Factions vie for oil deals to finance activities

 

By Nidhal al-Laithi

 

Azzaman, November 3, 2007

 

Political factions and militia groups now play a bigger role in the country’s oil industry, senior officials and experts said.

 

They said filing stations in major cities are under the control of militias suspected of using the proceeds to finance their operations and activities.

 

“Militia groups have imposed their control over filling stations,” said former Oil Minister Ibrahim Bahr al-Uloom.

 

Uloom said political parties were using their clout and presence in the government to snatch oil exporting deals from SOMO, the country’s oil exporting arm.

 

These factions, he said, were also involved in the purchase of fuel products the import of which is worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

 

“Many of these deals are granted or better taken outside the legal framework under which SOMO works,” Uloom said.

 

Thamer Ghadhban, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s energy adviser, did not dispute Uloom’s remarks.

 

He said the government was aware of certain religious militia groups “imposing levies on fuel products sold to the public.”

 

Ghadhban said these groups were capable of doing so “by placing their loyalists at the head o of filling stations in major cities” including Baghdad.

 

However, he said, the level of corruption and smuggling was receding.