Controversial canal again sparks dispute in Iraq – Al-Monitor
A view of the Umm Qasr port on the Khor Abdullah estuary, Iraq. Posted Jan. 18, 2016.(photo byFacebook/sdct1980)
Author:Sara al-Qaher Posted February 7, 2017
BAGHDAD Iraq is fighting a tide of dissent as itslawmakersaccusethe government of handing over the Khor Abdullah border canal to Kuwait in an agreement concluded by the countries joint committees.
TranslatorMohammad Khalil
TheCabinet's decisionsparked outrage Jan. 26, with some parliament membersand Cabinet sources claiming the move was part of a secret deal by which Iraq handed over Khor Abdullah as a gift to Kuwait, resulting in a crisis that government clarifications have failed toend.
An estuary, Khor Abdullah is at the northern end of the Persian Gulf off the shores of the Kuwaiti islands of Bubiyan and Warbah and the Iraqi Al-Faw peninsula,extending to Khor al-Zubair in Umm Qasr port.
Disagreement over the rights to Bubiyanwere a major reason Iraq invaded Kuwait.
Following Iraqi President Saddam Husseins invasion of Kuwait in 1990, the UN Security Council in May 1993 adopted Resolution 833, demarcating the Iraq-Kuwait borders. A committee was formed of experts from 16 countries, including someformer Soviet republics, the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain, Venezuela, Pakistan and Morocco. The committeewas charged with technical implementation of border demarcation between Iraq and Kuwait.
According to UN documents, thatcommittee concluded that Khor Abdullah was a vital canal for both countries. Then ajoint committee was formed to draft a bilateral agreement on the organization of navigation, and in 2013 the Iraqi Cabinet ratified the agreement and delivered it to the UN.
Over the past few years, Iraqi parliamentarianshave strongly contested the Baghdad governments approval of the agreement, which officially recognizesKuwaits right to establish Mubarak Al Kabeer port within the area shared by both nations, thus narrowing the ports on the Iraqi side.
Theres a secret deal between the Iraqi and Kuwaiti governments concerning Khor Abdullah. The clarifications offered by the Iraqi government in this regard are not persuasive, parliament member Aaliyah Nasif of the State of Law Coalition told Al-Monitor. She maintains Khor Abdullah was not included in Resolution 833, in legal or geographic terms.
According to Nasif, former foreign affairs and transportation ministers, as well as otherformer Cabinet members whom she refused to name, received bribes from the Kuwaiti government in return for ratifying the 2013 agreement.
Opponents of the deal contend thatceding Iraqs right to Khor Abdullah compromisesIraqi sovereignty.
Meanwhile, Kuwaiti Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Khalid Al-Jarallah said in a news conference that his country did not encroach on a "single inch" of Iraqi territory.He condemned theaccusations, sayingthere had been no new developments or changes regarding the maritime border issue.
However, Dhafer al-Ajami,executive director ofGulf Monitoring Groupand a Kuwaiti national,told NRT News that Khor Abdullah and Umm Qasr belong to Kuwait, arguing that Khor Abdullahwas named after Sheikh Abdullah Bin Sabah of Kuwait, who died in 1813.
Some Iraqi officials blame former Prime MinisterNouri al-Malikis Cabinet, which they saysurrenderedIraqi territory to Kuwait.
Former Basra province parliament member Wael Abdul-Latif told Al-Monitor, Malikis Cabinet made a mistake on three occasions. First, the former Cabinet accepted demarcation according to the [Security Council] resolution, handing over regional water and land in addition to the Umm Qasr port city."
Second, he said, Iraq's government went along with Kuwait's plans to build theMubarak Al Kabeer porton the disputed Bubiyan Island, impeding Iraq's access and forcing it to use the Kuwaiti port.
"The third mistake was the agreement signed by the former transportation ministerdividing Khor Abdullah into two and narrowing Iraqi waterways adjacent to Iran and Kuwait," Abdul-Latif said, adding that heplansto file a lawsuit in maritime court disputing the legality of the Mubarak Al Kabeer port and the Khor Abdullah agreement.
