Israeli dairy farm planned in northern Iraq

Israeli dairy farm planned in northern Iraq  Kurdish government officials visit Kibbutz Afikim to tap into Israeli expertise in production of dairy products. Israeli delegation to travel to Iraqi Kurdistan in bid to implement plan Ofer Petersburg  It sounds like an imaginary story, but the plan is already in action: Kibbutz Afikim in the Jordan Valley is planning to set up an Israeli dairy farm in northern Iraq's Kurdistan region, with the hopes that Baghdad's residents will get to enjoy its products in the future. The project is currently taking place under a veil of secrecy. Yedioth Ahronoth has learned that a delegation led by Kurdistan's agriculture minister and vice president visited the offices of AfiMilkin the kibbutz recently. The two officials expressed their interest in purchasing an advanced milking facility and receiving professional support in a bid to build a dairy farm in northern Iraq according to the successful Israeli model. The AfiMilk company has a global reputation in this field and has so far built dairy farms in more than 50 countries. Three of them – in Texas, Beijing and Vietnam – are among the biggest in the world. The company has also established a modern dairy farm in Mongolia and a camel milking facility in Dubai. The Afikim dairy farm is not the biggest in Israel, but is the most technologically advanced and has a very high milk production. The Israeli dairy farm in Kurdistan is expected to be the biggest and most advanced in Iraq, and the plan is that the residents of Iraq will enjoy its products as well. An Israeli delegation of dairy farmers and engineers is planning a visit to northern Iraq to begin implementing the plan. Kurdistan officials hope the dairy farm will contribute to the region's economy, as the area has been suffering from financial difficulties since the Saddam Hussein era, as well as tense relations with Turkey. Members of the Kurdish delegation appeared enthusiastic over the Israeli dairy farm, expressing a special interest in the AfiFarm herd management software.

Constantinople, not İstanbul - İstanbul'un ilk fotoğrafları. Yıl 1843

İstanbul'un ilk fotoğrafları. Yıl 1843

Constantinople, not İstanbul

Posted on October 23, 2013 by The Old Wolf

Photography in Istanbul became popular in 1850. However, in 1843 the French photographerJoseph-Philibert Girault de Prangey was the first person to photograph the city. Remarkably, his photographs were only discovered in the 1920s in a storeroom of his estate and then only became known eighty years later. Some of his work is seen below.

A panoramic view of Constantinople. One of the first pictures ever captured of the city. 1844.

A larger section of the above photo.

Beyazıt Camii (Beyazid II Mosque)

Sariyer Fisheries

Çengelköy

Haydarpaşa

Alay Köşkü (Procession Kiosk)
Various untitled photos



İstanbul is one of the most captivating cities in the world. I’ve spent many hours wandering its streets and bazaars and mosques and monuments; I’d love to be able to go back and spend a lot more time exploring it. Oh, the food, and the spices, and the lokum and the sahlep and the ayran and the…
The Old Wolf has spoken.
http://playingintheworldgame.wordpress.com/2013/10/23/constantinople-not-istanbul/

• Link to the post: http://www.turkishnews.com/en/content/2013/10/25/constantinople-not-istanbul/
• Link to Turkish Forum: http://www.turkishnews.com/en/content

The Lisbon Statement – October 2013: ACCOUNTABILITY & JUSTICE FOR IRAQ

The Lisbon Statement – October 2013: ACCOUNTABILITY & JUSTICE FOR IRAQ

by International Anti-Occupation Network on 24-10-2013

Members of the International Anti-Occupation Network (I.A.O.N.) coming from Portugal, Algeria, Belgium, France, Iraq, Jordan, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden and the UK, representing many international NGOs, met in Lisbon from October 11-13 to discuss developments in Iraq and its future.

Här kan du läsa den svenska versionen

The Lisbon Statement – October 2013

ACCOUNTABILITY & JUSTICE FOR IRAQ

Even after the US was forced by the resistance of the people of Iraq to withdraw its combat troops, tens of thousands of advisors, contract employees and security personnel remain throughout the country to ensure the goals of the occupation. Foreign and regional powers continue to vie for influence and domination over Iraq, even to the extent of intervening with militias and committing crimes against the Iraqi people. Outside forces have not given up their attempt to control the economic resources of the country and to deny basic services to the population. The root cause of the increased terrorist violence is the sectarian Bremer constitution imposed on the Iraqi people during the first years of the occupation. This has been recognized by growing numbers of demonstrators in the popular uprising against the al Maliki regime that have spread throughout Iraq since December 2012. THE PEOPLE OF IRAQ ARE CLEARLY DETERMINED TO REMOVE ALL REMNANTS OF THE OCCUPATION.

