Financial Sovereignty": Why Has Iraq Not Emancipated Financially from the Grip of the US Federal Reserve?

that is witnessing Iraq Increasing American pressure regarding a set of demands that it considers Washington Essential, foremost among them the issue of armed factions. 

These pressures have become more prominent recently when salaries were paid to members of the Popular Mobilization Forces, with Iraqi MPs asserting that the reason is due to American pressure exerted on Iraqi government There are also reports that Washington intends to restrict the flow of dollars into Iraq to limit their smuggling.

While negotiations are taking place betweenBaghdadAnd Washington, regarding these files, observers believe thatUSStill holding one of the strongest cards on the table.IraqControlling its financial revenues from oil exports by keeping them in US Federal Reserve accounts since 2003.

 So why is Baghdad still subject to this financial arrangement two decades after the invasion? Why can't it receive its oil revenues directly, as other oil-producing countries do? And why have successive governments failed to free themselves from American financial hegemony?

Historical Background to Financial Hegemony
In May 2003,Security CouncilResolution No. 1483, which stipulated that revenues from Iraq’s oil and gas exports be deposited in a special account at the US Federal Reserve under the name “fundIraq's development.

A portion of these revenues - 5% of total oil and gas exports - was allocated to compensateKuwaitRegarding the damages resulting from the 1990 invasion, which continued until 2022 when Iraq completed paying its compensation, which amounted to approximately $52.4 billion.

According to MazharMohammed Saleh, the economic advisor to the Iraqi Prime Minister, the rest of the money was transferred to the accountCentral Bank of Iraq, which is responsible for financing the government and the Ministry of Finance with liquidity, given that the Iraqi dinar is priced in dollars.

Saleh adds thatUnited NationsLegal protection for these assets was provided under Resolution 1483, until it expired in 2011, following the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1956. In parallel, the US president issued Executive Order 13303 to protect Iraqi assets, a decision that remains in effect today despite some amendments.

According to Saleh, the goals of US protection of Iraqi assets are to ensure Iraq's reconstruction, protect its assets from compensation claims from companies and individuals, and avoid judicial seizure of Iraqi assets in cases filed since the 1990s.

Current US pressure
: Experts believe that Iraq, despite the expiration of many of the legal reasons that imposed this financial arrangement, remains subject to strict financial oversight by theWashington, differs from the usual procedures in the international banking system.

Dr.Abdulrahman Al-MashhadaniA professor of economics at the University of Iraq in Baghdad, Al-Mashhadani said that Iraq is facing unprecedented tightening of financial audits due to US concerns about money laundering, terrorist financing, and dollar smuggling, especially since Baghdad has not adhered to financial oversight controls in recent years.

Al-Mashhadani asserts that this audit has led to a significant decline in money laundering operations in recent months, citing the incident of "theftcentury"In 2022, more than $2.5 billion was smuggled, 70% of which was through Iraqi banks.

For his part, a member of theFinance CommitteeMP Jamal Kocher points out that most oil-producing countries deposit their money in the US Federal Reserve because oil is sold in dollars, but Iraq suffers from complete dependence on oil revenues without any significant alternative resources.

Kocher stresses that US pressure is not always exerted directly, but rather focuses on two issues:
- The use of US weapons outside the authority of the state.
- The smuggling of dollars to parties hostile to the United States.

In the same context, Al-Mashhadani explains that Iraq does not enjoy the same ease as other countries in disposing of its revenues, and suffers from a deficit inLibraCommercial interests, in addition to restrictions on the use of other currencies or an equal exchange system with other countries, weaken its ability to be financially independent.

Al-Mashhadani warns that the imposition of US economic sanctions on Iraq is not unlikely, noting that 32 Iraqi banks are currently subject to US sanctions, and Baghdad has not been able to lift any of them despite the passage of years.

Iraqi Voices
Economic researcher AnmarAl-ObaidiThe problem is not with depositing funds at the US Federal Reserve, but rather with the restrictions imposed on their free use, unlike other countries.

Al-Obaidi says that Iraq's political fragility and continued instability have prevented successive governments from settling the outstanding compensation issue, emphasizing that addressing this issue will enable Iraq to gradually achieve financial liberalization.

Al-Obaidi notes that the government's measures to combat money laundering and currency smuggling have achieved significant improvement over the past two years, but the country still needs banking reforms and comprehensive automation of its systems to bolster international confidence.

 For his part, economic advisor Mazhar Muhammad Salih believes that getting rid of US oversight is possible in the future, but it requires gradual political and economic measures, beginning with restoring international confidence.

Economic analyst Saman Shali agrees, believing that ending US tutelage requires a courageous political decision from various blocs, in addition to working to rationalize spending and settle debts related to compensation from international companies.

Shali suggests using international law firms to negotiate with these companies, similar to what happened in the Kuwait compensation case, stressing that the process, despite its difficulty, will pave the way for Iraq to regain its financial sovereignty.

Options for Liberation and Financial Independence
Economists believe that liberating Iraq from the grip of the US Federal Reserve requires a comprehensive plan that includes:
- Completely reforming the Iraqi banking system
- Automating financial and accounting procedures
- Reducing corruption in financial institutions
- Settling compensation claims through international legal tools
- Diversifying sources of income away from oil.

Analysts believe that continued reliance on the US financial system without radical reforms will keep Iraq hostage to external agendas that restrict its ability to move.

Towards financial independence is conditional on political will,
despite the end of most of the legal restrictions imposed byinternational communityDespite Iraq's post-2003 financial situation, the country remains under tight financial control by the United States, reflecting the fragility of Iraq's economic and political structure.

Experts believe that the opportunity to liberate itself from this hegemony remains, but the matter depends on a unified political will and a strict economic vision that rebuilds international confidence in the Iraqi financial system.

The question remains: Does it have the capacity?Iraqi governmentWill the country have the will and ability to wrest its financial sovereignty, or will American influence continue to control the country's economic lifeline for decades to come?  link