Iraqi lawmaker quits energy panel over oil law

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Iraqi lawmaker quits energy panel over oil law
Sat Jul 7, 2007 10:04AM EDT

BAGHDAD, July 7 (Reuters) - A member of Iraq's parliamentary
energy committee quit on Saturday in protest over a draft oil law,
which Washington hopes will help ease violence between Iraq's
warring Shi'ite and Sunni Arabs.

Usama al-Nujeyfi told a small news conference that the proposal
would cede too much control to global companies and "ruin the
country's future". He vowed to work to defeat the draft in
parliament.

"I announce my resignation and distance myself from delivering this
draft before this parliament and I will carry out my obligation to
repeal it inside parliament with all fellow nationalists," al-Nujeyfi
said.

The draft was passed by the cabinet of Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri
al-Maliki on Tuesday and must be debated and agreed by parliament
before it can become law.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSKHA742545

[Vincardog]

1. This new "Law" is what the whole damn war in Iraq was about.

[Amonester]

3. Yes. And it is defined as "The Ultimate War Crime" in International

Law

[fed-up]

2. k/r nt

[leftchick]

4. Negroponte's death squads will be on him

like white on rice.

[Bruce McAuley]

5. Another K+R

This is the most important question of the war, the prize George wants above all others.
It will prop up our dollar for the next 30 years, he hopes.


Bruce

[merh]

6. This is what this whole damn thing has been about

and if that law is passed giving the right to US & GB oil companies is passed, then the benchmark is met and the withdrawal will begin. We are holding them captive, thugs using force to get our ransom, the oil rights and we won't free their people until we get it. We are the invaders using force to get what we want at the cost to the Iraqi people.

They want to govern and we won't let them, not until they sign over their citizen's rights to the damn oil.

The oil leases for Big Oil means a US presence until the leases expire making the military industrial complex happy and the Big Oil corps happy.

:argh:

[RufusTFirefly]

7. Strange how news stories never really explain the law

I'm glad that Dennis Kucinich has

"This administration has misled Congress into thinking that pending Iraqi legislation before their Parliament is about fair distribution of oil revenues. In fact, except for three scant lines, the entire 33-page hydrocarbon law creates a structure to facilitate the privatization of Iraq’s oil.

"The truth is that the “Hydrocarbon Act” will open Iraq’s oil reserves to foreign investors, giving them, and not the Iraqi people, the ability to develop the majority of Iraq’s 80 known oil fields. The Iraq National Oil Company would maintain control of only approximately 17 of these oil fields.

"If this happens, Iraq will be the only country in the Middle East that does not maintain government control of its own oil industry.

More here

Those silly, stubborn Iraqis! Why won't they agree to hand over most of their oil profits to foreign investors? Must be part of some inscrutable, primitive Middle Eastern mind set, I guess. Oh well!

We destroy their country and then, to add insult to injury, force them to sign away their oil wealth. Now that's what I call a bargain!!


By the way, the headline for the Kucinich release gets straight to the point:

Kucinich: Congress Endorses Blackmail of Iraq

[merh]

9. It is not blackmail

It is violent kidnapping - we invaded and will continue to destroy and provoke hostilities until they pay our ransom.

Thanks for the link, I do appreciate it.

.

[merh]

10. Here is the law

html version http://216.239.51.104/search?q=cache:jqFy2UO8ENsJ:priceofoil.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/Iraqoillaw021507.pdf+Iraq+%22hydrocarbon+act%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=us&client=firefox-a

http://priceofoil.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/Iraqoillaw021507.pdf

[RufusTFirefly]

20. Excellent. Thank you! Also found this...

... fact sheet from the same site quite helpful.

An example:

"The Iraq National Oil Company would have exclusive control of just 27 of Iraq’s 78 known oil fields, leaving two-thirds of the known and probable reserves open to foreign control under production sharing agreements."

Download the factsheet from this page

[merh]

21. Great, I had overlooked the fact sheet.

thank you - It's not extortion, it's kidnapping, we will continue to be the invaders and our presence will continue to instill violence and the hostility of the insurgents until that law is official. Then there will be diplomatic efforts to bring in other UN forces to join the coalition and to act as peace keepers and trainers after we leave.

There will never be peace in that region as long as we, the occupiers, remain a presence.

:hi:

[merh]

24. Check it out, this was on the evening news

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2908039&mesg_id=2908039

[bvar22]

8. Obama/Hillary

This is WHY Obama and Hillary insist that US Troops will remain in Iraq for many years.