As theagreement continues to fuelcontroversy, some maritime experts offered a different opinion thanthat of the politicians. One of those experts, Alaa Badran,told Al-Monitorthe agreement does not impedeIraq, since itdemarcates maritime borders so that navigation functions properly. Badran issecretary of the Marshes Committee ofthe Basra Provincial Council.
He further said that only part of the border adjacent to Umm Qasr and Bubiyan Island was takenunder the agreement, adding that Kuwait took a "taluk" line similar to that of Iran's, and therefore the agreement does not affect the Iraqi side. "Taluk" is an Iraqi maritime term referring to the centerline in the main waterway available for maritime navigation at the point where the water level starts to decrease upon reaching land borders.
The Iraqi parliament'sForeign Relations Committee is seeking to resolve the situation to everyone's satisfaction. Committee memberMithal al-Allusi told Al-Monitor that Iraq maintains good relations with Kuwait, but Iraqis discontent with the governments decisions could harm these relations in the future.Whenonecountry controls the lands and ports of another, he added, peace is unlikely.
Many observers believe Prime Minister Haider al-Abadis Cabinet will probably make the same mistake made during Malikis rule: ceding the maritime canal to Kuwait to preserve diplomatic relations and achieve short-term interestsat the expense of an angry Iraqi public.
Read More: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2017/02/khor-abdullah-iraq-kuwait-persian-gulf.html
See the original post:
Controversial canal again sparks dispute in Iraq - Al-Monitor
- Iraqi Military Forces Capacity in the Wake of a Likely U.S. Withdrawal from Iraq - New Lines Institute - April 25th, 2025 [April 25th, 2025]
- Returning from the Middle East, Michael Baumgartner reflects on Iraq's progress since he left in 2008 - The Spokesman-Review - April 25th, 2025 [April 25th, 2025]
- So was Poland a sucker when it supported the US in Iraq? - The Hill - April 25th, 2025 [April 25th, 2025]
- Iraq says Pope Francis' calls for coexistence 'will leave an indelible impact' - NPR - April 25th, 2025 [April 25th, 2025]
- Turkiye expands military occupation of northern Iraq: Report - thecradle.co - April 25th, 2025 [April 25th, 2025]
- JJs Star Spangled Salute: A Kansas Veteran On The Frontlines In Iraq - 101.3 KFDI - April 25th, 2025 [April 25th, 2025]
- Whats missing from Alex Garlands Iraq movie Warfare? Context, motivation and, for the most part, Iraqis - The Guardian - April 25th, 2025 [April 25th, 2025]
- In pictures: Easter celebrated around the world from Greece to Iraq - BBC - April 25th, 2025 [April 25th, 2025]
- Hemorrhagic Fever Death Toll Rises to Four in Iraq, Health Ministry Confirms - kurdistan24.net - April 25th, 2025 [April 25th, 2025]
- Iraq veteran and film-maker Ray Mendoza: Writing Warfare with Alex Garland was like going to a therapist - The Guardian - April 25th, 2025 [April 25th, 2025]
- French FM visits Iraq as part of regional tour to prepare for Palestine conference - The Arab Weekly - April 25th, 2025 [April 25th, 2025]
- Warfare review nerve-shredding real-time Iraq war film drags you into visceral frontline combat - The Guardian - April 25th, 2025 [April 25th, 2025]
- 'Warfare': The true story behind Ray Mendoza's Iraq War movie - USA Today - April 12th, 2025 [April 12th, 2025]
- Warfare brings realistic carnage of Iraq War to theaters - Military Times - April 12th, 2025 [April 12th, 2025]
- Why a Navy SEAL Vet Relived His Iraq War 'Nightmare' to Make the Harrowing Movie Warfare (Exclusive) - People.com - April 12th, 2025 [April 12th, 2025]
- Is Warfare Fact or Fiction? Inside the Real-Life Iraq War Mission That Inspired the Shocking Movie - People.com - April 12th, 2025 [April 12th, 2025]
- 'Warfare': The True Story Behind Iraq War Mission Gone Wrong - Men's Health - April 12th, 2025 [April 12th, 2025]
- Global agriculture index: Iraq ranks 109th - Shafaq News - - April 12th, 2025 [April 12th, 2025]
- Warfare aims to be the most authentic Iraq War film yet - CNN - April 12th, 2025 [April 12th, 2025]
- UNFPA and German Delegation Visit Womens Protection Center in Anbar, Reaffirming Continued Commitment to Womens Empowerment in Iraq [EN/AR] -... - April 12th, 2025 [April 12th, 2025]
- Iraq finally confirms parliamentary elections for this November - The New Arab - April 12th, 2025 [April 12th, 2025]
