Iraq Oil Report must read: Q&A with Iraq oil revenue auditor Joe Christoff

Q & A: Joseph Christoff of the U.S. Government Accountability Office talks with the Council on Foreign Relations’ Greg Bruno about Iraq’s oil revenue. The GAO and Christoff’s analytical reports have found room for criticism of both Iraqi and U.S. efforts in keeping tabs on and spending Iraq and U.S. funds in Iraq. Christoff talks about real Iraq budget surpluses, problems with spending money on capital projects, and what could happen after the U.N. resolution expires in December which ensures transparency of the oil revenue and protects creditors from claiming Saddam-era debt in the post-Saddam era.

The leader of Iraq’s Kurdish region, Massoud Barzani, is in Washington, D.C., for talks with President Bush, Vice President Cheney and other leaders. According to a statement from his office prior to the trip, he’s accompanied in Washington by the KRG envoy to the U.S. Qubad Talabani (son of Iraqi President Jalal Talabani), as well as KRG Natural Resources Minister Ashti Hawrami, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Barham Saleh, KRG Deputy PM Roj Noori Shaways, the head of KRG security (and Pres. Barzani’s son) Masrour Barzani and others.