Slick Connections: U.S. Influence on Iraqi Oil

[SHRED]

As long as outside private corporations (Exxon, BP, etc...) want to take a major piece of Iraq's oil, then you will have conflict and war in Iraq.

This occupation of Iraq is about securing Iraq's oil and rebuilding for foriegn private special interests.
And since these same interests own most of the USA's mainstream media, little is mentioned of it and many of the citizens of our country will remain clueless ("If it's not on TV, then it didn't happen").

The following is a well documented account.

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Slick Connections: U.S. Influence on Iraqi Oil
Erik Leaver and Greg Muttitt | July 17, 2007

"The oil belongs to the Iraqi people. It's their asset," declared President George W. Bush in a press conference on the White House lawn in June 2006. He had just returned from a surprise visit to Baghdad, in which oil had been one of the main subjects of discussion.

"We talked about how to advise the government to best use that money for the benefit of the people," he clarified.

But by January 2007, the euphemism of "advice" had been dropped, as passage of an oil law became a "benchmark," an instruction to the Iraqi government.

Violating the very notions of freedom and democracy Bush invokes in nearly every speech on Iraq, the U.S. government has actively intervened in the restructuring of Iraq's oil industry since at least 2002. At different times, the Iraqi government has been threatened that passing the oil law was a pre-condition for partial reduction of Saddam Hussein's debts, for the provision of reconstruction funds, and even for the continued survival (through U.S. military support) of the al-Maliki government itself.

The issues could hardly be more important for Iraq. Oil accounts for more than 90% of government revenue, and is the main driver of Iraq's economy. And decisions made in the coming months will not be reversible—once contracts are signed, they will have a major bearing on Iraq's economy and politics for decades to come.

No wonder polls have shown that roughly 75% of Iraqis think one of the main reasons why the United States invaded Iraq was "to control Iraqi oil."1

http://www.fpif.org/fpiftxt/4399

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[irislake]

1. This is deeply deeply immoral!

If the Iraqi people have their oil stolen from them the American reputation in the world will never recover.

[MasonJar]

2. This is disgraceful. We need to insist that our Congress does NOT allow

this exploitation of Iraq's oil to happen. We have destroyed their country; we MUST not rob them of their main source of income. Please join me in calling Congress and writing LTTE.

[SHRED]

4. Good link here

http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/56672/

[leftchick]

3. that timeline in the link is astonishing

damn...

:wow:

[yurbud]

5. this is why even top dems who talk about 'redeploying' from Iraq add under there breath 'except for

50,000 to 100,000 troops who will stay until we get the last drop of oil..."