Sour grapes refined to wine in post-oil auction Diyala

On Dec. 13, a day after an oil auction in Baghdad was dubbed a success, officials in Diyala province complained of the failure – again – to secure top dollar foreign investors here.

Leaders see economic development as needed relief from an impoverished, restive province, as Basra and Missan province win six of the 10 oil deals awarded in the two auctions. Billions of dollars will be paid to the federal government for the right to invest even more billions of dollars in those provinces, and dr…