Article

2007-09-09 Iraq

The Iraqi parliament is preparing to debate controversial draft laws on oil and gas, accountability, justice, resources and the provinces.

According to Salim Abdullah, a member in the Sunni Accord Front, the parliament will approve the Accountability and Justice Laws concerning the return of the Baathists to senior administrative and military positions, in addition to the Provinces Law that will regulate this week's provincial elections that is a significant step towards forming federal regions in Iraq.

Abdullah added: "The Oil and Gas and the Resources Laws will be subjected to some [amendments and] yet it is likely that the laws will be approved by the parliament because of some understandings between [major] political blocs inside the parliament to legislate the laws."

The Association of Muslim Scholars, a Sunni religious authority, and Khalaf Al Alian from the Accordance Front issued statements warning against ratification of the laws because it would incite factions.

Sources in the Shiite coalition said that US President George W. Bush urged Iraqi leaders to speed up the ratificaton of oil and gas, accountability, justice, resources and the provinces laws during his last visit to Al Anbar.

Muna Kuba, a researcher in economic affairs at Baghdad University, told Gulf News: "There is US pressure on Iraqi leaders to pass some laws [that will favour] American political and economic interests in Iraq. I believe that Americans seek to create [an environment] to assure them of higher profits before investing in Iraq's oil sector, the largest oil reserve in the world."

After the formation of the Shiite-Kurdish Coalition besides the Sunni Islamic Party, political observers in Baghdad believe that ratification of the laws will not face strong opposition.

Waleed Abdul Sahib, a member of the Shiite Dawa Party led by Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki, told Gulf News: "I think we must have a political consensus in the parliament to pass the laws, [which are] important to promote the reconciliation process."

Sahib added: "The government should [make] Iraqi citizens [aware] that these laws will ensure justice to each Iraqi city and that every Iraqi will have his or her share of natural resources. ... the problem [lies] in media inside and outside Iraq which described the laws as illegal [without] being aware of the nature of the ... laws."
In other words, the NYT will be working overtime to spin this into bad news.

Posted by Anonymoose 2007-09-09 00:08|| || Front Page|| [11136 views ] Top

#1 Muna Kuba, a researcher in economic affairs at Baghdad University, told Gulf News: "There is US pressure on Iraqi leaders to pass some laws [that will favour] American political and economic interests in Iraq. I believe that Americans seek to create [an environment] to assure them of higher profits before investing in Iraq's oil sector, the largest oil reserve in the world."

Well, I hope so... the least we deserve.

Posted by Sherry">Sherry 2007-09-09 00:38|| 2007-09-09 00:38|| Front Page Top

#2 Iraq's oil sector, the largest oil reserve in the world."???

I thought that was further south in Saudi.

Posted by 3dc 2007-09-09 01:15|| 2007-09-09 01:15|| Front Page Top

#3 Ever hear of "Slant Drilling"?

Posted by Redneck Jim 2007-09-09 13:09|| 2007-09-09 13:09|| Front Page Top

#4 The full extent of Iraqi oil reserves is not known, modern techniques have not yet been used there.

Posted by Anguper Hupomosing9418 2007-09-09 22:57|| 2007-09-09 22:57|| Front Page Top

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