posibly some forward progress on the HCL

[brokendiver5]

By Ali Shattab



Azzaman, April 12, 2010



Iraqi Kurds would not mind if the central government in Baghdad collected the proceeds emanating from the sale of oil produced in their semi-independent region, a senior Oil Ministry official said.



Oil Ministry Undersecretary Muatasim Ahmad said the new initiative had come from the Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani.



Barzani is the region’s top official and, according to Ahmad, he had briefed the central government of the new move.



Ahmad said a central government delegation was in Iraqi Kurdistan to finalize a deal.



He said under the deal the proceeds emanating from the sale of oil produced in the Kurdish region would go to central government coffers and which would eventually “be beneficial to the (Kurdish) region.”



The Kurds say they can produced up to 200,000 barrels of oil a day. They sparked Baghdad’s anger when they went ahead with their contracts with foreign firms without Oil ministry’s approval.



But the Kurds have been unable to export their oil as it needs to pass through the national pipelines which the central government controls.

[Mesha]

Thanks for the post!

[chloe]

i have to wonder if the trip by the goi has anything do do with getting the kurds to align themselves with the rule of law? conspiracy nut? i don't think so.