Iraq Oil Report

The Iraq Federation of Oil Unions held a protest in Basra today outside the Southern Oil Company’s office. They claim U.S. troops shot a worker in the Rumaila field, and want action by both the Iraq and U.S. governments.

“They treated him as if he was an animal, they shot at him and kept on moving,” Faleh Abood Umara, general secretary of the Iraqi Federation of Oil Unions, told United Press International.

“The attack in the oil fields seems also to be designed to push the Iraqi government to take further harsh and repressive measures against the oil workers at a time when they are resisting the privatization of the industry,” the statement said.

“We want to do things and solve problems in a peaceful way,” Umara said. “We are more likely going to hold a strike and stop working. Meetings are continuing to decide the next step.”

Hiba Dawood mentions this today in UPI’s Iraq Press Roundup.

The Hunt for Hunt Oil

Dallas-based Hunt Oil’s production sharing contract with the Kurdistan Regional Government didn’t just irk Baghdad. It really caused some strain in Washington. A company well-connected to President Bush decided to sign an oil deal which basically went against stated U.S. policy in Iraq.

Today, Bush said he had no idea about the deal.

“I need to know exactly how it happened,” he added. “To the extent that it does undermine the ability for the government to come up with an oil revenue-sharing plan that unifies the country, obviously I’m — if it undermines that, I’m concerned.”

Russia’s Wants

Iraqi and Russian foreign ministers have been meeting in Moscow. Kommersant reports Iraq may give Russia priority status on contracts, especially oil, in exchange for Russia wiping out 90 percent of the $10 billion in debt Iraq owes from Saddam-era weapons sales.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari sits down with Interfax Moscow and talks about the controversial Lukoil deal, economic development and diplomatic relations between the two countries.

More Iraq Oil, Electricity

Baghdad water affected by oil leak into Tigris from Kirkuk pipeline explosion. Azzaman has more on its affect on the Tigris River.

Iraq Finance Minister says oil sales next year will fill only 85 percent of budget

Justin Dargin in the Asia Times Online on “The Rise and Fall of Iraq’s Oil Law”

Thomas Frank writes in the USA Today the “Problematic power grid plagues Iraqis”

Security, Society and Politics — the issues that will shape oil exploration in Iraq

IraqSlogger reports while the Mahdi Army has frozen operations, break out squads are targeting U.S. forces.

The Jamestown Foundation recently held an event titled Islamic Movements in Iraqi Kurdistan. The video of it can be viewed HERE.

Spencer Ackerman writes in Iraq Forever? for The American Prospect that “Last week’s intense focus on whether the surge was working obscured the real Bush agenda — a long-term U.S. presence in Iraq.”

Max Boot of the Council on Foreign Relations writes in Commentary Magazine on How Not To Get Out Of Iraq

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