GREENSPAN: IRAQ WAR WAS ABOUT OIL

[cali]

Sure, most of us know that, but this is Alan Greenspan saying it:

Alan Greenspan claims Iraq war was really for oilGraham Paterson
AMERICA’s elder statesman of finance, Alan Greenspan, has shaken the White House by declaring that the prime motive for the war in Iraq was oil.

In his long-awaited memoir, to be published tomorrow, Greenspan, a Republican whose 18-year tenure as head of the US Federal Reserve was widely admired, will also deliver a stinging critique of President George W Bush’s economic policies.

However, it is his view on the motive for the 2003 Iraq invasion that is likely to provoke the most controversy. “I am saddened that it is politically inconvenient to acknowledge what everyone knows: the Iraq war is largely about oil,” he says.

<snip>

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article2461214.ece

[wtmusic]

1. Largely about oil?

If it wasn't all about oil, we'd be in Darfur right now.

[cali]

2. Greenspan's articulating that is

important.

[wtmusic]

3. It may or may not be important..now

If it is largely about oil and he knew it beforehand, he could have helped to prevent the tragedy.

He and Colin Powell make me sick.

[cali]

5. He makes me sick too. That's not the point

If he can make more people understand that the war wasn't about security, that's hugely helpful to us.

[KeepItReal]

12. Well part of it was about Bush & Co, giving away money for contractors & mercs

Oil is a large percentage of the reason, but don't forget that there were a lot of cheerleaders for the Iraq invasion chomping at the bit for their big payback (read no-bid-cost-plus-contracts) for backing Bush & Co.

[Yukari Yakumo]

13. Yes, largely for oil.

I would say 80% for oil, 20% for PNACers ego... more or less.

[yurbud]

22. they have oil too, which is why Bush has ever said anything sympathetic about it:

Them people are dying right where we need to drill. That aint right lest we did the killing.

[0rganism]

28. not true, it was also about ego, being a wartime preznit, and large-scale cronyism...

...just to name a few.

Strangely enough, control of Iraq's oilfields will, in the long run, turn out to be the most justifiable of a rather long list of very poor reasons, criminal reasons, and un-reasons for the invasion.

[wtmusic]

32. Control of Iraq's oilfields IS a criminal reason

How is that in any way justifiable?

[0rganism]

37. Never said it wasn't

Don't misread me. Simply because it's the *most* justifiable of the various reasons (all of which were enormously deficient) doesn't make it justifiable in some absolute sense of the word. It's just the best reason the neocons have, considering seizure of natural resources as a fairly standard motivation for imperialist behavior, historically speaking.

imperialists: "The Iraqis have a resource vital to our way of life and national security, their leader wasn't willing to deal in terms we found acceptable, so we removed their leadership forcefully."

It most certainly is a criminal cause, but it's coherent and at least one of the premises is accurate. The obvious criminality of the conclusion makes it completely unsuitable for use with the public, but it is the best explanation they have. Control of Iraq's oilfields bothers to take the guise of pragmatism, if not those of ethics or decency.

Of course, if the multinational oil companies who buddied up to bushco don't walk away with control of the oilfields in the end, it becomes about as defensible as the notion of "bringing democracy to the people of Iraq" or "fighting the terrorists over there so we don't have to fight them here" -- which is to say, not at all.

[Double T]

4. Old news. So when is congress going to impeach the two lying WH SOBs?

[cali]

6. Old news or not, it's something Americans need to hear. n/t

[Somawas]

7. Unfortunately

they probably won't.

[Tarheel_Dem]

8. I'm not so sure....

If he's peddling a new book, expect him to make the rounds on all the news & talk shows. As he says, everyone knew it was about oil, but to have someone of his stature come out & publically make this claim is nothing less than phenomenal.

You can be sure he'll be on all the NBC shows, if no where else.

[SammyWinstonJack]

39. And roughly 30% won't care that is was "largely about oil". Ya know,

what's our oil doing under their soil. Or something along those lines. :shrug:

[Stargazer99]

9. I wonder if Greenspan is going to committ "sucicide"

or have an "accident" like some others that have been against this war and administration. Keep checking folks.

[Olney Blue]

11. How will we know?

[snappyturtle]

16. Your question does pose a problem!

:rofl:

[0rganism]

29. if he bursts into flames when exposed to sunlight, it's natural causes...

