BP WAS THERE: From 1953 CIA Overthrow Of Democracy In Iran-To Iraq War-To Criminal Gulf Disaster

[kpete]

From the 1953 CIA Overthrow of Democracy in Iran, to the Iraq War, to the Criminal Gulf Catastrophe and Deaths, BP Was There

For more than a century, we -- citizens of a nation founded on democratic principles of citizens deciding their nation's destiny -- have been nothing but pawns in the war over access to oil, wherever it is or might be found.


Submitted by mark karlin on Sun, 05/30/2010 - 11:42am.

* EditorBlog

MARK KARLIN FOR BUZZFLASH, EDITOR'S BLOG

If you were to draw an oily line from the first exploitation of oil in the Middle East by the British in 1901 (they were in the process of converting their then world dominating naval fleet from coal to oil and were in desperate need of it) to the overthrow of the secular democratic leader in Iran, Mohammed Mossadeq, in 1953, to the Iraq War, to the criminal environmental catastrophe in the Gulf, BP would have been there.

But the fourth largest company in the world wasn't always called BP. It used to be owned by the British Government (remember the navy armada in need of oil). It was named the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company when the CIA teamed up with the British because the Western style Iranian leader Mossadeq wanted to nationalize Britain's 100% owned and run giant oil concession in Iran, and the West would have none of that. So Eisenhower authorized "Operation Ajax," and the Shah of Iran was placed in power -- ruling with an iron fist and the dreaded SAVAK, all the time fully backed by the U.S. -- leading to the radical theocratic revolution that we still confront today. All the time BP, which formally adopted its current name in 1954, was there.

BP was there throughout the de facto colonization of the Middle East to provide oil to the West, the British and the U.S. remaining strong partners in keeping any recalcitrant nations in line. Which leads to the Iraq War and why many Americans and Brits were puzzled by Tony Blair's eagerness to go along with Cheney's secret oil committee plan to seize Iraq oil fields and Bush's belief that the war was Biblically justified. BP is the largest corporation in the UK and the third largest energy company. Do you have any more questions?

BP and its American counterparts are part of the corporate oligarchy that run governments when it comes to energy policy. They don't take orders from sovereign nations; they give them. They are unelected, but because of their hundreds of billions of dollars in revenue and profit, they run the show when it comes to oil policy, and profit comes first: forget about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Oil is their gold; we are just consumers who can be replaced at any time by more consumers, vassals to the oil company Masters of the Universe. There is no brake on their malfeasance, greed and criminal behavior, nor their ability to get nations to go to war, overthrow democratically elected leaders, and to get away with pollution of proportions beyond the imagination.

more:
http://blog.buzzflash.com/editorblog/312

[leftstreet]

1. Oh come on! There's still water in the ocean!

It's not like that Oreck Vacuum cleaner dude fucked up his machines and sucked all the water off the planet! Now that'd be a bummer.

Lighten up! BP Happy!

K&R

Very interesting post and link!

[puppycoconut]

2. well said.

Well said.

[Oceansaway]

3. K&R...n/t

[Forkboy]

4. K&R

[ohheckyeah]

5. BP was involved in the

Red Line Agreement:

In July 1922, negotiations began looking toward American entrance into the Iraq Petroleum Co.; with the U.S. companies represented by W. C. Teagle, president of Exxon. After six years of seemingly interminable haggling, the U.S. firms, on July 31, 1928, were granted a combined 23.75 percent share (divided equally between Exxon and Mobil), with 23.75 percent shares, each, going to British Petroleum, Shell, Compagnie Française Pëtrole, and the remaining 5 percent to Gulbenkia



As one writer commented, the Red Line Agreement ". . is an outstanding example of a restrictive combination for the control of a large portion of the world's supply by a group of companies which together dominate the world market for this commodity." In a confidential memorandum, the French described the objectives of the agreement: "The execution of the Red Line Agreement marked the beginning of a long-term plan for the world control and distribution of oil in the Near East." IPC was so operated as "to avoid any publicity which might jeopardize the long-term plan of the private interests of the group…"

http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/Petroleum/redline.htm

[Demoiselle]

6. Yup. Their hands have been very dirty for years...

Maybe it's time to review what recently deceased British Socialist Michael Foot said...again...

