seek the advancement of the Iraqi clans and tribes and shall attend to their affairs in a manner that is consistent with religion and the law and upholds its noble human values in a way that contributes to the development of society. The State shall prohibit the tribal traditions that are in contradiction with human rights.

Article 44:

There may not be a restriction or limit on the practice of any rights or liberties stipulated in this constitution, except by law or on the basis of it, and insofar as that limitation or restriction does not violate the essence of the right or freedom.

SECTION THREE: FEDERAL POWERS

Article 45:

The federal powers shall consist of the legislative, the executive and the judicial powers. They exercise their specialization and tasks on the basis of the principle of separation of powers.

CHAPTER ONE: THE LEGISLATIVE POWER:

Article 46:

The federal legislative power shall consist of the Council of Representatives and the Federation Council.

FIRST: The Council of Representatives

Article 47:

First: The Council of Representatives shall consist of a number of members, at a ratio of one representative per 100,000 Iraqi persons representing the entire Iraqi people. They shall be elected through a direct secret general ballot. The representation of all components of the people in it shall be upheld.

Second: A candidate to the Council of Representatives must be a fully eligible Iraqi.

Third: A law shall regulate the requirements for the candidate, the voter and all that is connected with the elections.

Fourth: The elections law aims to achieve a percentage of women representation not less than one-quarter of the Council of Representatives members.

Fifth: The Council of Representatives shall promulgate a law dealing with the replacement of its members on resignation, dismissal or death.

Sixth: No member of the Council of Representatives shall be allowed to hold any other official position or work.

Article 48:

Each member of the Council of Representatives must take the following constitutional oath before the Council prior to assuming his duties:

(I swear by God the Almighty to carry out my legal tasks and responsibilities devotedly and honestly and preserve the independence and sovereignty of Iraq, and safeguard the interests of its people, and watch over the safety of its land, skies, waters, resources and federal democratic system, and I shall endeavor to protect public and private liberties, the independence of the judiciary and adhere to the applications of the legislation neutrally and faithfully. God is my witness).

Article 49:

The Council of Representatives shall set its bylaws to regulate its work.

Article 50:

First: The Council of Representatives shall decide by a two-thirds majority, the membership authenticity of its members within thirty days from the date of filing an objection.

Second: The decision of the Council of Representatives may be appealed before the Federal Supreme Court within thirty days from the date of its issuance.

Article 51:

First: Sessions of the Council of Representatives shall be public unless it deems them otherwise.

Second: Minutes of the sessions shall be published in means regarded appropriate by the Council.

Article 52:

The President of the Republic shall call upon the Council of Representatives to convene by a presidential decree within fifteen days from the date of the ratification of the general elections results. Its eldest member shall chair the first session to elect the president of the Council and his two deputies. This period may not be extended by more than the aforementioned one.

Article 53:

The Council of Representatives shall elect in its first session its president, then his first deputy and second deputy, by an absolute majority of the total number of the Council members by direct secret ballot.

Article 54:

First: The electoral term of the Council of Representatives shall be limited to four calendar years, starting with its first session and ending with the conclusion of the fourth year.

Second: The new Council of Representatives shall be elected forty-five days before the conclusion of the previous electoral term.

Article 55:

The Council of Representatives shall have one annual term with two legislative sessions lasting eight months. The bylaw shall define the method of convention. The session in which the general budget is being presented shall not end until its approval.

Article 56:

First: The President of the Republic or the Prime Minister or the President of the Council of Representatives or fifty members of the Council of Representatives may call the Council to an extraordinary session. The session shall be restricted to the topics that necessitated the request.

Second: The President of the Republic, or the Prime Minister or the President of the Council or fifty members of the Council of Representatives, may ask for an extension of the legislative session of the Council of representatives for no more than thirty days in order to complete the tasks that required the extension.

Article 57:

First:

A. The Council of Representatives quorum shall be fulfilled by an absolute majority of its members.

B. Decisions in the sessions of the Council of Representatives shall be made by a simple majority after quorum is fulfilled, unless stipulated otherwise.

Second:

A. Bills shall be presented by the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister.

B. Proposed laws shall be presented by ten members of the Council of Representatives or by one of its specialized committees.

Article 58:

The Council of Representatives specializes in the following:

First: Enacting federal laws.

Second: Monitoring the performance of the executive authority.

Third: Elect the President of the Republic.

Fourth: A law shall regulate the ratification of international treaties and agreements by a two-thirds majority of the members of the Council of Representatives.

Fifth: To approve the appointment of the following:

A. The President and members of the Federal Court of Cassation, Chief Public Prosecutor and the President of Judicial Oversight Commission based on a proposal from the Higher Juridical Council, by an absolute majority.

B. Ambassadors and those with special grades based on a proposal from the Cabinet.

C. The Iraqi Army Chief of Staff, his assistants and those of the rank of division commanders and above and the director of the intelligence service based on a proposal from the Cabinet.

Sixth:

A. Question the President of the Republic based on a justifiable petition by an absolute majority of the Council of Representatives members.

B. Relieve the President of the Republic by an absolute majority of the Council of Representatives members after being convicted by the Supreme Federal Court in one of the following cases:

1- Perjury of the constitutional oath.

2- Violating the Constitution.

3- High treason.

Seventh:

A. The Council of Representatives member may direct questions to the Prime Minister and the Ministers on any subject within their specialty and they may answer the members' questions. The Member who has asked the question solely has the right to comment on the answer.

B. At least twenty-five members of the Council of representatives may table a general issue for discussion to obtain clarity on the policy and the performance of the Cabinet or one of the Ministries. It must be submitted to the President of the Council of Representatives, and the Prime Minister or the Ministers shall specify a date to come before the Council of Representatives to discuss it.

C. A Council of Representatives member with the agreement of twenty-five members may direct a question to the Prime Minister or the Ministers to call them to account on the issues within their authority. The discussion on the question shall begin at least seven days after submitting the question.

Eighth:

A. The Council of Representatives may withdraw confidence from one of the Ministers by an absolute majority and he is considered resigned from the date of the decision of confidence withdrawal. The issue of no confidence in the Minister may be tabled only on that Minister's wish or on a signed request of fifty members after an inquiry discussion directed at him. The Council of Representatives shall not issue its decision regarding the request except after at least seven days of its submission.

1- The President of the Republic may submit a request to the Council of Representatives to withdraw confidence from the Prime Minister.

2- The Council of Representatives may withdraw confidence from the Prime Minister based on the request of one-fifth (1/5) of its members. This request may be submitted only after a question has been put to the Prime Minister and after at least seven days from submitting the request.

3- The Council of Representatives shall decide to withdraw confidence from the Prime Minister by an absolute majority of its members.

C. The Government is considered resigned in case of withdrawal of confidence from the Prime Minister.

D. In case of a vote of withdrawal of confidence in the Cabinet as a whole, the Prime Minister and the Ministers continue in their positions to run everyday business for a period not to exceed thirty days until a new cabinet is formed in accordance with the provisions of article 73 of this constitution.

E. The Council of Representatives may interrogate independent commission heads in accordance with the same procedures as for the ministers and may dismiss them by an absolute majority.

Ninth:

A. To consent to the declaration of war and the state of emergency by a two-thirds majority based on a joint request from the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister.

B. The period of the state emergency shall be limited to thirty days, extendable after approval each time.

C. The Prime Minister shall be authorized with the necessary powers that enable him to manage the affairs of the country within the period of the state of emergency and war. A law shall regulate these powers that do not contradict the constitution.

D. The Prime Minister shall present to the Council of Representatives the measures taken and the results within the period of declaration of war and within 15 days of the end of the state of emergency.

Article 59:

First: The Council of Ministers shall submit the draft general budget bill and the closing account to the Council of Representatives for approval.

Second: The Council of Representatives may conduct transfers between the sections and chapters of the general budget and reduce the total of its sums, and it may suggest to the Cabinet to increase the total expenses, when necessary.

Article 60:

First: A law shall regulate the rights and privileges of the speaker of the Council of Representatives, his two deputies and the members of Council of Representatives.

Second:

A. Each member of the Council of Representatives shall enjoy immunity for statements made while the Council is in session, and the member may not be prosecuted before the courts for such.

