(November 14, 2003) The White House and Downing Street should formulate a joint position on the Iraqi debt question, calling for the forgiveness, not restructuring, of Iraq’s international debt.

On November 19-21, President George W. Bush will visit London as a guest of the British government. It will be the first ever State Visit by a U.S. president to the United Kingdom. The visit has huge symbolic significance, as well as being a critical meeting for both President Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair. The visit should solidify the Anglo-American nexus, which is of primary importance to both countries.

Key Goals of the State Visit

The goals of President Bush’s state visit should be to:

• Demonstrate a united Anglo-U.S. front on Iraq;
• Strengthen U.S.-British cooperation in the war against terrorism;
• Formulate a joint position on dealing with rogue states;
• Provide reassurances to Washington regarding NATO

and the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP), as wellas the European Constitution.Iraq

Britain played a major role in the war to remove Saddam Hussein from power, deploying 45,000 combat troops to the Gulf. It was the largest British military deployment since the Second World War, representing over a third of the nation’s armed forces. Over 10,000 British troops remain in Iraq, and the British currently administer the southern region of the country, including the city of Basra. During the deployment, 53 British servicemen have been killed, including 22 in combat.4

Britain’s continuing involvement in Iraq will be critical for the country’s transition. The British Army brings with it years of highly successful experience in peacekeeping in a wide range of theaters of operation, including Afghanistan, Bosnia, Kosovo, Sierra Leone, and Northern Ireland. The British possess an in-depth knowledge of Iraq and the region and have close diplomatic and historical ties with much of the Arab world. The President should urge the Prime Minister to continue his long-term political and military commitment to the future of Iraq.

Tony Blair should also be encouraged to play a more high-profile role on the international stage with regard to post-war Iraq. Blair was a pivotal figure before the war in developing the case internationally for taking military action to remove Saddam Hussein from power. He played a crucial role in building the broad-based international coalition of the willing that liberated Iraq. Washington was heavily dependent upon London in generating diplomatic support in Europe, which ultimately included Spain, Italy, Poland, and over 15 other European nations.

While the Iraq war was a huge military success, the strains of post-war administration and reconstruction have placed both the U.S. and British leadership under immense pressure. Since the end of hostilities in Iraq, the White House and Downing Street have faced mounting criticism over their handling of intelligence information in the lead-up to the Iraq war, as well as growing impatience over the pace of political reform and economic progress in Baghdad. There is also growing unease domestically, both in Britain and in America, over guerrilla attacks on coalition troops serving in the country and the growing cost of rebuilding the country.

President Bush and Prime Minister Blair must remain focused on the continuing hunt for Saddam Hussein and terrorist insurgents, as well as the establishment of a stable and free Iraq. The U.S. and U.K. should present a common front in the face of growing international criticism of the coalition administration of Iraq. The two nations must remain united in their determination to establish a secure, representative, and self-sustaining Iraq. The state visit to London will provide a valuable opportunity for London and Washington to renew their call for greater international support for the reconstruction of Iraq.

The White House and Downing Street should also formulate a joint position on the Iraqi debt question, advocating debt forgiveness as opposed to debt restructuring. The U.S. and U.K. should formally call upon European countries (primarily Russia, Germany, and France) and Arab countries (including the Gulf states and Egypt) to forgive the huge debts owed by the Iraqi government. It would be an opportunity for Europe and the Arab world to make a historic contribution to the economic development of post-Saddam Iraq and a major gesture of support for the Iraqi people. If the Iraqi debts are not forgiven, the Iraqi people will be financially crippled for a generation – perhaps even generations.⁵

⁵ For further background, see Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., and Marc Miles, Ph.D., “Forgive the Iraqi Debt,” Heritage Foundation Executive Memorandum No. 871, April 30, 2003

To read the full document by Nile Gardiner and John Hulsman, please see:
www.heritage.org/Research/Europe/bg1707.cfm [PDFver here]

The Heritage Foundation, November 14, 2003