>Don't bother scrolling down, my answer is right here.
>
>Believe me when I say that I honestly and truly wish that your reading is the correct one.

I do as well.

>
>But people very skilled at these things have passed judgement that I have tried to reflect in my prior answer.

Here's hoping they're wrong. I'm going by the document.

>
>One has to be a lawyer to read and fully understand the wording and the sequence of wording, in this Constitution.
>It is written the way it is specifically so that people like you and me will read it and say "well we sure have set them up for basic human rights and otherwise with full freedom to do exactly as they may wish with their land and their resources, even ENSHRINING that every deal must be in the absolute best interest of all of the Iraqi people".
>
>Not so clear is the additional 'framework' that applies nor the special meanings of many of the words (as I tried to point out in my prior).
>
>So, one day, when Iraqis voice strong feeling of having their oil resources raped, someone will say "well it's all in your Constitution and we've followed the Constitution exactly so you have no valid complaint" and yopu and I will say to each other "Humpf!!! I wish I had known that's what they meant when I read this thing the first time".

I believe you are wrong, but...
>
>Time will tell.

I agree

>
>By the way, I do not favour state ownership over private. Canada's oil is not state owned and I'm fine with that. But I also have no trouble with state ownership, but U.S. leadership surely does, as withness the names "Venezuela" and "Bolivia" coming up more frequenmtly these days. And Mexico won't be far behind, and PEMEX may even turn out to be a big reason for making an issue out of immigration.

I admit that I know very little about Venezuela, Bolivia and PEMEX.
Believe me the immigration issue has been around longer than my grandfather. The current debate is very different.
"Roughly 10 percent of Mexico's population of about 107 million is now living in the United States, estimates show. About 15 percent of Mexico's labor force is working in the United States. One in every 7 Mexican workers migrates to the United States."
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/05/21/MNGFQIVNAF1.DTL

These numbers are staggering. Actually I think we already had this one out in another thread. :)

Have a great weekend Jim!

>
>
>>>>>Iraq has been set up for rape of their resources by the multi-national oil companies. The U.S. is ensuring that the new Iraqi CONSTITUTION provides that oil fields CANNOT be owned/controlled by the Iraqi government. Which is different than even Saudi Arabia or Iran or any of the other gulf states!
>>>>
>>>>This is an outright lie.
>>>>
>>>>Article 108
>>>>Oil and gas is the property of all the Iraqi people in all the regions and provinces.
>>>>
>>>>Article 109
>>>>1st - The federal government with the producing governorates and regional governments shall undertake the management of oil and gas extracted from current fields provided that it distributes oil and gas revenues in a fair manner in proportion to the population distribution in all parts of the country with a set allotment for a set time for the damaged regions that were unjustly deprived by the former regime and the regions that were damaged later on, and in a way that assures balanced development in different areas of the country, and this will be regulated by law.
>>>>
>>>>2nd - The federal government with the producing regional and governorate governments shall together formulate the necessary strategic policies to develop the oil and gas wealth in a way that achieves the highest benefit to the Iraqi people using the most advanced techniques of the market principles and encourages investment.
>>>>
>>>>http://www.ieciraq.org/final%20cand/Draft%20Constitution_2005%5B1%5D.09.20_En.pdf
>>>
>>>And what do you think your "2nd..." above is saying, Jake.
>>
>>So you completely ignore Article 108 and 109.1st?
>>
>>>
>>>I say it's blatantly "code"... words said to look like they say one thing when in fact they have a whole other parallel meaning!
>>
>>I'm supposed to take your word for this?
>>
>>>It is possible - no, make that highly likely - that "...strategic policies to develop the oil and gas wealth..." must be in the context of other clauses in said constitution to do with "ownership" and foreign "ownership" etc.
>>>It is perfectly acceptable to the writers of this document that "...in a way that achieves the highest benefit to the Iraqi people..." means WITHIN the context of other clauses of the document (ownership...) so that if FULL STATE OWNERSHIP was the absolute highest benefit to the Iraqi people it would be disqualified, leaving the best of WHAT'S LEFT, which could be a small percentage of what's actually best.
>>
>>I am of the belief that "Full state ownership" would not be the best for Iraq. I believe that the private sector can produce much better results. I am well aware that we'll never agree on this. :)
>>
>>>And the statement"...using the most advanced techniques of the market principles and encourages investment..." spells it out for you EXPLICITLY. "Most advanced techniques" is code for production sharing agreements and long term FOREIGN contracts to be on the ground finding, drilling and obtaining rights for long periods at fixed costs. And "...encourages investment" means FOREIGN INVESTMENT in return for contrcts simulating ownership.
>>
>>Nowhere does it say "foreign investment", you are inferring this.
>>
>>>
>>>And you say I outright lied!
>>
>>Yes. You are inferring and making assumptions about what is written. Your claim that "The U.S. is ensuring that the new Iraqi CONSTITUTION provides that oil fields CANNOT be owned/controlled by the Iraqi government" is untrue. The Iraqi government can own and/or control the oil if "that achieves the highest benefit to the Iraqi people". In addition, "The federal government with the producing governorates and regional governments shall undertake the management of oil and gas extracted" means just what it says. The Iraqi government is in charge.
>>
>>>
>>>Those promoting the Constitution there being read as you read it are the liars.
>>
>>Mirror mirror on the wall...