Iraq is the big oil prospect...

In the run-up to the Iraq war – British Prime Minister Tony Blair called theories that the war was motivated by oil interests, “the most absurd.” But according to memos recently released by the UK newspaper the Independent – Blair’s denial is the only thing that’s absurd. The memos show that the British Trade Minister assured BP and other energy firms that they would be given generous shares of Iraq’s vast oil and gas reserves. One memo reads - "Iraq is the big oil prospect. BP is desperate to get in there and anxious that political deals should not deny them the opportunity." Another reads, “We were determined to get a fair slice of the action for UK [oil] companies in a post-Saddam Iraq.” Sure enough – after the invasion – BP got a 20 year contract for oil production in Iraq – the largest ever contract in the history of oil production.

So now that it’s clear the UK went to Iraq for oil – are there any doubt that oil baron Dick Cheney did the same thing??

Comments

gerald's picture
gerald 12 years 7 weeks ago
#3

Parceling out oil fields from the Middle East to western countries is highway robbery and we are the equivalent of Nazi Germany and Communist Russia. We are truly a fascist-Nazi nation. We are evil and the vast majority of Americans are Satan's disciples.

gerald's picture
gerald 12 years 7 weeks ago
#4

Reflection of the week:

“[N]o matter what we argue or where we stand, we’ve always held certain beliefs as Americans. We believe that in order to preserve our own freedoms and pursue our own happiness, we can’t just think about ourselves. We have to think about the country that made those liberties possible. We have to think about our fellow citizens with whom we share a community. And we have to think about what’s required to preserve the American Dream for future generations.”

-- President Barack Obama, April 13, 2011

SJC_3 12 years 7 weeks ago
#8

The neocons said that invading Iraq would "break the back" of OPEC. Instead the tax breaks and war costs almost broke ours and we did not even get all the oil.

making progress's picture
making progress 12 years 7 weeks ago
#10

Habeas corpus - Obama has yet to re-instate Habeas corpus after two years in office!

making progress's picture
making progress 12 years 7 weeks ago
#11

Obama Signing Statements Firestorm
As a presidential candidate in 2008, President Obama aggressively criticized his predecessor, George W. Bush, for attaching signing statements to legislation coming across his desk.

“I taught the Constitution for 10 years,” Obama said then. “I believe in the Constitution and I will obey the Constitution of the United States. We’re not going to use signing statements as a way of doing an end run around Congress.”

Three years later, Obama is racking up a reputation for using the same technique, which is neither specifically prohibited nor sanctioned by the Constitution or federal law. On Friday he announced the addition of a statement that would override parts of the 2011 federal appropriations bill, specifically a provision defunding four White House czars.

http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/print/obama_runs_into_signing_statements_firestorm_20110418/

making progress's picture
making progress 12 years 7 weeks ago
#14

"Liberal or conservative. It makes no difference. Barack Obama serves corporate interests as assiduously as did George W. Bush. And to place our faith in any party or established institution as a mechanism for reform is to be entranced by the celluloid shadows on the wall of Plato’s cave." - Chris Hedges

http://www.truthdig.com/report/print/blocking_the_gates_to_the_temples_of_finance_20110418/

ha1ha2's picture
ha1ha2 12 years 7 weeks ago
#16

Well, yeah, it is all about the oil, but not just about the oil. It about privatizing everything. The corporations that do this are the evil. Obama?!?! Yeah, he hasn't done all that he has said it would but the reality is that he can't. Everything gets stalled in Congress. The conservatives won't let anything through. Give him a liberal congress and then we will start seeing things happen.

Berry's picture
Berry 12 years 7 weeks ago
#17

Oil, Being a dictator. Its the America wanna be ~ "Mystifying !"The pump don't work because the vandals took the handle.Mr. Dylan !

Zack B's picture
Zack B 12 years 7 weeks ago
#18

It wasn't about getting the oil but "not getting the oil" just gaining dominion over all the untapped reserves in Iraq and leaving it in the ground. If Iraq had control they could flood the world market and drive prices down. And this would not made big oil and saudi arabia very happy. Remember when Bush One tried to game the oil market with the first Iraq war but failed. Oil during the early Clinton administration dropped to about $10 per barrel. Bush Two succeeded were Pappy failed. And saudi arabia's problem with 7,000 princes, who could not survive on an annual allowance of $1 million each, went away. When Saddam took over Exxon-Mobil, Shell, Total and BP were tossed out and now they want back in. That was the deal that was hatched during Cheney's secret energy meetings.

