Iraq: The carve-up begins(UK and US oil co's to meet w/ Iraqi Oil reps)

[maddezmom]

Iraq: The carve-up begins
Tom Burgis
Thursday 23 June 2005
As the costs of the Iraq occupation spiral, British and American oil companies meet in secret next week to carve up the country's oil reserves for themselves. Tom Burgis reports


In the driving seat: with so much clear profit at stake, the question of who owns Iraq's biggest natural resource is hotly contended / GettyThe Iraq war has so far cost America and Britain £105billion. But the financial clawback is gathering pace as British and American oil giants work out how to get their hands on the estimated £3trillion worth of oil.

Executives from BP, Shell, Exxon Mobil and Halliburton, Dick Cheney's old firm, are expected to congregate at the Paddington Hilton for a two-day chinwag with top-level officials from Iraq's oil ministry. The gathering, sponsored by the British Government, is being described as the "premier event" for those with designs on Iraqi oil, and will go ahead despite opposition from Iraqi oil workers, who fear their livelihoods are being flogged to foreigners. The Met will be on hand to secure the venue ahead of the conference.

"This is a networking opportunity for UK businesses involved in Iraqi oil," explained Dr Hussain Rabia, managing director of the consultancy Entrac Petroleum Ltd. "We have the moral support of the UK government. They're bringing the guys over from Iraq, offering them visas. We expect all the big oil companies to be there," he said.

Delegate numbers are described as "confidential". Shell spokesman Simon Buerk would not confirm that a representative of the company would be attending, but said he "wouldn't be at all surprised if they were".

~snip~
more: http://www.thelondonline.co.uk/theline/article.php?articleID=437

[Larkspur]

1. The real question is "How much money is Ahmad Chalabi going to

steal from this deal?"

[acmavm]

11. You mean before he has to beat it out of the country to save his skin

just like he did from Jordan?

I believe that his days in Iraq are numbered and he'll again be a resident of the West.

[donsu]

2. may they all catch a fever

nt

[Roland99]

3. We think the insurgency is strong now? Wait until this really kicks in.

The insurgency up until now will seem like a schoolyard fight.

[OzarkDem]

4. The final phase

Looks like they're getting ready to loot the store before they make a mad dash to the exit.

Rummy's Iraq "exit strategy" will make the Vietnam War pull-out look like a well organized walk in the park.

[Roland99]

5. And then Iraq and the American companies in Iraq will be in for...

a world of hurt.

[bvar22]

6. Gee. Didn't Cuckoo Bananas say

that the OIL belonged to the Iraqi People?

Was he LYING AGAIN?

[tex-wyo-dem]

7. Hmm, gee, what a surprise...

not...

http://www.gregpalast.com/detail.cfm?artid=417&row=1

[maddezmom]

8. thanks for posting the link

:thumbsup:

[Roland99]

9. Hmm...I think there was still a plan for Wolfowitz.

Nothing happens in this administration without an ulterior motive.

If they wanted Wolfowitz gone, he'd have been long-gone, like O'Neill and Lindsay.

[Robbien]

10. Iraq: The carve-up begins

The Iraq war has so far cost America and Britain £105billion. But the financial clawback is gathering pace as British and American oil giants work out how to get their hands on the estimated £3trillion worth of oil.

Executives from BP, Shell, Exxon Mobil and Halliburton, Dick Cheney's old firm, are expected to congregate at the Paddington Hilton for a two-day chinwag with top-level officials from Iraq's oil ministry. The gathering, sponsored by the British Government, is being described as the "premier event" for those with designs on Iraqi oil, and will go ahead despite opposition from Iraqi oil workers, who fear their livelihoods are being flogged to foreigners. The Met will be on hand to secure the venue ahead of the conference.

"This is a networking opportunity for UK businesses involved in Iraqi oil," explained Dr Hussain Rabia, managing director of the consultancy Entrac Petroleum Ltd. "We have the moral support of the UK government. They're bringing the guys over from Iraq, offering them visas. We expect all the big oil companies to be there," he said.

. . .

But Iraqi oil workers are furious about the conference. "The second phase of the war will be started by this conference carving up the industry," said an outraged Hasan Juma'a, head of the Iraqi General Union of Oil Employees. "It is about giving shares of Iraq to the countries who invaded it - they get a piece of the action as a reward. The British government will back this action in order to pay its debt in Iraq."

http://www.thelondonline.co.uk/theline/article.php?articleID=437