Khamis Al-Khanjar, an Iraqi businessman and political figure, has been placed on the U.S. Treasury Department's sanctions list. Here’s an overview of the situation and its implications:
Background on Khamis Al-Khanjar
Profile: Khamis Al-Khanjar is a prominent Iraqi businessman and politician, known for his involvement in various sectors and political activities in Iraq. He has been a significant figure in Iraqi politics and business, with various affiliations and influence in the region.
Allegations: The U.S. Treasury Department’s decision to place him on the sanctions list is typically related to allegations of involvement in activities that undermine U.S. foreign policy or national security. This can include issues such as corruption, terrorism, or other activities deemed contrary to U.S. interests.
Implications of Sanctions
Economic Impact
Asset Freezing: Being placed on the sanctions list generally means that any assets Al-Khanjar holds in the U.S. or under U.S. jurisdiction will be frozen. This can severely impact his business operations and financial activities.
Restricted Transactions: Individuals and entities in the U.S. are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with those on the sanctions list, which can lead to isolation from the international financial system.
Political and Diplomatic Effects
Diplomatic Relations: The imposition of sanctions can strain diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Iraq or other countries involved, depending on the context and reasons for the sanctions.
Public Perception: The sanctions can affect public perception of Al-Khanjar, potentially impacting his reputation and political influence in Iraq and beyond.
Broader Implications
Impact on Business: Sanctions can have ripple effects on businesses and individuals connected to Al-Khanjar, potentially disrupting economic activities and partnerships.
Legal and Compliance Risks: Entities involved in dealings with sanctioned individuals face legal and compliance risks, which can lead to further scrutiny and penalties.
Responding to Sanctions
Legal Recourse: Those affected by sanctions can sometimes seek legal recourse or appeal the decision, though this process can be complex and lengthy.
Reputation Management: Individuals and entities may also work to manage the impact on their reputation and business by addressing the allegations and working towards compliance with international norms.
Sanctions are a tool used by the U.S. government to address specific issues and can have significant implications for the individuals and entities targeted. They are part of broader efforts to enforce U.S. foreign policy and national security objectives.
Judy Note on writing Humanitarian Project Proposals: After talking to Charlie Ward and others it is my understanding that there has been no official instructions given out on what to put into a Humanitarian Project proposal. DaveHRCLion and others have merely voiced their own opinion on how to do it.
It is assumed you will need to write out a 1-2 page summary of what you hope to accomplish with your project including your goals, how many people you hope to employ, approximate cost, how many years you hope to run your project and a short summary of your background including what makes you qualified to run the project.
You will need to sign a NDA. All Zim redemptions will be put on a long term payout. Have an idea about how many years you wish your payout to be.
Below John Kennedy said that those with projects will receive their Zim redemption on their first two 100T Zim Bond notes at a 1:1. After this you will receive $25 million per 100T Zim Bond Notes you have, up to 30 Zim Bond Notes. To negotiate further, you will need to return and discuss it later with your Redemption Team.
As of 2024, Iraq is undergoing several significant economic reforms aimed at stabilizing and diversifying its economy. Here’s an overview of the key areas of focus:
1. Diversification Away from Oil Dependency
Economic Diversification: Iraq is working on reducing its reliance on oil revenue by investing in other sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, and tourism. The government is encouraging private sector growth and seeking foreign investment to support these industries.
Infrastructure Development: Investments in infrastructure are planned to support non-oil sectors, including improvements in transportation, logistics, and utilities to enhance business operations.
2. Anti-Corruption Measures
Institutional Reforms: Efforts are being made to enhance transparency and accountability within government institutions. This includes reforms to reduce corruption and improve public sector efficiency.
Judicial Reforms: Strengthening the judicial system to address corruption and enforce laws effectively is a priority.
3. Fiscal Reforms
Budget Rebalancing
: Iraq is working on balancing its budget through better revenue management and expenditure control. This includes reforming subsidy systems and improving tax collection mechanisms.
Debt Management: Addressing national debt through more efficient debt management strategies and seeking international financial assistance and debt relief where possible.
