Tradition has it that the Garden of Eden lay in Iraq, between the Tigris and the Euphrates. But today, despite the fertility of the land, agriculture does not flourish. Iraq, even under sanctions and with worn-out equipment, remains a major oil producer. Its oil can be produced more cheaply than almost anywhere else in the world. Through two decades of war, waged by Saddam mainly for the purpose of keeping himself in power, there has been almost no new oil exploration and very little investment in its production.
Many experts agree that there is more untapped oil potential in Iraq than anywhere else.
Sadly, the prosperity of Iraq is not a priority for Saddam nor, apparently, for the west.