“The Leftovers”

Contracts to develop a couple of minor Iraqi oil fields were let to Canadian and Turkish bidders. The contracts, totalling under $500 million, were notable for their smallness, i.e., no major oil companies (or Bechtel, Halliburton or the usual favored suspects) seemed to have an interest in them. The contracts are of note because they are, of course, the first “post-war” contracts let by “the sovereign” (albeit illegitimate) government of Iraq.
The announcement of these contracts comes just as former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was allowed to meet with his defense lawyers (for the first time). Relationship between the two? Probably a coincidence, though do note that in roughly seven weeks, after either an American backed kleptocracy or Iranian backed theocracy prevails in “Iraqi elections”, look for the American physical presence in Iraq to commence draw-down (with victory duly declared).
Turkey and Canada, of course, were notable for their lack of support of the war of American aggression against the people of Iraq; hence, those nations companies would likely have been shut out of any bidding actually controlled by our Pentagon, which does lead one to believe that the Iraqis themselves put out these contracts, and hence, have some degree of autonomy from Uncle Junior.
“Some”, in this case, means just that: Being a portion or an unspecified number or quantity of a whole or group. Unspecified, yes. Although, understood to be… let’s just leave it at “unspecified”. Rest assured that had these been significant contracts, Ambassador (and Governor General) John Negroponte would have “corrected” the Iraqis’ version…
And so it goes…