Iraq and the Politics of Oil: An Insider's Perspective

by Gary Vogler

Overview

Was the Iraq war really about oil? As a senior oil advisor for the Office for Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance (ORHA) and briefly as minister of oil, Gary Vogler thought he knew. But while doing research for a book about his experience in Iraq, Vogler discovered that what he knew was not the whole story—or even the true story. The Iraq war did have an oil agenda underlying it, one that Vogler had previously denied. This book is his attempt to set the record straight.

Iraq and the Politics of Oil is a fascinating behind-the-scenes account of the role of the US government in the Iraqi oil sector since 2003. Vogler describes the prewar oil planning and the important decisions made during hostilities to get Iraqi oil flowing several months ahead of schedule. He reveals how, amid the instability of 2006 (largely fueled by the arrogance of early US decisions), the fixing of the Bayji Refinery contributed significantly to the success of the oil sector in the Sunni part of northern Iraq during and after the surge. Vogler gives us an expert insider’s view of the largest oilfield auctions in the history of the international oil industry, and his account shows how US Forces’ focus on a single Iraqi point of failure in 2007 was a primary factor in the record productions and exports of 2012 through 2017.

But under the successes so deftly chronicled here, a darker political narrative finally emerges, one that reaches back to the decision to go to war with Iraq. Uncovering it, Vogler revises our understanding of what we were doing in Iraq, even as he gives us a critical, close-up view of that fraught enterprise.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780700625062
Publisher:	University Press of Kansas
Publication date:	12/01/2017
Pages:	318
Sales rank:	220,149
Product dimensions:	6.40(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Gary Vogler is president of Howitzer Consulting, LLC. From December 2006 to September 2011 he was a senior oil consultant for US Forces in Iraq, and before that he served as deputy senior oil advisor, CPA, for Baghdad, and as senior oil advisor, ORHA, for the Pentagon, Kuwait, and Baghdad. Vogler, a former US Army officer, has also worked in management positions at ExxonMobil and Mobil Oil Corporations for over two decades.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations

Preface

Acknowledgments

Abbreviations

Dramatis Personae

1. American Oil Minister

2. Contingency Planning for the Oil Sector

3. ORHA Start-Up: Lieutenant General Jay Garner Is the First Civilian Leader

4. Iraqi Oil Sector: History, Resources, and Organization

5. Adjusting the Oil Plan

6. Penalizing Syria: Why So Important

7. Finding Gold in Baghdad: Oil Ministry Leadership

8. The Calm before the Storm: June 2003

9. The Long Hot Summer of 2003

10. The Bizarre Top Priority

11. Task Force Shield: Securing the Oil Sector

12. Changing of the Guard: Oil Ministry and CPA Oil Change

13. CPA Closes Out: June 2004

14. A Break between Tours: 2004 to 2006

15. Energy Fusion Cell: Fixing the Oil Sector

16. The Bayji Refinery and the Surge

17. The Southern Export Project

18. The Bid Rounds: Oil Field Auctions

19. Leaving Iraq: September 2011

20. What Haunts Me

Epilogue

Notes

Index

Editorial Reviews

In this book, Vogler tells a powerful story that should be read by an audience beyond the military and oil industry. He tells a compelling story of how a few people in political power at the time led the US into a war under false assumptions and the terrible consequences of such deception and dishonesty at the highest levels.”—Social Science Journal

"This is a great read for all military leaders currently working or about to work with interagency or intergovernmental organizations."—Military Review

"Vogler’s book is more than a re-examination of the reasons for the invasion . . . for watchers of Iraq’s energy sector, it’s a goldmine."—Petroleum Economist

"This is the most thorough study of the challenges, successes, and failures of the oil industry in Iraq after the 2003 invasion. A highly thought-provoking book. Highly recommended."—Choice

“After five months of Pentagon planning and six years of implementation in Iraq, Gary Vogler discovered the secret oil agenda that sent the United States to war in the Middle East. His revealing and compelling narrative will both surprise and anger many Americans about neoconservative greed, dishonesty, and treachery. Iraq and the Politics of Oil tells the truth—and the truth about this grave historical blunder is long overdue.”—Donald T. Phillips, author of Lincoln on Leadership for Today

“Mr. Vogler’s first hand account of his years working to rebuild the Iraqi oil sector is a must-read for students of post-conflict reconstruction. It demonstrates how even with advanced planning by top industry experts, this crucial sector still faced unanticipated bureaucratic infighting, political interference, Congressional budget constraints, and deteriorating security. Mr. Vogler describes in intimate detail how a remarkable group of dedicated Iraqis and Americans came together to try to overcome these challenges, providing valuable lessons for the future.”—Ambassador Robin Raphel, former Deputy Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction.

“Gary Vogler spent 72 months in Iraq after the invasion in 2003 working on oil infrastructure. I know no other person better qualified to write this story. And the management of oil in Iraq over this period is an important story.”—Gordon Rudd, author of Reconstructing Iraq: Regime Change, Jay Garner, and the ORHA Story

“This important book provides the reader with a mosaic of the Iraq oil story from 2002 to 2011; it is written by the one American who experienced and contributed to all of it. Gary Vogler describes the details of our country’s prewar oil planning, followed by the challenges of executing those plans once inside of Iraq. As a former army officer and oil industry executive, Vogler was uniquely qualified to be the senior oil advisor to both the US coalition and the newly formed Iraqi government. His advice, experience, and leadership was instrumental in restarting the Iraqi oil sector. This is a must-read for all senior military and foreign service officers.”—Jay Garner, retired Lieutenant General, US Army

From the Publisher