Oil-rich Qatar pushing to make its name as a Mideast peace broker

By Ron Kampeas · May 7, 2013 Photos 1 out of 1 Other Media Secretary of State John Kerry, right, delivering a Joint Statement with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr Al-Thani in Washington, April 29, 2013. (U.S. State Department) WASHINGTON (JTA) -- When it comes to the latest Arab peace initiative, two questions are circulating in Washington: Why Qatar? And why now? The three answers: Because Qatar is rich; it is scared; and why not? Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr Al Thani, the Qatari prime minister and foreign minister, in recent weeks has driven the revivification of the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, moderating it slightly to hew closer to the outlines touted by the Obama administration since 2011. The updated version, outlined by Hamad in remarks to reporters following his meeting April 29 with Secretary of State John Kerry and Vice President Joe Biden in Washington, pulls back from the 2002 demand that Israel withdraw to the 1967 borders in exchange for comprehensive peace. Instead, Hamid proposed “comparable and mutual agreed minor swaps of the land” -- a formulation that opens the door to Israel's retention of several major settlement blocs. Hamad also did not mention the Palestinian “right of return” and the division of Jerusalem, elements of the original Arab initiative that had led to its rejection by the Israeli government. Qatar, the fabulously wealthy Persian Gulf state that is host to the forward headquarters of the U.S. Central Command, hasn't been known until recently for grabbing onto thorny diplomatic challenges. So what does Hamad hope to gain? The Qatari Embassy did not respond to multiple requests for comment, but experts and officials say that Qatar is wealthy enough to do what it likes and, as an autocracy concerned for its survival in a region roiling with revolution, is driven to make friends and demonstrate its usefulness. “For a small country, they’re throwing money around, organizing diplomatic events, trying to shape a range of issues, much of it related to the Middle East uprising,” said Brian Katulis, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, a think tank considered close to the Obama administration. “It's rich, it's small, it lacks the inner turmoil of other countries. It’s one of the [Middle Eastern] countries ... that are more internally stable and have more resources.” Just prior to unveiling the revised peace plan, Hamad, a distant cousin of the Qatari emir, was honored by the Brookings Institution’s Saban Center for Middle East Policy, an organization that received $2.5 million to $5 million from the government of Qatar in 2012, according to Politico. Tamara Cofman Wittes, the Saban Center’s director, said Qatar for years had accrued influence through such uses of “soft power” -- the generous dispensation of money and assistance -- coupled with its ownership of Al Jazeera, the region’s most influential news outlet. When uprisings swept the Middle East at the beginning of 2011, Qatar was able to step into a vacuum left by the toppled dictators, she said. “It vaulted Qatar into a much more prominent role in regional politics because of the loss of [Egyptian President Hosni] Mubarak,” Wittes told JTA. “Its regional assistance and Al Jazeera have allowed it to play a larger role in how the awakening is viewed.” Backing winners, whether the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt or the forces that helped topple Moammar Gadhafi in Libya, also lends credibility -- and insurance -- to a regime that is itself autocratic, Katulis said. “If they win as many as friends as possible, get in early on the ground floor, they'll be all the more influential,” he said. A State Department official played down Qatar's role in reviving the Arab peace bid, noting that the new plan formally emerged from the Arab League. And yet he emphasized that the Obama administration is focused mainly on returning the Israelis and Palestinians to the negotiating table and hopes the peace initiative can help them get there. “It's a sign that the Arab League is a constructive member in the process,” the official said. “The regional partners have a role, but our major focus is getting the Palestinians and Israelis back to the table for direct talks.” So far, that doesn't seem to be happening. Israel is less than thrilled about the new initiative. An Israeli official confirmed that Netanyahu remains as unenthusiastic about the 1967 lines as a basis for negotiations as he was in 2011, when President Obama’s proposal based on those lines precipitated a small crisis in U.S.-Israel relations. Israelis are also skeptical of Qatar because of its support for Hamas, the terrorist group controlling the Gaza Strip. The country’s emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, became the first foreign leader to visit the strip last October. “On the diplomatic front, Qatar publicly claims to support Israeli-Palestinian peace while making certain to undermine it in every possible way,” Seth Mandel wrote last week in Commentary, the neoconservative journal. But Wittes said Qatar’s relationship with Hamas could be seen as a benefit. Hamas is a mainstay of Palestinian politics, and Qatar could help influence the group to moderate. “If obstruction of peace was Hamas’s role as spoiler,” she said, “you have to look at the potential for Qatar as a positive influence.” Need to know? Click here to sign up for JTA's free e-newsletters. ========= QATAR * Qatar cuts April Marine OSP by $4 to $102.50/bbl * Qatar Airways in talks with Airbus to buy up to 15 jets * Dreamliner grounding cost Qatar Airways $200 mln in revenue - CEO ========== Bomb hits convoy carrying Qataris in Somalia, eight dead Sun, May 05 09:49 AM EDT 1 of 2 By Abdi Sheikh and Feisal Omar MOGADISHU (Reuters) - A suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden car into a convoy carrying Qatari officials through the center of Somalia's capital Mogadishu on Sunday, killing at least eight Somalis, officials said. The visiting delegation of Qataris, who were traveling in the Somali interior minister's bullet-proof vehicle, were "safe", a security officer told Reuters, without going into further detail. The minister was not in the car at the time. The Islamist rebel group al Shabaab said it was behind the attack and threatened further strikes against Somalia's government, which it called a "puppet" of Western powers. "More explosions are on the way," al Shabaab's military spokesman Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab told Reuters by telephone. The al Qaeda-linked rebels, who want to impose their version of Islamic law or sharia on the country, have kept up a campaign of guerrilla-style attacks since African peacekeepers pushed them out of bases in the city and other major towns. Western powers, long worried Somalia is a launch pad for militant Islam in east Africa and beyond, fear it could slide back into chaos if security forces cannot cement security gains. The blast tore through the busy 'Kilometre 4' road junction in the center of Mogadishu's commercial and administrative district, hurling metal debris over a wide area. Nearby buildings were blackened and power cables hung loose from poles. It was not clear in the confusion that followed the blast how many people had been killed. A coordinator for Mogadishu's emergency services said ambulances had carried away the 15 bodies. Earlier, the chairman of the city's Hodan district, where the attack took place, told reporters at the blast site eight people had died. "A silver 4x4 sped around the roundabout blaring its horn as it chased the convoy," college student Abdullahi Ismail told Reuters at the scene, nursing a gash in his forehead. "It hit the last car in the convoy." LONDON CONFERENCE Qatar has been forging closer political ties with Somalia in recent years as it seeks to expand its influence in the Horn of Africa region. Sunday's bomb was a stark reminder of two decades of civil strife in a country where the central government depends heavily on a near 18,000-strong African peacekeeping force for its survival. While there has been a significant improvement in the coastal capital since African Union troops drove the Islamist al Shabaab group out of the city in 2011, the attack showed the relative ease with which the militants can still strike. Parts of Mogadishu were in lock-down last week after security officials received a tip-off about an imminent attack, but security was relaxed on Saturday. The 'Kilometre 4' intersection connects the city's fortified airport, where the United Kingdom opened an embassy on April 25, with the presidential palace, parliament and other ministries. The state of Somalia's security forces will top the agenda at conference in London on May 7. Britain and Somalia are hoping to use the event to drum up more international support at a time when al Shabaab are weakened as a fighting force but can still inflict devastating strikes. Civil war after the fall of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991 left Somalia without effective central government and awash with weapons. The turmoil opened the doors for piracy to flourish in the Gulf of Aden and deeper into the Indian Ocean. (Writing by Richard Lough; Editing by Andrew Heavens) =====================

Hazara Democratic Party (Official)

