(June 4, 2003) Testimony of Alan P. Larson, Under Secretary for Economic, Business, and Agricultural Affairs before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in Washington, D.C.

(June 3, 2003) "If wealthy countries are serious about aiding freedom, they must recognise the illegitimacy, not only of Iraq’s obligations, but of all odious debt." says this Editorial in the Daily Nation.

(June 3, 2003) Paul Bremer, the head of the U.S. occupation authority in Iraq, called on countries that lent Iraq money when it was run by Saddam Hussein to forgive these because the country should not be forced to use its resources to "service crippling debts."

(June 2, 2003) Should the Iraqis assume responsibility for their former dictator’s billions in debts? The dispute on debt forgiveness is becoming a key to the future of Iraq. The US government has the better arguments in this respect, both economically and morally.

(June 2, 2003) Russia is going to defend its interests as regards the further fate of Iraqi debts, said Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin.

(June 2, 2003) "There is another interesting twist to the issue of Iraq’s debt. How far are the people of Iraq responsible for repaying its so-called “odious” debt, contracted by the regime of the erstwhile dictator?" asks A. V. Rajwade.

(June 1, 2003) U.S. Treasury officials have called for Iraq’s debts to be written off as a gesture of support for the people who did not incur it in the first place. … it is a good idea, but the G8 is unlikely to buy it.

(May 31, 2003) "Why not leapfrog the issue of Iraqi debt and propose a radical cut in what Russia wants to be repaid? (This is where he’ll end up anyway.)," says Stephen Sestanovich.

(May 30, 2003) The Kremlin argues that, under the current financial situation in the world, "no one can afford simply forgiving" the Iraqi debt, says Pavel Ivanov.

(May 29, 2003) This is a letter to the editor written by Justin Alexander, UK Co-ordinator of Jubilee Iraq. He critizes Lex Rieffel’s argument that odious debts repudiation is impractical and introduces a plan for a debt arbitration tribunal for Iraq. 

(May 29, 2003) Much of the debt held by developing countries is "odious" — the result of loans that wealthy creditors made to tyrannical governments. It is simply inhumane for G8 countries to saddle impoverished citizens with these debts after the dictators fall.

(May 28, 2003) The U.S. will go to the weekend G8 summit urging debt relief for Iraq, saying it is merited by what it describes as Saddam Hussein’s abhorrent 23-year rule, but economists say it is creditor politics which drives relief.

(May 28, 2003) Abdul Minty, South Africa’s acting Director-General of Foreign Affairs, fears that if the U.S. administration takes the view that Iraq’s debts have to be written off there will not be much left for writing off debt for developing countries.

(May 27, 2003) The U.S. is expected to urge Iraq’s creditors to consider debt relief at the G-8 summit. U.S. officials charged with assessing Iraq’s debt position are putting accuracy ahead of speed: "It doesn’t matter when it is done, it matters how it is done."