BUSH'S WORLD ... NO BID OIL CONTRACTS IN IRAQ

I'm sure this bit of news should settle all the concerns about the U.S. going into Iraq to create a vibrant market economy, governed by competition and transparent democratic processes ...

According to the NY Times, four Western oil companies, "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 ..." Left out of the no-bid contracts were offers by more than 40 companies from countries like Russia, China, and India.


This decision should also help assuage concerns that we went into Iraq to help Western oil firms gain access to Iraqi oil, right?

I wonder who's going to pay to maintain the political stability necessary so these guys can make a profit? Hmmmm ...

- Mark