The bottom line for the whole mess.Tony

It was all about oil and I hope the Iraqis go to the UN and condemn the US invasion and demand the immediate withdrawal of all US forces.

Yes, the only business we have in Iraq is the oil business... http://hightowerdownload.com/node/36

Bush/Cheney and Howard have said they won't leave Iraq until the 'job is done'. The 'job' is to tie up Iraq into Production and Revenue sharing of its only asset - oil. The Oil Law, about which we know little, if passed by the Council will leave Iraq with less revenue with which to rebuild its war torn country and unify its disparate peoples.

I think it criminal to plunder another country for its assets notwithstanding that every war fought and every invasion sanctioned since the mists of time has had to do with resources and control.

The trouble is that it is now the 21st century and we, as a species, seem to have learnt nothing in ten thousand odd years. We are still barbaric in nature, still take no notice of history and dispose too much power in our leaders in whom said barbarism rises, like muck, to the surface.

I remain disgusted. All power to the Oil Unions and their members. May they never give in.
Sadly
V

"equitably distributing Iraq's oil proceeds" to whom???
Let's cut through the bull, our government is saying, "If you don't turn over your oil, we're going to bomb you to smithereens.
How I love the fostering of American democracy. Out on this reservation, where I live, there's a saying: "White man talk with forked tongue." No bigger fork than the one in Bush/Cheney tongues. Impeach! Impeach! Impeach!

Hey what do you think the "BenchMarks?" . . . .
That is the legislation that Bushies want the Iraq's to get passed . . .
Come On Folks . . . What do you think the Demos have been dragging there feed about. Money Honey . . . For The "Bishie Oilies" . . . .

The main reason for invading Iraq was to gain control of their oil on a permanent basis. The Bush/Cheney crime family feels like that is theirs and no body else's. What right do the Iraqi people have for a future? No more right than we have. They will bomb Iran with their nukes and create nuclear winter, all to keep the oil price up for themselves and the Saudis who are the ones who did 9-11.

A great movie is The Cider House Rules.

A great line in that movie is "...you know what your business is, boy!"

America is in the oil business.

Last week Bush held a press conference where he repeatedly stated the need for the Iraq parliment to pass
laws that the US had been waiting for. Specifically the oil lease program giving US oil companies control of all undeveloped fields. Exxon and others would then decide how much revenue Iraq would receive to give to the various provinces. This is why we're there; why we're building bases; why we'll never leave. The key is Bush needs a legit gov'to pass International law scrutiny. Malaki can't be booted out until the laws are passed.

It has always been about the PSAs ("production sharing" agreements) More power to the Iraqi Petroleum Workers Unions and all of those who want soveriegnty over their own oil resources! You're right, Mendo Chuck--this is the only bench mark that matters. I hope Bushco never get their greasy meathooks on that oil!!

Bush: "Give us your oil and we'll leave."

The Iraqi People: "But, but, that's all that we have left, Mr. Dictator! You destroyed everything else."

Bush: "Then we will stay for another 50 years or so. How would you like that?"

The Iraqi People(now insurgents): "Die, American imperialist, die!"

Bush: "Not unless you can swim, assholes."

Wait a minute! This is news? That Iraqis are only now catching on that "we the people" -- used to camouflage the US plutocracy -- are stealing their oil? Good on them that the Iraqis are demonstrating but... really, they've been doing this for some time now. That this is not a real discussion in US media is no longer a surprise either, is it? Too many discussions that could actually educate Americans about how "we the people" are used to camouflage the doin's of the US plutocracy are, likewise, submerged. There is a lot of really good information "out there" about this topic. For example, listen to Antonia Juhuasz on this topic on Raising Sand radio:
http://www.radio4all.net/pub/files/sgalleymore@hotmail.com/3035-1-20070312-full-show-final-3-12-07.mp3
And here - thanks to, among other thieves, John Paul Bremer III -- is one of the early documents Iraqis object to - draft of Iraq Oil and Gas Law...: http://web.krg.org/uploads/documents/Draft%20Iraq%20Oil%20and%20Gas%20\Law%20English__2007_03_09_h17m2s47.pdf
Questions are: 1) what are you and I going to support the Iraqi people in preventing the destruction of their country and the robbing of their resources? and 2) how do you and I and other citizens (who are concerned with maintaining our dignity, honor, and humanity in the face of our "Leaders" outright theft of another nation's resources) stop this theft?
By the way, is Bremer still doing his cooking class in Italy by way of relaxing after his "tour of duty" in Iraq's Green Zone?

