Exposed: British government pushing oil interests in Iraq
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Graham Saul
Mar 9, 2007, 10:40:29 AM3/9/07
to Oil Aid News
Press release
from PLATFORM
For immediate release
Friday 9 March 2007
*Exposed: British government pushing oil interests in Iraq*
The British government has been using its position as a military occupation power to push the interests of oil corporations in Iraq, according to London-based research group PLATFORM.
Documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act reveal extensive efforts since at least 2004 to push for companies such as BP and Shell to receive long-term contracts, which would give them exclusive rights to extract Iraq's huge oilfields. British diplomats in Baghdad and civil servants in Whitehall have worked with oil company lobbyists, helping them obtain direct contact with Iraqi decision-makers, and have been closely involved in shaping the oil law, which was approved by the Iraqi cabinet last week.
The findings will be revealed this evening in a documentary on al-Jazeera's English-language channel, as part of its "People and Power" series. [1]
Greg Muttitt, co-director of PLATFORM, commented, "Whatever one's view of the reasons our government went to war, there is no question that it is exploiting its position as an occupation power to push its own oil interests and those of multinational companies".
He added, "The Foreign Office describes its role as providing `advice' to help the Iraqis. But advice is something the recipient can choose to take or leave. In this case, with thousands of troops standing behind the adviser, it becomes an offer difficult to refuse".
In the al-Jazeera programme, Kim Howells, Foreign Office Minister responsible for the Middle East, dismisses the criticisms as "paranoia gone completely loopy".
However, Howells himself admitted to parliament last month that the Foreign Office had been involved in shaping Iraq's oil law, and had consulted with oil companies on the types of contracts they would like to have access to. [2]
Six oil companies - BP, Shell, ExxonMobil, Chevron, Total and ENI - worked through a lobbying organisation known as the International Tax and Investment Centre (ITIC), which worked closely with the British government in pushing for the companies to take control over Iraqi oil production through controversial contracts known as production sharing agreements. [3]
The documents PLATFORM has obtained show that [4]:
* Foreign Office and Treasury officials advised ITIC in late 2004 on their strategy for influencing the Iraqi government.
For immediate release
Friday 9 March 2007
*Exposed: British government pushing oil interests in Iraq*
The British government has been using its position as a military occupation power to push the interests of oil corporations in Iraq, according to London-based research group PLATFORM.
Documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act reveal extensive efforts since at least 2004 to push for companies such as BP and Shell to receive long-term contracts, which would give them exclusive rights to extract Iraq's huge oilfields. British diplomats in Baghdad and civil servants in Whitehall have worked with oil company lobbyists, helping them obtain direct contact with Iraqi decision-makers, and have been closely involved in shaping the oil law, which was approved by the Iraqi cabinet last week.
The findings will be revealed this evening in a documentary on al-Jazeera's English-language channel, as part of its "People and Power" series. [1]
Greg Muttitt, co-director of PLATFORM, commented, "Whatever one's view of the reasons our government went to war, there is no question that it is exploiting its position as an occupation power to push its own oil interests and those of multinational companies".
He added, "The Foreign Office describes its role as providing `advice' to help the Iraqis. But advice is something the recipient can choose to take or leave. In this case, with thousands of troops standing behind the adviser, it becomes an offer difficult to refuse".
In the al-Jazeera programme, Kim Howells, Foreign Office Minister responsible for the Middle East, dismisses the criticisms as "paranoia gone completely loopy".
However, Howells himself admitted to parliament last month that the Foreign Office had been involved in shaping Iraq's oil law, and had consulted with oil companies on the types of contracts they would like to have access to. [2]
Six oil companies - BP, Shell, ExxonMobil, Chevron, Total and ENI - worked through a lobbying organisation known as the International Tax and Investment Centre (ITIC), which worked closely with the British government in pushing for the companies to take control over Iraqi oil production through controversial contracts known as production sharing agreements. [3]
The documents PLATFORM has obtained show that [4]:
* Foreign Office and Treasury officials advised ITIC in late 2004 on their strategy for influencing the Iraqi government.
* The British Ambassador to Iraq formally sent
ITIC's lobbying document to the Iraqi Finance
Minister.
* A British diplomat helped organise a meeting in
Beirut in January 2005, at which the oil companies put their case directly
to ministers and officials of the Iraqi Ministries of Oil, Finance and
Planning.
* The Foreign Office hired a former BP executive
to lead its work on Iraqi oil policy in 2003 and 2004. He wrote a 'Code of
Practice' for the Iraqi Oil Ministry, which called for
multinational companies to play the major role in developing Iraq's oil,
and for the Ministry's policies to be compatible with those of
BP.
While British officials, and have been actively involved in shaping the oil law since July 2006, Iraqi MPs are seeing it for the first time this month, eight months later. Iraqi civil society has been excluded altogether.
Greg Muttitt commented, "That Iraq's oil law was shaped by outside interests, bypassing even members of the Iraqi parliament, gives the lie to the claims that the US/UK agenda was to bring democracy to Iraq. But it also raises serious questions about our own democracy: whether the government is representing British citizens, most of whom opposed the decision to go to war, or whether in Iraq it is in fact representing a few wealthy oil corporations".
