Cheney's bogus oil argument
By Steve Benen Friday Apr 11, 2008 8:10amThere are probably some grounded, halfway reasonable arguments against withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq, but the fact that the White House keeps relying on sheer nonsense suggests the Bush gang can't think of any, either.
Consider Dick Cheney's remarks on Sean Hannity's radio show.
HANNITY: If we pull out too early, what do you believe the consequences would be? [...]
CHENEY: For us to walk away from Iraq I think would have at least that bad an effect, probably worse, because if al Qaeda were to take over big parts of Iraq, among other things, they would acquire control of a significant oil resource. Iraq has almost 100 billion barrel reserves, producing 2.5-3 million barrels of oil a day. If you take a terrorist organization like al Qaeda and give it that kind of revenue, there's no telling the amount of trouble they could get into.
It's hard to overstate how far-fetched this is.
What's especially striking about this is that the president, about three weeks ago, emphasized the same point. Bush insisted that if we withdraw, there will be chaos in Iraq, which would lead al-Qaida to acquire Iraq's oil. At that point, the president said, the terrorist network "could pursue its ambitions to acquire weapons of mass destruction and to attack America and other free nations."
Just how groundless is the argument? After Bush's comments, a White House reporter asked Dana Perino, "I don't understand how a fragmented, clandestine, non-Iraqi terrorist organization could produce and sell Iraqi oil on the global market, especially when the majority of Iraqis have turned against al-Qaida. Could you describe a plausible scenario?" As it turns out, she couldn't.
It fascinates me that even now, as the war begins its sixth year, the White House is still struggling to come up with arguments that make sense and can withstand even cursory scrutiny. It fascinates me further that Dick Cheney, weeks after the White House couldn't defend Bush's bogus claim, believes he should repeat the same debunked argument.
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It's the oil corporations' mantra that we have to fight for oil, Rep. Ralph Hall stated on the floor of the House that if the energy bill was passed, we would have to go to war with other nations for oil.
"if al Qaeda were to take over big parts of Iraq, among other things,"
So 140,000 US soldiers and untold thousands of civilian "contractors" can't seem to stop the violence and bloodshed, but a small band of terrorist goat herders are going to conquer Iraq? Talk about delusional propaganda. And people actually believe this crap? Unbelievable.
It fascinates me that everyone including bloggers still refer to this occupation as a war. This isn't a war Steve. This is an invasion of a foreign military to steal natural resources under the disguise of aiding a nation. In war, there is always the possibility of winning and losing. There is nothing to win or lose in Iraq, except oil. Soldiers? Insignificant numbers in the grand scheme of things. The objective was to take over Iraq, install a puppet regime, and have full access to all the oil. Mission accomplished. There is no war.
Shouldnt we be worried about Timothy McVee's family taking over the U.S. timber industry to get weapons of mass distruction?!? My God, the horror is beyond imagination...
It's all about the oil. Lost limbs, lost lives, and misery for oil profits. And, in the succinct words of Cheney: "SO"?
just a reminder..Bush and Chaney are not leaving ...
Don't understand why he repeated a bogus argument? Look at his target audience....it was the SEAN HANNITY SHOW for chrissakes! Hannity listeners have the I.Q. of blistered paint, and are easier to frighten into submission than a chuahuaua amped up on Jolt Cola! Neither Cheney nor Hannity has any interest in doing what's right...their only interest is in frightening people into going along with whatever they WANT to do.
What Cheney doesn't get is it's NOT the Iranians or al Qaeda that's the root of the problem, it's HIM and his oil mafia cohorts. They're the ones that pushed for war and got it and now they're raking in record profits.
Maybe if the Iraqis could sell their oil themselves without the oil mafioso stealing it using the US military and Blackwater, the country might recover.
Mike @ 8:
Oh, and I forgot to add, Cheney's a lying sack of shit.
Any reasonable person would have asked Cheney how on earth Al-Q could possibly produce, refine and sell one single barrel of Iraqi oil without American bombers taking out the oil production infrastructure before they could even get it to market.
Does he really think the American people are THAT stupid?
Stop this nonsense!
EVERYBODY in Iraq hates al Qaeda (or whoever these terrorists are) more than anything. Kurds, Sunnis, Shiites, Christians. The Iraqi people will not let a couple of hundred or thousand foreign radical murderous thugs run their country.
...and it fascinates me that the People of the USA continue,for the most part, to refrain from taking to the streets en masse. And rather than admit that The System has been corrupted irreparably, maintain blind faith and hope that this Government ,clearly broken and running out of control, will right itself come November.
Pixie dust and positive affirmations will not bring about change!
jeff @ 10:
The ones who watch Hannity/FOX are!
