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'Criminals' blocking Iraq reconstruction: Wolfowitz
10/13/2005
TOKYO, Oct 12 (Reuters): World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz, an architect of the US invasion of Iraq, yesterday blamed killers and criminals for blocking efforts by Iraqi people to rebuild the country.
Wolfowitz, the former US deputy defence secretary, said Iraq was not heading for a civil war between Sunnis and Shi'ites, but said it still faced a war waged by "terrorists."
Speaking to a news conference in Tokyo, Wolfowitz said the overwhelming majority of Iraqi people wanted to see a new Iraq, as demonstrated by the many who risked death to vote in January.
"Iraqi people wanted a different future, and people who are trying to keep them from that are extraordinary criminals who blow up children and kill innocent people," Wolfowitz said.
"The challenge is how to make progress in the face of that, and part of it is a military challenge, which is other people's responsibility, I am happy to say now, but part of it is economic reconstruction," said Wolfowitz, who took the helm of the Washington-based development institution in June and who stressed that he no longer represents Washington on Iraq-related issues.
Wolfowitz said Iraq has not only considerable natural resources such as oil and water, which could foster agriculture, but also human resources with various talents.
Wolfowitz said Sunday that the World Bank can help Iraqi efforts in the economic reconstruction area, saying the body was putting together a programme by its lending arm, the International Development Association, of roughly $500 million in addition to $350 million contributed by bilateral donors to its trust fund.
With regard to development issues, Wolfowitz stressed the importance of achieving results at the WTO's free-trade talks in Hong Kong in December to accelerating the fight against poverty.
On a deal to cancel debt of poor countries, which was agreed at the World Bank's annual meeting in September, Wolfowitz said member countries are still trying to complete a compensation schedule, reiterating that the process would be done within weeks rather than months.
Wolfowitz is in Tokyo as part of a two-week trip to Asia and Europe. He leaves for China on Wednesday and then visits Russia, Sweden and Finland.
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