hearts of oak....

[sid guttridge]

Hi Phylo,

I would suggest that oil was a secondary factor in US intervention in Iraq. The US had access to Iraqi oil while it was cultivating Saddam Hussein and still had access to Iraqi oil via the the free market while he was under UN sanctions. Once oil is on the open market the source countries cannot control its end use.

Cheers,

Sid.

[phylo_roadking]

The US had access to Iraqi oil while it was cultivating Saddam Hussein and still had access to Iraqi oil via the the free market while he was under UN sanctions.

...what oil he was able to sell. Don't forget there was quite a cap on amounts.

[sid guttridge]

Hi Phylo,

Yup. But the cap was not in Saddam Hussein's hands. It was in the hands of the UN, over which the US had a veto.

Cheers,

Sid.

[phylo_roadking]

Yes, but they couldn't lift it any further - or Saddam was free to trade exactly where he wanted. Which was in the great arms bazaar that was over the border in post-Soviet rusty-tank Russia......

[sid guttridge]

Hi Phylo,

Another good point that is always worth re-emphasising. Contrary to the anti-war myth, it was not the US or UK that sold Iraq most of its weapons. It was the USSR, France and China- the three veto powers most oppopsed to US/UK action despite the fact that all three believed that Saddam Hussein did have weapons of mass destruction!

Cheers,

Sid.

[phylo_roadking]

Well of course the Russians believed - they sold him the delivery systems! Oops, shouldnt put the scud on the Brits serving there LMAO I hope they really were all accounted for....

[The Panzer Oberst]

Does this mean that RN now stands for Royal Nurse?

______________
"I no longer control events; they control me."