If the theory that the War was about stealing oil were true...

[jayctravis]

then this too has failed miserably, as has the "bringing freedom and democracy" talking point. The Administration has not removed "terrorists"...they have simply made any oilfield property they wish to control that much more dangerous.

Just like bees will produce honey in symbiosis with humans who wish to harvest it, disturbing their hive does not make honey easier or more productive. Rather all production stops, and a violent reaction occurs, as well as the potential for destroying the hive infrastructure that allows honey in the first place.

(Mind you, I in no way mean to suggest Iraqi citizens are worker bees, insects, or a "hive-mind"...the metaphor just occurred to me.)

[The Doctor.]

1. That's an excellent simile...

But it was never about 'stealing' oil... it was about controling the market for it.

Now we are assured that Saddam cannot 'attack' our economy by trading oil in Euros.

[Disturbed]

4. Control of the flow.

Bush Regime Iraq Successes

1. Saddam will no longer sell Iraqi oil via the Euro.

2, A military foothold in the ME. Other than Saudi Arabia.

3, No countries will be able to buy Iraqi oil that the U.S. disapproves of.

4. The Multi-Intl. Oil Corps are reaping great profits, esp. Bush Junta fave ally Saudi Dicktatorshit.

“We live a lie when we fail to hold leaders accountable for their lies. By not calling now for impeachment, we are saying that we condone hypocrisy, pseudo-democracy, and murdering thousands of Americans and Iraqis for strategic control of energy resources that we have no right to. Patriotism demands that we insist on the ideals of democracy, not that we support the "leaders" who cynically destroy them.”
Robert Shetterly

[acmavm]

2. Yes, like everything bush** has been involved in, it's been a miserable

failure.

But you gotta admit, the propaganda that the neocons spouted in the PNAC was pretty simplistic and barbaric. And didn't account for the fact that these people had a civilization thousands of years older than ours. Or even that they might object to our trying to waltz in and steal their oil and their country.

[formercia]

3. Stealing the oil may have been a goal

but it was more important to restrict the flow. Iraq was illegaly dumping millions of barrels of oil in violation of the oil for food program quotas and depressing the price below what the Saudis thought was a proper price. Their debt load was exceeding their oil income and they were very grateful when the price went up after Fearless Misleader 'liberated' Iraq.

[Somawas]

5. Exactly.

Invading Iraq was the "Goldfinger" solution to oil supply. Remember, Goldfinger didn't want to steal the gold in Fort Knox-he just wanted it radioactive and worthless.

[The Doctor.]

7. Hey - got a link

or some documentation? (I'm getting CTS from all the digging)

That assertion fills in some big pieces of the puzzle as to what the Sauds had to gain from our invasion.

Now the Saudi Royals can trash their US asset.

(It has been pointed out that The Saudi Royal fam owns a controlling share of Time-Warner.)

[drduffy]

6. And remember too,

the main descriptor for the neocons is 'arrogance'. And just as Jacob Bronowski noted in the Ascent of Man thirty years ago, the defining characteristic of the Nazis was 'arrogance'. That's why they didn't consider the history of Islam or Iraq. It leads them to do stupid things. And thank god for that.

[ThoughtCriminal]

8. Disrupting the supply

is what makes the oil cronies smile.

[Coastie for Truth]

9. Oil Hegemony

The power to "control" who it was sold to.

Protection of our Saudi "Allies"

We let the Saudis get away with a hell of lot -- that nobody else (that's right NOBODY ELSE) gets away with.

The first Gulf War was to protect the House of Saud-Romanov.

When the House of Saud-Romanov falls - and it will - it make the fall of the Romanovs look tame by comparison.

<>

Remember Saudi Prince Bandar (The Prince of Darkness) from Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 911

[Boomer]

10. Oil profits were only a bonus

The Bush Regime now has a major foothold in the Middle East and is busily building military installations and an embassy. This war was about having a base of operations from which to control the region.

So far, that part has worked, even if everything else has fallen apart.

[Deja Q]

11. If we leave iraq they WILL destroy the oil wells and we are finished.

We cannot leave. Not for a long while, I regret to say.

[Just Me]

12. The BushCo/neoCON cabal seriously misunderestimated people.

This cabal's "reality-shaping" isn't working out,...at all. Prolly has something to do with their dark inner selves. Bastards!!!

[leftofthedial]

13. they also are farther from being able to build their Afghan pipeline

than they were when the Taliban ruled