More lies about Iraq

We blogged earlier about US plans to establish permanent bases in Iraqi and how some considered that an infringement on Iraqi sovereignty.  Naturally, Iraqis aren’t too enamored to the idea, as well they shouldn’t, so when things got out of hand one day recently, President Bush made a phone call to the Iraqi Prime Minister to assure him “Washington was not seeking to undermine Iraq’s sovereignty and that America would reconsider any contentious part of the agreement.” Obviously that’s diplomatic language used to diffuse a tense situation in Iraq as many Iraqis took to the street to protest the impending agreement.  However, America wants what it wants and uses a big stick to get it, Iraqi sovereignty be damned!

The US is holding hostage some $50bn (£25bn) of Iraq’s money in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to pressure the Iraqi government into signing an agreement seen by many Iraqis as prolonging the US occupation indefinitely, according to information leaked to The Independent.

US negotiators are using the existence of $20bn in outstanding court judgments against Iraq in the US, to pressure their Iraqi counterparts into accepting the terms of the military deal……The US is able to threaten Iraq with the loss of 40 per cent of its foreign exchange reserves because Iraq’s independence is still limited by the legacy of UN sanctions and restrictions imposed on Iraq since Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in the 1990s. This means that Iraq is still considered a threat to international security and stability under Chapter Seven of the UN charter. The US negotiators say the price of Iraq escaping Chapter Seven is to sign up to a new “strategic alliance” with the United States.

So despite the fact Saddam is DEAD and a new government has been installed, supposedly with the full support of the United States, the Iraqi government can still be considered a threat to international security or they can sign the agreement the US wants and possibly get their money back. Doesn’t sound like respect for one’s sovereignty to me.