B. A Council of Representatives member may not be placed under arrest during the legislative term of the Council of Representatives, unless the member is accused of a felony and the Council of Representatives members consent by an absolute majority to lift his immunity or if caught in flagrante delicto in the commission of a felony.

C. A Council of Representatives member may not be arrested after the legislative term of the Council of Representatives, unless the member is accused of a felony and with the consent of the speaker of the Council of Representatives to lift his immunity or if he is caught in flagrante delicto in the commission of a felony.

Article 61:

First: The Council of Representatives may dissolve itself with the consent of the absolute majority of its members, upon the request of one-third of its members or upon the request of the Prime Minister and the consent of the President of the Republic. The Council may not be dissolved during the period in which the Prime Minister is being questioned.

Second: Upon the dissolution of the Council of Representatives, the President of the Republic shall call for general elections in the country within a period not to exceed sixty days from the date of its dissolution. The Cabinet in this case is considered resigned and continues to run everyday business.

SECOND: The Federation Council

Article 62:

A legislative council shall be established named the "Federation Council" to include representatives from the regions and the governorates that are not organized in a region. A law, enacted by a two-third majority of the members of the Council of representatives, shall regulate the Federation Council formation, its membership conditions and its specialization's and all that is connected with it.

CHAPTER TWO: THE EXECUTIVE POWER

Article 63:

The Federal Executive Power shall consist of the President of the Republic and the Council of Ministers and shall exercise its powers in accordance with the constitution and the law.

FIRST: The President of the Republic

Article 64:

The President of the Republic is the Head of the State and a symbol of the unity of the country and represents the sovereignty of the country. He safeguards the commitment to the Constitution and the preservation of Iraq's independence, sovereignty, unity, the security of its territories in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.

Article 65:

A nominee to the Presidency must meet the following conditions:

A. Must be an Iraqi by birth, born to Iraqi parents.

B. Must be fully eligible and has completed forty years of age.

C. Must be of good reputation and political experience, and known for his integrity, righteousness, fairness and loyalty to the homeland.

D. Must not have been convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude.

Article 66:

First: A law shall regulate the nomination to the post of the President of the Republic.

Second: A law shall regulate the nomination of one deputy or more for the President of the Republic.

Article 67:

First: The Council of Representatives shall elect, from among the nominees, the President of the Republic by a two-thirds majority of its members.

Second: If any of the candidates does not receive the required majority vote then the two candidates who received the highest number of votes shall compete and the one who receives the highest number of votes in the second election shall be declared as President.

Article 68:

The President shall take the Constitutional Oath before the Council of Representatives in the form stipulated in Article 48 of the Constitution.

Article 69:

First: The President of the Republic's term in office shall be limited to four years and may be elected for a second time and no more.

Second:

A. The term of the President of the Republic shall finish at the end of the Council of Representatives' term.

B. The President of the Republic will continue to exercise his functions until the elections for the Council of Representatives is completed and until it meets. The new President shall then be elected within thirty days of its first meeting.

C. If the position of president of the republic is vacant, for whatever reason, a new president will be elected in order to fill the vacancy for the remaining period of that president's term.

Article 70:

The President of the Republic shall assume the following powers:

A. To issue a special pardon on the recommendation of the Prime Minister, except for anything concerning private claim and for those who have been convicted of committing international crimes, terrorism, and financial and administrative corruption.

B. To ratify international treaties and agreements after the approval by the Council of Representatives. Such international treaties and agreements are considered ratified after fifteen days from the date of receipt.

C. To ratify and issue the laws enacted by the Council of Representatives. Such laws are considered ratified after fifteen days from the date of receipt.

D. To call the elected Council of Representatives to convene during a period not to exceed fifteen days from the date of approval of the election results and in the other cases stipulated in the Constitution.

E. To award medals and decorations on the recommendation of the Prime Minister in accordance with the law.

F. To accredit Ambassadors.

G. To issue Presidential decrees.

H. Ratify death sentences issued by the competent courts.

I. Perform the duty of the Higher Command of the armed forces for ceremonial and honorary purposes.

J. Exercise any other presidential powers stipulated in this Constitution.

Article 71:

A law shall fix the salary and the allowances of the President of the Republic.

Article 72:

First: The President of the Republic shall have the right to submit his resignation in writing to the Speaker of the Council of Representatives, and is considered effective after seven days from the date of its submission to the Council of Representatives.

Second: The "Vice" President shall assume the office of the President in case of his absence.

Third: The Vice President shall assume the duties of the President of the Republic or in the event of the post of the President becomes vacant for any reason whatsoever. The Council of Representatives must elect a new President within a period not to exceed thirty days from the date of the vacancy.

Fourth: In the case the post of the President of the Republic becomes vacant, the Speaker of the Council of Representatives shall replace the President of the Republic in case he does not have a Vice President, on the condition that a new President is elected during a period not to exceed thirty days from the date of the vacancy and in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution.

SECOND: Council of Ministers

Article 73:

First: The President of the Republic shall name the nominee of the Council of Representatives bloc with the largest number to form the Cabinet within fifteen days from the date of the election of the president of the republic.

Second: The Prime Minister-designate shall undertake the naming of the members of his Cabinet within a period not to exceed thirty days from the date of his designation.

Third: In case the Prime Minister-designate fails to form the cabinet during the period specified in clause "Second," the President of the Republic shall name a new nominee for the post of Prime Minister within fifteen days.

Fourth: The Prime Minister-designate shall present the names of his Cabinet members and the ministerial program to the Council of Representatives. He is deemed to have gained its confidence upon the approval, by an absolute majority of the Council of Representatives, of the individual Ministers and the ministerial program.

Fifth: The President of the Republic shall name another nominee to form the cabinet within fifteen days in case the Cabinet did not gain the confidence.

Article 74:

First: The conditions for assuming the post of the Prime Minister shall be the same as those for the President of the Republic, provided that he has completed thirty-five years of age and has a college degree or its equivalent.

Second: The conditions for assuming the post of Minister shall be the same as those for members of the Council of Representatives provided that he holds a college degree or its equivalent.

Article 75:

The Prime Minister is the direct executive authority responsible for the general policy of the State and the commander in chief of the armed forces. He directs the Council of Ministers, and presides over its meetings and has the right to dismiss the Ministers on the consent of the Council of Representatives.

Article 76:

The Prime Minister and members of the Cabinet shall take the Constitutional Oath before the Council of Representatives in the form stipulated in Article 48 of the Constitution.

Article 77:

The Cabinet shall exercise the following powers:

First: Plan and execute the general policy and the general plans of the State and oversee the work of the ministries and departments not associated with a ministry.

Second: To propose bills.

Third: To issue rules, instructions and decisions for the purpose of implementing the law.

Fourth: To prepare the draft of the general budget, the closing account, and the development plans.

Fifth: To recommend to the Council of Representatives to approve the appointment of under secretaries, ambassadors, State senior officials, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces and his assistants, Division Commanders or higher, Director of the National Intelligence Service, and heads of security institutions.

Sixth: To negotiate and sign international agreements and treaties or designate any person to do so.

Article 78:

First: The President of the Republic shall take up the office of the Prime Minister in the event the post becomes vacant for any reason whatsoever.

Second: The President must designate another nominee to form the cabinet within a period not to exceed fifteen days in accordance with the provisions of article 73 of this Constitution.

Article 79:

A law shall regulate the salaries and allowances of the Prime Minister and Ministers, and anyone of their grade.

Article 80:

The responsibility of the Prime Minister and the Ministers before the Council of Representatives is of a joint and personal nature.

Article 81:

First: A law shall regulate the work of the security institutions and the National Intelligence Service and shall define its duties and authorities. It shall operate in accordance with the principles of human rights and be subject to the oversight of the Council of Representatives.

Second: The National Intelligence Service shall be attached to the Cabinet.

Article 82:

The Council of Ministers shall establish internal bylaws to organize the work therein.

Article 83:

A law shall regulate the formation of ministries, their tasks, their responsibilities and the authorities of the minister.

CHAPTER THREE: THE JUDICIAL AUTHORITYArticle 84:

The Judicial authority is independent. The courts, in their various types and classes, shall assume this authority and issue decisions in accordance with the law.

Article 85:

Judges are independent and there is no authority over them except that of the law. No authority shall have the right to interfere in the Judiciary and the affairs of Justice.

