> However, I am trying to understand French/German
> position in all of this. If US gets in there and has
> some kind of control over Iraqi oil, won't the US have
> the EU by the balls? Wouldn't the European ruling
> classes be somehow better served if they went along
> with the war?
How will the US have Europe by the balls? By forbidding Europe from buying Iraqi oil? Can't do that - it's a global oil market. By shutting out the European on Iraqi oil contracts? So what? - right now those are mostly just service contracts, not worth much compared to, say, France's GDP. By privatizing the oil and giving it to US companies? I'd like to see them try. Even wiser Washington hawks are telling them that would lead to a nasty Iraqi revolt. I really don't think this is a war about oil. At least not directly.
Seth