rockdoc123 wrote:an increase of 100kbopd over 26 years doesn't impress me much, LOL
I think what you should be looking at is the increase from the last Gulf War in 2003 to recent which is about 1.3 Mbpd.
Given all the problems that occurred as a consequence of the war and the continual lack of security and related lack of growing foreign investment it is an achievement. Foreign companies are still leaving due to the lack of security ....one wonders what could have happened had all the above ground challenges been sorted out in short order after Saddam was captured.
Look at it from the other side, if Sadaam had thrown open his arms to the weapon inspectors and the UN had lifted sanctions in 2003 instead of authorizing invasion where would we be? He wasn't a nice guy, but he had his population motivated to sell oil.