As US withdrawal nears, Iraqi fear of Iran grows

cs monitor ^ | / December 20, 2009 | By Gordon Lubold Staff writer

[Flavius]

Ramadi, Iraq

Iraqis remain deeply concerned about Iranian influence in their country five months before the US begins the massive drawdown of its troops from Iraq.

Next year, elections will be held in March, and the 112,000 American forces will shrink by more than half by the end of August. As that transition nears, Iraq has made significant progress toward greater security.

[Flavius]

[Cicero]

So, what are they saying? That Obama might still manage to lose the war in Iraq?

Frankly, at this point, I’m inclined to say that since Iraq has decided to lease out its oil fields to China, Russia, France, and others, let China, Russia, France, and others protect their new oil fields from the Iranians.

We’ve done more than our share for the moment.

[FrankR]

"Frankly, at this point, I’m inclined to say that since Iraq has decided to lease out its oil fields to China, Russia, France, and others, let China, Russia, France, and others protect their new oil fields from the Iranians. "

I wasn't aware of that, but in that light, I would tend to agree with you...looks like the old USA has been used again.

[DJ Elliott]

You are aware that the leases were bids and that the US Government did everything in its power to ham-string the US bids.

Don’t blame the Iraqis for taking the best bids of those made. Blame the US Government for making it uneconomical for the US companies to even bother bidding...

[FrankR]

Perhaps there is a lot in what you say, but the USA infested much more than any of them in lives of service men and women, and the military expenses of freeing the country to make those deals. Some of the other countries helped a little, but the US did most of the heavy lifting and paying for the liberation of Iraq.

To the "helpers" go the spoils?

[demshateGod]

Certainly, none of those countries did anything to help. They did all the could to hurt, especially Russia.

[Cicero]

Well, I don’t know all the exact details, but the chief difference between the U.S. oil companies and those from France, Russia, or China is that we forbid bribing the government, and they don’t.

It’s possible that China and Russia made lower bids because they pay their oil workers less than we do, but that won’t necessarily produce more oil or better profits in the long run.

I don’t disagree with you that it is our government’s fault that we lost the contracts—and that includes Bush as well as Obama. But I still think that the Iraqi government made the decision and now must live with it. Was it worth a few bribes and a slightly higher share of the profits to have Russia, China, and France in their to defend the oil fields against a possible attack or subversion from Iran?

[Condor51]

This is what happens when a leftist-sissy with the naiveté of a six year old is the POTUS. Bad guys of the world look at the USA with derision and mock us at will.

And I'm not sure another Reagan would do the trick to undo the damage Barry's done and still can do. We *may* need more of a General Augusto Pinochet type. Like say .... Marine General Peter Pace.

The midget in Iran wouldn't dare mock or push him around. And our buddy Hugo would be pooping bricks with Gen Pace as POTUS.