Interim Governing Council Allows Real

Juan Cole 10/02/2003

Interim Governing Council Allows Real Estate Deals

The Iraqi Governing Council abrogated on Wednesday Baathist laws that had forbidden Iraqis from owning real estate, especially in Baghdad (-al-Sharq al-Awsat). Real estate ownership in the capital was only recognized, according to al-Sharq al-Awsat, if the deed to it was dated before the 1958 coup. The new laws creating a private market in land and real estate are not affected by the recent announcment that foreign firms can buy Iraqi companies. Real estate was specifically excluded from foreign ownership, though it can be leased to non-Iraqis.

About the Author

Juan Cole is the founder and chief editor of Informed Comment. He is Richard P. Mitchell Professor of History at the University of Michigan He is author of, among many other books, Muhammad: Prophet of Peace amid the Clash of Empires and The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. Follow him on Twitter at @jricole or the Informed Comment Facebook Page