So they had to invade because of terrorists..... who weren't connected (at the time) with Iraq in any way whatsoever.
Having invaded, toppling what was a stable power in the region, leaving a vaccuum and introducing civil war and terrorism (gee whiz!) to Iraq, they now have to stay because of terrorism.
Yep. It all adds up.
No war for oil!
Once again, the Bush Administration has come up with arguments that make no sense and have no basis in reality. For one, Al Qaeda is a Sunni organization. Even if they had allies in the Sunni communities the Sunnis do not sit on any sizable locations of oil in Iraq. That has always been one of the big sticking points for any Federalization. Next, the Shia that dominate Iraq's population and the Kurds to the north absolutely hate Al Qaeda. There is no way in Hell that Al Qaeda would last even 5 minutes in those communities.
"No war for oil", i think TheToonGuy is right!
Yeh sure Dick, the Iraqi's are just going to let a bunch of rag tag Egyptian, Saudi's and Pakistanis take over their country and oil reserves, only a Sean Vannity listener would buy such nonsense.
Isn't it funny once again how Al Qaeda and the Bush Administration both have the same allies (Sunnis) to varying degrees and neither can control the Shia or Kurdish controlled oil rich areas even if they wanted to.
Well, you know the liberal crowd sees through the Cheney lies...but fooling a conservative is about as challenging as it is to tease a dog.
He thought he should go this route again because of his venue. Hannity wasn't going to take him to task for it, neither will the mainstream media, so he gets it out there to the crazy right wingers who are listening, they turn it into gospel, it's never debunked on a mass scale and any mainstream media reports will be "Could al Qaeda make billions of dollars on Iraqi oil if troops pull out?" as opposed to "Look at what these liars are saying, here's a logical reason why this meme is wrong."
Steve, the answer to your final question is very simple: "Shooter" Cheney has never been a member of the reality-based community. Do not expect him to join in this lifetime.
Without the US military presence in Iraq al Qaeda wouldn't be IN Iraq nor would they want to be there if that presence was gone. I believe what cheney is doing is called projection. He's there to steal the oil but needs to project that crime onto some one else. Really sad that there's 20% of the population that buys this lame bushshit.
Say that even under the most remote of circumstances a terrorist group siezes control of any oil producing nation it has to be taken to the conclusion that they could sell it on the open market. If the 2 million barrels Iraq produces went away today, as it did at the time of US invasion, it would be a blip on the market. Prices might spike but other iil producing nations would takea dvantage of the situation and ramp up output. As pointed out earlier they couldn't produce it and the sale would be blocked.
Cheney has made this argument before and nobody calls him on it. Not that one would expect the few turds like Hannity and Limbaugh who get an interview to care. Too bad tarring and feathering couldn't be resurrected because it would be a fitting treatment to usher out Oil Slick Dick as he waddles off into the abyss.
I might also add that Cheney's latest argument totally contradicts, as usual what the Bush Administration has stated in the past. For one, they have said that Hussein, for whom the Shia and Kurds absolutely hated, was working with Al Qaeda. We all know that was false. Then, they said the majority of Sunni attacks against the Shia and Kurds were carried out by that same Sunni lead Al Qaeda group. If that is indeed the case, then Cheney is now making the claim that the Shia and Kurds who dominate Iraq's oil regions have now done a 180 degree turn and are embracing their most hated enemies with open arms. Who in their right minds are going to believe that?
Jeff @ 10:
"Does he really think the American people are THAT stupid?"
George W. Bush was re-elected in 2004, after it had already been confirmed that there were no WMDs in Iraq and that we'd launched an unnecessary war. An unnecessary war.
Yes...many Americans really are THAT stupid. Enough to keep evil and/or incompetent men in power, anyway.
flamethrower @ 24:
Good points from an economic perspective. I would add to it as well that I seriously doubt that Al Qaeda the terrorist group has the manpower, know how, and capabilities to take on such an operation.
Well if 140,000 plus US combat troops, the Iraqi "security forces" and several hundred thousand contractors cannot contain & prevent 2,000 or so al Queda (according to Amb Crocker's estimate) then we are surely screwed.....But what do I know.....
You know, after the few comments I and others here have made it doesn't take a rocket scientist to pick apart Cheney's arguments for staying in Iraq. Only a five year old child would believe him and even then, its a stretch.
Your missing his real point. All brown Muslim people are the same! Shia, Kurds, Sunni, it doesn't make any difference. If we leave they will all turn into Al Qaeda. They will most likely turn into Communist, Fascist, Nazi, Islamist, Terrorist, Boogie-men as soon as we leave. They hate us for our freedoms. GOD bless America.