4. Economic and Financial Policies
Monetary Policy: The Central Bank of Iraq is focusing on stabilizing the currency and controlling inflation. This involves monetary policies that support economic stability.
Banking Sector Reform: Efforts are being made to strengthen the banking sector, including improving regulations, increasing financial inclusion, and enhancing banking services.
5. Investment Climate Improvement
Regulatory Reforms: Simplifying regulations and procedures for starting and operating businesses to attract both domestic and foreign investors.
Incentives for Investment: Offering incentives such as tax breaks and investment guarantees to encourage investment in various sectors.
6. Social and Human Development
Education and Workforce Development: Investing in education and vocational training to improve the skills of the workforce and support economic growth.
Healthcare and Social Services: Improving healthcare services and social support systems to enhance quality of life and economic productivity.
7. Regional Development
Addressing Regional Disparities: Implementing development programs aimed at reducing economic disparities between different regions of Iraq, particularly in areas affected by conflict.
These reforms are designed to address Iraq’s economic challenges and create a more stable and prosperous economic environment. However, the success of these reforms will depend on effective implementation, political stability, and external factors such as global oil prices and geopolitical developments.
You heard them talking about corruption. They're going to clean it up but it's going to always be there. It's everywhere. It's in America. It's everywhere in the world. It's in Europe. It's here. Corruption is corruption, the biggest corrupt people you cannot clean them cuz they have powers...You can't do anything against them.
What's going on in Iraq is really really good. Last month you see me talking about this month, about July. I said from now to July 8th you'll get some good news and that's exactly what happened. You see every proof of possibility to revalue or reinstate. I think it's reinstatement more than revaluation.
Lots of things happening...
I see good news coming up this week so stay tuned...What's happening now it's good. I can say we are very close.
Nader From The Mid East
Things have been moving a little bit from here to the 8th of July. I hope we have an answer cuz that's what they shooting for. I don't know if it's going to be good or bad...It's more good than bad but I don't want to say anything about that cuz if anything happen you're going to say, 'Hey, but you said this. You said that.'
SUMMARY OF RV UPDATES OF NADER FROM MID EAST, 21 JUNE
I know they working on the exchange rate from here to the 8th of July. We will have some good news I hope.
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Article: "Iraq Bulks Up Gold Reserves, Inch Up World Rankings" Quote: "Their holdings have grown to 145.7 tons, a bump of over 3 tons compared to 142.6 tons the previous month. This increase...is enough to nudge Iraq one spot higher in the WGC's global ranking, landing them 31st place out of 100 countries."
Last week...I said Iraq government start a new white paper, it's all about the currency. From here to the 8th of July we should have an answer. What they going to do - Are they going to change the exchange rate or not? That's what I said exactly. They're working on it. I know they created a white paper on that. The CBI... government of Iraq, the reserve and the IMF are all working on the same page on those white papers. I don't know if it's going to change or not...
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The UN agreement, 2003 when they invaded the country, now they said the last day is next year 2025. They been talking about the end of the war and this is one of them. That is very good news.
We talk about sovereignty, that's one of them. It's good for Iraq. It's going to make Iraq stronger and happier...Sudani what he's talking about the coalition gonna leave in 2025...it's official.
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'Nader you said it was going to happen in June.' No I didn't say in June happen.
I said June they're a possibility for them to work on the dinar because each time they worked on him it's between June and August...They created a new white paper. They're going to start working on the exchange rate and I think from here to the 8th of July. We'll see what's going to happen.
Iraq wanted to de-dollarize. They start de-dollarizing in January but it didn't work for them too much.
The government didn't expect that to happen even by telling them that the dinar are stronger...use the dinar instead of the dollar for the benefits of the country. They tried everything. Now, they said that plan didn't work so they come out to the new white paper...They realized they cannot do nothing without changing the exchange rate.
They're going to have to go down in the exchange rate for the de-dollarization...They're going to have to change their exchange rate...Between now and 8th of July we should have an answer...
what they going to do? Are they going to change the exchange rate...keep it the same...go up...go down?
I think they're going to have to go down on the exchange rate a lot for them to take off the dollar from the street.
