(October 5, 2004) Saddam Hussein ran the Iraqi side of the U.N. oil-for-food program as a "cash cow" that let him buy weapons with some of the $10 billion he siphoned off, according to a report by investigators.

(October 4, 2004) U.S. and U.K remain keen to forgive 95 percent of the war-torn country’s obligations.

(October 2, 2004) France and the United States dug into polarized positions on how much of Iraq’s debt to cancel at a meeting on Saturday aimed at promoting international harmony.

(October 2, 2004) Americans meeting resistance to cancellation of most of $120 billion owed.

(October 2, 2004) The International Monetary Fund (IMF), one of the most powerful architects of the world economy and controlled by the planet’s wealthiest nations, has marked its return to US-occupied Iraq with a new loan of US$436 million.

(October 1, 2004) An agreement among the Paris Club group of creditor nations on a write-off of a portion of Iraq’s foreign debt is not imminent but could be achieved by the end of the year, the group’s chairman said.

(October 1, 2004) Kuwait’s foreign minister has dismissed a U.S. suggestion that Iraq may not need to repay $45 billion in debt claimed by Gulf states.

(October 1, 2004) Advocates and activists on Thursday pressed the World Bank and International Monetary Fund to forgive the debt of the world’s poorest countries, and sparked debate on the fairness of targeted relief for Iraq.

(September 30, 2004) The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved an emergency loan of $436m (£232m) to Iraq, the first from an international organisation.

(September 30, 2004) For some tyrants it matters not whether they are asleep or awake, present or absent: their tyranny and exploitation go on regardless.

(September 29, 2004) The International Monetary Fund on Wednesday approved an emergency loan of $436.7 million for Iraq, the first assistance it has provided to help the country rebuild its wartorn economy.

(September 29, 2004) The International Monetary Fund said on Wednesday Iraq’s official bilateral creditors had agreed to defer debt the country owes them until the end of 2005.

(September 29, 2004) Iraq cleared $81 million in debt it owed the International Monetary Fund late last week, fund sources said yesterday, opening the way for the first aid to flow from the global lender to Iraq, as soon as this week.

(September 28, 2004) An odious debts arbitration would demonstrate to Iraqis that justice can be served by the rule of law. An arbitration would also expose the role of foreign creditors and thus help establish accountability in other countries.