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Iraq's most prominent victims of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz
On: Sat 1/21/2012 9:53
□ Baghdad / Mustafa Habib
by other Iraqis know that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is not an easy decision, which can be taken by their neighbor Iran, but put them right is more like a "barrel of a gun" on her head before any one else. According to these, you want the Islamic Republic of threat "to highlight the muscles, no more" to push Europe and America to think carefully before strangle the Iranian economy.
Linking politicians and deputies closed the waterway most important global one thing only: the risk of "existential" may be a threat to the Islamic Republic, its economy and political system as a whole. But they agree that the closure of the Straits, as if actually happened, would make Iraq the first victim because two thirds of the production of the country's oil passes through it, they find the threats of Iran the chance to discuss "energy security" in Iraq.
The crisis erupted the Strait of Hormuz after the announcement of the United States and some European states its intention to impose sanctions on Iran's oil exports over its nuclear program, prompting Iran last week to threaten to close down the strait, through which 35% of the world's oil transported by sea. The Strait of Hormuz, one of the most important waterways in the world and the most movement of ships, and is located in the Gulf region Arab watershed between the waters of Persian Gulf on one side and the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean on the other hand, is the only sea port of Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar. and the straits in the eyes of international law is part of the high seas, all ships of right and liberty to pass it as long as it does not hurt safety of coastal States, violates its own rules, security, and carries 20-30 per day at an oil tanker oil tanker every 6 minutes in peak hours, loaded with about a third of the world's oil transported by sea. Summarizes and former Iraqi oil minister and a renowned expert in the field of oil, Ibrahim Bahr al-Ulum crisis over the Straits and says in an interview to "talk" that "the development of the region in the Persian Gulf dire because of Iran's threats to close the Strait of Hormuz." And adds that "for Iraq a major role now in the solution the crisis and save the collapse of OPEC. " And selected members of the Organization "OPEC" Iraq's rotating presidency of the Organization for the current year. A global organization with twelve country dependent on oil exports heavily to achieve their income. And was founded in Baghdad in 1960. And calls on the Sea of Sciences of Iraq to move in several directions regional, Arab and international to induce Iran to abandon its military threat to close the Straits is vital, he says, "Can Iraq through his presidency of the World Organization of the oil to call a special meeting of its members to discuss the issue." According to statistics from the Ministry of oil, Iraq was a day about 2.0006 million barrels per day from two million two hundred thousand barrels of Basrah is transported through the Strait of Hormuz, while the amount issued during the remainder of the transmission line Ceyhan oil north of the country. Says a member of the Oil and Gas Committee in parliament, MP Farhad Atrushi that "closing the Strait of Hormuz would affect Iraq undoubtedly because two-thirds of Iraqi oil exported out of the strait." He adds that "the country's budget for 2012 based on revenues from oil exports and if they affected the export, even for a day will affect Iraq." He adds, "the Iraqi budget as it is defined it is operational and most of them go salaries for nearly five million employees make a living on the government. If that happens, an imbalance in the oil revenues, this class will be affected negatively and will be reflected on the prices of food at home." And records the economic experts that the Iraqi economy suffers Since 2003, two major problems to obtain the level of national income is the first in the lack of diversity of sources of national income and almost total dependence on oil, where the proportion of its revenues (96%) of the gross national product and makes the economy unilaterally. The second problem is the adoption of Iraq to export most of its oil production from fields south of Basra, a country that exports through the Strait of Hormuz, while there are other ports have not been developed during recent years. Government source close to Prime Minister on condition of anonymity said that "the Government had taken into account a number of alternatives in the event by Iran to close the strait." He adds that "Iraq was part of the oil through a tube Ceyhan northern Iraq, and can convert the export of oil south of which." He explains that "There is a tube Banias, Syria, despite the problems in Syria, but we are optimistic about the possibility of benefit from this tube and a tube that connects Iraq, Jordan ". The source pointed to a strategic pipeline is disabled between Iraq and Saudi Arabia could also be activated in spite of the tense relations between the two countries. But a member of the Commission on oil and gas Farhad Atrushi says that "these proposals theory is not achievable in practice, because the application needs to be months and perhaps years." He adds, "Gulf countries have better options, Saudi Arabia, overlooking the Red Sea and the UAE has a port through the Sultanate of Oman and other countries such as Kuwait has a stockpile of cash are protected from any deficit in its annual budget." On the other hand, the bet Iraqis focused on the possibility to take advantage of diplomatic relations, the distinguished members of the current government with officials in Tehran urge them not to use the strait as a political card and indicate the economic damage caused by it on Iraq. It is no secret the size of diplomatic relations and economic cooperation and trade, which brings together Iran and Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003, after the arrival of the forces loyal to Iran to power in Iraq. parliamentarian and on the mass of the "Iraqi" Meet the Pink, "Iraq can invest its diplomatic influence with Iran to prevent it from carrying out their threat," she says, "members of the government's allies to officials in Iran and can build on this relationship for the benefit of Iraq. "and by virtue of the special relationship which brings together Iraq, Iran, and by virtue of the strong relationship which brings Iraq and the United States lost handed over the last message, however, President Jalal Talabani on the Strait of Hormuz for delivery to officials in Iran. A spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry Ramin Mehmanparast few days ago Tehran received messages on the Strait of Hormuz, U.S., indicating that the messages arrived to Tehran through three points of one of them was President Jalal Talabani. The head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Martin Dempsey considered that Iran is capable of closing the Strait of Hormuz, stressing at the same time, it would be "an act can not be tolerated, and" we will act and we will open the strait if was closed. "But military analysts Iraqi and Arab and international experts tend to Iran's threat to close the Strait of Hormuz is merely an attempt to deter and "muscle flexing" to prevent the West and the United States embargo on oil exports. According to those, Iran is threatening, since the beginning of the Iran-Iraq war in the eighties to close the Strait of Hormuz, has ended the Iraq war - Iran did not close the strait, although Iran was a key player in the war, and they returned and threatened repeatedly in the nineties not to implement its threats. They also point out that Iran would not take such a step only as a "solution Hmohunaa" hurt them as much as does harm to the opponents. It is one of the most accredited the strait in the sale of its oil and will is like committing suicide. Although skeptical Iraqis aggressively Iran to carry out its threats, but the deputies saw in the crisis an opportunity to reconsider the question of the transfer of Iraqi oil. and called Mutashar Samurai, a member of the Commission on oil and energy parliamentary statement to the newspaper, "the world "Baghdadi to" take the Iranian threat to close the Strait of Hormuz, though it seems difficult to implement, very seriously, "and finds that this threat induces a" call to spur government officials to open the ports, many on Syria and Jordan, especially when we are talking about an increase in oil exports. " At the time did not come from the Iraqi Foreign Ministry statement on any threat to close the Strait of Hormuz, the Foreign Relations Committee in the House yet to meet to discuss the issue due to failure of the House of Representatives.
□ for: Talk Weekly
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