And by gaining control over the oil in Iraq, big oil will assure that supply remains tight and prices remain high. Remember the onerous provision about Iraq giving up their control over their own in the "new constitution." They are still trying to get that passed.

Operation Iraqi Liberation [OIL] was all about oil. It had nothing to do with WMD or thoughts of WMD or oppression or democracy in the desert. It was about corporate greed pure and simple. And that nearly 5,000 Americans and as many as 500,000 Iraqis have died to feed this greed doesn't mean a damn to these corporations.

reasonjr's picture
reasonjr 12 years 7 weeks ago
#19

Come on Thom! Everybody but a Republican knows that Dick Cheney is Satan's right hand man. The top three liars of all time are Satan, George W. Bush, and Dick Cheney. There is "No Way" that Dick Cheney isn't invoved.

dianhow 12 years 7 weeks ago
#20

Its always about OIL and US demand for more and more of it -its never enough. no matter what it takes... long wars - troops dying Any Pres who dares limit our access to oil will be vilified. and lose.big.in any election.

dianhow 12 years 7 weeks ago
#21

ha 2 Agreed Lets all work to make that happen .Wis is recalling- signing petitions as we speak. We must all speak out now & often www.congress.gov Demand your reps work for you - not corps - not billionaires loopholes, tax cuts & subsides Work for the ' small ' people who pay your generous salaries. Do our bidding or we will vote you out. Bet on it

leighmf's picture
leighmf 12 years 7 weeks ago
#22

Oil burns, Dulles Burns and Texas Burns, but Dick gets tied to the railroad track when no one pays the mortgage.

here are my notes on IRAQ, aside that Bunny and Buffalo were special agents in IRAQ:

1928: Standard Oil of New Jersey acquired interest in Turkish (now Iraq) Petroleum Co.

9/13/1933 Eleven life insurance companies, including Lincoln Life bid for reinsurance of the Royal Union Life unsurance Co., Des Moines, Iowa; Indiana Highway Commissioner announced new routing of Highway 30 through Fort Wayne; (for those who don't know, Highway 30 is North American Van Lines), Emir Ghazi new King of Iraq crowned

1/12/1942 "The Defence Committee agreed with the Chiefs-of-Staff and Middle East Command retook over Iraq on 12 January 1942."

9/1942 "The Persia and Iraq Command was a British Army Command established in September 1942 in Baghdad. Its primary role was to secure from land and air attack the oilfields and oil installations in Persia (modern day Iran) and Iraq. Its further role was to ensure the transport of supplies from Persian Gulf ports through Iraq and Persia to the Soviet Union.[1] Wiki"

10/25/1947 "General Electric Buys\ New Plant Fort Wayne, Ind., Oct. 25— (*)— The General Electric company today announced plans to. purchase the Boss Glove Manufacturing company building o house the renew.."

10/26/1947 End of British military occupation in Iraq

1961-1963
"Foreign Relations, 1961-1963, Volume XVII, Near East, 1961-1962 Released by the Office of the Historian, Topical List of Documents: 286. Telegram from the Embassy in Iraq to the Department of State, June 22, 1962. Jernegan-Jawad meeting: Iraq's downgrading of U.S. diplomatic representation.

305. Telegram from the Embassy in Iraq to the Department of State, June 22, 1962. Meeting with Kurds seeking U.S. support

306. Memorandum from Komer to Bundy, June 22, 1962. Suggestion for U.S. effort to promote mutual arms limitations. "

1972 Iraq nationalized Iraq Petroleum Company, of which Exxon was 12% owner; "Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait and Qatar acquired 25% interest in Exxon’s production operations (in country), with right to increase stake to 51% by 1982; Mobil’s 11.875% stake in Iraq Petroleum Company nationalized. "

4/1/1978 "Independent counsel James C. McKay found insufficient evidence to warrant a criminal indictment of Attorney General Edwin Meese III in connection with the Iraq-Jordan pipeline plan or his investment in telephone company stock."

5/25/2001 IRAQI FORUM FOR DEMOCRACY Number: C2245678 Filed: 5/25/2001 Status: active Address 1743 S DOUGLASS RD STE G ANAHEIM, CA 92806 Agent MUHANNAD ESHAIKER 1743 S DOUGLASS RD STE G ANAHEIM, CA 92806

Treasury Blocked Entities List- TIGRIS TRADING, INC., 5903 Harper Road, Solon, OH 44139 U.S.A. [IRAQ]

11/12/2002 Pres. G. W. Bush told the United Nations: "Iraq likely maintains stockpiles of VX, mustard and other chemical agents and has made several attempts to buy high-strength aluminum tubes used to enrich uranium for a nuclear weapon."

