Eager to Tap Iraq's Vast Oil Reserves, Industry Execs Suggested Invasion

[marmar]

from The Public Record:



Eager to Tap Iraq's Vast Oil Reserves, Industry Execs Suggested Invasion

Wednesday, 01 July 2009 12:40
By Jason Leopold


Two years before the invasion of Iraq, oil executives and foreign policy advisers told the Bush administration that the United States would remain "a prisoner of its energy dilemma" as long as Saddam Hussein was in power.

That April 2001 report, "Strategic Policy Challenges for the 21st Century," was prepared by the James A. Baker Institute for Public Policy and the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations at the request of then-Vice President Dick Cheney.

In retrospect, it appears that the report helped focus administration thinking on why it made geopolitical sense to oust Hussein, whose country sat on the world's second largest oil reserves.

"Iraq remains a de-stabilizing influence to the flow of oil to international markets from the Middle East," the report said.

"Saddam Hussein has also demonstrated a willingness to threaten to use the oil weapon and to use his own export program to manipulate oil markets. Therefore the U.S. should conduct an immediate policy review toward Iraq including military, energy, economic and political/diplomatic assessments.

"Like it or not, Iraqi reserves represent a major asset that can quickly add capacity to world oil markets and inject a more competitive tenor to oil trade." ..........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.pubrecord.org/nationworld/978.html?task=view

[Hannah Bell]

1. no, it was for freedom! freedom!

[MindPilot]

6. No, it was a mushroom cloud!!

The Eastern seaboard was just 45 minutes away from Iraq's new-ku-lar rockets.

Thank GOD and the SECOND amendment that George W. Bush kept us safe.

Why do you hate America?

[PufPuf23]

2. This is pretty much the motivation for the dehumanization

of Chavez, the Bolivarian -- note Democratic and FDR in nature -- Revolution countries.

Venezuela is the richest and most strategic oil patch in the western hemisphere.

Maracaibo/Zulia State was critical in WWII: http://www.lago-colony.com/index.htm -- look for WWII links at this site -- they cannot be directly linked now; one must search the website.

[zbdent]

3. United States would remain "a prisoner of its energy dilemma" as long as

it depends almost exclusively on oil. Period.

[malaise]

4. Men did not steal that 2000 election without an agenda

All the oil men headed to Florida to steal it.

[tanyev]

5. Yep, that's what Cheney was doing with his super secret energy task force

instead of having principals meetings about the upsurge in terror threats. Way to go, Dick.

[paparush]

7. NewsFlash! US Media puts down Jackson and Picks up Greed Driven War Mongering

:sarcasm: