Iraq’s VP Opposes Draft Oil Law

Iraq’s Vice President has publicly opposed Iraq’s controversial Oil Law, saying it gives too many concessions to foreign oil companies. “We disagree with the production sharing agreement,” Tariq al-Hashemi told reporters yesterday.
“We want foreign oil companies, and we have to lure them into Iraq to learn from their expertise and acquire their technology, but we shouldn’t give them big privileges,” al-Hashemi said.
The ongoing disagreement means that parliament will miss a May 31 target date set by the Iraqi government to pass the bill, said Mahmoud Othman, a leading Kurdish lawmaker. “There’s no way it will be done by then,” Othman said. “Not even close.”