Iraqi oil supply was considered to be 'vital' to British interests

[cal04]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/iraqi-oil-supply-was-considered-to-be-vital-to-british-interests-2270072.html

The British Government saw Iraqi oil as "vital" to the UK's long-term energy security, and the effective privatisation of its oil industry was central to the post-invasion plan for the country, according to previously unseen Whitehall documents.

The UK was already working behind the scenes to ensure British companies did not lose out to competitors in the region, reveal strategy papers that were discussed at the highest level across Whitehall just days after President George W Bush declared "mission accomplished" in May 2003.

Despite Tony Blair and his ministers' public insistence that Iraq's vast oil reserves – then estimated at 112 billion barrels – were a matter for the Iraqis alone, officials warned a meeting of the "inter-departmental Oil Sector Liaison Group (OSLG)" that appearing "gratuitously exploitative" in its policy goals – which included the aim to "maximise benefit to British industry and thus British employment/economy" – could "backfire politically".

(snip)
One leading Tory MP, who asked not to be identified, said yesterday that the revelations "come as no surprise to me". He added: "In May 2002... a serving officer in the Ministry of Defence said to me: 'We're planning for ground operations to start on 19 March next year.' He (said)... they couldn't give a damn about the politics. There is no question that the armed services knew it as a racing certainty when the war would start."

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

1. Blood for oil, pure and simple. So sad.

[dixiegrrrrl]

2. appearing "gratuitously exploitative"

there are other kinds of exploitive besides....gratuitously, I guess.

So Brits and Cheney were hand in hand all along.
Dunno why that should be a surprise.
Stomach churning, is what it is.

[Nothing Without Hope]

3. I don't believe the US war criminals will be held accountable

in this country during their lifetimes. The damning evidence is there, but it will not be pursued until too late for justice.

[no_hypocrisy]

4. And boy, wasn't it convenient for Britain that the only thing standing between it and

"its" oil was a dictator. They had the fascade of moral authority to remove him to "liberate" the oil from its origin country.