We can thank the RepubliCONS for refusing this past forty years to lead the world out of the gas guzzling and crude oil dependency.
Now, we are paying the price for their selfishness.
Chenny's USA has the oil loot.Wants to put the fear in Americians,that someone else wants to steal the his loot.
I read last week that Canada is the biggest buyer of Iraq oil--20% of the daily output.Here is the scam--80% of all foreign oil to USA is from Canada and backdoor Iraq oil to USA. In toronto as of this moring--litre of gas is $1.14 x4=$4.54/gal.Same Canadian gas in NY state is $3.27/gal
And Americans are crying about high gas prices.
Welcome to the Long Emergency
It takes a hell of a lot longer to get out of mess then it does to get into one.
So they deny the liberal argument that we went into Iraq because of the oil but now they say we can't leave Iraq because of the oil.
Neo-con logic is going to be the downfall of our country.
Read yesterday that Cheney paid income tax on 3M last year. He didn't earn that from his day job. Bush paid taxes on around $900,000.
RayC @ 30:
You're going to love 5th grade next year. You get to go on more field trips in the 5th grade than you did this year in 4th. It's really cool. Do you have a crush on any girl in you class?
Young people need to be aware the century of "Happy Motoring" is finished and create some kind of new century.
The Boomers and their Parents have created a catastrophic mess that isn't sustainable.
Joe O. @ 25:
People who watch FOX TV would believe that.
Earl @ 35:
I am sorry that your an IDIOT. I was under the assumption that the sarcasm was obvious but I guess you have to hit some people over the head with a 2X4. Next time I will start my post with this is SARCASM!! Think that will help?
Memo to Petraeus & Crocker: More Laughs, Please
Dick Cavett on the leaden language used by Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker.
L.A. Confidential @ 36:
but we're training our kids to live in a world of our making. we're feeding them to the corporations.
Hell would be too good a place for this lying POS!
RayC @ 38:
RayC @ 30:
You left out the part where they all become homosexual, get married and then send out their minions to advance their agenda of turning pure American children into homosexual atheists.
People like Cheney should have "LIAR" tatooed to their forehead.
Hello? In other words, we want that oil We already stole it and we're not giving it back.
This is an honest question - if Iraq is producing 3 million barrels of oil a day, who gets the money? Did the "Iraqi" gubmint actually pass a revenue sharing plan?
Just trying to "follow the money" here...
With the rampant corruption and crime, AL Qaeda is already getting a piece of that oil revenue. Not to mention a piece of the billions in cash and equipment the US is dropping in Iraq with no oversight or accounting. Imagine if al Qaeda takes over Iraq (right) how much of that revenue al Qaeda would have to spend to actually run and maintain control of the country because the US would no longer be providing 99% of the government's operating funds. Then they'd have to deal with US (and probable international) sanctions and embargoes, an unfriendly Iran, etc etc etc. Given all that would they have more money to spare if they took the country than they are pulling out of it now?
Besides which, if the US were out of Iraq, we could commit more troops and resources to Afghanistan putting far more pressure on Al Qaeda there while making them fight the vultures harder for that oil revenue in Iraq.
Again, kudos to the RawStory reporter who grilled Perino on this. The rest of the press corpse should hang their heads in shame. They should be all over this, asking the same question. Just because Cheney only broadcasts through the GOP propaganda channels doesn't mean the NYT or WaPo can't rip him a new one over this.
They are framing it this way for the eventual admission that the US wants to secure ALL of Iraq's oil, to make sure it doesn't fall into the wrong hands.
Didn't you ever watch the GI Joe cartoon?! For a terrorist organization with that kind of financing, the sky's the limit! They could build enormous, flying aircraft carriers-- helicarriers! They could afford vast numbers of flambouyantly-colored uniforms! They could build temples with giant snake motifs all over them!
My god, man! All they'd need to do is overcome the Iraqi population and seize Iraq (which couldn't be that hard, right?), and train a few hundred thousand Oil Vipers!
I don't want Al Qaeda to have a Weather Dominator, do you?! Why do you hate America?!
What those in the Bush administration are attempting to do, apparently with much success, is to prop up this fragmented, scruffy band of terrorists known as Al Qaeda and portray them as either supermen or the 21st century version of Nazi Germany's Wehrmacht [sp.?]. Was this lone reporter the only one to express skepticism as to what Al Qaeda allegedly wishes to do? Was it Goring who said the bigger the lie, the more likely it is that the people will believe it?
On a unrelated note, this Congress has clear evidence that this administration at the highest levels approved torture and still they have not initiated impeachment proceedings against them, much less thrown them in jail for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
How many times have they told us "the war is not about oil"?