این اے 89جھنگ سے نامزد دہشت گرد ملا احمد لدھیانوی کا کھلم کھلا شیعہ کافر کا فتویٰ شیعت نیوز مانیٹرنگ ڈیسک مسلم لیگ (ن) نے قومی اسمبلی کے حلقہ این اے 107گجرات سے کالعدم لشکر جھنگوی سے تعلق رکھنے والے چوہدری عابد رضا کو پارٹی ٹکٹ دینے کے بعد سابق گورنر پنجاب سلمان تاثیر(مرحوم) اور توہین اسلام کرنے والے والی عیسائی خاتون آسیہ بی بی کو قتل کرنے والے کالعدم سپاہ صحابہ پاکستان کے سابق سرگرم کارکن سردار عبادڈو گر کو بھی این اے 178 مظفر گڑھ سے پارٹی ٹکٹ جاری کردیا ہے مجلس وحدت مسلمین پاکستان کے حمایت یافتہ اُمیدوار صوبائی اسمبلی سید اختر عباس شیرازی نے جھنگ سٹی میں اپنے اختتامی سیاسی جلسے سے خطاب کرتے ہوئے کہا کہ میری پہچان میرے علاقے کی غریب عوام ہے۔ یہ جنگ جو میں لڑ رہا ہوں یہ دراصل اس خطے کے محروم لوگوں کی جنگ ہے۔ ہر روز کی طرح آج بھی میرے خلاف ایک شوشہ چھوڑا گیا کہ میں شیخوں کے حق میں دستبردار ہوگیا ہوں۔ لیکن یہ شیخ ایک سید کو مروا تو سکتے ہیں لیکن خرید نہیں سکتے۔ اختر شیرازی کا مزید کہنا تھا کہ مجھے دو کروڑ روپے کی آفر کی گئی شیخوں کی جانب سے لیکن میں نے اپنے ضمیر کاسودا نہ کیا۔ ان کا کہنا تھا کہ مجھے تحصیل ناظم کی آفر کی گئی لیکن میں نے غریبوں کا ساتھ نہ چھوڑا۔ مجھے ضلع کے چیئرمین شپ کی آفر کی گئی لیکن میں نے یہ سب اپنے ورکروں اور قوم کی عزت وسربلندی کی خاطر ٹھکرا دیا۔ لیکن افسوس ہے کہ بعض لوگ لاکھوں میں بک گئے اور میری مخالفت کی حد کر دی۔ جلسے میں شریک اہلسنت حضرات نے اختر شیرازی کی حمایت کا اعلان کرتے ہوئے کہا کہ ہماری جنگ لڑنے ہم میں سے ہی ہمارا نوجوان میدان میں آیا ہے، ہم کٹ تو سکتے لیکن سید کے ساتھ دھوکہ نہیں کرسکتے۔ اس موقع پر جلسے کے شرکاء نے اختر شیرازی کے حق میں بھرپور نعرے بازی کی اور اس بات کا یقین دلایا کہ گیارہ مئی کو محب اہلبیت ایک سید کو کامیاب کرا کے جناب سیدہ کے سامنے سُرخرو ہوں گے۔ A Lashkar-e-Jhangvi-linked terror suspect who has already spent five years in jail on murder charges and had known links with a slain al-Qaeda linchpin Amjad Hussain Farooqi is running for a National Assembly seat from Gujrat on a PML-N ticket. Chaudhry Abid Raza Gujjar had been handed down death sentence under section 302 and section 7 of the Anti Terrorism Act 1997 for the murder of six people during a failed assassination attempt on the former Nazim of Gujrat, Ghulam Sarwar Bhooch, in 1998. شیعہ علماء کونسل پاکستان نے تحصیل احمد پور سیال میں حلقہ این اے91 سے نجف عباس خان سیال اور پی پی82 میں آزاد اُمیدوار غضنفر جبوانہ اور پی پی83 میں عون عباس سیال کی حمایت کا اعلان کر دیا ہے۔ ''اسلام ٹائمز'' سے گفتگو کرتے ہوئے شیعہ علماء کونسل تحصیل احمد پور سیال کے آرگنائزر قیصر عباس سیال نے بتایا کہ این اے91، پی پی82 اور پی پی83 پر امیدواروں کی حمایت کا فیصلہ علامہ سید ساجد علی نقوی کے حکم پر کیا گیا ہے - یاد رہے کہ حلقہ پی پی82 میں مجلس وحدت مسلمین کے نامزد اُمیدوار علامہ مظہر کاظمی کے بھائی علامہ سید اظہر حسین کاظمی ہیں۔ Soldiering on: Ruqayya Hashmi fights for Shia Hazara community in Balochistan By Waqas Naeem Published: May 10, 2013 Undaunted by terrorist threats, Dr Ruqayya Hashmi fights for the Shia Hazara community in Balochistan. ISLAMABAD: In several cities across Pakistan, political parties and candidates have faced threats and deadly attacks on the basis of political ideology. But, in Quetta, Dr Ruqayya Saeed Hashmi has battled a different kind of threat throughout her election campaign. She is a Shia Hazara politician, contesting elections for NA-259 from the platform of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), in a city where over 150 Hazaras were killed in 2013 alone. On January 10, the Hazara community sat in protest for four straight days with the dead bodies of their relatives, after nearly a 100 people were killed in a massive bombing carried out by the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi. But despite the imposition of governor’s rule, ostensibly to provide better security to Quetta’s Hazara population, terror struck a Shia Hazara neighbourhood in the city again on February 16, killing at least 67. Once again the LeJ claimed responsibility. In the protests which followed this attack, Hashmi was on the frontlines, outraged and vocal. Hashmi, 62, thinks her presence at the protests has made her a target for the Laskhar-e Jhangvi and allied terrorist outfits. She and her political workers have received death threats. Her campaign activities have been confined to a limited area but she has braved it out by going door-to-door to ask for votes. Residents want to vote but they also have apprehensions about election day violence, she said. “Candidates are mobilising people to vote but then there are threats of violence which have scared the voters,” she said. Nevertheless, she is optimistic that the voter turnout percentage in Quetta city will be above the national average. Security for the Hazara community is among Hashmi’s top priorities. If elected, she wants to bring about legislation, through mutual political consensus, to ensure the safety of the Hazaras. “I will try to gather the support of all political parties on grounds of humanity for safety and security of the people of Quetta city, especially the Hazara community,” she said. A Quetta native, she has twice been a member of the Balochistan Assembly on the reserved seats for women. She is also proud of the eight years she served as an Army doctor in Quetta and often identifies herself as a soldier. An activist from her student days; she retained her connection with politics when she married into the Hashmi family, which has been involved with politics from pre-partition days. Her husband, Saeed Ahmed Hashmi, has been elected to the Balochistan Assembly from Quetta in the past and is contesting again this year. The Hazara community has around 30,000 votes, according to Hashmi. “The Hazara men and women recognise the importance of their vote,” she said. But the community’s vote might be divided between Hashmi and the Hazara Democratic Party’s Abdul Khaliq Hazara. “I will give every candidate a tough time because I am a woman, a doctor, a soldier and because I belong to the brave Hazara community.” If she doesn’t win, there is always plan B: she is number 1 on the PML-Q list of reserved women candidates for the Balochistan Assembly. ================ Dont forget azbr amzi mullahs (kafir, terrorists) mne Sunni shia jang mushna hamesha. They are only using hussain a.s 's name to make people vote for them and plus they are the reall enemies of hussain a.s. VOTE 4 HDP***** Everything depends on Unity, dividing vote bank into MWM, HDP will lead to success of 3rd party. "SEAT ADJUSTMENT"مافتی نشان هزارگی/مافتی نشان H.D.P ( READ,THINK n SHARE) It may well be grotesque yet it is worthy to repeatedly delienate some accounts relating to our current situation.we ve been fallen prey the direst persecution ,genocide n discrimination since a decade,lost hundreds of our beloved assets,now we r besieged into two areas and our access to universities,colleges,jobs,offices, main city....ve been entirely obstucted.simply we r passing through the most crucial n decissive phase of our history where we can either ascend n make history or descend n become part of history.so,this is not just an election but an altercational fight or front for our lives.every individual n leaders or candidates should think rationally n conclusively.they should accredit national interests, generation's future n martyrs' sacrifices rather their individual n party interests. acquisition of maximum seats,is the most prudential n rational notion for emancipation of our people n sustainence of law n order in the city.SEAT ADJUSTMENT is the ultimate hope to gain maximum seats.the leaders must join heads n hands n decide to elect only one competent candidate for each area PB.1 ,PB.2,PB.6 & NA 259 ...only then we can exersice our full power n certainly win all seats ,as incase of 1 candidate from PB2, seat ll b undoubtedly our's.regarding seat PB1,last time shafiq ahmed khan(martyred)had gotten around 4300 votes including our votes,n won the seat.we do ve around 4000 votes in PB1 & with little more effort in minorities areas of PB1 we can certainly gain few hundred more votes,(while few christians n other minorities ve already announced their solidarity with us).furthermore,we ve around 32000 votes in PB6,if we exersice our ful power n give votes to only one candidate,PB6 seat is also ours.moreover we can easily save our NA.259 n woman seat too.in this case we can send atleast 1senator or policymaker in center.(ITS NT A MYTHICAL STORY RATHER A CACULATED fact,ANY1 CAN GO THROUGH A COMPREHENSIVE RESEARCH,OR SIMPLY ASK THOSE IN PROCESS.) leaders must forget their personal conflicts for wider national interests n adjust the seats,withdraw their candidates accordingly.infact should try to participate in eachother's campaigning,its in interest of both bt nt greedy one's) .the party who initiate this cause ,is certainly the most sincere to nation.few very sincere ,competent rational n compromising faces r evident in both parties who can work for seat adjustment.the youths,nobles,intelectuals ,neutral parties,welfare societies n other organizations should volunteerly come forward , bridge the parties n force them for SEAT ADJUSTMENT.publis pressure counts alot,realize ur individual responsibilities.inspite supporting one party ,support nation n national interests n save MASSES & PARTIES... ( READ,THINK n SHARE) SOFIA WAFA SAYS: My mother is back from the HDP Rally. So Emotional! Says (Khuda Mara Sadqey Kohzad wa Khaliq kana). Says MWM is Pashtoon Kha. Ma sadqey naney kho. She says more then 10000 people were in rally, My mom says, "Asadi is also Pashtoon kha...New Discovery! and says NISHAN AZMO AZARGI YA MAFTI YA." My mom is really emotional tonight. Everything depends on Unity, dividing vote bank into MWM, HDP will lead to success of 3rd party. If a mother can understand this! she knows that the nation will be save only by giving vote to our one political party so why the others DON'T? Why the others are acting on policies of the people who never wanted Hazaras to be one? Every Hazara has the right to choose the leader by their chioce. 10000 people can not be wrong.I guess laughing is not suitable for a mother's view! do learn to respect mothers. چیف آف ہزارہ قبائل سردار سادات علی ہزارہ نے MWM کی حمایت کا اعلان کردیا۔ کربلائے کوئٹہ‎ کوئٹہ الیکشن الرٹ: طاہر خان ہزارہ حلقہ PB2 صوبائی سیٹ سے دستبردار۔ "بالٹی" کا نشان بیلٹ پیپر پر چھپا گیا ہے لیکن اب چونکہ جناب نے قوم دوستی کا ثبوت دے کر قومی مفاد کیلئے دستبردار ہوگئے تو اب مہر صرف "خیمہ" پر لگایئں جس کی حمایت میجر نادر سمیت معتبرینِ قوم نے کی ہے۔ جو حق کا نہیں حامی وہ ہم سے بچھڑ جائے خیمے میں اندھیرا ہے ، جانے کی اجازت ہے۔۔۔۔ علمدار روڈ‎ قوم کے وسیع تر مفاد کے لئے طاہر خان ہزارہ ایلکشن سے کچھ گهنٹوں قبل دستبردار ہوگئے، اپنے پیغام میں انهوں نے کہاں کہ : میں نے اپنے ساتهیوں سے مشاورت اور ضمیر کی آواز پہ اس حلقہ سے دستبردار ہوا، میں نے بہت کوشیش کی کہ ایک متفقہ امیدوار سامنے آئے مگر اقتدار کے بهوکوں کی ہٹ دهرمی کے سامنے بے بس رہا جس کا مجهے بہت افسوس ہے، عوام نے جو پزیرائ اور عزت بخشی اسے کبهی نہیں بهول سکتا، میں صرف قوم کے حق میں دستبردار ہوا ہوں کسی فرد یا پارٹی کے حق میں نہیں۔ ============ "یہاں جنگ نسل و زبان یا مذہب کی نہیں، یہاں جنگ کردار کی ہے۔ ووٹ دیتے وقت کردار کو مدِنظر رکھیں۔ اگر آدھی رات کو کوئی ہزارہ ڈاکو آپ کے گھر میں ڈاکہ ڈالنے آئے تو کیا آپ ہزارہ ہونے کے ناطے اسے خوش آمدید کہیں گے؟؟؟ یہ کہاں کی عقل مندی ہے؟ ڈاکو ڈاکو ہوتا ہے چاہے وہ ہزارہ ہو یا پنچابی یا پٹھان یا بلوچ۔ اسی طرح کسی شخص کو محض اسی لئے قبول کرنا کہ وہ ہزارہ ہے عقل و منطق کے سراسر منافی ہے۔" مجلس وحدت مسلمین کوئٹہ کے ہزارہ ٹاؤن جلسہء عام سے نوجوان رہنما جناب غلام علی کا خطاب کون سا شخص کوئٹہ کو دہشت گردی اور مسائل کے دلدل سے نکال سکتا ہے ؟ آغا رضا (مجلس وحدت مسلمین) عبدالخالق (ھزارہ ڈیموکریٹک پارٹی) محمد طاہر خان ھزارہ (آزاد) کوئی نہیں حق پہ کون ہے؟؟؟ فیصلہ آپ کا۔۔۔۔۔ ایک طرف مجلس وحدت مسلمین کا جلسہ، دوسری طرف نسل پرست ٹولے کا جلسہ، ایک طرف لبیک یا حسین (ع) اور یا علی (ع) مدد، دوسری طرف ڈھول باجے، گانے اور تالیاں!!! حق پہ کون ہے؟؟؟ فیصلہ آپ کا۔۔۔۔۔