Article 86:

The Federal Judicial Authority is comprised of the Higher Juridical Council, Supreme Federal Court, Federal Court of Cassation, Public Prosecution Department, Judiciary Oversight Commission and other federal courts that are regulated in accordance with the law.

FIRST: Higher Juridical Council

Article 87:

The Higher Juridical Council shall oversee the affairs of the Judicial Committees. The law shall specify the method of its establishment, its authorities, and the rules of its operation.

Article 88:

The Higher Juridical Council shall exercise the following authorities:

First: To manage the affairs of the Judiciary and supervise the Federal Judiciary.

Second: To nominate the Chief Justice and members of the Federal Court of Cassation, the Chief Public Prosecutor, the Chief Justice of the Judiciary Oversight Commission and present them to the Council of Representatives to approve their appointment.

Third: To propose the draft of the annual budget of the Federal Judiciary Authority and present it to the Council of Representatives for approval.

SECOND: Federal Supreme Court

Article 89:

First: The Federal Supreme Court is an independent judicial body, financially and administratively.

Second: The Federal Supreme Court shall be made up of number of judges, and experts in Islamic jurisprudence and law experts whose number, the method of their selection and the work of the court shall be determined by a law enacted by a two-third majority of the members of the Council of Representatives.

Article 90:

The Federal Supreme Court shall have jurisdiction over the following:

First: Oversight of the constitutionality of laws and regulations in effect.

Second: Interpretation of the provisions of the constitution.

Third: Settle matters that arise from the application of the federal laws, decisions, regulations, instructions, and procedures issued by the federal authority. The law shall guarantee the right of each of the Cabinet, the concerned individuals and others of direct contest with the Court.

Fourth: Settle disputes that arise between the federal government and the governments of the regions and governorates, municipalities, and local administrations.

Fifth: Settle disputes that arise between the governments of the regions and governments of the governorates.

Sixth: Settle accusations directed against the President, the Prime Minister and the Ministers. That shall be regulated by law.

Seventh: Ratify the final results of the general elections for membership in the Council of Representatives.

Eight:

A. Settle competency dispute between the Federal Judiciary and the judicial institutions of the regions and governorates that are not organized in a region.

B. Settle competency dispute between judicial institutions of the regions or governorates that are not organized in a region.

Article 91:

Decisions of the Federal Supreme Court are final and binding for all authorities.

THIRD: General Provisions

Article 92:

Special or exceptional courts may not be established.

Article 93:

The law shall regulate the establishment of courts, their types, classes and jurisdiction and the method of appointing and the terms of service of judges, public prosecutors, their discipline and their retirement.

Article 94:

Judges may not be removed except in cases specified by law; such law will determine the particular provisions related to them and shall regulate their disciplinary measures.

Article 95:

A judge or public prosecutor may not:

First: Combine a position in the judiciary, and a position in the legislature and executive or any other employment.

Second: Joining any party or political organization or perform any political activity.

Article 96:

A law shall regulate military judiciary and shall specify the jurisdiction of military courts, which will be limited to crimes of military nature that occur by members of the armed forces, security forces and within the limits stipulated by law.

Article 97:

It is prohibited to stipulate in law the immunization from appeal of any administrative work or decision.

Article 98:

It is permitted to regulate in a law the establishment of a State Council specialized in the functions of administrative judiciary, interpretation, drafting, and the State and various public institutions representation before the judicial bodies except those exempted by law.

CHAPTER FOUR: INDEPENDENT COMMISSIONSArticle 99:

The High Commission for Human Rights, Independent Electoral High Commission and Commission on Public Integrity are independent commissions, which shall be subject to monitoring by the Council of Representatives. A law shall regulate their functions.

Article 100:

First: The Central Bank of Iraq, Board of Supreme Audit, Communication and Media Commission, and the Endowment Commissions are financially and administratively independent institutions. A law shall regulate the work of each of these institutions.

Second: The Central Bank of Iraq is responsible before the Council of Representatives. The Board of Supreme Audit and the Communication and Media Commission shall be attached to the Council of Representatives.

Third: The Endowment Commissions shall be attached to the Council of Ministers.

Article 101:

A commission named Foundation of Martyrs shall be established and attached to the Council of Ministers. Its functions and competencies shall be regulated by law.

Article 102:

A public commission shall be established to guarantee the rights of the regions and governorates that are not organized in a region in fair participation in managing the various state federal institutions, missions, fellowships, delegations, and regional and international conferences. The Commission shall be comprised of representatives of the federal government, and representatives of the regions and governorates that are not organized in a region and shall be regulated by a law.

Article 103:

A public commission shall be established by a law to audit and appropriate federal revenues. The commission shall be comprised of federal government experts and representatives and experts and representatives from the regions and governorates and shall assume the following responsibilities:

First: Ensure the fair distribution of grants, aid, and international loans pursuant to the entitlement of the regions and governorates that are not organized in a region.

Second: Ensure the ideal use and division of the federal financial resources.

Third: Guarantee transparency and justice in appropriating funds to the governments of the regions and governorates that are not organized in a region in accordance with the established percentages.

Article 104:

A council named the Federal Public Service Council shall be established and shall regulate the affairs of the federal public service, including the appointment and promotion. A law shall regulate its formations and competencies.

Article 105:

Other independent commissions may be established according to need and necessity by a law.

SECTION FOUR: POWERS OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

Article 106:

The federal authorities shall preserve the unity, integrity, independence, sovereignty of Iraq, and its federal democratic system.

Article 107:

The federal government shall have exclusive authorities in the following matters:

First: Formulating foreign policy and diplomatic representation; negotiating, signing, and ratifying international treaties and agreements; negotiating, signing and ratifying debt policies and formulating foreign sovereign economic and trade policy;

Second: Formulating and executing national security policy, including creating and managing armed forces to secure the protection, and to guarantee the security of Iraq's borders and to defend Iraq;

Third: Formulating fiscal and customs policy, issuing currency, regulating commercial policy across regional and governorate boundaries in Iraq; drawing up the national budget of the State; formulating monetary policy, and establishing and administering a central bank;

Fourth: Regulating standards, weights and measures;

Fifth: Regulating the issues of citizenship, naturalization, residency and the right to apply for political asylum.

Sixth: Regulating telecommunications and mail policy.

Seventh: To draw up the general and investment budget bill.

Eighth: Plan policies relating to water sources from outside Iraq, and guarantee the rate of water flow to Iraq and its fair distribution, in accordance with international laws and norms.

Ninth: General population statistics and census.

Article 108:

Oil and gas are the ownership of all the people of Iraq in all the regions and governorates.

Article 109:

First: The federal government with the producing governorates and regional governments shall undertake the management of oil and gas extracted from current fields provided that it distributes oil and gas revenues in a fair manner in proportion to the population distribution in all parts of the country with a set allotment for a set time for the damaged regions that were unjustly deprived by the former regime and the regions that were damaged later on, and in a way that assures balanced development in different areas of the country, and this will be regulated by law.

Second: The federal government with the producing regional and governorate governments shall together formulate the necessary strategic policies to develop the oil and gas wealth in a way that achieves the highest benefit to the Iraqi people using the most advanced techniques of the market principles and encourages investment.

(Antiquities and antiquity sites, traditional constructions, manuscripts and coins are considered part of the national wealth which are the responsibility of the federal authorities. They will be administered in cooperation with the regions and governorates, and this will be regulated by law.)

Article 110:

The following competencies shall be shared between the federal authorities and regional authorities:

First: To administer customs in coordination with the governments of the regions and governorates that are not organized in a region. This will be organized by law.

Second: To regulate the main sources of electric energy and its distribution.

Third: To formulate the environmental policy to ensure the protection of the environment from pollution and to preserve its cleanness in cooperation with the regions and governorates that are not organized in a region.

Fourth: To formulate the development and general planning policies.

Fifth: To formulate the public health policy in cooperation with the regions and governorates that are not organized in a region.

Sixth: To formulate the public educational and instructional policy in consultation with the regions and governorates that are not organized in a region.

Seventh: To formulate and organize the main internal water sources policy in a way that guarantees fair distribution. This will be organized by law.

Article 111:

All powers not stipulated in the exclusive authorities of the federal government shall be the powers of the regions and governorates that are not organized in a region. The priority goes to the regional law in case of conflict between other powers shared between the federal government and regional governments.

