Thursday, September 25, 2003
Dr. Paranoia sees the Brits at the root of the Iraq war
LOOKING AHEAD by Wally Dobelis
A bold proclamation from Dr P.: "Oil is the lifebloood of the world. All political and military actions of the industrialized nations are related to oil. A chief national interest of a government is to assure steady and dependable supply of oil. The Left has learned to link greed of oil companies to wars. That is a socialist oversimplification – for greed substitute the self-interest of nations. British self-interest explains the enthusiasm of Tony Blair, much derided as a Bush lap-dog.That’s far from the truth. He, as much a Laborite as a British globalist, may well be deep at the initiation of the Iraq war."
When asked for sources, Dr. P. explains that, looking for inside information, he had gone back to the midtown bar frequented by the Texan who knows. The man was there, drinking Maker's Mark bourbon, with a friend. No introductions were made, although the friend was identified as a golfer from Bethesda.. Upon the doctor's question about oil, the Texan exploded with the above, "lifeblood of the world" homily and the Blair link, followed by a history construct. His story:
England has been much in the Middle East because their empire, which supplied raw materials needed for the industrial machines of Manchester and Liverpool, the world's manufacturer of finished goods, had to depend for fuel on the hard-mined coal fields of Cardiff. Oil of the Ottoman Empire was a much more desirable combustible, and WWI was the Brits’ vehicle of entry. The Turks, who foolishly sided with the Kaiser, suffered a breakup after their Versailles, the Treaty of Sevres (1918) . The part that had been ancient Persia turned into a virtual British protectorate, with Anglo-Iranian Oil company conceded to the Brtitish by the Qajar Dynasty. The country became Iran in 1935, under Shah Reza Pahlavi, but the National Front under Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh took control in 1951, drove out the Shah and nationalized the oil company. The British tried to a return the Shah, but no dice - until they involved the US . One theory sees President Eisenhower, persuaded by Churchill that Iran might turn Communist and a Cold War enemy, had the CIA foster a revolution. Kermit Roosevelt, TR's grandson, was the agent and Moslem extremists and paid-off strong-arm rowdies such as sports clubs (wrestlers!) were his army, as they occupied the streets and forced the moderate Mossadegh out, returning the reluctant Pahlavi to the throne in 1953. But his arrogant police, the Savak, got too blood-thirdty. The authoritarian secularist rulers suppressed the orthodox religionists. The lead Ayatollah, Ruhollah Khomeini, emigrated to France and fostered a revolution. Religious unrest forced Pahlavi out in 1978, the Shiite religionist militia overwhelmed the Shah's modernists, Khomeini took over, and a militant group seized the US Embassy and held its employees as hostages, until January 1981, President Regan's inauguration. The 1980 oil war between Iran and Iraq, with Saddam Hussein quietly supported by the US, lasted eight years but failed to dislodge the Shiite radicals, and the British never got to regain their steady oil source.
That was a blow, because another oil source had dried up on them. The Iraq Petroleum Company, fostered by the British through their 1920s mandate over the Middle East, when they carefully manicured the various kingdoms, with Hashemite King Faisal ruling Iraq and its oil, was nationalized in 1975 by Saddam Hussein's Baath predecessors after the Hashemites were overthrown. IPC had been owned by British Petroleum, Shell and the French company now Total/Fina/Elf, a quarter each, plus Mobil and Standard Oil. Although they signed the agreement, after much protest, and received compensation, the past owners would like to have their rights reconsidered, when Saddam is gone. Will US and Britain concur? You betcha! Access to all those oil reserves through a friendly Iraqi regime would give the allied group’s economies a leg up. This kind of speculation makes the motivation of Tony Blair more understandable, not to speak of that of the US.
You must understand the French position, interjected the Texan's companion. The French, excluding themselves from the Iraq war allies, nevertheless would like to be part of the oil dividend, as would the Russians, whom Saddam Hussein had promised a share in Kirkuk.The chances of a cut in the oil distribution can bring them back, into a UN-backed joint action with the allies. This potential of sharing the oil may explain why Powell is so boldly asking other nations to contribute to the peacekeeping and the restoration of Iraq .
Dr. P wanted to explore the reason for President Bush boldly admitting that alQaeda had no role in the 9/11 attack, when 69 percent of Americans believe that they did. At this point the Texan decided to leave, His final words, in an almost oracle-like whisper, were: "think strap [strategic planning]. man. You will see, the red [Republican-voting] states will believe what they want anyway, and Bush now justify overthrowing Saddam, using credible reasons. Populate your matrix, man, then you’ll catch the drift."
When the bourbon drinkers were gone, Dr. P asked the bartender about the newcomer. "Oh, him, that's Tom Breedman, has a horse farm in Maryland. Plays a lot of golf with Arabs, knows the Middle East. Hates the French. Nice tip, thanks!"
