Iraq is biggest-ever emerging market: deputy PM

Source: AFP

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt (AFP) - Iraq's deputy prime minister said on Monday that his country was the world's largest-ever emerging market, with foreign companies lining up to invest in the war-ravaged economy.

"Iraq is the largest ever emerging market that you can think of," Deputy Prime Minister Barham Saleh told journalists at the World Economic Forum on the Middle East in Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh.

"There is nothing in Iraq that doesn't require investment, but the state cannot solve it and so we look seriously to the private sector."

He said that Iraq was predicting 70 billion dollars oil revenue in 2008, with reserves that "could well exceed" 350 billion barrels, and the International Monetary Fund slating eight percent growth this year.

"It hasn't taken off yet, but when it does take off, it will be very fast," Saleh said of the ravaged economy.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080519/wl_mideast_afp/iraqeconomyoilinvestmentwef_080519140443

How did Baghdad Bob become deputy prime minister?

Halliburton moved to Dubai. So it seems they are more of a "gulf" company then a US company.
Another thought is, why does this guy think that private corporations will be more efficient, less corrupt then Saddam and his buddies when the corporations were part of the original inefficiencies and corruption that wrecked their oil and civil infrastructure to begin with? If I were an Iraqi citizen, I wouldn't trust this guy any further then I could throw him. He is going to sell his country to the highest bidder.
And another thought, I'm wondering how many Iraqis will actually benefit from the "reCONstruction" of Iraq. Just a guess, but I'm going to say not very many. "Shock Doctrine" anyone?

Have you ever got that right A. Dave!
DId you know that the I Constitution Paul Bremer drafted, for them made saving heirloom seeds a jailable felony?
Monsanto putting down their marker!
There was an Iraq business conference scheduled here in Maine, for entrepreneurs, back in 2004? It had top be postponed because of the violence............
This was the intent all along, as well as oil!

How much did they make actually... $0.00

but it's hard to be hopeful that their country will be stable again anytime soon.