Iraqis reject increased fuel costs
Not only DU: the fuel prices too!
No Merry Christmas in Iraq!
Remember the war that according to Wolfowitz would pay for itself?
Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz: “There’s a lot of money to pay for this that doesn’t have to be U.S. taxpayer money, and it starts with the assets of the Iraqi people…and on a rough recollection, the oil revenues of that country could bring between $50 and $100 billion over the course of the next two or three years…We’re dealing with a country that can really finance its own reconstruction, and relatively soon.”
[Source: House Committee on Appropriations Hearing on a Supplemental War Regulation, 3/27/03] - Url.: http://tinyurl.com/8xasf
THE REALITY: "IRAQ IS CURRENTLY IMPORTING NEARLY HALF OF ALL ITS FUEL, WITH THE GOVERNMENT SPENDING OVER 6 BILLION DOLLAR EACH YEAR ON THE IMPORTING OF OIL PRODUCTS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES."
IRAQIS REJECT INCREASED FUEL COSTS
*Inter Press Service*
Dahr Jamail and Arkan Hamed
*BAGHDAD, Dec 21 (IPS) - For two days demonstrations have continued
across Iraq in protest against the government's decision to raise the
price of petrol, cooking and heating fuels.*
With costs increased up to nine-fold, Iraq's oil minister, Ibrahim Bahr
al-Uloum has threatened to resign. Yet this has done nothing to quell
the outburst of anger in Iraqis towards the sudden and drastic price hike.
Iraq's Oil Ministry spokesman Assem Jihad told reporters that the
Cabinet raised the prices in order to curb a growing black market. Jihad
said that kerosene prices were raised fivefold, cooking gas threefold,
and diesel was raised nine-fold.
Iraqi response to the recent hiking of fuel prices has been one of
indignation and disapproval.
OUR GASOLINE: USE IT TO KILL OUR PEOPLE?
''Are we responsible for fuelling the American occupation forces with
petrol from our refineries?" asked Akram Mohamed, a consumer. ''Can
you believe they receive our gasoline then use it to kill our people?
Thisis something unacceptable to every honorable Iraqi!"
''It's a gift from the government after the elections," said Mohamed
sarcastically, ''Nobody wants the responsibility of raising the fuel
prices and they are afraid to announce it. That's why they raised it the
day after the elections."
Mohamed, who told IPS he had been driving his car as a taxi for decades,
believed the incoming government did not want to be responsible for
raising the fuel costs and believed members in the current government
were following orders from the U.S.
''This is the kind of sovereignty we Iraqis have," he added, while
waiting in a fuel line.
Announcement of the price increase on the Dec. 19 brought clashes
between police and demonstrators in Amarah, 290 km southeast of
Baghdad. When demonstrators refused to leave the front of the
provincial government headquarters, scuffles ensued.
Meanwhile in Tikrit, over 500 people protested, while demonstrators
marched in the streets of Najaf, Suleiminiyah, Kut, Kerbala, Baghdad,
Samawa and many smaller cities.
On the same day roads and petrol stations in Basra were blocked by
hundreds of demonstrators who burned tires and protested in front of the
governor's headquarters.
The price for a liter of locally produced fuel was increased seven-fold
to around 12 cents per liter. (That's much if you have no money - HR)
While black market prices are already eight times the amount of those at
petrol stations, some stations in Baghdad were charging 11 times the
amount of the normal price ûa phenomenon which led many Iraqis to
believe some of the stations were taking advantage of the already huge
price increase.
Ahmed Chalabi, accused of providing false information to the Bush
Administration which led to the invasion of Iraq and who is now Iraq's
deputy Prime Minister, justified the government's decision by stating
that 330 million dollar of the funds generated by the increase would
''be redistributed to poor families''.
''I heard Ahmed Chalabi say that those of us who don't have cars are
missing out on how the government is helping the Iraqi people," said 36
year-old Ismael Hamoudi, ''To hell with that bastard for lying about
helping when so many people are now suffering; this will affect
everything in the market. Now all our food will be more expensive since
it is brought from outside the city and who will pay for the increased
transportation cost? We will, because everything will be more expensive
now!"
The Iraqi government in Baghdad has defended the move, saying it was
made in order to help jump-start the flagging economy in Iraq by
generating 500 million dollar with the move.
