earthmann

Been doing a bit of research here in Garmisch. To what extent is the oocupation of Iraq facilitating the theft of Iraqii oil? Are millions of barrels of oil secretly moving through old pipelines daily?

Secret U.S. Plans For Iraq's Oil
Spark Political Fight Between Neocons and Big Oil: "PHILIP CARROLL: There were models everywhere from the total privatization to partial privatization, etc., etc. There were all sorts of ideas floated about the economy of Iraq and what ought to be done. I was very clear that there was to be no privatization of Iraqi oil resources or facilities while I was involved. End of statement.

GREG PALAST: Even some of those who plotted Saddam's overthrow complained that privatization plans added fuel to the insurgency, costing American, British, and Iraqi lives.

FALAH ALJIBURY: Insurgents and those who wanted to destabilize a new Iraq have used this as means of saying, �Look, you're losing your country. You�re losing your leadership. You're losing all of your resources to a bunch of wealthy people. A bunch of billionaires in the world want to take you over and make your life miserable.� And we saw an increase in the bombing of oil facilities, pipelines, of course, built on -- built on the premise that privatization is coming.

GREG PALAST: So, how is the State Department going to douse the flames? Here in Houston, the oil capital of America, the industry wasn't too happy about what was going on. �News Night' discovered that big oil chieftains in Iraq demanded a new policy. The job fell to the Texas think tank, founded by Jim Baker, one-time secretary of State, whose law firm now represents George W. Bush, the government of Saudi Arabia, and Exxon Oil."