To: RMF who wrote (13820 ) 8/20/2006 3:14:16 PM From: Don Earl Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 20039 RE: "So...I DO think the "Oil Guys" were with and behind the Iraq invasion, but I don't think they actually were planning on the way things turned out." I saw an article recently that the puppet government, installed as the result of the military coup, expects to start parcelling out leases on Iraqi oil fields as early as next year to Western oil companies. As close as I can tell, so far the plan is working out better than their wildest dreams of avarice could have hoped for prior to 9/11. They've made more money in three years than they could have made in a decade, and they won't have to float any bonds to start tapping into the 3rd largest known reserves in the world. On top of everything else, and as disgusting as it should be to any right thinking person, public opinion is likely to be on the side of big oil if the armed robbery ends up in paying off in lower prices at the pumps. On the political side, Saddam's staunch support of an independent Palestine has been eliminated as a result of tearing up the country with internal chaos. The Israeli invasions of Syria and Lebanon would have been a tough row to hoe with a unified Iraq right next door. While I can appreciate the sentiment of those who feel things have worked out so badly that it must have been a mistake, meaning no disrespect, it strikes me as a little naive to ignore the darker side of human nature when the prize is measured, literally, in the trillions of dollars. Worse yet, there are those in high office who are actively working against the best interests of the US in support of Israel. The common term for such persons is "traitor". Take a look at how many Bush appointees hold duel Israel, US citizenship and you should start to see what's going on. Bad for America, but good for Israel, is not the result of a tactical error on the part of such persons.