What are *’s REAL goals in Iraq and would Civil War Help or Hurt?

[Junkdrawer]

Stated goals:

Create a stable democracy that would stabilize the region and prevent the harboring of terrorists.
Civil War definitely hurts this goal.


Suspected goals:

Allow US companies’ first crack at Iraq’s oil.
Civil War hurts this goal because it’s almost impossible to drill, transport and export oil in the middle of a civil war.

Control the Iraqi oil so as to gain leverage in Chinese political affairs.
Civil war keeps the oil in the ground and thus out of Chinese hands. It also provides an excuse to stay indefinitely.

Provide a way to bilk the taxpayers out of hundreds of billions of dollars.
Civil war helps.

Provide permanent bases in the region that are NOT in Saudi Arabia.
Civil war helps.

Provide a launching point for an Iranian invasion.
Civil war helps in that forces that would normally be allied with Iran are busy in a civil war. Even better would be a civil war in Iran, but I can’t see how that would be instigated.

[BlueEyedSon]

1. Don't confuse PNAC's goals with W's goals. The PNACers are "useful idiots"

for Bushco.....

[patrice]

2. #2 + #4 + #5 = We Are War Slaves.

Civilian War-contracting will be rooted in the middle class jobs base; that's another goal. Death IS a commodity in our economy.

[Kikosexy2]

3. As Ted...

"Duh...gee..I just figured it out"...Koppel said "it's all about oil"...No shit Ted...like years later...Duh??

[BlueEyedSon]

5. Thom Hartmann believes that reason #1 was political capital "lahk mah

daddy".....

I vote for peak oil and (petro-)dollar hegemony.

[BlueEyedSon]

4. I don't think civil war helps the last 2 (permanent bases & Iran invasion)

However, general chaos helps the Bushies. Many of them are in the arms trade. An unstable Iraq can always be used as a fear card here (a failed state is a haven for terra-ists).

[ThoughtCriminal]

6. Goal: Disrupt oil supply so prices escalate

and make oil cronies and Saudi princes richer.

Civil War in Iraq is success beyond their expectations.

[Junkdrawer]

8. Actually, now that you mention it...

A civil war also keeps Iraq oil off the market and thus provides higher oil prices today and bigger reserves for tomorrow...

[Minnesota Libra]

7. There is one main goal for Iraq and Iran........

....and it's something everyone is overlooking.

It was all about Iraq's plans to switch oil money from the dollar to the european euro. BTW, Iran is scheduled to switch from the dollar to the euro sometime in March 2006. So stayed tuned people.

With Bush and Co, regardless of the other issues they spout to the press, the bottom line is and always will be money, money, and more money.

[Junkdrawer]

9. I think a lot of us are worried about the March (20???) date...

I'm told that will severely downgrade the attractiveness of stashing cash in the US.

[BlueEyedSon]

10. #1 PEAK OIL. #2 DOLLAR HEGEMONY. YES, IM SCREAMING