- From Artsakh to Iraq: economic blockades as gendered violence - The Armenian Weekly - April 12th, 2025 [April 12th, 2025]
- 'Warfare' is based on the true story of a Navy SEAL team that fought in Iraq. The directors made it for a soldier who doesn't remember how he lost a... - April 12th, 2025 [April 12th, 2025]
- ICRC in Iraq: Key Figures 2024 [EN/AR/KU] - ReliefWeb - April 12th, 2025 [April 12th, 2025]
- Iran defies Trump by arming proxy forces in Iraq with missiles - The Times - April 12th, 2025 [April 12th, 2025]
- Alex Garland's Iraq-war film Warfare is visceral, exciting and unethical - CBC - April 12th, 2025 [April 12th, 2025]
- How Warfares All-Star Cast Made the Most Intense Iraq War Film Ever - GQ - April 12th, 2025 [April 12th, 2025]
- GE Vernova partners with Iraq on 24,000 MW natural gas power project - energynews.pro - April 12th, 2025 [April 12th, 2025]
- Al-Sudani in Erbil: Iraq Has Withstood Crises, Now Focused on Stability and Economic Growth - kurdistan24.net - April 12th, 2025 [April 12th, 2025]
- Warfare pays tribute to those who served in Iraq War with raw and powerful filmmaking - AZFamily - April 12th, 2025 [April 12th, 2025]
- Exclusive: Iran-backed militias in Iraq ready to disarm to avert Trump wrath - Reuters - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]
- Executions at 10-year high after huge increases in Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia - The Guardian - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]
- Why Trump threats have cowed Tehrans axis of resistance in Iraq - The Times - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]
- Iran seeks indirect talks with US, warns Iraq, Kuwait over supporting strikes - Hindustan Times - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]
- Iran-backed militias in Iraq are ready to disarm following Trumps threats - New York Post - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]
- Pro-Iran militias in Iraq mulling disarming under threat of US attack, sources say - The Times of Israel - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]
- Iraq, 2nd top destination of Iranian non-oil goods in a year - Tehran Times - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]
- Iraq calls for meeting to resume negotiations on Kurdistan regional oil exports - Reuters - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]
- Iranian proxies in Iraq willing to disarm to avoid conflict with US, commanders and Iraqi officials say - The Times of Israel - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]
- Exclusive-Iran-backed militias in Iraq ready to disarm to avert Trump wrath - MSN - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]
- Iran's influence in neighboring Iraq is waning - Neue Zrcher Zeitung - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]
- A man wielding an axe wounds 3 people at the Assyrian Christian new year parade in Iraq - AP News - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]
- Landmines and explosive remnants cast a long shadow over Iraq amid recovery efforts - International Committee of the Red Cross - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]
- Marine writes book aiming to clear his name after bloody Iraq ambush - Marine Corps Times - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]
- Washington halted the Iraq-Iran electricity waiver. Here is how it's perceived by Washington and Baghdad. - Atlantic Council - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]
- In the minefields of Iraq, Noora works to restore life and hope to her homeland - International Committee of the Red Cross - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]
- Iraq aims to utilize 70% of flared gas by end of 2025 - Iraqi News - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]
- How Carey Mulligans brother found himself dodging bombs and bullets in Iraq - The Irish News - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]
- Who are the main Iran-backed militias in Iraq? - thenationalnews.com - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]
- Iraq Seizes Over Two Tons of Drugs, Arrests More Than 1,500 Traffickers in Major Crackdown - kurdistan24.net - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]
- FM Fidan calls on Iraq to confront PKK terror group with same determination shown against Daesh - Trkiye Today - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]
