Iraq seeks to end mediators role in oil contracts to avoid kickbacks
Iraq-Regional, Economics, 8/23/2004

Iraqi oil experts and officials said they seek to abrogate the role of the mediators in the oil contracts, considering that the phenomenon of mediators in these contracts contributed to kickbacks and the blackmailing of the major wealth ( oil) in Iraq, noting an example on that the "oil for food program" imposed by the UN on Iraq between 1996- 2003.

Mustafa al-Bazirkan, the chairman of Iraq's center for information technology and research, the spokesman for the Iraqi- British council said that the Iraqi officials are seeking to minimize the role of the mediator in the oil contracts.

In a workshop hosted by Amman on Saturday under the title " oil and gas in Iraq," al-Bazirkan stressed there is corruption in oil contracts during the phase of the Anglo- American occupation of Iraq.

Several participants in the workshop, including experts and officials in the American oil companies -- owners of the main contracts in implementing the projects of rehabilitating oil sector --were accused of carrying out these projects although 18 months have elapsed since the toppling the regime of Saddam Hussein.

The official in the Iraqi Northern Oil company Tareq Abdul Mohsin said that the process of rehabilitating oil utilities which was assigned to the American " K. P. R" has not seen light yet.

Some 80 international experts are taking part in the workshop which was organized by the Iraqi equipment group and the Iraqi- British business center.

The organizing side held its first conference in London in April, while the workshop prepared for convening the second conference in Amman in November this year.

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