Hands off Iraqi Oil Newsletter
1) OIL LAW FAILS TO PASS, FOR NOW
2) IRAQ PETROLEUM CONFERENCE: 'OPEN FOR BUSINESS'
3) POLL: IRAQIS SAY NO TO OIL THEFT
4) SIGNED COPY OF NEW NAOMI KLEIN BOOK - BID NOW!
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1) OIL LAW FAILS TO PASS, FOR NOW
The good news is that the Iraqi government - in spite of intense pressure from the US government - has still not passed an oil law; due both to ethnic and sectarian differences, and also to the increasing Iraqi opposition to long-term contracts with foreign companies. Today's White House's report on its 'benchmarks' for Iraq says: "The Government of Iraq has not made satisfactory progress" on passing the oil law, which "remains a high priority for the United States and the Government of Iraq". It also repeats the lie that the Hydrocarbon Law is about revenue sharing - it's not, the separate Revenue Management Law is.
Meanwhile, the Kurdistan Regional Government has gone ahead and passed a regional law, allowing contracts to be signed within Kurdistan – the latest of which was signed with Dallas-based Hunt Oil last week. Not to be outdone, the federal Oil Minister is now threatening to sign contracts on the larger fields in the south of Iraq even without the oil law, using legislation from the era of the Saddam Hussein regime.
Be an Oil Law Mythbuster: http://www.iraqoccupationfocus.org.uk/resources/mythbusters.pdf
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2) IRAQ PETROLEUM CONFERENCE: 'OPEN FOR BUSINESS'
Meanwhile, multinational oil companies, including BP, Shell and Conoco, have met with the Oil Minister and other Iraqi government officials at the Iraq Petroleum Conference in Dubai, themed “Iraq is open for business”. The conference took place at the same time as oilworkers held a conference in Basra, with a slogan “the oil wealth belongs to the Iraqi people”. The next few months will be crucial in resolving which of these two visions for Iraqi oil prevails – whether it is for the benefit of multinational companies or of the people of Iraq.
See the conference website via: http://www.handsoffiraqioil.org/
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3) POLL: IRAQIS SAY NO TO OIL THEFT
A poll released last month for the first time asked ordinary Iraqis what they think of the oil law. At the centre of it is a proposal to give multinational oil companies such as BP, Shell and Exxon the primary role in developing Iraq’s oilfields, under contracts of up to 30 years.The poll finds that Iraqis oppose plans to open their oil fields to foreign corporations by a factor of two to one. 63% of poll respondents said they would prefer Iraq’s oil to be developed and produced by Iraqi public sector companies rather than foreign companies, with 32% strongly favouring public sector companies. Only 10% strongly preferred foreign companies, and 21% moderately. Meanwhile, just 4% of Iraqis feel they have been given ‘totally adequate’ information for them to feel informed about the oil law. A further 20% describe information provision as ‘somewhat adequate’, and 76% as inadequate.
Full poll results: http://priceofoil.org/iraqi-oil-law-poll-june-july-2007/
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4) SIGNED COPY OF NEW NAOMI KLEIN BOOK - BID NOW!
Naomi Klein's new book The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism, includes a section on Iraq, covering attempts to pass the oil law. Naomi says: "The Hand Off Iraq's Oil campaign is on the front lines of the global battle against disaster capitalism. If reading The Shock Doctrine leaves you with the urge to take on the disaster capitalists, supporting this campaign is the very best place to start!"
After last night's book launch one of Hands Off Iraqi Oil's supporters has now placed a signed copy of the book on eBay to raise money for the campaign - view now and place your bids!
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260160283275
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Campaign materials: A reminder that you can download Hands Off Iraqi Oil campaign materials - including a factsheet on Shell's attempts to influence the oil law, a leaflet to hand out outside Shell garages, a model union motion and a window poster - from our website at http://www.handsoffiraqioil.org/.
About this list: This is the news and action list for supporters of Hands Off Iraqi Oil, a UK coalition campaigning against any foreign exploitation of Iraq's oil reserves that rips off the Iraqi people.
