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The REAL Reason for New U.S. and French Military Involvement In Iraq
Why is Obama now re-committing the U.S. military to Iraq? Why is France strongly backing military action?
Obama says it’s to protect minorities. That’s nothing new. Obama is the fourth president in a row to bomb Iraq … while claiming it is for humanitarian purposes.
But the architects of the Iraq War (the one which started in 2003) themselves admitted it was about oil.
But what about now? Why are the U.S. and France deploying military force in Iraq now?
Well, ISIS captured some key oil fields in the Kurdish region of Iraq on August 3rd.
Mere days later, the U.S. started bombing ISIS.
And the strikes were targeted in protecting oil resources. As International Business Times notes:
Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby tweeted: “US military aircraft conduct strike on Isil [Islamic State] artillery. Artillery was used against Kurdish forces defending Erbil, near US personnel.”
Two F-18 fighters dropped laser-guided 500-pound bombs on the mobile artillery target. Militants of the Islamic State were using artillery that has been abandoned by the Iraqi army when it fled to shell Kurdish forces defending the regional capital of Kurdistan.
US airstrikes were very small and very targeted and the Peshmerga Kurdistan forces are waiting for more strikes by the US fighter jets, according to reports.
Similarly, the Military Times reported yesterday:
The Pentagon’s top war planner … Army Lt. Gen. William Mayville, the director of operations, or “J-3” for the Joint Staff [said] “I think in the immediate areas where we have focused our strikes, we have had a very temporary effect … and we may have blunted some [ISIL] tactical decisions to move in those directions further east toward Erbil,” Mayville said.
“However, these strikes are unlikely to affect ISIL’s overall capabilities or its operations in other areas of Iraq and Syria,” he said.
Obama authorized the airstrikes for two specific purposes. One mission is to prevent an ISIL advance into the city of Erbil ….
It should be noted, initially, that months of murder, mayhem and brutality by ISIS on Christians and other minorities didn’t cause the U.S. or France to intervene militarily for “humanitarian” reasons.
And notice that the airstrikes were very targeted on protecting Erbil … the regional capital of Kurdistan.
The U.S. and France have never lifted a finger to protect the Kurds. Indeed, the U.S. has actively betrayed the Kurds and let them be slaughtered. For example, during the Gulf War, the U.S. called on the Kurds to rise up against Saddam (implying that he would protect them), but then let Saddam slaughter the Kurds en masse.
So why are the U.S. and France moving now to protect Erbil?
Because Erbil has now become a major oil center. The Kurdish government estimates that the region is the world’s 9th largest oil producer.
Oil companies from around the world operate in Kurdistan, including (major oil companies are indicated in bold, U.S. and French oil companies in italics):
USA
- Exxon Mobil
- Chevron
- Aspect Energy
- Marathon Oil Corporation
- Hillwood International Energy
- Hunt Oil
- Prime Oil
- Murphy Oil
- Hess Corporation
- HKN Energy
- Viking International
France
- Total
Canada
- Forbes and Manhattan
- Western Zagros Resources
- Talisman Energy Inc
- NIKO Resources
- Ground Star
- Shamaran
South Korea
- Korea National Oil Company (KNOC)
Turkey
- Genel Energy
- Petoil
- Dogan
Britain
- Gulf Keystone Petroleum
- Sterling Energy
- Heritage Oil
Anglo-French
- Perenco
UAE
- TAQA
- Dana Petroleum
Austria
- OMV
China
- China acquired a significant presence in Iraqi Kurdistan after Sinopec Group bought Addax Petroleum in 2009.
Hungary
- MOL
India
- Reliance Industries
Papua New Guinea
- Oil Search
Russia
- Norbest
- Gazprom Neft
Norway
- DNO
Iraq
- Oil Search (Iraq) Limited
- Kar Group
- Qaiwan Group
Spain
- Repsol
Independent
- AFREN
Yup … with Chevron, Exxon, Marathon, Hess and Total operating major facilities in Erbil, the latest Iraq war is also about oil … as confirmed by the New Yorker, New Republic and Vox.
For those who don't believe that Iraqi oil is driving foreign policy, take a look at what Brookings wrote in June:
It should be obvious that a key consideration for the United States arising from [the seizure of huge swaths of Iraq by ISIS] is its potential to affect Iraqi oil production.
***
Any significant disruption of current Iraqi oil production or long-term diminution in its expected growth could have major repercussions for the U.S. economy.
