Roj Bash Kurdistan

BAGHDAD, July 11 (AKnews)- The mentality of the deputy PM for energy affairs, Hussein al-Shahrestani, with regard to running the Iraqi oil wealth will create further crises between Erbil and Baghdad, warned a Kurdish official.

Shahrestani's determination over centralizing the authority to control the oil, north thought south of Iraq, has not succeeded and will not succeed, said Muayyad Tayyeb, Kurdistan Blocs Coalition (KBC) spokesperson.

Muayyad continued Shahrestani's efforts to run the oil wealth centrally will in the future lead to creation of disputes between the provinces and the Baghdad government.

Kurdish officials deem Baghdad's attempts to centralize control over Iraqi oil contrary to article 111 of the Iraqi constitution which provides for joint administration of the natural resource.

With the centralized policy Baghdad has always been critical of Kurdistan Region's oil contracts and labels them "illegal."

Recently after Baghdad failed in paying the outstanding dues of foreign oil companies in Kurdistan, the region suspended its oil exports.

The suspension led to incrimination exchanged between KBC MP Farhad Atrushi and Shahrestani over oil smuggling.

this guy loves barking, and does he ever shut up , if he had some dignity he would shut his mouth bcoz ExxonMobil is not leaving kurdistan as many of iraqis wished, keep dreaming .


Shahristani's bloc accuses Kurdistan Region of smuggling oil in "collusion" with Exxon Mobil

ERBIL, July 11 (AKnews) - An MP from the Muataqillon (Independents) bloc led by Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Affairs Hussein al-Shahristani has accused the Kurdistan Region of smuggling oil to neighboring countries in "collusion" with US giant Exxon Mobil.

Shahristani is one of the most prominent opponents of the oil policy of the Kurdistan Region and his bloc allied with the coalition led by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

The government in Baghdad objected against the agreement signed with the Kurdistan Region on October 18 to explore oil and gas in six areas in the region

Samira al-Moussawi said in a statement: "The Kurdistan region, in cooperation with Exxon Mobil, is smuggling oil to foreign countries including Turkey and Iran without agreement with the government, and this is an encroachment on the constitution and the laws."

Head of the Kurdistan Region, Massoud Barzani, asked the federal government and the Council of Representatives last month to form a joint investigative committee to investigate the allegations about oil smuggling.

The federal government, represented by Shahristani, accepted the proposal but the committee has yet to be formed.

Moussawi warned the countries "collaborating" with the Kurdistan Region against what he called "playing with Iraq's oil policies", adding that the people reject this "as according to the constitution the oil belongs to the people and it decides about the export of oil and the agreement with the concerned authorities."

Mussawi called on the Kurdistan Region to "stop the smuggling of oil and stop the work of Exxon Mobil which violates the law because the people now feel that the company began implementing a plan to disrupt and divide the country."

While the Kurdish Blocs Coalition (KBC) confirmed that the federal government is not serious about detecting the allegations of oil smuggling, indicating that the failure to form a committee in this regard shows that the accusations are not true.

Coalition member Saied Khoshnaw Rassoul said: "Those who accuse the region of smuggling oil must provide evidence that proves their allegations.

"The Kurdistan Region's President Massoud Barzani demanded to form a joint committee between the region and the federal government to investigate this issue. They did not agree on the formation of this committee, and this indicates that the smuggling of oil is done through the southern borders and they are afraid of the formation of the committee."

The Kurdistan Region has oil reserves estimated at 45 billion barrels and in 2003 the Kurdistan Regional Government began presenting the oil fields for foreign investment. Baghdad says the region's oil contracts with foreign companies are illegal.

who is smuggling oil ? kurdistan or iraq ?

Kurdistan has its own oil and gas law ratified in 2007.

Iraq uses saddam's oil and gas law.

the constitution gives kurdistan authority to deal with its own oil and gas , while iraq keeps using saddam's oil law bcoz it gives them the "centralized system" which is unconstitutional , so iraq is smuggling oil not Kurdistan

Besides Shahristanis boys are literally smuggling oil from Basra. that is why the smuggling commite never formed. These bastards just bark in order to distort the image of kurdistan. Exxon Mobil is already operating kurdistan, and with the new pipeline only war can stop kurdistan. We know the Iraqi army would get its ass kicked before they even enter kurdistan. Remember Basra 2008?