Iyad Allawi (leader of the Iraqi National Accord) said, in an interview with newspaper Vremya Novostei, that some of the Russian debt was for illegal deals and would not be recognized by the new authorities. "Robbery took place, not only from the Iraqi side," Allawi said. "We have information and we will give it to the Russian government." 6th May

Adnan Pachachi (Former Iraqi foreign minister, who returned to Iraq on May 6 after 33 years in exile and turned down a seat on a US-sanctioned council of ex-opposition leaders) called for an international conference to be held to settle the issue of Iraq's debts (24th May). He said in a lecture in Abu Dhabi that revenue from oil exports and the country's frozen assets of more than $10 billion would not be enough for reconstruction. "What we need is external help, including measures by major creditors to write off Iraq's debt….Iraq should also be exempted from paying war damages under UN resolutions as it badly needs those funds for its future." (4th June)