Council Member
Posts: 2,307 
July 3rd, 2008, 08:30 AM
Panel Questions State Dept. Role in Iraq Oil Deal
Bush administration officials knew that a Texas oil company with close ties to President Bush was planning to sign an oil deal with the regional Kurdistan government that ran counter to American policy and undercut Iraq’s central government, a Congressional committee has concluded.
........
The company, Hunt Oil of Dallas, signed the deal with Kurdistan’s semiautonomous government last September. Its chief executive, Ray L. Hunt, a close political ally of President Bush, briefed an advisory board to Mr. Bush on his contacts with Kurdish officials before the deal was signed.
The release of the documents comes as the administration is defending help that United States officials provided in drawing up a separate set of no-bid contracts, still pending, between Iraq’s Oil Ministry in Baghdad and five major Western oil companies to provide services at other Iraqi oil fields.
In the no-bid contracts, the administration said it had provided what it called purely technical help writing the contracts. The United States played no role in choosing the companies, the administration has said.
Disclosure of those contracts has provided substantial fuel to critics of the Iraq war, both in the United States and abroad, who contend that the enormous Iraqi oil reserves were a motivation for the American-led invasion — an assertion the administration has repeatedly denied.
Please, read the full article to see how a web of lies and contradictions tries to hide the truth: America is there for the oil, and a Bush buddy gets first dip!!
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/03/wo...hp&oref=slogin
Panel Questions State Dept. Role in Iraq Oil Deal
Bush administration officials knew that a Texas oil company with close ties to President Bush was planning to sign an oil deal with the regional Kurdistan government that ran counter to American policy and undercut Iraq’s central government, a Congressional committee has concluded.
........
The company, Hunt Oil of Dallas, signed the deal with Kurdistan’s semiautonomous government last September. Its chief executive, Ray L. Hunt, a close political ally of President Bush, briefed an advisory board to Mr. Bush on his contacts with Kurdish officials before the deal was signed.
The release of the documents comes as the administration is defending help that United States officials provided in drawing up a separate set of no-bid contracts, still pending, between Iraq’s Oil Ministry in Baghdad and five major Western oil companies to provide services at other Iraqi oil fields.
In the no-bid contracts, the administration said it had provided what it called purely technical help writing the contracts. The United States played no role in choosing the companies, the administration has said.
Disclosure of those contracts has provided substantial fuel to critics of the Iraq war, both in the United States and abroad, who contend that the enormous Iraqi oil reserves were a motivation for the American-led invasion — an assertion the administration has repeatedly denied.
Please, read the full article to see how a web of lies and contradictions tries to hide the truth: America is there for the oil, and a Bush buddy gets first dip!!
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/03/wo...hp&oref=slogin
Electoral Member
Posts: 361
Location: California
Location: California
July 3rd, 2008, 01:19 PM
Exxon-Mobil is the US largest oil company and it is the 19th largest in the world. I'll bet if the President of the US stood up and told the world the US holds about one third of the available oil resources there would be a definite change in the attitudes of the foreign governments. Oil is what makes this economy hum (except for wars) and that is right now what it is all about.
Exxon-Mobil is the US largest oil company and it is the 19th largest in the world. I'll bet if the President of the US stood up and told the world the US holds about one third of the available oil resources there would be a definite change in the attitudes of the foreign governments. Oil is what makes this economy hum (except for wars) and that is right now what it is all about.
Council Member
Posts: 1,473
Location: Great Satan
Location: Great Satan
July 3rd, 2008, 02:18 PM
Looks like these guys enjoy Iraqi oil too...just in case you thought they were all living in huts and were totally miserable because of the big ole meanies in the US
From left, Hisham Ghulan with his 1987 BMW M3, Bilal Hussein's Ford Mustang GT and Seif Eddin Abdel Nasser with his 1993 Ford Probe show off their head-turning rides. All three dream of flashy new parts to incorporate into their cars — and a safer city to drive them. More photos >>>
Looks like these guys enjoy Iraqi oil too...just in case you thought they were all living in huts and were totally miserable because of the big ole meanies in the US
From left, Hisham Ghulan with his 1987 BMW M3, Bilal Hussein's Ford Mustang GT and Seif Eddin Abdel Nasser with his 1993 Ford Probe show off their head-turning rides. All three dream of flashy new parts to incorporate into their cars — and a safer city to drive them. More photos >>>
Council Member
Posts: 1,536
Location: Canada
Location: Canada
July 3rd, 2008, 05:12 PM
Eager to Tap Iraq's Oil, Industry Execs Suggested Military Intervention
Two years before the invasion of Iraq, oil executives and foreign policy advisers told the Bush administration that the United States would remain "a prisoner of its energy dilemma" as long as Saddam Hussein was in power.
