Was It a Democractic Decision?

[petros]

BAGHDAD (AP): A consortium led by Russia's private oil giant won the biggest prize of Iraq's second oil auction this year, nabbing a field initially promised them a decade ago by Saddam Hussein while other companies Saturday showed little interest in offerings outside the secure southern part of the country.

Lukoil and Norway's Statoil ASA won rights to develop the 12.88 billion barrel West Qurna Phase 2 field in the Basra region, beating out three other consortiums led by France's Total SA, Malaysia's state-run Petronas and British giant BP PLC.

The field was the crown jewel of Iraq's second international oil auction, which has placed some of the country's most coveted sites up for grabs compared with the riskier fields that drew little interest in the first auction in June. In all, 15 fields were offered over two days, and of the seven offered Saturday, four were awarded.

"It is a big victory for Iraq," Oil Minister Hussain al-Shahristani told reporters after the final field was auctioned. "It is a big achievement for Iraq to win such contracts at the current prices."

Was this a democratic decision made by the people of Iraq? Does this mean the Shell & Lukoil will pay enough royalties to return Iraq to high level of social infrastructure with the best medical and education system in the Mid East that made many western nations look pathetic in comparison?

Shell was the big winner of the first auction. Shell says they plan to triple out put from Iraq to 21 Million BBL per day within three years.

Bye bye AB Scar Sands!

 

[darkbeaver]

Iraq cannot be returned to it's pre-invasion state. Even if it wasn't a DU dump.

 

[weaselwords]

Its sad to watch a nation sell itself to the highest bidder

 

[petros]

Its sad to watch a nation sell itself to the highest bidder

It's even more sad to see an invading force and it's puppet govt steal from the Iraqi people whose lives have been forever altered by western greed.

I guess it's official. Iraqis are now equally free as everyone else on the planet and are being screwed as equals.


Democracy.

What a joke.

 

[AnnaG]

It's even more sad to see an invading force and it's puppet govt steal from the Iraqi people whose lives have been forever altered by western greed.

I guess it's official. Iraqis are now equally free as everyone else on the planet and are being screwed as equals.


Democracy.

What a joke.

Yup.

 

[Cliffy]

Is it not the same thing here where our politicians tell us how great it is that we have given away all our natural resources to international corporations who really don't care if we have to live with the aftermath of their rape and pillage of our land?

 

[petros]

Is it not the same thing here where our politicians tell us how great it is that we have given away all our natural resources to international corporations who really don't care if we have to live with the aftermath of their rape and pillage of our land?

I'm not sure. It took a gun to the head to spur on the decision. What were we threatened with?

 

[Cliffy]

I'm not sure. It took a gun to the head to spur on the decision. What were we threatened with?

Loss of jobs? I don't know but we seem to have just given them away without a whimper. But then Canadians have been well conditioned to assume the position whenever we are told to.

 

[petros]

Loss of jobs? I don't know but we seem to have just given them away without a whimper. But then Canadians have been well conditioned to assume the position whenever we are told to.

If loss of jobs is an issue then going to Iraq to steal their oil was the worst thing possible for AB & SK. When Shell triples production of Iraqi oil over the next 2-3 years we'll see layoffs.

The big picture isn't shown on TV no matter how wide your plasma screen is.

 

[FiveParadox]

Re: Iraqi Democracy

It seems to me that this had more to do with private enterprise than it had to do with democracy in the Republic of Iraq. Nonetheless, my position remains the same that a democracy cannot be ‘introduced’ or ‘imposed’ in a nation; if the people of a nation are truly prepared to create a healthy democracy, then the steps to do so would be taken by now and without the armed intervention of the United States of America. Unless there is that fundamental and basic level of desire for democracy amongst the Iraqi people themselves, then once the United States withdraws the Iraqi democracy is doomed to collapse under its own weight. Its system of government will not be sustainable.

 

[petros]

Saddam was a CIA placed whack job but he had no troubles in spending money on building schools, hospitals, mosques, CHURCHES and infrastructure.

If you think the people had it ****ty under oppression tell me how this differs from being a black or native American?

Many in Iraq had it good because of their status and many had it bad. How was it different and justifiable to kill 1.5 million and displace 5 million more is what I fail to understand when identical physical and financial oppression exists on this continent.

If the Iraqi people are so dangerous and evil and out to kill westerners why was one of the first things done by the US was give everyone a passport and open the borders wide?

 

[Cliffy]

And Iran is next. How many more millions will be sacrificed at the alter of US democracy?