It was announced on Wednesday that a deal has finally been struck on the new Iraqi oil laws. The Iraqi parliament along with other government bodies, and culture and interest groups (including the U.S.) have been passing drafts of the “oil law” back and forth since last year. With each pass new changes and revisions were made. Then more changes were made when the next recipient got it. Now there are only two more steps until it is made final.
The oil law is part of new initiatives being implemented during Iraq's rebuilding. L. Paul Bremer, Director of Iraq Reconstruction, is pushing for this law as both Iraq and the United States try to define their future relationship. It would allow a number of changes to Iraq's past legislation, which include making it possible for foreign interests “especially America” to more directly control and access Iraqi oil.
It is being introduced in conjunction with America's two part plan to establish a lasting “friendship” with Iraq. The two parts of the plan are the Status of Forces Agreement, which deals with future military involvement, and the Strategic Framework Agreement, which covers diplomatic and economic relations. Washington has decided that it's about time Iraq starts paying them back for their help, in the form of oil, preferential trade agreements, and the right to buy out Iraqi companies and banks – all things that are specifically mention in the Strategic Framework Agreement.
As a result of Saddam Hussein's Socialist Regime, Iraq has the third largest oil reserve in the world. Bremer and Washington are beginning to pressure Iraq to privatize and decentralize 74 of their 86 reserves; against the will of their parliament and and over 60% of their citizens. This would open their reserves up to foreign companies and once again “especially for American Investments”. With oil prices recently reaching $112 a barrel Iraq has attained a 6.4 billion dollar surplus, all of which they recorded as profit. This irritated Missouri Congressman Ike Skelton, “This nation's facing record deficits, and the Iraqi's have translated their oil revenues into budget surpluses rather than effective services”
His sentiment was shared by GOP Rep. Dana Rohrabacher of California, who said that Iraq should start paying to have troops stationed their. He says he plans introduce legislation to that effect. If it passes our troops won't just be fighting for oil and America's modern version of Imperialism, they'll also be fighting and risking their lives directly for Washington's bank account. Rohrabacher plans to rent out our soldiers, our citizens to Iraq. Which is perfectly legal.
After it was made public that Iraq intended to keep their oil profits to themselves Skelton also posed a question to the American people (a group of people he separates him an his colleagues from) , “Under the circumstances and with a strategic risk to our nation and our military readiness, we and the American people must ask: why should we remain in Iraq.” It seems without the possibility of Iraqi oil, using freedom as a cause to fight isn't enough.
