Why haven't we seized Iraq's oil yet?!

OK, here's a real simple question - With Americans paying record highs for gas and currently American-occupied Iraq holding onto the world's third-largest oil supply, why the heck haven't we gone in there and seized it to ease our current domestic crisis?

The United States is spending hundreds of billions of dollars in that country, and surely some of that is going to be felt by our taxpayers eventually. Don't these suffering American citizens have the right to some return on that investment? I know that the stated reasons for the US fighting this war are dubious and ever changing, but the fact remains that the United States has and will continue to pay a huge price as far as money and casualties in order to do a service for the people of Iraq. I don't know if they even really wanted to get rid of Hussein or if they want to be a democratic republic, but I do think the US government's intentions are good there.

So where's our freakin' oil?!!!

That's an easy one. Iraq is barreling it up and preparing to join the world's market. Its not like we were just gonna rob it from them, we're setting them up. Maybe we will get ahold of it much cheaper then. I think they had a lot of things they had to do, like over 10-step process. Look into the Iraqi Dinar. I think Iraq having a solid currency was one of those steps. If they do get on a world market and begin selling, their currency should do well. Its ticker is IQD. As of right now it is nothing more than a memory of Bush's dream for Iraq and this whole war.

First off "we are not occupying Iraq", we are simply helping them build a new country and government. Secondly the oil is not ours and it is solely up to the Iraqis to do what they want with their oil. I personally want us to drill in our own country.

I want us to drill here too, don't get me wrong. It just seems like the Iraqis owe us something for all of our trouble on their behalf, and I can think of no timelier or more valuable tribute than free access to their oil fields.

It seems that the US is the most powerful nation in the history of the world that made a habit of getting involved in wars and then not taking anything from the countries they've conquered.

The Iraqi oil fields have been seized, but apart from the oil companies, Cheney and a couple of other political elites no one is going to benefit from that.

See this thread:
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Could the Iraqi oil fields have been seized not to get more oil but to stop the flow of oil?

It wouldn't be the first time...

Although its original concession of March 14, 1925, covered all of Iraq, the Iraq Petroleum Co., under the owner- ship of BP (23.75%), Shell (23.75%), CFP [of France] (23.75%), Exxon (11.85%), Mobil (11.85%), and [Calouste] Gulbenkian (5.0%), limited its production to fields constituting only one-half of 1 percent of the country's total area. During the Great Depression, the world was awash with oil and greater output from Iraq would simply have driven the price down to even lower levels.

...On paper, Iraq, at 112 billion proven barrels, has the second largest reserves in OPEC after Saudi Arabia. That does not make Saudi Arabia happy. Even more important is that Iraq has fewer than three thousand operating wells... compared to one million in Texas...

An international industry policy of suppressing Iraqi oil production has been in place since 1927. We need again to visit that imp called "history."

Keeping Iraq's Oil In the Ground

The oil companies keep making massive profit while the rest of the world sinks into a depression?

High gas prices may have cinched American consumers’ wallets in 2007, but they loaded the coffers of the big five oil companies: BP, Chevron, Conoco Phillips, ExxonMobil, and Shell. ExxonMobil, after record high profits in 2005 and 2006, smashed the record for highest profits ever made by a public U.S. company—previously held by Exxon—by posting a net profit of $40.6 billion in 2007.

Big Oil Feasts on Economic Woes

The US government is run by oil companies...

Nov. 19, 2001 | The Bush administration's ties to oil and gas are as deep as an offshore well. President George W. Bush's family has been running oil companies since 1950. Vice President Dick Cheney spent the late '90s as CEO of Halliburton, the world's largest oil services company. National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice sat on the board of Chevron, which graced a tanker with her name. Commerce Secretary Donald Evans was the CEO of Tom Brown Inc. -- a natural gas company with fields in Texas, Colorado and Wyoming -- for more than a decade...
..."There's no denying that this is an oil administration," says Peter Eisner, managing director of the nonprofit, nonpartisan watchdog group that conducted the study of Bush's campaign finances. "You can't talk about the career of any George Bush -- father or son -- without talking about oil."

The United States of Oil

Isn't it obvious?

