Oil in Iraq

[TooNice]

I quite frequently see the US, and to the lesser extent, it's allies being accused of invading Iraq for the oil. Now I was always a sceptic when it came to the WMD argument for invading Iraq (I thought there was a lack of evidence). However, I also have some doubt in regard to what the US have gained from the war: I don't have the impression that the US oil companies moved in and started to pump oil back to the US.

The article here states that the $3 billion deal with China is the major contract with a foreign company since the fall of Saddam Hussein.

So my question is, does the accusation has any validity at all? Did the coalition 'claim' any field/natural resources as their own?

[j1979]

I quite frequently see the US, and to the lesser extent, it's allies being accused of invading Iraq for the oil. Now I was always a sceptic when it came to the WMD argument for invading Iraq (I was not satisfied by the lack of evidence presented). However, I also have some doubt in regard to what the US have gained from the war.

The article here states that the $3 billion deal with China is the major contract with a foreign company since the fall of Saddam Hussein.

So my question is, does the accusation has any validity at all? Did the coalition 'claim' any field/natural resources as their own?

the primary objective for all coalition ground forces was to secure the oil fields/wells in both gulf wars. the argument being that they were to be set alight like in the first gulf war. the majority of the US public thinking it somehow was linked to 911. The west doesn't generally invade countries without a big incentive. The incentive in Afghanistan is the pipeline.

but US companies have gained, the north of the country is comparatively safe now, and there are US construction companies making a mint.

[samcross]

I feel it's just a bit of a malicious rumor. Whilst in the Gulf War's (Ep1 & Ep2) oil was a major factor, this fight has very little to do with the natural resources of Iraq, and has more to do with securing our safety.

But you never know.

[IBM]

Safety from what?

[Englander]

The dubbleya em dees.

[samcross]

Safety from what?

The imaginary weapon's of mass destruction.

[[GSV]Trig]

There were WMD's, the proof is in the US itself, that is if someone kept the receipt...

[TeePee]

The money that Iraq makes from oil is used to pay the US construction companies (along with a large part of US taxpayers money). It's all very accountable. It's about shifting money from Iraqi oil into companies such as The Carlyle Group.

[samcross]

There were WMD's, the proof is in the US itself

What do you mean?

[[GSV]Trig]

What do you mean?

The meaning is lost if you dont quote the entire thing chap...

[Byatt]

What do you mean?

Original source (this really should be on the GCSE History curriculum):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqBOMBSDQsI

Even worse, this was about Gulf War I, and the Bush he refers to is of the senior variety...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arms_sa...Iraq_1973-1990

Not necessarily true of this one, but a pretty good yardstick for how much validity there was to going to be concerning the claims we needed to invade this time round....

[samcross]

The meaning is lost if you dont quote the entire thing chap...

I feel foolish

But what makes you think that the USA has covered up previous deals with Iraq involving WMD's? If that is what you are implying

[[GSV]Trig]

I think they call it hyoumore

[YorkieBen]

the primary objective for all coalition ground forces was to secure the oil fields/wells in both gulf wars. the argument being that they were to be set alight like in the first gulf war. the majority of the US public thinking it somehow was linked to 911. The west doesn't generally invade countries without a big incentive. The incentive in Afghanistan is the pipeline.

The main incentive for Afghanistan is not the pipeline. It was because if the US Government had not punished someone quickly after 9/11 they would have been practically lynched by the electorate.

Likewise oil was a major part of the Iraq invasion (part two) - however to think it was the only reason is ludicrous.

Gulf War 1 was about preventing Iraq from getting an excessive hegemony of oil production. Memories of the OPEC oil squeezes of the 1970s are still fresh for many. Plus it would have been Israel's worst nightmare.

The Bill Hicks bit about weaponary shouldn't be on any GCSE course because although funny its massively inaccurate. The USSR and France were Iraq's major source of weaponary (France sold Iraq nuclear reactors which the Israeli's bombed, Iraq's weapons in the Gulf War were largely Soviet, French with various other stuff such as Brazilian APCs.

[Byatt]

The Bill Hicks bit about weaponary shouldn't be on any GCSE course because although funny its massively inaccurate. The USSR and France were Iraq's major source of weaponary (France sold Iraq nuclear reactors which the Israeli's bombed, Iraq's weapons in the Gulf War were largely Soviet, French with various other stuff such as Brazilian APCs.

It's in there because it's a brilliant example of what complete lying, hypocritical scumbags the people in charge are, but yes, agreed, perhaps a little too vitriolic and inaccurate for the classroom ;-)

[mediaboy]

GCSE History is a bore. I'm doing it. I've had about 4 lessons and I'm already wishing I'd decided to take up something marginally more interesting. Watching paint dry for instance.

That may just be because I covered most of the syllabus last year in fasttrack, but y'know... I'm not going to get out of doing it 'cus I didn't do the GCSE. I'm getting off of the point though.



I agree that stuff like motives behind Wars should be taught in History. And that something a little more current than 1066 or 1917 (depending on what module you be working on) would be nice. I'd love to look into the cold war, or the 1980s. But it's not needed.

History and Music are two of the most outdated GCSEs on the course. They need updating, but it's not happening anytime soon I guess.

And yes, I'm doing both, and I'm probably doign too much music, as I be trying to give up my RS course (as I did Welsh board last year and this year they want me to do OCR... which is something entirely differnt), so I know what I'm talking about

The teachers agree to me, which is more to the point I suppose.





As for Iraq being invaded for oil... it's fairly obvious that things like the price of oil would have a factor on the America plans. I'm sure that if the oil wasn't there they would have found some other reason to go and throw out a man they put in power (remembering, of course, that Suddam Hussein was actually a CIA agent who was supposed to suppress Iran, but got bored and went and ruled Iraq) whilst shooting the flying pink elephants that were also part of this war.

And I'm sure you're all going to have fun deciding if I'm serious or just messing around..