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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group

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To: GST who wrote (160125)	4/5/2005 6:31:55 PM
From: TimF	Read Replies (2) of 281500

You certainly like to twist words. Saying "oil is not tribute", is not the same as saying "oil had nor role in or connection to the invasion of Iraq". The tribute is fourfold: None of the things you list are really tribute, and none of them are completely accurate It gives us control of the security of supply of the second largest oil reserves in the world We don't really have control over Iraq's oil. We have the ability to destroy their oil facilities or to block exports but we had that ability before the invasion, and we are not using that ability now. In fact in our enforcement of the sanctions on Iraq we exercised more control over Iraq's oil than we do today. Yes with our soldiers in Iraq we have more ability to control Iraq's oil, but the ability to control is not the same thing as exercising control. It gives US companies the right to enrich themselves rather than have contracts tied up by the Russians and French This criticism is the closest to being true. In the short run American companies have gotten the contracts to rebuild oil facilities. In the long run the Iraqi government will decide who gets the contracts. It gives the US control of the world price Once again not true, and not just in the sense that we haven't been able to increase Iraqi production. It provides a way for the Iraqis to pay for the US invasion and occupation their country. It is not now, and was not at the time of the invasion, the plan that we would send Iraq a bill for the invasion and occupation. The optimistic thought was that Iraq wouldn't need as much aid because the oil sales could give Iraq money to rebuild Iraq. So to sum up, the issues you raise wouldn't be tribute even if they where true and for the most part they are not true. Tim

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