(January 26, 2004) The almost instant success that James A. Baker III has had in his international lobbying to have Iraq’s debt forgiven raises an uncomfortable comparison: how little has been done to relieve the African debt that cripples some of the world’s poorest countries.
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Bremer authorizes establishment of property claims commission
(January 23, 2004) U. S. Civil Administrator L. Paul Bremer issued a regulation on 14 January authorizing the Iraqi Governing Council to establish the Iraq Property Claims Commission (IPCC).
Kuwait promises Baker to substantially reduce Iraq’s debt
(January 23, 2004) Kuwait is prepared to significantly reduce Iraq’s estimated 16-billion-dollar debt to the emirate, however, the issue of Iraqi debt does not include war reparations.
Canada cancels Iraq debt
(January 23, 2004) Canada has agreed to wipe out its share of the $120-billion US debt owed by Iraq, Prime Minister Paul Martin announced Friday at the World Economic Forum of business leaders in Davos, Switzerland.
DAVOS-World Bank sees two-thirds Iraq debt write off
(January 22, 2004) Most of Iraq’s sovereign creditors are prepared to consider writing off two-thirds of its foreign debt of $120 billion, World Bank President James Wolfensohn said on Thursday.
Qatar agrees to waive Iraq debt
(January 21, 2004) Qatar said yesterday that it would waive most of the $4 billion or so Iraq owes it and will consider writing off the rest.
Saudis offer to slash Iraq debt
(January 21, 2004) Saudi Arabia has said it is prepared to negotiate a "substantial" reduction of Iraq’s debt to the kingdom.
Follow the leader on Iraqi debt
(January 20, 2004) The Bush administration could make former US Secretary of State James Baker’s task much easier, if it agreed to make a substantial contribution to the cost of Iraqi debt reduction.
Trade ministry official comments on former regime’s corruption
(January 16, 2004) An unnamed official at the Iraqi Trade Ministry told London’s "Al-Sharq al-Awsat" the ministry plans on suing companies and prosecuting former regime officials for corrupt practices.
Accident plunges dam area into the dark: report
(January 16, 2004) Villages near the Three Gorges dam were plunged into darkness after a transmission tower was toppled in a construction accident last week, the Anhui-based Jianghuai Morning Post (Jianghuai chenbao) reports.
Managing river conflict: a Canadian model
(January 15, 2004) The Mekong River Commission’s new chief should make mobilizing an approach for balancing power production with public demands for improved river health and greater control a top priority in 2004.
China cancels Africa’s debt
(January 15, 2004) China has cancelled the debts owed to it by 31 African countries. The show of solidarity will give African leaders greater leverage to demand that the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and the wealthy finance capitalists in the bastions of imperialism do the same.
China’s anti-corruption plan doomed by one-party system
(January 15, 2004) Beijing’s graft-busting efforts barely scratch the surface.
Bureaucrats to tackle their own corruption
(January 15, 2004) Vladimir Putin has appointed Mikhail Kasyanov to head the Kremlin’s new Anti-Corruption Council. Remarkably, Kasyanov also holds the post of the chairman of the Russian government.
Ayoon wa Azan (Iraq’s debts)
(January 15, 2004) Forbidding an illegal government from having debts is a strategy more successful than sanctions, since it prevents it from using money in oppressing the citizens of the country.
Patricia Adams
Dai Qing
Fan Xiao
Lawrence Solomon
Mu Lan
Probe International
Lisa Peryman
Probe Media
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Probe International 