(December 17, 2003) The trial of Saddam Hussein must do several things at once. It must educate Iraqis and the world about the nature of his regime, adhere to the highest international standards of fairness, and provide a mechanism for appropriate punishment.

(December 17, 2003) By arranging a Paris Club debt restructuring James Baker is going against the will of Iraqis, who are demanding a fair arbitration tribunal on Saddam’s odious debt.

(December 16, 2003) Saddam Hussein will face war crimes charges in a special Iraqi court, despite international concerns that it will be a show trial leading to a death sentence.

(December 11, 2003) Former Secretary of State James A. Baker will visit Russia, Great Britain, France, Italy and Germany next week in an effort to persuade those countries to forgive Iraq’s debts.

(December 11, 2003) President Bush found himself in the awkward position of calling on the leaders of France, Germany and Russia to forgive Iraq’s debts, just a day after the Pentagon excluded those countries from $18 billion in U.S.-financed Iraqi reconstruction projects.

(December 10, 2003) Russia today maintained a sturdy silence on the reported decision by the United States barring its companies from competing for contracts to rebuild Iraq but said it will not write off the eight billion US dollars debt owed by Baghdad.

(December 10, 2003) The Pentagon has barred French, German and Russian companies from competing for $18.6 billion in contracts for the reconstruction of Iraq, saying it was acting to protect "the essential security interests of the United States.

(December 8, 2003) A former Iraqi minister said Saddam Hussein began depositing 5 percent of Iraq’s oil revenues in overseas accounts in 1972, and has likely accumulated tens of billions of dollars outside Iraq.

(December 8, 2003) Finance Minister Kamil al-Kaylani has said that Iraq will soon demand that Syria turn over an estimated $3 billion in Iraqi cash assets held in its banks on behalf of the former Hussein regime.

(December 7, 2003) Saying "No" to America on the request for troops in Iraq was easy. For South and North Blocks, the next phase of US pressure on India in sorting out the post-war mess is going to be much more difficult.

(December 6, 2003) Can Iraq’s debt be classified as odious? Yes, say many experts.

(December 5, 2003) U.S. President George Bush appoints longtime family friend and troubleshooter to be his personal envoy in seeking an international deal to lower and refinance Iraq’s staggering foreign debt.