New York to sue BofA, Wells Fargo over mortgage practices

Tue, May 07 00:24 AM EDT By Karen Freifeld and Aruna Viswanatha NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said on Monday he plans to sue Bank of America Corp and Wells Fargo and Co for violating the terms of a settlement designed to end mortgage servicing abuses. Schneiderman issued the announcement, which suggests lawsuits could be filed against the banks within two months, ahead of a widely anticipated report from the monitor for the multi-state settlement, which is expected to be critical of banks. The planned action is the first involving allegations that top banks, which agreed last year to provide $25 billion in relief to homeowners and comply with a set of servicing standards to atone for foreclosure misconduct, are not living up to their obligations under the deal. Schneiderman said that, since last October, his office had documented 339 violations of standards - 210 by Wells Fargo and 129 by Bank of America - dictating the timeline for banks to process mortgage modification applications. Schneiderman said he would seek injunctive relief and an order requiring the two banks to comply with the settlement. His statement did not say he was seeking damages or penalties. But it is unclear how far Schneiderman can take his efforts, because they come outside the primary channel authorized by the settlement for any potential violations. The settlement authorized the monitor to first work with a servicer to correct any potential violations and sue only if the servicer does not fix the errors. In an afternoon news conference, Schneiderman acknowledged the authority provided to the monitor, but said he could still move forward. "There is more than one cop on the beat," he said. The action draws further attention to the continuing plight of borrowers facing foreclosures some five years after the start of the housing crisis. Some borrowers say they wait months for word from their bank on a request to modify a loan, only to be told their paperwork has been lost. It also highlights the banks' lingering mortgage headache, even if this latest move might not result in significant additional monetary penalties.

"Wells Fargo and Bank of America have flagrantly violated those obligations, putting hundreds of homeowners across New York at greater risk of foreclosure," the attorney general said in a statement.

A spokeswoman for Wells Fargo declined to comment. Bank of America said in a statement that it takes seriously the allegations of servicing problems and will work quickly to address them. Bank of America and Wells Fargo are among five banks that agreed to the settlement in February 2012. At the news conference, Schneiderman declined to say whether the other three banks - JPMorgan Chase & Co, Citigroup Inc and Ally Financial Inc - could face similar lawsuits, but said his announcement had "implications" for the other servicers. WATCHDOG REPORT COMING SOON The National Mortgage Settlement was brokered between the banks and 49 state attorneys general. While the settlement's monitor has issued several reports on monetary relief provided to homeowners under the settlement, an upcoming report will be its first assessment of compliance on troubled borrowers. That report, expected in the next few weeks, will include how quickly banks must respond to requests for loan modifications. The monitor, former North Carolina Banking Commissioner Joe Smith, said in a statement on Monday that he appreciates Schneiderman's interest in the issue. He also said he will use the full force of his own power to hold banks accountable.

"Under the Settlement, there is a process that allows me to conduct reviews of the banks' compliance and report them to the public. I am following this process and look forward to sharing my findings and enforcement activities in June," Smith said.

A committee comprised of federal regulators and more than a dozen state attorneys general will have the first crack at pursuing any potential litigation. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development General Counsel Helen Kanovsky, whose agency sits on the committee, said HUD takes violations of the settlement seriously and expected "further action to be taken" after Smith releases his findings. Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller, who spearheaded last year's settlement, said in a statement that his office has been in discussions with Smith about several issues, including missed deadlines. Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen, who is also on the monitoring committee, said he was aware of many of the issues raised by New York and will work with the committee to ensure the banks comply with the settlement. Some housing advocates welcomed Schneiderman's move ahead of other states and the settlement's monitor.

"We hope this action by the AG will push other state and federal regulators to draw a line in the sand against abusive mortgage servicing practices," Josh Zinner, co-director of the Neighborhood Economic Development Advocacy Project in New York, said in a statement.

