Hameed, Once Again...

I'm now in the "looking for stories about economic progress in Iraq" mode. The violence has nearly stopped. The Iraqi government is in serious negotiations with the US about the status of American forces once the UN mandate expires. The country is moving toward provincial elections this fall. All signs are that business and investment is hot.

My friend, Hameed Abid, an Iraqi exile and architect living in London, England and long time commenter at Iraq the Model, had this to say earlier today [typos corrected]:

Dear O and M

Once again The Iranians are showing their teeth and they are showing how, once America leaves Iraq (In their dreams?) they will fill the vacuum thus created and occupy Iraq or sorry I may be wrong they will protect their Islamic neighbour from other Islamic nations who may be eager to win it over.

Now that the Arabs are waking up to this fact, by stopping their support to creating the killings of one Iraqi by another. They have started to accept that Iraq could be OK, and that there would never be a Shiite Crescent so long as Iraq has the Sunnies and the Kurdish and other minorities like the Christians and Yazidis and Mendais and Jewish people within its borders treated equally under the constitution.

It is high time the Arabs showed their support to the elected Government of Iraq with no conditions.

I am so happy to hear that the Kuwaitis and Saudis are winning and financing major projects in Iraq - A major drainage scheme in Baghdad and the International airport in Najaf, and the UAE Nationals are investing billions of dollars in the North of Iraq. DEMAC for example.

The Egyptians will soon be there too.

The Jordanians/ Palestinians already are in Place and The Libyans are coming in toe too.

The Bahrainis will be welcome and the rest from the Sultanate of Oman, Qatar and Yemen will be pouring in shortly.

There are billions of dollars worth of projects to be had, and the next budget 2009 will be around $80-100 billions which must be spent within twelve months.

They will miss the boat if they do not get their fingers out now, as the country is starting from Zero and needs everything.

The trade so far with Iran has reached three billions or more and a talk of a free trade zone on the border is going on as we speak.

The Syrians will soon benefit from the flow of Iraqi oil through its Mediterranean Port of Tartus and allowing goods to be transhipped through its territory to Iraq, by lorries, trains and cars etc.

SO, which is better for the Arabs, carry on dreaming of another dictatorship in Iraq or trade with Iraq as is and make profits?

Kind regards
hameed Abid

Go Iraq!!!!

PS: Seems we are of the same mind regarding Muqtada al Sadr, too.

And another one. God, I love it when this guy weighs in. He's in communication with his relatives in Iraq almost weekly, it would seem, and has been passing on their observations and the "talk of the town" from their point of view for a very long time, now. This is what he says about his home town, Babylon [Typos corrected]:

Dear O and M

Now this is a great news item in my birth place- Babylon'

A new International commercial Airport - the largest in the Middle East - will be built in Babylon by the Saudi Investors AL Issa Company. Also chemical industries projects, agricultural products to grow wheat, barley and rape seed, corn and others.
Using modern machinery and methods.

Prince Saud Bin Abdulla Companies will be represented. 10% of the profits from the growing of food will be allocated for the widows and orphans and the disabled in Babel.

God be with you good people. You are most welcome in Iraq. Especially in the Cradle of Civilisation area-Babylon.

Kind regards
hameed Abid

May the Cradle of Civilization rise again!