Kucinich Calls For Congressional Investigation Into Hunt Oil Company-Kurdistan Oil Deal

Washington, Sep 19 - Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), who is calling for a Congressional investigation into the Hunt Oil Company-Kurdistan oil deal, gave the following speech on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives today:

“The recent oil deal between the U.S.-based Hunt Oil Company and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) raises questions. Hunt Oil, a privately held oil company based in Texas and its founder, Ray Hunt, have close ties to Vice President Cheney and are large donors to President Bush.

“The deal also appears to undercut the goal of oil revenue sharing but is predictably consistent with the Administration’s attempt to privatize Iraqi oil assets. Both Hunt Oil Company and Kurdistan are strong allies with the Bush Administration.

“As I have said for five years, this war is about oil. The Bush Administration desires private control of Iraqi oil, but we have no right to force Iraq to give up control of their oil. We have no right to set preconditions to Iraq which lead Iraq to giving up control of their oil. The Constitution of Iraq designates that the oil of Iraq is the property for all Iraqi people.

“I am calling for a Congressional investigation to determine the role the Administration may have played in the Hunt-Kurdistan deal, the effect the deal will have on the oil revenue sharing plan and the attempt by the Administration to privatize Iraqi oil.

“The Administration misled Congress and the media into thinking that oil legislation was about ‘fair distribution.’”