<b>If the Iraq crisis is the primary cause of weakening world economic prospects, then a short, decisive conflict should quickly restore economic confidence in Britain, the rest of Europe and the US. But deeper economic forces are also at work, raising the prospect of a subdued post-war rebound</b><br><b> If the Iraq crisis is the primary cause of weakening world economic prospects, then a short, decisive conflict should quickly restore economic confidence in Britain, the rest of Europe and the US. But deeper economic forces are also at work, raising the prospect of a subdued post-war reboundIn the past three years, the FTSE 100 has fallen by half, the US NASDAQ by more than 70% and Japan&amp;’s Nikkei by 60% to its lowest for 20 years. These seismic shifts are likely to have knock-on economic effects long after Iraq is out of the headlines.</b><br> While the Iraq crisis has been a major factor in the recent rise in oil prices, some industry analysts believe prices will remain relatively high after the conflict is resolved. <p></p><p> | </p><p> Forecasters have reduced their predictions for US economic growth in 2003 from well above 3% to around 2.5%. In February, US nonfarm payroll employment …