DoD briefing: Oil as a weapon for terror

I’m surprised this came from the Department of Defense. You could use this slide deck to support war with Iraq or argue against it. It says quite clearly that our military intellegence sources state that if we attack Iraq Saddam may destroy the nation’s oil sources, costing the Iraqi people (ahem, American oil companies), upwards of $20 billion dollars. I read this slide deck to say: attack Saddam, lose oil, don’t attack, don’t lose oil.

This explains the military buildup in Turkey and not Kuwait. We’re going to first secure the oil fields, then go after Saddam.

Here’s my suggestion to President Bush (“Robert Rose: aka Jr. Foreign Relations Officer”): Lift all of our trade embargos on Iraq TODAY. Let Iraq toy with this idea of complete and totally free trade. Let them repair their broken oil industry on their own terms. Saddam will figure it out on his own.

This war is about oil. It’s not about terrorism; it’s not about “freeing” the Iraqi people from an oppressive regime; it’s not about human rights; it’s not about political stability in the Middle East. Anyone who thinks otherwise is horribly misinformed.

The Saddam and George show

(Picture Dana Carvey performing the part of Bush)…

Bush: Listen to me. It’s very simple. First Saddam must compile 200% with the UN inspectorers, and I mean activated compilation, not passivist compilation. Second, he must disarm fully, in keeping with UN revelation 1441 and the next one coming, 1441B, which will require him to disarm even more fully that. Then he must destroy all Samoud missiles and any other weapons of mass destruction he is found, or not found, to be possessive of, without being asked. Finally, there is one more task he must perform, which I am not at liberty to revulge. And even that will not be enough.

Blair: The translator would like to take your answer home with him and work on it over the weekend.

Bush: Fine, but we require nothing less than total disarmature.

Saddam: OK.

Blair: Sorry, but I’m not sure that “disarmature” is a word. I defer to the UN Keeper of the Dictionary, Mr Richard Stilgoe.

Stilgoe: Yes, you can have disarmature. It means, “the action of disarming” according to the OED.

Bush: Exactly. He must cut his own arms off.

Saddam: If it means peace, I will do it.