Kurdistan also possesses approximately 89% of all Iraqi natural gas reserves. And so the West - including France - is eager to protect Kurdish hydrocarbons from falling into the hands of ISIS.
Postscript: Indeed, virtually all U.S. wars involve a fight over hydrocarbons.
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Chaos by design would appear to be a bit of an oxymoron.
This is an old-fashioned proxy war, as you've pointed out all along and very articulately. But it has gotten out of hand, just like the situation in Ukraine. The blowback is a bitch, but does not appear to me to be a result of any intelligent design.
Lots of reveolutions and revolts get out of hand in unexpected ways - Cuba, VietNam 1963; Congo, Iran under Mossadegh, Iraq (after King Faisal was killed) etc. etc. Things get fucked up and the CIA or whomever lose control of events.
Now that the situation is out of hand, Kurdistan is really all that can be salvaged. So why is it a surprise that everyone is trying to salvage the salvageable? Especially when, as you point out, they have such a big investment at stake.
Where you see chaos by design, you could just as easily see designs that led to chaos.
I admire your work GW.
http://www.globalresearch.ca/greater-israel-the-zionist-plan-for-the-mid...
http://www.voltairenet.org/article178638.html
The Oded Yinon plan moved Likud, which rules Israel, which has infested every layer of the US government and media.
Nothing could be more obvious - it is the "magick" of the inane word "anti-Semitism" which blinds people to seeing it. Of course, most people are too stupid to do anything but either think "the Jews" or "anti-Semite" when it is the minority of that minority, the Ultra-Zionists and Jewish Supremacists which constitute the Zionist right. As for Jews as a group, as a whole, they are not a monolith, most are liberal, but most are also pro-Israel, of conflicting loyalty, and it is absolutely empirically valid to note that they have highly disproportionate media and political and financial power.
Which is, given Israel's situation, neighbors, and most of all its own actions since the ethnic cleansing of Palestine - to the great detriment of th eYanks and the Brits both. Both nations have exceedinly powerful Jewish/Israel lobbies, and they are not acting out of concern for their host nations. The old canards, the old accusations - they never were totally false.... and today they are likely more true than ever, but less able to be discussed... which allows it to become more and more true.
Spot on.
for those who seek power:
chaos is a ladder to opportunities
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG3H9E-B464
That appears to be true, GW. ISIS being the same bunch of head-chopping, liver-eating folks that John McCain made nice with in Syria, and that the CIA trained and armed in Jordan on the Saudi's buck, while at the same time sending drones and helicopters to kill in Iraq says to me that this conflict is less about oil and more about war for its own sake.
War is so profitable for the military-industrial-security complex that they will play both sides against the middle just to keep the pot boiling in the Middle East and thus maximize their profits.
US debt laden taxpayers (and their children and their children's children and their children's children children as future taxpayers, if there is a 'future') bombs bombing US debt laden taxpayers (and their children and their children's children and their children's children's children as future taxpayers) HumVees and other US debt laden taxpayers military budget bought equipment. MIC luuuuurve fest.
Should be good for endless arms sales: "I in no way want to suggest that we have effectively contained or that we are somehow breaking the momentum of the threat posed by ISIS,” - Army Lt. Gen. William Mayville
"the fundamental Islamist group “remains focused on securing and gaining additional territory throughout Iraq and will sustain its attacks against Iraqi and Kurdish security forces and their positions, as well as target[ing] Yazidis, Christians and other minorities.”
Sounds like he wrote the plan.
"Experts say it is probably only a matter of time before IS finds a way to fully benefit from having US-made tanks and helicopters the way it currently benefits from US-made artillery pieces shelling the Kurd troops."
But will they have enough oil to get that hardware to Damascus? Mecca? Doh.
But what's with giving the Kurds AK-47s? Photo ops later proving 'Russian Support'? Marketing oppportunity to 'prove' ISIS confiscated US weapons are superior?
"According to Kurdish officials, the weapons would be supplied through the CIA and would include Russian-made small arms, such as Kalashnikov rifles and mortars. However, this could leave the Peshmerga at a serious disadvantage, as the Islamic State fighters are much better armed, having seized hundreds of millions of dollars-worth of heavy American weapons from the fleeing Iraqi army."
http://rt.com/news/179648-iraq-arms-usa-oil/
How long until YT and social media clips are incorporated into official 'military hardware advertising campaigns'? Hell, there's even a chance for swordmakers to get some pie....
