US plans post war change to Iraq's central bank

Source: The New York Times

The Treasury Department, somewhat belatedly in the eyes of many officials, is beginning to establish plans for a new currency for Iraq and is thinking about how to rebuild the central bank and control the money supply in post-war Iraq.

Officials would not say today whether the dollar would temporarily become the country's de facto currency, saying there is some thought to using the "Swiss print" dinar, a currency used in the Kurdish area of northern Iraq that Mr. Hussein does not control, rather than the dinar, used in the rest of the country.

"Whatever it is, it will not be a currency that has Saddam Hussein's picture on it," a senior official said. "We want to make the point that this is not going to be Saddamism without Saddam.