11/12/2002 WAYNE PARTNERSHIP L.L.P. : 12207 ILLINOIS RD , FORT WAYNE, IN 46814: 2002111800260 Status: Active Creation : 11/12/2002 : formed in 1970; Received title to Fort Wayne Bank Building held on Pepsico Place, from NY Life, 1991

"According to the New York Times, "[f]rom his days running secret wars for the C.I.A. in Central America to his consulting work in the 1990s on a plan to insert Special Operations troops in Iraq to oust Saddam Hussein, Mr. Clarridge has been an unflinching cheerleader for American intervention overseas."[4]

"In 1997 John P. Jumper became head of USAFE in Germany. (SAFEWAY and SAFECO. ) He oversaw Operation Northern Watch Over Iraq. " Safeco= Carlyle bank building realty holding

2003 "June- UBS Warburg caught by U.S. Treasury making illegal transfers to Cuba and Iraq; "

3/05/2003- an e-mail confirmed VP Cheney's office approved a large RIO (Restore Iraqui Oil) contract to Halliburton- reported in 2004.

3/20/2003 - 5/20/2003 Invasion of Iraq by U.S. backed by British troops et al.

6/28/2010 Iraq/Afghanistan Troop Appreciation Day (IATAD) Non-Profit Corporation - Domestic - Information Charter Number: N01068162 Status: Good Creation Date: 6/28/2010 State of Business.: MO : Justin Medley Office Address: 201 E. Farmer Ozark MO 65721

Miscellaneous

For more information please contact Iraq Foundation, (202) 778-2124, fax (202) 466-2198. 1919 Pennsylvania Ave, N.W., Suite 850, Washington, DC 20006, aka U.S.A. Allied Capital

Now, a multibillion dollar effort, funded in part by the State Department and overseen by the Iraq Foundation, a U.S.-based Iraqi opposition group, aims to reverse Saddam's damage.

XXXXX

historywriter's picture
historywriter 12 years 7 weeks ago
#23

Another conservative revisionist history! Join the communists in "fixing" history.

SJC_3 12 years 7 weeks ago
#24

It was about getting Iraqi oil back on the world market without Saddam getting the money for weapons.

larjax's picture
larjax 12 years 7 weeks ago
#25

Never a doubt. Not even from the beginning. It was all too obvious. There were so many signs right from the start. This was NEVER about bringing democracy to the Iraqis - that was merely for public consumption. It was ALWAYS about the oil - and they did it because they COULD do it.

Jake

Barliman's picture
Barliman 12 years 7 weeks ago
#26

High flown sentiments papering over dark deeds.

2950-10K's picture
2950-10K 12 years 7 weeks ago
#27

This one really torques me! There is no doubt about Cheney's motivations regarding Iraq. As everyone knows Dick and his sidewinders had secret energy meetings early in 2001. These meetings at the white house included maps of Iraq's oil fields and energy infrastructure. How strange to have energy policy meetings concerning a country we had no diplomatic or business relations with. Was Dick being psychic or was it just plain sociopathic opportunism in regard to 9/11 and the events that followed? He certainly pushed the Iraq nuclear weapons program connection to Al Qaeda bull.

Nonetheless this relentless pursuit of illgotten wealth, and lust for power, by one man, left in it's wake a horrific legacy of death and destruction. The untold suffering of humanity for such shallow and selfish interests is truly pathetic. Will justice ever be served?

delster's picture
delster 12 years 7 weeks ago
#28

9/11 all worked out so nice for all the corporate slime. My my ! Just like it was all planned. Everyone got just what they wanted . The future seems to be a living hell for the masses and a paradise for the few. Divine providence or a challenge ?

gerald's picture
gerald 12 years 7 weeks ago
#29

“60 Minutes” for April 17, 2011 had three interesting cases – Greg Mortenson and “Three Cups of Tea,” Beckett Brennan, a rape victim, and Paul Allen, co founder of Microsoft. An investigation of Mortenson claims that there are some questions about his contributions and the building of 140 schools. I find that the building of 140 schools suspect. The rape victim’s behavior at a party was brought into question. The three perpetrators of rape were found guilty of sexual assault. There seems to be several unanswered questions about the evening of the rape. Paul Allen had some unflattering words about Bill Gates.

After watching “60 Minutes” a person can be left very confused. Americans are starved for heroes in a world of hatred, corruption, and lies. We need to experience good works from persons so we can feel a sense of hope for humanity.

