France, Germany, China & Russia's interests in Iraq
France
* According to the CIA World Factbook, France controls over 22.5 percent of Iraq’s
imports. French total trade with Iraq under the oil-for-food program is the third largest,
totaling $3.1 billion since 1996, according to the United Nations.
In 2001 France became Iraq’s largest European trading partner.
Roughly 60 French companies do an estimated $1.5 billion in trade with Baghdad annually
under the U.N. oil-for-food program.
* France’s largest oil company, Total Fina Elf, has negotiated a deal to develop the
Majnoon field in western Iraq. The Majnoon field purportedly contains up to 30 billion
barrels of oil.
* Total Fina Elf also negotiated a deal for future oil exploration in Iraq’s Nahr
Umar field. Both the Majnoon and Nahr Umar fields are estimated to contain as much as 25
percent of the country’s reserves.
* France’s Alcatel company, a major telecom firm, is negotiating a $76 million
contract to rehabilitate Iraq’s telephone system.
* From 1981 to 2001, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
(SIPRI), France was responsible for over 13 percent of Iraq’s arms imports.
Germany
* Direct trade between Germany and Iraq amounts to about $350 million annually, and
another $1 billion is reportedly sold through third parties.
* It has recently been reported that Saddam Hussein has ordered Iraqi domestic businesses
to show preference to German companies as a reward for Germany’s “firm positive
stand in rejecting the launching of a military attack against Iraq.” It was also
reported that over 101 German companies were present at the Baghdad Annual exposition.
* During the 35th Annual Baghdad International Fair in November 2002, a German company
signed a contract for $80 million for 5,000 cars and spare parts.
* In 2002, DaimlerChrysler was awarded over $13 million in contracts for German trucks and
spare parts.
* German officials are investigating a German corporation accused of illegally channeling
weapons to Iraq via Jordan. The equipment in question is used for boring the barrels of
large cannons and is allegedly intended for Saddam Hussein’s Al Fao Supercannon
project.
Russia
* According to the CIA World Factbook, Russia controls roughly 5.8 percent of Iraq’s
annual imports. Under the U.N. oil-for-food program, Russia’s total trade with Iraq
was somewhere between $530 million and $1 billion for the six months ending in December of
2001.
* According to the Russian Ambassador to Iraq, Vladimir Titorenko, new contracts worth
another $200 million under the U.N. oil-for-food program are to be signed over the next
three months.
* Soviet-era debt of $7 billion through $8 billion was generated by arms sales to Iraq
during the 1980–1988 Iran–Iraq war.
* Russia’s LUKoil negotiated a $4 billion, 23-year contract in 1997 to rehabilitate
the 15 billion-barrel West Qurna field in southern Iraq. Work on the oil field was
expected to commence upon cancellation of U.N. sanctions on Iraq. The deal is currently on
hold.
* In October 2001, Salvneft, a Russian–Belarus company, negotiated a $52 million
service contract to drill at the Tuba field in Southern Iraq.
* In April 2001, Russia’s Zaruezhneft company received a service contract to drill in
the Saddam, Kirkuk, and Bai Hassan fields to rehabilitate the fields and reduce water
incursion.
* A future $40 billion Iraqi–Russian economic agreement, reportedly signed in 2002,
would allow for extensive oil exploration opportunities throughout western Iraq. The
proposal calls for 67 new projects, over a 10-year time frame, to explore and further
develop fields in southern Iraq and the Western Desert, including the Suba, Luhais, West
Qurna, and Rumaila projects. Additional projects added to the deal include second-phase
construction of a pipeline running from southern to northern Iraq, and extensive drilling
and gas projects. Work on these projects would commence upon cancellation of
sanctions.[19]
* Russia’s Gazprom company over the past few years has signed contracts worth $18
million to repair gas stations in Iraq.[20]
* The former Soviet Union was the premier supplier of Iraqi arms. From 1981 to 2001,
Russia supplied Iraq with 50 percent of its arms.
China
* According to the CIA World Factbook, China controls roughly 5.8 percent of Iraq’s
annual imports.
* China National Oil Company, partnered with China North Industries Corp., negotiated a
22-year-long deal for future oil exploration in the Al Ahdab field in southern Iraq.
* In recent years, the Chinese Aero-Technology Import–Export Company (CATIC) has been
contracted to sell “meteorological satellite” and “surface
observation” equipment to Iraq. This contract was approved by the U.N. oil-for-food
program.
* CATIC also won approval from the U.N. in July 2000 to sell $2 million worth of fiber
optic cables. This and similar contracts approved were disguised as telecommunications
gear. These cables can be used for secure data and communications links between national
command and control centers and long-range search radar, targeting radar, and
missile-launch units, according to U.S. officials. In addition, China National Electric
Wire & Cable and China National Technical Import Telecommunications Equipment Company
are believed to have sold Iraq $6 million and $15.5 million worth of communications
equipment and other unspecified supplies, respectively.
* According to a report from SIPRI, from 1981 to 2001, China was the second largest
supplier of weapons and arms to Iraq, supplying over 18 percent of Iraq’s weapons
imports.