PLATFORM is a member of a new coalition launched yesterday, calling for "Hands Off Iraqi Oil", along with War on Want, Corporate Watch, Jubilee Iraq, Iraq Occupation Focus, Voices UK and Naftana. [5]
The full story of the International Tax and Investment Centre's efforts to influence Iraqi oil policy on behalf of the six multinational companies will be told in a chapter, written by PLATFORM, of the book "A Game as Old as Empire", which will be released in early April. [6]
*For more information*
Please call Greg Muttitt on 07970 589 611.
See www.carbonweb.org/iraq <http://www.carbonweb.org/iraq>
*Notes for editors*
1: The programme, entitled Iraq: Mixing Oil and Blood is being
broadcast on al-Jazeera English at 9.30 pm GMT on 9 March.
2: Responding to a parliamentary question by Alan Simpson, Kim Howells
said on 19 February 2007: Our work on Iraq's economic and energy sector
has included contacts with oil companies, as well as trade unions
representatives and non-governmental organisations. These exchanges have
included discussion of Iraq's evolving hydrocarbons legislation where
British international oil companies' have valuable perspectives to offer
based on their experience in other countries. Discussions with
international oil companies on hydrocarbons legislation have included
the range of contract types which Iraq is considering.
3: The lobbying document is on ITICs website, at
http://www.iticnet.org/publications/Iraq-book.pdf
4: These documents are all available on request please contact Greg
Muttitt on the number above.
5: See www.handsoffiraqioil.org <http://www.handsoffiraqioil.org>
6: A Game as Old as Empire: The Secret World of Economic Hit Men and
the Web of Global Corruption, edited by Steven Hiatt, published by
Berrett Koehler, will be released in the UK on 11 April 2007.
Distributed in the UK by McGraw-Hill. It features two chapters by
PLATFORM: Hijacking Iraqs Oil Reserves and Mercenaries on the Front
Line in the New Scramble for
Africa.http://www.bkconnection.com/ProdDetails.asp?ID=9781576753958&Type=SB&SUBSEL=BKP.CURR&Title=BK+Currents&ref=lib
<http://www.bkconnection.com/ProdDetails.asp?ID=9781576753958&Type=SB&SUBSEL=BKP.CURR&Title=BK+Currents&ref=lib>
While British officials, and have been actively involved in shaping the oil law since July 2006, Iraqi MPs are seeing it for the first time this month, eight months later. Iraqi civil society has been excluded altogether.
Greg Muttitt commented, "That Iraq's oil law was shaped by outside interests, bypassing even members of the Iraqi parliament, gives the lie to the claims that the US/UK agenda was to bring democracy to Iraq. But it also raises serious questions about our own democracy: whether the government is representing British citizens, most of whom opposed the decision to go to war, or whether in Iraq it is in fact representing a few wealthy oil corporations".
PLATFORM is a member of a new coalition launched yesterday, calling for "Hands Off Iraqi Oil", along with War on Want, Corporate Watch, Jubilee Iraq, Iraq Occupation Focus, Voices UK and Naftana. [5]
The full story of the International Tax and Investment Centre's efforts to influence Iraqi oil policy on behalf of the six multinational companies will be told in a chapter, written by PLATFORM, of the book "A Game as Old as Empire", which will be released in early April. [6]
*For more information*
Please call Greg Muttitt on 07970 589 611.
See www.carbonweb.org/iraq <http://www.carbonweb.org/iraq>
*Notes for editors*
1: The programme, entitled Iraq: Mixing Oil and Blood is being
broadcast on al-Jazeera English at 9.30 pm GMT on 9 March.
2: Responding to a parliamentary question by Alan Simpson, Kim Howells
said on 19 February 2007: Our work on Iraq's economic and energy sector
has included contacts with oil companies, as well as trade unions
representatives and non-governmental organisations. These exchanges have
included discussion of Iraq's evolving hydrocarbons legislation where
British international oil companies' have valuable perspectives to offer
based on their experience in other countries. Discussions with
international oil companies on hydrocarbons legislation have included
the range of contract types which Iraq is considering.
3: The lobbying document is on ITICs website, at
http://www.iticnet.org/publications/Iraq-book.pdf
4: These documents are all available on request please contact Greg
Muttitt on the number above.
5: See www.handsoffiraqioil.org <http://www.handsoffiraqioil.org>
6: A Game as Old as Empire: The Secret World of Economic Hit Men and
the Web of Global Corruption, edited by Steven Hiatt, published by
Berrett Koehler, will be released in the UK on 11 April 2007.
Distributed in the UK by McGraw-Hill. It features two chapters by
PLATFORM: Hijacking Iraqs Oil Reserves and Mercenaries on the Front
Line in the New Scramble for
Africa.http://www.bkconnection.com/ProdDetails.asp?ID=9781576753958&Type=SB&SUBSEL=BKP.CURR&Title=BK+Currents&ref=lib
<http://www.bkconnection.com/ProdDetails.asp?ID=9781576753958&Type=SB&SUBSEL=BKP.CURR&Title=BK+Currents&ref=lib>
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