Iraqi Forces Ready to Take Over Security
(Al-Mada) Laith Kubba, spokesman for Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Ja'afari, said the coming few weeks will witness the disappearance of the multilateral forces from Iraqi cities. This means Iraqi forces now are capable of dealing with security issues, he said. Kubba also praised the stance of the Sunni Endowment and the Salafis Current Sheiks in rejecting extremism practiced by some religious groups under the banner of religion and the Sunnis. Kubba added that the government has succeeded in splitting violence from the political process, referring to the many Sunni forces that showed readiness to participate in the political process after boycotting the previous elections.
(Al-Mada is issued daily by Al-Mada Institution for Media, Culture, and Arts.)

Saddam to Face Harshest Punishment
(Azzaman) Government spokesman Laith Kubba said Saddam Hussein will face the harshest punishment due to the crimes he committed. There are 12 well documented charges out of 500 against Hussein, including crimes committed against the Kurds in the north.
(London-based Azzaman is issued daily by Saad al-Bazaz.)

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Barzani, Allawi Agree on Political Agenda
(Khabat) Iraqi Kurdistan President Massoud Barzani and former Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Alawi have agreed that the political agenda of the new government should be comprehensive. In a meeting, the two also agreed that the Transitional Administrative Law should be the base for government work and the drafting of the new constitution must be agreed upon by all sides.
(Khabat is issued daily by the Kurdistan Democratic Party.)

Allawi Meets Barzani
(Baghdad) Iyad Allawi, head of the Iraqi National Accord, is visiting Iraqi Kurdistan to meet regional President Massoud Barzani, who is also head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party. They will discuss enhancing the mutual cooperation between them towards having a democratic, federal Iraq containing all Iraqi spectrums. They will also talk about the possibilities of forming an alliance in parliament between the Iraqi List and the Kurdish Alliance to work together for the interests of a unified, secure and stable Iraq.
(Baghdad is a daily newspaper issued by the Iraqi National Accord.)

Ja'afari to Visit Jordan
(Addustour) Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Ja'afari will visit Jordan within this week to meet King Abdullah II and other high ranking officials. In addition to discussing disagreements between the two countries, they will also discuss the situation of Deputy Prime Minister Ahmed Chalabi in regards to Petra Bank, a Council of Ministers official said. But Ja'afari's spokesman Laith Kubba denied that Chalabi was on the agenda of the visit. Ja'afari said there are no conditions to his visits to Syria and Iran other than solving security issues and controlling the borders to stop the infiltration of armed groups.
(Addustour is an independent daily published by former journalist Basim al-Sheikh.)

Old Iraqi Flag Raised in Kurdistan
(Al-Mashriq) The Iraqi flag used during the reign of Abdul Karim Kasim reign, who ruled from 1958 to 1963, was raised beside the Kurdish flag at the Kurdish parliament and at the Irbil airport building upon receiving President Jalal Talbani. Iraqi Kurdistan President Masood Barzani said the Kurds will not raise the currently used Iraqi flag because it is the flag of Ba'ath Party, which attacked Kurds.
(Al-Mashriq is published daily by Al-Mashriq Institution for Media and Cultural Investments.)

Residency Office Denies Deportation Reports
(Al-Adala) The Residency Office has denied reports about the government deporting some Arabs and other foreigners, especially Sudanese, from Iraq. The office has asked those holding expired residency permits to renew them, adding that the Residency Office is still issuing temporary permits of six months, a Residency Office official said. The Residency Office has lately taken steps against those violating the residential laws by either deporting foreigners or sentencing them to jail.
(Al-Adala is issued daily by the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq.)

Flour Arrives from UAE, Turkey
(Al-Bayan) Seventy-eight tons of flour from the United Arab Emirates, along with 34 tons from Turkey, has arrived in Iraq, according to a Ministry of Trade official. He also said that the inspection committees attached to the State Company for Corn Production supervised the flour distribution to the people, and visited many private and government grinding factories to follow up the grinding process and to test the flour.
(Al-Bayan is issued four times weekly by the Islamic Dawa Party.)

Kurdish Universities Criticize Higher Education Ministry
(Kurdistani New) Kurdish Universities criticized the Iraqi Ministry of Higher Education for not paying enough attention to educational needs in the region, according to a memo submitted to the ministry. The letter was signed by the presidents of the Universities of Sulaimaniya, Salahadin in Irbil, Duhok, and presidents of the Board of Technical Institutes of Sulaimaniya and Irbil. They demand that the ministry to work directly with the Ministry of Higher Education of Iraqi Kurdistan and that 25 percent of scholarships, equipments, and cultural posts be allocated to Iraqi Kurdistan.
(Kurdistani New is issued daily by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan.)

Kirkuk Receives $25 Million for Projects
(Kurdistani New) Kirkuk Governor Abdulrahkman Mustafa announced that $25 million US has been allocated to implement projects in Kirkuk. He added that the money was was allocated according to a decision by Planning Minister Barham Salih. Currently 71 service projects are underway in Kikruk.
(Kurdistani New is issued daily by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan.)