U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Elena Romanowski welcomed the new U.S. Consul in the Kurdistan Region, Steve Bitner.

In a post on platform X, Romanowski stressed that her country is looking forward to deepening its strong security relations with the Kurdistan Regional Government.

She pointed to the desire of the United States “to expand educational ties between it and the Kurdistan Region, and to monitor free and fair elections on October 20 October.”

Earlier, the U.S. Ambassador expressed her sincere thanks to former Consul Mark Straw for his services at the Consulate General in Erbil.

Over the past year, your leadership has helped strengthen economic, security, and cultural ties between the United States and the Kurdistan Region. link

Tishwash:  Attracting investors and limiting currency smuggling.. Specialist explains the importance of “digitizing” Iraqi banks

Financial and economic expert Nawar Al-Saadi revealed, today, Friday (August 16, 2024), the importance of the benefits of “digitizing” financial transactions for Iraqi banks, while pointing out that digitization can enhance financial inclusion by attracting users who do not deal with traditional banks by providing easy-to-access and easy-to-use services.

Al-Saadi told Baghdad Today that “digitizing financial transactions in Iraqi banks can provide significant benefits, especially in terms of reducing currency smuggling,” indicating that “by adopting digital systems, banks can track all financial transfers with greater accuracy and transparency. This means that each transaction is automatically recorded and saved in a central database that can be reviewed at any time. This allows the relevant authorities to monitor and quickly detect suspicious financial activities, making it difficult for smugglers to exploit the financial system to smuggle currencies.”

“Digitizing the banking system contributes to reducing money laundering cases, as these operations usually depend on exploiting loopholes in traditional systems, but with an advanced digital system, these operations become more complex. Digitization also allows the use of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence to analyze patterns in banking data and identify any abnormal or suspicious transactions,” he added, stressing that “this helps prevent money laundering by early identification of unusual activities and reporting them to the competent authorities.”

Al-Saadi explained that “to implement this digital transformation in Iraq, there is a need for investments in technological infrastructure and developing the institutional capabilities of banks,” noting that “this requires providing modern technology, training employees to use it effectively, in addition to developing legislation and laws that protect users and encourage digital transactions. It is also important to enhance customer awareness of the benefits of digital transactions and build their confidence in the new systems.”

He stressed that “digitization in banks contributes to achieving more transparency and credibility in the financial system, as each transaction can be easily tracked and reviewed. It also improves the operational efficiency of banks by completing transactions faster and at a lower cost. In terms of security, digitization provides higher levels of protection against fraud and theft through advanced encryption technologies.”

The financial and economic expert concluded by saying, “Digitization can enhance financial inclusion by attracting users who do not deal with traditional banks by providing easy-to-access and easy-to-use services. Digitizing financial transactions in Iraqi banks also has great potential to enhance economic stability and reduce the risks associated with money laundering and currency smuggling, leading to a safer and more efficient financial system.”  link

Mot:  This is probably the best answer l’ve ever heard to the question, “Why did God create evil?”

READ THIS…

Why did God create evil? The answer struck me to the core of my soul!

A professor at the university asked his students the following question:

– Everything that exists was created by God?

One student bravely answered:

– Yes, created by God.

– Did God create everything? – a professor asked.

“Yes, sir,” replied the student.

The professor asked :

– If God created everything, then God created evil, since it exists. And according to the principle that our deeds define ourselves, then God is evil.

The student became silent after hearing such an answer. The professor was very pleased with himself. He boasted to students for proving once again that faith in God is a myth.

Another student raised his hand and said:

– Can I ask you a question, professor?

“Of course,” replied the professor.

A student got up and asked:

– Professor, is cold a thing?

– What kind of question? Of course it exists. Have you ever been cold?

Students laughed at the young man’s question. The young man answered:

– Actually, sir, cold doesn’t exist.

According to the laws of physics, what we consider cold is actually the absence of heat. A person or object can be studied on whether it has or transmits energy.

Absolute zero (-460 degrees

Fahrenheit) is a complete absence of heat. All matter becomes inert and unable to react at this temperature.

Cold does not exist. We created this word to describe what we feel in the absence of heat.

A student continued:

– Professor, does darkness exist?

— Of course it exists.

– You’re wrong again, sir. Darkness also does not exist. Darkness is actually the absence of light. We can study the light but not the darkness.

We can use Newton’s prism to spread white light across multiple colors and explore the different wavelengths of each color. You can’t measure darkness. A simple ray of light can break into the world of darkness and and illuminate it. How can you tell how dark a certain space is? You measure how much light is presented. Isn’t it so? Darkness is a term man uses to describe what happens in the absence of light.

In the end, the young man asked the professor:

– Sir. does evil exist?

This time it was uncertain, the professor answered:

– Of course, as I said before. We see him every day. Cruelty, numerous crimes and violence throughout the world. These examples are nothing but a manifestation of evil.

To this, the student answered:

– Evil does not exist, sir, or at least it does not exist for itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is like darkness and cold—a man-made word to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is not faith or love, which exist as light and warmth. Evil is the result of the absence of Divine love in the human heart. It’s the kind of cold that comes when there is no heat, or the kind of darkness that comes when there’s no light.

The student’s name was Albert Einstein.