“A group of American advisers led by a small State Department team played an integral part in drawing up contracts between the Iraqi government and five major Western oil companies to develop some of the largest fields in Iraq, American officials say. …Criticism like that has prompted objections by the Bush administration and the secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, who say the deals are purely commercial matters. Ms. Rice, speaking on Fox News this month [June 19, 2008], said: ‘The United States government has stayed out of the matter of awarding the Iraq oil contracts. It’s a private sector matter.’ ”
– Andrew E. Kramer, “U.S. Advised Iraqi Ministry on Oil Deals,” The New York Times, June 30, 2008