Keep Your Eye on the Prize

Financing: France and Germany Join U.S. in Effort to Reduce Iraq’s Debt

Despite the US snub to exclude France and Germany from reconstruction bids, both EU countries have agreed to excuse a substantial portion of Iraqi debt. Thankfully, France and Germany have Iraq's welfare in mind and not political vendettas as the Bush administration does.

On another note, an NYT op-ed from a terrorist expert at the RAND corporation notes that, "In the end, Qaeda's real interest in Iraq has been to exploit the occupation as a propaganda and recruitment tool for the global jihadist cause." With great footage of American soliders firing at Iraqi civilians and destroying homes, Al-Qaeda won't have to do much to get others riled up. The US certainly cannot leave Iraq in its current condition of political and social instability but Bush isn't helping by banning bids from Europe's top economies.