Iraqi oil: A sticky situation?
Just so I do not get my breeches all twisted up in this Iraqi oil saga, I want to record, for my own sanity, my understanding what is going on so the pundits won’t mess with my mind.
In Iraq, three regions are identified: Northern Iraq with the Kurds - Neo-cons-; Middle Iraq with Sunni and Southern Iraq with Shia. Most of Iraqi oil is in the Southern and Northern regions. When the Constitution of Iraq was written or tried to be written, there were vague and ambiguous statements regarding how the oil revenues would be distributed. I interpreted it as efforts to have a nationalized gas program.
The Kurds of the North quickly got their borders, own flag, national anthem, air ports, government officials and, for all practical purposes, considered themselves a country unto themselves separated from Iraq. Kosvo is following the same pattern. The Kurds quickly signed an oil deal with a Dutch oil company apparently with no desires to include the Shia and Sunni communities shearing in their revenues.
Enter EXXon, BP, Total et.al with oil contracts signed by whom, I do not know. Are they conflicting with the Dutch oil contracts of the North, I do not know. Question: Have oil contracts been signed, sealed and delivered with a clearly written and verified mandate for the distribution of the revenues? The fun begins. I note two influential players as the president of Iraq, a Kurd and Chaliebe, also a Kurd and who is an official or un-official oil baron in the region.
This is my understanding so now when the pundits and commentators come ‘round trying to mess with my understanding, I’m gonna be listenin’ with cupped ear. “Say what?? Don‘t talk back to me! Get off my lawn!!”
As always,
BB
In Iraq, three regions are identified: Northern Iraq with the Kurds - Neo-cons-; Middle Iraq with Sunni and Southern Iraq with Shia. Most of Iraqi oil is in the Southern and Northern regions. When the Constitution of Iraq was written or tried to be written, there were vague and ambiguous statements regarding how the oil revenues would be distributed. I interpreted it as efforts to have a nationalized gas program.
The Kurds of the North quickly got their borders, own flag, national anthem, air ports, government officials and, for all practical purposes, considered themselves a country unto themselves separated from Iraq. Kosvo is following the same pattern. The Kurds quickly signed an oil deal with a Dutch oil company apparently with no desires to include the Shia and Sunni communities shearing in their revenues.
Enter EXXon, BP, Total et.al with oil contracts signed by whom, I do not know. Are they conflicting with the Dutch oil contracts of the North, I do not know. Question: Have oil contracts been signed, sealed and delivered with a clearly written and verified mandate for the distribution of the revenues? The fun begins. I note two influential players as the president of Iraq, a Kurd and Chaliebe, also a Kurd and who is an official or un-official oil baron in the region.
This is my understanding so now when the pundits and commentators come ‘round trying to mess with my understanding, I’m gonna be listenin’ with cupped ear. “Say what?? Don‘t talk back to me! Get off my lawn!!”
As always,
BB
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