Pentagon officials ignored reports on dire state of Iraq's oil industry

[Nottingham]

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/politics/story.jsp?story=450364

Pentagon officials ignored reports on dire state of Iraq's oil industry
By Rupert Cornwell, in Washington
06 October 2003



Senior Pentagon officials ignored bleak in-house assessments of the state of Iraq's oil industry when they gave optimistic predictions to Congress during the war that oil revenue would quickly get the country back on its feet.

The disclosure, in The New York Times yesterday, seems bound to fuel charges that the Bush administration distorted financial and intelligence facts in its determination to make the case for war.

As the problems in Iraq continue, it is becoming clearer that the White House grossly underestimated the dilapidation of Iraq's infrastructure. Nowhere, however, was the gap between assertion and reality wider than over the country's oil sector.

Addressing Congress in April, the deputy defence secretary, Paul Wolfowitz, insisted that "we are dealing with a country that can really finance its own reconstruction and relatively soon". Shortly afterwards, he estimated that Iraq's oil revenues could quickly climb to more than $30bn (£18bn) a year, despite warnings from United Nations and international oil industry specialists who visited Iraq that its oil installations had been damaged by a decade of sanctions and neglect.

more....

Promises Promises Promises! :bounce:

[T Bone]

1. Wolfowitz the PNAC liar strikes again

Wolfowitz. PNAC. Lies. Quagmire.

Thanks Paul you slimy bastard.

[Nottingham]

2. High T Bone! You Said it! I think TPTB are really mad at bush

He promised them Iraqi Oil and they are not getting it!

:bounce:

[acmavm]

12. Those guys had one idea in their minds from the get go, to invade Iraq

and take over the Middle East. They didn't ignore anything, they dismissed it as being totally unimportant. The cost of the war was never a concern. And they never thought for one minute that their house of cards would come tumbling down when all their half-assed plans went to hell. When Iraq fell into chaos after we invaded, something that they were told would happen but refused to believe, their dreams and schemes all fell apart. They thought it would be clear sailing, they knew better than everyone else, and most of all, that their dreams of empire couldn't fail.

People give these guys way too much credit in the smarts department. What motivates these clowns is their greed and lust for power. They have a plan for the world and they thought they could just march right in and take over.

Wrong.

[The Backlash Cometh]

3. Christ! We're going to build Iraq's petroleum infra-structure!

Halliburton will get the contract and Cheney will reap the profits. We have become the evil empire!

[Dan]

4. It should not have been a factor

As we are all aware, this was not a war about oil.

[Nottingham]

8. Hey Dan! Great point it was WMD! and the Oil was just a Bonus!

at least thats what Wolfie said

but it seems alas No Oil but Halliburton Contracts! :bounce:

[madrchsod]

5. an assement by

two oil industry reporters claimed it may take over 50 billion or so to rebuild the oil fields of iraq and to drill new wells.this did`nt include "terrorist strikes" against the infrastruture. by the time the fields are rebuilt and running delivering oil it maybe a break-even for the oil companies or a huge price increase to generate profit and ,of course, money for the people of iraq.

[lovedems]

6. They ignored alot of facts in order to go to war.

I wish there was an eager journalist out there who had his/her eye on the pulitzer and would investigate the WH from the beginning. They could show what they knew prior to 9/11 and how they ignored it. Then they could show what evidence they had prior to the invasion of Iraq and how they would pick and chose and distort that evidence to make their case. They could investigate Cheney's ties with Halliburton and how that played a role in war, then of course we have the CIA leak, etc. etc. It would make for an interesting read and I bet we would become aware of MANY more lies and misreprentations.

[Nottingham]

9. Love Dems lets not forget the News Media cheered the War on!

:bounce: They are pretty quiet right now! Except when its to out Our Own CIA Agents then they are reporting that!

Journalism has hit rock Bottom here in America

[lovedems]

10. I was just wondering...

Where were the people on the hill? Surely they read the Post! Did I miss something or did it take Wilson himself to raise a stink. Why didn't any congress people or the media jump on this in July? Maybe an enthusiastic journalist could bring back "investigative journalism". I was to young during the Nixon scandal, but it was the media who exposed them, right?

[lindashaw]

13. There were no investigative journalists. They now admit that themselves.

And now, they are so slow and laggard, Wilson and Valerie may have to privately sue...but that will mean that the informants (leakers)will have to be deposed. There will be no escape!!!!

edit to correct spelling

[goforit]

14. Media ,Congress and the WH need to be behind BARS!!!

That day may come!!!!!

[Paschall]

7. And this is another reason why they pussy-footed...

...around announcing the price tag on the invasion for so damn long.

[soothsayer]

11. yup, I think so too. Of course, if the experts say it will take $50B

Cheney and friends will make sure it costs $100B so they can show some nice profits.