Disgusted beyond comprehension...
No Tyler,
At this day, there is not any military French involvement, only a push for UN humanitarian intervention, and an approval of US airstrikes.
France's Hollande Backs US Move to Strike at Militants in Iraq
Etc.
note that Analyse2 wrote
"At this day,
A) there is not any military French involvement,
B) only a push for UN humanitarian intervention,
C) and an approval of US airstrikes."
A is correct. B is correct, too. And it's far more important politically, here, for several reasons including the fact that we already have people from Nothern Iraq here that are demonstrating against the atrocious treatment of religious minorities by the Islamic State
C is just incomplete, then France is, according to GW's sources too, pushing for EU-wide help in form of arms to the Kurds, next to the backing of the US moves. Which does not equate with a military French involvement, otherwise every arms shipment would have to be seen so
I guess that shut him up.
Erbil? Let's add a "G"..."Gerbil". Is it worth defending now?
Something tells me Obama likes the sound of "Gerbil".
Interesting theory and likely true, GW but your fan club will be sure to add an Israel angle to the story soon. But yes, the media made this sound all about humanitarian reasons and never mentioned oil.
evidence of an israeli angle is absolutely abundant. You're the sort that simply presupposes that there can not be, that poor Israel is unfairly maligned by unthinking Philistines who only hate Jews for no reason and never fairly look at the actual evidence... as you run and hide and shriek "anti-Semite" at the first sign of legitimate evidence of Israeli or Zionist malfeasance.
^nutshell.
Save the children!
Save the Israeli children!
Save the Palestinian children!
Let's send our kids to kill their kids to save the kids!
Oh wait...
Should I tell them or let them sleep?
Unbeknownst to the average ISIS thug, they are being used to destabilize the region for Western and Saudi benefit who covertly supply their training and funding. West & Saudis want Maliki out. It's oil and more.
At 4m33s gets into ultimate plan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfzMHDkdIC4&list=UUvsye7V9psc-APX6wV1twLg
When they step out of line and go too far, they are corralled back into their pen.
Yeah, those Saudi master schemers.
Look, unless your analysis includes Israel front and center, it's obviously a deflection.
I didn't say Israeli govt isn't involved. Any US, Saudi, NATO ally is suspect. I don't know why it shocks you Saudi Arabia is involved. They even offered to foot the bill for a full-scale US attack on Syria, which Kerry admitted back in September. Saudi Arabia is the primary underwriter of Al-CIA-da. US weapons and directives are laundered thru the Saudis.
Al Qaeda is not ISIS. I don't believe that ISIS is a hand-maiden to the West, though the West may very likely look to leverage any of ISIS's actions (what else is new). I wouldn't come as a surprise to me is this turns out otherwise, as the complexities, not to mention every really being able to know for certain what is going on, cast a significant cloud on things.
Here are other cases where the Jews, via their proxies, created our enemies. Think of where ISIS were armed. Today ISIS are on one side of Golan and the Jews treat their wounded on the other, in a field hospital. ISIS have said that attacking Israel is not the priority but rather more brown-on-brown action. They have 88 lbs of Uranium that could take down the Israeli government if shot from rockets (area denial, big clean up, scare of the century) or just stuffed into explosive vests for boom-boom. But ISIS don't do it. Conclusion - the Jews run them like AQ and others.
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2012/11/israel-and-the-u-s-created-hamas-...
Hitler was right... it's alll the fault of the JOOOOOSSSSS
sigh.
Dude, Saudi was one of the original "51st states of Amerika."
"Saudi does this..." means "CIA told Saudi to do this..."
I don't understand why this is "surprising." Afghanastan and the pipeline, the central asia oil/gas fields and the gas lines through Ukraine. Energy IS the currency of death.
"currency of death" That has a great effect to it. I like it.
Truth. "We kill to get our fucking money". Lets move in the right direction now. "We will kill you to prevent you from killing to get your fucking money"
Sounds good.
"We will kill you to ... get your fucking money"
I like the shortened version. I think it's more direct and equally honest.
Gave you the up arrow.
I dislike evil greedy people more than I like money.
Or as my Mom would say: "dislike intensely" because She said I should never hate anyone.
Energy is also the lubricant of commerce.
It's a simple equation: Energy = Growth (and the world's economic systems are ALL about growth)
yep. move along, nothing new to see here.
Not a peep about the Kirkuk to Haifa pipeline, George?
