Iraq Solution: Where did this come from?

[patrice]

Jerry Springer talked about this with a caller the other day. Whose idea is it?

He said we should engage in negotiations for an international peace-keeping force that gives the participant nations inducements in the form of participation in the reconstruction contracts.

Springer didn't say who else might be thinking in these terms. Is there anyone? Where did this idea come from? How do I go about researching it?

[HysteryDiagnosis]

1. You might want to argue with this man first.... this little gem

really puts into perspective what a rape of Iraq's economy has taken place...


http://www.alternet.org/story/19293/
The (New and Improved) Bremer Orders

A sampling of the most important Orders demonstrates the economic imprint left behind by Bremer:

Order #39 allows for the following: (1) privatization of Iraq's 200 state-owned enterprises; (2) 100 percent foreign ownership of Iraqi businesses; (3) "national treatment" of foreign firms; (4) unrestricted, tax-free remittance of all profits and other funds; and (5) 40-year ownership licenses. Thus, it allows the U.S. corporations operating in Iraq to own every business, do all of the work, and send all of their money home. Nothing needs to be reinvested locally to service the Iraqi economy, no Iraqi need be hired, no public services need be guaranteed, and workers' rights can easily be ignored. And corporations can take out their investments at any time.

Order #40 turns the banking sector from a state-run to a market-driven system overnight by allowing foreign banks to enter the Iraqi market and to purchase up to 50 percent of Iraqi banks.

Order #49 drops the tax rate on corporations from a high of 40 percent to a flat rate of 15 percent. The income tax rate is also capped at 15 percent.

Order #12 enacted on June 7, 2003 and renewed on February 24, 2004, suspends "all tariffs, customs duties, import taxes, licensing fees and similar surcharges for goods entering or leaving Iraq, and all other trade restrictions that may apply to such goods." This led to an immediate and dramatic inflow of cheap consumer products, which has essentially wiped out all local providers of the same products. This could have significant long-term implications for domestic production as well.

[applegrove]

2. UN procurement laws say that the country in trouble gets the contracts

first..before any outsiders. Naturally the USA started to hate the UN just when they instituted this policy.

The "Aid" game has always involved lots of money for business in from the donor countries. The UN and Aid organization figured in about 1980 that "tied aid" really wasn't working well and went with the "capacity building" model instead. Where the focus is on the country in need developing capacities to be a good economy through aid.

That being said... there is something to be said for the people who put out in terms of peacekeeping.. being allowed a chance at trade and business for their efforts. Perhaps contracts should go to the country in need first, then to the peacekeepers. As always..lowest bidder first.

As to Iraq..well it was never a UN mission so that is out the window. I don't think anyone would call the US peace-keepers. Because it was an aggressive war.