Because I've now heard Cheney mention Iraq's "oil reserves" about a half dozen times when talking about Iraq. This is just the latest.
Actually people, Cheney just told you most of the truth. He said "Al Queda" but he means Iraq in general. What Bush and Cheney don't want (and the corporations that are still gunning for this "war" don't want either) is for Iraq to have control of its own oil resources, because that would lead to Iraq modernizing - see Dubai for reference - which would make the US government really scared because they're already bowing and scraping to the Saudi princes (and holding their hands and kissing them, literally, when they come for a walk around the rose garden) and they're not liking that at all.
This "war" you people are in is about oil for sure but it has absolutely nothing to do with 'insurgents' getting hold of that oil and everything to do with the current monkey for president and his trainer attempting their own brand of world domination. It is sickening.
There are numerous excellent documentaries available regarding the real deal in the middle east, how the US foments war, how the US causes people to fight each other (which kinda keeps the blood of US hands, at least in your administration's tiny mind)... on and on. Google has a site called "Best On Line Documentaries."
Have a plough through there....
WriterWriter @ 53:
Following up on WriterWriter's comments, as Noam Chomsky points out in his book Failed States, one of the biggest fears that the United States has is that if Iraq were to ever finally control their own oil, they would sell much of it not to the U.S. but to China and/or Russia. To recall a biblical passage, you get to reap just what you sow. Apparently the last thing the U.S. wishes to happen is for a third world country to reject its advances, both economically and militarily, and make its decisions on its own.
It's like expecting the Detroit Crips to seize General Motors, execute a corporate restructing, then use the profits to import more cocaine.
And it's Cheney and Bush's mantra that ANYBODY other than Western Oil Companies controlling Iraq OIL is a terrorist. Al Qeada BECOMES ANY Iraqi group at all with interest in their own resources.
So now it isn't about WMD or democracy in Iraq, it's only about keeping control of oil and labeling anyone else that wants control of Iraqi oil a terrorist, even Iraqis themselves.
Can we at long last say that this war is about oil, and that it's never been about anything else? Or, do we just continue the charade that anyone declaring this war is about oil, and only oil is simply stupid or something.
Al Qaeda would be in control of Iraq today? That is just STUPID!!! Said by Cheney for stupid people. The Iraqis will kick their sorry butts out (no matter what Darth Cheney thinks) in a matter of hours after the U.S. leaves. The Iraqis hate Al Qaeda as much as they hate the U.S. for invading. You can bet your bottom $ that no Iraqi will be told what to do by some Al Qaeda nut who all of Iraq hate. All you will see of Al Qaeda is the dust they kick up as they run for Afghanistan. Iraq will kick Al Qaeda out just like they will do to the Iranians, "Thanks for the help. Now get the hell out." They don’t want people to know the dynamics of country. The neocon war profiteers don't get it or they want this war to continue for financial reasons. You know this. I know this. 82% of the U.S. knows this. It’s 185 I’m very worried about.
RayC @ 38:
Unfortunately where I live if I walked into our tavern and loudly said what you posted at least a half dozen of our " good old boys" would come over, buy me a beer, and give thanks that I'd finally seen the light......hmmmm, maybe I'll try that this afternoon.
No seriously, if you're going to go for sarcasm in this country these days, you've got to be reeaaaallllly sarcastic or else folks are going to likely think you're serious. We have fallen to a very low level even for us.
C'mon POEPLE!
If we PULL OUT NOW, what's to stop the Hittites from taking over Iraq?
revised for accuracy ...
HANNITY: If we STAY IN IRAQ FOREVER, what do you believe the consequences would be? […]
CHENEY: .... if AMERICAN CORPORATIONS were to take over big parts of Iraq, among other things, they would acquire control of a significant oil resource. Iraq has almost 100 billion barrel reserves, producing 2.5-3 million barrels of oil a day.
... adding, yes canuck, you are so right - this is NOT a war, people. FRAMING PLEASE. It is an illegal occupation.
lol
Six five years later and Iraq's oil industry is in shambles.
Somehow, some fringe terrorist group is going to pull it together and turn a profit off of it?
This man was C.E.O. of a giant energy company? Incredible. Cheney's comments about terrorists and Iraqi oil are beyond the pale.
How in the world could al Qaeda ever derive revenues from Iraq's oil? They could blow up an oil well, perhaps. They could murder people as they transport the oil. They could scare drillers from digging new wells, possibly.
But revenues? When has a renegade terrorist organization ever conducted business in such a way? Would other Iraqis allow al Qaeda to even try? This is preposterous, really. Cheney is evidently sicker than anyone has been allowed to infer from his earlier conduct.
