Iraqi Oil Officials Accuse Iranians of Holding Iraqi Oil Field

WSJ ^ | DECEMBER 18, 2009 | CHIP CUMMINS and HASSAN HAFIDH

[Brilliant]

Iraqi officials said Friday that Iranian troops occupied part of a disputed oil field along the two countries' border, fueling worry about an escalation in tensions between Baghdad and Tehran.

Iraqi and Iranian officials have frequently tussled over territory along their shared frontier, and brief incursions aren't uncommon...

But at least one Iraqi official said Friday that gun fire had been exchanged in the current dispute, and this official said Iranians were still holding one oil well. That would represent a significant escalation.

The alleged incursion comes as Iraqi politicians prepare for parliamentary elections slated for March. The timing could enflame political rhetoric amid a recent backlash in many quarters of Iraqi society against growing Iranian influence here.

It also comes as the U.S., which still hosts some 115,000 troops in Iraq, threatens fresh economic sanctions against Iran unless Tehran shows good faith in international negotiations over Iran's nuclear ambitions...

Attempts to reach the Iranian mission to the United Nations in New York weren't successful. Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency, citing the National Iranian Oil Co., denied allegations of an incursion, according to Reuters.

Iraqi Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammed Haj Aziz told local reporters late Friday that Iranian troops seized the area around an oil well in the Al-Fakkah field. He said he didn't know if the Iranians were still in control of the territory. Earlier in the day, Iraqi officials had denied reports that an incursion had taken place.

Wa'al Abdullatif, an Iraqi lawmaker and a member of parliament's legal committee, said Iranians have been conducting limited incursions at al-Fakkah for more than a year. He said Iraqis workers have in the past chased Iranian border guards out of the field, which straddles the two countries' frontier...

[Brilliant]

I guess Obama needs to have a talk with them.

[Mikey_1962]

This could create an opportunity if, oh wait, Obama is President, never mind.

[chargers fan]

This could create an opportunity if, oh wait, Obama is President, never mind.

Thanks everybody that stayed home on election. All you guys sure taught us a lesson.

[blackdog]

Oh Oh.......

This was Saddam's justification in invading Kuwait. He had gone to the UN for a decade or more complaining of slant drilling into Iraqi oilfields, which they were doing. The eventual outcome was not pretty.

History repeats itself..............

[jongaltsr]

This is the third or forth time we had to deal with this exact same issue?

Next time and everytime after that, we need to shoot each person there from IRAN and leave them to rot.

[Acrobat]

I'm old enough to remember what Carter's response to provocation was: Nada...

Here we go again!

Solomon was right: there is nothing new under the sun: appeasement = more provocation until a war breaks out.

Those of you with sons in the military, plan on buying Iranian stamps soon.

[SunkenCiv]

• Iraqi general: Iranian troops 'occupy' oil well on Iraqi border
• Iranian forces take over Iraq oil well
• Iranian forces take over Iraq oil well

[Karliner]

This was Saddam's justification in invading Kuwait. He had gone to the UN for a decade or more complaining of slant drilling into Iraqi oilfields, which they were doing. The eventual outcome was not pretty.

History repeats itself..............

Beat me to it. I keeep repeating Saddam's curses to Iran before his hanging. Same war, only when we pull out of Iraq, Iran is going to have a lot of fun wreaking havoc on their neighbors. Obama will say sonething like," This is unacceptable," then some tabloid problem will prop up aphixiating all the news outlets for a time and few folks will remember pOTUS just voted,"present," once again.