Big Western oil companies are in final talks this month to re-enter Iraq with service contracts to help the country boost oil production. The world probably needs that oil, or will soon, although OPEC officials keep insisting it does not--they say there is plenty of oil and customers are not asking for more. Companies bidding are ExxonMobil, Shell, Total, BP, Chevron and some smaller companies. But what is worse--I can't believe these new contrcats are no-bid. That will cause howls around the world. The U.S. and KBR already were in hot water for awarding no-bid service contracts in Iraq during the start of the war in 2003. We cannot and should not allow these new oil-related no-bid service contracts to go through. It looks bad. It's not fair. It is hypocritical to allow these, while at the same time trying to convince people in the Middle East to adopt a more open, fair, free-market economic system there. --Leslie Haines, Oil and Gas Investor, lhaines@hartenergy.com