SECTION FIVE: POWERS OF THE REGIONS

CHAPTER ONE: REGIONS

Article 112:

The federal system in the Republic of Iraq is made up of a decentralized capital, regions and governorates, and local administrations.

Article 113:

First: This Constitution shall approbate the region of Kurdistan and its existing regional and federal authorities, at the time this constitution comes into force.

Second: This Constitution shall approbate new regions established in accordance with its provisions.

Article 114:

The Council of Representatives shall enact, in a period not to exceed six months from the date of its first session, a law that defines the executive procedures to form regions, by a simple majority.

Article 115:

One or more governorates shall have the right to organize into a region based on a request to be voted on in a referendum submitted in one of the following two methods:

A. A request by one-third of the council members of each governorate intending to form a region.

B. A request by one-tenth of the voters in each of the governorates intending to form a region.

Article 116:

The region shall adopt a constitution that defines the structure of the regional government, its authorities and the mechanisms of exercising these authorities provided that it does not contradict with this Constitution.

Article 117:

First: The regional authorities shall have the right to exercise executive, legislative, and judicial authority in accordance with this constitution, except for those powers stipulated in the exclusive powers of the federal government.

Second: In case of a contradiction between regional and national legislation in respect to a matter outside the exclusive powers of the federal government, the regional authority shall have the right to amend the application of the national legislation within that region.

Third: Regions and governorates shall be allocated an equitable share of the national revenues sufficient to discharge its responsibilities and duties, but having regard to its resources, needs and the percentage of its population.

Fourth: The regions and governorates shall establish offices in the embassies and diplomatic missions, in order to follow up cultural, social and developmental affairs.

Fifth: The Regional Government shall be responsible for all the administrative requirements of the region, particularly the establishment and organization of the internal security forces for the region such as police, security forces and guards of the region.

CHAPTER TWO: GOVERNORATES THAT ARE NOT INCORPORATED INTO A REGION

Article 118:

First: The governorates shall be made up of number of districts, sub-districts and villages.

Second: Governorates that are not incorporated in a region shall be granted broad administrative and financial authorities to enable it to manage its affairs in accordance with the principle of decentralized administration. This will be organized by law.

Third: The governor, who is elected by the Governorate Council, is the highest executive official in the governorate to practice his powers authorized by the council.

Fourth: A law shall regulate the election of the Governorate Council, the governor and their powers.

Fifth: The governorate council shall not be subject to the control or supervision of any ministry or any institution not linked to a ministry. The governorate council shall have an independent finance.

Article 119:

Powers exercised by the federal government can be delegated to the governorates or vice versa, with the consent of both governments and shall be regulated by law.

CHAPTER THREE: THE CAPITAL

Article 120:

First: Baghdad with its municipal borders is the capital of the Republic of Iraq and shall constitute, with its administrative borders, the governorate of Baghdad.

Second: A law shall regulate the status of the capital.

Third: The capital may not merge with a region.

CHAPTER FOUR: THE LOCAL ADMINISTRATIONS

Article 121:

This Constitution shall guarantee the administrative, political, cultural and educational rights for the various nationalities, such as Turkmen, Caldeans, Assyrians and all other components. This will be organized by law.

SECTION SIX: FINAL AND TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS

CHAPTER ONE: FINAL PROVISIONS

Article 122:

First: The President of the Republic and the Council of the Ministers collectively or one-fifth (1/5) of the Council of Representatives members may propose to amend the Constitution.

Second: The fundamental principles mentioned in Section One and the rights and liberties mentioned in Section Two of the Constitution may not be amended except after two successive electoral terms, with the approval of two-thirds of the Council of Representatives members, and the approval of the people in a general referendum and the ratification of the President of the Republic within seven days.

Third: Other Articles not stipulated in clause "Second" of this Article may not be amended, except with the approval of two-thirds of the Council of Representatives members and with the approval of the people in a general referendum and the ratification of the President of the Republic within seven days.

Fourth: Articles of the constitution may not be amended if such amendment takes away from the powers of the regions that are not within the exclusive powers of the federal authorities except by the consent of the legislative authority of the concerned region and the approval of the majority of its citizens in a general referendum.

Fifth:

A. The amendment is considered ratified by the President of the Republic after the expiration of the period stipulated in clauses "Second" and "Third" of this Article in case he does not ratify it.

B. An amendment shall enter into force on the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.

Article 123:

The President of the Republic, the Prime Minister, members of the Council of Ministers, the Speaker of the Council of Representatives, his two Deputies and members of the Council of Representatives, members of the Judicial Authority and people of the special grades may not use their influence to buy or rent any of the State properties, or to rent or sell any of their assets to the State, or to sue the State for it or to conclude a contract with the State under the pretense of being building contractors, suppliers or concessionaires.

Article 124:

The laws and judicial judgments shall be issued in the name of the people.

Article 125:

Laws shall be published in the Official Gazette and shall take effect on the date of its publication, unless stipulated otherwise.

Article 126:

Existing laws shall remain in force, unless annulled or amended in accordance with the provisions of this constitution.

Article 127:

Every referendum mentioned in this constitution is valid with the approval of a simple majority of the voters unless otherwise stipulated.

CHAPTER TWO: TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS

Article 128:

First: The State guarantee care for political prisoners and victims of the oppressive practices of the defunct dictatorial regime.

Second: The State guarantees compensation to the families of the martyrs and those injured due to terrorist acts.

Third: A law shall regulate matters mentioned in clauses "First" and "Second" of this Article.

Article 129:

The Council of Representatives shall adopt in its first session the bylaws of the Transitional National Assembly until it adopts its own bylaws.

Article 130:

The Iraq High Criminal Court shall continue its duties as an independent judicial body, in examining the crimes of the defunct dictatorial regime and its symbols. The Council of Representatives shall have the right to dissolve by law the Iraqi High Criminal Court after the completion of its work.

Article 131:

First: The High Commission for De-Ba'athification shall continue its functions as an independent commission, and in coordination with the Judicial Authority and the Executive institutions within the framework of the laws regulating its functions. The Commission shall be attached to the Council of Representatives.

Second: The Council of Representatives shall have the right to dissolve this Commission after the completion of its function by absolute majority.

Third: The nominee to the Position of the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister and the members of the Ministers Council, the Speaker and the members of the Council of Representatives, the President and members of the Federation Council, the corresponding positions in the regions, members of the Judicial committees and other positions included in the De-Ba'athification pursuant to the law may not be subject to De-Ba'athification judgments.

Fourth: The conditions stated in clause "Third" of this article shall remain in force unless the commission provided for in clause "First" of this article is dissolved.

(Fifth: Membership in the defunct Ba'ath party alone is not considered a sufficient basis for transfer to the courts, and a member enjoys equality before the law and its protection, as long as he is not subject to the rulings of the De-Ba'athification Commission and its bylaws.)

(Sixth: The Council of Representatives will form a parliamentary committee from its members to oversee and review the executive activities of the Supreme De-Ba'athification Commission and state agencies to guarantee justice, objectivity and transparency, and to examine its accordance with the law. The committee's decisions will be subject to agreement by the Council of Representatives.)

Article 132:

First: The Property Claims Commission shall continue its functions as an independent commission in coordination with the Judicial authority and the Executive institutions in accordance with the law. The Property Claims Commission shall be attached to the Council of Representatives.

Second: The Council of Representatives shall have the right to dissolve the Commission by a two-thirds majority vote of its members.

Article 133:

Application of the provisions of the articles related to the Federation Council, wherever it may be cited in this Constitution, shall be postponed until the Council of Representatives issues a decision by a two-thirds majority vote in its second electoral term that is held after this Constitution comes into force.

Article 134:

First: The expression "the Presidency Council" shall replace the expression "the President of the Republic" wherever it is mentioned in this Constitution. The provisions related to the President of the Republic shall be reactivated one successive term after this Constitution comes into force.

Second:

A. The Council of Representatives shall elect the President of the State and two Vice Presidents who shall form a Council called "the Presidency Council," which shall be elected by one list and with a two-thirds majority.

B. The provisions to remove the President of the Republic present in this constitution shall apply to the President and members of the Presidency Council.

C. The Council of Representatives may remove a member of the Presidency Council with a three-fourths majority of its members for reasons of incompetence and dishonesty.

