Western creditors and governments, particularly the United States, have joined to choke off world food supplies.

That would strengthen the Government's hand in dealing with Western creditors over a $36 billion foreign debt.

Structural adjustment brought additional lending from the World Bank and other Western creditors.

Poland owes $40 billion to Western creditors and inflation is running at a rate of more than 500 percent a year.

As the Western creditors have pointed out, Russia's complaints about its 2001 payments are unreasonable.

Egypt's largest Western creditors have indicated they would write off a substantial portion of the country's $36 billion debt if an accord was signed.

Under those programs, Western creditors were hardly nicked, encouraging them to take imprudent risks elsewhere.

The retention of Balcerowicz in the government was considered essential to reassure Western creditors.

Western creditors have wanted to know if they can use these bonds to pay taxes or buy state property in privatization auctions.

Now, with Jordan's total foreign debt approaching $8 billion, its leaders are seeking further forgiveness from Western creditors.