Thoughts on the Middle East, History, and Religion
Juan Cole is President of the Global Americana Institute
Aljazeera English reports on the deals the oil majors are doing in Iraq:
And, Tom Engelhardt reviews the troop escalation or "surge" in Iraq and offers some unconventional wisdom.
Labels: Iraq
posted by Juan Cole @ 6/30/2008 12:43:00 PM
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5 Comments:
The news agencies are reporting that the deals didn't materialize. Aparently, Big Oil refused fixed fees, demanding a share of the oil which the Iraqis refused.
But I smell a rat. The Iraqis are offering around $3BN to raise the output of existing giant fields by 500,000 b/d. Now, the US DoE estimates the cost of adding 1m b/d of fresh fields in Iraq to be, up to, $1.6BN.
This rejection is theatre to eventually suck $3BN from the desperately poor Iraqi people to fatten Big Oil further, with no bid deals too!!!
These oil contracts are substitutes, as the US has not managed to get the crown jewels, that is the passage of the oil law, which would guarantee the rights of the companies for 25 years or more.
The kind of contract mentioned here does not give established rights, and could be overturned, if the political wind shifted.
Evidently, the oil rights are not a political issue, as is the SOFA, the other failed US effort. However the same approach is being used. Solutions which do not require legal approval by the Iraqi parliament.
Personally, I think it leaves the US, and the oil companies, in an exposed position. The oil companies could simply have the contracts not renewed, in the case of a change in circumstances. A SOFA agreement signed only by Maliki (and even he is not ready to sign at the moment, if I understand correctly) is not a legal treaty, and is nothing more than a temporary administrative arrangement.
Are both only intended to impress the domestic market in the US, that all is going well?
Iraqi anti-Occupation leaders denounce Oil Development Plans, say they are putting the country's oil wealth into Western hands
Iraq's efforts to oust foreign oil companies are an important part of national lore
Here's a theory:
Why would the Bush administration be pushing for war or military action against Iran at a time when oil prices are seven times higher than in August, 2001?
The White House has a huge credibility problem over its "democratization project" in Iraq, and clearly wants to have deals in place when it comes to Iraqi oil.
By creating an atmosphere of concern over rising fuel prices in the West, and particularly in the U.S., Cheney is ensuring acceptance from people who would otherwise be incensed by the Iraq War having been for oil.
Just as the Cheney has wanted chaos in Iraq, from the beginning, he now wants high oil prices.
The chaos was required in order to prevent that the Coalition was kicked out. An orderly Iraq, where no looting had taken place, where an army was operational and where public institutions and services were in place, would have doomed Cheney's project. The U.N. would have revoked the Coalition's charter and the Iraqis would have demanded sovereignty.
By actively fomenting chaos, Cheney ensured the continued presence of U.S. forces in Iraq.
Now - by driving the price of oil up, he is building wider acceptance of the extreme measures he knew were required, all along, in order to be able to place the U.S. military right in the middle of the world's oil basin.
Tom says cut the nuance and sophistry, "throw the bums out."
Amen.
Add Pelosi to the list. Gang of eight. In deed.
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