Posted Jul 3, 2008 09:16 AM PST
Category: IRAQ
It is obvious that the people "encouraging" Bush to invade Iraq had no family members in the military. It was always going to be "other people's kids" who would pay the ultimate price for getting to the oil which Hussein had nationalized years before.
http://www.uruknet.de/?p=m45378&hd=&size=1&l=e
Eager to Tap Iraq's Oil, Industry Execs Suggested Military Intervention
Two years before the invasion of Iraq, oil executives and foreign policy advisers told the Bush administration that the United States would remain "a prisoner of its energy dilemma" as long as Saddam Hussein was in power.
Posted Jul 3, 2008 09:16 AM PST
Category: IRAQ
It is obvious that the people "encouraging" Bush to invade Iraq had no family members in the military. It was always going to be "other people's kids" who would pay the ultimate price for getting to the oil which Hussein had nationalized years before.
http://www.uruknet.de/?p=m45378&hd=&size=1&l=e
Council Member
Posts: 2,307
July 3rd, 2008, 06:34 PM
would that be just the Iraqi oil, or world-wide?
Here are some staggering estimates...
------------------------------------------------------
Do we now finally see the real reason for removing Saddam? The US knew about the oil bonanza. The war was worth their while!!
Is there still anybody out there believing they will leave Iraq?
Quoting normbc9
Hi, Norm;
Exxon-Mobil is the US largest oil company and it is the 19th largest in the world. I'll bet if the President of the US stood up and told the world the US holds about one third of the available oil resources there would be a definite change in the attitudes of the foreign governments. Oil is what makes this economy hum (except for wars) and that is right now what it is all about.
would that be just the Iraqi oil, or world-wide?
Here are some staggering estimates...
Quote:
http://www.cfr.org/publication/14701/
Department of Energy (DOE) Energy Information Administration (EIA) figures claiming that the territory of Iraq contains over 112 billion barrels (bbl) of proven reserves—oil that has been definitively discovered and is expected to be economically producible.
The respected Petroleum Economist Magazine estimates that there may be as many as 200 bbl of oil in Iraq; the Federation of American Scientists estimates 215 bbl; a study by the Council on Foreign Relations and the James A. Baker III Institute at Rice University claimed that Iraq has 220 bbl of undiscovered oil; and another study by the Center for Global Energy Studies and Petrolog & Associates offered an even more optimistic estimate of 300 bbl—a number that would give Iraq reserves greater even than those of Saudi Arabia. In a Guardian interview before the war, Taha Hmud Moussa, Saddam's deputy oil minister, said that all of Iraq's oil reserves "will exceed 300bbl when all Iraq's regions are explored."
The respected Petroleum Economist Magazine estimates that there may be as many as 200 bbl of oil in Iraq; the Federation of American Scientists estimates 215 bbl; a study by the Council on Foreign Relations and the James A. Baker III Institute at Rice University claimed that Iraq has 220 bbl of undiscovered oil; and another study by the Center for Global Energy Studies and Petrolog & Associates offered an even more optimistic estimate of 300 bbl—a number that would give Iraq reserves greater even than those of Saudi Arabia. In a Guardian interview before the war, Taha Hmud Moussa, Saddam's deputy oil minister, said that all of Iraq's oil reserves "will exceed 300bbl when all Iraq's regions are explored."
------------------------------------------------------
Do we now finally see the real reason for removing Saddam? The US knew about the oil bonanza. The war was worth their while!!
Is there still anybody out there believing they will leave Iraq?
Council Member
Posts: 2,307
July 8th, 2008, 05:15 PM
Here is an interesting piece of unnoticed news:
US brushes aside Iraq's pull-out demand:
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki had earlier said that he was seeking to set a timetable for the withdrawal of the US forces from Iraq in negotiations with Washington over a security treaty.
The treaty would determine the framework for the presence of US troops beyond 2008, after their mandate under the UN expires.
Whitman added the United States had reiterated "that we have no long term desires to have forces permanently stationed in Iraq."
