Iraqis Pummeled at the Pumps - Los Angeles Times -- the Stupidist way to cut subsidies: "Mohammed Rasheed Kabaan, 38, who owns a gas station in Baghdad, said reducing subsidies was necessary and would benefit the country in the long term. But the sudden and steep price increase had been a miscalculation, he said.

'First of all, people just came out of elections a couple of days ago, obviously hoping for some improvements,' he said. 'So it was very wrong timing…. They should do it gradually, explaining to people its positive impact.'"

It's like the bureaucrats want to cause the MOST pain in doing the right thing. Why didn't Bremer increase prices 1 penny a week or even per month? Why did it take so long to start increasing prices.

Big Bush/ Bremer/ IMF mistake -- the IMF should have required 1 penny a week increases for the next 2 years.