Proposed Iraqi 'Hydrocarbon Law' Will Require Prolonged U.S.
Occupation, Say Greens
Green Party of the United States
www.gp.org
Monday, March 5, 2007
Contacts:
Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-518-5624, mclarty@greens.org
Starlene Rankin, Media Coordinator, 916-995-3805, starlene@gp.org
Law giving U.S. oil firms control over Iraqi oil resources fulfills an imperial dream of Bush
Administration ideologues, reveals a major motivation for the U.S. invasion of Iraq
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Green Party leaders warned that the new 'hydrocarbon law' up for approval in
Iraq would lead to a prolonged, possibly permanent U.S. presence in Iraq, with U.S.
military and Iraqi civilian casualties for years to come.
"The Iraqi hydrocarbon law, if approved by Iraqi lawmakers, will provide lucrative profits for
U.S. energy corporations by placing up to 2/3 of Iraqi oil resources under foreign control," said
Liz Arnone, co-chair of the Green Party of the United States. "The U.S. government, whether led
by Democrats or Republicans, will be committed to protecting American energy
company operations and investments in Iraq by keeping U.S. troops there."
Greens noted that passage of the law will aggravate Iraqi and regional anger over the U.S.
invasion, which has cost the lives of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians (as well as over
3,100 U.S. troops), destroyed Iraqi infrastructure, and ignited a sectarian civil
war.
"Iraqis should be allowed to decide how their resources will be used, without the pressure of
the U.S. occupation and demands from the Bush Administration," said Katey Culver, co-chair of
the Green Party of the United States and co-chiar of the Green Party of Tennessee. "The
hydrocarbon law amounts to legalized pillage by a foreign country, and that's how
Iraqis will interpret it."
The Green Party has called for immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq and has urged
Congress to cut off funding for the war to compel President Bush to order the safe return of
American service personnel.
"The Iraqi oil law proves that 'blood for oil' was a major reason for the Iraq War all along.
It demonstrates that President Bush didn't invade Iraq because of claims about WMDs, conspiracy
between Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda, liberation and democracy for the Iraqi people, or other
reasons that have proved fraudulent," said Green Party co-chair Jim
Coplen.
Major points on the Iraqi hydrocarbon law and extended U.S. military presence in Iraq:
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The Iraqi hydrocarbon law, which was drafted with the help of BearingPoint, a U.S. consultancy
firm, provides 'production-sharing agreements' (PSAs) allowing major Western energy companies
like ExxonMobil, Shell, ChevronTexaco, and BP to sign deals of up to 30 years to extract Iraq's
oil. The PSAs will allow Iraq to retain legal ownership of its oil, but
will ensure major profits for non-Iraqi companies that invest in infrastructure and operation of the wells,
pipelines and refineries. Iraq will be the only major Middle Eastern oil producing nation whose
oil production is controlled by foreign rather than state-owned companies. The hydrocarbon law
will turn Iraq into an oil spigot for western nations, rather than a
resource that benefits Iraqis. The drafting process was secretive; few
Iraqi officials were allowed to read the text, until it was leaked over the Internet. The law
was approved by the Iraqi cabinet on February 26 and now heads to the Iraqi
Parliament, which is under heavy pressure from the U.S. to pass it.
http://www.fpif.org/fpiftxt/4020
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines07/0228-05.htm
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article2132574.ece
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U.S. control over oil from the Persian Gulf region has been a stated goal since the late
1990s of the Project for the New American Century, a think tank whose membership has formed
the core of Bush Administration, including Dick Cheney, Donald
Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Perle, and Zalmay M. Khalilzad. The Project
recommended waging war on Iraq to assert such control.
http://www.newamericancentury.org
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/022203A.htm
http://www.crisispapers.org/Editorials/PNAC-Primer.htm
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Michael Hirsh, in Newsweek, reports that while
Democratic and Republican presidential contenders and Congress members are talking about timetables
for withdrawal of U.S. troops, Gen. David Petraeus' 'surge' plan will commit the U.S. to
a longer occupation that may last ten years. According to a Reuters report, Defense Secretary
Robert Gates said on February 27 that the U.S. may maintain a military presence in Iraq for a
"prolonged period," comparable to U.S. bases in Germany and South Korea.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17282867/site/newsweek/
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N27242217.htm
MORE INFORMATION
Green Party of the United States
http://www.gp.org
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Washington, DC 20009.
202-319-7191, 866-41GREEN
Fax 202-319-7193
Green Party News Center
http://www.gp.org/newscenter.shtml
"Troop Surge + Oil Grab by U.S. Firms = War Without End"
Green Party press release, January 10, 2007
http://www.gp.org/press/pr_2007_01_10.shtml