These people are absolutely right and people all around the world should listen closely to them NOW.

This is a form of denationalizing their oil industry. When Saudi Arabia and others wanted to control their mineral wealth, they nationalized their oil industries.

This effectively puts the oil resources of Iraq back into the hands of private oil companies and puts the people of Iraq on an allowance for the next 30 years.

When you read the partitioning, percentage and duration terms of all this, is amount to the largest mineral rights looting in the world's history.
Never has a group of private oil companies demanded such terms and got them.

When you have an occupying army invading your country, you bargain from a position of weakness and the oil companies know this. This is why they put Bush and Cheney into power in the first place.

It's an oily business we are involved in, and people are dying to be a part of it. Unfortunately, the people dying are our brave troops, unwitting participants to big daddy oil who greases foreign policy for future profits.

Our tax dollars at work for the United State of Corporate Empire. Amen.

turn the oil fields back to the Iraqi's. Let them figure out how to divide the wealth between shiites, sunni's, and kurds or not. Let them finance the updating of the oil infrastructure after Saddam's neglect.The money is going to be stolen anyway, either externally by foreigners or internally by the Iraqi's.

Dennis Kucinich has been talking about this for MONTHS now. Here's part of a speech originally published on the Daily Kos:

Privatization of Iraq's Oil in Vetoed Funding Bill

Sun May 06, 2007 at 12:44:02 PM PDT Daily Kos
The following direct transcript was taken from a speech by DENNIS KUCINICH, 5/5/07, in Venice at the West Los Angeles Democratic Club. It is too appalling to imagine that the new Democratic majority put into office to stop this war would be doing Bush's bidding and selling out to the multinational oil corporations. Let's tell them what we think of this.
This was about 40 minutes into the speech:

"You would think that by reading the reports that this bill was going to take us out of Iraq. Not a chance. What it would do, it would remove a substantial number of U.S. troops, to be sure, but an equally substantial number would stay. Why would they stay there? They would stay there to protect the contractors. They would stay there to run special missions. It doesn't end the occupation. The base is still staying there. The occupation continues.

But there was another provision of this bill that most American citizens don't even know about. This bill had provisions that the White House asked for, and the Democrats said to the president, okay, this is what you say you want, well we're going to give you what you want. Here's the provision is the provision that I argued against in the Democratic Caucus. This is the provision that says that the Iraqi government must privatize its oil."

"And it's wrapped up as part of a reconciliation program. Really. And, if they don't do it, in this bill that the president just vetoed, if they don't do it, we've said that we'll withdraw our troops without providing for replacement peacekeepers.

I want to run it by you one more time. I want this to sink in. You really need to understand how dangerous the situation is in Washington right now. We have the Democratic Congress promoting President Bush's bill that provides for the privatization of Iraq's oil under the guise of a reconciliation program, that tells the Iraq government that unless they agree to privatize their oil, that we're going to pull our troops out and not put replacement troops and peacekeepers in.

You see, this doesn't represent what America is about. No way. This isn't who we are.