Elioflight's picture
Elioflight 12 years 7 weeks ago
#30

I'm hardly surprised. People used to look at my husband and myself like we were crazy when we said Iraq was a war strickly for oil--now, I guess, unfortunately, we are correct. Newt Gingrich was on George Stephanoplis' show one Sunday before the war. He said, "We can't let those people (Iraqis) have all that oil." There it was right from his mouth. After that, he was suddenly out of sight and silent.

It's the reason for 911. Ask yourself why did Building 7 go down in what looked like the same controlled demolition that the Twin Towers went down in. Building 7 was not hit by an airplane and had Building 6, which did not fall, between it and the Twin Towers, which fell straight down and did not pancake like other building have, because the mechanisms that would slow down the fall were BLOWN OUT. There were federal offices in Building 7.

There has been serious inquiry into this subject by scientists and engineers and professors. Why are they labeled as loonies while the real criminals are getting away, cashing their oil royalty (loyalty) checks: blood money?

I've signed I don't know how many petitons to have Bush & Co prosecuted for war crimes. When are we going to do something? These people are culpable for the deaths and woundings of all our soldiers and all those of Iraqi citizens for all the 911 deaths. They are no better than Saddam himself; genocide of their own people--our children, husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, etc., and all our soldiers and their families by association.

My husband and I believed Hans Blix when he said there were no WMDs. Our only and most precious Ohio National Guard son went to Iraq in 2005 for the year--did the hurt locker thing--saw things you hope your child never has to see, and is suffereing from PTSD. A few weeks ago, his former patriotic employer fired him, because he lost patience with my son for seeking treament for his PTSD.

gerald's picture
gerald 12 years 7 weeks ago
#31

@Elioflight, in fascist-Nazi America only the poor and the working class go to jail. Please reflect on the banksters and the crooks and robbers on Wall Street and their obscene salaries and bonuses. Big time crime does pay big time in our low-life country.

Fingers's picture
Fingers 12 years 7 weeks ago
#32

Nope, I'm not suprised at all....this countrys corrupt to the core..
I voted for Obama and concidering the opposition I'll problably vote for Obama again....all his change talk and it still looks a lot like it did before ...all I can say is " think about our country had McCain / Palin been elected

Fingers's picture
Fingers 12 years 7 weeks ago
#33

I've also signed those petitions calling for Justice fir Bush/ Cheney... And the only thing I've gotten are more emails asking for more donations...

DRichards's picture
DRichards 12 years 7 weeks ago
#34

Deconstructing the US Military: America's Global War against Planet Earth
By Dana VisalliURL of this article: www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=24374

The total cost of all military expenses for 2012 is estimated to be $1.2 trillion dollars, one-third of the total federal budget. It is the U.S. military that is driving the U.S. itself into bankruptcy.


Palindromedary's picture
Palindromedary 12 years 7 weeks ago
#35

Obama had a liberal congress and he p!$$ed away his chance to making a real change. Obama is a hypocrite and not what America needs for real change that would benefit the majority of Americans. He is dangling from the puppet strings of the wealthy.

Maybe, at one time, he had an ideal of change to benefit those less fortunate but, for whatever reason, he is now just another useful idiot feeding at the trough of the aristocracy. I suspect that he realizes that if he really played out his ideals that he would be in the same fix that the Kennedys and MLK were in. The rich and powerful are also extremely ruthless and desperate to hold on to their money and power. They are extremely psychotic and pathological criminals who will not hesitate to kill Presidents or thousands of people in the WTC on 911.

Or maybe, Obama has just realized how pathetic our country has become that the people have not yet had an uprising and have let the wealthy bastards run roughshod over us. Nah....

Palindromedary's picture
Palindromedary 12 years 7 weeks ago
#36

By the way, I discovered a great web site by a man who was, until about 5 years ago, a hedge fund analyst who now has made over 2000 videos on many different subjects...math, chemistry, biology, economics and a lot of other subjects. Check out his web site at www.khanacademy.org

Sal Khan has been featured on a number of TV shows and has given a Ted Talk. Bill Gates has even shown praise of the guy. He has gotten praise from many teachers as well and some school systems are adopting his teaching methods of using short videos that students can play over and over again at their own pace and privacy.

The videos are about 12 minutes in length each. One of the things I have found very interesting is his analysis of the failure of the credit system and economics and banking and his views on the so-called "bailouts". Having a background and an insider's understanding of banking and the economy...he shows us some very interesting things that we should all know about.

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