blood for oil

Independent journalist Greg Palast writes:
The Bush administration made plans for war and for Iraq's oil before the 9/11 attacks, sparking a policy battle between neo-cons and Big Oil, BBC's Newsnight has revealed.

Two years ago today - when President George Bush announced US, British and Allied forces would begin to bomb Baghdad - protestors claimed the US had a secret plan for Iraq's oil once Saddam had been conquered.

In fact there were two conflicting plans, setting off a hidden policy war between neo-conservatives at the Pentagon, on one side, versus a combination of "Big Oil" executives and US State Department "pragmatists."

"Big Oil" appears to have won. The latest plan, obtained by Newsnight from the US State Department was, we learned, drafted with the help of American oil industry consultants.

Insiders told Newsnight that planning began "within weeks" of Bush's first taking office in 2001, long before the September 11th attack on the US. [emphasis mine]
Palast has made a film about the plan, based on a joint investigation by BBC Newsnight and Harper's Magazine. You can watch it online, up to 7 p.m. EST today: go here.

The full story is in the current issue of Harper's Magazine. I don't believe you can read it online, you have to buy the magazine. So go do that.

Comments

  1. Expat18 March 2005 at 16:28

    Good luck with the move to Canada and thanks for passing my link onto your NYC Canuck friends! :o)

    I enjoy reading your blog!

    ReplyDelete
  2. laura k18 March 2005 at 20:02

    Thanks so much! Where are you?

    ReplyDelete
  3. allan19 March 2005 at 06:13

    Didn't Paul O'Neill get into this in his book -- how they were obsessed with Iraq from January 21 ... and actually before being installed?

    Cheney had maps created with details for distribution of oil fields in post-war Iraq -- and this was quite a bit before 9/11.

    These documents are now out in the public.

    ReplyDelete
  4. laura k19 March 2005 at 06:17

    Yes, I believe O'Neill did write and speak about this. Of course he was dismissed as a disgruntled employee. This is further vindication, as if more were needed.

    ReplyDelete

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