Don't blame the oil companies for the government's policies!

Anyway, the only positive thing I can hope for is that maybe we are just sitting on their reserves so that the rest of the world will use up all of their oil and we can be the only country with a good supply in the future. That's my theory for the real reason the government won't allow the companies to drill for more here in the US. The problem is, it costs money to remain in Iraq and I'd rather just take all of their resources and then leave them to their fate.

Of course I blame them and you should too. Have a look at the thread I posted earlier here...

We have been on the down low. The positioned Iraqi politicians have complained about it.

reply to post by Solarskye


You mean you are not occupying Iraq but helping them kill each other off. I know for a fact US has done nothing but destroy my country. What gives you guys the right to drill on our lands? I hope the US does not see a dime of that oil. I hope the oil companies all go bankrupt before hitting Iraq's fields.

Why not start drilling your oil rather then steal another countries oil. It pissed me off.

They (and make sure you understand it is not us) do not have to seize the oil.
That would only prove that the accusations are true.
They are just forcing the Iraqis to sign contracts.

reply to post by jmdewey60


Exactly!



Iraqi's as much as anyone do not want the new OIL Laws to pass, because for the first time since the 70's, it will mean Iraqi's oil is not privatized.

Trillions of dollars worth of oil there... and Oil Corporations will claim it!

Well to answer the OP question. Because it belongs to the people of Iraq. They need it to sell to you and the rest of the world so they can afford the basic necessities of life.......food, water, medical etc.

Secondly, why would you want them to start destroying your environment by drilling off shore.......bad idea for everyone except for the oil companies because they make the money.

Here's a thought, how about spending the money it would take to build the infrastructure of off shore drilling and put it towards more research into other forms of non polluting energy sources..........oh thats right....because the oil companies and their cronies would lose trillions of dollars if a new source of free energy was to emerge.

Don't get me wrong, im not a tree hugging hippie, I just feel that its time to look towards a better, greener way to provide energy. As it is, greed stands in the way and will be our planets ultimate demise.

Originally posted by EverythingYouDespise
It just seems like the Iraqis owe us something for all of our trouble on their behalf, and I can think of no timelier or more valuable tribute than free access to their oil fields.

[sarcasm] Ahh, never a collection of truer words strung together in one sentence have ever been uttered. [/sarcasm]

A typical Iraqi conversation:

Mohammed - "Hey Aziz..."

Aziz - "Yes Mohammed?"

Mohammed - "I think we should give the Americans unfettered access to our oil."

Aziz - "Why do you say that, Mohammed?"

Mohammed - "Well, we have little fresh water, unreliable electricity, constant terrorist attacks, millions killed, millions displaced, our oil denationalized, over a decade of sanctions that starved our people and very sparse infrastructure."

Aziz - "Mohammed, have you been smoking the bad hashish?"

Mohammed - "No. I just feel we owe them for all their trouble."


And if you actually took any notice of the news, you would know that multinationals are already bidding for Iraq's 100 billion barrels of oil.

[edit on 3-7-2008 by mattguy404]

Originally posted by mattguy404

Mohammed - "No. I just feel we owe them for all their trouble."


And if you actually took any notice of the news, you would know that multinationals are already bidding for Iraq's 100 billion barrels of oil.

[edit on 3-7-2008 by mattguy404]

So you feel as if they should be obligated to give us their oil?

It must be horrible, to have such high expectations of people...

reply to post by Anti-Tyrant


Did I mention I was using sarcasm... I probably should have mentioned the sarcasm...

reply to post by mattguy404



keh.

Something, Something, the dark side.



[edit on 3-7-2008 by Anti-Tyrant]

reply to post by Anti-Tyrant


That's alright. Given the ridiculousness of the original line the OP wrote, I thought it may have been conveyed

reply to post by EverythingYouDespise


The reason is because it is not yours to seize.
When you are able to realise that the rights and soverignty of a country are not spoils of a misguided government of Warmongering Toe Rags!

reply to post by mattguy404


I messed up with my reply, so the post above has been modified.

Just in case anyone is highly suspicious of me for whatever reason, or is looking for an excuse to point out one of my numerous flaws, i made a boo-boo.