Iraqi Oil Reserves now up for grabs

[Gromit]

Iraqi oil reserves are now to be privatised.

i.e. sold to US multinationals

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml =/news/2007/02/27/wiraq27.xml

Is that mission accomplished then?

[jno]

reckon you're right. That's what happens when you have a Texas oilman as president. Anyway, onward to Tehran!

[vehelpfulguy]

Nice of that Mr Blair to help the Americans get their hands on Iraqi oil.

Talk about gullible.

[Loosehead]

The key word Here is "sold", not stolen, donated given, but "Sold". Ie legitimate transactions. What do you think has been happenning up to now, has GWB been driving tankers of crude away for "safe keeping" no. This isn't news, what use are Oil reserves if you don't sell them! Who's give's a toss who buys them? Not sure what "Mission" you are talking about here gromit.

[Gromit]

Loosehead,

Nobody said anything about stolen. Privatised and sold were the words in the question.

The New regime in Iraqi, installed by the US are the very people who will sell the oil reserves (which currently belong to the Iraqi people) to US multinationals.

Democracy at work?

[Loosehead]

Yes but are you saying they are selling the oil and not passing the money on the the Iraqis? The Iraqi government has agrees to an open season, "you want it you buy it" type approach, I don't get the point you are making. Iraq is an oil producer and horror of horrors they are also intending to sell that oil! US multinationals would be among the customers, who bloody cares. Now if you are saying that the US are somehow flogging the oil to their mates and keeping the money I can understand but as I see it at the moment they are at worst brokering some deals. Still not sure which "mission" has been accomplished.

[jake-the-peg]

The Bush administration has in the past tried to run a scheme of limiting bids for contracts to rebuild Iraq to US and some UK companies at hugely inflated prices.

http://www.opensecrets.org/news/rebuilding_ira q/index.asp
http://www.truthout.org/docs_03/082903B.shtml

etc.

The question that springs most readily to mind is whether the oil will be made available to the US at market rates

[Loosehead]

I agree with your last sentence Jake, and there'll be 1001 US haters screaming like stuck pigs if the US get as much as a can of wd40 cheap!

[jake-the-peg]

By US haters do you include people who've lost children fighting an unnecessary war in Iraq to please the US?

Or just those who dislike American foreign policy on principle

[Loosehead]

I knew you wouldn't let me down jake, another famous leap of illogic! I mean those who hate the US first and ask questions later, those who think the US is the great satan who can't possibly do any good unless it's for it's own gain. Those who assume the worst before even doing any research, I think your getting the picture.

[jno]

Loosehead, what do you think are the chances of any oil rights being sold to one of the Russian energy giants? Somewhere between nil and zero?

[Oneeyedvic]

"those who think the US is the great satan who can't possibly do any good unless it's for it's own gain."

Whilst I don't think of the US as the great satan, what does the US do unless its for its own gain?

I thought the US was a capitalist society, and that was the point of a capitalist society!

[maxximus]

loosehead you haven't a clue what your talking about, gromit and jake are being polite. on second thought, so will i. what about the billions of dollars that have propped up, i repeat, propped up the u.s. banking system since they froze the iranian's assets in the 70's, then the 40 billion or so of iraqi frozen fund's from gulf war 1 never mind this last charade, this is what they do, they take your oil and call you friend, then with their media turn you into a dictator or a terrorist nation and then convientantly will never have to repay, so that mom and pop middle america can by that new tractor, or that new washer and dryer they always wanted with a high interest rate, money from nothing. although this time they have not only not payed for the oil they have already used , they've just decided to take it all, even though it belongs to someone else. i don't know were you come from, but just try that at home. your one that should your ducks in a row before you come on and start talking about what is and wasn't isn't a thief. the reason most of this is happening is because the west can't afford it's lifestyle, just like a junkie. if these countries where payed what they were rightfully owed the u.s. would be bankrupt, which is pretty pathetic when you throw in the billions in undeclared afghani heroin money they are making. there are rules in a neighbourhood and the main one, is to pay your bills. http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/IB28A k02.html

[Loosehead]

Well maximus it's pointless me trying to counter your selective semi literate rant. We can all point out facts to support our arguments, pointless! Revel in your bigotry, I could write reams about the good things the US does that go un reported by the west hating liberal but that's futile, your's and other minds are closed. Perhaps clanad can make a contribution here. No I'm not from the US or in the US.

[Clanad]

I appreciate the kind words, Loosehead, however, as you have already observed, entering an argument when presented with such overwhelming evidence presented with such exemplary eruditeness leaves on with little to say in response. I would point out that the attached web site indicates the current status of imported oil into the U.S. and the countries of origin. It appears to me (I could be wrong) that the only country on the list in which we have our imperial troops is Iraq, unless we captured Britain overnight. (We do have plans for Canada though!). http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/petroleum/d ata_publications/company_level_imports/current /import.html .
By the way, out of the four major oil companies that trade in Iraqi oil, the American firms Exxon-Mobile and Chevron, the British BP-Amoco and Royal Dutch-Shell -- only two are U.S. based. Russia has already purchased some oil, as has China.
No one in this country is so naive as to believe that with the U.S. pumping billions of dollars into the Iraqi economy to help stabilize it that the U.S. won't be a preferred participant in the contract bidding. But, petro-economics will dictate the per barrel cost. Iraq's vast reserves are still just that, and require significant funding to make any realized sales a reality. (Ironically, Iraq has to import refined products).
The entire thrust of the U.S. plan for privatizing Iraqi oil is to assure that the three major political groups in Iraq are able to share equally to erase the inequities of the past under Hussein.
It's still interesting to come on this site and most folks are friendly, but I'm still, after two plus years here, taken aback by the anti-American sentiments. But such is life... any major terroist attack in Europe requiring massive help will still be met positively

[maxximus]

clanad my fine neighbour to the south, with the excellent vocabulary. good word that ' eruditeness' i like it, and you slipped it in there quite nicely. ( admittedly i looked it up, being the semi-literate ranter that i am) as to your suggestion that the u.s. is pumping billions in to stabilize the iraqi economy, i would say your man negroponte is there to do the exact opposite. i say your man, because he is a republican http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Joh n_Negroponte#Negroponte_in_Baghdad hell of a nice fellow, partway down check his track record in central america. the entire ' thrust' as you put it, will be to keep the three political groups at odds with each other for the next thirty five years, through covert and dubious means. something your mr. negroponte and his cronies have quite a lot of experience with, divide and conquer springs to mind. http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/oil/2003/ 2003companiesiniraq.htm according to overwhelming popular opinion your population has expressed with their vote recently, they want no part of any of this, but even you would have to admit, there appears to be no difference between a republican and a democrat, so painfully obvious by their cowtowing, so much for democracy. how can you expect to force it on others if you don't even have it at home? loosehead, i know from reading your posts you are british, it was just a figure of speech.

[maxximus]

incidently clanad, if you are up to it try and have a look at these two documentaries http://www.mongrelmedia.com/films/SocialGenoci de.html http://www.nfb.ca/trouverunfilm/fichefilm.php? id=53566&v=h&lg=en&exp= and as far as( having plans for canada) you will find, we are not mexicans and we do have our eyes on you, cheers. http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context =viewArticle&code=JUD20070211&articleId=4750

[maxximus]

i see i didn't leave a space between the two websites for the doc's, they both will give you a pretty good idea where iraq is headed.

[maxximus]

yoo! hoo! wathz thu holdup boythz!!