Chirac hails end of Iraqi dictatorship

[DDRio]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20030410/wl_mideast_afp/iraq_war_france_chirac_030410103216

Ugh!! Presidents from France, Germany and Russia will participate on a reunion on Friday. The plan for "peace"????? of these nations backfired so I wonder, What do they want now?

[James_F]

Make sure another dictator doesn't rise. Or not let Iraq fall into the anarchy that Afganistan is.

We need these nations to help pay for this war, why should we spend 100 billion on fixing what saddam did by ourselves. We have our own economy to worry about. France, Germany and Russia are part of the cause of Saddam being able to survive so long and they should pay for what they did.

[gcutler]

Originally posted by DDRio
What do they want now?

They want us to forget that they were arming Hussein between 1991 and 2003, some of the captured equipment have production dates after 1990-1991 when we started the embargo. It would have been one thing to smuggle food or medicine in, but weapons is another story.

[Halfsek]

Originally posted by James_F
Make sure another dictator doesn't rise. Or not let Iraq fall into the anarchy that Afganistan is.

We need these nations to help pay for this war...

But they don't want to. They've already said that we have to (since we "broke" Iraq). Yet they want a say in how our money is spent.

But you're right. They should help pay for it.

[James_F]

They said that, but they want to help rebuild it (to ge the contract money) and I think it might be a good idea. It would cost much less to let the French repair their water systems and much quicker than let us try and fix them ourselves.

[waydwolf]

Originally posted by DDRio
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20030410/wl_mideast_afp/iraq_war_france_chirac_030410103216

Ugh!! Presidents from France, Germany and Russia will participate on a reunion on Friday. The plan for "peace"????? of these nations backfired so I wonder, What do they want now?

    What do they want??? They want to get in on the "new" Iraq which they would prefer to be just like the "old" Iraq: autocratic, undemocratic, brutal, central. That sort of regime, unlike the USA, never ever disagrees with them meaningfully or gives them many hassles, and is in a nation of such a size they can lean on them as much as they like to keep them in line.

    They want to sell the new Iraq weapons, and they want to get the cheapest oil they can from them. Of course, they are sh*tting bricks with the unsettling and indeed frightening knowledge that a new Iraqi government will add 2+2(Muslims had the concept of "0" before Christendom and invented Algebra so they aren't stupid on math by a long shot) and get 4 which equals, "hey, those b*stards wanted Hussein to stay in power and buy their weapons and sell them our oil at choice rates while he was busy executing my (cousin, father, brother, son) and raping my (wife, daughter, sister, cousin, mother). And now they want to have a part to play with we who survived by the grace of Allah? Absolutely not."

    I rather think the opposition will remember who tried to keep Hussein on top until the last moments.

 

[BobMurdoch]

And if they don't remember WE should keep reminding them.

Oh, and let's make Iraqi TV start showing some real truth over there to make sure these three weasels don't try to return to business as usual.

[Mike123abc]

I found it interesting that the US is now hinting that UN approval is not needed to sell Iraqi oil now, that the US can do whatever it wants now. I would not be surprised that the oil is now sold by the US and put in a trust account for the Iraqi people, some of which goes for the oil for food program. Some were laughing at the concept that the US needs UN permission.

Essentially once the US starts selling the oil on the open market France and Russia will know they are screwed. They will have to beg the US to pay them any old debts, and I have a feeling I know how that converstation will go.

[Richard King]

Well, since the agreement was with a government that no longer exists, I would say that there is no longer an agreement. Ditto on the old debts. I strongly suspect that Russia is no longer honoring the debts of the former Soviet Union, a similar situation.

[RichW]

I have always heard that 10 percent of the world's oil reserves are within the boundaries of Iraq. Now it appears that there may be twce again that amout which is yet undiscovered. Geophysical exploration has primarily been limited to the south.

If the northern part contains more oil riches. look for the Kurds to press for theri own country. I personally think they deserve it, even more than the Shiites. But establishment of Kurditan will really make Turkey angry.

[Mike123abc]

It is not the thought of Kurdistan making their own country that has Turkey so worried, it is that they would probably want part of Turkey to be in Kurdistan. Iran does not want it either for the same reason.

This is one of the big problems in the Middle East. The thought of a non secular government just has not been found there. If the US is successful and manages to form a government that is not religious based or ethnic based, but instead is more like the US government, it will be quite a feat.

[Richard King]

If the northern part contains more oil riches.It isn't a question of IF. The north is a very oil rich area. The area around Kirkuk and Mosul, while not as rich as the south has BILLIONS of barrels of oil in reserve. Take a look at the map here: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/middle_east_and_asia/iraq_oil_2003.jpg

Another interesting map that shows why Turkey is a bit worried:
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/middle_east_and_asia/kurdish_86.jpg

[RichW]

The last secular government in the Middle East was Iraq itself. :)

Yes, Kurdish culture is dominate in eastern Turkey.

In addition to the map presented, many Kurds feel that their claims of a homeland extend south , thorugh much of Iran, all the way to the Persian Gulf.

I am sure that many of the Kurds who are fighting have an expectation of a new homeland under Kurdish rule.

[lastmanstanding]

The French, Russians, and Germans all want to profit from the reconstruction, since they will no longer profit from selling to Saddam.

The Iraqi oil reserves will pay for the reconstruction, and by allowing the west to have say about production, will help lower oil prices worldwide.

We will pay nothing to rebuild Iraq. The US and the contractors will make hundreds of billions from the work, both directly from the sale of oil, and indirectly from the lowering of world oil prices.

Over the next ten years, the captitalist nations who participate will stand to earn several trillion dollars.

Those in power cannot say this, because in a way, the war was at least in part 'All about oil'.

Oh no, I am sounding like the 'Not in my name' crowd.

In truth, there were many compelling reasons to fight this just and proper war, but the trillions in oil were a great source of lubrication.

Also, the new free Kurdistan can include all of Turkey if they want it. The Turks can all move to France and Russia to make room. Don't want the Kurds to feel too crowded.

[Eyedox]

As typical of France and the others ... they jump on the bandwagon after all the REAL work is done. What a bunch of fairweather Johnsons.