Shortly after protesters in Basra temporarily blocked the main road between
Basra, Amarah and Baghdad, the governor of Basra, Mohammed al-Waeli,
called an emergency provincial council meeting. During the meeting members
decided not to honor the price increases, and orderswere given to petrol
stations to respect the decision.
Amjad Abdul Qadr, a 21 year-old college student at Jadriya University in
Baghdad, expressed deep concern over the higher prices.
''I'm filling my father's car now but we have no extra money anymore,"
he told IPS, ''How can we exist with prices so high?"
Since the regime of Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi government has subsidized
fuel prices. However, today the U.S.-backed Iraqi government is under
pressure from the World Bank, headed by former U.S. Deputy Secretary of
Defence Paul Wolfowitz, to cut the subsidies which have been keeping the
fuel prices down.
Iraq is currently importing nearly half of all its fuel, with the
government spending over 6 billion dollar each year on the importing of
oil products from other countries.
Amjad's father, 55 year-old teacher Mr. Abdul Qadr said, ''Those
bastards ruling Iraq now are animals. I will have to keep my son from
going to school so he can work with me. I have seven girls to finance,
to hell with school. We can't find bread to feed them."
Qadr expressed worries common to many Iraqis since the announcement was
made by the government: that he should sell his car, take another job,
find a way to make both ends meet.
''We don't have our car for entertainment but for survival," he added,
''What I would like to tell the new government is that by doing this now
they are digging their graves, but they should know there will be a day
when everybody will have his revenge on them."
Less than three days after the initial announcement was made in Baghdad,
at least two more of Iraq's 18 provinces have, like Basra, rejected the
price hike.
With the southern provinces Misan, Basra and Dhi Qar having refused to
implement the government increase and Iraqis around the country seething
with anger, it appears likely other provinces will join in the rejection.
** Dahr Jamail's Iraq Dispatches **
** Visit the Dahr Jamail Iraq website http://dahrjamailiraq.com **
** Website by http://jeffpflueger.com **
All images, photos, photography and text are protected by United States and international copyright law. If you would like to reprint Dahr's Dispatches on the web, you need to include this copyright notice and a prominent link to the http://DahrJamailIraq.com website. Website by photographer Jeff Pflueger's Photography Media http://jeffpflueger.com . Any other use of images, photography, photos and text including, but not limited to, reproduction, use on another website, copying and printing requires the permission of Dahr Jamail. Of course, feel free to forward Dahr's dispatches via email. More writing, commentary, photography, pictures and images at http://dahrjamailiraq.com
FPF / Related:
* The Nuremberg principles: "Any person who commits an act which constitutes a crime under international law is responsible therefor and liable to punishment." - Url.: http://tinyurl.com/byurp
* 'The war in Iraq is illegal' - BBC: video & text-interview of the United Nation's Secretary General Kofi Annan - Url.: http://tinyurl.com/5pl2v
* Reference guide to the Geneva Conventions - Url.: http://www.genevaconventions.org
* The leaked 'Downing Street Memos' expose the criminal lies by war criminals like Bush, Blair, Berlusconi (It.) Balkenende (NL) - their collaborating media and other malignant ilk - Url.: http://www.downingstreetmemo.com/
* The infamous US 'Lie Factory' - Url.: http://tinyurl.com/8ncal
* The 'Federal Reserve' is the absolute biggest crime ever - Url.: http://www.apfn.org/apfn/reserve.htm
* Petition To Prosecute the U.S. and all other War Criminals - Url.: http://tinyurl.com/86ffh
* Help all the troops - of whatever nationality - to come back from abroad! - AND WITH ALL THEIR WEAPONS, WHICH WE WERE FORCED TO PAY FOR BY TAXES - [http://www.apfn.org/apfn/reserve.htm ] - We need them badly at home in many countries to fight with us against our so called 'governments' and their malignant managers - Url.: http://www.bringthemhomenow.org/
FPF-COPYRIGHT NOTICE - In accordance with Title 17 U. S. C. Section 107 - any copyrighted work in this message is distributed by the Foreign Press Foundation under fair use, without profit or payment, to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the information. Url.: http://liimirror.warwick.ac.uk/uscode/17/107.html
FOREIGN PRESS FOUNDATION
http://forpressfound.blogspot.com/
Editor: Henk Ruyssenaars
http://tinyurl.com/amn3q
The Netherlands
FPF@Chello.nl
-0-
No Merry Christmas in Iraq!
