US appears to have fought war for oil and lost it

http://news.ft.com/cms/s/a0bb7970-aa25-11d9-aa38-00000e2511c8.html

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In a crucial report to President George W. Bush by the US Council on Foreign Relations in April 2001, the president was warned that: "As the 21st century opens, the energy sector is in a critical condition. A crisis could erupt at any time . . . Theworld is currently close to utilising all of its available global oil production capacity, raising the chances of an oil supply crisis with more substantial consequences than seen in three decades."

With US oil consumption in 2001 at an all-time high (19.7m b/d), import penetration at 53 per cent, and dependence on Arabian Gulf oil also at an all-time record (14.1 per cent of total US domestic and foreign supplies), the council stated that it was absolutely imperative that "political factors do not block the development of new oil fields in the Gulf" and that "the Department of State, together with the National Security Council" should "develop a strategic plan to encourage reopening to foreign investment in the important states of the Middle East".

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So when, according to the former head of ExxonMobil's Gulf operations, "Iraqi exiles approached us saying, you can have our oil if we can get back in there", the Bush administration decided to use its overwhelming military might to create a pliant - and dependable - oil protectorate in the Middle East and achieve that essential "opening" of the Gulf oilfields.

But in the words of another US oil company executive, "it all turned out a lot more complicated than anyone had expected". Instead of the anticipated post-invasion rapid expansion of Iraqi production (an expectation of an additional 2m b/d entering the world market by now), the continuing violence of the insurgency has prevented Iraqi exports from even recovering to pre-invasion levels.
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watching the world crumbled by criminals in suits

could have been invested in energy acquisition, research, conservation, yadda yadda

WE said, "you're invading Iraq for its oil..."
THEY said, "No, it's about...(insert reason of the week)..."
WE said, "It won't work...Remember Vietnam?"
THEY said, "Shut up, it WILL work..."

And now this...

What...3-4 years ago? Somewhere. Hmmm...where was it that I read that?

Oh! I remember! Here! Right here on DU! Everything turned out just as it was predicted here.

Some bunch of DUmmies we have here, huh? ;-)

Even if the fields are not producing much right now, this is ok for their long-term strategy.


As China, India, Korea, and several other rapidly developing nations demand more oil... and as the effects of Peak Oil become more strongly felt... the neocons don't necessarily need to be pumping oil.

Just having political and/or military control over the remaining oil underground is sufficient to assert world domination.

They really couldn't care less about how much oil is/is not pouring out of Iraq. The point is to control it, period. We done that. Resist the temptation to think that just because * is an f'ing idjit, that all of the neoclowns are idjits and that Iraq has been a PNAC disaster. Au contraire, it is all going pretty much as planned. After all you can't justify a perpetual military presence if there is no pesky insurgency to put down. You can't have permanent military bases adjacent to the great mesopotamian cheap oil fields if there is no threat for those bases to protect against.

Why did they do everything they could to make sure an insurgency developed? Huh?

implicated in purchasing Soviet-era arms from Pakistan and supplying them to various insurgent groups inside Iraq?



It wouldn't surprise me one bit if the neocons were playing both sides of this bloodbath.

I wish you weren't right, but I strongly suspect that you are.

...is like having the kind of nightmare where you know terrible things are going to take place, but you are powerless to prevent them from happening.

than it is to protect them, around the clock, in an invaded, hostile, foreign country. And what if the democratically elected Iraqi government demands our withdrawal? Do they have to prove to us that they can protect our oil supplies before we go?

And what would a current hydrogen economy have cost? Oh. Well.
The Empire is unnaffected by logic or reason. Over the edge we go -- conservatives subconsciously want self-immolation, and they don't want to leave anyone behind to enjoy the remnants.

would you rather sell it for $31.00 or $125.00 ?

There is SOME production and export from Iraq.
Is anybody counting?

How many barrels of oil are leaving Iraq?

Who is buying the oil?

How much they are paying for a barrel of oil?

Who is collecting the money paid for Iraqi Oil?


Before bush*s War on the Iraqi People, the republican War Cheerleaders publicly stated:

1) The oil belonged to the Iraqi People!

2) The Oil would be sold to pay for the War on the Iraqi People!

If the oil is to be sold to pay for the War, then proceeds from the sale of the oil should go straight into US Treasury. Does the bush* Budget for 2005 include any profits from the sale of Iraqi Oil?

Have the American Taxpayers been refunded any Tax Money from the sale of Iraqi Oil?


Just asking.