"But timelines tend to be artificial in nature," he said. "In a situation where things are as dynamic as they are in Iraq, I would just tell you, it's usually best to look at these things based on conditions on the ground. "
The US is pushing for signing the security treaty with Iraq that would allow Washington to set up permanent bases in the country and grant US troops immunity form legal prosecution.
Iraqi political and religious figures, however, have objected to the treaty that "would virtually turn Iraq into a US colony."
http://www.iranian.ws/iran_news/publ...le_25834.shtml
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Slick! These Americans!!
If I may be so blunt and state that they already have permanent bases established:
An American Palace in Iraq and Four Permanent US Bases
U.S. Embassy: A Lavish American Palace
Against the Iraq backdrop of violence and misery, soaring unemployment and middle class flight, malnutrition and unprecedented illness for Iraqis... rises an American embassy-palace the likes of which the world has never before seen, and four plush, seemingly-permanent bases for US armed forces.
Here is info published by the world's leading news media sources about the new US Embassy in Baghdad's Green Zone. It is/has...
-- the largest embassy in world history
-- the only building project in Iraq on-time and on-budget
-- a bomb-proof super-bunker with a 15-ft thick perimeter wall
-- 21 buildings on 104 acres, the size of 80 football fields
-- wired for state-of-the-art communications and surveillance
-- "extraordinary" security measures
-- Congress was told that the cost is $592 million
-- impressive residences for the Ambassador and his deputy, and six posh apartments for senior officials
-- a water-treatment plant and power generator (to provide basic services not yet restored to pre-invasion levels for Iraqis)
-- two huge blocks of offices for 8,000 US staff workers
-- the biggest swimming pool in Iraq
-- a well-equipped gym
-- tennis courts
-- movie theater
-- restaurants serving US food chain favorites
-- a "swish" American Club for evening social functions
http://usliberals.about.com/od/homel...AmerPalace.htm
A nice place for the elite!! Does anyone still think they are going to pull out/leave??
It will be the center of Middle East Operations!! And a playground for the rich!
Here is an interesting piece of unnoticed news:
US brushes aside Iraq's pull-out demand:
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki had earlier said that he was seeking to set a timetable for the withdrawal of the US forces from Iraq in negotiations with Washington over a security treaty.
The treaty would determine the framework for the presence of US troops beyond 2008, after their mandate under the UN expires.
Whitman added the United States had reiterated "that we have no long term desires to have forces permanently stationed in Iraq."
"But timelines tend to be artificial in nature," he said. "In a situation where things are as dynamic as they are in Iraq, I would just tell you, it's usually best to look at these things based on conditions on the ground. "
The US is pushing for signing the security treaty with Iraq that would allow Washington to set up permanent bases in the country and grant US troops immunity form legal prosecution.
Iraqi political and religious figures, however, have objected to the treaty that "would virtually turn Iraq into a US colony."
http://www.iranian.ws/iran_news/publ...le_25834.shtml
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Slick! These Americans!!
If I may be so blunt and state that they already have permanent bases established:
An American Palace in Iraq and Four Permanent US Bases
U.S. Embassy: A Lavish American Palace
Against the Iraq backdrop of violence and misery, soaring unemployment and middle class flight, malnutrition and unprecedented illness for Iraqis... rises an American embassy-palace the likes of which the world has never before seen, and four plush, seemingly-permanent bases for US armed forces.
Here is info published by the world's leading news media sources about the new US Embassy in Baghdad's Green Zone. It is/has...
-- the largest embassy in world history
-- the only building project in Iraq on-time and on-budget
-- a bomb-proof super-bunker with a 15-ft thick perimeter wall
-- 21 buildings on 104 acres, the size of 80 football fields
-- wired for state-of-the-art communications and surveillance
-- "extraordinary" security measures
-- Congress was told that the cost is $592 million
-- impressive residences for the Ambassador and his deputy, and six posh apartments for senior officials
-- a water-treatment plant and power generator (to provide basic services not yet restored to pre-invasion levels for Iraqis)
-- two huge blocks of offices for 8,000 US staff workers
-- the biggest swimming pool in Iraq
-- a well-equipped gym
-- tennis courts
-- movie theater
-- restaurants serving US food chain favorites
-- a "swish" American Club for evening social functions
http://usliberals.about.com/od/homel...AmerPalace.htm
A nice place for the elite!! Does anyone still think they are going to pull out/leave??
It will be the center of Middle East Operations!! And a playground for the rich!
