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Baghdad: Concerns Over Oil Smuggling from the Kurdistan Region
The Al-Fateh Alliance has underscored the urgent need to address oil smuggling operations emanating from the Kurdistan region. They have called on the federal government to intervene decisively in this matter, emphasizing that smuggled oil is a national asset belonging to all Iraqis, not just the regional government. Despite ongoing smuggling activities, leaders from the Kurdistan region continue to seek financial allocations from Baghdad without fulfilling their own financial responsibilities.
Officials express that the issue of oil smuggling cannot be overlooked any longer, labeling it a blatant appropriation of national wealth that demands immediate government action to cease these unlawful activities. They advocate for heightened federal intervention and pressure to eliminate the smuggling networks operating without accountability.
Despite international legal rulings prohibiting such smuggling, operations persist through a sophisticated network involving influential figures within the regional government, in collaboration with both local and international smuggling entities. Illegal channels are reportedly employed to transport oil to neighboring countries, especially Turkey, where the proceeds are allegedly funneled to support various political factions and leaders within the region, rather than contributing to the federal treasury.
Current estimates indicate that over 300,000 barrels of oil are being smuggled daily from the Kurdistan region, with little clarity regarding the financial implications of these operations. Reports indicate that the fate of the revenues generated from this illicit activity remains largely unexplained.