corrente

Lifestyle Section

Antique swag roadshow:

IRAQ: SADDAM HUSSEIN'S CAR SEIZED IN JORDAN

Amman, 15 July (AKI) - Jordanian border guards have blocked an attempt to smuggle a limousine belonging to toppled Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein from Iraq through Jordan and then onto the United States. The black Mercedes-Benz IS600 was stopped at a Iraqi-Jordanian border crossing and its occupants, several Iraqi nationals, were arrested, the deputy director of Jordanian customs, Khalf al-Hazima told the Jordanian daily al-Rai on Friday.

Authorities believe the car was stolen from one of Saddam Hussein's numerous palaces in Iraq in the aftermath of the US-led invasion in 2003.

According to al-Hazima, the incident is the latest of many attempts to smuggle into Jordan valuables pillaged from Saddam's palaces. (Ham/Aki) Jul-15-05 11:23 AKI link

Meanwhile, more good ownership society news for all you Mercedes-Benz IS600 enthusiasts out there:

IRAQ: A LUXURY HOTEL TO OPEN IN KURDISTAN

Suleymaniya, 15 July (Aki) The Kurdish Autonomous Region is getting a new hotel. The 28-floor luxury hotel, which will be built in the town of Suleymaniya, is part of a 60 million dollar tourism project led by Kurdish businessman Faruq al-Mullah Mustafa. He is also behind the creation of the first Iraqi mobile network, and announced other big investments such as a big cement company, and the first ever cable-car in Iraq, connecting the hotel to a nearby mountain.

The ambitious project is meant to encourage foreign investment in Kurdistan, whose economy is presently dependent on small companies. On the other hand, Mustafa stresses, the absence of big multinationals makes it a still-untapped market and an interesting investment opportunity.

The Kurdish businessman is nevertheless aware of the work needed to attract foreign investors in this remote area of northern Iraq. And he is calling for an improvement of the legal framework as well of the security. (Shs/Aki) Jul-15-05 18:00 AKI link

Maybe Charlie Wilson and Miss Snowflake will show up at the pool-bar and buy everyone Stingers.

*