Iraq Has A Huge Budget Surplus

[falcon]

and they are not spending it.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23578542/

"WASHINGTON - Iraq is not spending much of its own money, despite soaring oil revenues that are pushing the country toward a massive budget surplus, U.S. auditors told Congress on Tuesday.
The expected surplus comes as the U.S. continues to invest billions of dollars in rebuilding Iraq and faces a financial squeeze domestically because of record oil prices.
"The Iraqis have a budget surplus," said U.S. Comptroller General David Walker. "We have a huge budget deficit. ... One of the questions is who should be paying.""

[DougMD]

And that is a very good question. I'll bet they don't have a $7 trillion plus debt either.

[Canuck_Buck]

they should pay the US Lead Coalitionback at least 60%...the Iraq government seems to feel it is all the Americans fault for the shape their country is in.

....I wonder why they are hanging onto the cash ? Let the west fix everything first ?

....could be they will wait until foreign forces leave and then a dictatorship will come about to hog that cash like Saddam did.

[Aught Six]

I don't think they should pay us back for anything. What they need to do is simply start picking up the bills going forward.

[BigTiny]

We should take some of the money as a down payment for services rendered and tell them we won't collect the rest if they could self-govern within the year. There's your exit strategy...

[Canuck_Buck]

the iraqi government needs to spend some money on the electrical grid and basic services for the people and communities trying to recover.