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it's always been about oil... trying keeping this economy going without cheap oil..
The Iraq war was never about oil/oil profits, RIGHT?
US's Iraq oil grab is a done deal
By Pepe Escobar
Atimes
"By 2010 we will need 50 million barrels a day. The Middle East, with two-thirds of the oil and the lowest cost, is still where the prize lies." - US Vice President Cheney, then Halliburton chief executive officer, London, autumn 1999
...On Monday, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's cabinet in Baghdad approved the draft of the new Iraqi oil law. The government regards it as "a major national project". The key point of the law is that Iraq's immense oil wealth (115 billion barrels of proven reserves, third in the world after Saudi Arabia and Iran) will be under the iron rule of a fuzzy "Federal Oil and Gas Council" boasting "a panel of oil experts from inside and outside Iraq". That is, nothing less than predominantly US Big Oil executives.
The law represents no less than ins utionalized raping and pillaging of Iraq's oil wealth. It represents the death knell of nationalized (from 1972 to 1975) Iraqi resources, now replaced by production sharing agreements (PSAs) - which translate into savage privatization and monster profit rates of up to 75% for (basically US) Big Oil. Sixty-five of Iraq's roughly 80 oilfields already known will be offered for Big Oil to exploit. As if this were not enough, the law reduces in practice the role of Baghdad to a minimum. Oil wealth, in theory, will be distributed directly to Kurds in the north, Shi'ites in the south and Sunnis in the center. For all practical purposes, Iraq will be par ioned into three statelets. Most of the country's reserves are in the Shi'ite-dominated south, while the Kurdish north holds the best prospects for future drilling.
Get me a PSA on time
In these past few weeks, US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad has been crucial in mollifying the Kurds. In the end, in practice, the pro-US Kurds will have all the power to sign oil contracts with whatever companies they want. Sunnis will be more dependent on the Oil Ministry in Baghdad. And Shi'ites will be more or less midway between total independence in the south and Baghdad's dictum (which they control anyway). But the crucial point remains: nobody will sign anything unless the "advisers" at the US-manipulated Federal Oil and Gas Council say so.
So now it's official, Our troops are guarding the oil for the big corporations now.
Escobar nails it here:
Bush and Cheney got their oily cake - and they will eat it, too (or be drenched in its glory). Mission accomplished: permanent, sprawling military bases on the eastern flank of the Arab nation and control of some of largest, untapped oil wealth on the planet - a key geostrategic goal of the New American Century. Now it's time to move east, bomb Iran, force regime change and - what else? - force PSAs down their Persian throats.
it's always been about oil... trying keeping this economy going without cheap oil..
Let's be honest, it's about good ole' fashion corporate imperialism.
Why not just get the discount oil available in the OFF program like Europe and the UN were doing?
Last I checked Iraq was still a member of OPEC...
And BTW, Iraq isn't in the top 3 in Oil Reserves...Canada is, when do we invade them? Nice research by Pablo.
There is additional evidence that Australia is sitting on the worlds largest....and of course Russia has noted vast reserves, potentially limitless, of Oil in it's tundra.
Fact is that Iraq's reserves were more readily available under Saddam and sanctions than they are now...
"Fact is that Iraq's reserves were more readily available under Saddam and sanctions than they are now..."
Remind us, which US/UK oilco's had RSA or leases with Saddam?
After the "slam dunk" takeover of Iraq, which US/UK oilco's were expected to have RSA with the friendly, grateful Iraqi Democracy?
Hey boutons, sup?
You know nothing about oil politics Whott, Shale oil costs much more to produce than the sweet-crude they get in the M.E...This isn't about oil running out, it's about keeping the costs to produce down and company profits up.Last I checked Iraq was still a member of OPEC...
And BTW, Iraq isn't in the top 3 in Oil Reserves...Canada is, when do we invade them? Nice research by Pablo.
SO that's why we tried to go through the UN first...got it.
The UN didn't approve the Iraq invasion, nor will they support bombing targets in Iran. Moscow and Beijing simply won't allow it.
No ...
Whynot?
And why do you suppose that is?nor will they support bombing targets in Iran. Moscow and Beijing simply won't allow it.
Matter of fact, why do you suppose any of those that were against this war were against it?
It's not like they have a record of treating their own muslims well.
Because their own intelligence was telling them that the U.S. intelligence was not reliable.Matter of fact, why do you suppose any of those that were against this war were against it?
Duh!
why not just admit you are a commie?
What's the point of the pretension that you aren't?
That may be true, but I think they were against it only because having the U.S. in Iraq is against both Russia's and China's national interests.
A commie?
What's the point of the pretension that you aren't?
Yes, every person who brings to light corporate malfeasance is a commie.
Not to mention financial interests, but that's why the U.N. is there in the first place.That may be true, but I think they were against it only because having the U.S. in Iraq is against both Russia's and China's national interests.
If the Russians and Chinese really cared about their national interests they would have sent troops in with the coalition to protect those interests. Both countries lost a considerable amount of investment in Iraq oil wells and oil reserve rights when Saddam was toppled.
They knew that the U.S. would be the #1 power in Iraq even if they sent troops in. I'm guessing they made a calculated cost/benefit analysis and came to the conclusion that sitting on the sidelines and criticizing the U.S. was the correct play for both countries. They were probably right.
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