Editorial Note
Iraqi Prime Minister Muzahem Pachachi addressed the Chamber of Deputies on December 27, 1948, concerning the question of reopening the pipeline to Haifa. He noted that the Iraqi Government had rejected a request by the Iraq Petroleum Company to permit the pumping of oil to Haifa to supply neighboring countries including Lebanon and Transjordan. The IPC had then made a second request to permit pumping of oil to Haifa “for direct shipment to Europe, and suggested a plan whereby Iraqi observers could accurately control the flow of crude through the pipeline direct to the tankers for export. It stated its willingness to guarantee that not a drop of Iraqi oil would be diverted to the Zionists.
[Page 67]“Subsequently representatives of three great powers having an interest in IPC and much concerned with the success of the Marshall Plan, requested the Government to give appropriate consideration to the company’s appeal. The response of your Government was that it could never agree to a request which might be beneficial to Jews. Later, the Company submitted clarifications of its previous assurances which are now being examined by the Ministry of Economics. To date no decision has been taken, and none can be favorably decided upon until the Government is fully satisfied that the Zionists at Haifa, shall not derive any benefit whatsoever from Iraqi oil.” (enclosure to despatch 367, December 29, from Baghdad, 890G.6363/12–2948)