Reply #33: Saddaam nationalized Iraqi oil in '72 & Israel [View All]

in other words neoliberal globalisation.

"oil is much too important a commodity to be left in the hands of the Arabs" Henry Kissinger

Here's a great read on this. If you have the patience, read the whole thing.

Iraq: the new criminal 'war' of the transnational elite
TAKIS FOTOPOULOS

Abstract The aims of this paper are fourfold. First, to show that the present invasion and occupation of Iraq is in fact the culmination of a campaign that began with the ‘war’ in the Gulf in 1991 and continued with over a decade of constant bombardment and embargo, with the overall aim of establishing a client regime in Iraq as a means of achieving a number of important economic and geopolitical aims. Second, to discuss the role of the UN in the New World Order and the change in its role between the ‘Clinton doctrine’ and the ‘Bush’ doctrine’. Third, to discuss the criminal invasion itself and the dubious character of the ‘victory’ claimed by the transnational elite,(1) all the members of which, directly or indirectly, took part in this campaign and, finally, to examine the role of the Left in relation to the ‘war.

“Our armies do not come into your cities and lands as conquerors or enemies, but as liberators”

(British) Proclamation of Baghdad, 19 March 1917

(snip)

Thus, the Ba’athist party, seeking to achieve a form of economic independence to complement political independence, soon realized that it had to de-integrate Iraq’s economy from the capitalist market economy and minimize free enterprise on the means of production, with the ultimate objective to establish an Arab socialist society in which all citizens would enjoy the benefits of prosperity. This is why the five year economic plans of the 1970s aimed at reducing dependence on oil revenues as the primary source for development. Still, it was the nationalization of the oil industry that was rightly considered by Ba’athists as their greatest achievement. The nationalization process began with the conclusion of several agreements with the Soviet Union and others, between 1969 and 1972, to provide the Iraq National Oil Company (INOC) with the capital and technical skills to exploit the oil fields. Then, in 1972, they started the operation of the oil-rich North Rumaylah field and created an Iraqi Oil Tankers Company for the delivery of oil to foreign countries. At the same time, they nationalized the Iraq Petroleum Company (IPC) and established a national company, the Iraqi Company for Oil Operations, to operate the fields. Finally, in 1973, when the fourth Arab-Israeli War broke out, the Ba’athist regime nationalized U.S. and Dutch companies, which were followed in 1975 by the nationalization of the remaining foreign interests in the Basra Petroleum Company.

These events created the background that constituted the economic dimension of the campaign, which started with the war in the Gulf in 1991. In other words, the main economic aim of this campaign was to return oil exploitation to the western powers and reintegrate the Iraqi economy into the world capitalist market. This aim was confirmed by recent reports according to which State Department blueprints, sent to Congress before the present invasion began, laid out a vision for Iraq's reconstruction that would move the country aggressively toward "self-managed economic prosperity, with a market-based economy and privately owned enterprises that operate in an environment governed by the rule of law."

(snip)

http://www.democracynature.org/dn/vol9/takis_war2.htm

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And Israel, under the loving hands of right-wing Sharon, very happy to see us to to war with their enemy, egged the whole thing one by eagerly co-manufacturing the bogus information Bush used to justify the war.

A war for capitalism using the diabolical tools of deliberately manipulated religious fundamentalism to achieve its aims.

Notice that codeword again "Market-based economy". Same thing with Yugoslavia which was warred against when the US & Europe gave transformation to a market-based economy very high priority.

Then, to make matters worse, our good friends the Europeans decided that they no longer wanted to by pushed around by an increasingly greedy US and decided to create a union of states, launch their own united currency, and create their own military alliance. We didn't like that at all. And we REALLY didn't like it when Saddaam announced he would dump the dollar & switch to the Euro because that would have made the Euro OPEC's dominating currency (btw, Iran & Venezuela later announced the same thing). So it's a little more than just controlling the oil. We need to control it and make sure that the dollar remains the dominating currency because right now, oil is the only thing backing the dollar. Black gold. Texas tea.

This is why all our politicians are ok with this war. None of them really like it but what's a little more death and oppression to keep the dollar green?