[Vision2020] Global Policy Forum: Oil In Iraq

[Ted Moffett]

Sunil et. al.

A careful read of the documents at the Project For A New American century
reveals that containment or regime change in Iran was one of the important
long term goals of the neo-con architects of the Iraq invasion and
occupation, with Iraq merely a stepping stone.

The pdf document at the link below, "Rebuilding America's Defenses," is a
must read for all wishing to understand US Middle East policy as it is now
being implemented:

http://www.newamericancentury.org/RebuildingAmericasDefenses.pdf

http://www.newamericancentury.org/

The total oil reserves in this critical region of the world are, adding oil
reserves from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait and the UAE, 709 billion
barrels of the world total of 1292 billion.  These figures no doubt are
approximate (read link below for source), and further exploration or
development will change the accepted reserves.  But, gee, am I wrong to
think that controlling this region might not be linked to the energy
security of the entire multinational economic system, for the next 50 to 100
years, critically dependent on oil for its very survival?  And what dollar
amount of profits are generated in the multinational economic system that
could be placed in jeopardy if oil supplies from the Middle East were
disrupted?  This figure of course is potentially much much larger than just
the wealth generated by extracting, shipping, processing and selling oil and
the products it provides, from gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, to plastics,
fertilizers, etc.  How much of the wealth to be generated in the next 50-100
years on the Dow and NASDAQ is critically dependent on oil from the Middle
East to maintain the multinational economic system?  Wall Street is now a
multinational investment center of grand proportions, with the domestic
agenda of the USA assuming less and less of a dominant role

These figures no doubt dwarf the costs of the Iraq war, being financed in
part by Japan and China as they assume much of the US federal debt, or war
debt.  They no doubt consider this a wise investment in the future stability
of the fossil fuel powered multinational economic system that they are
dependent upon, as is the USA, for continued economic growth and to
maintain, especially in the case of the USA and Japan, their position as
dominant global economic players.  China soon will become an economic
monster that may surpass Japan and perhaps the USA... US multinational
corporations are thus making a killing off facilitating China's emergence as
the next superpower to challenge the USA...The Chinese Communist Party
dictatorship, with no freedom of speech or freedom of political
organization, with gulags for dissenters, kangaroo courts, offering swift
executions, for a justice system, now hosting the Olympics?

As they say, money talks and bulls**t walks!

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0872964.html

Ted Moffett


On 9/20/07, Sunil Ramalingam <sunilramalingam at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> My stars, Ted, next someone might suggest that one factor for the war was
> giving our companies the cookie jar!
>
> Just one factor though, along with allowing our troops to move out of
> their
> bases in Saudi Arabia and into the new permanent bases we continue to
> build
> in Iraq, and other reasons not appropriate for sharing with the public
> before launching the war.
>
> Sunil
>
>
> >From: "Ted Moffett" <starbliss at gmail.com>
> >To: "MoscowVision 2020" <vision2020 at moscow.com>
> >Subject: [Vision2020] Global Policy Forum: Oil In Iraq
> >Date: Thu, 20 Sep 2007 01:48:55 -0700
> >
> >All:
> >
> >They appear to have their facts wrong about "proven oil reserves" in Iraq
> >being second in the world, given Canada now has the recognized second
> >largest oil reserves in the world by the oil industry.  But if Iraq's
> >proven
> >reserves turn out to be 200+ billion barrels, this would surpass Canada's
> >current recognized total of proven reserves.  But Canada's oil sands are
> >more expensive to extract and process into oil, thus per barrel Iraq oil
> is
> >cheaper to produce.  What is interesting at this web site is the
> >documentation of the moves to control Iraq's oil, now and in the past, by
> >various interests that it is doubtful have Iraqi democracy foremost in
> mind
> >as the primary decider of the fate of Iraqi oil:
> >
> >http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/oil/irqindx.htm
> >
> >Iraq has the world's second largest proven oil reserves. According to oil
> >industry experts, new exploration will probably raise Iraq's reserves to
> >200+ billion barrels of high-grade crude, extraordinarily cheap to
> produce.
> >The four giant firms located in the US and the UK have been keen to get
> >back
> >into Iraq, from which they were excluded with the nationalization of
> 1972.
> >During the final years of the Saddam era, they envied companies from
> >France,
> >Russia, China, and elsewhere, who had obtained major contracts. But UN
> >sanctions (kept in place by the US and the UK) kept those contracts
> >inoperable. Since the invasion and occupation of Iraq in 2003, much has
> >changed. In the new setting, with Washington running the show, "friendly"
> >companies expect to gain most of the lucrative oil deals that will be
> worth
> >hundreds of billions of dollars in profits in the coming decades. The
> Iraqi
> >constitution of 2005, greatly influenced by US advisors, contains
> language
> >that guarantees a major role for foreign companies. Negotiators hope soon
> >to
> >complete deals on Production Sharing Agreements that will give the
> >companies
> >control over dozens of fields, including the fabled super-giant Majnoon.
> >But
> >first the Parliament must pass a new oil sector investment law allowing
> >foreign companies to assume a major role in the country. The US has
> >threatened to withhold funding as well as financial and military support
> if
> >the law does not soon pass. Although the Iraqi cabinet endorsed the draft
> >law in July 2007, Parliament has balked at the legislation. Most Iraqis
> >favor continued control by a national company and the powerful oil
> workers
> >union strongly opposes de-nationalization. Iraq's political future is
> very
> >much in flux, but oil remains the central feature of the political
> >landscape.
> >-----------
> >Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett
>
>
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