a GRACE Productions film for Aljazeera English
Click here to view: People & Power 9.30 pm Friday 9th March 2007
A controversial new Middle East oil law could lead to the “disintegration” of Iraq as a nation state. Two of the region’s most respected commentators, including the co-author of the new Iraq Oil Law and a former oil minister, have each expressed their “gravest concern” at what they believe could happen within their country if the law is approved in its current form.
The claims are made in a hard hitting documentary on Aljazeera International’s People & Power investigative current affairs series, presented by Samah El-Shahat, to be screened on Friday 9 March at 9.30pm
In the documentary, Iraq: Mixing Oil & Blood, former oil minister Isam Al-Chalabi, says the Oil Law is “ambiguous and unclear.”
“It will cause widely different interpretations among the Iraqi people. It will make it extremely difficult for anybody to implement,” says Mr Al-Chalabi.
“If it’s accepted in its present form certainly it will not be a new beginning to the betterment of the people. On the contrary, it is only adding fuel to the fire.”
Reporter Chris Frederick investigates the controversial background to Iraq's Oil Law, recently approved by the Iraqi cabinet, which critics say will effectively hand over control of the country's prized oil industry into the hands of foreign multinational oil companies.
Chris Frederick also speaks exclusively to Tariq Shafiq, lead author of the Oil Law who says the Iraqi people have been denied any opportunity to publicly comment on its possible effects. Mr Shafiq says the country’s most senior government ministers have discussed and approved the draft law in private. He tells the programme he’s “extremely concerned.”
Iraq has been wracked by four years of violence; kidnapping and killings are now a daily event on the streets of Baghdad, and other cities across the country.
Oil Campaigner Greg Muttitt tells the programme he’s uncovered new evidence under Freedom of Information, that “British diplomats and officials in Whitehall have been reviewing drafts of the law, commenting on it and trying to influence it.”
Dr Kim Howells, Foreign Office minister, describes criticism of British government involvement in shaping Iraq’s Oil Law, as “paranoia gone completely loopy.”
He tells People & Power “it’s a shameful lie” to suggest the British government is not interested in the welfare of the Iraqi people. He says critics’ interest is in “grandising their own conspiracy theories.”
Dr Howells strongly defends the Foreign Office's role in arranging meetings between Iraqi ministry officials and western oil companies, and in influencing the oil law.
From Basra, which has some of Iraq's biggest oil fields, trade union leader Hassan Juma'a Awad explains why he and thousands of his members are angry about the new law. He tells foreign companies not to enter Iraq’s oil sector. And he issues a dire warning to his own government.
“In the event that MPs go against the wishes of the Iraqi people and allow foreign companies to have a share of oil production, we say to them “history will not be merciful to you – and people who play with our destiny will be damned”.
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