It is not about the approval of Security Agreement by the Presidential Council, there are much more important developments today.
- Not long time ago I reported about some kind of connection between the Georgia — Russia war and the Iraqi oil and Gas law and this explains the reason of NATO representatives visit to Iraq as reported on Al-Sharq Al-Awsat today.
A very good post from “Musings On Iraq” about the Oil deal between the central government and Kurdistan, but I hive few things to add:
Kurdish newspaper Hawlati asks a question, if Kurdistan regional Government sold its Oil or not? The question came after a plan reported today by the regional prime minister “najrafan Barzani” of connecting Kurdistan pipelines with the rest of Iraq’s pipelines saying that the regional government never sold any crude oil yet.
The newspaper pointed out that this statement is contrary to what Barzani said earlier that the regional government sold a quantity of crude oil.
The second thing is what Reuters reported today that a SK Energy oil company withdrew itself from the deal the company signed with Kurdistan region.
- Although the statement doesn’t say it plainly, but reality is that Talabani is forced to step down as the Secretary-General of the PUK [Patriotic Union of Kurdistan].
To save Talabani’s face, the final statement of the PUK’s conference says the following:
According to rules and procedures, the Secretary-General told the audience that, he will hand over all his powers to his two deputies.
As for the reason and this is my own analysis [also see the English link on Middle East Online]:
- Face the mass resignation crisis in the Party [see the background].
- Solve Talabani’s embarrassment to confront Maliki.
- Avery interesting report on akhbar-alkhaleej says that Maliki imposed a ban on Iraqi military officer from traveling to Syria for fears of joining the Baath party.
The source said that Baath Party in Syria is very active recently to attract the elements from security and military forces especially after the Iraqi court gave two high-rank life /15 years prison term two days ago.
Reading today’s news the deal between Baghdad and the Kurds is apparently dead. Baghdad demanded that the KRG renounce all the oil deals they signed since they passed their own oil law, and the Kurds refused. An Oil Ministry official said that the deal was off as a result.
P.S. — I forgot to mention, Barzani’s statement about exporting oil before might be a slip of the tongue, because it’s widely believed that the KRG smuggles large quantities of oil to Iran for sale. I believe the oil comes from the Tawke field run by the Norwegian DNO company. It’s one of the few fields in Kurdistan that actually produces anything.
On SOFA: Referring back to your deep love on Resistance, shared by 27 UNJB & NDHF Net and discussed under this article http://www.roadstoiraq.com/2008/10/31/the-political-map-regarding-sofa/
now the interesting material is now pouring in:
Everyone’s seen the item
AMSI: The Resistance will continue till the exit of the occupiers
http://newsdeskhelsinkifinland.net/news/1170/amsi_the_resistance_will_continue_till_the_exit_of_the_occupiers/
of course, but just to make sure, here’s IAI “Team”:
IAI: Intensifying the military Actions in the response to the Convention of Occupation
http://iaisite-eng.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1519&Itemid=1
and most recently in English, the Al-Rashideen Army’s here:
Sunni group JAR slams U.S.-Iraqi pact
http://www.metimes.com/Security/2008/12/03/sunni_group_jar_slams_us-iraqi_pact/9ee2/
Thank you for everything as always, LB
NDHF — Jouna
http://newsdeskhelsinkifinland.net