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Kurdistan cooperating with Exxon Mobil in
smuggling oil: MP
11.7.2012 |
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Samira al-Moussawi, an Iraqi MP from the Muataqillon
(Independents) bloc led by Iraq's Deputy Prime
Minister for Energy Affairs Hussein al-Shahristani.
Photo: UKS •
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Shahristani's bloc accuses
Kurdistan of smuggling oil in "collusion" with Exxon
Mobil
July 11, 2012
BAGHDAD, — An Iraqi 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,www.ekurd.net
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.
By Abdullah Sabri
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