Cheney had Iraq in sights two years ago

The Telegraph (U.K.) ^ | 07/22/03 | Simon English

[Pokey78]

Documents released under America's Freedom of Information Act reveal that an energy task force led by vice-president Dick Cheney was examining Iraq's oil assets two years before the latest war began.

The papers were obtained after a long battle with the White House by Judicial Watch, a conservative legal charity that opposes government secrecy and which is suing for the dealings of the task force to be made public.

The emergence of the documents could fuel claims that America's war in Iraq had as much to do with oil as national security. It also indicates that the Bush administration is beginning to lose the battle to keep its internal workings secret.

The 16 pages, dated March 2001, show maps of Iraq oil fields, pipelines, refineries and terminals. A document titled Foreign Suitors for Iraqi Oilfield Contracts is also included, listing which countries were keen to do business with Saddam's regime.

Judicial Watch requested the papers two years ago as part of its investigation into links between the Bush administration and senior energy executives including Enron's former chairman Ken Lay.

Mr Cheney has fought the release of the documents at every stage. A court ordered two weeks ago that at least some of the task force's working papers should be made public.

Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton said: "People will draw their own conclusions about the documents, but that is what an open society is about. Given the delay in their release, the Bush administration clearly did not want them to come out."

A spokesman for Mr Cheney did not return calls yesterday. The US Commerce Department said in a statement: "It is the responsibility of the Commerce Department to serve as a commercial liaison for US companies doing business around the world, including those that develop and utilise energy resources. The Energy Task Force evaluated regions of the world that are vital to global energy supply."

Judicial Watch isn't claiming that the documents are proof of any particular intent but say they should be open to public scrutiny.

Mr Fitton said: "Opponents of the war will point to the documents as evidence that the Bush administration was after Iraqi oil. Supporters will say the energy task force would have been remiss if it did not take Iraq's oil into account."

Nevertheless, the documents represent a surprising development. Until now it had been assumed that the US government was stonewalling over the energy task force papers because they would show the extent to which major party benefactors, including Enron, effectively wrote national energy policy.

Judicial Watch and other watchdogs are now curious what else may be revealed. A court ordered the government to comply with the Freedom of Information Act and give up these documents more than a year ago. Judicial Watch said it could not explain why the papers were suddenly released. A government spokesman declined to elaborate.

Maps of oil fields and pipelines in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and a list of energy development projects in those two countries are also included.

Mr Cheney argues that his consultations with the energy industry should be private so that all parties can speak freely. A US court recently described this invoking of executive privilege "extraordinary" and "drastic".

[My2Cents]

War for Oil! I'm glad we got rid of Saddam for a good reason.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

If the Bush Administration didn't have the information about oil production in Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, I would be very concerned. The fact that they were cognizant of the oil fields and pipelines in those countries shows that the administration does understand the foreign and domestic ramifications of the oil that we are dependent upon.

I don't see a smoking gun, but the liberals will fabricate one, I am certain.

[Shermy]

The 16 pages, dated March 2001, show maps of Iraq oil fields, pipelines, refineries and terminals.

Like the thousands of maps and papers around the world with the same info for every year? Oh, and the DOE website? What does it all mean?

With Klayman's obsession with Clinton you'd think he remember the 1998 Iraq Regime Change Act...

[Aaron0617]

Judicial Watch released this info to the media last week. Everyone ignored it. (in the U.S. that is)

I'm surprised BBC hasn't used it.

[Retired Chemist]

Mr Fitton said: "Opponents of the war will point to the documents as evidence that the Bush administration was after Iraqi oil. Supporters will say the energy task force would have been remiss if it did not take Iraq's oil into account."

[Scenic Sounds]

The papers were obtained after a long battle with the White House by Judicial Watch,

Here we go again!!

[ex-snook]

"Judicial Watch released this info to the media last week. Everyone ignored it. (in the U.S. that is) "

Much such info seems to be in the British papers. The GOP can't complain about USA press treatment.

[onedoug]

...maps of Iraq oil fields, pipelines, refineries and terminals....

...which our field commanders in Iraq were very glad to have had, I'm sure.

[Aaron0617]

CHENEY ENERGY TASK FORCE DOCUMENTS FEATURE MAP OF IRAQI OILFIELDS

[SandRat]

Gee-Whiz how heinous can capitalists get? Call a conference on the oil reserves of the world for an internal study by the top analyst and not only do you call on only the oil industry but you get maps and data on all the oil producers down to the number of pipe lines and the capacity of those pipelines to transship oil. That’s evil I tell you, just evil, and proves the covetousness of the Oil Capitalist robber barons. Obviously they had to plan on conquering the far more militarily weak oil producing countries for their own greedy purposes.

NOT!

Scratch Judicial Watch from any listing attributing a modicum of intelligence to an “alleged,” (by whom the loony media Left?), conservative watchdog group.

[Dilbert56]

Yes - God forbid we have people who understand the oil business working on our energy policy. This is tantamount to heresy in Washington, D.C. There you put the most ignorant person you can find in charge (picture of Hillary & her health care task force).

[Cautor]

Documents released under America's Freedom of Information Act reveal that an energy task force led by vice-president Dick Cheney was examining Iraq's oil assets two years before the latest war began

I would hope that the head of the President's energy task force would consider Iraq's oil assets given the magnitude of its oil reserves. That, of course, has nothing to do with the Iraq war. Even the pseudo-conservative Telegraph of London wants to spin history into war for oil. And a lot of self-proclaimed conservatives on this site buy into the liberal media spin.

[rs79bm]

Now that the wars over, can we start pumping that oil to my local gas station? Come on, anything to lower the price a bit.

[marron]

Cheney had Iraq in his sights two years ago? Cheney was Secretary of Defense during the first Gulf War. He has had Saddam in his sights longer than two years.

We were at war with Saddam for twelve years. Saddam did not stride onto the world stage 6 months ago, nor did he just pop onto our radar after 9/11. He has been a growing threat for 25 years. During that time we tried to coopt him, contain him, and finally the decision was taken to destroy him.

We are fortunate to have people in high places that actually know something about the energy business, and for that matter, actually know something about Saddam and the Middle East. The alternative can be seen in the state of California, mis-governed by people whose point of pride is their complete ignorance of energy and economics, and who have led the state into blackouts and shortages relieved only by the most incompetent of contracts that have left the state bankrupt.

Or perhaps our alternative, for comparison's sake, should be the previous administration, who turned a blind eye to merger after merger among the major oil companies, while prosecuting Microsoft for being a monopoly without the foresight to rent the Lincoln bedroom (a mistake Enron was careful not to make).

We have chess players in the White House. We are plaing the Saudis into check, mate, in slow motion, but in plain sight. The stage is being set. Caspian oil is coming on stream. New African oil is coming on stream. Iraqi oil has been liberated from the Baathists and is being handed over to the people of Iraq. Expect to see Iraqi oil returning to the market.

It does not surprise me to know that Cheney knows where every pipeline in Iraq is, and every pipeline in Saudi Arabia too for that matter. The adults are in charge now.

[squidly]

Cheney had Saddam in his sights two years ago? Hell, I've had Saddam in my sights since the fall of '90.