Sources: Ministry of Foreign Affairs | Asahi newspaper

1. Facts

• Debt: $7.021bn Reparations: ???
• Report to Paris Club: The total is more than the $4.2bn estimated in April because it includes losses from missed trade insurance payments by Iraq to private Japanese companies. Japanese public-sector entities are owed $4.109bn plus a further $2.919 billion in penalties due to delayed repayments. Of the total, the government's trade insurance funds were owed $3.432 billion in principal and $195 million in interest, plus $2.751 billion in penalties, or "late interest", as of 1st January 2003. The Japan Bank for International Development (JBIC) was owed $360 million in principal and $122 million in interest, plus $168 million in penalties. (June 11th)
• Previous estimate: Y473bn is public sector (Y430bn in export credit, Y43bn in yen loans). Source

2. Politics

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• Zembei Mizoguchi (Vice finance minister): Japan has not yet made a decision on whether to support a debt moratorium, "But (Iraq) is not in a situation where it can repay immediately, so we will deal with the matter accordingly." This is contrary to a report in the Asahi Shimbun newspaper - 11th May
• Masajuro Shiokawa (Finance Minister): Japan may reduce Iraq's debt burden, for instance by rescheduling debts owed to Japan. - 11th April

3. Action - Write to Masajuro Shiokawa.

• Praise him for his initial statement about reducing Iraq's debt burden.
• Explain that you do not believe the Iraqi people are legitimately responsible for any debts incurred by Saddam which were not spent to their benefit.
• Ask him not to reschedule but rather to commit to writing off all claims on the Iraqi people to pay odious debts owed by Saddam.
• Ask him to negotiate within the Paris Club cartel of creditors to support Jubilee Iraq's proposal for a public arbitration tribunal to fairly assess the legitimacy of Saddam's debts.

General advice on writing to politicians.

LINK > Ministry of Foreign Affairs Iraq page