As you'll know as VP of Iraq Saddam Hussein led the fight to nationalize the Iraq Petroleum Company's existing production fields in 1972 (new production fields had already been nationalized in 1961) which helped garner enough support for him to become president in 1979.
What if, early on, Royal Dutch Shell and British Petroleum bought him off?Instead of supporting the nationalization of oil fields, the oil companies supported him through a Swiss bank account, support of his other initiatives such as: his private security force and mediation/control of the armed forces and wide-spread infrastructure improvements all in his name?
What would the effects on Iraq's modern history have been once Saddam took the presidency? Given his predilection for loathing foreign intervention would he be able to keep IPC and a nationalistic Iraq in tandem? How would this affect OPEC?
What if, early on, Royal Dutch Shell and British Petroleum bought him off?Instead of supporting the nationalization of oil fields, the oil companies supported him through a Swiss bank account, support of his other initiatives such as: his private security force and mediation/control of the armed forces and wide-spread infrastructure improvements all in his name?
What would the effects on Iraq's modern history have been once Saddam took the presidency? Given his predilection for loathing foreign intervention would he be able to keep IPC and a nationalistic Iraq in tandem? How would this affect OPEC?