In an interview, Zinner said housing advocates were worried that a lot of problems still remained since last year's settlement. The February 2012 settlement released the banks from claims over faulty foreclosure practices and the mishandling of requests for loan modifications. It was supposed to speed mortgage relief to homeowners in need and provide $2,000 payments to borrowers who lost their homes to foreclosure. (Reporting by Karen Freifeld in New York and Aruna Viswanatha in Washington; Editing by John Wallace and Andre Grenon)

23 Russians among world’s 500 most powerful people - report

23 Russians among world’s 500 most powerful people - report Get short URL Published time: May 05, 2013 21:21 Edited time: May 05, 2013 22:24 President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.(RIA Novosti / Dmitry Astakhov) 23 Russian citizens have made it into the Foreign Policy magazine’s list of the world’s 500 most powerful people. Dominated by leaders in politics and business, there’s also one military official and one mafia boss in the rankings. The so-called Power Map was compiled on the basis of other influential ratings by such issues as Forbes, Times, Vanity Fair, Wall Street Journal, Global Finance and others. “Think of it as a list of all the most important other lists,” the magazine explained. The list of 500 most influential people in the world, which has been put together by the Foreign Policy for the first time, will be published by in its May/June magazine’s “Power Issue”. According to the magazine, it brings together the individuals, “who control the commanding heights of the industries that run the world, from politics to high finance, media to energy, warfare to religion.” The listing has recognized the global influence of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and several other high-ranked officials across the financial and security spheres. The appearance of Moscow mayor, Sergey Sobyanin, in the selection came as somewhat of a surprise to many, but the head of the capital’s administration, who replaced Yury Luzhkov, took the same position in 2010, is seen as an important member of Putin’s team. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin.(RIA Novosti / Denis Grishkin) Russia’s business elite also has a strong showing on the Power Map as it includes the likes of Gazprom CEO Aleksey Miller, Rosneft President Igor Sechin and the heads of other big companies dealing in natural resources energy and telecom. Rosneft President Igor Sechin.(RIA Novosti / Sergey Guneev) The co-owner of the biggest online company in Russia, Mail.ru Group, Yury Milner, who is an investor in an investor in Facebook, Twitter and other global Internet brands, also made it to the list. Milner’s partner at Mail.ru and Russia's richest man, Alisher Usmanov, whose fortune is estimated at US$18.1 billion, predictably reserved a spot on the list. Head of 'Metalloinvest' Alisher Usmanov.(RIA Novosti / Vladimir Fedorenko) Unexpectedly, the magazine’s Top-500 also includes Semyon Mogilevich, who also represents Russia on the FBI’s list of Ten Most Wanted Fugitives and is considered to be the “boss of bosses” of the Russian mafia by the US and European law enforcement officers. Mogilevich, who is also known as Sergey Shnaider, is suspected of involvement in illegal arms trade, drug and sex trafficking as well as money laundering. The list is arranged in alphabetic order and is dominated by Americans, occupying 142 positions. Men far outshone females in the rankings with just 50 spot on the Power Map going to women. =========== Russia's Usmanov knocks steel boss Mittal off top of rich list Sun, Apr 21 08:15 AM EDT 1 of 2 By Laurence Fletcher LONDON (Reuters) - Russian businessman Alisher Usmanov has knocked Lakshmi Mittal off the top of this year's Sunday Times Rich List with a jump in his fortune to 13.3 billion pounds ($20.3 billion) after a tough year for the Indian steel magnate. In a list of wealth in Britain whose top spots are dominated by Russian and Indian billionaires, Mittal drops to fourth after eight years at number one as his fortune tumbled 2.7 billion pounds to 10 billion. Uzbek-born Usmanov, who is Russia's richest man and has a major shareholding in British Premier League football club Arsenal, saw his wealth rise by 985 million pounds over the past year, according to the annual survey by the British newspaper. Ranked second last year, Usmanov owns Sutton Place, the former Surrey home of oil baron J Paul Getty. He made 1.6 billion pounds from sales of Facebook shares after last year's stock market listing, while he has a large holding in Russian mobile phone operator MegaFon and controls iron ore miner Metalloinvest. Mittal, the chief executive of the world's largest steelmaker ArcelorMittal, has been hit by the fall in the value of its shares from more than 12 euros a year ago to less than 9 euros on Friday. The number of billionaires has risen to a record 88, in spite of tough economic conditions for many in the UK, from 77 last year. The collective wealth of the richest 1,000 people is up 35 billion pounds to 450 billion pounds. The biggest riser in wealth terms is Len Blavatnik, who is ranked second after a 3.42 billion pound jump in his fortune, thanks to a rise in his shareholdings, took his wealth to 11 billion pounds. The Odessa-born businessman, who emerged as a tycoon after the Russian privatizations of the 1990s, owns Warner Music and a house in London's plush Kensington Palace Gardens - known as 'billionaires' row' - and has been a major donor to Oxford University. The highest-placed UK-born person is the Duke of Westminster, whose swathes of land in London's upmarket Mayfair and Belgravia rank him eighth with 7.8 billion pounds. The Sunday Times also reported that Michael Ashcroft, the former treasurer of Britain's Conservative party, will next month pledge to give at least half of his 1.2 billion pound fortune to charity. To be included in the list people must have either a British passport or a strong link to the UK such as being based there or spending a significant amount of time there, a Sunday Times spokesman said. ($1 = 0.6554 British pounds) (Editing by Erica Billingham) ============ Russia’s Richest: Forbes publishes billionaire list Get short URL Published time: April 18, 2013 15:00 Edited time: April 19, 2013 06:44 Alisher Usmanov (RIA Novosti /Vladimir Fedorenko) Forbes magazine has published its 10th anniversary edition Russia's ultra-wealthy businessmen. Alisher Usmanov, owner of Metalloinvest, is officially Russia’s richest man, with a fortune of $17.6 billion. In a close second is Alfa Bank’s largest shareholder, Mikhail Fridman, who boasts a fortune of $16.5 billion. In third place is Leonid Michelson, a major shareholder in Russian gas company Novatek, who has $15.4 billion. Mikhail Fridman (RIA Novosti / Valeriy Levitin) Russia’s richest man isn’t Russian by birth. Usmanov was born in Uzbekistan. He first made his fortune in metals, and has since transitioned his investments into telecom and start-up industries. Usmanov is the owner of Metalloinvest, one of the largest iron ore and hot briquetted iron (HBI) producers and suppliers in the world. Metalloinvest recently acquired Udokan, a copper and nickel producer, which has 14.4 million metric tons of copper, one of the world’s top five deposits, according to Metalloinvest. His shift from commodities to technology has paid off for the magnate, as now almost half of his wealth is tied up in telecommunications, internet, and media services. He has expanded his fortune dabbling in the Russian telecom industry and silicon valley start-ups. Usmanov has a 10% share in Facebook. The business tycoon also has stakes in Arsenal football club, and Forbes reported he spent more than $300 million on a private jet last year. This is the second year in a row Usmanov has topped the list, and his tenth straight year within the top 36 richest Russian businessmen. Viktor Vekselberg, owner of Renova, broke into the top five with $15.1 billion, and in sixth place is the President of Lukoil, Vagit Alekperov. In eighth place is Vladimir Lisin, a former steelworker who now owns Novolipetsk Steel, Russia’s most valuable steelmaker, which gained 8.9% in mid-April giving the company a market cap of $1.1 billion, according to Bloomberg. This was much needed recovery after the low steel prices of 2012 have chipped $1.8 billion from his fortune. In ninth place is Vladimir Putin’s right hand man, Gennady Timchenko, a dual Russian-Finnish citizen, and a highly influential energy and construction magnate in Russia. Leonid Mikhelson (RIA Novosti / Aleksey Nikolskyi) In the tenth place is alpha oligarch, and former presidential candidate, Mikahil Prokhorov, with a $13 billion fortune. Prokhorov, like Usmanov, made his fortune in mining, metals, and energy, and switched over to technology pre-crisis. Prokhorov bought an 80% share in the New York Nets basketball team, for $200 million in 2010. Just shy of the top ten is Dmitry Rybolovlev, whose $9.1 billion net worth landed him the 14th position. Rybolovlev reportedly bought a Greek island for $100 million. Rybolovlev beat out other celebrity billionaires like Bill Gates, Madonna, and Roman Abramovich, who were also eyeing the island. Roman Abramovich found himself outside of Russia’s top ten, and is now 13th domestically, and 107th worldwide. The Chelsea football club owner lost $1.9 of his fortune in 2012, putting his 2013 wealth at just $10.2 billion Beating out all Russian billionaires on Forbes overall list, is former national, Sergey Brin, founder and CEO of Google. Brin’s bank account far exceeds all his former compatriots, at $22.8 billion. Forbes has been documenting the world’s richest people since 1987, and Russia’s richest since 1997, Boris Berezovsky debuted Russia’s list in 1997 with a $3 billion capital worth. To even be considered for Russia’s ‘Golden Hundred’, one’s fortune must at least be $500 million. Russia is home to 100 billionaires. Eleven Russian businessmen are included in the Forbes ‘100 Richest’ list in 2013. Russian Ranking World Ranking Name Age Personal Fortune (billions) Associated Companies #1 #34 Alisher Usmanov 59 $17.6 Metalloinvest #2 #41 Mikhail Fridman 48 $16.5 TNK-BP #3 #47 Leonid Mikhelson 57 $15.4 Novatek #4 #52 Vicktor Vekselberg 56 $15.1 Renova, Skolkovo Fund #5 #55 Vagit Alekperov 62 $14.8 Lukoil #6 #56 Andrey Melnichenko 57 $14.4 Novatek, Sibur Holding, First United Bank #7 #58 Vladimir Potanin 52 $14.3 Interros, ProfMedia #8 #62 Vladimir Lisin 56 $14.1 First Cargo Novolipetsk #9 #62 Gennady Timchenko 60 $14.1 Gunvor Group, Novatek #10 #69 Mikhail Prokhorov 47 $13.0 Onexim ===========

Israel has conducted airstrike in Syria: U.S. official

Sat, May 04 03:21 AM EDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Israel has conducted an airstrike in Syria, apparently targeting a building, a U.S. official said on Friday. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, declined to elaborate. CNN quoted two unnamed U.S. officials as saying Israel most likely conducted the strike "in the Thursday-Friday time frame" and that Israel's warplanes did not enter Syrian airspace. CNN said the officials did not believe Israel had targeted a chemical weapons facility. CBS News cited U.S. sources as saying Israel targeted a warehouse. An Israeli military spokeswoman in Jerusalem declined to comment. But one source told Reuters that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had on Thursday night convened his security cabinet in Jerusalem for secret talks - often a sign of imminent action. The source, who would not be identified by name or nationality, did not elaborate on what was discussed at the meeting.

