This is what's driving Bush to create a wedge between Iran and the new Iraqi regime

[bigtree]

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Iraq, Iran Sign Oil-Pipeline Deal

August 11, 2007 -- Iran's state-controlled media report that Iran and Iraq have signed an agreement on building an oil pipeline between the two countries.

The Iran news network reported that the pipeline would carry oil from Iraqi oil fields to refineries in Iran.

It said the deal was signed in Tehran on August 10 by Iraqi Oil Minister Husayn al-Shahristani and his Iranian counterpart, Kazem Vaziri-Hamaneh.

http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2007/08/725aebbd-aaec-4909-9598-1a713bc20411.html


Iraq, Iran to build oil pipeline

by Reuters on Thursday, 09 August 2007

Iran and Iraq will sign a deal in the next few days to build a pipeline that would transfer crude from southern Iraqi oilfields to refineries in Iran, a senior Iranian official was quoted as saying on Thursday.

Iraq announced in May it had agreed to begin discussions with Iran over the pipeline that will carry 200,000 barrels of Iraqi crude to Iran per day.

"Based on this contract the Iraqi crude will be imported and oil products will be exported (to Iraq)," Iran's official IRNA news agency quoted First Vice-President Parviz Davoudi as saying.

He said Iraqi Oil Minister Hussain al-Shahristani would visit Tehran "in coming days". Davoudi was speaking after talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki who visited Tehran on Wednesday and Thursday.

Iraq, which has faced chronic fuel shortages, is now looking to build four refineries and has asked Iranian firms to bid for such contracts across the country.

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=497638

[babylonsister]

1. That definitely would explain their warmongering towards Iran. Rec'd. nt

[seafan]

2. While Bush/Cheney threaten al-Maliki for engaging Iran....

Cheney, Bush threaten Iran while al-Maliki and Iran will sign mutually beneficial oil pipeline deal

[smoogatz]

3. It's not just that.

Bush, Cheney, et al woke up about a year ago to the unpleasant fact that they've essentially handed control of Iraq--and its 220 billion barrels of oil--over to Iran by allowing Iraq's Shi'ite majority to vote (oops!). This came as a bit of a shock to them, as you can imagine. Now they have to commit "regime change" in Iran in order to save Iraq. Thank God the grownups are in charge.

[Bigmack]

6. I have a hard time believing...

... that they were that dumb. Shit, everybody I knew could see that the Iraqi Shi'a would hook up with Iran.

I think they'd planned on hitting Iran from the beginning.

[smoogatz]

14. I don't.

They believed what Chalabi and Wolfowitz were telling them: that Iraqi national identity would trump tribal, religious and ethnic identity. Hell, half the people in positions of foreign policy influence in this country still can't tell you the difference between the Sunni and the Shi'a, or which regional players are on what side. I'm telling you--they had no fucking idea.

[Subdivisions]

9. Where did you get 220 billion barrels? It's more like 115 bbl. n/t

[smoogatz]

13. Much of Iraq is still unexplored/undeveloped.

The actual number could top 300 bbl.

http://www.brookings.edu/views/op-ed/fellows/luft20030512.htm

My number is the James A. Baker III Institute estimate, which seems like a reasonable mid-range guess.

[Subdivisions]

15. I don't know how much faith to put into Brookings Institute whose

President is a http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_federalist">world federalist (ie: one world government) by the name of Strobe Talbott.

[smoogatz]

16. Brookings didn't invent the numbers.

They come from a number of sectors of the oil industry. The low-ball number of 110 bbl is a deliberate underestimation thrown around by Bushco pre-invasion.

[TahitiNut]

12. That's the difference between 'proven reserves' and estimates of unexplored reserves.

Iraq's western provinces are apparently thought to have undeveloped reserves.

See the third paragraph in ... http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/43045/

[CanonRay]

4. Now THIS is grounds for war with Iran!

:sarcasm:

[Donnachaidh]

5. I KNEW there was a reason for Darth to need a new defibrollator

His anger on getting the first intell on this coming attraction caused the first one to melt down in his chest.

Poor widdle Darth -- thought he had the Iraqi oiled locked down for his buddies :rofl:

[SpiralHawk]

7. "All your oil are belong to us." - BushCo republicon oil cronies

[TahitiNut]

8. Iran is notoriously short on refineries. That's why Iran imports gasoline.

:shrug:

[msongs]

10. and here I thought Iran pumped its own oil ... it must have run out already nt

[TahitiNut]

11. That too.

There's something fishy about the rationales cited. :shrug: