Fuel on the Fire: the price Iraqis paid in the war on terror

Fuel on the Fire: Oil and Politics in Occupied Iraq Greg Muttitt Vintage Dh57

In Fuel on the Fire, Greg Muttitt discusses the US-led 2003 invasion of Iraq from a home nation perspective. Having reported on the occupation from its outset, the author, a former co-director of Platform, the influential human rights organisation, analyses the collapse of Iraq’s economy as major oil corporations rushed into the post-Saddam Hussein landscape to collect the spoils of what appeared to be victory.

Undoubtedly, the most impressive aspect of the author’s finished work lies in the vast amount of testimonies and colour he’s gathered from both the advocates and opponents of the oil policies that flourished after Saddam was driven from power. Indeed, a whole cast of characters is outlined even before the book’s introduction, listing the major players in occupied Iraq’s political games from whom quotes – ranging from official statements to off-the-record opinions – are reproduced in the notes that accompany each chapter.

The result is a forensic and often engaging account of the price one nation had to pay for foreign interference that arrived neatly packaged as seemingly friendly aid.