No Blood for Cash...
With a variety of talk floating around about just what interest the UN Security Council naysayers have in Iraq, I thought you would like to see some of the facts submitted by alert reader Joe Hannon. The information is from the conservative Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies at The Heritage Foundation, so factor that in...but facts is facts.
WHO BENEFITS FROM KEEPING SADDAM IN POWER?
FRANCE
• According to the CIA World Factbook, France controls over 22.5 percent of Iraq’s imports. French total trade with Iraq under the oil-for food program is the third largest, totaling $3.1 billion since 1996, according to the United Nations.
• Roughly 60 French companies do an estimated $1.5 billion in trade with Baghdad annually under the UN oil-for-food program.
• Total Fina Elf, France’s largest oil company, has negotiated a deal to develop the Majnoon field in Western Iraq. The Majnoon field purportedly contains up to 30 billion barrels of oil.
• Total Fina Elf also negotiated a deal for future oil exploration in Iraq’s Nahr Umar field. Both the Majnoon and Nahr Umar fields are estimated to contain as much as 25 percent of the country’s reserves.
• From 1981 to 2001, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), France was responsible for over 13 percent of Iraq’s arms imports.
GERMANY
• Direct two-way trade between Germany and Iraq amounts to about $350 million annually, and another $1 billion is reportedly sold through third parties/countries.
• It has recently been reported that Saddam Hussein has ordered Iraqi domestic businesses to show preference to German companies as a reward for Germany’s “firm positive stand in rejecting the launching of a military attack against Iraq.” It was also reported that over 101 German companies were present at the Baghdad Annual exposition.
• During the 35th Annual Baghdad International Fair in November 2002, a German company signed a contract for $80 million for 5,000 cars and spare parts.
• German officials are investigating a German corporation accused of illegally channeling weapons to Iraq via Jordan. The equipment in question is used for boring the barrels of large cannons, and is allegedly intended for Saddam Hussein’s Al Fao Supercannon project.
RUSSIA
• According to the CIA World Factbook, Russia controls roughly 5.8 percent of Iraq’s annual imports. Under the UN oil-for-food program, Russia’s total trade with Iraq totaled somewhere between $530 million and $1 billion for the six months ending in December of 2001.
• According to the Russia’s Ambassador to Iraq, Vladimir Titorenko, new contracts worth another $200 million under the UN oil-for-food
program are to be signed over the next 3 months.
• Soviet-era debt of $7 billion through $8 billion was generated by arms sales to Iraq during the 1980–1988 Iran–Iraq war. (February 28, 2003 Fact Sheet No. 1.)
• Russia’s LUKoil negotiated a $4 billion, 23-year contract in 1997 to rehabilitate the 15 billion–barrel West Qurna field in Southern Iraq. Work on the oil field was expected to commence upon cancellation of UN sanctions on Iraq. The deal is currently on hold.
• Russia’s Slavneft company is believed to have signed a deal around October 2001 with Iraq for a $52 million service contract to drill at the Tuba field in Southern Iraq.
• In October 2001, Slavneft, a Russian–Belaruscompany, negotiated a $52 million service contract or the Suba–Luhais field in southern Iraq. The oilfield is believed to hold at least 2 billion barrels. The contract is pending approval from the UN for additional drilling at the Luhais field.
• In April 2001, Russia’s Zaruezhneft company received a service contract to drill in the Saddam, Kirkuk, and Bai Hassan fields to rehabilitate the fields and reduce water incursion.
• A future $40 billion Iraqi–Russian economic agreement, reportedly signed in 2002, would allow for extensive oil exploration opportunities throughout western Iraq.
• Russia’s Gazprom company over the last few years has signed contracts worth $18 million to repair gas stations in Iraq. (Houston Chronicle).
• The former Soviet Union was the premier supplier of Iraqi arms. From 1981 to 2001 Russia has supplied Iraq with 50 percent of its arms.
CHINA
• According to the CIA World Factbook, China controls roughly 5.8 percent of Iraq’s annual imports.
• China National Oil Company has negotiated a deal for future oil exploration in the Al Ahdab field in Iraq. Total estimate of the contract is unknown.
• In recent years, the Chinese Aero-Technology Import–Export Company (CATIC) has been contracted to sell “meteorological satellite” and “surface observation” equipment to Iraq. This contract was approved by the UN oil-for-food program.
• CATIC also won approval from the UN in July 2000 to sell $2 million worth of fiber optic cables. This and similar contracts approved were disguised as telecommunications gear. These cables can be used for secure data and communications links between national command and control centers and long-range search radar, targeting radar, and missile-launch units, according to U.S. officials. In addition, China National Electric Wire & Cable and China National Technical Import Telecommunications Equipment Company are believed to have sold Iraq $6,104,000 and $15.5 million worth of communications equipment and other unspecified supplies, respectively.
• According to a report from SIPRI, from 1981 to 2001, China was the second largest supplier of weapons and arms to Iraq, supplying over 18 percent of Iraq’s weapon’s imports.