OMG! Like "Al Qeada" is going to be selling oil on NYMEX.
Good God.
"Mr. Cheney, the American people think you are totally full of shit."
"So?"
the New World Order , tells them to follow blindly and repeat what they are told , no matter how ridiculous it sounds
kinda like the Nazi's ,, hummph well, JUST like the Nazi's
same shit, different day, lock and load
just remember folks these people are ALL only pawns of the elite
Mugsy @ 52:
give cheney a little credit -at least he's finally being somewhat honest.
i listened to the petraeus q&a all day tuesday and i didn't hear a single senator mention the word "oil" once, not a single time.
BTW,,
Iran has been selling it's oil for Euro's only
crosshairs on Tehran
jeff @ 10:
That's the problem...Those who watch Faux Noise are precisely "that Stupid" and
believe the BS.
via @ 48:
Yeah, we can dream can't we? That is, relying or expecting the MSM to ask the
correct and pertinent question will never happen.
Well I am sure dickhead Cheney isn't that stupid which means he thinks we are
BaScOmBe whose saying “NO REPUGS!” @ 40:
30 years ago European countries put a $4 a gallon tax on gas ..
they used that money to build magnificent mass transit public systems
it still goes on , could WE be behind the curve?
hell we can't even mantain what we have
Under the false premise that al-Q could or would take control of the oil in Iraq should
we leave, maybe they could hire bush-lite as their CEO and he most certainly could
show them how to foul up and make that business a total disaster; as he did in Midland
Texas with the Oil Co. he caused to collaspe.
Pete @ 69:
They really don't think the American people are stupid, they don't have to be. What they DO know is how well conditioned the public is. For the past 40 to 50 years billions of dollars has been spent determining the best way to get people to buy any damn thing that's being sold to them. Hell the American public buys stuff thats been proven to make them ill, ruin their lives and even kill them. All the Bush Crime Family and Associates have done is use that technology to sell the American public another product. How can you hold people responsible for responding to what they've been conditioned to accept since birth?
We could be in deep shit my brothers and sisters; very, very deep shit. Please, please tell me I'm missing something here.
bushisaliar @ 70:
Been there and done that and I agree totally, the uban/sban subway systems throughout Europe are indeed "magnificent"...Soooooo superior to anything we
have here in the US and also you see NO SUV/Truck guzzling
vehicles..only small 4 cylinder, energy efficient autos.
bushisaliar @ 66:
And when Malaki talked w/CondiRice recently, he too requested that Iraq's oil be
valued and sold based upon the Euro..and she indicated that such exchange rate
would be o.k....
Isn't it amazing how our leaders have gotten us into the greatest ( as Joseph Heller would put it) "Catch 22" of our time! Lets see, If we "stay the course," we will suffer immesurable economic distress, if not collapse. If we leave, the second largest oil reserve in the middle east ( oil that may I add, we haven't seen a drop of anyways) would be up-for-grab.
As a former soldier who KNOWS that everything that comes out of this administration's mouth is total bullshit, I say lets go with option 3....MY option; I say we leave every tank, every HUMVEE, and every piece of armor in Iraq and let the Iraqis use it to defend themselves against the mass whordes of oil vampires. We'll hand over the Cheney-Bush junta for another Hague Tribunal and hope, HOPE that the rest of the world will forgive what our emperors lied us into. Mabye, then mabye, we can finally work on getting America out of this second world slump that we have been drudged through, under this Administration.
Al Qaeda is not going to take over the oil rich areas of iraq. Shi'ites control the Basra area. The Kurds control the other oil rich area. vice Persident Cheney is lying.
If you pull out early I guess you won't get off.
What disconnected bullshit! Mr. Cheney please pick up a history book. Iraq is not a homogenous people as you make believe but, an artificial state drawn upon a napkin and there is no al Qaeda of consequence in country. Nearly all foreign fighters in Iraq are Saudi Arabian backing Sunni resistance.
Look... the Kurd's have no relationship with al Qaeda. The Kurd's seek to eject all non-Kurd's from the northern tier plus gather in Turkish and Iranian Kurds to the fold. The Kurds have secure, producing oil fields. The Kurd have no interest in sharing oil revenues with al Qaeda. The Shi'a, led by Muqtada al Sadr, have no use for al Qaeda same as their Iranian kinfolk. The Shi'a have oil but production is limited due to maintenance/transport issues brought about by factional warring/sabotage. The Shi'a infighting at Basra centers on control of southern oil. That aside, the Shi'a will not be cutting royalty checks anytime soon to al Qaeda. The Sunni definitely have no ties to al Qaeda defeating and ejecting them or, some group identified in the Western press as being al Qaeda, from Anbar Province. The Sunni have little oil wealth and must continue to battle Shiite's for a piece of the action. Al Qaeda need not apply.