Remember the war that according to Wolfowitz would pay for itself?
Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz: “There’s a lot of money to pay for this that doesn’t have to be U.S. taxpayer money, and it starts with the assets of the Iraqi people…and on a rough recollection, the oil revenues of that country could bring between $50 and $100 billion over the course of the next two or three years…We’re dealing with a country that can really finance its own reconstruction, and relatively soon.”
[Source: House Committee on Appropriations Hearing on a Supplemental War Regulation, 3/27/03] - Url.: http://tinyurl.com/8xasf
THE REALITY: "IRAQ IS CURRENTLY IMPORTING NEARLY HALF OF ALL ITS FUEL, WITH THE GOVERNMENT SPENDING OVER 6 BILLION DOLLAR EACH YEAR ON THE IMPORTING OF OIL PRODUCTS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES."
IRAQIS REJECT INCREASED FUEL COSTS
*Inter Press Service*
Dahr Jamail and Arkan Hamed
*BAGHDAD, Dec 21 (IPS) - For two days demonstrations have continued
across Iraq in protest against the government's decision to raise the
price of petrol, cooking and heating fuels.*
With costs increased up to nine-fold, Iraq's oil minister, Ibrahim Bahr
al-Uloum has threatened to resign. Yet this has done nothing to quell
the outburst of anger in Iraqis towards the sudden and drastic price hike.
Iraq's Oil Ministry spokesman Assem Jihad told reporters that the
Cabinet raised the prices in order to curb a growing black market. Jihad
said that kerosene prices were raised fivefold, cooking gas threefold,
and diesel was raised nine-fold.
Iraqi response to the recent hiking of fuel prices has been one of
indignation and disapproval.
OUR GASOLINE: USE IT TO KILL OUR PEOPLE?
''Are we responsible for fuelling the American occupation forces with
petrol from our refineries?" asked Akram Mohamed, a consumer. ''Can
you believe they receive our gasoline then use it to kill our people?
Thisis something unacceptable to every honorable Iraqi!"
''It's a gift from the government after the elections," said Mohamed
sarcastically, ''Nobody wants the responsibility of raising the fuel
prices and they are afraid to announce it. That's why they raised it the
day after the elections."
Mohamed, who told IPS he had been driving his car as a taxi for decades,
believed the incoming government did not want to be responsible for
raising the fuel costs and believed members in the current government
were following orders from the U.S.
''This is the kind of sovereignty we Iraqis have," he added, while
waiting in a fuel line.
Announcement of the price increase on the Dec. 19 brought clashes
between police and demonstrators in Amarah, 290 km southeast of
Baghdad. When demonstrators refused to leave the front of the
provincial government headquarters, scuffles ensued.
Meanwhile in Tikrit, over 500 people protested, while demonstrators
marched in the streets of Najaf, Suleiminiyah, Kut, Kerbala, Baghdad,
Samawa and many smaller cities.
On the same day roads and petrol stations in Basra were blocked by
hundreds of demonstrators who burned tires and protested in front of the
governor's headquarters.
The price for a liter of locally produced fuel was increased seven-fold
to around 12 cents per liter. (That's much if you have no money - HR)
While black market prices are already eight times the amount of those at
petrol stations, some stations in Baghdad were charging 11 times the
amount of the normal price ûa phenomenon which led many Iraqis to
believe some of the stations were taking advantage of the already huge
price increase.
Ahmed Chalabi, accused of providing false information to the Bush
Administration which led to the invasion of Iraq and who is now Iraq's
deputy Prime Minister, justified the government's decision by stating
that 330 million dollar of the funds generated by the increase would
''be redistributed to poor families''.
''I heard Ahmed Chalabi say that those of us who don't have cars are
missing out on how the government is helping the Iraqi people," said 36
year-old Ismael Hamoudi, ''To hell with that bastard for lying about
helping when so many people are now suffering; this will affect
everything in the market. Now all our food will be more expensive since
it is brought from outside the city and who will pay for the increased
transportation cost? We will, because everything will be more expensive
now!"
The Iraqi government in Baghdad has defended the move, saying it was
made in order to help jump-start the flagging economy in Iraq by
generating 500 million dollar with the move.
