Kurdish prime minister says new South Korean energy deal constitutional

By: Meir Javedanfar

14/02/2008

Post war Iraq is not short of problems. The US invasion of 2003 created a huge split between the Kurds, Shiites and Sunnis.

Between all the different factions, the Kurds seem to have maintained order and security more than any one else. There is good reason for that. The Iraqi Kurds have wanted independence for many years, and now that they have the opportunity, they are trying to prove to the international community, especially the US, that they deserve it.

However, it seems that they may have gone a step too far. The recent signing of an oil agreement in the Kurdish region with a South Korean company has united the Shiites and the Sunnis against them.

The reason: the Kurdish authorities signed the agreement without the approval of the Iraqi oil ministry and the Iraqi parliament.

In other words, the Kurds are already acting as an independent country. This is against all promises made by the US that the 2003 invasion was not meant to split the country up.

For now, the Iraqi government has suspended the oil agreement. Iraq's President, Jalal Talebani, who himself is a Kurd must be very careful how he handles this issue.

Although Iraq's Kurds have good offices in the US, they are marginalized elsewhere, especially in the Middle East. With Turkey attacking Kurdish rebels in the north, it is possible that if Kurds split ranks, other regional countries may sit back and allow Turkey to continue with the attacks.

Furthermore, in Iraq's factionalized parliament, coalition building is very important. Should the isolation of Kurdish parties continue, it could mean that they may miss out on some important decision making opportunities, as well as positions in the government.

With infighting over oil causing so many problems, one wonders what Iraq's Beyond Oil future looks like, as the country has not taken any concrete action to resolve this issue. With its chronic security and economic problems, there is room for sympathy. However, the Iraqi authorities must make sure that the sympathy does not turn into long term procrastination.