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PLATFORM’s new report exposes the true cost to Iraq of the oil majors’ agenda As Carbon Web goes to press, Iraqi politicians are still haggling over the key roles in forming a new government. The outcome will be closely watched not only by Iraqis, but as a recent PLATFORM report reveals, by multinational oil companies, hoping to…

As Iraq goes to the polls in this month’s referendum on the draft Constitution, the fate of the country’s oil reserves has once again escaped public scrutiny – despite their central importance to Iraq’s future economy. According to Oil Ministry officials, contracts will be signed with foreign oil companies during the first nine months of…

“Iraq is a rich country, but its people are poor,” Hassan Juma’a tells me as we sit in the sparse living room of his crumbling rented house in Basra. Hassan is lucky: he earns just over 300,000 Iraqi dinars (IQD) per month (about £120). With that he is just able to pay rent of 50,000…

Originally published in The Guardian. Faced with daily reports of car bombs and kidnappings, it’s difficult to feel optimistic about Iraq. But last week in the south of the country I heard a very different story. A story of the movement that has formed to rebuild the country’s economy and national pride, to create an…

Iraqi oil and Tony Blair’s absurd conspiracy theory By Greg Muttitt Published in Red Pepper magazine February 2005 Since the invasion of Iraq, Britain and America have taken care to avoid being seen as trying to obtain the country’s enormous oil reserves. However, behind the scenes, they have worked hard to ensure that oil multinationals…

By Greg Muttitt, PLATFORM Presentation at European Social Forum, October 2004 Shortly after the invasion of Iraq, development of Iraq’s oil industry was divided into two elements. The first was to repair and rebuild the existing infrastructure, to repair damage caused by the invasion, looting and sabotage, the second being to design a long-term future…