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Saturday, September 15, 2012

Sanity Prevails

Iraq's central government and the Kurdish regional government have fixed one source of friction, at least:

Iraq's central government and the country's autonomous Kurdistan agreed to end an oil payment dispute after Kurdistan pledged to continue exports and Baghdad said it would pay foreign companies working there, a senior Iraqi official said on Thursday.

The decision resolves part of a broader feud between Baghdad and Kurdistan about control over oil and territory that has involved major companies including Exxon Mobil , Chevron and Total.

It's good to see disputes settled with words.

I sometimes wonder if bouts of insanity in the region around them make Iraqis appreciate the fragile democracy that they have and give Iraqis more reason to bolster it rather than tear at it for local advantage.