D. In the event of a vacant seat in the Presidency Council, the Council of Representatives shall elect a replacement by a two-thirds majority vote of its members.

Third: The members of the Presidency Council shall be subject to the same conditions as members of the Council of Representatives and must also:

A. Have completed forty years of age.

B. Enjoy good reputation, integrity and uprightness.

C. Have quit the defunct Party ten years prior to its fall, in case he was a member of the dissolved Baath Party.

D. Have not participated in suppressing the 1991 uprising and the Anfal campaign. He must not have committed a crime against the Iraqi people.

Fourth: The Presidency Council shall issue its decisions unanimously and a member may delegate his place to any of the other members.

Fifth:

A. Legislation and decisions enacted by the Council of representatives shall be forwarded to the Presidency Council to approve it unanimously and to issue it within ten days from the date of delivery to the Presidency Council, except the stipulations of Articles (114) and (115) that pertain to the formation of regions.

B. In the event the Presidency Council does not approve, legislation and decisions shall be sent back to the Council of Representatives to re-examine the disputed issues and to vote on by the majority of its members and then shall be sent for the second time to the Presidency Council for approval.

C. In the event the Presidency Council does not approve the legislation and decisions for the second time within ten days of receipt, the legislation and decisions are sent back to the Council of Representatives who have the right to adopt it by a three-fifths non-appealable majority vote and shall be considered ratified.

Sixth: The Presidency Council shall practice the powers of the President of the Republic stipulated in this Constitution.

Article 135:

The Prime Minister shall have two deputies in the first electoral cycle.

Article 136:

First: The Executive Authority shall undertake the necessary steps to complete the implementation of the requirements of all subparagraphs of Article 58 of the Transitional Administrative Law.

Second: The responsibility placed upon the executive branch of the Iraqi Transitional Government stipulated in Article 58 of the Transitional Administrative Law shall extend and continue to the executive authority elected in accordance with this constitution, provided that it completes (normalization and census and concludes with a referendum in Kirkuk and other disputed territories to determine the will of their citizens), in a period not to exceed (the thirty first of December two thousand and seven).

Article 137:

Legislation enacted in the region of Kurdistan since 1992 shall remain in force, and decisions issued by the government of the region of Kurdistan - including court decisions and agreements - shall be considered valid unless it is amended or annulled pursuant to the laws of the region of Kurdistan by the competent entity in the region, provided that they do not contradict with the constitution.

(First: At the start of its functioning, the Council of Representatives shall form a committee from its members, which will be representative of the main components of Iraqi society and the duty of which will be to present within a period no longer than four months to the Council of Representatives a report that includes recommendations for the necessary amendments that can be made to the Constitution. The committee will be dissolved after a decision is made on its proposals.

Second: The amendments proposed by the committee will be put before the Council of Representatives in a single batch for approval. It will be considered approved by the agreement of an absolute majority of the number of council members.

Third: The articles amended by the Council of Representatives under the second clause of this article will be put before the people for a referendum within two months of the Council of Representatives' approval of them.

Fourth: The referendum on the amended articles will be considered successful with the agreement by an absolute majority of those who vote, unless it is rejected by two-thirds of those who vote in three governorates or more.

Fifth: This is an exception to Article 61/2712263/47 of this Constitution 61/27which concerns amending the constitution63/47. After the amendments discussed in this article are decided on, work will return to the terms of Article 61/2712263/47.)

Article 138:

The Transitional Administrative Law and its Annex shall be annulled on the seating of the new government, except for the stipulation of Article 53(A) and Article 58 of the Transitional Administrative Law.

Article 139:

This Constitution shall come into force after the approval of the people thereon in a general referendum, its publication in the Official Gazette and the seating of the government that is formed pursuant to this constitution.

--Courtesy the Associated Press--

Avian flu in Kuwait

2007-11-11T16:15:00.000+03:00

According to health officials in Kuwait two birds infected with avian flu have been destroyed, but it seems the strain of the virus present in the birds is weaker than the one which has killed more than 60 people in Asia.

The officials say that the birds were carrying the H5N2 form of bird flu, and although that strain is dangerous to birds it is far less virulent than the H5N1 strain responsible for the deaths in Asia which have sparked fears of a global pandemic.

The head of the public authority for agricultural affairs, Sheikh Fahd al-Salem al Sabah, says the problem was dealt with immediately and it was not allowed to spread.

Sheikh Fahd said that when one case was discovered a few weeks ago at Kuwait airport in a shipment of exotic birds imported from Asia, the entire shipment was culled.

Agriculture inspectors apparently found the second infected bird, a migratory flamingo, earlier this week on Kuwait’s southern coast.

Mohammad Muhanna, deputy head of the animal resources department at the agriculture authority has also confirmed that the strain was the less harmful H5N2.

The Gulf states are on a high alert for the disease and have banned shipments of live poultry and birds from Asia and other countries affected by the deadly strain of bird flu.

Sheikh Fahd said all humans that handled or potentially came in contact with the diseased birds were tested for bird flu.

Experts explain that Bird flu is split into strains such as H5 and H7, which in turn have nine different subtypes such as as H5N2. Although H5N1 is highly pathogenic and can be passed from birds to humans, there have been no reported cases of human to human transmission.

Health experts have expected migratory birds to carry H5N1 to the Middle East and Africa after it was recently found in birds in eastern Europe.

They fear H5N1 could mutate into a form that passes easily among people, just like human influenza. If it does, millions could die because they would have no immunity.

Kuwait Air Pollution

2007-11-11T09:49:00.000+03:00

The industrial processes that form the basis of Kuwait's economy, together with a severe traffic problem that continues to aggravate the situation, means that the problem of air pollution generated from an array of harmful contaminants will logically some become a pressing crisis in this country. So goes a article in the 10-11 November Daily Star newspaper.

An interesting point in the article is about how Kuwaiti's use their cars as a social vehicle for meeting each other since they don't have clubs or other places for people to meet, especially for the young. I hope someone will start up some good nightclubs for these kids so they can stop dying on the Kuwait roads, which they do in great numbers. Also they kill and injure innocent drivers. Some very extreme car crashes this week on the 30 and 40 between 3rd and 8th ring roads. They have signs that say speed kills but they drive too fast to read them!

Bedouin

2007-11-11T08:15:00.000+03:00

"The nomadic Bedouin does not dote on scenery, paint landscapes, or compile a nonutilitarian natural history... His life is so profoundly in transaction with nature that there is no place for abstraction or aesthetics or a "nature philosophy" which can be separated from the rest of his life... Nature and his relationship to it are a deadly-serious matter, prescribed by convention, muystery and danger. His personal leisure is aimed away from idle amusement or detached tampering with nature's processes. But built into his life is awareness of that presence, of the terrain, of the unpredictable weather, of the narrow margin by which he is sustained."

Paul Shepard (cultural ecologist)

Great book

2007-11-07T21:21:00.000+03:00

The book is Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. It is about a young man that sets out on an adventure and ends up dead in Alaska. But the spirit of Chris McCandless is an inspiration to us all. He has something powerful to teach us all.

Vacation

2007-10-29T14:41:00.001+03:00

Been playing tour guide for the last week and have at least another wonderful week of same ahead.

Acculturation

2007-10-23T08:10:00.000+03:00

"Acculturation comprehends those phenomena which result when groups of individuals having different cultures come into continuous first-hand contact, with subsequent changes in the original culture patterns of either or both groups".

Thus another role for the expats, to spread culture to new lands, and to bring some of it back to our lands. I wonder what role the Internet (www, blogs, podcasts, etc) play in acculturation? We are exchanging ideas via our blogs and we have global connectivity from person to person via our cell phones.

Culture

2007-10-20T08:42:00.000+03:00

Culture

a particular society at a particular time and place; "early Mesopotamian civilization"

the tastes in art and manners that are favored by a social group

acculturation: all the knowledge and values shared by a society

We are all a member of one or more cultures. Traveling gives us a broader perspective, or it should. But we must all be aware that we each communicate through our cultural filters. This is why I believe that reasoned thought has such an important role in the future of mankind (and womankind). We humans need to be aware of world cultures and how they affect how we see the world and thus the way in which we interact with it and the humans in it.

Who Googles What?

