# Iraq: WHERE is the (oil) Money??

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraq-where-is-the-oil-money/444774>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [April 10, 2008, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraq-where-is-the-oil-money/444774 "2008-04-10T16:56:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2008, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraq-where-is-the-oil-money/444774/1 "2008-04-10T16:56:48Z")

</div>

Before 1993, Iraq was at times the No. 3 oil producer in the world. With oil at $117/bbl, IRAQ must be capable of raking huge amounts of cash from oil exports. So where is all the money going?  
is Al-maliki and his friend lining their pockets?  
I have a feeling that certain bank accounts in Switzerland are getting fat. Meanwhile, we (the US taxpayers) are going broke in this disaster!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2008, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraq-where-is-the-oil-money/444774/2 "2008-04-10T17:10:45Z")

</div>

While Iraq has a long and storied history of corruption in distribution of its oil monies (remember the Oil For Food program, for one?), it appears they may finally be getting some sort of a grip not just on the rampant corruption, theft and thriving blackmarket that’s blossomed since Saddam’s overthrow, but on the ability to distribute it equitably. [Here’s](http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gn2ID8pGoJ7ArulJ6XpDTzoCBjHQD8VPT3E01) a recent AP article along that line. Not good, but at least better.