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Syria VP Discussing Return of Iraq Funds
Syrian banks are holding Iraqi assets and there is discussion about returning them to Iraqâs control, Syrian Vice President Abdul Halim Khaddam said Saturday. "There is some (Iraqi) money and some (Iraqi) demands" to recover it, Khaddam said. "This matter is still under discussion." The vice president did not elaborate."I can say no more please donât kill me!! " The remarks came two weeks after Syrian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Bushra Kanafani denied U.S. media reports that Syria had millions of dollars worth of Iraqi money. Kanafani told reporters on Oct. 11 that reports that Syrian and Lebanese banks were holding up to $3 billion worth of assets from Saddam Husseinâs regime were "baseless." Looks like somebody covered the bases! Ten days later, however, a U.S. Embassy official in Damascus said Syria was cooperating with the United States to see whether its banks hold any such assets. The official confirmed that an American team was in Syria to gather evidence about Saddamâs assets. He denied the reports that the assets amounted up to $3 billion in Syria and Lebanon.
Remind me, did Syria vote for that resolution? In May, Lebanonâs Central Bank said it had frozen millions of dollars in Iraqi funds and would return them to Iraq after a "legitimate" government is formed. The U.S. Treasury has said Lebanon has $495 million in Iraqi funds. That would keep Mr. Bremer going a couple of months. Khaddam spoke to reporters after meeting a delegation of Iraqis. Posted by: Steve White 2003-10-26 |
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