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The U.S.-Led Occupation Works Vigorously To Enslave Iraqis
"It is the
International Monetary Fund Phase"
The
Iraqi government has been approved loans from the two
most infamous institutions in the world: the International Monetary
Fund and the World Bank. These institutions, known worldwide as
tools of U.S.
foreign policy, are strongly associated with corrupt corporations.
It is also known that the appointment of the head of IMF must be
approved by the
U.S. president. Interestingly, Paul
Wolfowitz, an architect of the occupation of
Iraq along with Donald Rumsfeld and
Richard Perl, had occupied the position of IMF chairman two years
ago. Wolfowitz would likely still be in the seat, were it not for a
scandal.
The IMF and World Bank have agreed to lend
Iraq $3.6 billion and $250 million,
respectively. The terms and conditions of the loans will, consistent
with the institutions’ goals, result in further impoverishment of
the people, hold them as captives for mountains of interest, and
force Iraq to
spin in the orbit of
U.S. policy. Such policies allow
the U.S.
to interfere in the political scene of debtor nations while
suppressing egalitarian and humanitarian movements in the society.
Among the conditions is the cancellation of subsidies for essentials
such as food stamps and fuel prices, privatization of industry and
the flotation of local currency.
One could ask why the Iraqi government requested this
amount of funding while oil sales during the month of January of
this year alone was more than $4 billion dollars and the Oil
Ministry says it has $45 billion available with the Iraqi Central
Bank. However, none of this revenue was spent, particularly during
the last four years despite the fact that one-third of Iraqis live
under the poverty line (according to figures from the UN mission in
Iraq), and the great need for
social and health services, electricity, employment and unemployment
insurance. Visitors to Iraq
witness streets and alleys of cities in central and southern
Iraq decorated with piles of
garbage and sewage and thousands of pits, along with disease and
illiteracy in every corner in the society. In other words, what is
the purpose of the Iraqi government to get these loans if not to
bind Iraq
with these financial robber institutions and their hellish
conditions?
As if handing us corruption, cheap labor and greedy
militias were not enough, the U.S.-led occupation intends to hold
the wealth of Iraqis captive as long as it can. The occupation
intends to bring the country to its knees and enslave its people
once and for all.
The result of International Monetary Fund and World
Bank conditions can be found in the experience of
Latin America and African countries. Their economic,
political, social and security situations have become so dire
because of their debt to these banks that many European countries
facing economic crisis have rejected the IMF loans.
Iraq Freedom Congress takes this opportunity to
educate people about the devastating economic, political, security
and social consequences of IMF and World Bank loans. IFC also
condemns the decision of the Iraqi government which turned to such
institutions knowing the loans would only go into the pockets of
corrupt political parties and forces as billions of dollars have
already gone down the drain. In fact, the current political and
security chaos made it possible to pass these policies.
Iraq Freedom Congress exposed the economic, political
and social fallout of the draft oil and gas law and, in so doing,
thwarted its passage in the National Assembly. IFC will once again
work to foil contracts between the ruling authorities in
Iraq and these infamous financial
institutions.
Iraq
Freedom Congress
February 27, 2010 |
Samir Adil
President of Iraq Freedom Congress
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