One of the Bush's closest allies, the Hunt Oil Company, finalizes deal with the Kurds

[bigtree]

the Baghdad junta is pissed . . .


New Kurdish oil deals strain ties with Baghdad

Associated Press - October 4, 2007 8:55 AM ET

BAGHDAD (AP) - Iraq's self-governing Kurdish region finalized a handful of new oil deals.

The Kurdistan Regional Government says it's approved four new production sharing contracts with international companies and had sanctioned the construction of 2 new refineries.

Kurdish officials said the four contracts are worth about $500 million, while the new refineries are worth about $300 million. If exploration leads to oil production, 85% of the profits would go to the government and the remainder would go to the companies.

Among the international oil companies to reach agreement with the Kurds is Dallas-based Hunt Oil Company.

That's further straining relations with Baghdad which wants to centralize control of the country's oil resources. A spokesman for Iraq's oil ministry denounced the agreements, saying the government has "made it clear not to sign any contract until the new oil law is passed."

report: http://www.kltv.com/Global/story.asp?S=7167734


from TPM:

"In October 2001 and again in January 2006, Mr. Hunt was appointed by President George W. Bush to the President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board in Washington, D.C."

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/052614.php

[groovedaddy]

1. Remember: The war IS NOT about the oil

NOT

[mod mom]

2. I don't see how this can be seen as anything other than undermining the efforts of the

US military action (trying to keep Iraq united) and on top on it with insider information. Sounds treasonous to me. Another bu$h crony war profiteer.

[BridgeTheGap]

3. Another bu$h crony war profiteer - standard operating procedure

And you're right - it certainly undermines any efforts at keeping Iraq together as a nation. The whole subject of partitioning is a threat to the core for Sunnis.

[wtmusic]

4. Trying to keep Iraq united?

Where did you get such a silly idea?

The efforts of the US military action are to keep Iraq in a manageable civil war so that Hunt and others can negotiate with weakened, desperate interests for natural resources.