OSI's Middle East and North Africa Initiative presented a discussion with Yahia Said, director of OSI's Iraq Revenue Watch (IRW), on the role of oil in Iraqi politics. Julie McCarthy, acting director of OSI's Revenue Watch program, introduced the event.
IRW works to promote accountability in naturalresource-rich countries by equipping citizens with the information,training, networks, and funding they need to become more effectivemonitors of government revenues and expenditures. The goal of IRW is tomonitor Iraq's oil industry and public finances, to ensure that they aremanaged with the highest standards of transparency and that the benefitsof national oil wealth flow to the people of Iraq.
Said is alsoresearch fellow at the London School of Economics, where he conductsresearch on transition and conflict. He travels frequently to Iraq toresearch and campaign on a variety of issues including opening up thepolitical process, national reconciliation and transparency in the oil sector.