I talked about this in the Democratic Caucus. Everyone in this room understands politics, that's why I'm in the West L.A. Dems club. Let me bring you inside the Democratic Caucus for a moment, six weeks ago. I told my Democratic colleagues, I said, has anyone here read the bill? No one, most people were not familiar with it. I said, do you know that in this bill there's a provision that forces Iraq to privatize its oil?

from the audience----Are you talking about the Congresspeople who were supposed to be vote for this bill had not read it, is that what you're saying?---

Yes, most people didn't read the Patriot Act and they had voted for it. So, that's exactly what I'm saying. Most members hadn't read it. They were shocked that that was in the bill. So it created an uproar. One member, one of the leaders in Congress, said this bill is about sharing the revenue. Yea, right! It's like 80 for me and 20 for you and you can split the 20 three ways. And so, really, I mean that really is the formula. So, I pointed it out. And then finally one of the other leaders said well Dennis is right.

I was told that the following day on the House floor they were going to take it out of the legislation. And you know what? Well, not only did they NOT take it out, but they passed a rule that said they COULDN'T amend the bill when it was up for debate on the floor."

###

Good for the Iraqi people. They have every right to control their oil and its revenue. Maybe they'll be able to kick out the leaders who have traded their country for the position and power we have bestowed on them as our puppets.

Only time can tell, right? Sure enough we find out the whole bloody adventure of the U.S.'s war in Iraq is about permitting foreign oil companies to loot Iraq dry. It's colonialism all over again - now Iraqis may have to repeat an awful history of exploitation.

Let the Iraqis protest. Hopefully talk of this new law may unite Iraqis, regardless of sect or ethnicity, against the ones who started this war in the first place and put their country and its vital resources under the jackboots of occupation.

They're not gonna be puppets again, I assure you. Iraqis are educated; this may be the defining issue that can help curve the civil war and unite them on the important issue of oil wealth, which affects EVERY Iraqi, whether Sunni, Shi'ite, Christian or Kurdish.

ontheres: Not all white people speak with forked tongues. In fact, the majority of us are honest and many of us bear the guilt of what the early settlers did to your people. Out of fear. And, yes, probably greed. Like Hitler's fear that the predominantly Jewish business owners in Germany were taking over his country.

Stop: if anyone is actually thinking that I'm justifying what Hitler did, just get that out of your head right now. I just feel that if you want to understand a negative situation, you have to go back to the history that caused or allowed the situation to happen. As in The W's well-planned takeover of the USA. Note: I didn't say it was HIS plan!!!

So, for the thousands of us Americans who wish our people had understood and found a way to communicate with your people instead of massacreing them, I hope you'll find a way to forgive them for what they have done, ontheres. And let your anger go. Hear the call of the wolf; listen to the Mother.

Then figure out a way to help the rest of us do something to preserve whatever small amount of freedom you still have.

Why are not Americans doing the same?

#
Jess July 16th, 2007 6:08 pm

It was all about oil and I hope the Iraqis go to the UN and condemn the US invasion and demand the immediate withdrawal of all US forces.

Jess,

I agree with you 110%...that is what they MUST do now to protect their future and defeat the evil that is Bush and Cheney. Sorry for the over the top rhetoric, but I feel very strongly about this one.

this oil theft "law" is the ONLY REASON BUSH & CHENEY ILLEGALLY INVADED.

The entire US government is simply a den of thieves

The worlds largest oil reserves in the hands of the US Corporate Elite, putting them effectively in control of the planet for the next century...

and all they had to do was fake a terrorist attack on two old buildings in downtown NYC that were ready for the wreaking ball anyways...and murder a few thousand "peasants" that were inside.

What a bargain.

Note the Dems are pushing the law as hard as the Bushies. Its always been #1 on the list when Dem leaders talk about the Iraqis needing to meet benchmarks. Its probably the first thing on Hillary's mind when she whines that the Iraqi government isn't pulling its weight in this deal.

Of course its about oil. Well, oil and money. Duhhh!

The part that amazes me is that the Bushies don't seem to realize the Iraqi people are PROUD of having tossed the foreign oil companies out and nationalized their oil. Its no surprise they won't go back.

simple Bush Math:

115 billion barrels of proven Iraqi oil reserves
times $70/barrel
divided by 3600 dead troops plus 3000 WTC dead
equals $1.2 Billion in Big oils pocket for each dead American.