2) IRAQ PETROLEUM CONFERENCE: 'OPEN FOR BUSINESS'
3) POLL: IRAQIS SAY NO TO OIL THEFT
4) SIGNED COPY OF NEW NAOMI KLEIN BOOK - BID NOW!
***********************************************
1) OIL LAW FAILS TO PASS, FOR NOW
The good news is that the Iraqi government - in spite of intense pressure from the US government - has still not passed an oil law; due both to ethnic and sectarian differences, and also to the increasing Iraqi opposition to long-term contracts with foreign companies. Today's White House's report on its 'benchmarks' for Iraq says: "The Government of Iraq has not made satisfactory progress" on passing the oil law, which "remains a high priority for the United States and the Government of Iraq". It also repeats the lie that the Hydrocarbon Law is about revenue sharing - it's not, the separate Revenue Management Law is.
Meanwhile, the Kurdistan Regional Government has gone ahead and passed a regional law, allowing contracts to be signed within Kurdistan – the latest of which was signed with Dallas-based Hunt Oil last week. Not to be outdone, the federal Oil Minister is now threatening to sign contracts on the larger fields in the south of Iraq even without the oil law, using legislation from the era of the Saddam Hussein regime.
Be an Oil Law Mythbuster: http://www.iraqoccupationfocus.org.uk/resources/mythbusters.pdf
***************************************
2) IRAQ PETROLEUM CONFERENCE: 'OPEN FOR BUSINESS'
Meanwhile, multinational oil companies, including BP, Shell and Conoco, have met with the Oil Minister and other Iraqi government officials at the Iraq Petroleum Conference in Dubai, themed “Iraq is open for business”. The conference took place at the same time as oilworkers held a conference in Basra, with a slogan “the oil wealth belongs to the Iraqi people”. The next few months will be crucial in resolving which of these two visions for Iraqi oil prevails – whether it is for the benefit of multinational companies or of the people of Iraq.
See the conference website via: http://www.handsoffiraqioil.org/
***************************************
3) POLL: IRAQIS SAY NO TO OIL THEFT
A poll released last month for the first time asked ordinary Iraqis what they think of the oil law. At the centre of it is a proposal to give multinational oil companies such as BP, Shell and Exxon the primary role in developing Iraq’s oilfields, under contracts of up to 30 years.The poll finds that Iraqis oppose plans to open their oil fields to foreign corporations by a factor of two to one. 63% of poll respondents said they would prefer Iraq’s oil to be developed and produced by Iraqi public sector companies rather than foreign companies, with 32% strongly favouring public sector companies. Only 10% strongly preferred foreign companies, and 21% moderately. Meanwhile, just 4% of Iraqis feel they have been given ‘totally adequate’ information for them to feel informed about the oil law. A further 20% describe information provision as ‘somewhat adequate’, and 76% as inadequate.
Full poll results: http://priceofoil.org/iraqi-oil-law-poll-june-july-2007/
***************************************
4) SIGNED COPY OF NEW NAOMI KLEIN BOOK - BID NOW!
Naomi Klein's new book The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism, includes a section on Iraq, covering attempts to pass the oil law. Naomi says: "The Hand Off Iraq's Oil campaign is on the front lines of the global battle against disaster capitalism. If reading The Shock Doctrine leaves you with the urge to take on the disaster capitalists, supporting this campaign is the very best place to start!"
After last night's book launch one of Hands Off Iraqi Oil's supporters has now placed a signed copy of the book on eBay to raise money for the campaign - view now and place your bids!
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260160283275
***************************************
Campaign materials: A reminder that you can download Hands Off Iraqi Oil campaign materials - including a factsheet on Shell's attempts to influence the oil law, a leaflet to hand out outside Shell garages, a model union motion and a window poster - from our website at http://www.handsoffiraqioil.org/.
About this list: This is the news and action list for supporters of Hands Off Iraqi Oil, a UK coalition campaigning against any foreign exploitation of Iraq's oil reserves that rips off the Iraqi people.
