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BAGHDAD, Jan 28 (Reuters) - A large fire broke out in Iraq's central bank building in Baghdad early on Monday, but there were no reports of casualties, police said. They said the cause was unclear, but that flames had engulfed most of the building, which is several stories high.

Money exchange continues without hiccups Baghdad, Iraq Press, October 17, 2003 – The largest money exchange in Iraq's history is proceeding smoothly and no incident has been recorded in the 250 bank branches swapping former tattered banknotes for the new currency. "Everything is proceeding according to plan. Our 1,250 staff involved in the exchange have reported no problems so far," Faleh Dawood Salman of the Iraq Central Bank said. There are 80 exchange points in Baghdad alone, Salman said, adding that the bank was determined to complete the exchange by January 15 when old notes bearing the face of the...

Iraq pleads for asset return Iraq is asking for government and private assets frozen overseas to be returned to pay for humanitarian and reconstruction needs. The money - $1.7bn in the US alone, as well as $600m elsewhere - should be immediately transferred back to Iraq under a UN Security Council resolution of 22 May, according to the man chosen to be acting head of Iraq's central bank. "These funds are urgently needed for humanitarian, reconstruction, civilian administration and other purposes benefiting the people of Iraq," said Faleh Dawod Salman in a latter sent to the Security Council via US...

Most Looted Cash Is Recovered in Iraq By SLOBODAN LEKIC .c The Associated Press BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - U.S. officials believe they recovered most of the $1 billion taken from Iraq's central bank by one of Saddam Hussein's sons before the regime's collapse. A total of $950 million - $850 million in U.S. currency and another $100 million in euros - were found by U.S.-led coalition troops in 191 boxes hidden in government palaces throughout Baghdad, U.S. Treasury officials said Thursday. On March 18 - before coalition aerial strikes began - Saddam's youngest son Qusai ordered a central bank official...

Treasury Finds $1B Likely From Iraqi Bank By MARTIN CRUTSINGER, AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON - U.S. authorities have growing confidence that the nearly $1 billion that was ordered removed from Iraq 's central bank by Saddam Hussein has been located in various hiding spots around Baghdad, a top Treasury Department official said Thursday. "We are getting more and more confirmation that the large bulk of those funds have been identified," said Treasury Undersecretary John Taylor. He said authorities were beginning the process of verifying that the money — estimated to be $850 million in U.S. bills and $100 million in...

Lebanon recovers £300m of Saddam's stash Lebanon's central bank has located and secured £307 million in Iraqi funds, a Treasury official said. David Aufhauser, general counsel in the Treasury Department, said the disclosure by Lebanon was a sign of the progress being made in the worldwide search for Saddam's assets. Aufhauser told the House Financial Services oversight subcommittee that the assets in Lebanon apparently came from Iraq's central bank and other sources. The United States has stressed that all recovered assets will be used to help the people of Iraq and rebuild the country. Much of the money was taken...

FRANCE last week called for the suspension of sanctions against Iraq. This apparent magnanimity in defeat was hailed a breakthrough by the usual suspects who opposed the war in the first place and therefore hardly have Iraq’s best interests at heart. In fact, the French concession is a lot less than it seems. For a start, it proposes only the suspension of sanctions. Since the tyranny against whom the sanctions were directed has been swept away, plain folk will rightly ask why the sanctions are not being abolished altogether. More important, the Franco-Russian price for suspension is leaving the United...