Gulf States Under Pressure to Deliver Iraq Aid

[Judi Lynn]

Gulf States Under Pressure to Deliver Iraq Aid
Thu October 23, 2003 12:15 PM ET



By Daniel Trotta
MADRID, Spain (Reuters) - Wealthy Arab states came under pressure Thursday to come up with firm offers of aid to transform an Iraq donors' conference which has so far failed to deliver the billions of dollars needed to rebuild the country.

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Iraq's governing council appealed to donors as the two-day conference got under way in Madrid to dig deeper in their pockets to rebuild a nation torn by years of war, sanctions and neglect.

"We inherited a ruined country...that starts from well below zero," Iraqi Governing Council representative Mowaffak al-Rubaie told a news conference. "People who help us in this difficult time are going to be rewarded in one way or another."

He and other Iraqi officials sought to persuade more than 300 companies and business groups gathered alongside the politicians that Iraq -- which has the second-largest oil reserves in the world -- could be prosperous again if given help. (snip/...)

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=3677721

[Richardo]

1. Thank God - I thought they meant Texas, Louisiana, Alabama etc...

Question a negotiator should always ask him/herself: "Am I negotiating or begging?"

I think RoveCo cast that die for us.

[Don_G]

2. It Looks They're Questioning The US Led "Black Hole"

Where all that money disappeared to. I think they had better get that straightened out before any commitments are cast in stone.