A million Iraqis and ten thousand U.S. troops died primarily because Israel demands that the Iranian government be overthrown and their army destroyed and as many Iranian citizens killed as possible. They have no intention of doing this themselves - that's a job for their bitches: U.S. congressmen and U.S. soldiers."Bitch, get to work!" Years of sanctions have softened Iran up a bit for the genocide, but Iraq was in the way. Iraq was also the #2 threat to Israel. "Bitch, get to work!"
Israel wanted Saddam Hussein killed - not captured or tried, but dead. They also wanted the Iraqi army disarmed and destroyed, no matter how many lives that took. Just as long as it didn't take any Israeli lives, because some people's lives in the Middle East are more equal than others."Bitch, get to work!"
Iraq was going to be Israel's strategic oil supply from the start. Ever notice the odd shapes of Jordan and Iraq? See where that corridor points? Now you understand why I'm always yammering about the Kirkuk to Haifa pipeline? Israel wouldn't need a drop of it if they developed the stolen Gaza offshore fields and the Leviathan Basin (after eventually stealing the Lebanese part). But think of the money! "Bitch, get to work!"
So why the fuss about the Kirkuk-Haifa line? Because they can get the Kurds they corrupted to send oil through the pipeline to them - Iraq won't. And Israel doesn't have to pay a dime for the pipeline. How's that possible? Just convince, i.e. bribe, Iraqi and Jordanian lawmakers to fund a giant pipeline that supposedly serves their interests. And they did: the Basra, Iraq to Aquaba, Jordan 'strategic' pipeline. "Bitch, get to work!" They're building it now and the North leg in Iraq goes right to Kirkuk.
Dual-citizen U.S. congressmen were convinced that the Kirkuk-Haifa pipeline would ensure energy security in case the Persian Gulf was closed. Like during the planned Iranian war. So they made sure that the Iraqi oil ministers were pipeline-friendly from day one. "Bitch, get to work!" Think about how stupid this is for Iraq: they can ship all the oil they could possibly produce out of their existing Persian Gulf port, but they figure an $18 billion pipeline to the Red Sea might be a good idea just for the heck of it?
When the dust settles, the Israelis will be the largest consumer of the Basra-Aquaba oil and they'll own the tap on the Mediterranian side. The Kurds? They just run the pumps that will fill the pipeline in Kirkuk. ISIS a problem? Israel calling Obama: "Bitch... go help the Kurds"
Great analysis and comment.
Well said. The "It's just about oil" meme nearly always betrays a strategy to obscure the role of Israeli interests in all these dealings.
+100
ZH also long promoted the absurd theory that the US was in Syria to help get a Qatari gas pipeline through. This was simply never true. What was true was both Israel and the ZOG wanted to prevent the Iran-Iraq-Syria pipeline, and they also wanted to fracture Syria according to the longstanding Oded Yinon plan, and oh yeah, expect Israel to continue stealing Lebanon's gas in the Eastern Med, and expect them to invade, yet again, and to begin siphoning off water from Southern/Mid Lebanon - yet again, and expect a rocket or two suddenly fired by..."Hezbollah" to justify airstrikes which will target civilians and result in return fire, which will then be featured all over the Jewish-owned [basically - let's be fucking honest, G] media as the aggresive act which poor Israel needs to defend itself from.
And for fuck's sake, Iraq was not about oil, it was about Israel - at least for all those Jewish neocons... who wwere the loudest cheerleaders. The oil companies weren't agitating for war - it fucked up their profits for years. Did I miss where the US paid for the war with oil profits? Yeah, they started selling in only dollars again, a slight prop for a petrodollar which is doomed anyway, and it makes no sense to claim the US spent, what, nearly 3 trillion dollars for the petrodollar's short term, somewhat increased stability.
No, the neocons wanted to smash Iraq for Israel - any potential attendant benefits to the US Empire were secondary, and desirable only insofar as it would help ensure Israel's ability to continue the conquest/ethnic cleansing of Palestine, based on the nearly total fiction that Ashkenazi "Jews" are "returning" to a place they merely have a branch of remote ancestry in.
http://www.voltairenet.org/article178638.html
^ must read, GW.
This is crazy, truly crazy.
The downvote can only be from someone positing that it's a plan, not random craziness...So for clarity, a balancing upvote, and a serving suggestion for an edit: This is a crazy, truly crazy plan..
agreed it's crazy...but it's been around a long long time.
People don't want to believe !?