Germany Agrees to Help Relieve Iraqi Debt

[MoonAndSun]

<http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&e=2&u=/ap/20031216/ap_on_re_mi_ea/saddam_baker_s_trip>

snip>BERLIN - U.S. special envoy James A. Baker III won German and French agreement Tuesday to work for Iraqi debt relief, overcoming serious misgivings in Berlin about the U.S. exclusion of German firms from Iraqi reconstruction.




what did Baker offer them to have them capitulate to the bush* admin?

[Kellanved]

1. not much

Schröder said that he would agree to a debt-relief a few weeks ago. It was the contract-thing that almost made him retract the offer.


http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/11/24/1069522505799.html

[1songbird]

2. You know this is such utter evil.

The Bush Administration, along with the World Bank and the IMF have all been asked to relieve the debt of many third world countries that have no way to pay the debt off. I will give the example of Zambia where in the 70's a thriving country was caught in the gas crisis and was forced to borrow money at an extremely high rate. They had a thriving textile industry along with the mining of copper after the end of colonization. The World Bank forced their rules onto this country such as privatizing the copper mining. The World Bank policies imosed on this country have been devastating. There is no textile industry anymore and all of the mining has gone to others for private profit instead of helping the overall good. The population can not afford to pay for the little education that is their. They are still today paying interest on there bill. I wished someone would relieve the debt of countries like this.

I am flabbergasted when I hear the Bush* Administration basically admit that debt kills the ability of a country to thrive. This is the argument they are giving to force others to relieve Iraq's debt. They are basically admitting that they know full well that debt owed primarily to the US and other European countries is killing African countries. For some reason it's okay. I believe that the Bush* Administration should practice what it preaches and relieve Zambia's debt just as they are now asking others to relieve Iraq's debt.

I wished others would join me in bringing more light to this issue.

[Matilda]

8. I wish some of the media stooges would take up this theme.

I'm not an expert on Africa, but I know that Zambia is not alone in
being in this situation. It is really quite evil IMO that the
Bush administration should have such double standards, and it's
worse that they get away with it with few questions asked. The EU
is also guilty of similar conduct in Africa, so Shroeder's hands
are probably not too clean either.

[Kellanved]

10. that's what the Paris-club is for

http://www.clubdeparis.org/en/index.php

Of course most poor countries are still being screwed - the EU is no angel.

[1songbird]

12. Thanks for the information.

I had not heard of this group before.

[1songbird]

13. This problem is rampant throughout the third world.

There are many rich countries that participate in this problem but it's never ever mentioned in the mainstream media.

[papau]

3. Media lies - again - All Germany & others did is resay July 2003 comments!

Amazing how this spun by the media whores.

In July everyone agreed that it would be a good idea to reduce the Iraq debt via an agreement to be worked out in the future.

Now they have resaid the EXACT SAME THING!

And this is Bush/Baker/Rove media whore success?

YEP!

:-)

[Snellius]

4. It's astonishing to what extent they go to cover for his stupidity

The media has become a voluntary propaganda machine. It's almost as if they're trying to vindicate their own worthless incompetence in bringing this doofus to power. Without congressional oversight or the vigilance of the press, this government is completely unrestrained.

[hadrons]

5. they agreed to WORK TOWARD an agreement ....

translation: bullshit talks

[salin]

6. and ONLY if rebuilding contracts were back on the table.

see: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=272661

The stories are a bit contradictory.

[Kellanved]

7. that is not 100% clear

The German media says part of the debt would be waived as soon as Iraq is independent again. As the whole Iraqi debt in Germany is "only" about €4.4 billion and the chances of seeing the money again are zero anyways, it isn't really that big an issue.

Baker got an "When Iraq is indepentent again, then we will consider talking about a partial debt-relief in the Paris-club - promise. "

[tlcandie]

9. Don't believe all of what you read... :D

Germany, France, Russia aren't backing down on anything w/o negotations and some changes. Just the media reporting it in the "GOOD" light very similar to the stories you read about our economy rebounding and doing fantantabulousa!!!!

Where is the Gong Show when you need it? :+

[wabeewoman]

11. I was really glad to see this thread.

I had been reading the news accounts and the headlines and I couldn't see that Baker had accomplished anything. They aren't saying they will forgive the debt until Iraq is self-governed and then they'll talk about it. Another media spin to make it look like bush is doing something. The economy is recovering, the war is being won, the air is clean blablablalbalbalbla