(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.

(December 4, 2003) Iraq’s debt has become a politicised issue and a means for countries like Germany and France which opposed the war to try to influence the reconstruction and political future of Iraq.

(December 4, 2003) A senior French official said on Thursday that he does not see an easy way to quickly reduce some of Iraq’s huge $200 billion in outstanding debt because the U.S.-occupied land is not a sovereign country.

(December 4, 2003) New York Times op-ed, arguing the author was wrong to ignore the legal principle, illegitimate contracts need not be honored.

(December 3, 2003) Saudi Arabia will withhold the $1 billion (£582 million) in loans and credits that it pledged last month for Iraq’s reconstruction until the security situation is stabilised and a sovereign government takes office.

(December 2, 2003) In a discussion paper published on its Web site, debt campaigner Jubilee South called for an investigation and audit of the alleged Iraqi debt. According to Jubilee South, the people of Iraq are not demanding handouts and debt relief but, rather, sovereignty and reparations.

(November 30, 2003) Iraq’s US-installed Governing Council has appealed to the international community to speed up the rescheduling of the towering debt accumulated by Saddam Hussein’s ousted regime.

(November 27, 2003) MSU president Peter McPherson after five months’ leave as the financial coordinator of ORHA/CPA in Iraq says, "We can’t have Iraqis paying for Saddam 25 years from now. To postpone the debt would be a geopolitical mistake."