Oil barons played a role in Saddam's Garden of Eden destruction

CFP ^ | May 23, 2005 | Judi McLeod

[MikeEdwards]

Only Saddam Hussein could make an arid desert out of the ancient Iraqi marsh considered by biblical scholars to be the Garden of Eden.

While there is no doubt that revenge was in the Butcher of Baghdad’s heart when he cut the water flow to the marsh following 1991’s Gulf War, part of his motive originated from cutting breaks for business cronies. In draining the marsh, Saddam’s intent was to punish the Marsh Arabs who opposed his rule. To the heartless Saddam, it made no difference that the Arab culture had lived there for thousands of years.

Saddam cutting breaks for business cronies is a little-known aspect of the ancient Arab marsh story.

"France’s largest oil company, Total (formerly TotalFinaElf) had negotiated lucrative oil contracts with the Hussein regime after Gulf War 1 to drill in Southern Iraq." (The Real Coalition of the Bribed and Coerced, GeoPoliticalReview, October 8, 2004). "These negotiations took place in anticipation of an eventual weakening or lifting of the economic sanctions imposed on Iraq, thereby allowing them to immediately execute said contracts worth approximately $650-billion. Without Saddam in power, those oil contracts would naturally be void, so France had incentive to keep him in power to maintain their competitive advantage. On a related note, the destruction of the homeland of the "Marsh Arabs" in Southern Iraq (much publicized after the fall of Baghdad) was reportedly done by Saddam at the bequest of Total representatives after coming under repeated attacks during their oil speculating endeavors in the region."

In other words, ensuring the physical safety of the agents of France’s biggest oil company . . . .

[elfman2]

Good find. Thanks!