War Results in Stability»

A joint committee has been set up by Iraq and Iran to study developing oil fields spanning the countries' shared border, Iraq's oil minister said Monday.

Bahr al-Uloum has visited Iran twice since he was appointed oil minister by Iraq's U.S.-appointed Governing Council in September. He has signed agreements with his Iranian counterpart Bijan Namdar Zanganeh to supply Iraq with oil products to alleviate winter shortages. The shortages led to a black market and long lines at gasoline stations in Baghdad.

Last week the oil minister said Baghdad was studying an Iranian proposal to set up an oil pipeline via the Shat-al-Arab waterway in southern Iraq.