Putin: Oil motive in Iraq

[SergeyDovlatov]

http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2007/10/18/oil_motive_in_iraq_putin_says/3999/

MOSCOW, Oct. 18 (UPI) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said the motives for U.S.-led operations in Iraq centered on control over the country's oil reserves.

“In my opinion, one of the goals, of course, was to put that country’s oil under control,” Putin said in a call-in interview with Iran’s Islamic Republic News Agency.

Putin said there was speculation over similar motives regarding Russia’s oil reserves but noted the situation in Iraq cast a shadow over such motives, Interfax said.

[spanone]

1. duh

[SergeyDovlatov]

2. well, europe official line is that it still about terrorism and bringing democracy

[Swamp Rat]

3. Yes, and Putin's motivation in Iran is oil.

[Igel]

4. Not to mention his influence in Aizerbaijan,

and let's not forget the implications from what Russia's been doing in S. Ossetia and Abkhazia.

At least it's still better than the tangential implications from Chechnya: It's either out-and-out Russian imperialism, or a threat to other minorities not to break away and take important resources away from Moscow's control.

On the other hand, the Russians have shown well enough that you can win an insurgency, as long as you show that you're both ruthless and venal enough, and occupation and rather severe meddling in other countries affairs is tolerated as long as you tell those complaining about it to screw themselves. "No gain and yet pain" isn't widely considered a good position to be in.

[NeedleCast]

5. Putin is just pissed

that he didn't think of it first.