The political process and the regime imposed upon Iraq are an integral part and continuation of the US strategy to divide and conquer its resistance to imperialism and neo-liberalism. The policy of the current regime is dependent on revenge and sectarian division and encourages acts of terror against the civilian population to prevent Iraq from regaining its sovereignty after decades of sanctions, war and occupation. The I.A.O.N. re-iterates its position from the Le Feyt Declaration of 2008. “Iraq cannot recover lasting stability, unity and territorial integrity until its sovereignty is guaranteed…All of Iraq´s neighbors should recognize that stability in Iraq serves their own interests and commit to not interfering in its internal affairs.” THE PEOPLE OF IRAQ REJECT SECTARIANISM AND DIVISION.

We continue to support and call for solidarity with the efforts and struggle of the Iraqi people to regain full independence. The truth about the war must be told and the consequences of the occupation recognized. The US and its allies who are responsible for the destruction and crimes committed against Iraq must be held accountable. The world has a legal and moral responsibility to help the Iraqi people to regain their legitimate rights after all the suffering they have been subjected to. But the destiny of Iraq lies in the hands of its people. We are confident that the people of Iraq are capable of rebuilding their nation and deciding the course of their future. THE IAON CALLS ON ALL SOLIDARITY, ANTI-WAR AND ANTI-IMPERIALIST MOVEMENTS AND ALL PEACE LOVING PEOPLE TO STAND WITH THE PEOPLE OF IRAQ IN THIS STAGE OF RESISTANCE.

PLAN OF ACTION

Our main goals in the coming period are:

• to mobilize international awareness about and support for abolishing the political remnants of the occupation
• to intensify international demands for Accountability and Justice for Iraq
• to increase cooperation between solidarity forces and the Iraqi people to alleviate the suffering of the victims of war and occupation

Among the efforts the I.A.O.N. supports and will concentrate on in the coming period are:

1. the continued spreading and exchange of information about the popular resistance to sectarianism and continued violations of human rights in Iraq.

2. the coordination of efforts to lobby national and EU parliaments to encourage governments and UN bodies to forcibly oppose the continued systematic and widespread violations of human rights by the Iraqi authorities, especially the use of the death penalty, and to support the important recommendations in the report issued by the UN Human Rights Council*, including the re-instatement of a special UN rapporteur for Iraq to closely monitor respect for human rights

3. the work to map out a legal strategy to hold those legally responsible for their crimes in Iraq and to demand compensation for their victims

4. the work to bring about independent international investigations about the use of different kinds of weapons in Iraq and the increasing number of congenital birth defects in Fallujah, Basra and other places and about the use of Iraq territory as a dumping ground for dangerous chemical and radioactive substances

5. projects of cooperation between different national groups and Iraqi organizations to aid those worst affected by the conflict.

The IAON strongly encourages all peace forces to join us in these efforts.

Lisbon October 13, 2013

---

*You can read more in the UN document “Truth, justice and reparations for Iraq”

http://www.gicj.org/NOG_REPORTS_HRC_24/truth_item3.pdf

Preparing for the 2014 Elections: Iraqi Parliament to Resume Debate on Changes to the Electoral Law, by Reidar Visser

Preparing for the 2014 Elections: Iraqi Parliament to Resume Debate on Changes to the Electoral Law

Posted by Reidar Visser on Saturday, 19 October 

It’s almost four years since Iraq’s general elections of 2010 and new elections are scheduled for early 2014. Iraq wouldn’t be Iraq if there wasn’t some kind of problem on the political horizon, and this time it consists of changes to the electoral law that need to be done in time in order that the electoral commission (IHEC) can starts its technical preparations for the ballot. The Iraqi parliament has given itself until 30 October to adopt the changes, and the debate is scheduled to start this coming week of 21 October.

The immediate reason there has to be changes to the election law is simple. A federal supreme court ruling from June 2010 decided that the current system of seat distribution using the largest remainder principle in a proportional system of 18 multi-member constituencies was “unconstitutional” and that a more proportional system would need to be adopted. In line with this, the Iraqi parliament made changes to the local elections law before the provincial elections earlier this year, by introducing the Sainte Lague method for distributing seats.

Iraq Eid Attacks: 76 Killed, 229 Wounded

by Margaret Griffis, October 17, 2013

Although the Eid al-Adha holiday began rather quietly, militants unleashed a torrent of violence today that left 76 people dead and 229 more wounded. The capital suffered several bombings, but so did towns in the ethnically diverse north. Also, fugitive vice president Tareq al-Hashemi offered to return to Iraq if the European Union will help guarantee him a fair trail. Hashemi fled after, what many claim, was a politically motivated campaign to take power away from Sunni politicians.

In the Baghdad region, the terror began at sunset. A bomb killed 11 people and wounded 22 more in the northern suburb of Husseiniya. Eight people were killed and 15 more were wounded in a blast in the mixed Christian neighborhood of Garage al-Amana. A car bomb exploded next to a Gareat restaurant, killing seven and wounding 14 more. A second bomb was reported. Four people were killed and 12 more were wounded in a blast in New Baghdad. A suicide bomber attacked a Doura checkpoint, where he killed five people and wounded nine more. A bombing in Shurta left three dead and 12 wounded.

