IRAQ: BAGHDAD CITIZENS GIVE THEIR REACTIONS ON IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION DONORS CONFERENCE
Record ID:
648460
IRAQ: BAGHDAD CITIZENS GIVE THEIR REACTIONS ON IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION DONORS CONFERENCE
- Title: IRAQ: BAGHDAD CITIZENS GIVE THEIR REACTIONS ON IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION DONORS CONFERENCE
- Date: 23rd October 2003
- Summary: (W5) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (OCTOBER 23, 2003)(REUTERS) 1. WIDE /PAN OF TIGRIS RIVER AND WAR-RAVAGED BUILDING 0.11 2. CLOSE OF DAMAGED BUILDING 0.15 3. SLV TRAFFIC IN STREET 0.21 4. VARIOUS OF DAMAGED BUILDINGS SEEN FROM BRIDGE (2 SHOTS) 0.34 4. VARIOUS OF TRAFFIC POLICE AND CARS PASSING (2 SHOTS) 0.44 5. WIDE /PAN OF MINISTRY OF INFORMATION BUILDING 0.55 6. CLOSE OF MINISTRY OF INFORMATION BUILDING 1.00 6. WIDE/ PAN HOUSES UNDER RECONSTRUCTION IN BAGHDAD 1.12 7. VARIOUS , RECONSTRUCTION WORKERS AT WORK (3 SHOTS) 1.28 8. WIDE OF CONSTRUCTION WORKERS SHOVELLING BRICKS INTO BACK OF LORRY 1.40 9. SLV CIVILIANS IN STREET 1.44 10. SLV SHOP SELLING LUGGAGE/ SCU STALL HOLDER (2 SHOTS) 1.53 11. SLV PEOPLE WALKING IN STREET 1.58 12. SCU SOUNDBITE (Arabic) MOHAMED HASSAN, SAYING: "I expect negative and positive results out of such conferences. But now we need more from Arab countries more than they need from us because the reconstruction of Iraq is going to be difficult and Iraqis cannot handle it own. We should join hands in everything." 2.19 12. SMV SOUNDBITE (Arabic) FATIMA HUSSEIN, SAYING "As long as Saddam is still alive there would be no reconstruction. No one will risk his life and come here Had we had security all of them (investors) would be here already and construction would have started on the very first day." 2.40 13. SCU SOUNDBITE (Arabic) SADEQ ALJAAFARI SAYING "We hope this is a real conference and not just talks. They are sucking our blood and take our oil." 2.55 14. SLV PEOPLE IN STREET 3.00 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 7th November 2003 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BAGHDAD, IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Reuters ID: LVA2NSD563MZ8YAQX29GWFIU2SX2
- Story Text: Iraqis react to Iraq reconstruction donors'
conference being held in Madrid.
Iraqis on the streets of Baghdad held mixed views
about the Madrid donors' conference Thursday (October 23)
focused on raising money for Iraqi reconstruction.
While some called for increased help from their Arab
neighbours, others said the security situation will remain
a main obstacle to foreign investors.
"I expect negative and positive results out of such
conferences. But now we need more from Arab countries more
than they need from us because the reconstruction of Iraq
is going to be difficult and Iraqis cannot handle it own.
We should join hands in everything," Mohamed Hassan said.
"As long as Saddam is still alive there would be no
reconstruction. No one will risk his life and come here
Had we had security all of them (investors) would be her
already and construction would have started on the very
first day," Fatima Hussein said.
"We hope this is a real conference and not just talks.
They are sucking our blood and take our oil," Sadeq
Aljaafari said.
In addition to the fund-raising discussions held with
the governments represented in Madrid, Iraqi
representatives appealed to the international business
community to invest in the war-shattered country, stressing
it was very much open for business despite lingering fears
over the security situation. Iraqi interim trade minister
Ali Allawi told 300 private sector companies assembled in a
meeting to raise funds that the new Iraq will be above all
a market-oriented economy.
The 300 private companies assembled in the Spanish
capital include 134 from the European Union, 19 from the
United States and 25 from Iraq itself.
The US-installed Iraqi governing council intends to
pursue an active growth policy of economic reconstruction,
strengthening the institutional and legal framework of the
country.
The fact that the oil sector falls within the US-led
Coalition Provisional Authority's (CPA) ambit is a source
of concern to countries who did not back the US-led
occupation of Iraq, which sits on the world's
second-largest known oil reserves.
Despite those huge oil reserves, Iraq's economy has
been left in shambles by decades of dictatorship, three
wars and 13 years of stiff UN sanctions.
Baghdad has been plagued by a series of fatal suicide
bomb attacks, notably of the UN headquarters on August 19
that left 22 dead, while the number of US troops killed
since major hostilities were declared over on May 1 has so
far reached 104.
The World Bank and the United Nations, two co-sponsors
of the Madrid conference, have estimated Iraq's total
reconstruction needs at around 36 billion dollars for
2004-2007.
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