BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- It is a politician's dream: Handing out cold, hard cash to people on the street as they plead for help. Iraq's prime minister has been doing just that in recent weeks, doling out Iraqi dinars as an aide trails behind, keeping a tally.

· Goal is to rebuild basic services, jumpstart economy by doling out oil windfalls

· Maximum grants are $8,000, but most top out at $400 for widows, ill, unemployed

· Al-Maliki, a Shiite, pledges money to many Shiite areas, fanning favoritism fears

· Disorganization, lack of know-how impede government spending, past surveys say

The handouts by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and a handful of other top officials are authorized -- as long as each goes no higher than about $8,000, and the same people don't get them twice. Aides say they are meant merely to ease the pain a bit, and are motivated by a belief that better conditions will lead to more security.

The cash handouts are just one small -- if eye-catching -- part of a major investment push this summer by Iraq's government. The aim is to rebuild basic services and jumpstart Iraq's damaged economy by quickly distributing as much of the country's glut of oil revenue as possible.

U.S. officials and a fed-up American public are urging exactly that -- for Iraq to spend its own money, not America's, to rebuild the country now that violence has eased.

Yet the Iraqi effort runs a high risk of failure: The government is disorganized, fears of favoritism remain and the shadow of corruption haunts every step.

The United States has been doling out cash itself, most effectively to former Sunni militants who switched sides to fight al Qaeda. The military has also provided money and assistance to projects like fixing damaged roads in the Shiite enclave of Sadr City after battles there.

Yet most recent big spending announcements have been Iraqi: $100 million to rebuild Sadr City; another $100 million to the Shiite city of Basra after fighting there; $100 million for another southern Shiite town, Amarah; and $83 million to help internal refugees return home.

In efforts to get government money to local farmers suffering from drought. "We're starting to get a lot more attention and a lot more love," First Lt. Paul Horton, an assistant civil military operations officer in Diyala, said.

U.S. and Iraq scale back security plans

US considering recall of more troops from Iraq

Report: Bush Administration Considers Stepping Up Pace of Iraq Withdrawal

Time for US to leave Iraq? Not so fast, say analysts

The idea to move out quickly from Iraq reflects the view of many in the Pentagon who want to ease the strain on the military and to free more troops for Afghanistan and potentially other missions, it reported. More US and allied troops died in Afghanistan at the hand of Taliban and other fighters than in Iraq in the last two months, a trend that continued this month.

The US is mulling withdrawal of combat forces from Iraq beginning in September to free additional troops for deployment in Afghanistan. … with the two wars straining the army and the Marines, officials haven't been able to send any extra forces. No additional forces would be deployed in Afghanistan until next year, when fighting is expected to intensify with the arrival of spring. The Pentagon has also declared the redeployment of the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln and its support ships from the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea to provide greater air power and surveillance for the Afghanistan mission until next spring.

Bush must have shared his formula with Maliki for buying time.  Maliki has decided that cash payments will appease the stomach turning mess that resulted from King George's folly.  Maliki has to face the music by himself pretty soon.  McCain's plan to occupy Iraq for another 50 to 100 years is tenuous, at best.  Obama has other plans.  Whatever the outcome, Maliki is left holding the bag until someone hangs him beside Saddam. Bush bought himself a temporary distraction, by returning a few Tax Dollars back to his angry Taxpayers.  Taxpayers, after all, funded his oil for fun and profit folly, the token Stimulus Payment was the least he could do.  Maliki does the same while US troops start shifting from Iraq to Afghanistan.  Karzai must be pondering a similar stunt.  Karzai, also, has a stomach turning mess and a lot more challenge to behold.  The Taliban and Drug Lords can hand out a lot more cash and offer security to boot.  The US has a lot of catching up to do for the Afghans.  Meanwhile back at the Israel vs Iran ranch,  Olmert and his henchmen are itching to pull the trigger before Bush leaves office ... there is not enough cash in the universe to pay for that catastrophe ...

]]> http://ali3n.wordpress.com/?p=42 Mon, 09 Jun 2008 09:02:38 +0000 ali3n http://ali3n.wordpress.com/?p=42 El passat dissabte 31 de maig van pujar a Cal Quiroga a celebrar els aniversaris del Fran, la Sandra, l'Alex i el Txus.

Ens van menjar una fideuà boníssima, i ens van possar le botes amb les postres. L'hospitalitat dels amfitrions només es va veure eclipsada pel karaoke que ens van fotre entre tots allà mateix, i que va durar prop de 7 hores :-O

Com a testimoni del que va succeir, aquí resten unes fotos i un bon grapat de vídeos:

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[googlevideo=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4844496866367145547&hl=es]

[googlevideo=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=9172996538642118891&hl=es]

[googlevideo=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-961669293269882717&hl=es]

[googlevideo=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4499103815156644016&hl=es]

[googlevideo=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6562514335053469148&hl=es]

[googlevideo=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1071377622178627907&hl=es]

[googlevideo=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7569621217778772476&hl=es]

[googlevideo=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2428863104376752578&hl=es]

[googlevideo=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8845725150193651778&hl=es]

[googlevideo=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4551268731952093000&hl=es]

[googlevideo=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6671284579700336556&hl=es]

[googlevideo=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6175755276389002168&hl=es]

In a stolen car that was actually found by its owner:

The car was reported stolen last week. After the theft, the car’s owner was fueling his motorcycle when he spotted his stolen car.

“While he was refueling his motorcycle, low and behold, the vehicle that he had reported stolen that belongs to him happened to pull into the gas station area also,” said Los Lunas Police Captain Charles Nuanes.

The car’s owner pulled the keys out of the ignition of his stolen car and the people in the car fled.

When police arrived, they found the explosive device and less than $1,000 worth of Iraqi cash.

So we have:

• Explosive device
• Iraqi Dinars (what good they would do in America - well, maybe they are worth more than the dollar now)
• Thieves
• Apparently really stupid thieves

And the conclusion by the FBI?  Who might be interested in explosive devices found on American soil:

The FBI is now involved in the theft of a car after it was found in Los Lunas with an explosive device and Iraqi currency inside

FBI agents say that they have ruled out terrorism.

"We don’t know what their intentions were,” said Nuanes. “We don’t know what they were planning on doing with any of this.”

They don't know the intentions, but there is no terrorism?  Either the FBI is really trying to feed us a great big pile of feces or they think we are too stupid to actually understand this.  Either way it sure doesn't raise my confidence in the FBI and their ability to protect us.

"We attribute inflation to the strong economies that have driven up domestic costs rather than the falling dollar especially given the dollars role as an invoicing currency in the region" - BBH

The dollar has been setting record lows against major currencies this month & the Fed is agressively cutting rates to save its crumpling economy. Speculators are persistent that Gulf currencies will re-consider their pegs  in the face of increasing inflationary pressures. BBH's standpoint is in the fact that Kuwait's inflationary problems were not eliminated by its de-pegging in May 2007.

Click here for more information

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Clic aquí ver veure totes les fotos a Flickr....

Espero que us agradin. :-)