- Iran-backed militias in Iraq ready to disarm to avert Trump wrath - The Japan Times - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]
- Pressured by US, Iraq calls for negotiations on Kurdistan regional oil exports - The Arab Weekly - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]
- All the Mountains Give review gripping portrait of smugglers on the Iran-Iraq border - The Guardian - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]
- Iran-Backed Militias In Iraq: American Embassy, Targets In Iraq Will Be Attacked If Iran Attacked - MEMRI | Middle East Media Research Institute - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]
- The Real Military History Behind the New Iraq War Film 'Warfare' - Military.com - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- One Photo from Abu Ghraib Lost the Iraq War. Kristi Noem Continues the Tradition - Rolling Stone - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Iraq agrees to supply Lebanon with fuel for six months - Reuters - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Iran Joins Russia, Mexico, Venezuela, Ukraine, North Korea, Belarus, Myanmar, and Iraq as US Issues New Do Not Travel Alert: What You Need to Know -... - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Activation of TIR system in Iraq to boost connectivity and trade across Central Asia, Middle East and Europe - UNECE - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Crafting Warfare: Inside the intense, star-studded film about an Iraq War battle and the Navy SEALs who lived it - Entertainment Weekly - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- UN-Habitat and the Government of Japan Expand Efforts to Support Returnees in Northern Iraq [EN/AR] - ReliefWeb - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Iraq joins TIR transit system - Heavy Lift & Project Forwarding International - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Trkiyes Development Road Project advances toward Iraq and Syria - Trkiye Today - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Iraq Officially Announces Sunday as First Day of Eid Al Fitr - Morocco World News - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Iraq agrees to supply Lebanon with fuel for six months - The New Arab - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Iran committed to implementing agreements with Iraq - - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- The Iraq War lasted nearly 9 years, claiming the lives of almost 4,500 Americans. Hampton Roads ships, planes and troops played important roles. -... - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- PM: Iraq rejects the threats facing the Islamic Republic of Iran - ina.iq - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Palestine keep hopes of first World Cup alive with dramatic Iraq turnaround - Al Jazeera - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Hakim ccalls for Iraq's exemption from sanctions on Iranian gas and electricity imports - Tehran Times - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- 'I know what I'm doing next fall': Disabled Iraq veteran in Star honored with big game hunting tags - KIVI-TV - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Iranian Ambassador To Iraq, Mohammad Kazem Al-Sadegh: If Trump Is Willing To Return To Nuclear Talks We Are Prepared To Do So Following The P5+1... - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- KFC expands in Iraq with tenth location in Baghdad - Iraqi News - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Boosting ties with Iraq help counter enemy plots: Pezeshkian - Tabnak - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- Iran's MOIS-Linked APT34 Spies on Allies Iraq & Yemen - Dark Reading - March 28th, 2025 [March 28th, 2025]
- Warfare Review: Alex Garlands Iraq War Film Is Full Of Bombastic Aestheticism That Leaves You Feeling Empty - Deadline - March 28th, 2025 [March 28th, 2025]
- Warfare Review: Ray Mendoza and Alex Garlands Harrowing Retelling of an Iraq War Mission - slantmagazine - March 28th, 2025 [March 28th, 2025]
- Alex Garland and Ray Mendozas brutal Iraq film Warfare offers only violence to its detriment - The Independent - March 28th, 2025 [March 28th, 2025]
- Kurds ponder future in Turkey, Syria and Iraq with guarded optimism - South China Morning Post - March 28th, 2025 [March 28th, 2025]