Tom Barrack Involves Business Partner in Iraq-Syria Oil Pipeline Project

Tom Barrack, the US special envoy for Syria and Iraq, has attempted to involve a business partner in the Iraq-Syria oil pipeline project, a move that appears to violate US federal ethics rules.

In July, Iraq and Syria signed a memorandum of understanding with a consortium of companies that includes California-based TI Capital, Chevron and Qatari UCC Holding, according to Kurdistan Press.

The agreement is to conduct technical and financial studies as a prelude to rebuilding pipelines between Iraq and Syria to avoid exporting oil through the Strait of Hormuz.Tom Barrack has a long-standing business relationship with TI Capital and its founder, Ziad Ghandour. Public records show that when the company was founded, Tom Barrack was entitled to a fifth of the profits from a real estate project near San Francisco, California, that TI Capital was managing, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the discussions.

After the Iran war erupted, Tom Barrack pushed for Ghandour to be included in the Iraq-Syria oil pipeline project in meetings with Syrian and Iraqi officials.

On June 16, a month before the agreement was signed, Tom Barrack and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi issued a joint statement saying: “Steps have been taken to sign a memorandum of understanding with TI Capital to rehabilitate the Kirkuk-Banias pipeline as a major oil export route.» The statement made no mention of Chevron and UCC.

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