Hopefully, the Obama administration will remain serious about reducing our dependence on Mideast oil.
Iraq aims to triple oil exports to six million barrels a day in 10 years, earmarking two billion dollars to start increasing capacity, Finance Minister Baqer Jabr Solagh told AFP.
“We are allocating about two billion dollars (1.6 billion euros) to the oil ministry in the 2009 budget in order to start increasing capacity in this sector,” Solagh said in an interview on Wednesday.
“From my view, we need to increase our exports at least to what they were in the 1980s, when we exported 3.4 million barrels a day,” he said.
Ah, the 1980s…when the United States and Saddam Hussein were allies and trade partners, oil was flowing freely and we stood by while innocent Iraqis were murdered by their own government (the same reason we later determined Hussein was a criminal and should be executed). Yes, freedom is on the march, indeed.