Senators Clinton, Ensign ask Bush to consider Iraq Oil Trust

[smoogatz]

This is something I've been advocating since 2003. Na. Gah. Happen.

RAW STORY
Published: Monday December 18, 2006


In a commentary published in Monday's Wall Street Journal, Senators Hillary Clinton (NY-Dem) and John Ensign (NEV-Rep) ask the Bush Administration to set up an Iraq Oil Trust, so that revenues can get distributed to the country's "ordinary" citizens and to further demonstrate that the United States is not in Iraq just for the sake of oil.

"For the sake of our soldiers and for the future of Iraq, it is time we place greater rights and responsibilities of citizenship in the hands of the Iraqi people," the two Senators write. "This includes a stake in oil revenues, which are central to political reconciliation and an end to the sectarian violence."

Excerpts from commentary:

#

We have urged for three years that the Bush administration pursue an Iraq Oil Trust, modeled on the Alaskan Permanent Fund, guaranteeing that every individual Iraqi would share in the country's oil wealth. Oil revenues would accrue to the national government and a significant percentage of oil revenues would be divided equally among ordinary Iraqis, giving every citizen a stake in the nation's recovery and political reconciliation and instilling a sense of hope for the promise of democratic values.

The implications would be vast. • The future of Iraq's oil reserves remains at the heart of the political crisis in Iraq, as the regional and sectarian divides in Iraq play out over the division of resources and revenues. As the Iraq Study Group writes, "The politics of oil has the potential to further damage the country's already fragile efforts to create a unified central government." An Iraq Oil Trust would chart an equitable path forward for dividing oil revenues in a way that transcends the divide among Shiites, Kurds and Sunnis.

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Senators_Clinton_Ensign_ask_Bush_to_1218.html

[endarkenment]

1. It is not for us to do anything with Iraq's oil

including setting up a trust. It is not ours. We do not get to decide what to do with it, even if we decide to do the right thing.

[irislake]

3. I disagree

the Bush regime caused the terrible chaos and they should do something to put it right -- instead of stealing it by privatizing it and handing it over to big oil. The American government needs to prove that they didn't go in there for the oil and I think if they actually did this (which Bush/Cheney would NEVER allow) it would help solve some of the conflicts there. Also it would prove that not all Americans are rats and create friendlier relations when the Dems get into power. But Bush/Cheney will HATE this. Of course it's totally obvious to everybody in the entire world that it WAS mainly about getting their oil and I would fight like hell --- right to the death if I were an Iraqi too to hang onto it. The whole world would applaud this and your reputation in the world would definitely improve.

[endarkenment]

7. It is not ours to put right.

We do not own Iraq by virtue of having destroyed it and I am tired of hearing that idiotic rational put forward in its various forms to justify our continued intervention, benign or otherwise in Iraqi affairs.

[irislake]

8. Don't you think

you should at least formally renounce and surrender any interest whatever in their oil?

[endarkenment]

11. Yes that would be the get out and leave them alone part.

Of course we should renounce any interest in their oil. However that does not require us setting up any mechanism at all to control their oil, benign, fair, unfair, whatever. It is not our oil.

[smoogatz]

4. We've already decided what to do with it--

which is essentially to privatize it so that our oil companies can develop it and make huge profits. That was the wrong thing to do. As long as Bush still controls the government in Iraq, we will continue to do the wrong thing with Iraq's oil.

[hang a left]

2. This is absolutely what needs to be done.

Fat freakin chance however

[hyphenate]

5. Interesting

Another progressive Republican. My sister-in-law voted for him because she said he's a good guy. I only hope that holds up.

[dmosh42]

6. Iraqi parliament recently passed a bill for dividends to Iraqi citizens.

From what was reported a couple weeks ago, the Iraqi gov't passed a law so that all Iraq citizens receive payment from all the oil sold from that country. Naturally, the ISG refused to recognize that, because Baker is part of the Bush gang, and wants their oil industry privatized 'for their own good'! Gee, I wonder if Bush can recommend a company to help them do this?

[madokie]

9. remove the oil incentive and lil g'orge won't have no reason to be there

we know that as sure as the Iraqi do. The scary part is lil g'orge knows that we know that and he doesn't give a damn that we know that.:scared:

[spanone]

10. A snowballs chance in hell....

Besides, who are we to do anything with the Iraqi's oil.