Shiites and Kurds at Impasse Over Oil-Rich Zone's Fate (New York Times)

[cthrumatrix]

Shiites and Kurds at Impasse Over Oil-Rich Zone's Fate
By EDWARD WONG

Published: March 16, 2005


AGHDAD, Iraq, March 15 - On the eve of the first meeting here of the new constitutional assembly, the major Shiite and Kurdish political parties have yet to agree to form a coalition government and will have to continue talks later in the week, senior officials on both sides said Tuesday.

Nevertheless, the assembly is still expected to vote for a president and several other high-ranking officials at its first meeting, on Wednesday, Iraqi officials said.

The Kurds and the Shiites, the two blocs that won the most votes in the Jan. 30 elections, have to resolve disputes on several major issues that are hindering moves toward an alliance, the officials from the two groups said. The two sides are deadlocked over conflicting visions of the future of the oil-rich northern city of Kirkuk and the status of the Kurdish militia, among other things, the officials said.

snip
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/16/international/middleeast/16iraq.html?ex=1111640400&en=c8e25edac43621e8&ei=5040&partner=MOREOVERNEWS


I thought the oil riches belong to ALL Iraq's....?

[leftchick]

1. nope...

the Kurds think Kirkuk belongs to them.