Into the hands of YOU-KNOW-WHO!
"Deals With Iraq Are Set to Bring Oil Giants Back"
"Four Western oil companies are in the final stages of negotiations this month on contracts that will return them to Iraq.... Exxon Mobil, Shell, Total and BP — the original partners in the Iraq Petroleum Company — along with Chevron and a number of smaller oil companies, are in talks with Iraq’s Oil Ministry for no-bid contracts to service Iraq’s largest fields, according to ministry officials, oil company officials and an American diplomat....
The no-bid contracts are unusual for the industry, and the offers prevailed over others by more than 40 companies, including companies in Russia, China and India. The contracts, which would run for one to two years and are relatively small by industry standards, would nonetheless give the companies an advantage in bidding on future contracts....
For an industry being frozen out of new ventures in the world’s dominant oil-producing countries, from Russia to Venezuela, Iraq offers a rare and prized opportunity...."
Yeah, but we didn't go there for the OIL!
No, it wasn't the ONLY REASON, but it was a GOOD CHUNK of it!!!!
