Bankrolling Basra

by Andrew Alderson

In 2003, Andrew Alderson gave up his job as a director of a London merchant bank hoping to find a new direction in life. Then, as an officer in the Territorial Army, he was called up to serve in Iraq. On his first day in Basra, he was asked if he knew 'anything about finance' and then was suddenly put in charge of sorting out Basra's Central Bank and running a multi-million pound economy. The US gives him authority for over one fifth of Iraq's finances and he becomes known as 'that merchant banker in Basra'. But Andrew and his team are never quite on Baghdad's radar, or under its orders. He quickly understands that there's another route to getting the cash flowing again. This means frequent, hair-raising adventures delivering suitcases, crates and binbags stuffed with millions of dollars wherever needed and by whatever means - in helicopters, speedboats, planes and landrovers. "Bankrolling Basra" is a human drama that brings alive the courage, dedication and humour of those trying to rebuild Iraq. It is a unique, often witty and always honest account of how one man found himself in the middle of one of the most crucial episodes in modern history.

286 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[books.bintulu · Rating 3 out of 5]

May 2022: Bankrolling Basra

The author was an investment banker in London, joined Territorial Army since uni and has voluntereed in Kosovo before sent to Iraq in 2003. He was then hired to work under CPA (Coalition Provisional Authority), in absence of the Iraqi govt, to run the country. His first task was to pay the salary of the Iraqi people, deal with the central bank in Baghdad (which was severely damaged and looted) to pay for the people salary.

Lots of financial and military technical terms, which im not familiar with. There are times I feel like reading someone's job diary.

What made me want to finish this book:
- Rebuilding a country, after it has collapsed and occupied by the west.
- How the CPA handle the protest, and they prioritise infrastructure i.e. electricity, water, sewage.
- multinational CPA staff worked together with local Iraqis, grew his team and dedicated to rebuild Iraq. He really cared about his Iraqi staff

However towards the end, the author was upset with the bureaucracy (from Whitehall, the British government, the US military, it was all political agenda up there). They need more time to ensure proper handover to the Iraqi to continue rebuild their country.

The local extremist made it worse, with bombing and attack (especially aiming Iraqis that worked for British and other members of the coalition)

[Mata · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible book published in Britain about a British reserve officer's experience in Iraq from 2003-2004. Not published in the US, it would be great if those people who plan wars and reconstructions were required to read this. Gives you amazing insight in to the current Iraq economy, the rebuilding of infrastructure, and the mismanagement of oil money, past and present. The one thing you take away from this book is that bureaucracy can screw everything up.

The author, because of his banking background, was put in charge of the financial system in Basra after he got there. He spends a lot of time discussing the efficiencies and inefficiencies of how the Coalition was functioning in Iraq, and gives great detail about the generalists and specialists sent to rebuild Iraq. A good read on the West's position on Iraq, the change of that position, the power struggle between the western nations working in Iraq, and the Central Provisional Authority's inability to appreciate the needs and requirements of the different regions of Iraq.

[Phoebe Barton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. The book is really interesting because it is a autobiography, I also am very close with the author (andrew alderson)