Hmmm... Saddam did heaps of biz with French, German and Russian...

Hmmm... Saddam did heaps of biz with French, German and Russian organisations both public/private and everything was on the 'never never' due to UN economic sanctions ... equals mega debt and one figure is US$60 billion.

Much of this debt is for military hardware supplied to Iraq which has been used against the US forces and hence the reason for little sympathy.

The US plainly will 'liberate' Iraqi Oil and orchestrate 'reparations' for the cost of the War from Oil sales having ensconced US corporations to rebuild infrastructure.

This effectively signals 'bye-bye' to French, German and Russian (along with any others...) claims for repayment of debt and loss of Oil contracts suffered due to 1991 UN economic sanctions.

The French/German/Russian 'bloc' acted purely from self interest and attempted to use the UN as an instrument of 'leverage' to block US here which reponded with 'unilateral action' ... this is heavy stuff and the UN is merely a piece on the board here.

This is the reason the institution of the UN has been damaged.

The War has to be paid for ... on the other hand, the Trans Atlantic/Russian 'bloc' have a legitimate claim for compensation but no means of realising it.

The liberation of Iraq is an important step for the region as is the ousting of another infamous dictator.

IMHO the installation of a representational government and secular civil institutions could see Iraq emerge as the economic model that a host of Islamic states desperately need as reform and to literally drag them into the 21st century ... their abject failure at reform over time has caused the very economic problems they face today and the theocratic models are simply too archaic to cope.

Terrorism is the expression of pain this generation of Islamic states is experiencing and will engulf the world if help does not come if their needs are not met.

Cheers ...


This is only my view ... read the red stuff.