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Chomsky on Iraq
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grufty jim
grufty jim
1978 posts

Re: Chomsky on Iraq
Oct 17, 2002, 09:01
The issue isn't current production levels, which are pretty low given a decade of non-investment in the Iraqi oil infrastructure. The issue is, instead, reserves.

Iraq has the second largest reserves in the world (after Saudi), at almost 115 billion barrels. That's a long way from peanuts. Also, it's right slap-bang in the middle of all the other oil rich nations (top 5: Saudi, Iraq, UAE, Kuwait, Iran in that order) which couldn't be a better strategic position should (say) the Kuwaiti regime get, say, a little unstable and require propping up maybe?

Anyways, according to official US government sources, Iraq was the 6th largest supplier of oil to the USA (under oil-for-food) in 2001. According to unofficial sources, however, it was probably the 2nd largest after Saudi (thanks to the labyrinthine corridors of corruption that make up 'oil-for-food').

Saudi is the jewel in the crown of Hydrocarbon Man. Iraq, however, comes a close second, and production there can be ramped up dramatically given investment (and surprise, surprise, i've heard Condoleezza Rice - ex Director of ChevronTexaco by the way... has an oil tanker named after her - talking about "a long-term commitment" to Iraq after regime change, with plenty of US investment).

This impending war is 99% about oil, and 1% about the fact that Saddam tried to have Dubya's daddy killed (OK, maybe 98% / 2%).
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