Iraq’s Northern Kurdish Region Stops Oil Exports

Associated Press ^ | Dec 25, 2012 4:36 AM EST

[Olog-hai]

An Iraqi Kurdish official says the country’s self-ruled northern Kurdish region has suspended oil exports over a payment row with the central government in Baghdad. …

In April, the Kurds stopped the exports of around 100,000 barrels a day due to delays in payments. …

[gotribe]

Looks like the Kurds are having a little trouble with becoming iranian-backed shiites.

[WilliamofCarmichael]

Another source..

Turkey weighs pivotal oil deal with Kurdistan

Things get even more complicated.. and have been for the past several years.

"Kurdistan has already staked out significant autonomy, providing its own public services, controlling airports and borders, and commanding police and army forces. The energy deal with Turkey would all but sever Kurdistan’s economic dependence on Baghdad, which is perhaps the primary tie that still binds the two sides . . . On Nov. 16, a minor confrontation between Kurdish security forces and Iraqi Army soldiers combusted into a deadly firefight. Since then, both sides have deployed thousands of troops, as well as tanks and artillery, to either side of their contested border, where they still remain within firing range."

I wonder why the AP employee (the posted article) did not mention Turkey. I believe that pipelines already exist through Turkey. Another oil deal expands Turkey's role in the Kurdish region of Iraq and like other deals, without Baghdad's participation or approval.

"Turkey is increasingly siding with the Kurds. Kurdish and Turkish leaders have had a budding courtship for the past five years. But now Turkey is negotiating a massive deal in which a new Turkish company, backed by the government, is proposing to drill for oil and gas in Kurdistan and build pipelines to transport those resources to international markets. The negotiations were confirmed by four senior Turkish officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of political sensitivities."

(BTW the Marxist terrorist Kurdish Worker's Party, PKK, is Turkey's enemy and the PKK is not tied to the Kurdish Regional Government of Iraq. The PKK is backed by Iran and Syria against Turkey -- "Syria’s Kurdish minority" as the W-P employee refers to them.)

And how does Obama feeeeeeeeel about this?

“Turkey hasn’t needed to ask what we think of this, because we tell them at every turn,” said a senior U.S. official involved in Middle East policymaking, speaking anonymously because he was not authorized to talk with the press. The official said any bilateral energy deals with Kurdistan would “threaten the unity of Iraq and push [Prime Minister Nouri] al-Maliki closer to Iran.” Closer? You mean they are already holding hands?

BTW, is Obama a Sunni Muslim or a Shi'a Muslim Islamist? Or is he simply what I think he his, an Isflamist, everything he says is flam.

[Ben Ficklin]

"And how does Obama feeeeeeel about this?"

How does George Bush feel about this?

Bush-Cheney Crony Got Iraq Oil Deal

The bottom line on this is that any oil company that does business with the Kurds is excluded from doing business with the Iraqi oil company.

This is why foreign oil companies are dominating in Iraq

[gotribe]

This doesn’t surprise me. We are owned by the global oil interests.

[xrmusn]

Does sound kind of familiar.

Kurds are doing the work.
Iraqis enjoying the fruits.

Iraqis quit paying.
Kurds quit producing.

NOW Kurds are the ‘bad guys’

[xrmusn]

NOW Kurds are the ‘bad guys’

Forgot to add...

When the Kurds were doing the producing and demanding payment they were told ‘What you are doing is just a drop in the bucket. Who needs you”?

Now that the Kurds have cut off the supply, ALL OF A SUDDEN they are tipping the scales of the Worlds Supply.

It really does depend on ‘Whose Ox is getting gored’.