<HTML>In a message dated 6/4/2003 10:28:41 AM Eastern Daylight Time, untimely_thoughts@yahoo.com writes: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">My sources tell me that the deal was cut between Washington and Moscow concerning Russian oil contract in Iraq BEFORE the war started – remember Voloshin’s visit – he doesn’t travel much outside of Russia. One of the reasons the Kremlin could mouth off so much during the war – the deal was already done. </BLOCKQUOTE> Interesting. What you and chris say makes sense, but, any thoughts on the magnitude of the deal? I mean, Iraq owes Russia $12 billion in debt (according to CSIS) but I thought Russian corporations had up to $52 billion in corporate contracts pending before the war. Are either of those numbers wildly off? Would the deal have been structured to drop the role of Russian companies to a sub-contracting rather than prime-contracting one? Would it have just been for a portion of Russia's outstanding contracts ? Nomi</HTML>