2007-10-19T12:37:00.000+03:00

Ambient Findability is a great book by Peter Morville which I just read a few weeks ago. When I read the below article about who Googles what I especially remembered the tag line for the book; "What We Find Changes Who We Become"

Sex, Nazi, burrito and Viagra: Who Googles what?
Wed Oct 17, 2007 10:17am EDT

BERLIN, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Internet users in Egypt, India and Turkey are the world's most frequent searchers for Web sites using the keyword "sex" on Google search engines, according to statistics provided by Google Inc.
Germany, Mexico and Austria were world's top three searchers of the word "Hitler" while "Nazi" scored the most hits in Chile, Australia and the United Kingdom, data from 2004 to the present retrievable on the "Google Trends" Web site showed.
Chile also came in first place searching for the word "gay", followed by Mexico and Colombia.
The top searchers for other keywords were as follows (in order from first to third place):
"Jihad" - Morocco, Indonesia, Pakistan
"Terrorism" - Pakistan, Philippines, Australia
"Hangover" - Ireland, United Kingdom, United States
"Burrito" - United States, Argentina, Canada
"Iraq" - United States, Australia, Canada
"Taliban" - Pakistan, Australia, Canada
"Tom Cruise" - Canada, United States, Australia
"Britney Spears" - Mexico, Venezuela, Canada
"Homosexual" - Philippines, Chile, Venezuela
"Love" - Philippines, Australia, United States
"Botox" - Australia, United States, United Kingdom
"Viagra" - Italy, United Kingdom, Germany
"David Beckham" - Venezuela, United Kingdom, Mexico
"Kate Moss" - Ireland, United Kingdom, Sweden
"Dolly Buster" - Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia
"Car bomb" - Australia, United States, Canada
"Marijuana" - Canada, United States, Australia
"IAEA" - Austria, Pakistan, Iran
© Reuters2007All rights reserved

Turkey & Iraq

2007-10-18T13:15:00.000+03:00

By Yesim Borg,, Tracy Wilkinson and Peter Spiegel, Special to The Times October 18, 2007

ANKARA, TURKEY -- By an overwhelming margin, Turkey's parliament on Wednesday authorized military raids into northern Iraq in pursuit of Kurdish rebels who have attacked Turkish targets.The vote added to rising tensions in the region, with Iraqi Kurdish forces, known as peshmerga, going on high alert, although senior Turkish officials indicated that no invasion was imminent.

War Report

2007-10-17T19:18:00.000+03:00

The War Report is a great resource of articles about Iraq and Afghanistan, click on the title to this entry to visit the site.

Ask the Iraqi's

2007-10-17T19:12:00.000+03:00

Excerpt from the New Yorker -

As the Republican and Democratic Presidential contenders debate whether we should leave now, or soon, or years from now, they should remember that it’s not just an American decision. We didn’t ask the Iraqis if we could invade their country; we didn’t ask them if we could occupy it; and now we are not asking them if we should leave. Whatever we end up doing, we need to remember that eventually the only people who are going to occupy Iraq are the Iraqis, and that the decision of when we leave, as inevitably we will, should be as much theirs as ours.

Afghanistan Flag & Geography

2007-10-17T13:36:00.001+03:00

Afghanistan, approximately the size of Texas, is bordered on the north by Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan, on the extreme northeast by China, on the east and south by Pakistan, and by Iran on the west. The country is split east to west by the Hindu Kush mountain range, rising in the east to heights of 24,000 ft (7,315 m). With the exception of the southwest, most of the country is covered by high snow-capped mountains and is traversed by deep valleys.

Huge Super Nova

2007-10-16T19:57:00.001+03:00

Explanation: What could cause a bang this big? This supernova explosion was so inherently bright that it could be seen nearly 5 billion light years away (a redshift of 0.28) even with a small telescope. Specific colors emitted during SN 2005ap indicate that it was a Type II supernova, a breed of stellar explosion that results when a high mass star begins fusing heavy elements in or near its core. Type II supernovas may be more powerful than their Type Ia cousins, but they are not currently more useful cosmologically because astronomers don't understand how to accurately recover their intrinsic brightnesses. It is therefore dimmer Type Ia supernovas that are used by astronomers to calibrate the distance scale of the nearby universe. Were Type II supernova better understood, astronomers might be able to probe distances further into the universe, and so probe the stability of the strange dark energy that dominates the present universe. Pictured above in a digitally compressed image, the bright supernova SN 2005ap is visible on the right where no exploding star had been seen on the left less than three months before.

Camp Arifjan center of corruption

2007-10-16T19:34:00.000+03:00

WASHINGTON, Oct. 15 U.S. authorities launched a corruption investigation centering on the U.S. Army's financial operation for Iraq located at Camp Arifjan in the Kuwaiti desert.

Court and military records indicate the investigation centers on an alleged web of more than $10 million in favors, bribes and kickbacks among Army officers, contractors and subcontractors at the base, USA Today reported Monday.

Six companies punished administratively sought contracts by offering shopping bags and suitcases stuffed with cash and gifts ranging from phone cards to SUVS.

The newspaper said two enlisted soldiers at Camp Arifjan have been ordered to face a court-martial for allegedly taking bribes and eight people have pleaded guilty to corruption charges in federal courts.

At a hearing last month, Deputy Inspector General Thomas Gimble told the U.S. House of Representatives Armed Services Committee that one-third of the Pentagon's criminal investigations involving $6 billion worth of contracts have ties to Kuwait.

The Kuwait operation has handled more than $4.2 billion in military contracts over the years.

Copyright 2007 by UPI

Censorship in Kuwait

2007-10-14T08:47:00.000+03:00

So not only does Kuwait censor what movies the people can watch at the movies but if you go to the Internet to watch the movie trailer it was censored also. You can read the movie reviews but I bet the Kuwaiti censors will figure a way to keep us from doing that also. What a backward a country Kuwait is. Run by old scared men. Look out the future is coming! But not in Kuwait.

The Kingdom

2007-10-14T08:44:00.000+03:00

The Kingdom is a bombastic actioner that sees an elite group of FBI agents hunt down the terrorist cell responsible for a suicide bombing in Riyadh. Simplistic in the extreme and riddled with clichés, the quality of its execution can't excuse the dubiousness of its premise.

After a ruthless raid on a western housing compound in Saudi Arabia leaves more than a hundred dead, Special Agent Ronald Fleury (Jamie Foxx) defies orders by flying in his team of investigators to work the crime scene. Initially hamstrung by official protocol and the intransigence of the local authorities, Fleury eventually wins over his handler, colonel Al Ghazi (Ashraf Barhom), as his fellow investigators - explosives expert Chris Cooper, forensics examiner Jennifer Garner and intelligence whizz Jason Bateman - identify the extremists behind the outrage. Unbeknownst to them, however, their prey are planning a lethal counter-attack that will put all their lives in danger...

No freedom of speech in Kuwait

2007-10-14T08:36:00.000+03:00

Kuwait has baned the movie "Kingdom" from being showed. The movie Kingdom is about a probe of a 1996 bombing in Saudi Arabia that killed 19 Americans. You can go to Qatar or the United Arab Emirates if you want to watch the movie. But in Kuwait the people are not allowed to make up their own minds about world events. Just another data point that shows Kuwait is a backward third world country run by insecure men.

Rear End

2007-10-13T15:37:00.000+03:00

This is an example of a typical Kuwati rear end accident. Some car wrecks I 've seen in Kuwait it is hard to tell what kind of car it was since it just looks like a ball of metal.

