The U.S. Administration is Building the Iraqi Nation through Economic Security

Posted: Thursday, October 22, 2009 Author: Amber Pembleton

Moving beyond security and military cooperation, Iraq and the U.S. talked business this week. The U.S. State Department hosted the Iraqi prime minister for the U.S.-Iraq Dialogue and Economic Cooperation summit on Monday followed by two days of session for the Iraq Investment and Business Conference. The U.S. troops are withdrawing from Iraqi cities, and the violence may be lessening, but is there enough security for investment? According to one New York Times article, many U.S. investors are still weary of investment in Iraq because of the overall political situation that still favors corruption.

U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton, addressed the conference on Tuesday, stating that the U.S. was guided by the “Strategic Framework Agreement, which identifies several areas in which the United States and Iraq will collaborate, including good governance, rule of law, environmental protection, science, health, education, and especially economic development and the promotion of trade.” During the conference, Secretary of State Clinton and President Obama both stressed the need for fair elections in January for economic development to work. The administration appears to be using economic incentives to help ensure the upcoming elections are held on time, and without contest. Economic cooperation through trade and investment are an important step in securing stability in the region, but there are still many opportunities for the U.S. in the years ahead.