A spokesman for the Israeli Embassy in Washington said: "We cannot comment on these reports, but what we can say is that Israel is determined to prevent the transfer of chemical weapons or other game-changing weaponry by the Syrian regime to terrorists, especially to Hezbollah in Lebanon." Hezbollah fought a 34-day war with Israel in 2006.

There was no other official confirmation of the strike. Syrian U.N. Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari told Reuters: "I'm not aware of any attack right now." A White House spokeswoman referred questions on the CNN report to the Israeli government. The Pentagon declined comment. The CNN report said that during the time frame of the attack, the United States had collected information showing Israeli warplanes flying over Lebanon. In January this year, Israel bombed a convoy in Syria, apparently hitting weapons destined for Hezbollah, according to diplomats, Syrian rebels and security sources in the region. (Additional reporting by Roberta Rampton, Arshad Mohammed and Phil Stewart in Washington, and Dan Williams in Jerusalem and Lou Charbonneau at the United Nations, Writing by Sandra Maler; Editing by Peter Cooney)

Two advocates killed in Karachi, lawyers announce strike

Two advocates killed in Karachi, lawyers announce strike By Web Desk Published: May 3, 2013 The strike will be held to protest the brutal killings. PHOTO: FILE KARACHI: Two advocates were shot dead by unknown assailants on the busy Jinnah Bridge within the limits of Baghdadi Police Station, reported Express News on Friday. Advocate Ali Ahmed Jan and his son, advocate Shakil Ahmed Jan were travelling to the Sindh High court when two unknown assailants on a motorbike opened fire on their vehicle. The firing killed advocate Shakil Ahmed Jan on the spot. The father Ali Ahmed Jan, was critically injured in the incident and was shifted to Jinnah hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. Angered lawyers halted all hearings at the Sindh High court and other city courts after the incident took place. The Sindh Bar Council has announced a strike to be held tomorrow in both the higher and lower courts to protest the killing of the two advocates.

