Why the US Is Not Leaving Iraq - Follow the money

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=19114

It is crucially important that public attention is shifted away from the confining official narrative of the war, parroted by the corporate media and political pundits, to the economic crimes that have been committed because of this war, notes Ismael Hossein-zadeh.


“The military-industrial-complex {would} cause military spending to be driven not by national security needs but by a network of weapons makers, lobbyists and elected officials.” — Dwight D. Eisenhower.

“There are only two things we should fight for. One is the defense of our homes and the other is the Bill of Rights. War for any other reason is simply a racket.” — General Smedley D. Butler.


Neither the Iraq Study Group nor other establishment critics of the Iraq war are calling for the withdrawal of US troops from that country. To the extent that the Study Group or the new Congress purport to inject some “realism” into the Iraq policy, such projected modifications do not seem to amount to more than changing the drivers of the US war machine without changing its destination, or objectives: control of Iraq’s political and economic policies.

In light of fact that by now almost all of the factions of the ruling circles, including the White House and the neoconservative war-mongerers, acknowledge the failure of the Iraq war, why, then, do they balk at the idea of pulling the troops out of that country?

Perhaps the shortest path to a relatively satisfactory answer would be to follow the money. The fact is that not everyone is losing in Iraq. Indeed, while the Bush administration’s wars of choice have brought unnecessary death, destruction, and disaster to millions, including many from the Unites States, they have also brought fortunes and prosperity to war profiteers. At the heart of the reluctance to withdraw from Iraq lies the profiteers’ unwillingness to give up further fortunes and spoils of war.

[acmavm]

1. And that means that the residents of the particular area of the

planet just may dig in their heels and decide that it's in all their best interests to kick the US out of there.

[WritersBlock]

2. Y'know, I was just thinking this very thing last night.

I have been convinced all along that it was all about oil, but it struck me last night that it's gonna take a helluva fight on our part (the American people) to get us out of Iraq, because too many corporations are making way too much money to allow it to end. Call me slow, I guess, for only just now figuring this out.

[liberal hypnotist]

3. Money laundering

For years, major corporations have been laundering money on the black market. United Fruit has long been "suspected" of laundering $$$ in the third world countries.

Now, with billions of dollars in cash floating around in Iraq the only problem is: do they have enough time to wash some cash and get it back to US and in the hands of folks like Neal Bush and friends. Why does every one of the administration take a separate trip to Iraq? What a great way to bring back laundered money. No customs on those trips. eh?

[valerief]

4. Uh, duh. Raiding the war chest. Scoring the oil and poppies next door

doesn't hurt either.