Letter: The real reason we’re in Iraq

Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2007 | 7:02 a.m.

Nothing the Bush administration says or does regarding Iraq can be understood unless we consider why our troops occupy that country.

Saddam had to go because he was a threat to give all the oil development contracts to French, Russian and Chinese companies. Now the government of Iraq is about to consider a new "hydrocarbon law," as was suggested by the Iraq Study Group. The British publication, The Independent, says this law will give enormous profits and control to oil companies friendly to the United States, providing nearly double the profits Saddam had offered French companies.

With the new oil law's Production Service Agreements, even future Iraq governments will gain little control over their own economy. In fact, if not technically so, Iraq will become an American colony for the next 40 years.

Two problems exist for the Bush neocons as they try to achieve control of the vast oil resources in Iraq's western desert. First, the Iraqis might not pass the law, and second, a civil war might overturn the present government. That might even result in the new regime nationalizing its own resources.

To retain "the prize," the Bush administration must persuade the Shiites that their interests are interdependent with those of the neocons. In other words, we will trade you power for your oil.

Military solutions to stabilization, including the new "surge," are viewed as more of the same failed policy by most American citizens, unless they have a lot of stocks in certain oil companies and in the war industry.

Jerry Bitts, Las Vegas