Kurdistan parliament sets payday ultimatum

Author: scaramouche Thursday 20:02, May 2nd/ 2013 Carts and Horses.... Apologies for the long post, but there is a fair bit to cover… To be honest, I am rather shocked by the confrontational aspect of many of the posts on here in the last few days, involving ‘seasoned’ investors who presumably want GKP and its share price to do well but simply have different views about how it might get there! I can only put it down to stress induced by the relentless fall in the share price, but please remember that this is supposed to be a discussion forum, not a bear-pit with incessant bitching and sniping! My own view on how best to raise concerns with the company appears to differ from many on here. I simply emailed GKP politely a few days ago to express my concern about the recent poorly-worded Holdings RNS (which IMO needed clarification), and to highlight that shareholders could do with some form of operational update to ensure that we understood exactly what stage the company was at. I emphasised that the political uncertainties and lengthy court case had already contributed to a very serious decline in the share price, and that shareholders badly needed some form of reassurance. I have no doubt that many shareholders did much the same, and it seems to me that today’s RNS was put out by GKP to try to refocus the mind on what people here are actually invested in - a company with a significant share in several world-class assets, one of which (Shaikan) is on the verge of large-scale Production in perhaps the world’s most under-developed and low-cost oil frontier… something which will surely appeal to many of the world’s super-majors. So, why have I used the title I have in this post”? Well, it is mainly because I get the distinct impression that some people are expecting certain key events to happen before it is actually possible for them to do so - in effect ‘putting the Cart before the Horse’. 1) Today’s RNS makes it very clear that PRODUCTION cannot start in earnest until several key factors come together. The taps are currently turned off in Kurdistan due to the long-running dispute with Baghdad, and will remain so until first there is a Green Light from the KRG for all companies to start exporting again. To do this, the oil companies need also to be assured that they will receive payment, something which has even handicapped Genel and other contractors until the last month or so. And in GKP’s case, they will also need a market to sell their oil to (probably the local one, when capacity is freed up by Genel and DNO exporting); the early production facilities to be in place; pipeline infrastructure to be available; and the FDP to be fully agreed by the KRG. Indeed, to me, the last one is perhaps the most vital missing piece of the jigsaw, on which the whole future of Shaikan and GKP rests. From today’s RNS: “On 27 January 2013, Gulf Keystone, as operator, submitted a Field Development Plan ("FDP") to the Shaikan Block Management Committee. The Company is in constructive talks with the appropriate regulatory authorities concerning their feedback on the proposed way forward for the development of the Shaikan field, which was declared a major commercial discovery in August 2012”. Those TALKS must surely entail to whom responsibility for the large-scale development of the ‘Jewel of Kurdistan’ and its 400,000+ bopd potential should be entrusted – and personally, I cannot see it being little old GKP as the asset is far too important for any risk of it going wrong! So, those continually questioning why GKP have not been producing significant volumes over the last 2 years need perhaps to consider how much the delay has really been down to GKP (and Todd), how much due to the general political situation…. and how much it is on account of the need for the KRG to ensure they get the best jockey and the best horse for such a challenging type of course! 2) Today’s RNS seems to me also to put GKP firmly into the ‘shop window’. There are mentions of Goldman Sachs report on the future global importance of Shaikan, a reminder that Exxon, Chevron and Total amongst others have entered Kurdistan in relatively recent times, and strong hints that ‘Greater Shaikan’ has an importance way beyond even the figures currently in the public domain – “Shaikan is the largest onshore development worldwide today not in the hands of a major operator. However, we believe that we have only scratched the surface of the true value of our blocks and our ongoing exploration and appraisal activity is expected to result in further upside." And, at long last, we even hear that there are tentative plans to explore and appraise SHEIKH ADI (in which GKP has an 80% net working interest) – “… the Company and the Kurdistan Regional Government, its partner in the block UNANIMOUSLY agreed to move to an appraisal programme to appraise Jurassic targets and evaluate the Triassic upside at the 3,500 metres projected depth with the Sheikh Adi-3 appraisal well. Furthermore, we plan to target two additional exploration leads, comprising potential extensions of the Atrush and Swara Tika discoveries, following acquisition of 70 km of additional 2D seismic data.” In other words, those OIP numbers attributable to GKP are likely to rise pretty sharply and with them our potential price-tag, in a relatively short time-frame. That should tend to focus the minds of prospective suitors, I imagine! So, in answer to those who expected Takeover interest to have been demonstrated already, I can only conclude that GKP might have previously discouraged potential suitors or buyers been dissuaded until now they had a much clearer idea of what GKP might be selling. Irrespective, this particular horse does now seem to be on a very firm footing, and to me the RNS certainly suggests that the company is on the right track. IMHO. 3) I note the furore over the location set for the AGM. I agree that it might have been preferable for it to be held in Paris, but I do not share the views of those whose main objective appears to be to hold the CEO exclusively to account for the lamentable state of the share price, and seek to get him over a barrel. My own view is that GKP is at least making it possible for most interested shareholders to attend an Investor day in London on 4 July 2013, 3 weeks before the AGM. This will enable them to obtain answers to many of their questions BEFORE deciding which way to cast their votes on all the forthcoming AGM resolutions. It could have been the other way round (AGM, then presentation), or people being asked to vote on the spur of the moment and in the rather heated amphitheatre of the AGM itself. Personally, I would much rather the chance to be able to think about what I hear than be expected to make some kind of rash and ill-considered judgement. My suspicion too is that the Investor presentation has been carefully timed with the expectation that the Court case verdict will have been delivered by then, and that, with better news on the production front, the share price will be very much higher. If so, I imagine Todd will be fairly comfortable attending and facing his inquisitors- and, if not, well I rather suspect that there will be a motion appearing on the AGM agenda anyway, in relation to his current role, and that the vote will be…….... well, let’s wait and see, because I too might be putting the cart before the horse! 4) Finally, after careful consideration, I do think that perhaps the time has come for the Chairman and CEO roles to be separated, regardless of what transpires in the next two months, as I note that Todd himself apparently acknowledged in his interview with the Daily Telegraph on 28 May 2012. – “Mr Kozel, who is currently also executive chairman, said Gulf Keystone planned to appoint a separate chairman, in line with best practice”. I feel that it would surely be both timely and in the best interests of good Corporate Governance, and perhaps help to allay some of the current concerns expressed by many shareholders on this board. BUT I would also be extremely cautious about moves to get rid of him altogether, as that might have unforeseen consequences and serve only to upset the apple-cart… to the benefit of whoever might be behind Excalibur and the relentless downward pressure on the share price since this seemingly spurious Court Case commenced nearly 7 months ago... and therefore to our collective detriment. . In conclusion, for now I will continue to back exactly the same horse that I have backed for the last 3.5 years, but I would prefer for him to be “reined in” a little to avoid some of the excesses we have witnessed in recent times. For info, I have only just come across this collection of pictures taken from the Oil and Gas Year Kurdistan Region of Iraq Strategic Roundtable 2013, which took place only a few days ago but seem to have been added today. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=476387745767412&set=a.476374362435417.1073741844.213716412034548&type=3&theater One observation I would make is that our man, Todd, appears in many of the photos, and is given a key position on the stage next to Ashti Hawrami (photo 11), with Mehmet Sepil of Genel on the other side of Ashti at the conference. While this perhaps proves little, it is very apparent to me that GKP still features heavily in the KRG's strategy for targeting 1 million barrels per day by 2015 (150,000 from Shaikan) and 2 million per day by 2019 (probably at least 400,000 from Shaikan). Whatever games might be happening in respect of the share-price at the moment, GKP (and Todd) are certainly not seen as small fry in Kurdistan, but one that is feasting at the Captain's Table.(cue TSC and all manner of fish jokes, no doubt!) = As usual you write many words... but you fail completely to address the point that I made which was that you claimed it was OBVIOUS that the RECIPIENT sold the 10 million shares. It was not OBVIOUS at all, which your very own post makes blatantly apparent. But what is becoming very OBVIOUS to many on here is that you twist facts, make unsubstantiated allegations, and even deliberately attempt to denigrate perfectly well researched posts (which DO contain many facts) for no reason other than that the author does not share your opinion. I have no 'reputation to protect', which you repeatedly insinuate, and my conclusions are often very different to what you SUBSEQUENTLY (often weeks after the original post) claim that I had said. So, you can drop that claim for starters. I try to analyse and share information, which is what my skill-set best lends itself towards - nothing more, nothing less. Indeed, I see that I am not alone in being subjected to this kind of treatment from you. You, sir, have an agenda.... and it is crystal clear to myself and many on here what it is - you constantly try to damage GKP in the short-term while declaring it has excellent long-term potential... and you repeatedly seek to promote Genel, whose original shareholders still sit on a 10% loss even after the recent sharp price rise and huge publicity machine. There is room here for investors in both those shares, and WZR too, as long as they engage in fair and CONSTRUCTIVE debate. But yours is nothing but DESTRUCTIVE and antagonistic towards GKP Shareholders who are serious investors here and clearly recognise the extreme disparity between the share price and the fundamental, intrinsic value. It is time that someone took the trouble to point this out! AIMHO and please DYOR GLA, scaramouche P.S. Woody – many thanks for the earlier 'vote of support', but I don’t believe that ANYONE can realistically represent shareholders with such widely differing views and do justice to the questions that they might feel need to be asked at an AGM - certainly not me! My views are my own, not anyone else’s. ========= TheTaq Taq-Khurmala Oil Pipeline built by KAR Group which will increase exports from the Kurdish region. (KAMARAN NAJM/Metrography/Iraq Oil Report) By Patrick Osgood of Iraq Oil Report Published Friday, May 3rd, 2013 Kurdistan's Parliament has passed a law that establishes a legal framework for the region's oil-funded economic independence within Iraq's federal system.The legislation seems destined to spark controversy with leaders in Baghdad, who claim primary authority over Iraq's oil sector and have disputed the legality of the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) autonomy claims. Yet it also represents an important statement of unity within Kurdistan, whose competing parties – often at odds – ra... Suicide bombers target Kurds in Iraq's disputed areas Wed, May 08 09:40 AM EDT 1 of 3 KIRKUK, Iraq (Reuters) - Three suicide bombers struck at Kurdish security forces and the local headquarters of a Kurdish political party in the disputed area of Iraq on Wednesday, killing three people, police and medics said. Tensions between Iraq's Sunni, Shi'ite and ethnic Kurdish communities have increased since the withdrawal of U.S. troops in December 2011. Wednesday's attacks took place in a band of oil-rich territory over which both the central government in Baghdad and the Kurds, who run their own administration in the north, claim jurisdiction. At the heart of the dispute is the ethnically mixed city of Kirkuk, 250 km (155 miles) north of Baghdad. A suicide bomber in a car targeted the offices of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) in Kirkuk on Wednesday, killing one guard, police and hospital sources said. Another bomber in Kirkuk targeted Kurdish security forces known as peshmerga, killing one, police and medics said. In the town of Tuz Khurmato, about 67 km south of Kirkuk, a suicide bomber in a car killed one peshmerga, security sources said. