LAT: Kurdish Oil Deal (w/ Norwegian firm) Shocks Iraq's Political Leaders

[DeepModem Mom]

Kurdish Oil Deal Shocks Iraq's Political Leaders
'This is unprecedented,' one official says after a Norwegian firm begins drilling in the north.

By Borzou Daragahi, Times Staff Writer


BAGHDAD, Iraq -- A controversial oil exploration deal between Iraq's autonomy-minded Kurds and a Norwegian company got underway this week without the approval of the central government here, raising a potentially explosive issue at a time of heightened ethnic and sectarian tensions.

The Kurdistan Democratic Party, which controls a portion of the autonomous Kurdish enclave in northern Iraq, last year quietly signed a deal with Norway's DNO to drill for oil near the border city of Zakho. Iraqi and company officials describe the agreement as the first involving new exploration in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.

Drilling began after a ceremony Tuesday, during which Nechirvan Barzani, prime minister of the Kurdish northern region, vowed "there is no way Kurdistan would accept that the central government will control our resources," according to news agency reports.

In Baghdad, political leaders on Wednesday reacted to the deal with astonishment....

***

The start of drilling, called "spudding" in the oil business, is sure to be worrisome to Iraq's Sunni Arab minority. They fear a disintegration of Iraq into separate ethnic and religious cantons if regions begin to cut energy deals with foreign countries and governments. Sunnis are concentrated in Iraq's most oil-poor region....


http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-oildeal1dec01,0,4057840.story?coll=la-home-headlines

[Mojorabbit]

1. Well

that didn't take long.

[Gloria]

2. Ah, the Norwegians!! Way back at the beginning of the Iraq mess,

when the UN suffered the loss of their top official and others in that huge bombing (they subsequently pulled out their people), I remember the talk of putting the Norwegians in Iraq to help stabilize the situation, since they were trusted in the region.
In fact, I remember seeing Holbrooke on Charlie Rose, talking about this very idea"no blue helmets" (UN) but a force lead by the Norwegians....

[Theduckno2]

3. There is no shortage of prospective customers for any oil that

is discovered. Yep, money (read: oil) talks. Complete autonomy for the Iraqi Kurds is looking more and more likely.

Maybe the Kurds are watching Hugo Chavez and found out a little bit of belligerence can go a long way to getting what you want.

[lovuian]

4. I think the Kurds is staking its claims!!! Suprise suprise!!!

theres money to be made and thats for the Kurds!!!

[Wordie]

5. Another example of how our meddling is destablizing the ME. :(

This has a lot of additional implications for the neighboring countries, as well as Iraq. We were VERY stupid not to carefully think through the possible outcomes BEFORE we went into Iraq.

[xchrom]

6. lol -- the kurds are going to get

what they want.

and i hope they do -- they are one crew who deserve their own independant homeland.

i wish them well.

[carincross]

7. Kurdish Independence

The Kurds are operating more and more like an independent state. It has also just been revealed that the Kurds have been dealing with Israel to beef up security, build an international airport and consult on economic and security matters. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3177712,00.html
Looks like the Kurds want independence, not a role in the "new" Iraq.

[Toots]

8. And how will Turkey feel about that

Turkey will not allow a Kurdistan. What kind of mess has Bush* the Ignorant really caused.

[enigma000]

9. Why do Norwegian hate our freedoms?

So when to we go to war and ......yeah whatever......

[cantstandbush]

10. Now you know what Saddam was dealing with with the Kurds.

If he was trying to keep them from breaking off from Iraq would we have done any less with a state that controlled a sizeable national resource?

[VegasWolf]

11. We all know that Bush won't stand for the Norwegians stealing his

oil.

:sarcasm:

[screembloodymurder]

12. Now they have a real reason for civil war.

Which side will Bush be on?