Dear collounsbury,

Welcome to IIF's first weekly newsletter. As part of our commitment in bringing you the most up to date news and debate about investing in Iraq, we are launching this weekly newsletter.

With 2006 fast approaching, we would like to thank all who have made
Investors Iraq the place for sharing ideas on the new emerging Iraq. So much has been shared on this forum over the past year and we anticipate that the coming year will be even better. With so many things happening and so much information being communicated on the forum, this newsletter will be a great way to recap the week through the active participation of members like you.

We look forward to the new coming year as one of many great things for Iraq. Though no one can foresee the future, we do wait with much
anticipation as we witness the rebirth of a nation and the emergence of a new Iraq into the world community.

As investors, we hope that many doors will open and that new
opportunities will abound for all of us to share as the new Iraq grows and prospers. Though much has happened since the commencement of Operation Iraqi Freedom, we believe the best is yet to come. Please feel free to forward this newsletter to your family and friends so they too can see the developments in Iraq.

The first few newsletters will be be edited by the moderators, but in
the future, we hope that all members will contribute to the weekly
newsletter using the IraqiWiki collaborative tool
(http://www.iraqiwiki.com/wiki/index.php/First_Newsletter ). Please
contact admin@investorsiraq.com if you have any suggestions.
Happy Holidays to all!

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Table of contents

1 This Week: Summary
2 This Week's Interesting Threads on IIF (10 items)
3 This Week's Top Headlines (12 items)
4 Investors Retro - A Thread From The Vault
5 New "Investors" This Week
6 Tip Of The Week
7 Best News Sources for Iraq
**************************************

THIS WEEK: SUMMARY
======================================
This was a very special week at Investors Iraq as we celebrated our
4000th Member and ushered in a new era in the Middle East after the
historic elections that took place in Iraq on December 15, 2005. There is an enormous amount of momentum building in Iraq as the 3rd successful election with a year was followed up by the announcement of the Stand By Agreement by the IMF. This and much more has made this a very promising week full of hopes and aspirations for Investors of Iraq. We celebrate the new beginnings in Iraq with our first weekly newsletter.

THIS WEEK'S INTERESTING THREADS ON IIF
======================================
Formula For Estimating Potential Value - STEVE BROWN
Get out the slide rule and TI-89 calculators for this one.
http://www.investorsiraq.com/iraqi-dinar/12978-formula-estimating-potential-value.html

Twenty Dinar - The Price of Democracy - DXBBOY
Who said your vote doesn't count - here you'll find out what it may be worth http://www.investorsiraq.com/iraqi-govt-society-forum/13000-twenty-dinar-price-democracy.html

What Would You Buy From Iraq? - TYREDS TALE
Interesting contributions by members at Investor's Iraq
http://www.investorsiraq.com/iraq-business-forum/13052-what-would-you-buy-iraq.html

If Decide To Start A Business In Iraq What Would You Sell - MEALTICKET
Starting a business in Iraq - here are thoughts from members at
Investor's Iraq
http://www.investorsiraq.com/iraq-business-forum/13062-if-decide-start-business-iraq-what-would-you-sell.html

Twas the Night Before Reval - WILLIAM MUNNY
This modern day version of this literary classic doesn't disappoint! A must for all dinar speculators!
http://www.investorsiraq.com/dinaraholic-lounge/13086-twas-night-before-reval.html

Worried About Whether Or Not Warka's Account Are Bona Fide? Worry No
More - EOSIRL2
Read about laws regarding non-Iraqis opening bank accounts in Iraq
http://www.investorsiraq.com/iraqi-bank-accounts/12969-worried-about-whether-not-warkas-account-bona-fide-worry-no-more.html

? On Dinar Note Itself - PICATRIX
Better take a look at your bills again for this lesson in science (and more)
http://www.investorsiraq.com/iraqi-dinar/13099-dinar-note-itself.html

Is The IRS Gearing Up For Dinar Reval? - AUNT GWENNIE
Is this really the IRS or just a scam - find out about it here
http://www.investorsiraq.com/iraqi-dinar/13165-irs-gearing-up-dinar-reval.html

Forum Member Could Use Some Help - RET
If you're in the spirit of helping others this holiday season, here's a member who still feeling the effects of Hurricane Katrina
http://www.investorsiraq.com/dinaraholic-lounge/13153-forum-member-could-use-some-help.html

Will Democracy Succeed? - FARQUAR
Inside you will find a link to a great article about US Ambassador
Khalilzad
http://www.investorsiraq.com/iraqi-govt-society-forum/13178-will-democracy-succeed.html

THIS WEEK'S TOP HEADLINES
======================================

Iraqi Election News - Election Day Coverage - MUNNY BAGGS
Full coverage of the history making election in Iraq on December 15,
2005
http://www.investorsiraq.com/iraqi-govt-society-forum/12947-iraqi-election-news.html

