*EPF303 11/13/2002
Text: State Department Prepares for Second Phase of Future of Iraq Project
(Answer to question taken at November 12 State Department briefing) (240)

Following is the official answer to a question taken at the November 12 regular State Department briefing; the answer was posted November 13:

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U.S. Department of State
Office of the Spokesman
November 13, 2002

Taken Question

Question Taken at November 12, 2002 Daily Press Briefing

Iraq: Status of Conference on Iraqi Oil

Question: Does the Department of State have plans to host a conference on Iraqi oil? If so what is the status of the conference?

Answer: The "Future of Iraq" Project draws on both independent Iraqis and representatives of political groups to plan for many of the practical issues that they will face together in a post-Saddam Hussein Iraq. Through this project, Iraqi experts have already begun real planning for the future of Iraq after Saddam Hussein through the convening of Working Groups in 1) Transitional Justice (which has held two meetings), 2) Public Finance, 3) Public and Media Outreach, 4) Democratic Principles (which has also met twice), 5) Water, Agriculture, and the Environment, 6) Health and Human Services, and 7) Economy and Infrastructure.

The Department of State continues to make preparations to proceed with the remaining working groups of our "second phase" of the Future of Iraq Project on the following issues: Education; Refugees, Internally-Displaced Persons, and Migration Policy; Foreign and National Security Policy; Defense Institutions and Policy; Free Media; Civil Society Capacity Building; Anti-corruption Measures; and Oil and Energy. We hope to convene these working groups in the coming weeks.

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(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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