Iraq's International Trade Fair Postponed

[Barrett808]

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Baghdad's trade fair has been postponed for a month in hopes more companies can be encouraged to participate and bring in more foreign investment, officials said Tuesday.

The Destination Baghdad Exposition, which was scheduled to open March 1, will start April 5, organizers told Dow Jones Newswires.

A senior official with the Iraqi Trade Ministry said the trade fair, the first since Saddam Hussein was ousted from power in the U.S.-led war, hopes to draw about 350 international companies.

The fair is being organized by the Iraqi-American Chamber of Commerce and Industry along with the trade ministry and the U.S.-led civilian authority.

Chamber spokesman, Najwa Omar , said the Coalition Provisional Authority and the Iraqi Interior Ministry will provide security for participants and those attending of the event.

The United States has set aside billions of dollars to rebuild Iraq's infrastructure.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040217/ap_on_bi_ge/iraq_fair_postponed_1

[Jacobin]

1. I hear Manpower's booth is up and running

and for a mere $35,000 a month you can hire bodyguards in Iraq.

/sarcasm

[GreyV]

2. "The United States has set aside..."

"The United States has set aside billions of dollars to rebuild Iraq's infrastructure."


Whose money? Iraqi oil money? They are not even trying to hide their greed. I wonder how much administration "has set aside" for itself.

[dArKeR]

3. Iraqi-American Chamber of Commerce - I'll never believe a thing I hear out

of any American Chamber of Commerce office in any country again!

[htuttle]

4. Without a legitimate government to sign contracts with...

...any corporation that signs an agreement with the IGC is taking a huge risk.

Not as big a risk as it would be, however, since the US Import/Export bank has generously agreed to back all of the contracts with the US Treasury. How nice...I think I know how this one is going to end. I bet it's us who end up holding the bag.