Early efforts to privatize Iraq’s oil industry proved disastrous, confirming for many Iraqis that the occupying Americans were determined to “steal” the country’s wealth and thus fanning the flames of violent resistance. Indeed, privatization was all the more bizarre as a policy choice because it was doomed in advance: investors clearly would not be attracted to buy assets where property rights might change once a legitimate Iraqi government took over – a huge impediment to investment in Kosovo as well.