Oil for Sale: Iraq Study Group Recommends Privatization

[pberq]

http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/45190/

Oil for Sale: Iraq Study Group Recommends Privatization

By Antonia Juhasz, AlterNet. Posted December 7, 2006.

The Iraq Study Group may not have a solution for how to end the war, but it does have a way for its corporate friends to make money.

In its heavily anticipated report released on Wednesday, the Iraq Study Group made at least four truly radical proposals.

The report calls for the United States to assist in privatizing Iraq's national oil industry, opening Iraq to private foreign oil and energy companies, providing direct technical assistance for the "drafting" of a new national oil law for Iraq, and assuring that all of Iraq's oil revenues accrue to the central government. President Bush hired an employee from the U.S. consultancy firm Bearing Point Inc. over a year ago to advise the Iraq Oil Ministry on the drafting and passage of a new national oil law. As previously drafted, the law opens Iraq's nationalized oil sector to private foreign corporate investment, but stops short of full privatization. The ISG report, however, goes further, stating that "the United States should assist Iraqi leaders to reorganize the national oil industry as a commercial enterprise." In addition, the current Constitution of Iraq is ambiguous as to whether control over Iraq's oil should be shared among its regional provinces or held under the central government. The report specifically recommends the latter: "Oil revenues should accrue to the central government and be shared on the basis of population." If these proposals are followed, Iraq's national oil industry will be privatized and opened to foreign firms, and in control of all of Iraq's oil wealth.

The proposals should come as little surprise given that two authors of the report, James A. Baker III and Lawrence Eagleburger, have each spent much of their political and corporate careers in pursuit of greater access to Iraq's oil and wealth.

"Pragmatist" is the word most often used to describe Iraq Study Group co-chair James A. Baker III. It is equally appropriate for Lawrence Eagleburger. The term applies particularly well to each man's efforts to expand U.S. economic engagement with Saddam Hussein throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. Not only did their efforts enrich Hussein and U.S. corporations, particularly oil companies, it also served the interests of their own private firms.

(more at link . . .)

[shraby]

1. Why is that a recommendation?

Isn't the disposal of the oil up to the Iraqi government and not ours to have a say in what happens?

[pberq]

3. Exactly - But this is one of the reasons Bush went into Iraq in the first place

[yurbud]

13. Jay Garner wanted quick elections, Bush didn't so he could do the oil scams

Essentially Bush has forced privatization on them, dictated how oil would be dealt with in the constitution, cancelled Saddam's contracts with foreign companies and given them to Americans.

Garner wanted elections in 90 days, but the Bushies knew no legitimate government would allow the wholesale theft of their natural resources. As Grover Norquist, GOP strategist and author of part of the privatization plan said:

"The right to trade, property rights, these things are not to be determined by some democratic election."
(quoted by Greg Palast and available on video too)
http://www.gregpalast.com/adventure-capitalism-the-hidden-2001-plan-to-carve-up-iraq

Bush didn't allow elections until Iraqis filled the streets and demanded them.


Ironically, to the degree that the elections over there were legit, Bush CAN'T pullout because he's afraid his oil cronies will get the boot. That's why he wanted to install Chalabi and then Allawi, but the Iraqis wouldn't put up with either of them.

Now Bush is likely monkey who tried to grab a nut in a coke bottle. Once he got ahold of it, he can't get his paw out with it, but he won't let go either. He'll just shake the bottle until he starves to death.

[Tanuki]

2. This aspect is getting little press but is unsurprising

given James Baker's key role, as the author notes.
K & R

[Demeter]

4. I'll BET They Do!

And aside from funnelling profits into oil companies, what good would that do? Whose troops would be on the line, defending the oil companies? They've just invalidated any credibility they might have had.

[rodeodance]

5. Amy Goodman also had a segment about this today--here:

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/12/07/1452236


hursday, December 7th, 2006
Oil for Sale: Why the Iraq Study Group is Calling for the Privatization of Iraq's Oil Industry

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Among its recommendations, the Iraq Study Group advised that Iraq privatize its oil industry and to open it up to international companies. Author and activist Antonia Juhasz writes "Put simply, the oil companies are trying to get what they were denied before the war or at anytime in modern Iraqi history: access to Iraq's oil under the ground."

* Antonia Juhasz, author and activist. Her latest book is "The Bush Agenda: Invading the World, One Economy at a Time,"

To purchase an audio or video copy of this entire program, click here for our new online ordering or call 1 [phone].

[rodeodance]

6. in the 24 hr coverage I have NOT head msm talk of this recommendation!!

[rodeodance]

7. its a Cheney 'recommendation"

[Jcrowley]

8. K & R n/t

[The Backlash Cometh]

9. Sure, as long as America isn't financing it. How about the Chinese?

[rman]

10. There you go. ISG is just more of the same,

with a different color lipstick on the pig.

[classysassy]

11. Thats not our oil

let the iraqi decide,its their oil.

[Raster]

12. Wow!!! No one could have seen this coming!!!!

:sarcasm: