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Information and Liaison Bulletin N°330

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Information and Liaison Bulletin N°330 INSTITUT KURDDE PARIS E Information and liaison bulletin N°330 september 2012 The publication of this Bulletin enjoys a subsidy from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DGCID) aqnd the Fonds d’action et de soutien pour l’intégration et la lutte contre les discriminations (The Fund for action and support of integration and the struggle against discrimination) This bulletin is issued in French and English Price per issue : France: 6 € — Abroad : 7,5 € Annual subscribtion (12 issues) France : 60 € — Elsewhere : 75 € Monthly review Directeur de la publication : Mohamad HASSAN Numéro de la Commission Paritaire : 659 15 A.S. ISBN 0761 1285 INSTITUT KURDE, 106, rue La Fayette - 75010 PARIS Tel. : 01-48 24 64 64 - Fax : 01-48 24 64 66 www.fikp.org E-mail: bulletin@fikp.org Information and liaison bulletin Kurdish Institute of Paris Bulletin N° 330 September 2012 • IRAQI KURDISTAN: A PARTIAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN BAGHDAD AND IRBIL. • SYRIA: THE KURDISH REGIONS MANAGE THEIR “LIBERATION” WITH UNCERTAINTY. • IRAQ: TARIQ al-HASHIMI IS SENTENCED TO DEATH. • PARIS: A CONFERENCE ON IRAN. • ROME: DEATH OF MIRELLA GALLETTI IRAQI KURDISTAN A PARTIAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN BAGHDAD AND IRBIL t the beginning of the meeting with Elizabeth Jones, payments that it made to month, Kurdistan Assistant Secretary of State for Kurdistan (17% of the State bud- announced that it would Middle Eastern Affairs. get, according to the constitution) extend the exporting of to repay itself for the losses A its crude oil to Iraq until However, the State Department incurred by the stoppage of 15 September, its deadline for spokesman did not confirm this, exports — which, according to Baghdad to settle its debts to simply answering the Reuters Baghdad amounted to over $3 bil- Kurdish oil companies. Iraq, for its Agency, regarding another dis- lion. Ali Mussavi, one of the Iraqi part, had accepted to settle 560 pute — that over contracts, the Prime Minister’s Advisors, million US dollars, but there were one over contracts — that announced that a Kurdish delega- delays in releasing payments due. Washington just “advised” tion had received a one-week ulti- American companies regarding matum to start negotiations or else On 4 September the Iraqi Prime Iraqi affaires, especially regarding these 3 billion dollars would be Minster stated, in a communiqué, contracts signed with the Kurds deducted from the Kurdish bud- that the United States had told the without Baghdad’s prior approval, get. creditor companies to “cooperate” but that the companies make their with the central government own decisions. Despite the apparent escalation of rather than to take part in a freeze reciprocal threats, few observers of exports of gas and crude. Nuri On the same day, the Iraqi Central believe in any point of no return in al-Maliki indicated that he had Government let it be understood relations between Irbil and received this information during a that il might, in its turn, cut the Baghdad. This Tony Hayward, • 2 • Information and liaison bulletin n° 330 • September 2012 Genel Energy’s General Manager, two countries. The output of con- signed contracts with the KRG considers that Kurdistan would densed natural gas from Khor Mor have hardly suffered from the sit- have more to win than to lose by is about 3000 barrels a day, which uation. Moreover, the cancellation failing to resolve the conflict and is pretty minute but is sold at $100 of most of the contracts for oil that the issues at stake are too a barrels at Mersin. exploration and operation in Iraq high for them not to reach a com- would be far more damaging to promise: “In one or two hears As the 15 September deadline was Baghdad and would push the Kurdistan’s production capacity will approaching, a false alarm occurred “banned” companies into invest- have grown to about a million barrels on 11 September when the Iraqi Oil ing more in Iraqi Kurdistan. a day — that’s too much oil to be cut Minister announced that the Kurds Consequently the announcements off because of a political quarrel. Thus, had reduced their oil exports to of possible contract signings in one way or other, it will be about 75,000 to 80,000 barrels a day, between foreign companies and resolved” (Reuters) as against 115,000 to 120,000 previ- Irbil have been multiplying. ously. It emerged, however, that Having said this, Genel Energy’s this drop was due to a technical On 22 September close t the KRG Manager recognised that if, despite breakdown at Khurmala, which let it be understood that the Royal everything, Kurdistan decided to had required pumping to be tem- Dutch Shell envisaged working in freeze its oil exports to Iraq, the