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U.S. report: Washington is trying to restore its influence on Baghdad by the oil companies after losing politically in front of Tehran
Posted 16/02/2012 02:11 AM
Washington - "squares of liberation"
On 31 January last, pulled Baghdad opposition to the deal between Exxon Mobil U.S., and the Kurdistan Regional Government (then the Iraqi government announced later that the company "Exxon Mobil" are not eligible to participate in the bidding round of oil the fourth because of its agreements with the Kurdistan region) and reflects the first step conflicts between different political actors in Iraq. The energy negotiations with the United States and one of the areas where al-Maliki government has been forced to make major concessions in recent times. Are usually of Iran the upper hand when it comes to influencing the control of Baghdad and the sectarian conflict in Iraq, but Tehran can not compete with venture capital and technologies that can be provided by U.S. companies, according to the American media organization.
According to the analysis published recently, founder of the "Stratfor" competent analytical studies of intelligence: that Baghdad withdraw its opposition to the deal between Erbil and Exxon Mobil, the U.S., means that the latter will continue exploration activities in Iraqi Kurdistan.
The Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has threatened to deprive Exxon Mobil from decades of oil fields in southern Iraq in response to the partnership agreement with the Kurdistan Regional Government, which is the case highlights the continuing tensions between Baghdad and Erbil. Shows the change in the position of Baghdad, Erbil, the partnership agreement with the recent ways in which one may use the United States to face the great Iranian influence in Iraq. Although Tehran's influence in Baghdad, the political influence of the much larger Washington, Iran can not compete with the capital investment in U.S. companies and advanced technologies, due to Iraq's dependence on international investment to develop its vast oil reserves.
Dominated by three major conflicts on the political scene in Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein. Sunni politicians sought to keep the Shiite domination, while the Kurdistan region aims to impose the same about the authority of Baghdad, this time in Tehran and Washington are competing for influence in Baghdad. Although each of these players has been pursuing his own interests, the Sunnis and the Kurds in Iraq with the United States share a desire to undermine the central authority backed by Iran, which is dominated by Shiites.
Sunni groups lack the means to the opposition that enabled the government to assert its independence of Arbil: the vast oil reserves in northern Iraq. These reserves are important because they draw the attention of foreign energy companies that need the same Baghdad need to develop potential oil reserves in the south. Despite the fact that the Maliki government to give the Shiites in Iraq - and, therefore, Iran - a dominant position in the political life in the country, the Western investment in Iraq's energy sector is one of the areas that will enable the United States to more effectively influence policy in Baghdad.
Continued central government in Iraq marginalization of the Sunnis from the political process, and ignored their demands for more integration in the political process, and the government worked to narrow the influence of Sunni political leaders in the Council of Ministers and the Parliament, as witnessed by the recent tensions. And lack of political leadership to the Sunni economic levers to face the pressure al-Maliki, and the internal divisions penetrate the Sunni leaders, the Iraqi List, where she returned to parliament and the government without significant concessions from al-Maliki.
Kurdistan Regional Government fought long with Baghdad over oil revenues and the authority to grant licenses Irbil oil independently for global companies. Baghdad has long insisted that the grant of such licenses the validity of the central government and threatened to put any company that violates the black list. Unable to challenge the Kurds of Baghdad on this point, because the central government controls most of Iraq's oil export routes. Can not challenge the Kurdistan Regional Government-Maliki on the issue only with the help of a foreign party is strong.
According to a deal with Exxon Mobil, the Kurdistan Regional Government to clarify the limits of Shiite influence in the oil policy and the way that can be used to undermine the latter's political dominance of the Shiites and the Iranians. Exxon Mobil reached and the Kurdistan Regional Government to the agreement on 18 of October / October 2011, and announced the deal last November. Baghdad responded to what it considered an illegal deal by threatening to cancel the contract with Exxon Mobil in the West Qurna field, one in southern Iraq. And Exxon Mobil announced last December it had put its agreement with the Kurdistan Regional Government in waiting, and abandoned its threats of Baghdad. It seemed that the issue was settled until reports surfaced in late January, according to Exxon Mobil in an ongoing exploration and data collection in the region, despite the refusal of Baghdad.
Includes the original agreement with ExxonMobil Baghdad infrastructure projects, low profitability, which aims to increase production in the West Qurna oil field number one. Approved by Exxon Mobil to agree on despite the drop in profitability in the hope of Baghdad's satisfaction, and the hope of better deals in the future. The Exxon Mobil also now overseeing the multibillion-dollar international project to develop a water injection system to increase production in oil fields in southern Iraq.
Iraq relies on Exxon Mobil projects to reach the objectives of productivity ambition. But Baghdad was neglected payments to Exxon Mobil in the months leading up to its investment in the Kurdistan region, the Government delayed the construction of a pipeline water vital for the water injection project. Exxon Mobil sought, in the face of environmental degradation in southern Iraq, productivity, to increase their profits by reaching an agreement with the Kurds, who require their infrastructure need more foreign investment from southern Iraq. The offer of the Government of the Kurdistan region of Exxon Mobil a second option in Iraq, outside the restrictions imposed by the central government.
Tehran is seeking to take advantage of the growing international contribution in the extraction of Iraqi oil, through the funding of the project and access to imported industrial technologies. However, it is, leave Baghdad relies mainly on indirect support for the development of Iran's oil infrastructure.
Because of this dependence, Hunt threatened Baghdad gradually. Replaced by the threat to deprive Exxon Mobil of its stake in the West Qurna field by threatening to exclude the company from future offers to develop oil fields in southern Iraq.
Oil production is essential for the future of Iraq, and announced, Iraqi Oil Minister Abdul Karim and coffee has repeatedly said that Iraq has plans to increase its production of oil, to 3.4 million barrels a day. But without projects such as Exxon Mobil for the water injection system, it may not generate investments in Iraq returns to the country.
There are reports that levels of oil production in Iraq, a country has the reserves to compete with their counterparts in Saudi Arabia, peaked at about 3 million barrels a day.
They can not dispose of the direction of Exxon Mobil on the basis of a trade dispute between Baghdad and Erbil. There are more than a dozen international companies working to develop oil fields in southern Iraq, and will benefit from the reform of Exxon Mobil's planned infrastructure for production in the country. If the U.S. company was forced to abandon projects in southern Iraq, it will take months to find alternative companies, in addition to delays on Iraq can not afford.
Having achieved Exxon Mobil preceded them, we now see other foreign oil companies - such as Chevron Corp. and ConocoPhillips and Italy's ENI and France's Total - are moving to deal directly with Arbil. And not in a position to take Maliki's protracted conflict with an important partner in developing the future of Iraq, such as the Kurds. He had to back down from his threats, although the former opposes his authority on the future of the Kurdish oil deals.
Maliki is still consolidating his power in government institutions, political, economic, security, and can continue to use his power to marginalize the Kurds and Sunnis on key issues. Reveals that when he was appointed his loyalists in the military and the Iraqi Kurdish leader replaced one of his loyalists. Maliki also retains the option of exploiting the rift between Kurds and Sunnis to maintain the tension between the two sides (especially with regard to the region of the disputed oil-rich Kirkuk), allowing mobilization of each party against the other to retain its dominance.
Is a Shiite hegemony in Baghdad one the main reasons that Tehran was able to maintain the upper hand in Iraq in the broader framework of its conflict with the United States. This means that the previous agreement made by Exxon Mobil with the Kurdistan Regional Government, and the surrender of Baghdad at the end of the day, but is shows the area in which the United States can compete effectively with the influence of Iran.
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