Iraqi Protesters Shut Down Southern Oil Field

[Tom Kirkman + 8,860]

And in other news, the Middle East continues its cheery holiday tradition of merrily celebrating with good cheer and camaraderie.  Oh wait.

 

Iraqi Protesters Shut Down Southern Oil Field

Protesters in Iraq have shut down a southern oil field and forced a cutoff of electricity at the facility amid ongoing unrest that has wracked the capital and much of southern Iraq since public anger first boiled over nearly three months ago.

Reuters reported that the demonstrators chanted, "No homeland, no oil!" as they forced the closure at the Nassiriya oil field, which produces 90,000 barrels of oil a day, on December 28.

They cited "a security source and two oil sources" as saying the facility had been shut down.

Iraq has been shaken for nearly three months by mostly leaderless anti-government and anti-Iranian protests that have led to hundreds of deaths amid a violent crackdown by authorities.

The protesters have decried rampant corruption, a lack of jobs, and perceived official incompetence.  ...

 

... Thousands of Iraqis took to the streets again on December 27 in support of a decision by President Barham Salih to reject an Iran-backed bloc's candidate for prime minister, while some groups with purported ties to Iran criticized Salih's move.

Iraq's parliament on December 24 approved a new electoral law aimed at giving political independents a better chance of winning seats, a key demand of the protesters to make elections fairer.

The new law changes each of the country's 18 provinces into several electoral districts and prevents so-called unified party lists.

 

[wrs + 893]

It seems like the protesters have avoided the oilfields to date, preferring to attack govt facilities.  I guess they are getting angry enough that they think they have less to lose by shutting in oil.  That is more like the way the conflict in Libya works, one side tries to deprive the other from oil revenue.  I don't know if it will expand but if it does, oh well, I forgot, demand destruction, oil will go nowhere.......