Sunni Alliance Hails Iraq Election As Success - SPORTSLUX
Sunni reaction to the historic elections in Iraq
http://www.investorsiraq.com/iraqi-govt-society-forum/13047-sunni-alliance-hails-iraq-election-success.html

VP Cheney Makes Surprise Visit To Iraq - SHELLIE01
The VEEP makes a surprise visit to Iraq
http://www.investorsiraq.com/iraqi-govt-society-forum/13035-vp-cheney-makes-surprise-visit-iraq.html

Iraq Oil Minister Threatens To Resign If Fuel Hike Remains - SARA DINAR Read about the controversial fuel hike and the reactions of many
http://www.investorsiraq.com/iraqi-economy/13200-iraq-oil-min-threatens-resign-if-fuel-hike-remains.html

Iraq Aiming To Produce 6m bpd Within Three Years - Oil Ministry - H2O
LOVER Iraq is floating on oil and they are making plans to pump as much as they can
http://www.investorsiraq.com/iraqi-economy/13081-iraq-aiming-produce-6m-bpd-within-three-years-oil-ministry.html

Sunnis Threaten All Out Civil War! - MUNNY BAGGS
After an initial positve response from the Sunnis, has the tide turned the wrong way?
http://www.investorsiraq.com/iraqi-govt-society-forum/13106-sunnis-threaten-all-out-civil-war.html

Iraq To Join WTO - ARH777
A major step to the re-emergence of Iraq into the international
economic community
http://www.investorsiraq.com/iraqi-economy/13065-iraq-join-wto.html

Latest Weekly Status Report - BIG WAVE
Read the latest updates of progress on the rebuilding efforts in Iraq
http://www.investorsiraq.com/iraqi-economy/13058-latest-weekly-status-report.html

USAID Works To Strengthen Central Bank of Iraq - JERRY
The latest efforts by the US Agency for International Development to
strengthen the CBI
http://www.investorsiraq.com/iraqi-dinar/13122-usaid-works-strengthen-central-bank-iraq.html

SBA - $685m Finalized By IMF Today 12/23/05 - DINAR TIME
The first ever Stand By Agreement was approved by the IMF - read all
about it here
http://www.investorsiraq.com/iraqi-economy/13186-sba-685m-finalized-imf-today-12-23-05-a.html
http://www.investorsiraq.com/iraqi-economy/13162-well-sba-waiting.html

Iraq Announces The Successful Conclusion Of Debt-for-Debt Exchange
Offer - JJLL
Another major step in reintegrating Iraq into the international
financial markets
http://www.investorsiraq.com/iraqi-economy/13177-iraq-announces-successful-conclusion-debt-debt-exchange-offer.html

Bush Cutting U.S. Combat Troops in Iraq, Non-deployment - SARA DINAR
A monumental decision about troop reduction and non-deployment in
Operation Iraqi Freedom
http://www.investorsiraq.com/iraqi-govt-society-forum/13173-bush-cutting-u-s-combat-troops-iraq-non-deployment.html

INVESTORS RETRO - A THREAD FROM THE VAULT
======================================
The Real Deal About Dinar - JERRY
This classic thread opens a major debate by one of Investors Iraq's
founding members:
Will the dinar currency remain as the currency of Iraq or will it be
issued?
What did Paul Bremer have to say about the new Iraqi Dinar?
What control does the Iraq have in this matter?
How can I protect my investment from a re-issuance of currency?
http://www.investorsiraq.com/iraqi-bank-accounts/11253-real-deal-about-dinar.html

NEW "INVESTORS" THIS WEEK
======================================

This past week we welcomed the following new Investors to the fold:

tbdinarcad -
http://www.investorsiraq.com/investor-welcome-party/13016-tbdinarcad-welcome.html
cloaked -
http://www.investorsiraq.com/investor-welcome-party/13082-cloaked-welcome.html
hilljack13 -
http://www.investorsiraq.com/investor-welcome-party/13198-hilljack13-welcome.html

How can I become an Investor at Investors Iraq?
http://www.investorsiraq.com/general-announcements/10710-iif-accounts-new-members-please-read.html

TIP OF THE WEEK
======================================

Use BlogLines (http://bloglines.com/) or some other RSS aggregator to
follow IIF's latest threads.
The RSS link for IIF is:
http://www.investorsiraq.com/external.php?type=rss

BEST NEWS SOURCES FOR IRAQ
======================================

http://www.iraqiwiki.com/wiki/index.php/Current_events
http://www.portaliraq.com/
http://www.iraqdirectory.com/
http://www.isx-aman.com/
http://www.isx-data.com
and of course.. http://www.investorsiraq.com