[NYTr] Poll: Iraqis Reject Oil Privatization

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

sent by David Swanson - Aug 6, 2007
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/25467 

Poll: Iraqis Prefer Not to Let Foreign Companies Steal Their Oil


http://priceofoil.org

Iraqis oppose oil development plans, poll finds

Further setback for US / UK as Iraqis reject oil privatisation

Iraqis oppose plans to open the country's oilfields to foreign
investment by a factor of two to one, according to a poll released
today. Iraqis are united in this view: there are no ethnic, sectarian
or geographical groups that prefer foreign companies.

The poll also finds that most Iraqis feel kept in the dark about the
oil plans - with fewer than a quarter feeling adequately informed about
a proposed new law to govern Iraq's oil sector. 

This poll is the first time ordinary Iraqis have been asked their views
on the contents of the oil law, which has been debated by Iraqi
political parties for over a year. The US government is pressing
Baghdad to pass the oil law by September, as one of their "benchmarks".
[1] 

At the centre of the oil law is a proposal to give multinational oil
companies such as BP, Shell and Exxon the primary role in developing
Iraq's oilfields, under contracts of up to 30 years. 

Yet 63% of poll respondents said they would prefer Iraq's oil to be
developed and produced by Iraqi public sector companies rather than
foreign companies, with 32% of those indicating a strong preference.
Only 10% strongly preferred foreign companies, and 21% moderately.

Only 4% of Iraqis feel they have been given 'totally adequate'
information for them to feel informed about the oil law. A further 20%
describe information provision as 'somewhat adequate', and 76% as
inadequate.

According to the analytical report, by US-based Custom Strategic
Research [2]: 

"The lack of credible information on the content and consequences of
the draft Oil Law and on the debate surrounding the future of Iraq's
oil resources is likely to undercut the legitimacy of both the process
and any law that it ultimately produces".

The lack of information is especially significant, given that those
most informed about the oil law plans are the strongest opponents. Last
month, more than 100 of Iraq's most senior oil experts wrote to the
parliament, calling for changes to the oil law. Meanwhile, workers in
the oil sector have been consistently critical of the law. [3]

The survey was commissioned by a group of development and human rights
organisations, including War on Want, Oil Change International and
PLATFORM. [4] Louise Richards of War on Want commented,

  "The British government maintains our troops invaded and occupy Iraq
to free its people from dictatorship so that they can decide their own
future. But the government and UK companies plan to plunder its oil
despite opposition from the great majority of Iraqi citizens. David
Miliband says the Foreign Office is there to help use British assets to
build a better world. Now he should match his words with action to heed
this clear message from Iraqis."

While critics suspect the USA's real motivation is the contracts for
American and international companies, US officials have stated that
they see the law as a reconciliation measure, designed to unite Iraq's
ethnic and sectarian groups in a common vision of how to develop their
oil. 

Ironically, the law has indeed united Iraqis - in opposition to the
privatisation proposals.

The poll was carried out in June and July by KA Research, and
coordinated and analysed by Custom Strategic Research. It was based on
face-to-face interviews with 2,200 Iraqis in all 18 provinces. 

1: In President Bush's new strategy, announced in January 2007, he set
a number of political benchmarks, to be achieved by the Iraqi
government, in parallel to the surge in US troops. Progress on these
benchmarks will be reported to the US Congress in mid-September. US
officials have strongly emphasised the oil law benchmark, on repeated
visits to Baghdad - including Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and head of
Central Command Admiral William Fallon.

2: http://priceofoil.org/iraqi-oil-law-poll-june-july-2007/ 

3: The experts - all with many decades of experience in the Iraqi oil
sector, and including four former ministers - have criticised the
rushing of the oil law. They have called for the law to be delayed
until after the review of the constitution; they state that now is not
the time to sign long-term contracts, due to the security situation;
they insist that (contrary to the law) any contracts should be reviewed
by the parliament; and they warn that the law may create a fragmented
and ineffective oil industry. 

The Iraq Federation of Oil Unions represents 26,000 workers in the oil
sector: more than half of the workforce in the southern four provinces
of Iraq. They have consistently criticised the oil law for handing
control to foreign companies, and undermining Iraq's sovereignty.

http://priceofoil.org/iraqi-oil-law-poll-june-july-2007/ 

4: The poll was sponsored by:

UK: Iraq Occupation Focus ( www.iraqoccupationfocus.org.uk ); Jubilee
Iraq ( www.jubileeiraq.org ); PLATFORM ( www.carbonweb.org ); War on
Want (www.waronwant.org ); Voices ( www.voicesuk.org ) 

USA: Global Policy Forum ( www.globalpolicy.org ); Institute for Policy
Studies ( www.ips-dc.org ); Oil Change International
( www.priceofoil.org ) 

Poll results

Iraq: Public Opinion Survey . June/July 2007 

1. Iraq holds 10% of the world's proven reserves of crude oil, and
possibly much more. Do you believe that wise use of Iraq's oil
resources can provide Iraqis and your children with prosperity? 

1. Yes 81%
2. No 7
3. Don't know 12 

2. In the coming decades would you prefer Iraq's oil to be developed
and produced by Iraqi state-owned companies or by foreign companies? 

1. Strongly prefer Iraqi state 32%
2. Moderately prefer Iraqi state 31
3. Moderately prefer foreign companies 21
4. Strongly prefer foreign companies 10
5. Don't know / none of the above 5 

3. In February the Iraqi Council of ministers approved a draft Oil Law
concerning the future development of Iraq's oil sector. This law is
currently before the Iraqi Parliament. How much information has the
Iraqi Government provided you regarding the contents of this law: 

1. A lot 9%
2. A little 33
3. Not very much 30
4. None at all 28 

4. Has the level of information provided by the Iraqi government on
this law been adequate for you to feel informed on this issue? 

1. Yes, totally adequate 4%
2. Yes, somewhat adequate 20
3. No, somewhat inadequate 36
4. No, totally inadequate 40 

Methodology and analysis available at:
http://priceofoil.org/iraqi-oil-law-poll-june-july-2007/