Cheney's strawman argument is to protect American oil interests and subsequently, his own personal stake. The need to keep the war going, that Cheney in is wildest nightmares could never have envisioned going this badly, relies on the continuation of the al Qaeda myth. The infinitely intelligent Cheney understands that the U.S. is being systematically cut out of the Iraq oil business. Iran, China and Russia sit in the cat bird seat therefore, the U.S. has no option but to press the offensive with a tattered, beleaguered military and suspect American public soon to be paying $4.00 per gallon.
Cheney, sucking wind, is stuck with the cards he himself dealt. The world is passing him bye at breakneck speed. Events effectively out of his control. The myth of al Qaeda his last cling to hope. If al Qaeda is the enemy why is the U.S. not bombing Warziristan? No, Cheney's war was never with al Qaeda. Cheney's war is with the tribes of the Euphrates for their oil.
4,012 have died in vain to enrich one man. A man who has orchestrated the greatest downfall of a single nation in history. Mr. Cheney, you sir, are a criminal and must be tried as such.
Hey everybody needs to just leave poor Vice President Cheney alone. He only made $3 million last year. How can you expect him to not try and better himself, he can barely get by on that amount of income.
It's remarkable.
It's like he telling us "Go f*ck yourselves"
Shame on the head in the sand Democrats for exposing this nasty, spiteful, hateful man for what he is.
I can't belive how much access a second rate Hate Radio gabber like Hannity has to the upper echelons of the Bush regime. Tell me again that FOX isn't the propaganda arm of the GOP
RayC @ 39:
Racist sarcasm sucks!
The only reason the US is still in Iraq is to try to fool Iraq to sign off their oil in the infamous "benchmark" Oil Law.
If there's one place on the world where AQ could make oil money, it's Sudan, where bin Laden was essentially co-pres in the mid-nineties and still owns valuable assets. With genocide in Darfur, global warming vastly changing the lives of everyone else who lives there, and massive investment from China and the Middle East, there's not a lot of people paying attention to who is doing what there.
In summary, if Cheney cared about AQ not getting its hands on oil, the US should be pushing for a multilateral occupation of Sudan.
Nick Turse points out in his important book The Complex- How The Military Invades Our Everyday Lives how former Secretary of Defense [sic] Donald Rumsfeld told Steve Kroft of CBS in November of 2002 any implication that the U.S. might invade Iraq had "nothing to do with oil, literally nothing to do with oil." This statement by Rumsfeld simply proves that a U.S. government will do or say anything to further its nefarious ends.
Also, in his book, Turse references in his chapter entitled The Military-Petroleum Complex Michael Klare in his book Blood and Oil when Klare notes:
"The American military relies more than that of any other nation on oil-powered ships, planes, helicopters, and armored vehicles to transport troops into battle and rain down weapons on its foes. Without an abundant and reliable supply of oil, the Department of Defense could neither rush its forces to distant battlefields nor keep them supplied once deployed there."
Will the next president, Democrat or Republican, do anything when he or she takes office to make sure The Complex's hold on America and the rest of the world is greatly lessened?
Dick has always been and will always be a lying, miserable rat bastard AND he is guilty of authorizing the outing of Valerie Plame, pure and simple treason. He is a sub-human who has thumbed his nose at the constitution, and essentially said FYou to democracy. There is no fate awful enough this very bad sub-human. I can't wait until January. He will lie about anything at any time.
This grotesquely obese, walking, talking malignancy - who reported income 15 times that of his V.P.s salary for 2007 (doesn't anybody see anything wrong with that? where is all that money coming from?) - still spews fearful pus at the unsophisticateds in the national audience - all for the purpose of perpetuating this destructive status quo. (I think) the phrase is Cui benefacto? Apart from his years as Halliburton CEO - a job which directly flowed from his government service and no other tangible experience of any kind, when did this person ever work an honest day in the private sector? Y'all know the answer. If we're not going to impeach or indict this evil bastard, at least let's isolate and ignore him.
Just how groundless is the argument? After Bush’s comments, a White House reporter asked Dana Perino, “I don’t understand how a fragmented, clandestine, non-Iraqi terrorist organization could produce and sell Iraqi oil on the global market, especially when the majority of Iraqis have turned against al-Qaida. Could you describe a plausible scenario?” As it turns out, she couldn’t.