With a variety of talk floating around about just what interest the UN Security Council naysayers have in Iraq, I thought you would like to see some of the facts submitted by alert reader Joe Hannon. The information is from the conservative Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies at The Heritage Foundation, so factor that in...but facts is facts.
WHO BENEFITS FROM KEEPING SADDAM IN POWER?
FRANCE
• According to the CIA World Factbook, France controls over 22.5 percent of Iraq’s imports. French total trade with Iraq under the oil-for food program is the third largest, totaling $3.1 billion since 1996, according to the United Nations.
• Roughly 60 French companies do an estimated $1.5 billion in trade with Baghdad annually under the UN oil-for-food program.
• Total Fina Elf, France’s largest oil company, has negotiated a deal to develop the Majnoon field in Western Iraq. The Majnoon field purportedly contains up to 30 billion barrels of oil.
• Total Fina Elf also negotiated a deal for future oil exploration in Iraq’s Nahr Umar field. Both the Majnoon and Nahr Umar fields are estimated to contain as much as 25 percent of the country’s reserves.
• From 1981 to 2001, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), France was responsible for over 13 percent of Iraq’s arms imports.
GERMANY
• Direct two-way trade between Germany and Iraq amounts to about $350 million annually, and another $1 billion is reportedly sold through third parties/countries.
• It has recently been reported that Saddam Hussein has ordered Iraqi domestic businesses to show preference to German companies as a reward for Germany’s “firm positive stand in rejecting the launching of a military attack against Iraq.” It was also reported that over 101 German companies were present at the Baghdad Annual exposition.
• During the 35th Annual Baghdad International Fair in November 2002, a German company signed a contract for $80 million for 5,000 cars and spare parts.
• German officials are investigating a German corporation accused of illegally channeling weapons to Iraq via Jordan. The equipment in question is used for boring the barrels of large cannons, and is allegedly intended for Saddam Hussein’s Al Fao Supercannon project.
RUSSIA
• According to the CIA World Factbook, Russia controls roughly 5.8 percent of Iraq’s annual imports. Under the UN oil-for-food program, Russia’s total trade with Iraq totaled somewhere between $530 million and $1 billion for the six months ending in December of 2001.
• According to the Russia’s Ambassador to Iraq, Vladimir Titorenko, new contracts worth another $200 million under the UN oil-for-food
program are to be signed over the next 3 months.
• Soviet-era debt of $7 billion through $8 billion was generated by arms sales to Iraq during the 1980–1988 Iran–Iraq war. (February 28, 2003 Fact Sheet No. 1.)
• Russia’s LUKoil negotiated a $4 billion, 23-year contract in 1997 to rehabilitate the 15 billion–barrel West Qurna field in Southern Iraq. Work on the oil field was expected to commence upon cancellation of UN sanctions on Iraq. The deal is currently on hold.
• Russia’s Slavneft company is believed to have signed a deal around October 2001 with Iraq for a $52 million service contract to drill at the Tuba field in Southern Iraq.
• In October 2001, Slavneft, a Russian–Belaruscompany, negotiated a $52 million service contract or the Suba–Luhais field in southern Iraq. The oilfield is believed to hold at least 2 billion barrels. The contract is pending approval from the UN for additional drilling at the Luhais field.
• In April 2001, Russia’s Zaruezhneft company received a service contract to drill in the Saddam, Kirkuk, and Bai Hassan fields to rehabilitate the fields and reduce water incursion.
• A future $40 billion Iraqi–Russian economic agreement, reportedly signed in 2002, would allow for extensive oil exploration opportunities throughout western Iraq.
• Russia’s Gazprom company over the last few years has signed contracts worth $18 million to repair gas stations in Iraq. (Houston Chronicle).
• The former Soviet Union was the premier supplier of Iraqi arms. From 1981 to 2001 Russia has supplied Iraq with 50 percent of its arms.
CHINA
• According to the CIA World Factbook, China controls roughly 5.8 percent of Iraq’s annual imports.
• China National Oil Company has negotiated a deal for future oil exploration in the Al Ahdab field in Iraq. Total estimate of the contract is unknown.
• In recent years, the Chinese Aero-Technology Import–Export Company (CATIC) has been contracted to sell “meteorological satellite” and “surface observation” equipment to Iraq. This contract was approved by the UN oil-for-food program.
• CATIC also won approval from the UN in July 2000 to sell $2 million worth of fiber optic cables. This and similar contracts approved were disguised as telecommunications gear. These cables can be used for secure data and communications links between national command and control centers and long-range search radar, targeting radar, and missile-launch units, according to U.S. officials. In addition, China National Electric Wire & Cable and China National Technical Import Telecommunications Equipment Company are believed to have sold Iraq $6,104,000 and $15.5 million worth of communications equipment and other unspecified supplies, respectively.
• According to a report from SIPRI, from 1981 to 2001, China was the second largest supplier of weapons and arms to Iraq, supplying over 18 percent of Iraq’s weapon’s imports.
