Poland is seeking access to Iraqi oil deposits.
Just a week after the Polish government announced that it would be leaving its troops in Iraq for another year, Prime Minister Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz has indicated that he expects some payback. Getting his hands on Iraqi oil deposits looks sure to be part of the deal.
'Orlen [Poland’s largest oil refining company] should have oil deposits. And it will have them,' Marcinkiewicz said. Asked if he meant Iraqi oil deposits, he added “Sure, those too.”
Surprised he’s so brazen? You shouldn’t be. Whereas other countries like the UK have always maintained that invading Iraq was about ‘keeping us safe’ and ‘getting rid of a tyrant’, etc (and I believe Blair honestly thinks this way – he’s not a liar, just a bit confused) Poland has always been a little more instrumental in its interest in that part of the world.
In July 2003, the then Foreign Secretary, Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz, told a meeting with a group of Polish firms after they had signed a deal with a subsidiary of US Vice President Dick Cheney's former oil company, Halliburton:
"We have never hidden our desire for Polish oil companies to finally have access to sources of commodities.” [Access to the oilfields] is our ultimate objective."
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Oily maneuvers and ultimate objectives
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3 comments:
I have always thought that the 'Blood for Oil' argument was a bit dofgy. Like Tony Blair said once: if we wanted Iraqs oil we would have made a deal with them". Of course they would.
Bush went to war because he thinks its part of the war on terror.' I think Tony probably believes him.
But when it comes to Polish politicians, they are not shy about what is the driving force: prove you are a good NATO member, and 'give us ya oil deposits.!
Ugly
I always wished that Bush had gone to war for oil (or more precisely for a combination of revenge and oil). That would at least make sense. The idea that Bush actually believes that invading Iraq was/is part of his mythical 'war on terror' is just too scary to be comfortable with.
Also scary, calling all living former secretaries of state or defense to the whitehouse, ostensibly about Iraq, but I bet really about preemptive war with Iran (I hope I'm wrong).
If they do something in Iran it will be first trying to get sanctions - but that's not good s the Russians and the Chinese won't go for that. So then they may try bombing 'suspects sites'...but they will have to do it without troops. Got none left.
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