I watched this exchange a few weeks ago and not only could she NOT describe it. She claimed that that was not what Bush was talking about but would not explain what he really meant to say. And well...low and behold a few weeks later it pops up again. She also took a moment to belittle the reporter who would ask such a ridiculous question.
Huh? I thought even is Osma Bin Laden took over all the oil supplies, he stated he would still sell oil to the west. After all he said "What would we do with it? We can't drink it."
As Nick Turse points out in his book The Complex that "the Pentagon is the single largest consumer of petroleum fuels in the United States". Additionally, the United States is also "the world's largest energy consumer." As Turse notes "The Pentagon needs two things to survive: war and oil." B-52 bombers in Afghanistan burn 47,000 gallons per mission over Afghanistan while "fighters, bombers, tanks, Humvees, and other vehicles burn 75 percent of the fuel used by the Department of Defense." Turse correctly observes that the U.S. can't make war "if it doesn't have the second [oil].
Do not be too surprised if this book does not get reviewed by those in the mass media such as The New York Times. The big corporations cannot have the American populace knowing who is the most profligate use of petroleum on the planet, i.e. the American military.
You know Dick's 'One percent doctrine'?
Apparently this has been superseded by his new 'Zero percent doctrine'.
Zero percent is the likelihood of Al-Qaeda 'taking over' Iraq.
"if al Qaeda were to take over big parts of Iraq, among other things, they would acquire control of a significant oil resource. ..."
It's all about the oil alright, but it's not al Qaeda that Cheney is concerned about. First, as has been pointed out, al Qaeda is Sunni, whereas the majority population is Shiite, especially in the key port city of Basra. I don't think that even the secular Sunnis like al Qaeda.
Maliki's government is falling apart, with a number of key Sunni and Shiite members quitting his Cabinet. Meanwhile, his rival, Muqtada al-Sadr, is a rising star in Iraq. The U.S. has two problems with al-Sadr, one being his position that the U.S. should leave Iraq, and that al-Sadr doesn't want to have Iraq's oil turned over to foreigners. In the elections this summer, I expect that al-Sadr sympathizers will gain influence in Iraq's government. So Bush is negotiating with Iraq's current lame duck government for a long term military presence. Notice how the Bush administration supported Maliki's attack on al-Sadr's militias in Basra, whereas it was Iran who brokered the cease fire.
I think our current talking points should include the position that any long term military presence negotiated with Iraq should occur after the Iraq summer elections, so that the current sentiments of the Iraq population can be considered. For that matter, perhaps the negotiation should take place after the U.S. November elections, so that the arrangement reflects the current sentiments of the American public. After all, aren't we a democracy loving people?
Does Cheney ever tell the truth? Does Bush?
I know this is totally off the subject but, God, I hate this guy.
As Chuck said here, a while ago, "They don't hate you for your freedom, they hate you because you're assholes."
(Not C&L-ers, of course.)
{{{26 Arizona Says}}}: Jeff @ 10:
“Does he really think the American people are THAT stupid?”
George W. Bush was re-elected in 2004
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Exactly. I held out faith before that, but 2004 sealed the deal for me. That day was like getting hit by a train. I thought, "OMG, they really are that stupid." The rest of the thinking planet went into shock from disbelief. (And yes, I did and do lump you all together.) (Except C&L-ers, of course.)
30 RayC Says: Your missing his real point. All brown Muslim people are the same! Shia, Kurds, Sunni, it doesn’t make any difference. If we leave they will all turn into Al Qaeda. They will most likely turn into Communist, Fascist, Nazi, Islamist, Terrorist, Boogie-men as soon as we leave. They hate us for our freedoms. GOD bless America.
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All Americans are the same too. Make of that what you like RayC.
{{{47 Different Anonymous Says}}}: CHENEY: For us to walk away from Iraq I think would have at least that bad an effect, probably worse, because if al Qaeda were to take over big parts of Iraq, among other things, they would acquire control of a significant oil resource. Iraq has almost 100 billion barrel reserves, producing 2.5-3 million barrels of oil a day.
This is an honest question - if Iraq is producing 3 million barrels of oil a day, who gets the money?
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I see you're one of those delusional, pesky libruls, bogged down with minutiae. Move along people, nothing of interest here.
{{{70 Pete Says}}}: Well I am sure dickhead Cheney isn’t that stupid which means he thinks we are
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Well, so far, it's been working like a charm, hasn't it?
Limp-Dick Blimpaugh @ 78:
is that why neocons are always stroking themselves in public?
59 Chicken “Hussein” Little - Not!! Says: RayC @ 38:
Earl @ 35:
RayC @ 30:
Unfortunately where I live if I walked into our tavern and loudly said what you posted at least a half dozen of our ” good old boys” would come over, buy me a beer, and give thanks that I’d finally seen the light……hmmmm, maybe I’ll try that this afternoon.