They gave their lives so the filthy rich can become the untouchably rich

What patriotic Capitalist American wouldn't waste a few of their fellow countrymen for $1.2 Billion a head?

sick but true

Code Black - Top 10 reasons why we invaded Iraq (attempt at humor) - http://www.wordsareimportant.com/codeblack.htm

Lewis Carroll's posthumous view of the matter:

"I passed by his garden, and marked, with one eye,
How the Owl and the Panther were sharing a pie:
The Panther took pie-crust, and gravy, and meat,
While the Owl had the dish as its share of the treat.
When the pie was all finished, the Owl, as a boon,
Was kindly permitted to pocket the spoon:
While the Panther received knife and fork with a growl,
And concluded the banquet by [eating the owl.]"

Anything further needs to be added?

So, the threat is "give the US 80% or we'll leave"? Is that really an offer to be taken seriously? Of course, Iraq should reject this offer. They want us out unequivocally right now. Leaving is a blessing not a threat.

Iraq is better off with 20 years of brutal civil war with Iranian influence on one side and Israeli subterfuge on the other side than giving the country away to us.

I'm afraid Iraq is not going to be given the option to reject our offer.

Let's not forget, though, that the violence against US troops in Iraq is sold to us as Al-Qaeda and other terrorist elements that want to destroy our way of life.

It seems to me that if an uninvited foreign military invaded my country, bombed my friends and family, allowed the looting of national treasures, turned off the lights, shut down the flow of oil, clogged the sewers, then told me I have to give them 80% of the country's wealth --

I think in that case I would be very likely to participate in whatever activities are available to harm the occupier and end the occupation. So, it occurs to me that the violence is being committed by Iraqis for the sake of Iraq's sovereignty and self-respect.

That many Americans don't see it this way is a crisis of the state of education in American that prevents citizens from thinking critically about the official versions of events.

mirf59, I'm with you. Golly, the part about leaving if they don't agree, who the fuck is kidding who? The Iraqis have wanted us out all along. I'd like to see the Congress then say, they won't agree and pull out completely. I bet they wouldn't live up those words. Cheers, Iraqis. If I was there I would march with you.

all of you supporting these protesters are now officially "terrorists" for opposing US policy. you support them, some/many/most/all of them have links to insurgents...ergo ipso fatso, you are a terrorist.

the la times is reporting that the majority of foreign insurgents in iraq are from saudi arabia; most of the suicide bombers, too. our allies are providing most of the suicide bombers in iraq...look out iraqi oil workers union local 101, a saudi suicider is coming your way.

I just spent a little time trying to find any coverage of this story in the US media - the New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX - noone is covering this inside the United States, apparently. A search for "Iraq oil unions" on the NYT turned up zero discussion, for example - and there's nothing in the LA times or any other outlet.

Instead, we have discussion of the need for the Iraqi government to pass "the most important benchmark, the crucial Iraqi oil law". In Britain, there is some pretty good coverage, however. The Times Online wrote a remarkable piece titled "Are these the last days of the Age of Oil?":

"Historians may well conclude that the US decision to invade Iraq was primarily motivated by the desire to gain physical control of Iraq's oil and to provide defence support to other Middle Eastern oil powers. Political motivations are always mixed, but oil is an essential national interest of the United States."
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/william_rees_mogg/article2080497.ece

Now if we can just get the US press and the Congress to start talking about the giant oily elephant in the living room...

It's very interesting that as the world trade center was falling Bush
senior was hosting the Bin Laden family (Saudi/Sunni) and now protecting
the sunni's against the Shites , the civil war gives us the excuse to safeguard the oil that will eventully come our way no matter what side
wins. The Saudi's were the front men for 9/11 and the oil people and the
Saudis'(bush/cheney) now will reap the benefits.

Those who want to support the Iraqi unions - a hopeful sign of a non-sectarian Iraq - can learn more about them at http://uslaboragainstwar.org
US Labor Against War has helped the Iraqi unions and has brought some of them on tours of the US. Local peace groups would do well to hook up with USLAW to connect with ordinary Iraqis.