20 December 2002 The US wanted the recent London gathering of Iraqi exiles to be a media event — and that’s exactly what it was. The haggling among the 350-plus opposition members at the four-day meeting, not to mention the outcome, showed the wisdom of Washington’s insistence that all fundamental issues related to a new political system in a post-Saddam Hussein Iraq be avoided. The US had urged the attendees,…
Tag: Saddam Hussein
Who Runs Somo
7 September 2001 A fresh shakeup in the Iraqi oil industry has left Oil Ministry employees — not to mention industry observers and traders — puzzled as to who is in charge of Somo, Iraq’s influential state marketing organization. The latest change came shortly after a reshuffle among top echelons at the ministry and at key state energy companies. Last month, Oil Minister Amer Rashid appointed Somo’s former executive director,…
Iraq-US: Carrot & Stick
11 May 2001 In the run-up to the expected showdown at the UN in three weeks, when the current ninth phase of the Iraqi oil-for-food program ends, US State Department officials have embarked on intensive consultations with their four fellow permanent Security Council members on the ideas for “smart sanctions” the Americans intend to propose in the UN resolution covering the program’s 10th phase. The proposals, expounded to the French,…
Iraq-Mideast Conundrum
22 June 2001 Pressure is mounting as UN Security Council members race to revamp the 11-year-old sanctions regime against Baghdad before their self-imposed Jul. 3 deadline. Pushed by its main regional ally, Saudi Arabia, the US is finding it increasingly difficult to win success on the Iraqi front without becoming actively involved in the Middle East conflict. At the same time, however, Riyadh is helping the US pile the pressure…