Dick Cheney, Architect of Iraq War and Former US Vice President, Dies at 84
Former US Vice President Dick Cheney has died at the age of 84 from complications related to pneumonia and underlying cardiac and vascular disease
pixabay.com
Kuwait will lend $1 billion to Iraq and commit a further $1 billion of investment to the country, Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah told an international conference on Iraq’s reconstruction on Wednesday, according to Reuters.
Donors and investors have gathered in Kuwait this week to discuss efforts to rebuild Iraq’s economy and infrastructure as it emerges from a devastating conflict with Islamic State militants who seized almost a third of the country.
“Kuwait will earmark $1 billion in loans to Iraq and will commit to another $1 billion as investments in Iraq,” said Sheikh Sabah.
Iraq declared victory over Islamic State in December, having taken back all the territory captured by the militants in 2014 and 2015. The fighters have also been largely defeated in neighboring Syria.
Rebuilding Iraq after three years of war with Islamic State will cost more than $88 billion, with housing a particularly urgent priority, Iraqi officials say.
At the same conference the United States said it was extending a $3 billion credit line but was not providing any direct government assistance. International NGOs have so far pledged $330 million in humanitarian assistance.
Iraq has suffered from decades of war and it is striking that it is holding its reconstruction conference in Kuwait, which it invaded in 1990, leading to defeat by a U.S.-led coalition and more than a decade of sanctions.
Kuwait will celebrate Liberation Day from Iraq in two weeks and Iraq still pays it reparations.
Former German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel has described Germany’s misunderstanding of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s intentions as one of the greatest failures in the country’s foreign policy
Russia’s Foreign Ministry has criticized Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic after his recent remarks to a German publication about selling ammunition to European Union countries
The European Commission has introduced stricter rules on issuing visas to Russian citizens
Romania has urged the United States to reconsider its plan to withdraw hundreds of troops stationed in the country, warning that such a move could undermine NATO’s unity and play into Russia’s hands
Russia currently has the capacity to carry out a limited strike on NATO territory at any time, although whether it will do so depends largely on the stance of Western allies
NATO has regained the upper hand in ammunition production, surpassing Russia after a period during which Moscow outpaced the alliance
Bulgaria's Strategic Role in the EU's Drone Wall Defense Initiative
When Politics Means Violence