(April 20, 2004) America’s determination to write off Saddam Hussein’s $90bn (£50bn) debt mountain has opened the door to a more generous deal for the most impoverished countries in Africa, the head of the World Bank said yesterday.

(April 19, 2004) The prospect of the world community forgiving most of Iraq’s debt could be used as an opportunity for debt relief for other developing countries the Guardian newspaper on Tuesday quoted the World Bank as saying.

(April 18, 2004) Bulgaria will not write-off but reschedule Iraq’s debt in view of the country’s economy and oil sector potential.

(April 10, 2004) Kuwait’s Speaker of Parliament said in remarks published on Saturday the time was not right to discuss reducing billions of dollars in Iraqi debts or Gulf War reparations sought from its former occupier.

(April 10, 2004) The US-appointed governing council cannot deliver democracy.

(April 2, 2004) Iraq’s debt is "simply unsustainable" and must be reduced if the country’s economy and government are to be rebuilt, said former Secretary of State James A. Baker III at a lunch in Dallas.

(March 31, 2004) There is something deeply unsettling about the issue of Iraq’s debt.

(March 29, 2004) It can be said without exaggeration that the collapse of the Iraqi economy was unique among developing countries in the 20th century.

(March 28, 2004) Iraq is heading for economic meltdown under the weight of its $310 billion international debt and reparations bill.

(March 16, 2004) A deal to reduce Iraq’s huge debt burden is being hindered by disagreement over whether Iraq’s debts to Saudi Arabia should be classified as loans or as grant aid, senior European treasury officials said on Tuesday.

(March 16, 2004) Iraq’s finance minister said Baghdad hoped to finalise a deal to ease its massive debts this year, despite splits among creditors over how much debt relief to grant a country so rich in oil. "The world saw what happened in Iraq: 35 years of damage," said Kamel al-Gailani, who held talks with an IMF team in Beirut this week. "Iraq is a rich country, but to return to the international community as soon as possible we need a substantial reduction." He declined to say how much.

(March 16, 2004) Young to help trace Iraq’s loan contracts and reconcile who is owed what from the country’s estimated $120 billion debt pile, a senior treasury official told Reuters Tuesday.