Iraq Debt-Forgiveness Plan Faces Arab Resistance/ WSJ

[TexasLawyer]

Iraq Debt-Forgiveness Plan
Faces Arab Resistance
By NEIL KING JR. in Washington and MARIAM FAM in Cairo, Egypt
May 1, 2007; Page A11

The Bush administration will face a skeptical reception from many Arab partners when it pushes Iraq's neighbors this week to offer aid and slash debts to Iraq in exchange for Baghdad implementing economic and political reforms.

The U.S. wants regional governments to back a five-year agreement in which the Iraqi government will promise to enact a list of reforms, including an oil-revenue law and better legal protections for Iraq's minorities. In response, countries are supposed to offer aid, debt relief and other assistance.

But leaders in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait and other Arab states remain leery of showing unreserved support for the Shiite-led government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are expected to announce some debt relief during a two-day Iraq summit in Egypt this week, but Kuwait and several other Persian Gulf countries are withholding any firm action.

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http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117798265399787634.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

[dave_p]

1. Starve the beast

Why the heck should Arab governments or any other lender bail out Cheney's criminal stooges in Baghdad so more money ends up in the hands of the death-squads?

They should squeeze the regime for every last cent. That money's going nowhere useful.