Iraq accuses U.S.A of marginalizing OAPEC's role

Iraq questioned if the secretary general of the oil group OAPEC (Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries) is fully qualified to lead the organization.

Iraqi oil minister Amer Mohamed Rashid said regarding the future selected candidate to lead the organization that "the candidates are Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran," clarifying that the oil market now is controlled by supply and demand and the secretary general must know how to handle this complicated market and to be from acountry that is independent and "that does not fall under the influence of the grand industrial countries especially the U.S administration which want the fall of the petroleum prices."

He accused the U.S.A of trying to marginalize the role of O.A.P.E.C and he also accused Saudi Arabia of having relations with U.S.A and that it submits to the U.S pressure and it could implement U.S policies and not the O.A.P.E.C's so that O.A.P.E.C become weak with no effective role in the oil market issue.