The author thanks Stephen Kinzer (“All the Shah’s Men”)..
A bold proclamation from Dr P.: "Oil is the lifebloood of the world. All political and military actions of the industrialized nations are related to oil. A chief national interest of a government is to assure steady and dependable supply of oil. The Left has learned to link greed of oil companies to wars. That is a socialist oversimplification – for greed substitute the self-interest of nations. British self-interest explains the enthusiasm of Tony Blair, much derided as a Bush lap-dog.That’s far from the truth. He, as much a Laborite as a British globalist, may well be deep at the initiation of the Iraq war."
When asked for sources, Dr. P. explains that, looking for inside information, he had gone back to the midtown bar frequented by the Texan who knows. The man was there, drinking Maker's Mark bourbon, with a friend. No introductions were made, although the friend was identified as a golfer from Bethesda.. Upon the doctor's question about oil, the Texan exploded with the above, "lifeblood of the world" homily and the Blair link, followed by a history construct. His story:
England has been much in the Middle East because their empire, which supplied raw materials needed for the industrial machines of Manchester and Liverpool, the world's manufacturer of finished goods, had to depend for fuel on the hard-mined coal fields of Cardiff. Oil of the Ottoman Empire was a much more desirable combustible, and WWI was the Brits’ vehicle of entry. The Turks, who foolishly sided with the Kaiser, suffered a breakup after their Versailles, the Treaty of Sevres (1918) . The part that had been ancient Persia turned into a virtual British protectorate, with Anglo-Iranian Oil company conceded to the Brtitish by the Qajar Dynasty. The country became Iran in 1935, under Shah Reza Pahlavi, but the National Front under Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh took control in 1951, drove out the Shah and nationalized the oil company. The British tried to a return the Shah, but no dice - until they involved the US . One theory sees President Eisenhower, persuaded by Churchill that Iran might turn Communist and a Cold War enemy, had the CIA foster a revolution. Kermit Roosevelt, TR's grandson, was the agent and Moslem extremists and paid-off strong-arm rowdies such as sports clubs (wrestlers!) were his army, as they occupied the streets and forced the moderate Mossadegh out, returning the reluctant Pahlavi to the throne in 1953. But his arrogant police, the Savak, got too blood-thirdty. The authoritarian secularist rulers suppressed the orthodox religionists. The lead Ayatollah, Ruhollah Khomeini, emigrated to France and fostered a revolution. Religious unrest forced Pahlavi out in 1978, the Shiite religionist militia overwhelmed the Shah's modernists, Khomeini took over, and a militant group seized the US Embassy and held its employees as hostages, until January 1981, President Regan's inauguration. The 1980 oil war between Iran and Iraq, with Saddam Hussein quietly supported by the US, lasted eight years but failed to dislodge the Shiite radicals, and the British never got to regain their steady oil source.
That was a blow, because another oil source had dried up on them. The Iraq Petroleum Company, fostered by the British through their 1920s mandate over the Middle East, when they carefully manicured the various kingdoms, with Hashemite King Faisal ruling Iraq and its oil, was nationalized in 1975 by Saddam Hussein's Baath predecessors after the Hashemites were overthrown. IPC had been owned by British Petroleum, Shell and the French company now Total/Fina/Elf, a quarter each, plus Mobil and Standard Oil. Although they signed the agreement, after much protest, and received compensation, the past owners would like to have their rights reconsidered, when Saddam is gone. Will US and Britain concur? You betcha! Access to all those oil reserves through a friendly Iraqi regime would give the allied group’s economies a leg up. This kind of speculation makes the motivation of Tony Blair more understandable, not to speak of that of the US.
You must understand the French position, interjected the Texan's companion. The French, excluding themselves from the Iraq war allies, nevertheless would like to be part of the oil dividend, as would the Russians, whom Saddam Hussein had promised a share in Kirkuk.The chances of a cut in the oil distribution can bring them back, into a UN-backed joint action with the allies. This potential of sharing the oil may explain why Powell is so boldly asking other nations to contribute to the peacekeeping and the restoration of Iraq .
Dr. P wanted to explore the reason for President Bush boldly admitting that alQaeda had no role in the 9/11 attack, when 69 percent of Americans believe that they did. At this point the Texan decided to leave, His final words, in an almost oracle-like whisper, were: "think strap [strategic planning]. man. You will see, the red [Republican-voting] states will believe what they want anyway, and Bush now justify overthrowing Saddam, using credible reasons. Populate your matrix, man, then you’ll catch the drift."
When the bourbon drinkers were gone, Dr. P asked the bartender about the newcomer. "Oh, him, that's Tom Breedman, has a horse farm in Maryland. Plays a lot of golf with Arabs, knows the Middle East. Hates the French. Nice tip, thanks!"
The author thanks Stephen Kinzer (“All the Shah’s Men”)..
# posted by Wally Dobelis @ 3:28 PM 