I would LOVE to hear Hillary/Obama clearly explain their position on the Iraqi Oil Law.

[slipslidingaway]

12. I would also love to hear the Edwards, Clinton & Obama supporters

on DU explain why their candidates supported this benchmark for the draft Iraqi Oil Law. All three of the leading Dems approved of this benchmark at some point and NEVER raised a voice in opposition. Why?

Now the people of Iraq know for sure that BOTH parties are in support of giving control of a portion of their resources to foreign companies :(

The only candidate to voice his support for the union workers in Basra has been Kucinich, the others remain silent.

[RufusTFirefly]

15. Without informative news stories, there will be no demands for explanations

That's a big part of the problem. Most people have no idea.

[slipslidingaway]

19. So true...you don't know, what you don't know. n/t

[merh]

23. I hate to say it, but I think they are still relying on this administration

to be honest and forthcoming on the intel.

They aren't doing their homework, they are relying on what they are being fed. They like being mushrooms.

x(

[slipslidingaway]

25. I think you are right, either relying on the admin's information, or

privately agreeing with the admin, or complicit at some level or just focused on the 2008 election.

Even scarier is the language towards Iran, we've been on this road before and we know where it leads.

:(

[IndianaGreen]

13. Kucinich is the only Democratic candidate that has been honest to the voters about the oil law

The oil law was written in Washington, DC, for and by the oil companies. The law will give American-controlled oil companies total control over Iraq's oil, and it will bar a future Iraqi government from making changes to the law.

The American drafted oil law smacks of the colonialism that produced such gems as the Platt Amendment that gave America the right to intervene at will in Cuban affairs as a condition for "independence."

Of all the Democratic Presidential candidates, only Dennis Kucinich has been honest and forthright enough to tell the American people about the true nature of the oil law. In fact, Dennis Kucinich has been the most honest candidate, with a tip of our hats to Mike Gravel, about the Iraq war and health care. All the other Democratic candidates are indebted to Big Business to one extend or another.

[RufusTFirefly]

14. Didn't Hillary scold the Iraqis in a recent speech?

I believe she did within the last two weeks at a shindig where all the candidates attended and made speeches. Wish I could remember the event. If I remember correctly, then she was only perpetuating the myth that the Iraqis are simply being stubborn rather than the truth, which is that America is attempting to steal the country's oil and that the Iraqis are resisting.

[IndianaGreen]

16. Hillary supports Bush's war goals

which is why she only criticizes Bush's management of the war, rather than the war itself. It is also why Hillary shrieks in defense of the oil law, which she knows full well is an imperialist takeover of Iraq's oil resources by Big Oil.

[RufusTFirefly]

18. Here's what she said

"The American military has succeeded. It is the Iraqi government that has failed."
It was at the Take Back America conference

Those darn Iraqis.

[ShortnFiery]

17. IMO Obama/Edwards.

This smack-down between the opponents of the two front runners is essentially burning down ANY potential bridges for reconciliation. Besides I don't want Bubba's same boys and girls within the DLC to infiltrate widely within the Executive Branch under the watchful eye of an HRC Vice Presidency.

Give some *new blood* a chance on the Democratic Presidential ticket? :shrug:

[IndianaGreen]

11. The US-written oil law is a travesty of colonialism and imperialism!

No self-respecting Iraqi, or American, should support the rape of Iraq's resources. The oil law will give foreign oil companies total control over Iraq's oil, and it will bar a future Iraqi government from making changes to the law.

The American drafted oil law smacks of the colonialism that produced such gems as the Platt Amendment that gave America the right to intervene at will in Cuban affairs as a condition for "independence."

Of all the Democratic Presidential candidates, only Dennis Kucinich has been honest and forthright enough to tell the American people about the true nature of the oil law.

[donkeyotay]

22. Merca is living in an alternate universe.

Where we live, the only problem with Iraq is the Iraqis. We tried to bring them democracy, but the ingrates just don't get it. We tried to help them with their oil, but they fight among themselves...

All I've heard on tee vee is that the Kurds and the Shiites and Sunnis can't agree to share. Not one word about this:

Usama al-Nujeyfi told a small news conference that the proposal would cede too much control to global companies and "ruin the
country's future". He vowed to work to defeat the draft in parliament.

And 8 more dead soldiers?....crickets chirping. Don't want to mess up the latest drive to keep us there longer.