(Iraq) Oil minister accused of mother of all sellouts

[sabra]

Source: NZ Herald

Furious protests threaten to undermine the Iraqi Government's plan to give international oil companies a stake in its giant oilfields in a desperate effort to reverse a steady decline in oil production and revenue.

In less than two weeks, on June 29 and 30, Oil Minister Hussain Shahristani will award service contracts to the world's largest oil companies to develop six of Iraq's largest oil-producing fields over 20 to 25 years.

Senior figures in the Iraqi oil industry have denounced the deal.

Fayad al-Nema, the director of the South Oil Company, which comes under the Oil Ministry and produces most of Iraq's crude, said: "The service contracts will put the Iraqi economy in chains and shackle its independence for the next 20 years. They squander Iraq's revenue."

Nema is reported to have since been fired because of his opposition to the contracts, which he says is shared by many other officials in Iraq's state-owned oil industry.

Read more: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10579354

[pinniped]

1. Mission accomplished.

.

[peacetalksforall]

11. Does anyone know the first day DUers fugured out the real reason for the build-up?

Do we have an anniversary?

[clear eye]

20. It was an issue in the huge NYC anti-war protest in Feb, 2003 n/t

[RufusTFirefly]

2. Dennis Kucinich warned about this oh, like maybe a year ago?

I can't believe that international companies would actually do such a thing!
Perhaps that's why the new temporary permanent U.S. Oil Ministry - er, I mean Embassy -- is so frickin' huge.

Nah. Couldn't be.

UPON EDIT: Whoops. Turns out I'm off by a year.

Kucinich Exposes Iraqi “Hydrocarbon Act” Privatization In House Floor Speech

"The fact is that except for three scant lines, the entire 33 page “Hydrocarbon Law,” is about creating a complex legal structure to facilitate the privatization of Iraqi oil." -- Dennis Kucinich, May 23, 2007

Too bad he's short and looks like an elf. Oh well!

[nichomachus]

3. But Dennis is short, doesn't eat cheeseburgers, and probably doesn't have a puppy.

[Wizard777]

6. Right, Privatization of the oil will deprive citizens of oil Royalty payments.

Like they get in other countries and alaska. I guess Palin will be coming out against this rip off very vocally. But then her political career would be over. So maybe not.

[No Elephants]

4. "Mother of all sellouts?" Not sure. Lots of competition for that title lately.

[Arctic Dave]

5. Just as the US is pulling out of the cities.

This should go over well. I can only guess what the backlash will be if this goes through.

Bring out the body bags.

[pjt7]

7. We're going to get their oil!

yeah for our military!

[imdjh]

14. Any bets on the effect on the price at the gas pump in Peoria? nt

[AlphaCentauri]

8. Oops! payback time for taking Saddam out of Iraq.

[slay]

9. The Endgame is finally here

Finally the true goal of invading Iraq will happen. Sickening corporate greed at its most vile. THIS WAS ALWAYS A BLOOD FOR OIL WAR! :puke:

[bkkyosemite]

10. Wonder if Obama will say anything about this.

[MasonJar]

12. Well. after all we did kill lots of Iraqis so that our oil companies could have their

parasitical way with Iraqis' resources and revenues. After all America is such a deserving country that we should get whatever we want no matter how many Iraqis die or rot in prison without a chance at trial. We are after all a Christian nation. (Of course Christ would have never associated with such a greedy, self-serving agenda.) Is a sarcasm symbol really necessary?

[nikto]

13. It was never about the oil!!

You believe that, don't you?

And you may also believe that water is dry, fire is cold,
cyanide is delicious and healthy to eat, and being hit
by a large truck going 85 MPH is good for your health.

[Amonester]

15. So, THAT is WHY thousands DIED (including more than 4,000 troops).

The CEOs of these 'international oil companie$' HAVE to get THEIR bonus$e$ at ANY cost after all.

Still nobody in the streets (or almost nobody). How come?

Un-freaking-beleiveable!

[Amonester]

16. It's not a 'oil-for-food' program...

It's a 'oil-for-nothing-in-return' program...

And to think the hypocrit neocon$ had the nerve to invoke the former as one of 'their' rationale$!

[daleo]

17. Iraqis will probably go back to blowing up the pipelines

They seem pretty difficult to protect.

[RufusTFirefly]

19. Hence, the mammoth embassy

We're going to be there protecting the pipelines for Big Oil from now until doomsday. (Which may be sooner than we think.)
Whatta deal!

[Wednesdays]

18. K&R

:kick:

[conspirator]

21. Duh! The Military Industrial Complex needs its loot nt

[LeftishBrit]

22. Surprise surprise

I mean, wasn't that sort of thing one of the main reasons for having that war the first place???

[BelgianMadCow]

23. Cheney: "well that's about effing time! Phew it's been like 9 years since my secret energy meetings"

or since we carved up the map