Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has laid the blame for high crude prices on the excessive taxes levied on oil products by western governments.
"We are for a reduction in pump prices in the West because they are very high due to excessive taxes levied by western governments on oil products," the Iraqi leader said, quoted by the official INA news agency.
"It is the taxes that are high and not the price of oil," said Saddam, whose country sits atop some of the world's largest oil reserves.
Saddam, who was speaking late Sunday after a cabinet meeting, was reacting to a call by the G8 summit in the Italian port city of Genoa for a reduction in oil prices on the world market.
He warned that the violent anti-globalization demonstrations that marred the G8 summit "will intensify and increase to turn into organized political parties and movements."
A protester was killed for the first time in anti-capitalist riots in spite of a massive 20,000-strong security operation mounted by Italian police to protect the G8 summit. — (AFP)
© Agence France Presse
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
