Iraq's oil Law

by **CHUQ** on Wed Jul 04, 2007 5:23 am

I start with the law itself.

March 2, 2007 (RFE/RL) -- On February 27, Iraq's cabinet approved a long-awaited federal oil law, with the aim of distributing oil revenues fairly among the regions. The law must now be approved by parliament to take effect.

The National Assembly's Council of Representatives is responsible for enacting legislation on crude oil and natural gas and shall approve all international petroleum treaties that Iraq signs with other states.

The Council of Ministers (cabinet) is responsible for proposing legislation related to the development of petroleum resources to the National Assembly. It formulates federal petroleum policy and ensures that the Oil Ministry works in consultation and coordination with provincial petroleum-production authorities.

http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/20 ... 040b8.html

This will not help the Iraqi people as much as it will help the oil companies.

by **CHUQ** on Wed Jul 04, 2007 5:27 am

They are in a hurry to pass this law, after all it is the most important benchmark for the Bush gang. Funny, never thought an oil man would be that much of a hurry to pass an oil law that favors the companies.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The local government in Iraq's northern region of Kurdistan said it had yet to see a draft hydrocarbon law approved by the cabinet in Baghdad, possibly complicating passage of the landmark legislation.

Parliament was expected to start debating the law on Wednesday, Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki told a news conference on Tuesday, describing the bill as the "most important" law in Iraq.

http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/ ... edType=RSS

by **CHUQ** on Wed Jul 04, 2007 5:30 am

I know that not everyone believes what I say, but this doesw sound like oil was a good reason for invasion.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's cabinet approved changes to a draft hydrocarbon law on Tuesday and sent it to parliament for immediate debate, taking a big step towards meeting a key political target set by the United States.

Washington has pushed Iraq for months to speed up passage of the law and other pieces of legislation, which are seen as vital to curbing sectarian violence and healing deep divisions between majority Shi'ites and minority Sunni Arabs.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070703/wl_nm/iraq_dc

Screw security--oil is the most important!

by **Tumbleweed** on Wed Jul 04, 2007 7:36 am

Iraq's cabinet approved changes to a draft hydrocarbon law on Tuesday and sent it to parliament for immediate debate,

I don't hold out much hope this law will go through without a lot of political infighting. Their style debate is leaving the sandbox and threatening to take their toys and other kids with them.

I look for gridlock over the law and it wouldn't surprise me if a lot of the members of parliament quit over it in protest. Maliki sure as hell won't be of any help in getting the law passed.

I think they will end up postponing a final vote on the law.

by **CHUQ** on Wed Jul 04, 2007 7:50 am

The Kurds are already gonna hold it up, because they were not given a copy to look at before the vote was called. It just keeps getting better.

by **Tumbleweed** on Wed Jul 04, 2007 7:57 am

The Kurds have been the wildcard since they drew up the law so that isn't a surprise either. The Kurds have already been negotiating contracts on their own.

by **Tumbleweed** on Wed Jul 04, 2007 8:16 pm

Well that didn't take long. :lol:

New disputes delay oil bill in Iraq

QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA

BAGHDAD - Attempts to pass a key oil law sought by the U.S. were snarled once more Wednesday by deep differences among Iraq's Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish leaders, delaying parliament debate despite the prime minister's claims of a breakthrough.

Despite heavy U.S. pressure, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has struggled for months to get members of his coalition together behind the bill, part of a long-delayed political package that the Bush administration hopes will reconcile Iraq's Sunni Arab minority with the government, reduce support for the insurgency and ease the country's violence.

Parliament failed to start debate on the bill Wednesday, despite al-Maliki's announcement the day before that it would. The acting speaker, Khaled al-Attiya, said he expected it to be sent Thursday to the legislature, where it would be put to a committee.

Al-Maliki said Tuesday that his Cabinet had unanimously approved a draft of the law, raising hopes that major progress had been made — President Bush phoned the prime minister to thank him for the step.

But almost immediately Sunni and Kurdish members of his coalition said they were not yet on board.

The influential Sunni organization, the Association of Muslim Scholars, issued a fatwa, or religious edict, blasting the bill as "religiously forbidden" and warned that those who back it "anger God for usurping public money."

Source

by **CHUQ** on Thu Jul 05, 2007 4:45 am

All this back and forth crap, just goes to show how important this oil is to the whole picture of what is happening in Iraq.

by **CHUQ** on Thu Jul 05, 2007 4:54 am

All is not well in the land of milk and bullets.

BAGHDAD | Leading Sunnis in Iraq’s Parliament continued Wednesday to snub a set of U.S.-supported oil laws that many see as key to ending sectarian killing.

The laws would regulate Iraq’s oil industry and govern how to distribute oil revenue. The Bush administration contends that passage of an equitable oil-sharing law would draw Sunnis into the Shiite-led government and help heal the nation’s deep religious rift.

http://www.kansascity.com/news/world/story/177550.html

I can just hear the warethogs in Washington now, "SH*T"!

by **CHUQ** on Thu Jul 05, 2007 5:00 am

How many times have you been told that Iraq is not about oil?

CANBERRA (AFP) - Australia admitted for the first time on Thursday that securing oil supply is a key factor behind its involvement in the US-led war in Iraq.

Defence Minister Brendan Nelson said a review of Australia's defence strategy to be released Thursday concluded that maintaining "resource security" in the Middle East was a priority.

"The defence update we're releasing today sets out many priorities for Australia's defence and security, and resource security is one of them," Nelson told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070705/wl ... 0705032943

by **Tumbleweed** on Thu Jul 05, 2007 6:33 am

One of the ironic things about this war is that we weren't even relying on the oil from Iraq so we are fighting a war for other countries.

by **CHUQ** on Thu Jul 05, 2007 6:53 am

But Tumble, if we gewt control of Iraq oil we would not need Chavez.

by **Tumbleweed** on Thu Jul 05, 2007 7:24 am

If we had a good conservation program in place we wouldn't need Chavez's oil. :lol:

by **CHUQ** on Fri Jul 06, 2007 4:55 am

The US policy and the corporations are not doing too well. Looks as if the Iraqis are not as stupid as they thought.

BAGHDAD (AFP) - Followers of Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr on Thursday joined a growing chorus of Sunni Arab, Kurdish and Shiite opposition to a draft oil law backed by Washington.

His opposition, apparently motivated by anger at the idea of US and British oil firms snapping up contracts after their countries invaded Iraq, promises to feed a fierce debate but will not necessarily derail the legislation.

"You cannot have both the Kurds and the Sadrists on the outside," said Joost Hiltermann, Iraq analyst at the International Crisis Group.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070705/wl ... oileconomy

Why is this a good thing? Shi'a and Sunni have found some common ground and hopefully they can build on that cooperatrion.

by **Tumbleweed** on Fri Jul 06, 2007 8:28 am

There is a long way to go before they all agree on anything to do with oil revenue. As far as I know they still haven't found a way to distribute oil wealth and adding even more revenue will cause even more funds to fight over.

I look for the government of Iraq to be involved in turmoil no matter how much we intervene.

Iraq's oil Law

Iraq's oil Law

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