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Unfortunately, that's the image America exudes.
Listen to me this morning, would ya?!!! I'm just reacting as I see it. I sometimes imagine it's hard, as Americans, to get a real feeling for what outsiders see. I mean, you've been fed the Koolaid since you first stood upright. Maybe even before.
Besides your valid arguments, Patraeus or Crocker said the other day, that there are 2000 al Qaeda in Iraq. How the hell a small number like that, being attacked from all sides, control anything?
{{{80 Chicken “Hussein” Little - Not!! Says}}}: Hey everybody needs to just leave poor Vice President Cheney alone. He only made $3 million last year.
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No. He reported only making $3 million. Wonder what's offshore. I mean if he's cunning enough to sell out the USA and its Constitution, in front of the entire planet, with impuntiy, he's smart enough to amass the BIG BIG rewards. Dictators always reward themselves handsomely.
If anyone other than us gets Iraq's oil, that would mean that the price of oil would drop, because the others would probably sell it. As long as we have it, we'll sit on it and keep the saudis rolling in profits.
BoilThemInTheirOil @ 5:
AMEN to that. I think its SICK of Bush and Cheney to have our soldiers die for OIL! Thats what it was from the beginning but they wouldnt have dared said that at the start of the invasion because if they did most americans would have hung our fearless leaders from the nearest rafter.
Now that they made a total mess of things, they are coming clean as to their original reasons for invading because now they know at the end of their term the next Prez will have a mess to clean up and no real tools to use to clean it up and they will be able to say...."well the aftermath mess didnt happen on our watch...we had it all under control".
These 2 should have been brought up on charges of war crimes but the spinless dems and the neocon repucks wont do it. Its like they're all hoping it will all go away or one morning they will wake up and find it was all a bad dream.
NO soldier should have to die for a COMMODITY. Protecting our homeland....YES.....protecting oil for the 2 biggest oil con men to hit the Whitehouse....NO!
Pretty Amazing , they finally admit it but nobody believes it . By the way when he says Al-Qaeda he means any Muslim that isn't pro - US , wich is probably at the moment all of them .
Also , it's what the oil money will buy that they are really interested in = nuke tech
Any body want to venture how much money that oil will be worth as time goes on?
"Yer a GREAT Amerikan, Sean!"
Yer a GREAT Amerikan, Dick!"
"Sean, can I shoot ya in the face some time down on the ranch?"
"Sure, Dick. Dick, can I broadcast more of your HATE AND SPEW to our God-Fearing right-wing under-class?"
"Sure, Sean... but let me stick this in your butt first."
"Sure Dick, anything at all."
Although it is true that Al Q is just not going to take the oil by themselves, they'll just sell it to the U.N. via blackmarket, who will distribute to everybody but us at a cheaper rate. I trust Cheney more than the Food for Oil U.N. thieves or France and Germany for blocking us from enforcing the U.N. resolution because they had secret deals with Saddam.
It's the Big Lie at work. Repeat the same lie often enough and people will believe it. WMD, Saddam Hussein worked with Al Qaeda, Bush was the real war hero and Kerry was a phony. Tried and true, works every time.
104 Shag Says: Besides your valid arguments, Patraeus or Crocker said the other day, that there are 2000 al Qaeda in Iraq. How the hell a small number like that, being attacked from all sides, control anything?
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Apparently, they're very cunning. Let's see 125,000 Blackwater + 140,000 US regular troops vs. 2,000 "freedom fighters." Better surge some more.
He repeats it because he is so out to f---ing lunch that he hasn't gotten the latest spin memo from the neocons. The guy is clueless idiot! Which makes me all the more upset at John Edwards the supposed ace trial lawyer couldn't take that moron down in the 04 VP debates--he looked like he was sucking up to Dickwad. Was it a death threat?
To all hyperventilating Cheney haters, you are surely correct that he and W do not deign to explain, so we must deduce their meaning(s) from available premises. So, under what scenario would he be right? Simple, I think, though far from certain, or even knowable. Al Qaeda's stated goal is regional, then European, then world domination. If we abandon Iraq, a regional conflict between states, in which al Qaeda and related groups will insinuate themselves, will ensue. This will in turn destabilize the entire region, just what al Qaeda wants. How this will turn out is anybody's guess. It is not implausible that al Qaeda, under different banners, variously legitimized, could gain control of oil resources. Why is it necessary to reverse engineer what our elected leaders are thinking?
Because, from the president on down, our leaders are a moron, a sadist and associated sodomites. Clarity of thought is not to be expected from a crowd like that.
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