Iraq's new oil minister, Ibrahim Bahr al-Uloum, said on Sunday his ministry would follow a new motto in a country gripped by guerrilla bombings and sabotage of pipelines: "Fight corruption and boost production." Shortly after parliament approved Bahr al-Uloum to head one of the country's most strategic portfolios, he vowed to lift exports to 1.75 million barrels per day and tackle corruption, Reuters reported. "There are several plans. We are going to review them and we are going to announce them sometime next week." Bahr al-Uloum had served as oil minister for nine months after the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003. Bahr al-Uloum takes over the oil ministry at a time when insurgents appear to have regrouped while politicians bickered over forming a government following Jan. 30 elections.
