TotalFinaElf (French Oil co.) sees Iraqi contracts

CNN Money ^ | April 22, 2003 | Reuters

[FairOpinion]

PARIS (Reuters) - French oil company TotalFinaElf does not expect to be frozen out of oil contracts in Iraq despite France's tough opposition to the U.S.-led war, the firm's chief of exploration and production said Tuesday.

In an interview with the newspaper Le Figaro, Christophe de Margerie dismissed rumors Total was on a "black list" of firms that will be denied lucrative contracts in post-war Iraq, although he stressed the firm remains vigilant.

[FairOpinion]

To say that I will be extremely disappointed if we give ANYTHING to the French, is an understatement. I hope the Iraqis feel the same way, if not, someone needs to remind them.

[lilylangtree]

". . . dismissed rumors Total was on a "black list" of firms"

Since Chirac called Bush twice last week, I wonder: Is this the tradeoff between Bush and Chirac to have France start calling for an end to UN sanctions by keeping Total Fina Elf stay in production under French control?

[FairOpinion]

Frankly, I am rather tired that we keep appeasing them, I would rather go and take over France, heck, it probably wouldn't even take a month.

[Born to Conserve]

The French indirectly KILLED American soldiers. They should get ZERO from Iraq. In fact, they should pay the New Iraq all the money that Saddam stole and gave to the French Slimes.

[Shermy]

Perhaps bad news, and good news for the Chretien family. But like any CEO, he's worried about "appearances" and bad news that might effect stock price.

[xJones]

I hope the Iraqis feel the same way, if not, someone needs to remind them.

Yes, let all the facts be known of TotalFinaElf, and let the Iraqi people know exactly how hard the French, German, Russian, and Chinese governments sought to prevent the overthrow of Saddam and his regime. If the French had had their way, the Iraqis would still be being hauled off to those torture prisons. The Iraqi Shias couldn't hold their festivals. Let all the facts be publicized across Iraq and the rest of the middle east, not that they will believe it because facts have no meaning in that culture, only emotion.

[Grampa Dave]

Elf Oil h as much of a chance to get anything in the new Iraq as I have in setting new World records in the 100 meter, 200 meter and 400 meter dashes run back to back.

[jriemer]

The French ability for self-delusion is immeasurable.

[Political Junkie Too]

From the Mark Steyn column Welcome to Anglo-Saxon reality:

France, Germany, Russia, Belgium and Canada are not on the side of peace or morality or the Iraqi people. The pictures from the streets of Baghdad make that plain. But we are on the side of TotalFinaElf. Twice in recent columns, Diane Francis has mentioned, almost en passant, a curious little fact:

The Western oil company with the closest ties to the late Saddam is France's TotalFinaElf. That's not the curious fact, that's just business as usual in the Fifth Republic. This is the curious fact: As Diane wrote in February and again last week, "Total's biggest shareholder is Montreal's Paul Desmarais, whose youngest son is married to Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's daughter."

Let's see if I've got this straight: TotalFinaElf's largest shareholder is a subsidiary of Montreal's Power Corp, whose co-chief executive is Jean Chrétien's son-in-law, Andre Desmarais. Mr. Desmarais' brother, Paul Desmarais Jr., sits on the Total board.

For months, the anti-war crowd has insisted that "it's all about oil," that the only reason the Iraqi people were being "liberated" was so that the second biggest oil reserves in the world could be annexed in perpetuity by Dick Cheney and Halliburton and the rest of Bush's Texas oilpatch gang. Instead, it turns out that, if it is all about oil, then the principal North American beneficiary of the continued enslavement of the Iraqi people is the family of the Canadian Prime Minister -- that's to say, his daughter, France Chrétien, and his grandchildren.

-PJ

[Grampa Dave]

Ooops, I failed to note that this is from the Bull $hit non news of Reuters.

Reuters hasn't gotten a thing correct since 9/11.

Reuters makes the NY Slimes and ABCNNBCBS look semi honest in comparison to Reuters.

[cgk]

Article:

3:53:42 PM
Brussels, April 9 - French oil giant Totalfinaelf staked its claim Wednesday to a role in rebuilding Iraq once the dust settles from the US-led war.

Totalfinaelf chairman Thierry Desmarest said "International law must be respected" when the United States hands out reconstruction contracts.

"Calls for international tenders must be launched to determine who will take part in the reconstruction and the development," he said.

Desmarest said Totalfinaelf holds the "trump cards" in Iraq's oil industry with drilling concessions in the southern region of Bassorah.

Link: Total (French Oil Co) Wants a Role in Post-War Iraq, link provided by your friendly neighbordhood Iranian Media, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting.

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks for reposting this interesting tidbit about Elf and its relationship to relations of Creatian!

[Normal4me]

Tack on a $50/barrel surcharge and let them pump to their hearts content. That's AFTER they supply us will all of their illegal arms and other "embargo" sales paperwork and pay the appropriate fines!

[Mister Magoo]

What a laugh -- if Desmarest was so concerned about international law, he wouldn't have signed contracts with a regime who specialized in torturing, raping, and murdering its own people.

[BOBTHENAILER]

Elf Oil h as much of a chance to get anything in the new Iraq as I have in setting new World records in the 100 meter, 200 meter and 400 meter dashes run back to back.

Now I know they have no chance.

[FairOpinion]

Amasing! It was about oil all right, for those who were trying to keep Saddam in power, so THEIR oil keeps flowing and the heck with the Iraqi people.

This Canadian tie to the French oil company is very interesting. Can you imagine, if Bush had such relationship to a foreign oil company?!

[Grampa Dave]

Hey, I can still catch my 4 year old grand daughter when she takes off sprinting trying to get away. She is really fast and can run forever.

However, I will not be setting any World Sprint records. Nor will Elf oil be getting any more Iraqi oil for awhile.

[Grampa Dave]

Of all people, Senator Biden told some protestors last year that this was a war for oil, and the French had been fighting and winning the war for Iraqi oil for years.

[Ancesthntr]

TotalFinaElf (French Oil co.) sees Iraqi contracts

...getting rescinded.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Desmarest said Totalfinaelf holds the "trump cards" in Iraq's oil industry with drilling concessions in the southern region of Bassorah.

They have not understood that the Game Table just got turned over!

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