Power sharing in Iraq is complicated; the country’s 40 million citizens are divided along ideological, religious and social lines. It’s hard to see much being shared out equally in such a climate. Nonetheless, in approving the draft of an oil law, the Iraqi cabinet has taken the first step to oil revenue sharing.

 
Steve Negus’ article ‘Iraq cabinet agrees draft law for oil industry’, describes the role of the Kurds in this process.

 
The autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan signed exploration and development contracts with foreign oil companies long before cabinet’s approval of the draft law. As Negus hints earlier in the piece, the Kurds want to get their money’s worth.

 
A political aspect Negus neglects to mention is the city of Kirkuk. The Kurds lay claim to the city Saddam Hussein tried to Arabize over the last three decades. Kirkuk also happens to be Iraq’s biggest oil town.

 
The dispute over Kirkuk has far-reaching political effects, but, one closer to home is revenue sharing. With control over the crown jewels of Iraqi oil, the Kurds could guarantee themselves their 15 percent of national oil revenue, rather than the seven Baghdad has let drip their way.

 
Kirkuk, like much of Iraq suffers regular terrorist attacks; this disrupts oil flow. With effective security forces, Iraqi Kurdistan is unlike many other regions. Kurdish administration of Kirkuk and its oil could encourage foreign investment and boost Iraqi oil production back to pre-war levels.

 
I have to admit that, considering how long it has taken to come up with this first step towards oil and profit sharing, it’s no wonder the Iraqi cabinet is delaying handling other political hot potatoes.