Democracynow.org: GOP-Linked Oil Firm Inks Oil Deal in Northern Iraq.

The news comes as U.S. oil companies continue to gain a foothold in Iraq. The Texas-based Hunt Oil has announced a production-sharing agreement with the Kurdish regional government. Hunt will begin oil exploration later this year. The deal is the first for the Kurdish province since it passed its own oil law last month. Hunt CEO Ray Hunt has been a key Republican fundraiser. He sits on the board of directors for the contracting giant Halliburton and is a member of the Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board under an appointment from President Bush.