Did we invade Iraq so US oilmen could get a seat at the OPEC cash table?

[stickdog]

Were the neocons and their pipe dreams of radically transfoming the Middle East just a means to an end? Or perhaps just a smokescreen?

Greg Palast seems to think so, and the whole scheme smacks of the way Enron gamed California's "energy crisis" for tens of billions in pure profit. Iraqis and US soldiers and taxpayers all pay a ridiculously tragic price so big corporate contributors can reap ridiculous profits.

http://www.gregpalast.com/detail.cfm?artid=417&row=1

The Bush administration made plans for war and for Iraq's oil before the 9/11 attacks sparking a policy battle between neo-cons and Big Oil, BBC's Newsnight has revealed.

Two years ago today - when President George Bush announced US, British and Allied forces would begin to bomb Baghdad - protestors claimed the US had a secret plan for Iraq's oil once Saddam had been conquered.

In fact there were two conflicting plans, setting off a hidden policy war between neo-conservatives at the Pentagon, on one side, versus a combination of "Big Oil" executives and US State Department "pragmatists."

"Big Oil" appears to have won. The latest plan, obtained by Newsnight from the US State Department was, we learned, drafted with the help of American oil industry consultants.

SECRET U.S. PLANS FOR IRAQI OIL:

http://www.gregpalast.com/opeconthemarch.html