Shortly after protesters in Basra temporarily blocked the main road between
Basra, Amarah and Baghdad, the governor of Basra, Mohammed al-Waeli,
called an emergency provincial council meeting. During the meeting members
decided not to honor the price increases, and orderswere given to petrol
stations to respect the decision.
Amjad Abdul Qadr, a 21 year-old college student at Jadriya University in
Baghdad, expressed deep concern over the higher prices.
''I'm filling my father's car now but we have no extra money anymore,"
he told IPS, ''How can we exist with prices so high?"
Since the regime of Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi government has subsidized
fuel prices. However, today the U.S.-backed Iraqi government is under
pressure from the World Bank, headed by former U.S. Deputy Secretary of
Defence Paul Wolfowitz, to cut the subsidies which have been keeping the
fuel prices down.
Iraq is currently importing nearly half of all its fuel, with the
government spending over 6 billion dollar each year on the importing of
oil products from other countries.
Amjad's father, 55 year-old teacher Mr. Abdul Qadr said, ''Those
bastards ruling Iraq now are animals. I will have to keep my son from
going to school so he can work with me. I have seven girls to finance,
to hell with school. We can't find bread to feed them."
Qadr expressed worries common to many Iraqis since the announcement was
made by the government: that he should sell his car, take another job,
find a way to make both ends meet.
''We don't have our car for entertainment but for survival," he added,
''What I would like to tell the new government is that by doing this now
they are digging their graves, but they should know there will be a day
when everybody will have his revenge on them."
Less than three days after the initial announcement was made in Baghdad,
at least two more of Iraq's 18 provinces have, like Basra, rejected the
price hike.
With the southern provinces Misan, Basra and Dhi Qar having refused to
implement the government increase and Iraqis around the country seething
with anger, it appears likely other provinces will join in the rejection.
** Dahr Jamail's Iraq Dispatches **
** Visit the Dahr Jamail Iraq website http://dahrjamailiraq.com **
** Website by http://jeffpflueger.com **
All images, photos, photography and text are protected by United States and international copyright law. If you would like to reprint Dahr's Dispatches on the web, you need to include this copyright notice and a prominent link to the http://DahrJamailIraq.com website. Website by photographer Jeff Pflueger's Photography Media http://jeffpflueger.com . Any other use of images, photography, photos and text including, but not limited to, reproduction, use on another website, copying and printing requires the permission of Dahr Jamail. Of course, feel free to forward Dahr's dispatches via email. More writing, commentary, photography, pictures and images at http://dahrjamailiraq.com
FPF / Related:
* The Nuremberg principles: "Any person who commits an act which constitutes a crime under international law is responsible therefor and liable to punishment." - Url.: http://tinyurl.com/byurp
* 'The war in Iraq is illegal' - BBC: video & text-interview of the United Nation's Secretary General Kofi Annan - Url.: http://tinyurl.com/5pl2v
* Reference guide to the Geneva Conventions - Url.: http://www.genevaconventions.org
* The leaked 'Downing Street Memos' expose the criminal lies by war criminals like Bush, Blair, Berlusconi (It.) Balkenende (NL) - their collaborating media and other malignant ilk - Url.: http://www.downingstreetmemo.com/
* The infamous US 'Lie Factory' - Url.: http://tinyurl.com/8ncal
* The 'Federal Reserve' is the absolute biggest crime ever - Url.: http://www.apfn.org/apfn/reserve.htm
* Petition To Prosecute the U.S. and all other War Criminals - Url.: http://tinyurl.com/86ffh
* Help all the troops - of whatever nationality - to come back from abroad! - AND WITH ALL THEIR WEAPONS, WHICH WE WERE FORCED TO PAY FOR BY TAXES - [http://www.apfn.org/apfn/reserve.htm ] - We need them badly at home in many countries to fight with us against our so called 'governments' and their malignant managers - Url.: http://www.bringthemhomenow.org/
FPF-COPYRIGHT NOTICE - In accordance with Title 17 U. S. C. Section 107 - any copyrighted work in this message is distributed by the Foreign Press Foundation under fair use, without profit or payment, to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the information. Url.: http://liimirror.warwick.ac.uk/uscode/17/107.html
FOREIGN PRESS FOUNDATION
http://forpressfound.blogspot.com/
Editor: Henk Ruyssenaars
http://tinyurl.com/amn3q
The Netherlands
FPF@Chello.nl
-0-
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