Activists from the Hands Off Iraqi Oil campaign today delivered a warning to oil company BP that it will face massive public outrage if it continues in its attempts to ‘rip off’ Iraqi oil.
They were demonstrating at the company’s Annual General Meeting in London's Docklands against the role BP has played in lobbying for a controversial new oil law in Iraq. The law would transfer control over the majority of the country’s huge oil reserves from the public sector to multinational companies, for the first time in 35 years.
BP has been at the forefront of efforts to gain access to Iraq's oil since the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
- In 2003 and 2004, successive BP executives left to work as oil advisers to the occupation authorities in Iraq, paid for by the UK government.
- One of these advisers wrote a 'Code of Practice' for the Iraqi Oil Ministry, which called for multinational companies to play the major role in developing Iraq's oil, and for the Ministry's policies to be compatible with those of BP.
- Since 2003, BP has also been one of six major oil companies working through a lobbying organisation called the International Tax and Investment Centre (ITIC) to push for the handover of control of Iraq's oil to transnational oil companies.
- Together with the other major oil companies, and the British government, they have pushed the Iraqi government to agree to allow companies to take control of Iraqi oil production through controversial long-term contracts known as ‘production sharing agreements’.
After some nonsense from the police the demonstrators were able to unfurl their banner and pose for the assembled media. If you want to get involved with or express support for the campaign get in touch via:
www.handsoffiraqioil.org
handsoffiraqioil@googlemail.com
BP has been at the forefront of efforts to gain access to Iraq's oil since the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
- In 2003 and 2004, successive BP executives left to work as oil advisers to the occupation authorities in Iraq, paid for by the UK government.
- One of these advisers wrote a 'Code of Practice' for the Iraqi Oil Ministry, which called for multinational companies to play the major role in developing Iraq's oil, and for the Ministry's policies to be compatible with those of BP.
- Since 2003, BP has also been one of six major oil companies working through a lobbying organisation called the International Tax and Investment Centre (ITIC) to push for the handover of control of Iraq's oil to transnational oil companies.
- Together with the other major oil companies, and the British government, they have pushed the Iraqi government to agree to allow companies to take control of Iraqi oil production through controversial long-term contracts known as ‘production sharing agreements’.
After some nonsense from the police the demonstrators were able to unfurl their banner and pose for the assembled media. If you want to get involved with or express support for the campaign get in touch via:
www.handsoffiraqioil.org
handsoffiraqioil@googlemail.com
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