Iraq Inquiry Shows Oil Was a Consideration for U.K. Before War
- British officials held talks with BP and Shell about Iraqi oil
- Blair said high oil price was his big "domestic worry"
Iraq Inquiry chairman Sir John Chilcot speaks as he comments on the findings of his report, inside the QEII Centre in London on July 6, 2016.
Photographer: Jeff Mitchell/AFP via Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
The U.K. government held talks with Royal Dutch Shell Plc and BP Plc to ensure British energy companies were "well-placed to pick up contracts in the aftermath" of the invasion of Iraq, according to declassified documents released as part of an official inquiry.
Although the report, overseen by former civil servant John Chilcot, doesn’t explicitly say oil played a role in the war, documents published on Wednesday show British officials discussed how to obtain "substantial business for U.K. companies" in the energy sector.