God, democracy and oil

http://www.thejakartapost.com/detaileditorial.asp?fileid=20070710.E02&irec=1


More wars -- if not all -- have been fought in the name of God than anything else. However, at the present rate "democracy" may soon replace "God" as the main battle cry.

It is such that under the guise of advancing democracy major powers insist they can override existing international norms in their quest.

But finally, someone has been bold enough to concede they are at war in Iraq not on a divine mission or to promote the simple values of democracy, but for the crudest yet most commonsensical reason of all: oil.

Australian Defense Minister Brendan Nelson's admission that securing oil was a key factor in his country's deployment of troops in Iraq should come as no surprise to anyone.

It merely confirms what everyone knows about the U.S.-led occupation force in Iraq so fervently supported by the United Kingdom and Australia.