National Strategy for Homeland Security

2007-10-12T17:40:00.000+03:00

My fellow Americans,
More than 6 years after the attacks of September 11, 2001, we remain at war with adversaries
who are committed to destroying our people, our freedom, and our way of life. In the midst of this conflict, our Nation also has endured one of the worst natural disasters in our history, Hurricane Katrina. As we face the dual challenges of preventing terrorist attacks in the Homeland and strengthening our Nation’s preparedness for both natural and man-made disasters, our most solemn duty is to protect the American people. The National Strategy for Homeland Security serves as our guide to leverage America’s talents and resources to meet this obligation.
Despite grave challenges, we also have seen great accomplishments. Working with our partners
and allies, we have broken up terrorist cells, disrupted attacks, and saved American lives. Although our enemies have not been idle, they have not succeeded in launching another attack on our soil in over 6 years due to the bravery and diligence of many.
Just as our vision of homeland security has evolved as we have made progress in the War on Terror, we also have learned from the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina. We witnessed countless acts of courage and kindness in the aftermath of that storm, but I, like most Americans, was not satisfied with the Federal response. We have applied the lessons of Katrina to this Strategy to make sure that America is safer, stronger, and better prepared.
To best protect the American people, homeland security must be a responsibility shared across our entire Nation. As we further develop a national culture of preparedness, our local, Tribal, State, and Federal governments, faith-based and community organizations, and businesses must be partners in securing the Homeland.
This Strategy also calls on each of you. Every one of us should develop our own personal and family readiness plans to help protect us in the event of a natural or man-made disaster, enabling emergency responders and resources to be focused on those in greatest need.
Many of the threats we face – pandemic diseases, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction,
terrorism, and natural disasters – also demand multinational effort and cooperation. To this end, we have strengthened our homeland security through foreign partnerships, and we are committed to expanding and increasing our layers of defense, which extend well beyond our borders, by seeking further cooperation with our international partners.
As we secure the Homeland, however, we cannot simply rely on defensive approaches and well-planned response and recovery measures. We recognize that our efforts also must involve offense at home and abroad. We will disrupt the enemy’s plans and diminish the impact of future disasters through measures that enhance the resilience of our economy and critical infrastructure before an incident occurs.
Today, our Nation is safer, but we are not yet safe. Since September 11, 2001, we have made great progress in confronting new challenges and refining our approach to homeland security. As acknowledged in 2002 in the first National Strategy for Homeland Security, we will not achieve all of our goals overnight, but we will achieve them. By the very nature of this struggle, many of our victories will be unheralded and achieved in silence.
Despite the difficult challenges ahead, we will fulfill our responsibility to safeguard America just as generations of Americans have before us. Together, guided by this National Strategy for Homeland Security, we will continue working to protect our families and communities, our liberty, and our way of life.
GEORGE W. BUSH
THE WHITE HOUSE
October 5, 2007

Al-Qaeda

2007-10-10T15:45:00.000+03:00

Al-Qaeda trying to get weapons of mass destruction

by Jitendra Joshi

WASHINGTON AFP) - Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda network is still trying to acquire apocalyptic weapons including nuclear and biological arms, a new White House report on national security said Tuesday.

"We also must never lose sight of Al-Qaeda's persistent desire for weapons of mass destruction, as the group continues to try to acquire and use chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear material," it said.....
=============
When will the world be a safer place? When humans stop fighting because of religion. Stop, think, use reason - then act. What a better place the world would be then. Maybe then we can work on getting the local Kuwaiti drivers to stop killing too.

Uzbek warloard

2007-10-08T10:01:00.000+03:00

KABUL, Afghanistan - Sixteen militants fighting under a wanted Uzbek warlord with a $200,000 bounty on his head were killed in airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan, an official said Monday.

U.S. forces early Sunday called in the strikes against fighters of Tahir Yuldash, the leader of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and an al-Qaida operational commander, said Nabi Jan Mullahkhail, the provincial police chief of Paktika province.

The U.S. military late last month released a list of 12 Most Wanted militants in Afghanistan, and Yuldash was one of five listed with the top reward of $200,000.

Mullahkhail said one enemy fighter — an Uzbek — was captured during the fighting in the Sorobi district of Paktika and said that the militants from Uzbekistan and Chechnya were fighting under Yuldash.

In nearby Paktia province, U.S.-led coalition forces and Afghan soldiers detained four suspected militants in Gardez district, the coalition said.

+++++++++++++
Let's not forget that Osama bin Laden is still running around the hills of Afghanistan with the US still looking for him.

Philosophy of Cosmology

2007-10-07T08:51:00.000+03:00

A paper by George F R Ellis titled "Issues in the Philosophy of Cosmology" discusses the following major themes.

1. The uniqueness of the universe
2. The large scale of the universe in space and time
3. The unbound energies in the early universe
4. Explaining the universe - the question of origins
5. The universe as the background for existence
6. The explicit philosophical basis
7. The Anthroipic question - fine tuning for life
8. The possible existence of multiverses
9. The natures of existence

Arab Worldview

2007-10-03T18:47:00.000+03:00

Atomism - Arabs tend to see the world and events as isolated incidents, snapshots, and particular moments in time. Westerners tend to look for unifying concepts whereas Arabs focus on parts, rather than on the whole.

Faith - Arabs usually believe that many, if not all things in life are controlled by the will of God (fate) rather than by human beings. Perhaps this explains why they are such bad drivers. Say a bad accident on the drive home today. Car had rolled on side person was dead under the car and another person was outside in very bad shape.

Taliban Suicide Blast in Kabul Kills 30

2007-09-30T13:36:00.000+03:00

Taliban Suicide Blast in Kabul Kills 30

By JASON STRAZIUSO – 22 hours ago

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A Taliban suicide bomber wearing an Afghan army uniform set off a huge explosion Saturday while trying to board a military bus in the capital, killing 30 people, most of them soldiers, officials said. Hours later, the Afghan president offered to meet personally with the Taliban leader for peace talks and give the militants a position in government.

Digital Life Bits

2007-09-30T09:12:00.000+03:00

Today is the beginning of a family project I call DigitalLifeBits. The goal is to use technology to bring my family closer together. We have all been sharing emails, emails with photos, digital photo albums, blog sites, Skype (video and voice over IP), chat and other tools to communicate. This project is to take it to the next level of using technology to enrich our lives by sharing more of who we are and what we are doing.

DIKW

2007-09-29T13:07:00.001+03:00

DIKW stands for Data, Information, Knowledge and Wisdom. Anyone who knows me knows that this has been a major interest of mine for some time. So what is DIKW?
Data - a string of identified but unevaluated symbols
Information - Evaluated, validated, or useful data
Knowledge - Information in the context of understanding
Wisdom - according to the dictionary, is defined as the
1 a: Accumulated philosophic or scientific learning-knowledge;
b: Ability to discern inner qualities and relationships-insight;
c: Good sense-judgment
d: Generally accepted belief.
2: A wise attitude, belief, or course of action.
3: The teachings of the ancient wise men (is 53 ancient?)

I hope that you will all share your wisdom with me. I plan on spending the rest of my life collecting wisdom and sharing it with those I love.

NIE - Iraq

2007-09-29T08:01:00.000+03:00

The following is an extract from the January 2007 National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq.

Iraqi society’s growing polarization, the persistent weakness of the security forces and the state in general, and all sides’ ready recourse to violence are collectively driving an increase in communal and insurgent violence and political extremism. Unless efforts to reverse these conditions show measurable progress during the term of this Estimate, the coming 12 to 18 months, we assess that the overall security situation will continue to deteriorate at rates comparable to the latter part of 2006. If strengthened Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), more loyal to the government and supported by Coalition forces, are able to reduce levels of violence and establish more effective security for Iraq’s population, Iraqi leaders could have an opportunity to begin the process of political compromise necessary for longer term stability, political progress, and economic recovery.
• Nevertheless, even if violence is diminished, given the current winner-take-all attitude and sectarian animosities infecting the political scene, Iraqi leaders will be hard pressed to achieve sustained political reconciliation in the time frame of this Estimate.

Army Expansion

2007-09-28T12:56:00.001+03:00

WASHINGTON -- The Army's top official called Thursday for the acceleration of a multiyear expansion of the country's biggest fighting force, a move that probably would require radical new approaches for keeping soldiers in uniform.

Army Secretary Pete Geren said the planned expansion from its official size of 482,000 to 547,000, announced by President Bush in December as the first post-Cold War increase in U.S. forces, should be completed in four years rather than five to alleviate the strain on troops from frequent combat tours.

Afghan battles 'leave 150 dead'

2007-09-26T18:41:00.000+03:00

Two battles in southern Afghanistan have left more than 150 people dead as Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, prepares to discuss his country's escalating violence at the White House.

At least 104 Taliban fighters died in fighting in the district of Musa Qala, the group's stronghold in Helmand province, the US military said on Wednesday.

One soldier from US-led forces was also killed and four others wounded, while another 65 Taliban were killed in the Uruzgan province on Tuesday, the US military said.

Check out the rest of the story on Al Jazeera by clicking the title to this blog entry. We need to keep our focus on Afghanistan and hunting down Osama.

Bin Laden losing control of Al Qaeda?

