Remember Iraq? The country that once dominated American news broadcasts has slowly receded into a less prominent place in our media-addled awareness. One of President Obama's singular achievements -- and one that has gone virtually unnoticed -- has been his successful extrication of American and allied forces from the Middle Eastern country.
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Boeing 777-200LR
(photo: cnet.com) |
However, the march of American commerce into the country of the late Saddam Hussein continues.
According to an Associated Press story published in the Seattle Times, Boeing has recently delivered a new 777-200LR to Iraqi Airlines, possibly in response to the Baghdad firm's purchase of two Airbus planes. The story notes that the Boeing plane had been earmarked for another, unstated buyer. Alas, there were "complications" that led to the sudden availability of the equipment to the eager Iraqis.
The sale is the first aviation transaction since 1982. American interests have salivated over the prospects of Iraqi business before, during, and since that time. Apparently, much of today's commercial activity is taking place in the relatively safe Kurdish zone. Oil, which supposedly was going to pay for the American invasion, did not really materialize until well after David Petraeus' troop "surge" was successfully conducted. Sounds as if Iraq is open for business again, even to its former occupiers.
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