FNC Undermines Case that Bush Just After Iraq's Oil

MRC ^ | 12:25pm EST, Thursday February 6, 2003 | BrentBaker

[fight_truth_decay]

Speaking of the charge that the U.S. just wants to control Iraq's oil, Tuesday's Special Report with Brit Hume on FNC recounted how, as Hume summarized, "that view is not shared by some in the region who have seen the U.S. come and go from Arab oil fields before." Reporter William La Jeunesse related: "If the Iraqi conflict really was about oil, Arab leaders say America would have never left in 1991."

MRC analyst Patrick Gregory caught the February 4 story, which Hume set up: "They said it about the Vietnam War, they said it about the Gulf War, they even said it about Afghanistan. Now anti- war critics are saying the U.S. wants to topple Saddam Hussein to get control of his oil. But as Fox News correspondent William La Jeunesse reports, that view is not shared by some in the region who have seen the U.S. come and go from Arab oil fields before."

La Jeunesse began: "An attack on Iraq. Is it about weapons of mass destruction, or as the President's critics say, only about oil? If the Iraqi conflict really was about oil, Arab leaders say America would have never left in 1991. Occupying oil fields in Iraq, if not Kuwait. America also could have lifted U.N. sanctions against Saddam, potentially tripling Iraqi output and dramatically cutting world prices. The U.S. did neither." Hassan Johar, Kuwati Parliament: "The bottom line of this, that American troops here for the protection of our country and if they are here to get rid of Saddam Hussein, I think this is a hope and a dream." La Jeunesse: "Others aren't convinced. While Persian Gulf nations want stability in the region and many oppose Saddam, others are equally fearful of the U.S. military." Dr. Usameh El Jamali, OPEC advisor: "It behooves the United States to have a presence in this area, a strategic presence." La Jeunesse: "Why? Because oil consumption in India and China is soaring and experts say the U.S. doesn't necessarily trust China to stay out of the Gulf. Also, a free Iraq could raise production from two to six million barrels a day, undermining the monopoly power of world's biggest producers, OPEC." Mohammed Al Sagar, Kuwait Foreign Affairs: "In 20 years, Iraq will be a very important oil exporter. Very, very, important." La Jeunesse concluded: "The big question, OPEC. Some Arab producers are fearful that a new U.S.-backed regime could privatize the Iraqi national oil company, undercutting OPEC's able to set the world market price. In the short-term, the fear is Saddam will sabotage his own fields. Eventually, however, that oil will come on-line, generating billions of dollars of revenue to rebuild Iraq."

[fight_truth_decay]

It was comical watching Helen Thomas at today's press conference and her attempt to suggest "reports" said war with Iraq was all about oil. However, she prefaced her question with the fact that the President himself was not there to take questions..an ongoing dig.

When Ari Fleischer asked, "What reports Helen?"..she hummmmed hawwwwed..."Don't you read the papers?" Best she could come up with.

[kesg]

Would someone please explain to me why the political left hates oil so much? Of course, the very essence of irrationality is that it cannot be explained...:)

[fight_truth_decay]

Would someone please explain to me why the political left hates oil so much?

Think of it this way: Senario..You are hanging off the edge of a cliff. Your fingers are slipping away. You grasp for any blade of grass to keep from falling. The liberals see themselves losing ground and rhetoric such as War for Oil is just one of their blades of grass.

[kesg]

You give them more credit than I do. I think they have a death wish. It explains so many things that goes beyond the Iraq situation.

[richardtavor]

I've been in the Oil Business a long time and I have never seen the horns that the Dim's are talking about.

[dirtboy]

Would someone please explain to me why the political left hates oil so much?

Cars = freedom, and the left hates the rabble to have freedom. Libs want an unspoiled mountain wilderness, and no rabble pulling their campers into the valley below. Libs want peace and serenity, with no rabble riding their Harleys and disrupting such. And libs want us to live in dense cities instead of spread out in suburbs.

