Bina on Iraq

[JBrown72073 at cs.com]

>>I stand by it so far, and still think that
>> of the three factors, oil is the most central. I doubt
>> that we'd be here today without the other two, though.
>> jks
>
>I don't doubt that oil is a consideration (at least, it was an explicit
>reason for the first Gulf War).  But your suggestion that the motivation
>is to gain a stranglehold over Europe and Japan strikes me as bizarre.
>
>- -- Luke

I think it's quite reasonable.  Who was making deals for oil development in 
Iraq before the US cooked up the current crisis?  As Chomsky points out, not 
US or British majors, but France and Russia.  Sooner rather than later, the 
sanctions were going to be lifted, with Old Euro oil companies getting 
access, leading possibly to lower prices as Iraqi oil production increases, 
but certainly to unpleasant competition.  Or, plan B, the Bush gang could 
start a war.  Of course,  Iraq has *so* much more to recommend it as a 
target, I'm sure Wolfowitz is peeing all over himself.  

Carl Remick quoted Terry Jones:
>But then the violence being done to the English language is probably the 
>price we have to pay for cheap petrol.

Who's getting cheap petrol in return for slaughters (linguistic and 
otherwise)?  Not Terry Jones.  Surely the Bush conspiracy would rather 
restrict supply than see it in the hands of competitors.  

Jenny Brown