As a result, Washington policymakers barreled in 20 years ago with no real awareness of what would happen. As we approach the 20th anniversary of the Iraq invasion, we should reflect on what lessons the United States may have gleaned from the experience and whether such lessons will deter any future military operations to effect regime change. By all accounts, the invasio
Read MoreAuthors: Andrés Arauz, Rami Kiwan, Nihal El Aasar, Mohamed El Dahshan, Barik Schuber In 2021, the IMF issued and distributed $650bn worth of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study explores the unique characteristics of SDRs and provides an overview of the role of SDRs in the MENA region. Using four countries as case studies (Egypt, Iraq, Leban
Read MoreThe World Bank’s new Iraq Economic Monitor, A New Opportunity to Reform finds that high oil prices have boded well for Iraq’s economy pushing fiscal and external balance into double digit surpluses. After growing by 2.8 percent in 2021, GDP growth accelerate in the first half of 2022 to 10.5 percent thanks to rising oil output and a recovery in domestic economic activity after
Read MoreHigher oil prices, by softening budget constraints for energy producers in the Middle East and North Africa, may reduce the incentive for major economic reforms. But the region’s oil importers, facing renewed risks to social and political stability from rising costs, must contend with much greater challenges. LONDON – The soaring commodity prices affecting developing countri
Read MoreThe global target for climate warming has been set, this paper briefly discusses what caused global warming, gives samples of its major impacts, and how the world’s nations are dealing with them. The year 2019, is the year I became interested in environmental problems, and it is the year when COVID-19 broke out. For a moment, I thought the two problems were alike; they were
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