When you really think about it, Iraq is in an amazing position to be able to leap forward through alot of development in a hurry because of the oil they have.
Let them auction off the oil rights for a couple of areas. impose a per barrel outgoing oil tax for all exports outside of the country... Iraqi oil, like that in Saudi Arabia, is some of the cheapest in the world to extract - just about "dig a hole and get some buckets".
A one time big payment, followed by continued tax revenue would certainly go a long way to putting this country back on it's feet. More importantly, foreign investment would mean people working, cities growing, new jobs being created, etc. Suddenly you don't have 60% of the nation living on UN handouts anymore.
Iraq owns the oil - and it would be smart for them to commercialize it as quickly as possible.
The Halliburton thing peeves me quite a bit... there are better companies out there for fire fighting oil wells... but the inside edge is the inside edge, no?
Alex
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Let's go to the edge of disaster Push the pedal and go a little faster Let's slam into a wall at ramming speed Let's go to the edge of a mountain Jump off and lets start countin' Hit the ground and tell me if it bleeds
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