Iraqi oil wealth is being stolen: UK campaign group
Iraq-USA, Politics, 5/15/2007

The draft oil law before the Iraqi parliament could result in multinational companies controlling and profiting from most of the country's oil fields for up to 20 years, a British campaign group warned Tuesday.

"Iraq's future is being stolen," said Hands Off Iraqi Oil (HOIO), a UK coalition opposing any foreign exploitation of Iraq's oil reserves that rips off the country's people.

In a letter to the Guardian newspaper, the campaign group singled out the role of Shell, which it said had been working closely with Britain and the US to create a framework to allow multinationals to take control of Iraq's oil.

British officials advised the International Tax and Investment Centre - a lobby group working on behalf of BP, Shell, ExxonMobil, Chevron, Total and ENI - on their strategy for influencing the Iraqi government, it said.

The coalition, led by Corporate Watch, Iraq Occupation Focus, Jubilee Iraq, Naftana, PLATFORM, Voices UK, and War on Want, said that Shell had little difficulty in persuading the UK and US governments that resulted in the first draft law.

"There has long been a revolving door between Shell and the Foreign Office. Four of the last five permanent heads of the Foreign Office have gone on to become directors of oil and gas companies - two of them at Shell," said Jonathan Stevenson of HOIO.

The campaign group suggested that as Shell holds its annual general meeting in London and the Netherlands Tuesday, action should be taken to stop the theft of Iraq's oil.

In March, an all-party group of British MPs also expressed concern about the involvement by the UK government in drafting Iraqi new oil laws.

"Decisions on the Iraqi oil industry should be made by the Iraqi people without outside interference," said the MPs, led by Labor backbencher Katy Clark.

Meantime, The New York Times reported last week that "Between 100,000 and 300,000 barrels a day of Iraq’s declared oil production over the past four years is unaccounted for and could have been siphoned off through corruption or smuggling, according to a draft American government report."

Also, NPR (National Public Radio) reported today that a supposed law on dividing oil wealth has yet to be presented formally to the Iraqi parliament.

Previous Stories:
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  Rice on Iraq conference: internal reconciliation needed   (5/7/2007)
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  Senator Reid outlines different policy on Iraq   (4/23/2007)
  Concern about back room decisions on Iraqis oil rights: UK MPs   (3/26/2007)
  100,000 march in London against Blair's war   (3/20/2006)

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