COLUMN: War in Iraq due to oil interests

by Mike Wolff

Daily Lobo

In 1990, the White House slipped up and let out a report justifying the first Gulf War in economic terms, claiming that it would stabilize world oil prices and supply. The people rose in protest, shouting, "No blood for oil!" The tactic was quickly changed and war was from then on out about good and evil.

Such is the case today, good and evil. No one in the United States is really talking about oil. The most daring of debates lends itself to that of violating international law, although this too is obscured by the simplistic good/evil battle. But down deep in the crevasses of the Iraqi mainland may lie the truest reason for an imminent invasion.

Just consult the Cheney Report, released just months before 'ole Sept. 11. The report, written by the vice-president, underlines the growing concerns of U.S. oil consumption, and our dependence on the Mid East oil for our growing energy addictions. Today, half of our oil is imported, most of that coming from the Middle East. In 10 years, imported oil will make of two-thirds of our consumption.

Saudi Arabia is still the principle steady supplier and U.S. military presence in the country insures that supply, but this relationship may not be so stable. The Saudi regime has one arm pulled by Uncle Sam and the other pulled by Jihad, a tug of war that is evermore intense. The resulting instability may soon lead to the collapse of one of the two countries that has enough oil to insure world oil supply in the event of other crises. The other is Iraq.

U.S. politics may also affect the steady supply. Although the official stance of the White House is that Saudi Arabia is "a long-standing friend and ally of the United States," a Pentagon briefing two months ago described the Saudis as "a kernel of evil, the prime mover, the most dangerous opponent." And since most of the Sept. 11 hijackers were Saudis (among countless other connections with terrorism), it may be hard for the Bush administration to maintain the image of the good King Fahd for long. Then, will we be allowed to buy oil from the next great evil?

Now Iraq. With a proven 112 billion barrels of goo, a U.S.-friendly regime that defied OPEC standards could drop oil prices by $3 to $5 per barrel. This will not only allow us to indulge in yet bigger SUVs, but it will devastate oil producing countries throughout the world. Oil will be like coffee beans - you might as well grow cocoa.

Saddam knows that George, Dick, Donald and Condoleeza have oil on their minds and he has played chess. He has already made concessions to French, Russian and Chinese oil companies for access to more oil than all that can be found in the United States. Making friends. Yes, there is more than morality behind the resistance of those countries within the United Nations.

And the United States and Britain have countered, supporting the future regime of the Iraqi National Congress, which has awarded those same concessions to U.S. and British companies, and has stated that it will not respect oil contracts signed by the evil pen of Saddam.

What happens after a U.S. invasion of Iraq is not perfectly predictable. If it goes well, few Americans will die, oil will be much cheaper, and we will at last be able to start filling the headlines with a fresh and new great evil (perhaps Saudi Arabia, that lil' kernel). If it goes poorly, many Americans will die, oil prices will skyrocket and any semblance of stability in the Middle East will be contingent on constant U.S. military presence, everywhere.

Good or bad, the net result will be a U.S. empire. This is predictable and the role that oil plays in all of this is enormous.

The oil question, however, has yet to be laid onto the debate table in the United States, and while throughout the rest of the world hundreds of thousands are protesting, we in the States are asleep. Perhaps it is time we put aside for a moment all of the good/evil talk, and raise the old pickets we painted in 1990. "NO BLOOD FOR OIL!"

Questions and comments can be sent to Abdul Chachi at mudrat@unm.edu