FRANK26:"I SUGGESTED TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE ISX... SO DOES EGYPT.".............F26
Signing a cooperation protocol between the Iraqi and Egyptian stock exchanges...aims at this matter
8/12/2024
Baghdad
Today, Monday, the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Iraq Stock Exchange, Thaer Adnan Hashem, signed a cooperation protocol to enhance joint work with the Egyptian Stock Exchange management.
The media office of the Iraq Stock Exchange stated in a statement received by "Al-Eqtisad News" that "the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Egyptian Stock Exchange, Ahmed Al-Sheikh, signed a cooperation protocol between the stock exchanges of the two countries with Thaer Adnan Hashem, Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Iraq Stock Exchange (Iraqi Stock Exchange), in the presence of Faisal Al-Haimus, Chairman of the Iraqi Securities Commission, and Hiba Al-Sayrafi, Vice Chairman of the Egyptian Stock Exchange."
He added that "the protocol aims to strengthen cooperation ties and raise the level of coordination between the two parties, increase prospects for joint work and exchange of expertise and information in all aspects of investment and develop existing legislative procedures for both parties, in addition to working to increase investment awareness and attract mutual investments between the two countries and direct savings towards investment in securities, as well as support the transition to the digital economy to increase the competitive capabilities of both stock exchanges."
In turn, the Chairman of the Egyptian Stock Exchange, Ahmed El Sheikh, confirmed that "the protocol aims to develop joint cooperation between the two parties and exchange expertise and information regarding updating legislation, regulations, procedures, work programs and methodologies related to trading in securities, as well as exchanging periodic and annual bulletins issued by both stock exchanges, as well as exchanging periodic information related to companies registered and traded in the two markets."
He added: "We are working to provide the basic information that investors in both countries need to increase mutual investments in the two stock markets."
He pointed out that "the two parties will discuss mechanisms to support and diversify the financial products available to investors and increase liquidity in both markets," stressing that "the two parties will work to encourage capacity building and training between brokerage firms and companies listed on the two stock exchanges in a way that serves the achievement of the goals of spreading awareness and exchanging expertise."
He explained that "signing this protocol comes within the framework of implementing Article (58) of the Egyptian Stock Exchange's development strategy, which falls under the sixth axis related to "promoting and spreading financial culture, training and international relations."
In this context, Faisal Al-Haimus, Chairman of the Iraqi Securities Commission, stressed that “signing this protocol represents a vital step towards deepening cooperation between the stock markets in Iraq and Egypt, which reflects our common keenness to strengthen economic relations between the two countries,” noting that “this agreement does not only aim to exchange expertise and information, but also seeks to develop the infrastructure of the financial markets in both countries by adopting the latest technologies and applying the best international practices.”
Al-Haimas added: “We realize that financial markets represent the cornerstone of developing the national economy, and therefore strengthening the partnership between the two markets will directly contribute to achieving sustainable economic growth and attracting foreign investments. We also believe that this protocol will open new horizons for cooperation in various fields, such as financial innovation and the development of new financial products, which will help enhance the competitiveness of both markets.”
Al-Haimas stressed the “commitment of the Securities Commission to provide full support for the success of this cooperation, noting that the Commission will work to provide the appropriate regulatory environment to implement the provisions of the protocol effectively,” expressing his “confidence that this cooperation will enhance the efficiency of the two markets, and increase levels of transparency and disclosure, which will enhance investor confidence and contribute to achieving the goals of joint economic development.”
For his part, Thaer Adnan Hashim, Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Iraq Stock Exchange (Iraqi Stock Exchange), stated: “The signing of this protocol, which was sponsored by the Chairman of the Securities Commission / Faisal Al-Haims, is an important step towards enhancing joint cooperation between Iraq and Egypt in the field of securities markets, as this agreement aims to exchange expertise and information between the two markets, especially with regard to updating the legislation, regulations and procedures related to securities trading.”
He explained that "this protocol is an opportunity to develop the infrastructure of financial markets, increase investment awareness, and attract mutual investments between the two countries. We will also work to support the transition to the digital economy, enhance the competitive capabilities of both stock exchanges, and encourage capacity building and training between brokerage firms and listed companies."