...whereas a stake through the heart would indicate "foul play."

[Olney Blue]

10. And it always will be... (until the oil is depleted or alternative energy is used)

[BrklynLiberal]

14. No Shit Sherlock....

:crazy: :think: :silly: :wtf:

Did this guy just get a brain transplant or something?

[in_cog_ni_to]

15. Come to think of it...Andrea Mitchell is MIA! It just hit me after I saw this. She must have known

her hubby was going to be spilling the beans on the cabal and got the hell outta Dodge!

Greenspan should have come forward YEARS ago. All these people knew what was going on and didn't bother to speak out? That borders on TREASONOUS. IMCPO.

[jberryhill]

17. Why... do you mean to say....

That if Iraq's primary export was macrame' plant hangers, we wouldn't be there?

I'm shocked, shocked I tell you....

[Joanne98]

18. It's all about... HUNT OIL! Name names Alan............

[Cirque du So-What]

19. Even though Greenspan is no longer chairman of the Fed

I wonder how this revelation will affect financial markets? In an industry that relies heavily on nuanced statements from the Fed - in which the turn of a phrase or single word can swing markets wildly - this is tantamount to shouting through a bullhorn. Could be an interesting Monday morning.

[Disturbed]

20. Did Greenspam say that it was a bad thing?

"We cannot allow Terrorist to control the oil in Iraq." GWB

[yurbud]

21. I'm saddened too--it shows our democracy is as real as the Potemkin Village in the Green Zone

[Octafish]

24. Well said.

Ours is a fascistic national-security state run by the chairmen of the boards of un-American corporations.

It's the result of treason dating to November 22, 1963.

[yurbud]

25. the last president to think he was actually in charge

[Octafish]

34. Carter thought he was, but found out otherwise.

CIA never told him what they were up to or who they were serving. One example is the off-the-book funding of CIA covert action from the "Safari Club" nations, including Saudi Arabia. So, the Iran hostages stayed put and a Reagan-Bush white house resulted.

PS: I remember then-President Carter once mentioned the assassination of President Kennedy during a live TV talk and, at that moment, the screen went dark and the program went off the air. I also recall a reporter who wrote at the time that there were two taboo subjects in American journalism -- the JFK assassination and UFOs. Perhaps that is why both subjects get linked in the rhetoric of the professional debunkers. I've searched the Internets high and low and have not found info on the above. If I do, I'll get it to you yurbud.

[yurbud]

35. "Safari Club"? Is that some insider lingo I've missed before? What's the connotation?

[AzDar]

23. Well...thanks for that update, Captain Obvious. If only you'd spoken up

in time to DO SOMETHING TO STOP THIS ILLEGAL WAR!!!!

Instead, the whole pirate crew writes million-dollar-advance memoirs to try to absolve themselves of their war crimes after the fact.

:puke:

[defendandprotect]

26. Greenspan has really been trying to spit in Bush's eye . . .. what took so long?????

Is Greenspan a hero NOW . .. ????

[TwilightGardener]

27. If you can't sing the truth at 81, you aren't ever going to.

[dave123williams]

30. Drudge's headline about this was 'SHOCK: GREENSPAN SAYS ITS ABOUT OIL' . I was not too shocked.

Not too shocked at all.

[lovuian]

31. Greenspan is just saying what everybody knows thats easy

but he HELPED the whole sham Iraq War

notice the major bailing out of a fiasco

[spanone]

33. funny how NONE of these enablers speak out when they can affect change.

[yurbud]

36. Like LA Times not covering purge of black voters in Florida until 8 months after 2000 election

[LeftishBrit]

38. As the saying goes...

"How did their oil get under their sand?"

Imperialist nuttery played a part (in particular, I think, in Blair's 'willingness'); but I'm sure it would have been practiced somewhere else if not for the oil.

[Disturbed]

40. "JFK assassination and UFOs"

When Pres. Carter asked to see the info regarding UFOs he was told that he could not do so. It was on a "Need to know" basis & he didn't need to know. Yeah, the Pres. of the USA was denied to view that info. What else was denied?

The CIA Mission is to protect USA Capitalism, not democracy. Presidents come and go. Multi-Natl. Corps are in charge.