Open Investment Policy Looks Like 'World Occupation' to Iraq Merchants

[fizzana]

BAGHDAD — In the marble-floored corporate offices of Al Hafidh General Trading Co., Waleed and Hani Hafidh vented the rage of many Iraqi businessmen Monday over the country's new wide-open foreign investment policy.

Puffing furiously on imported cigarettes, the brothers asserted that the economic reform package unveiled by Iraq's recently appointed finance minister in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday will destroy the country's small yet burgeoning private sector, create a permanent "world occupation" of its economy and render the Iraqi people "immigrants in their own land."

<snip>

"Everything we asked for was thrown onto the trash heap," said Waleed, echoing the thoughts of many businesspeople in the Iraqi capital, some of whom appeared on Arab satellite television Monday to air their grievances.

Other critics argued that the policy was premature, rushed into place to lure corporate investment and hefty contributions from foreign governments to limit the American investment in rebuilding a nation still seen by many as a war zone.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/iraq/la-fg-iraqecon23sep23,1,2901166.story?coll=la-home-leftrail

Local Iraqi businessmen were probably the U.S.'s most natural allies. Now they've even managed to piss them off. Is there anything these fuckwits can do right?

[FlemingsGhost]

1. Pretty smart guys.

Not bad for a bunch of "third-world camel jockey ragheads," huh Freeps?

[Manix]

2. This could blow up in Bu$hco's face.....

How do you spell HMO....Iraqis had universal health care...low utility fees etc
CNN is right now reporting growing outrage over what this
means for the future.