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks. Iraq is home to a number of Sunni Islamist insurgent groups. The Iraqi army and peshmerga forces reinforced positions along their contested internal boundary last year, raising the temperature in a long-running feud over land and oil rights. More Kurdish troops deployed beyond the formal boundary of their autonomous region last month, a move they said was to protect civilians after clashes broke out between Sunni protesters and Iraqi security forces in the town of Hawija, near Kirkuk. (Reporting by Mustafa Mahmoud and Raheem Salman; Writing by Isabel Coles; Editing by Angus MacSwan) ============= Author scaramouche View Profile Add to favourites Ignore Date posted Thursday 20:02 Subject Carts and Horses.... Votes for this Posting Voted 112 times. Message Apologies for the long post, but there is a fair bit to cover… To be honest, I am rather shocked by the confrontational aspect of many of the posts on here in the last few days, involving ‘seasoned’ investors who presumably want GKP and its share price to do well but simply have different views about how it might get there! I can only put it down to stress induced by the relentless fall in the share price, but please remember that this is supposed to be a discussion forum, not a bear-pit with incessant bitching and sniping! My own view on how best to raise concerns with the company appears to differ from many on here. I simply emailed GKP politely a few days ago to express my concern about the recent poorly-worded Holdings RNS (which IMO needed clarification), and to highlight that shareholders could do with some form of operational update to ensure that we understood exactly what stage the company was at. I emphasised that the political uncertainties and lengthy court case had already contributed to a very serious decline in the share price, and that shareholders badly needed some form of reassurance. I have no doubt that many shareholders did much the same, and it seems to me that today’s RNS was put out by GKP to try to refocus the mind on what people here are actually invested in - a company with a significant share in several world-class assets, one of which (Shaikan) is on the verge of large-scale Production in perhaps the world’s most under-developed and low-cost oil frontier… something which will surely appeal to many of the world’s super-majors. So, why have I used the title I have in this post”? Well, it is mainly because I get the distinct impression that some people are expecting certain key events to happen before it is actually possible for them to do so - in effect ‘putting the Cart before the Horse’. 1) Today’s RNS makes it very clear that PRODUCTION cannot start in earnest until several key factors come together. The taps are currently turned off in Kurdistan due to the long-running dispute with Baghdad, and will remain so until first there is a Green Light from the KRG for all companies to start exporting again. To do this, the oil companies need also to be assured that they will receive payment, something which has even handicapped Genel and other contractors until the last month or so. And in GKP’s case, they will also need a market to sell their oil to (probably the local one, when capacity is freed up by Genel and DNO exporting); the early production facilities to be in place; pipeline infrastructure to be available; and the FDP to be fully agreed by the KRG. Indeed, to me, the last one is perhaps the most vital missing piece of the jigsaw, on which the whole future of Shaikan and GKP rests. From today’s RNS: “On 27 January 2013, Gulf Keystone, as operator, submitted a Field Development Plan ("FDP") to the Shaikan Block Management Committee. The Company is in constructive talks with the appropriate regulatory authorities concerning their feedback on the proposed way forward for the development of the Shaikan field, which was declared a major commercial discovery in August 2012”. Those TALKS must surely entail to whom responsibility for the large-scale development of the ‘Jewel of Kurdistan’ and its 400,000+ bopd potential should be entrusted – and personally, I cannot see it being little old GKP as the asset is far too important for any risk of it going wrong! So, those continually questioning why GKP have not been producing significant volumes over the last 2 years need perhaps to consider how much the delay has really been down to GKP (and Todd), how much due to the general political situation…. and how much it is on account of the need for the KRG to ensure they get the best jockey and the best horse for such a challenging type of course! 2) Today’s RNS seems to me also to put GKP firmly into the ‘shop window’. There are mentions of Goldman Sachs report on the future global importance of Shaikan, a reminder that Exxon, Chevron and Total amongst others have entered Kurdistan in relatively recent times, and strong hints that ‘Greater Shaikan’ has an importance way beyond even the figures currently in the public domain – “Shaikan is the largest onshore development worldwide today not in the hands of a major operator. However, we believe that we have only scratched the surface of the true value of our blocks and our ongoing exploration and appraisal activity is expected to result in further upside." And, at long last, we even hear that there are tentative plans to explore and appraise SHEIKH ADI (in which GKP has an 80% net working interest) – “… the Company and the Kurdistan Regional Government, its partner in the block UNANIMOUSLY agreed to move to an appraisal programme to appraise Jurassic targets and evaluate the Triassic upside at the 3,500 metres projected depth with the Sheikh Adi-3 appraisal well. Furthermore, we plan to target two additional exploration leads, comprising potential extensions of the Atrush and Swara Tika discoveries, following acquisition of 70 km of additional 2D seismic data.” In other words, those OIP numbers attributable to GKP are likely to rise pretty sharply and with them our potential price-tag, in a relatively short time-frame. That should tend to focus the minds of prospective suitors, I imagine! So, in answer to those who expected Takeover interest to have been demonstrated already, I can only conclude that GKP might have previously discouraged potential suitors or buyers been dissuaded until now they had a much clearer idea of what GKP might be selling. Irrespective, this particular horse does now seem to be on a very firm footing, and to me the RNS certainly suggests that the company is on the right track. IMHO. 3) I note the furore over the location set for the AGM. I agree that it might have been preferable for it to be held in Paris, but I do not share the views of those whose main objective appears to be to hold the CEO exclusively to account for the lamentable state of the share price, and seek to get him over a barrel. My own view is that GKP is at least making it possible for most interested shareholders to attend an Investor day in London on 4 July 2013, 3 weeks before the AGM. This will enable them to obtain answers to many of their questions BEFORE deciding which way to cast their votes on all the forthcoming AGM resolutions. It could have been the other way round (AGM, then presentation), or people being asked to vote on the spur of the moment and in the rather heated amphitheatre of the AGM itself. Personally, I would much rather the chance to be able to think about what I hear than be expected to make some kind of rash and ill-considered judgement. My suspicion too is that the Investor presentation has been carefully timed with the expectation that the Court case verdict will have been delivered by then, and that, with better news on the production front, the share price will be very much higher. If so, I imagine Todd will be fairly comfortable attending and facing his inquisitors- and, if not, well I rather suspect that there will be a motion appearing on the AGM agenda anyway, in relation to his current role, and that the vote will be…….... well, let’s wait and see, because I too might be putting the cart before the horse! 4) Finally, after careful consideration, I do think that perhaps the time has come for the Chairman and CEO roles to be separated, regardless of what transpires in the next two months, as I note that Todd himself apparently acknowledged in his interview with the Daily Telegraph on 28 May 2012. – “Mr Kozel, who is currently also executive chairman, said Gulf Keystone planned to appoint a separate chairman, in line with best practice”. I feel that it would surely be both timely and in the best interests of good Corporate Governance, and perhaps help to allay some of the current concerns expressed by many shareholders on this board. BUT I would also be extremely cautious about moves to get rid of him altogether, as that might have unforeseen consequences and serve only to upset the apple-cart… to the benefit of whoever might be behind Excalibur and the relentless downward pressure on the share price since this seemingly spurious Court Case commenced nearly 7 months ago... and therefore to our collective detriment. . In conclusion, for now I will continue to back exactly the same horse that I have backed for the last 3.5 years, but I would prefer for him to be “reined in” a little to avoid some of the excesses we have witnessed in recent times. AIMHO and please DYOR GLA, scaramouche P.S. Woody – many thanks for the earlier 'vote of support', but I don’t believe that ANYONE can realistically represent shareholders with such widely differing views and do justice to the questions that they might feel need to be asked at an AGM - certainly not me! My views are my own, not anyone else’s. ====================== I has asked the company for some information on SH-8 and received the following today: Thank you for your email. Shaikan-8 has been drilled as the Company’s first post-appraisal well. This well has been completed (http://www.gulfkeystone.co.uk/uploads/gulfkeystonepetroleum-naturalresourcesforum22march2013.pdf - Slide 7) and will become part of the Shaikan field development. As we are moving into the development and production at Shaikan, we do not plan to provide detailed updates on every development and production well drilled. Best regards, Gulf Keystone Petroleum - Bonobo77 So Mikey is now trying to suggest that the 'development and production' company - in which we have invested our hard-earned - has decided to withhold information on 'development and production', because some of those shareholders are seeking improved governance. Moreover, he 'can't blame them'. Staggering in every conceivable way. - If SH 8 is the first post-appraisal well, it means that it is a development well. If that's correct, the BIR (=12%) has been awarded. And the FDP approved! And past costs (for 12%+20%) have been paid to GKP... A lot of money. How much? That is probably why they can say they are fully funded (until the next financing of course). This news blackout is of course done under "INSTRUCTIONS" for the best interest of the cy... We can't complain, it's another step in the right direction. BD - Sicilian Kan bravedog, just because something is "post-appraisal" does not make it a development well. The appraisal report has been submitted, and the FDP is awaiting approval. We know the FDP has not yet been approved. GKP is in a "post-appraisal" period. It is not yet in development. As and when the FDP is approved, then the development operations will start, see Article 13.1 of the PSC. FWIW, I do not believe the FDP will be approved until the politics are sorted out and there are still a few political steps yet to take - which is apparent by the last minute STEAM postponement. Shareholders will just have to hold and wait a little longer. - The fact that - BlackRobe's folded (reported last week in the US, and only just discovered here) citing failure to attract investment. Remember BlackRobe had several possibilities on their books and chose this case as the most lucrative - according to a gloating Alex Panayides. So it seems they put all their eggs in one basket and are now folding. Wonder why that is? - Rumours last week that the Judgement might have been sent for comment to the opposing camps - the sudden spike up on Wednesday, - Judge Clarke back in the Court room during the last few sessions. Has he finished his tome? - Remember the lawyer at the end of the CC that some people were quoted as saying was there to see how the land lay? Seems BlackRobe have been expecting this, so why now this precipitous decision to close down their operations so close to June? - Some members of BlackRobe moving on to a new company. Is that in an effort to distance themselves from a fiasco and lack of due diligence, which would certainly affect their ability to attract investment? Will we see the parties back in Court on Tuesday? BlackRobe folding - couldn't happen to a nicer company. All that coaching on question avoidance, prolonging the case, being slippery and loquacious. To me it seems that those who live by the sword die by the sword. They're even sueing each other, like two scabby dogs fighting over a chicken carcass - Litigation Funders.... lowest of the low. http://newsandinsight.thomsonreuters.com/Legal/News/2013/02_-_February/BlackRobe_Capital_founder_sued_by_rival_litigation_funder/ - BlackRobe Capital founder sued by rival litigation funder 2/15/2013COMMENTS (0) By Nate Raymond NEW YORK, Feb 15 (Reuters) - The founder of two prominent litigation funding companies was hit with a lawsuit on Friday by a rival firm that had provided his former wife funding to finance their divorce. Timothy Scrantom