Iraq Pays $300 Million To Terror Victims
Since the fall of Saddam Hussein, violence in Iraq has produced innumerable victims in need of financial compensation, writes Omar al-Shaher.
Iraq has been taking initiatives to help the families of the people who died or were wounded as a result of the acts of violence that have shaken the country since the fall of the regime of late Iraqi President Saddam Hussein in 2003. In this framework, the funds paid by Iraq to its citizens who are known as “the victims of terrorist attacks and military errors” have exceeded $300 million up till now.
While Iraqi politicians consider spending money on such areas more important than squandering it for the sake of annual governmental allocations, economists believe that such expenditures have contributed to increasing consumerism in Iraqi society.
In 2009, Iraq ratified a law that regulates the payment of compensation for those who suffered from acts of violence. A governmental committee to accept applications from beneficiaries was formed, and subsequently opened branches in most provinces.
Since 2011, the country’s general budget has included a special article that requires compensation be paid to the victims of terrorism.