"“We are not here in this world to find elegant solutions, pregnant with initiative, or to serve the ways and modes of profitable progress,” he declared in a campaign speech. “No, we are here to provide for all those who are weaker and hungrier, more battered and crippled than ourselves. That is our only certain good and great purpose on earth, and if you ask me about those insoluble economic problems that may arise if the top is deprived of their initiative, I would answer, ‘To hell with them.’ The top is greedy and mean and will always find a way to take care of themselves. They always do.”

..The top is greedy and mean and will always find a way to take care of themselves...They always do.

Worth repeating.

[avaistheone1]

7. kpete, you have the best threads.

Dang it you are on top of everything.

Bravo.

k&r

:kick:

[NNN0LHI]

8. And religious fundamentalism was rare before we overthrew their popularly elected government

The reason that the Iranians had to turn to the mullahs was because the Shah of Iran was such a right wing thug the only place the Iranians were allowed to gather in any numbers was at the mosques. Another big fuck up of ours.

Don

[Skidmore]

9. Of course they were. They were one of the "Seven Sisters."

[autorank]

10. BP gave us the Mullahs and all the trouble they caused. k*r

[BrklynLiberal]

11. The story of BP;s horrendous history needs to be made more widely known..

Their role in the overthrow of the duly elected leader of Iran..to be replaced by the more Western Friendly Shah..is only the beginning of their dark, disgusting story.

[matsovani]

12. BP is also why

Solar, wind, and water power are not made available on a large scale, also why cannabis is illegal, any other energy source is a threat to them.

[truedelphi]

13. Welcome to DU.

And may you enjoy the ride (perhaps soon to be solar or wind powered.)

[sasquuatch55]

18. Welcome!

nt

[defendandprotect]

22. Cannabis is an energy source . . . didn't know that !! Wow!

I knew planting hemp was good for the ozone --

that cannabis is good for us all in many different ways --

Knew also that it makes better clothing, paper, etal than trees/cotton --

If I ever knew this, I'd forgotten it --

Thanks!

[HillbillyBob]

23. Oil from hemp seeds can be used to make biodiesel

and be run straight in some properly equipped cars..like some of the older Mercedes and VW diesels can be converted with little work.

[defendandprotect]

24. Wow . . . no wonder they want to get rid of HEMP and Marijuana . . . !!!!

Natural and highly useful!!!

Was on jury duty this morning -- they dismissed us but got a rid with a woman

working in drug counseling for 30 years!! Asked her what the chances were of

overturning the Drug War . . . she said she thought little --

Her reasonsing was "because kids are using marijuana earlier and earlier" --

by then we'd reached my car and didn't have an opportunity to say any thing more

to her. Certainly parents of these younger and younger kids would prefer their

children be treated as having a "medical problem" than put in jail!


The destruction for profit -- for a dollar bill -- is just unbelievably suicidal!!

:)

[SarasotaDem]

14. K&R ........

[scubadude]

15. Your point about the conversion of the British Navy is wrong. At least in it's timeline.

The British Navy didn't begin conversion in 1901. As a matter of fact they didn't convert the bulk of their Navy until after WWI was over. There was a committee formed by Jackie Fisher, an early proponent of oil fired boilers, to study the option, but this wasn't until 1904 and dissolved in 1906 with no resolution. Another commission was formed, again under Fisher in July of 1912. In September of that year construction of the first oil fired battleship, the Queen Elizabeth, was begun.

In 1909 a British company, Anglo-Persian Oil Company had acquired the rights to oil a 60 year contract from the Persian Shah.

Scuba

[freddie mertz]

16. "You bet your BP we can" (remember the ad?)

Sickening.

[asdjrocky]

17. Thanks for posting Kept, KnR! nt

[G_j]

19. K&R

[kristopher]

20. Nuclear power - the noncarbon way to continue a dynasty

Anthropologist Marvin Harris and physicists Amory Lovins, among others, have looked at this power structure in detail. Breaking it is possible with a transition to renewables, but nuclear power preserves it.

This is the link to download Lovins' 77 Foreign Policy paper on the topic (there is a book as well): http://www.rmi.org/rmi/Library/E77-01_EnergyStrategyRoadNotTaken

Harris died about 10 years ago so his papers are not readily available online, but you can read his thesis in the book, "Cannibals and Kings" which is available at an inexpensive price from used booksellers online.

[Uncle Joe]

21. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, kpete.