and the two firms, Juridica Capital Management Limited and BlackRobe Capital Partners, were sued in U.S. District Court in New York on claims of tortious interference and misappropriation of trade secrets. The lawsuit seeks at least $7 million. The plaintiff, Balance Point Divorce Funding, had been providing money to Scrantom's former wife in exchange for a cut of any divorce settlement. But the lawsuit claims Scrantom persuaded her to not pay Balance Point so that he could pay less in the divorce than if she had to pay the funder. The case provides a rare window into the growing field of litigation finance, in which hedge funds and other investors provide money to litigants in exchange for a cut of any settlements or verdicts. Some firms, such as Balance Point, specialize in providing people with money to pay legal fees in high-end divorces. The firm, based in Beverly Hills, California, and founded by lawyer Stacey Napp, advertises that it provides spouses with financing - including legal fees and living allowances - in marital splits involving more than $2 million in assets. Scrantom, reached by telephone, called the lawsuit "frivolous." Richard Fields, the CEO of Juridica, had no immediate comment. Judith Lockhart, a lawyer for Balance Point, did not respond to an email seeking comment. Scrantom has long been regarded as one of the most significant players in litigation finance. In 2007, he co-founded Juridica, a publicly traded company with more than $200 million in assets under management. Scrantom left Juridica to co-found BlackRobe Capital in 2011 with Sean Coffey, a prominent plaintiffs' lawyer. The case could provide fodder for industry critics such as the U.S Chamber of Commerce, which has argued that allowing investors to fund lawsuits can drive up the costs of settlements. MONTANA ACTION Last year Balance Point sued Scrantom's former wife, Lila Masters, in a Montana federal court. Masters' divorce from Scrantom was pending in Montana state court. Todd Shea, a lawyer for Masters, said on Friday that his client contended the contract with Balance Point was unenforceable under Montana law because of how "pervasively involved" the firm became in managing her divorce beyond just providing funding. Masters approached Balance Point in May 2011, according to the court papers filed Friday. The company provided more than $310,435 for her legal fees and expenses in her divorce from Scrantom in exchange for 25 percent of her marital asset claims, the lawsuit said. But according to the complaint, Scrantom contacted Masters during the proceedings to obtain confidential and privileged communications with her lawyers and her agreements and emails with Balance Point. Balance Point also claims that in May 2012, Masters reached out to Scrantom for advice on the enforceability of Balance Point's agreement. Scrantom allegedly advised it was unenforceable, the lawsuit said, and at one point asked if her lawyer would "have a problem" suing Balance Point. The lawsuit said Juridica and Scrantom interfered with Masters' obligations to pay Balance Point. By April 2012, Scrantom began negotiating a $5.17 million settlement agreement directly with Masters, unbeknownst to her lawyers or Balance Point, the complaint said. Scrantom convinced her that doing so would mean she could get a better settlement by eliminating the $1.08 million payment Balance Point said it would be owed under the proposal, as well as money owed to her lawyers, the lawsuit said. "Scrantom could pay Masters less in the divorce settlement if Masters did not have to pay a percentage to Balance Point," the company said in the complaint. Balance Point contends that to the extent Scrantom convinced Masters to provide copies of her agreements with Balance Point, that constituted misappropriation of its trade secrets. But the lawsuit contends Scrantom had made similar allegations about Balance Point and that he had threatened to sue Balance Point on claims it used Juridica's confidential information. During a deposition, he clamed Balance Point's involvement in Masters' case constituted "unfair competition" because it was a competitor. Balance Point denied that claim and said any information Masters had on cases Juridica funded would not matter because it competed for different cases and clients. Scrantom's threats of litigation, though, resulted in a potential investor in Balance Point reducing its offer of a $50 million line of credit into an ability to draw on $5 million in unnumbered tranches, the lawsuit said. While unnamed, the details of the investment match one announced in a May 2012 press release by asset management company Asta Funding Inc. The case is Balance Point Divorce Funding, LLC, v. Scrantom, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, 13-1049. For Balance Point: Judith Lockhart, Carter Ledyard & Milburn. For the defendants: Not immediately available. (This story has been clarified, in the first and fifth paragraphs to say that Balance Point provided funding to one of the parties in the divorce case. The previous version said that Balance Point provided a loan, but whether or not the money was a loan is a matter of dispute in the pending litigation in Montana.) Follow us on Twitter @ReutersLegal | Like us on Facebook ========================= I am delighted that Red now FULLY agrees with my original valuation WHICH HASN"T CHANGED AT ALL from my first post.. It took him some time to admit this. I am delighted that he agrees that this ONE under appraised asset with figures that are out of date is already worth $13 billion to GKP. Some 6 times the current share price based on only ONE of the assets. I am delighted that Mr Evans recognises that the variables used are at the low end of expectations. Eg only a 25% Recovery Factor What Mr Evans hasn't YET recognised and admitted is that this is only scratching the surface as far as Shaikan is concerned GKP is targeting further stacked reservoirs in the Lower Triassic and the Upper Permian. He tries his best to give the impression that Shaikan and its 13.7 billion OIP is the end of the story when its only the beginning. I note that no value has been given to the gas even though a 1000MW power station is being built at Shaikan What Mr Evans hasn't yet admitted is that Shaikan is only one of THREE world class fields in which GKP has a stake. That the barrels of oil assigned to GKP already swell the $13 billion valuation of Shaikan alone and will continue to do so.. That the entitlement at Sheikh Adi is 80% fully diluted almost 50% above Shaikan. That the OIP figures are set to rise, That reserves will be declared and that the route to market is only months away. But then Mr Evans you actually KNOW this don't you :0) Thank you for the entertainment you have certainly made me chuckle. But sadly........ I will not be responding further to your posts as I'm afraid tt really is not worth the effort. I do hope that those you advise do well. Kind regards and Bye. ============ From the other board http://www.deccanherald.com/content/16641/ioc-oil-jv-eyes-gulf.html IOC-OIL JV eyes Gulf Keystone acquisition IOC-OIL JV eyes Gulf Keystone acquisition London, PTI: In a first overseas acquisition, Indian Oil Corp (IOC) and Oil India Ltd are jointly eying acquisition of London Stock Exchange-listed Gulf Keystone Petroleum Ltd for about US$2.23 billion. The 50:50 joint venture of IOC and OIL, are in talks to acquire Gulf Keystone Petroleum that has operations in Kurdistan, Iraq and Algeria, investment banking sources said here. “They are talking to a set of promoters of Gulf Keystone and have valued the entire buyout at US$2.23 billion,” a source said. Another investment banker said IOC-OIL joint venture was in talks with the two promoters groups based out of Kuwait. “The promoters are keen to sell but are asking for more,” the banker said without putting a value to what the promoters were demanding. Gulf Keystone is a Bermudian incorporated company that has six exploration blocks and two producing fields in Algeria. In November 2007, the company acquired interests in two production sharing contracts in the Kurdish region of Northern Iraq. ========== chopper89x Not what I normally be doing on a Saturday night but none-the-less thought I would do a bit more digging into some unanswered questions I had from some time ago, the main issue was into the disputed territories and the view from Nineveh with regards to sheykhan and who it would essentially be governed by in the future, as Sheykhan is one the areas covered under section 140 , however dispite some opposition from the governer of Nineveh and some locals Sheykhan is one of the more pro KRG regions of the province and is likely to become part of the greater krg. One other point I found very interesting and something that definitely wasn't posted on here was that the mayor of Sheykhan commited suicide earlier this year .. Apparently shot himself... Begs some questions doesn't it? Anyway the disputed territories is a side topic here as its not anywhere near as interesting as a report I found from 2008 by the international Crises group Titled OIL FOR SOIL forward a grand bargain On Iraq and the Kurds. I won't go into too much detail as quite frankly there's a lot, but it's worth reading if you get time. However to summarise the most interesting points which come as the recommendations for a realistic and amicable outcome. My comments in brackets To the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG): 4. Formally request the UN Security Council to empower UNAMI to guide negotiations on a grand bargain. ( basically allow us to advise you and for you to follow our recommendations ) 5. Until such a bargain is reached: a) accelerate negotiations over a federal hydrocarbons and associated laws and avoid unilateral moves – including signing oil and gas contracts and, in the case of the KRG, developing oil and gas fields in disputed territories; (carry on allowing operators I.e hunt Gkp hill wood to keep drilling In Nineveh despite local objection...wonder why ) f) reach agreement, with UNAMI’s technical assistance, on a definition of “disputed territories”; and g) reach an interim agreement, with UNAMI’s assistance, for joint administration and security in disputed territories claimed by the Kurds. To the Government of Iraq: 8. As part of a grand bargain: a) adopt and implement UNAMI’s recommendation for an internal boundary between the Kurdistan region and the rest of Iraq; ( basically anything north of Al hamdanyia will be partly the krg) i) establish Kirkuk governorate as a stand-alone governorate or a uni-governorate federal region for an interim period of ten years; l) enact a federal hydrocarbons and companion revenue-sharing law mandating equitable development of oil and gas throughout Iraq, including the Kurdistan region; accepting the KRG oil and gas law; and granting the KRG the right to both manage its own fields and export oil and gas. ( give in to the Kurds let them power ahead it can only benefit you all ) 13. Ensure provincial elections are held no later than 31 January 2009 as per the new law and in a free, fair, inclusive and transparent To the Kurdistan Regional Government: 15. Address Turkey’s concerns about the PKK’s (Kurdistan Workers Party) ability to use the Kurdistan region as a staging area for attacks in Turkey by limiting its movement, preventing it from using the region to launch attacks, denying it access to media and disarming its fighters in areas under effective KRG control; ( that was some pretty good advice 5 years ago wasn't it , looks like someone is listening now) To the Government of Turkey: 16. In the context of an Iraqi grand bargain: a) establish formal ties with the Kurdistan regional government; (tick) b) work with the Iraqi government and the KRG to allow oil and gas transport from the Kurdistan region to/through Turkey; (tick) c) pursue an economic open-border policy with Iraq, including its Kurdistan region; and d) encourage investments by Turkish entrepreneurs in the Kurdistan region and cease all military activity inside Iraq so long as the KRG takes the above steps. (massivefuckingtick) To the U.S. Government: 17. Promote the notion of a grand bargain and support efforts by UNAMI, the Iraqi government, the KRG and all other stakeholders to reach it. (you listening Obama the whitehouse kocked up one policy on Iraq listen to us and it may well work) (this ones important ) 18. Send an unambiguous signal to the Kurdish leadership that it opposes a quest to incorporate Kirkuk but is prepared to establish appropriate security arrangements for the Kurdistan region and, in particular, to offer guarantees to protect any agreed-upon internal boundary. ( this is the most interesting of them all , so agree not too fuss over kirkuk for now whilst we get the oil show on the go and we will somehow get the US to protect the internal disputed territories . Bigfuckingclue EXXON 2 of exxons blocks are in disputed territories one of them in dangerously disputed territories bashiqa , the equivalent of the American army ring any bells.... So this was all implemented by the UN security council in early 2008 and we have been slowly been seeing it play out and so far, it's pretty much followed it point by point , what I currently think we are witnessing is A last attempt by the whitehouse to get the oil law sorted and if the deadline is not met then the big chevron and Exxon pipeline deal will go ahead to turkey, My conclusion.... Exxon have Al qush and part of Shaikan already chevron have been quiet and no big blocks yet , experts with heavy oil... 500kbopd heavy oil pipeline to be built ...they are our buyers. Goodnight ===========