Nearly United in Opposition to Oil Law (may unite Sunni and Shi'ite parties)

[Barrett808]

Source: UPI

WASHINGTON, July 9 (UPI) -- U.S. President Bush may be right: Iraq's oil law, although highly controversial, could be a "benchmark for reconciliation."

When Iraq's council of ministers last week suddenly approved the law, critics of various stripes united in opposition. Shiite and Sunni political parties alike denounced it, vowed to defeat it, even threatened to ensure Parliament can't take it up. It is seen by some as weakening the central government and giving too much to foreign companies.

Iraq depends on the sale of oil for the vast majority of its federal budget. It's infrastructure badly needs investment to boost production. A law governing the world's third largest reserves -- and a sizable amount of natural gas -- has been as elusive as security there.

In one attack alone Saturday in the northern city of Tuz Khurmato, nearly five times as many were killed than at the Virginia Tech massacre in the United States.

In the midst of a war zone of more than four years old, the Bush administration itself could be the most divisive agent. And, it's the White House's support for Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's administration, as well as the heavy pressure on it to pass the oil law, that could draw together the fractured country.

Read more: http://www.iraqslogger.com/index.php/post/3508

[Kikosexy2]

1. Viva le Resistance...

that's right Iraqis fight for your oil...it's yours and no one else's...Remember Chimperor & Darth Dick of Death always said the oil belongs to the Iraqis..wink,wink....

[Dr.Phool]

2. But it belonged to one Iraqi. Chalabi, and he said we could have it.

Chimpy has finally united somebody.

[Cant trust em]

3. This is a big story

It's unfortunate that the best link we could get to this was from an obscure internet site. To me, the lack of any oil law is a more significant red flag of the quagmire that this war has become. It's one thing to not have any security in the country and to be stuck in the middle of it, but that lack of security coupled with a lack of finance distribution is making the situation even worse. The Iraqis can't do anything right.