“Unacceptable and unjustified” are the words Iraqi Oil Minister Thamer Ghadhban used to describe ExxonMobil’s hasty exit from the troubled country, according to Reuters , but a late-night rocket strike in Iraq suggests Exxon’s move was timely. Exxon began evacuating its foreign engineering personnel last week from the West Qurna 1 field in Iraq due to security concerns, Al Arabiya reported at the time. While Exxon neither confirmed nor denied the report last week, Iraqi officials are confirming that Exxon has removed 60 people—or all of its foreign employees. The security issues came to light mid-week last week after the United States ordered all non-essential personnel from the country citing possible threats from Iran, presumably via the Iraqi Shi’ite militia. Ghadhban said that Exxon’s personnel shuffling had a different motive. “The withdrawal of multiple employees – despite their small number – temporarily has nothing to do with the security […]