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US-Administration puts Iraq for Sale on eBay
But still no Bidders 
IN POLICY SHIFT, U.S. PUTS IRAQ ON eBAY
No Takers in First 24 Hours
In what was seen as a marked shift in American foreign policy, on Sunday the U.S. put the entire nation of Iraq up for sale on the Internet auction site eBay.
The decision to list the Middle Eastern nation on the popular auction site surprised many at the United Nations, where just days ago President George W. Bush had made an impassioned plea for troops and money to help rebuild the war-torn country.
But Mr. Bush hinted at the policy shift in his national radio address Saturday, saying, “We are not occupiers nor liberators: we are highly motivated sellers.”
French President Jacques Chirac was the first to notice the listing of Iraq on eBay Sunday morning, when the French leader logged on in search of some rare Edith Piaf recordings.
While surfing the auction site, Mr. Chirac noticed the listing for the oil-rich nation, with an asking price of $87 billion and a seller identified only as RUMMY55.
Jake Braswell, 39, a video store clerk who regularly visits eBay in search of memorabilia from the ‘70’s television series “Battlestar Gallactica,” said he had no intention of putting in a bid for Iraq, adding that he thought the listing itself was “misleading.”
“No way is Iraq in ‘mint condition,’” Mr. Braswell said.
As of late last night, U.S. officials were still holding out hope that someone, possibly erstwhile media mogul Edgar Bronfman Jr., might be tempted to make a bid for Iraq, but their mood was growing increasingly pessimistic.
“In retrospect, asking for $87 billion might have been a mistake,” one official conceded.
No Takers in First 24 Hours
In what was seen as a marked shift in American foreign policy, on Sunday the U.S. put the entire nation of Iraq up for sale on the Internet auction site eBay.
The decision to list the Middle Eastern nation on the popular auction site surprised many at the United Nations, where just days ago President George W. Bush had made an impassioned plea for troops and money to help rebuild the war-torn country.
But Mr. Bush hinted at the policy shift in his national radio address Saturday, saying, “We are not occupiers nor liberators: we are highly motivated sellers.”
French President Jacques Chirac was the first to notice the listing of Iraq on eBay Sunday morning, when the French leader logged on in search of some rare Edith Piaf recordings.
While surfing the auction site, Mr. Chirac noticed the listing for the oil-rich nation, with an asking price of $87 billion and a seller identified only as RUMMY55.
Jake Braswell, 39, a video store clerk who regularly visits eBay in search of memorabilia from the ‘70’s television series “Battlestar Gallactica,” said he had no intention of putting in a bid for Iraq, adding that he thought the listing itself was “misleading.”
“No way is Iraq in ‘mint condition,’” Mr. Braswell said.
As of late last night, U.S. officials were still holding out hope that someone, possibly erstwhile media mogul Edgar Bronfman Jr., might be tempted to make a bid for Iraq, but their mood was growing increasingly pessimistic.
“In retrospect, asking for $87 billion might have been a mistake,” one official conceded.
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