Iraqi government fuels 'war for oil'
theories by putting reserves up for biggest ever sale --BP, Shell and Exxon to Meet
with Iraq Oil Minister --Unprecedented 40bn barrels up for
grabs 13 Oct 2008 The
biggest ever sale of oil assets will take place today, when the Iraqi government
puts 40bn barrels of recoverable reserves up for offer in London. BP, Shell and
ExxonMobil are all expected to attend a meeting at the Park Lane Hotel in
Mayfair with the Iraqi oil minister, Hussein al-Shahristani. Access is being
given to eight fields, representing about 40% of the Middle Eastern nation's
reserves, at a time when the country remains under occupation by US and British
forces. Two smaller agreements have already been signed with Shell and the China
National Petroleum Corporation, but today's sale will
ignite arguments over whether the overthrow of Saddam Hussein was a "war for
oil" that is now to be consummated by western multinationals seizing control of
strategic Iraqi reserves.