Iraqi leaders took an important step towards reaching agreement on de-Ba’athification, provincial powers law, a draft oil law, and detainee issues.  On Sunday, Prime Minister Maliki, President Talabani, Vice President Hashimi, Vice President Abd al-Mahdi, and President Barzani:

·        Agreed to establish a new power-sharing arrangement

·        Committed to supporting bottom-up security and political initiatives

·        Advanced agreement on several key legislative benchmarks including hydrocarbon legislation, de-Ba’athification, financial revenues law, and detainee issues

·        Called for the development of a long-term relationship with the United States that will serve the common interests of both nations by combating terrorism and bringing stability to the region. 

Ambassador Ryan Crocker: “The statement released by the five leaders yesterday is a positive and encouraging message that the government is making all efforts to achieve benefits for Iraqi people.  I'm optimistic. I can see there is progress.”

 Iraq’s judicial system is making progress. (U.S. Embassy Justice Attaché Jim Santelle, Col. Mark Martins, Judge Abdul Satar Bayrkdar, Press Briefing, 8/13/07)

·        The judicial system has increased judges nationwide from 400 post-war to over 1,000 today, all of whom worked as lawyers for at least 10 years. 

·        96 percent of civil allegations from 2006 have now been resolved, the highest percentage in the history of the Iraqi court. 

·        In Rusafa, a newly secured Rule of Law complex is now fully functional.

o       The complex contains 4,800 detention spaces and will soon increase to over 7,000. 

o       Iraqi judges at the complex this year have already received over 2,000 cases, completed more than 700 investigations, conducted more than 60 full trials, and dismissed over 325 cases.

 Last week in Baqubah, the Iraqi Army sent money to the provincial government while the public flour mill began processing wheat. These small but meaningful steps demonstrate that economic growth emerges as terrorists are driven out. (Rear Adm. Mark Fox And Philip Reeker, Press Briefing, 8/26/07)

·        The Iraqi army escorted $38 million from the central bank in Baghdad to Baqubah to pay salaries and pensions to nearly 70 percent of the local residents.

·        560 tons of imported wheat arrived in a 21-truck convoy August 16 from Baghdad.

·        The mill is capable of producing 200 tons of finished flour per day and will employ about 100 workers and several truck drivers � its reopening is the result of a collaborative partnership between the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Stryker Brigade Combat Team, and Diyala provincial leadership.

 The United States government is contributing $30 Million to the UNHCR/UNICEF Joint Appeal to provide educational opportunities for Iraqi children in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt. (Media Note, U.S. Department Of State, 8/28/07)

·        The U.S. Department of State has made over $183 million available this fiscal year to assist Iraqi refugees and internally displaced persons, directly and through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

·        The contribution will help displaced Iraqi students with tuition, books, supplies and uniforms and help fund teacher recruitment and training, remedial classes, psycho-social services, upgrading of water and sanitation services, building of new schools or upgrading of existing structures, and advocacy campaigns encouraging school attendance.

 Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) leaders report security, economic, and political progress in al Anbar province. (Kristin Hagerstrom And Maj. Lee Suttee, Press Briefing, 8/23/07)

·        In Ramadi, weapons cache finds are up 200 percent since April, and there have been over 100 days with no attacks (compared to 50-60 per day earlier this year).

·        The mayor of Ramadi recently signed $107 million in reconstruction contracts for all of Anbar province � all the money coming from the Governmeent of Iraq.