Iraq: oil auctions show war was NOT about oil???

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Vortex
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Iraq: oil auctions show war was NOT about oil???

Post by Vortex »

Any notion that the invasion of Iraq was simply an oil grab took another hit on Tuesday ...
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/ ... 65,00.html
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Ludwig
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Re: Iraq: oil auctions show war was NOT about oil???

Post by Ludwig »

Vortex wrote:
Any notion that the invasion of Iraq was simply an oil grab took another hit on Tuesday ...
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/ ... 65,00.html
Hm. I wouldn't go to Time magazine for in-depth, politically neutral reporting. My guess is that there is all sorts of stuff going on behind the scenes that tells a very different story.
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WolfattheDoor
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Post by WolfattheDoor »

It was never about taking Iraq's oil, but rather having military bases in a "safe" (as they believed) Middle East country. That's why, despite the apparent departure from Iraq, the military bases are still there (and in Afghanistan).
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Ludwig
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Post by Ludwig »

WolfattheDoor wrote:It was never about taking Iraq's oil, but rather having military bases in a "safe" (as they believed) Middle East country. That's why, despite the apparent departure from Iraq, the military bases are still there (and in Afghanistan).
I'm not convinced of that. The Iraqi Oil Ministry was the sole building that was guarded to the hilt immediately after the invasion, while looters were allowed to run riot in Baghdad's museums.
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Post by Blue Peter »

WolfattheDoor wrote:It was never about taking Iraq's oil, but rather having military bases in a "safe" (as they believed) Middle East country. That's why, despite the apparent departure from Iraq, the military bases are still there (and in Afghanistan).
But you can have more than one reason for an action. It can be both oil and bases; and also jobs for the military industrial complex and a political opportunity and a personal grudge in the Bush family, and...


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Post by snow hope »

WolfattheDoor wrote:It was never about taking Iraq's oil, but rather having military bases in a "safe" (as they believed) Middle East country. That's why, despite the apparent departure from Iraq, the military bases are still there (and in Afghanistan).
Ummm, why have bases there if they didn't want to control that all important resource - the black gold? Remember, the American way of life is non-negotiable....... so oil has to be got...... :wink:
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WolfattheDoor
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Post by WolfattheDoor »

snow hope wrote:
WolfattheDoor wrote:It was never about taking Iraq's oil, but rather having military bases in a "safe" (as they believed) Middle East country. That's why, despite the apparent departure from Iraq, the military bases are still there (and in Afghanistan).
Ummm, why have bases there if they didn't want to control that all important resource - the black gold? Remember, the American way of life is non-negotiable....... so oil has to be got...... :wink:
Maybe I didn't make myself clear. Of course it was principally about oil but not just taking Iraq's (as the article suggests). The US wanted to secure the flow of oil from all of the Middle East countries so they needed military bases in the region to "step in" if threatened.

Saudi is and will be an insecure partner, Iran we know about, and the others are too small so Iraq was the obvious choice. Since Saddam was no longer the USA's ally, they decided to invade. Now if only the occupants had refused to fight back...
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Catweazle
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Post by Catweazle »

I wondered if it was about the petro-dollar. Didn't Saddam threaten to start selling oil for Euros ?
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Post by ziggy12345 »

Catweazle wrote:I wondered if it was about the petro-dollar. Didn't Saddam threaten to start selling oil for Euros ?
You can trade oil in Iran for Euros
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Post by Catweazle »

ziggy12345 wrote:
Catweazle wrote:I wondered if it was about the petro-dollar. Didn't Saddam threaten to start selling oil for Euros ?
You can trade oil in Iran for Euros
Perhaps that's why they're next on the Hit List.
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Post by Bozzio »

Surely this was a PR stunt.

It was and is all about oil, just as Afghanistan and Pakistan are about a gas pipeline (TAPI versus IPI)
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Post by Vortex »

It was and is all about oil, just as Afghanistan and Pakistan are about a gas pipeline (TAPI versus IPI)
I have to agree with WolfAtThe Door.
I was reading something the other day which suggested that Iraq & Afghanistan are primarily about having a military presence in the region, to ensure oil flows in general ... and also to keep out other super powers in the years to come.
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Post by clv101 »

Vortex wrote:
...suggested that Iraq & Afghanistan are primarily about having a military presence in the region, to ensure oil flows in general ... and also to keep out other super powers in the years to come.
Urm, there's no actual doubt about this is there?
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Post by Vortex »

... no ... but many seem to think that the Americans will seize the Iraq oil fields and take every single drop ....
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Post by Bozzio »

Vortex wrote:
It was and is all about oil, just as Afghanistan and Pakistan are about a gas pipeline (TAPI versus IPI)
I have to agree with WolfAtThe Door.
I was reading something the other day which suggested that Iraq & Afghanistan are primarily about having a military presence in the region, to ensure oil flows in general ... and also to keep out other super powers in the years to come.
Oh I agree, and the construction of the TAPI pipeline will ensure increased US control thereby destroying Iran's hopes of doing the same thing with its proposed IPI pipeline.

The TAPI pipe could also supply us with a lot of LNG. The contracts have already been signed between the US and the participating countries. You only have to look at where the British and American forces are fighting to see they follow the proposed supply route.
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