2007-09-25T19:34:00.000+03:00

Bin Laden losing control of Al Qaeda?

By Sami Yousafzai and Ron Moreau

According to a Taliban liaison officer with Al Qaeda, bin Laden recently learned that a faction within his own organization had been conspiring to sideline him.

Click on the title of this blog entry to read the whole story in the Daily Times - Pakistan.

Osama bin Laden - wanted terrorist

2007-09-25T19:16:00.000+03:00

The world still seeks to bring Osama bin Laden to justice for his terrorist acts. The US is bogged down in Iraq and should be expending more resources in Afghanistan to find and capture Osama bin Laden. We think he is hiding in the Hindu Kush Range, Badakhshan province, Afghanistan. The September 3, 2007 edition of Newsweek has a special report about the US hunt for the wanted terrorist.

ONE, OEF, OIF

2007-09-24T14:38:00.000+03:00

Operation Noble Eagle is the name given to military operations related to homeland
security and support to federal, state, and local agencies in the wake of the September 11th attacks.

Operation Enduring Freedom includes ongoing operations in Afghanistan, operations against terrorists in other countries, and training assistance to foreign militaries which are conducting operations against terrorists.

Operation Iraqi Freedom includes the invasion of Iraq, the defeat of Saddam Hussein’s regime, and the subsequent peacekeeping, rebuilding, and counter-insurgency operations in Iraq.

Kuwait Science Club

2007-09-23T21:04:00.000+03:00

This way to the Kuwait Science Club

Science & Technology - Iran

2007-09-23T18:28:00.000+03:00

Some internet sources about science and technology and Iran from the Library of Congress. Science is important to the human race we would all do well to remember this.

Federation of American Scientists (http://www.fas.org)
The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) ‘is the oldest organization dedicated to ending the worldwide arms race, achieving complete nuclear disarmament, and avoiding the use of nuclear weapons for any purpose.' Whatever one's views are on its goals, a search of the site yields valuable information on a country's armament found only with difficulty elsewhere.

Geological Survey of Iran (GSI) (http://www.gsi-iran.org)
Prepared by the Ministry of Mines and Metals of Iran, the site offers both in English and Farsi scientific and technological reports on geological topics relating to that country. Related links are also given.

Green Party of Iran (http://www.tse.or.ir/)
English and Farsi language home page of the Green Party of Iran (Hezb-e-sabz Hayeh Iran), dedicated to environmental issues in Iran.

International Institute for Caspian Studies (http://www.caspianstudies.com/E-home.htm)
‘The International Institute for Caspian Studies (IICS) is a non governmental research and consultancy institute based in Tehran and aimed at promoting and undertaking scholarly studies regarding political, economic, social, cultural, environmental, and legal issues of the Caspian region.' Its English language site offers newsletters, seminar and program information, links and other services related to its mission.

Ministry of Agriculture Jahad (http://www.agri-jahad.org)
Farsi and English language site published by the Iranian Ministry of Agriculture.

National Research Center of Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology (http://www.nrcgeb.ac.ir/)
Located in Tehran, the Center has provides an English language site which presents its faculty, programs and other aspects related to its mission and initiatives.

Research Institute of Petroleum Industry (RIPI) (http://www.ripi.ir/en/)
Founded in 1959 as a subsidiary of the National Iranian Oil Company, RIPI conducts research and develops technology relating to the petroleum industry. The site is invaluable in providing access to information on this industry vital to Iran's economy.

World Health Organization (http://www.who.int)
The official site of the WHO offers text in English, French or Spanish on its mission and health initiatives, programs and warnings world wide.

Knowledge Dispersion - Iran

2007-09-23T09:30:00.000+03:00

I was doing some research on knowledge dispersion in our society. You know how is scientific knowledge shared and how is it used. When I came across this website;

Knowledge Diffusion Network is a nonprofit organization that aims to promote collaboration of Iranian academics living abroad with the scientific community in Iran.

Click on the title to this blog entry and you will go to the site. I have not looked too closely at it yet so this link is here so I can come back and look when I have more time. If anyone looks let me know what you think.

Chili's

2007-09-22T22:26:00.000+03:00

Had dinner at Chili's tonight on Gulf Road with friends. We usually meet for dinner on Saturday and catch up on stories. It is good to get out of the apartment and share a good meal with good conversation.

KISR

2007-09-21T22:09:00.000+03:00

The Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) promotes applied research in areas closely connected with Kuwait's development needs. It includes the National Scientific & Technical Information Center (NSTIC) which supplies scientific data to public and private clients. Check them out on the web by clicking the title to this blog entry (KISR) above. Science is the pathway to the future.

Ramadan in Kuwait

2007-09-20T16:15:00.000+03:00

So it is Ramadan in Kuwait. The other day a TCN (Third Country National) was working out in the hot sun and had himself a drink of water. During daylight as you have guessed and during Ramadan. So what did the local Kuwaiti do who observered this terrible infraction? As a devote follower of Islam he walked over to the young man and began to bet the hell out of him! For drinking water during the daylight hours of Ramadan. It did not occur to him to perhaps go over and explain that drinking water during the day during Ramadan is "bad". So he just bet the hell out of another human being. All in the name of religion.

Death in the name of Religion

2007-09-20T15:34:00.000+03:00

Sunni's and Shia's continue to kill each other in Iraq. In August the Iraqi death toll was down to 1,500. Down to 1,500 from a high last year of 3,000 per month. Humans killing each other because they are not members of the same religious group. Does anyone think this makes any sense what's so ever? Killing in the name of religion.

Understanding

2007-09-16T16:59:00.000+03:00

Man masters nature not by force but by understanding.
This is why science has succeeded.
-- Jacob Bronowski

World Record - Death

2007-09-16T16:46:00.000+03:00

"Drive defensively. One-third of all deaths in Kuwait are driving-related and the country has one of the highest road accident rates in the world."

From Kuwait Pocket Guide 2007, 22nd Edition.

Now there is a world record to be proud of, highest road accident rates in the WORLD! And I can provide first hand accounts of this fact. Since I see new wrecked cars along the side of the road every day. I have seen a man dead in the street outside his wrecked car. I have seen blood on cars along the road. The local Kuwaiti drivers are rude and inconsiderate. They have major road-rage issues. Wonder why? Unhappy with the rest of their lives?

Thought of the Day

2007-09-15T11:41:00.000+03:00

Our belief is not a belief. Our principles are not faith. We do not rely solely upon science and reason, because these are necessary rather than sufficient factors, but we distrust anything that contradicts science or outrages reason. We may differ on many things, but what we respect is free inquiry, openmindedness, and the pursuit of ideas for their own sake... We are not immune to the lure of wonder and mystery and awe: we have music and art and literature, and find that the serious ethical dilemmas are better handled by Shakespeare and Tolstoy and Schiller and Dostoyevsky and George Elliot than in the mythical morality tales of the holy books. Literature, not scripture, sustains the mind and – since there is no other metaphor – also the soul. We do not believe in heaven or hell, yet no statistic will ever find that without these blandishments and threats we commit more crimes of greed or violence than the faithful. (In fact, if a proper statistical inquiry could ever be made, I am sure the evidence would be the other way.)... We are reconciled to living only once, except through our children, for whom we are perfectly happy to notice that we must make way, and room. We speculate that it is at least possible that, once people accepted the fact of their short struggling lives, they might behave better toward each other and not worse. We believe with certainty that an ethical life can be lived without religion. And we know for a fact the corollary holds true—that religion has caused innumerable people to not just to conduct themselves no better than others, but to award themselves permission to behave in ways that would make a brothel-keeper or an ethnic cleanser raise an eyebrow... There is no need for us to gather every day, or every seven days, or on any high and auspicious day, to proclaim our rectitude or to grovel and wallow in our unworthiness. We atheists do no require any priests, or any hierarchy above them, to police our doctrine. Sacrifices and ceremonies are abhorrent to us, as are relics and the worship of any images or objects. To us no spot on earth is or could be “holier” than another: to the ostentatious absurdity of the pilgrimage, or the plain horror of killing civilians in the name of some sacred wall or cave or shrine or rock, we can counterpose a leisurely or urgent walk from one side of the library or the gallery to another, or to lunch with an agreeable friend, in pursuit of truth or beauty.

Christopher Hitchens
God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything