Iraqi debt relief depends on progress

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Iraqi debt relief depends on progress

By EDITH M. LEDERER, Associated Press Writer
Fri May 18, 7:37 PM ET

UNITED NATIONS - Iraq's main creditors, including Saudi Arabia, will
not write off billions of dollars in debt until they see progress on
national reconciliation, economic reform and security, the U.S.
ambassador to the United Nations said Friday.

Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, who left Iraq in March after nearly two
years as the top U.S. diplomat there, said that the Sunni-ruled Saudi
kingdom will not write off debt it estimates to be as much as $18 billion
until Iraq's Shiite and Kurd-led government makes the country more
stable, united and fair for all factions.

The Iraqi government says its huge Saddam-era debt to various
countries — amounting by some estimates to over $60 billion — is too
big a burden when it is trying to rebuild. But Saudi Arabia, one of
Iraq's biggest creditors, has withheld relief amid concerns about the
growing influence of Shiite Iran in Iraq, and what they say is the
marginalization of Iraq's minority Sunnis.

"I think it's conditional, and it's conditional on the future of relations
between Iraq and Saudi Arabia," Khalilzad said. "I believe the more
there is progress in terms of reconciliation inside Iraq ... the more I
think the Saudis would be forthcoming in terms of support."

-snip-

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070518/ap_on_re_us/un_us_iraq_1

[Erika]

1. Well, the Kurds just stoned a 17 year old girl to death

so what now? We forget about that? We move on?

[azurnoir]

2. Are we supposed to punish the Kurds?

There have been arrests made in this case. The girls name was Dua Khalil she was stoned to death by family members, her death is horrible but if Iraq is a sovereign nation then this is theirs to handle, or are you advocating "collective punishment"?

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/05/18/iraq.honorkilling/index.html

edited to add link

[Kagemusha]

3. I heard it was a minority sect, not mainstream Sunni, even if ethnic Kurd

So isn't that cute? It's not even by one of the usual villains. It's by a group I hadn't even heard about until this incident. Just more fun and joy the more layers get peeled off the Iraqi onion.