porarily stopped. Kurdistan. However, Shell’s crude oil that his company extracts French spokesman straight away from the Taq Taq and Tawke fields In the end, as Tony Hayward had denied that such discussions had (respectively 105,000 and 70,000 foreseen, an agreement finally begun, recalling that they were barrels a day) could well be sold to took place on 13 September already working on three large local firms who pay $60 a barrel, between Iraq and the KRG, the lat- scale projects in Iraq, where they that is slightly less than the market ter committing itself to continuing were among the most important price but enough for the company to export oil exports to Baghdad investors, while also adding that to manage. while the latter promised to pay they always looked for “new oppor- the Kurdistan creditor companies tunities and projects that could add to If an agreement is reached $857 million (a trillion Iraqi Iraq’s value”. between Irbil and Baghdad, a new dinars). The objective is to reach gas pipeline will connect Taq Taq 200,000 barrels per day from Nevertheless, in October 2011m to Khurmala, the point at which Kurdistan by the end of the year. according to sources from oil the Iraq-Turkey oil pipeline enters Meanwhile the output will remain industry circles, Shell had planned Turkey. Regarding direct sales of at 140,000 barrels a day. to move into Iraqi Kurdistan, but crude oil and gas to Turkey, it is had dropped the idea on seeing being carried out by tanker trucks This dispute, temporarily buried, the violent reaction Exxon´s had for the moment. Thus it is estimat- remains based on the contracts aroused from Sharistani. It is ed that about 15 trucks a day leave signed with foreign companies probable that some companies are the Khir Mor plant to deliver oil to and that of oil exports to Turkey. hesitating between Irbil and Mersin (Adana). In return, the So far, despite the fury of Hussein Baghdad or more probably want Kurd receive small amounts of Sharistani, the Iraqi Deputy Prime to keep well in with both, are diesel fuel and paraffin, a barter Minister in charge of fuel and waiting to see what real measure deal that is considered the “sym- power, and the threats of reprisals are taken against Exxon, Chevron, bolic” starting point of the future against their interests in Iraq, the Total and all those who have imports and exports between the foreign companies that have dared to breach the Iraqi bans. SYRIA: THE KURDISH REGIONS MANAGE THEIR “LIBERATION” WITH UNCERTAINTY ince the “withdrawal” shortages are accentuated by the devoid of Syrian forces and state or partial disengage- influx of refugees fleeing the administrations. Mustafa Juma, ment of the Syrian fighting in Aleppo. Thus the the General secretary of the forces from the bulk of Kurdish internet site Welaté me Kurdish Azadi Party, who is a S Kurdish towns, their (Our Country) describes long native of Koban, confirms the inhabitants are enjoying a fragile queues lasting several hours out- food shortage, especially of peace — but also suffer from side the bakeries of Koban, the flour, and highlights both the shortages of food and fuel. These only town to be completely fighting between the Syrian n° 330 • September 2012 Information and liaison bulletin • 3• Army and the “Free Syrian lapses under the blows of the founder of a youth movement Army” (FSA) that hinder traffic revolution. (Reuters). and prominent member of the and circulation of goods but also KNC. He was shot down by two the checkpoints set up by the At Qamishlo, the only Kurdish men riding a motorbike in the PYD (the Syrian branch of the town of which the Baath has town of Ras al’ayn (Hassaké PKK) which it says are to pre- chosen to keep control, the Province). Nine months earlier, vent the FSA from entering the Syrian Army arrested and he was kidnapped and severely Kurdish areas. Mustafa Juma imprisoned 25 young Kurds for torture before being released. At accuses these checkpoints of tak- “insubordination” (that is to say the time he had accused the PYD ing money from those bringing desertion), which brought hun- of being behind his kidnapping, food into the town, even though dreds of people out on the which they denied. He had recognising that the end of the streets to demonstrate for their received many death threats ad fighting in Aleppo would con- release. The Komelên ciwanên was in hiding most of time, only siderably improve the situation, Rojavayê Kurdistan (KCRK, an coming out to take part in as the an important part of the organisation of young Kurds demonstrations. burden on this town of 350,000 is from Western Kurdistan) also the influx of Kurdish refugees organised a rally in from of the On 30 September a suicide bomb from Aleppo. mosque on the Friday following attack took place at Qamishlo — these arrests, while shopkeepers the first of its kind in Kurdistan.
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