[uncbob]

It' all about oil

It's all about sex

Tax breaks for the rich

Left wings latest mindless slogans for the lemmings to blather and chant

Typical commie tactics for the mindless useful idiots

[rudypoot]

The US is an "oil based" economy. The cheaper the oil, the faster our economy can grow. That glosses over things, but one this is clear: oil is linked to our economic well-being. Our economic success greatly enhances our global influence. This not only mean economic influence, but military and even cultural influence.

The left, more than anything else, sees the US as having "too much" power. So at every turn they try to weaken it. They want the US to sign on to Kyoto, obey the UN, ditch our missile defense system, downsize and undermine our military abolish our intelligence agency, etc. A lefty let the cat out of the bag last night by stating that the UN is needed to reign in US power.

[blackdog]

I was listening to NPR out of Green Bay this morning and I heard something that was beyond nuts!!!!!

They had some "well respected" info babe on from Candada who claimed to be in the know via the World Bank and IMF. She claimed that Bush was invading Iraq for their water!

She claimed that Iraq is the only water-rich nation in the region and that it was US corporations who will purchase all the water rights so we can export the Iraqi water to thirsty ME nations and keep them hostage over water supplies.

All those dopey callers to NPR called in praising her for getting to the bottom of Bush's pack o'lies......Amazing!

[TRY ONE]

"Would someone please explain to me why the political left hates oil so much?"

It's not just oil....it's capitalism and industry...
If you're a Big Gov'mt wonk, then you hate the above.

[TRY ONE]

"Would someone please explain to me why the political left hates oil so much?"

It's not just oil....it's capitalism and industry...
If you're a Big Gov'mt wonk, then you hate the above.

[Pres Raygun]

The left's argument assumes that Bush and the Republicans would invade another country, simply to steal its natural resources. If this were true, then why are they choosing to invade Iraq, which is half way around the world. They would invade western Canada instead. There would be far less resisitance than there will be from Iraq and half of the people would pull out their illegal unregistered guns and fight on the American side. B.C. Alberta and Saskatchewan have far more oil and natural gas than Iraq.

[kesg]

The US is an "oil based" economy. The cheaper the oil, the faster our economy can grow. That glosses over things, but one this is clear: oil is linked to our economic well-being. Our economic success greatly enhances our global influence. This not only mean economic influence, but military and even cultural influence.

All great points, but it gets even worse. Oil is also linked to the economic well-being of every American (and every other human being that uses oil). That's why I say that these lefties have a death wish that goes well beyond hatred of America.

[Samwise]

Would someone please explain to me why the political left hates oil so much?

They are dinosaurs and they don't like us burning up their relatives???

[GYPSY286]

Saddam made the remark yesterday (after Powell's presentation) that the US wants to come in to control the oil because whoever controls the oil, controls the world. It is so clear that it is exactly Saddam's objective. Once he has nuclear capability, he will use his hoard of WMD on his neighbors - then take all the oil for himself, and then, like NK, threaten to use the nukes if anyone tries to come after him. He's watching the international community now (and especially the US) to see how we "handle" NK. I wouldn't be surprised if Saddam didn't pay NK handsomely for this nuclear scare tactic. If we just stamp our feet and snort at NK, he'll know exactly what he is up against. Even if his WMD can't harm the US now (because he has no means of delivery), we've got to get rid of him NOW to avoid this scenario in the future.

[kesg]

He's watching the international community now (and especially the US) to see how we "handle" NK.

Right. And the NKs better be watching how we handle Saddam. :)

[el_texicano]

"They are dinosaurs and they don't like us burning up their relatives???"

LOL...now that was classic

[geedee]

Would someone please explain to me why the political left hates oil so much?

Because "the Jews ate my homework" was becoming a cliche.

[RightWhale]

Libs want an unspoiled mountain wilderness

The elite want to kayak unspoiled white water in South America and China. Having ordinary mortals around would distract them from their audience with the Immortal.

[discostu]

Well Iraq does have a couple of big rivers and used to have a swamp (til Saddam had it drained because rebels were hiding there). So it's not a horribly insane idea. But I don't think Iraq sells a lot of water to the rest of the Mid East.