50b. ID allocated for Diwaniya, Thi-Qar

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Iraqi cabinet has authorized the finance minister to allocate 50 billion Iraqi dinars from the 2009 budget for the provinces of Diwaniya and Thi-Qar, an official government spokesperson said on Wednesday. “The funds will be paid in compensation for the damage inflicted on both provinces from military operations,” Spokesperson Ali al-Dabbagh told IraqiNews.com. The decision was made during the cabinet’s 52 nd session, held today. 1 U.S. dollar = 1,118 Iraqi dinars. Diwaniya, a Shiite province, lies 180 km south of the Iraqi capital; while Nassiriya, the capital city of Thi-Qar province, lies 380 km south of Baghdad. SS (P) 1