As Iraq and Kuwait forge ahead with their political rapprochement and the demarcation of their international boundaries, a major milestone will be achieved once an agreement is reached on the joint oil fields that straddle the border between the two states. That’s where Iraq needs all its resources to settle the issue in a manner that preserves its sovereignty and safeguards its interests in a way that does not lead…
Tag: gulf war
The Big Unknowns
18 October 2002 In 1979, the same year the US lost Iran and its oilfields to the Islamic revolution, Saddam Hussein was sworn in as president of Iraq. Twenty-three years later, the US appears poised to engage in another Mideast adventure designed to topple him. But there are a huge number of unknowns, all or any of which could turn the mission into a debacle. For Western diplomats, one of…
Iraq-Opec: Charm Offensive
11 February 2000 Iraq’s decade of non-participation in Opec may be coming to an end. The pariah state – which plans to produce 6 million barrels per day within 10 years of United Nations sanctions against it being lifted – has indicated that it intends to reassert itself as a fully functioning member of the organization. Iraq’s approach is two-pronged. It wants an Iraqi official installed in high office in…
Neighborly Trade
23 June 2000 Iraq’s trade relations with its Arab neighbors are flourishing. Businessmen from around the region are flocking to Baghdad. Bustling trade fairs reminiscent of the days before sanctions are back. Viewed regionally, economic sanctions seem to be crumbling, as Iraq wends its way back into the Arab economic – although not yet the diplomatic – arena. Since the inauguration of the United Nations oil-for-Food program in 1996 first…