In Allawi, a bomb killed two people and wounded 13 more. One civilian was killed and seven more were wounded in a bombing in Bayaa. A blast in Maamil wounded 13 people. Five people were killed and 16 were wounded in Sadr City where a car bomb was detonated next to a playground.

At least 15 people were killed and 60 more were wounded near Mosul in the Shabakvillage of Moufaqiya, when a suicide bomber detonated an explosives-packed car at 6:00 a.m.

In Mosul itself, a bomb targeting a home belonging to a Shabak family left one child dead and three other people wounded. Gunmen killed a policeman and wounded another in separate attacks.

A suicide bomber set off his vest inside a cafe in the predominantly Turkmen city ofTuz Khormato where at least four people were killed and 27 more were wounded.

In Wadi Hajar, gunmen blew up four homes belonging to policemen. The attacks left four people dead and two children wounded.

Gunmen killed one policeman and wounded another in Falluja.

A policeman was gunned down in a Ramadi drive-by shooting.

A bomb at the home of the head councilman of Karbala province managed to onlywound one policeman.

In Kirkuk, a policeman was wounded during a shooting at the home of an officer.

http://original.antiwar.com/updates/2013/10/17/iraq-eid-attacks-76-killed-229-wounded/

At least 15 people killed in bomb attack in Shabak village in northern Iraq

BBC:
Suicide bomb targets Shia in northern Iraq



At least 15 people have been killed in a suicide bomb in northern Iraq, in the latest attack on the Shia community.

The incident happened in the village of Mwafaqiya, where members of Iraq's Shabak minority live.

Qusay Abbas, a former Shabak representative in the Mosul provincial council, said the attack happened early in the morning.

"A suicide truck bomber detonated himself amidst the houses of my village," he said.

"There are still some people under the debris of their houses."

It is not clear who carried out the attack, but the Shabak - who largely follow a faith considered an offshoot of Shia Islam - are frequently targeted by Sunni militants.

Last month, a suicide bomb attack on a Shabak funeral in Nineveh killed more than 20 people.

The monitoring group Iraq Body Count says more than 6,000 people have been killed in violence across the country this year.

Sectarian violence has surged across Iraq in recent months, reaching its highest level since 2008.

New Survey on Mortality in Iraq

Published in a prestigious Medical review*

* PLOS Medicine is the leading open-access medical journal, providing an influential venue for outstanding research and commentary on the major challenges to human health worldwide. We specifically seek to publish articles relevant to clinicians and policymakers across a range of settings that adhere to the highest standards of methodology, ethics and reporting and address the major biological, environmental, social, and political determinants of health.

Mortality in Iraq Associated with the 2003–2011 War and Occupation: Findings from a National Cluster Sample Survey by the University Collaborative Iraq Mortality Study.

Please see:

http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001533

DÜTAP Conference at Brussels Parliament: The Problems of the Women in the Turkish World

Brussels 12th October 2013

Minister Brigitte Grouwels and Deputy Brigitte De Pauw co-hosted a conference at BRUSSELS PARLEMENT organised by DÜTAP  (Dünya Türkleri Avrupa Platformu) on the Problems of the Women in the Turkish World.

Brüksel Parlamentosunda DÜTAP (Dünya Türkleri Avrupa Platformu) tarafindan gerçeklestirilen "Türk Dünyası Kadın Sorunları" konferansimizda sayin Merry Fitzgerald (Europe-Turkmen Friendships) konuşmasını yapıyor. 

In her speech Merry Fitzgerald (Europe - Turkmen Friendships) spoke about the plight of the Turkmen Women in Iraq, Syria and Iran.

In the centre of this photo : Minister Brigitte Grouwels, (Brussels Minister van Openbare werken en Vervoer, Informatica en de Haven van Brussel) and Deputy Brigitte De Pauw  

Minister Brigitte Grouwels and Staff Member Ms.Nebahat Acar

Deputy Brigitte De Pauw

DÜTAP President TC Kenan Dağgün and DÜTAP Member 

Ms. Ayla Yaşaryıldız 

 Ms.Nebahat Acar and Ms. Ayla Yaşaryıldız 

Ms. Merry Fitzgerald (Europe-Turkmen Friendships)

Ms. Remziye Levent and Ms. Ayla Yaşaryıldız

Ms. Elise Ayhan and Ms. Ayla Yaşaryıldız

Ms. Esma Caner and Ms. Ayla Yaşaryıldız

Mr Selman Kasoemov, Mr. Ayhan Demirçi, Dr. Hassan Aydinli and Mr. Abdumutalip

Ms Gulnissa Taipova, Uyghur representative and DÜTAP Member 

Minister Brigitte Grouwels welcoming guests at BRUSSELS PARLEMENT

Deputy Brigitte De Pauw welcoming guests