Should a national oil company play the role of a welfare state? In many countries around the region, national oil companies have done just that over the years. Saudi Aramco might be the prime example. From schools, to hospitals, to roads, Aramco’s footprints are all over the eastern province of Saudi Arabia. In Iraq, the absence of a national oil company since the dismantling of INOC in 1987 has pushed…
Tag: SOC
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…