Iraq growth to top six percent: US official

[Barrett808]

Source: AFP

Iraq growth to top six percent: US official
by Bryan Pearson

BAGHDAD (AFP) - Improved security is boosting Iraq's war-ravaged economy which is heading for growth of more than six percent this year, a senior US official said on Wednesday, supporting IMF projections.

"The improvement on the security side is having an impact on the economy," Charles Ries, the US coordinator for economic transition in Iraq, told reporters in Baghdad, referring to claims by the US military that its troop "surge" is reining in sectarian violence.

"It is hard to measure it precisely, and there is no doubt that the Iraqi economy is burdened by a number of challenges and is performing under its potential," said Ries, who took up his post in July.

"Nonetheless, real GDP growth this year will be over six percent and if you take out the oil sector, it will be over seven percent."

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070905/wl_mideast_afp/iraqeconomy

[Jim__]

1. How does it compare to GDP before we invaded? - n/t

[htuttle]

3. Now, now -- that wouldn't be a fair comparison...

...they had electricity and running water back then!

[dipsydoodle]

2. Is that supposed to comfort

American tax payers ?

[Teaser]

4. a change from 0

to anything, no matter how tiny, represents an infinite percentage increase.

[tom_paine]

5. My God, the Soviet-type audiacity of these Bushies/Nazis

Can't get power for 20 hours a day in Baghdad, but SUUUURE the economy is expanding at 6%.

Of course, that 6% in Iraq is as believable as the 3% the BushCommies say the Imperial Amerikan economy is "growing".

[Spazito]

6. Yep, that "growth" is as a result of the .....

billions upon billions of US taxpayers' dollars being "imported" and NOTHING to do with a real economy. Geez, they really are desperate to float this piece of crap, imo.

[Roland99]

7. Minus about, what, 5 million people due to death and fleeing?

[Barrett808]

8. Estimates typically run to about 4 million, but yeah

Two million refugees in Jordan and Syria, another two million internally displaced.

It's hard to imagine there's much of any economy in these circumstances.