Oil provinces condemn default on petrodollar

The governors of provinces that account for nearly all of Iraq's oil production plan to file lawsuits and rally dissent against the government over a perceived renege on promises of an increase in oil-revenue redistribution.

The threats, including to stop oil production, have increased since Jan. 15, when the Iraqi Cabinet approved a draft 2014 budget which kept the extra payment for producing or refining oil and natural gas at $1 instead of the $5 approved by Parliament last year.