Interesting article about why we have to invade Iran by next spring.

[FloridaPat]

Looks like the Iranian Bourse is going to start in spring of 2006. Right about the time we'll start taking troops out of Iraq. Intersting coincidence.

http://world.mediamonitors.net/content/view/full/17451

"It is now obvious the invasion of Iraq had less to do with any threat from Saddam's long-gone WMD program and certainly less to do to do with fighting International terrorism than it has to do with gaining strategic control over Iraq's hydrocarbon reserves and in doing so maintain the U.S. dollar as the monopoly currency for the critical international oil market. Throughout 2004 information provided by former administration insiders revealed the Bush/Cheney administration entered into office with the intention of toppling Saddam.<1><2> Candidly stated, 'Operation Iraqi Freedom' was a war designed to install a pro-U.S. government in Iraq, establish multiple U.S military bases before the onset of global Peak Oil, and to reconvert Iraq back to petrodollars while hoping to thwart further OPEC momentum towards the euro as an alternative oil transaction currency ( i.e. "petroeuro").<3> However, subsequent geopolitical events have exposed neoconservative strategy as fundamentally flawed, with Iran moving towards a petroeuro system for international oil trades, while Russia evaluates this option with the European Union."

"The Bush administration implemented this currency transition despite the adverse impact on profits from Iraqi's export oil sales.<6> (In mid-2003 the euro was valued approx. 13% higher than the dollar, and thus significantly impacted the ability of future oil proceeds to rebuild Iraq's infrastructure). Not surprisingly, this detail has never been mentioned in the five U.S. major media conglomerates who control 90% of information flow in the U.S., but confirmation of this vital fact provides insight into one of the crucial – yet overlooked – rationales for 2003 the Iraq war."

"In essence, Iran is about to commit a far greater "offense" than Saddam Hussein's conversion to the euro for Iraq's oil exports in the fall of 2000. Beginning in March 2006, the Tehran government has plans to begin competing with New York's NYMEX and London's IPE with respect to international oil trades – using a euro-based international oil-trading mechanism.<7> The proposed Iranian oil bourse signifies that without some sort of US intervention, the euro is going to establish a firm foothold in the international oil trade. Given U.S. debt levels and the stated neoconservative project of U.S. global domination, Tehran's objective constitutes an obvious encroachment on dollar supremacy in the crucial international oil market."

"Despite the complete absence of coverage from the five U.S. corporate media conglomerates, these foreign news stories suggest one of the Federal Reserve's nightmares may begin to unfold in the spring of 2006, when it appears that international buyers will have a choice of buying a barrel of oil for $60 dollars on the NYMEX and IPE - or purchase a barrel of oil for €45 - €50 euros via the Iranian Bourse. This assumes the euro maintains its current 20-25% appreciated value relative to the dollar – and assumes that some sort of US "intervention" is not launched against Iran. The upcoming bourse will introduce petrodollar versus petroeuro currency hedging, and fundamentally new dynamics to the biggest market in the world - global oil and gas trades. In essence, the U.S. will no longer be able to effortlessly expand credit via U.S. Treasury bills, and the dollar's demand/liquidity value will fall."

[Catholic Sensation]

1. goes well with an article krauthammer wrote in July of 2004

he said something about there being "troops nearbye just in case" or something. disgusting, let the people who fulfilled their obligations spend some time at home...

[msongs]

2. perhaps, but the us military is overextended now ->

and not even capable of pacifying Iraq. Attacking Iran would be suicide for the soldiers who are over there dying while the bush twins and the cheney kid(s) live it up in amerika.

would the removal of the bush regime be worth the lives of all the americans and innocent arabs and persians who would surely die in a war with Iran and Iraq and all the other arab countries?

If this happens, be prepared to walk everywhere you go cuz there is not going to be any gasoline at any price you can afford.

Msongs
www.msongs.com/political-shirts.htm

[HereSince1628]

3. They'll just do like Afganistan...reducing troops reduces opposition

Fewer troops, fewer patrols into dangerous areas, higher percentage on garrison duty, etc.

So I expect they could yank most everyone out of Iraq and point them at another country. But, I'll admit I am not sure it is Iran, even though the Neocons usually publically telegraph every move.

[Journeyman]

4. And if they "yank" most everyone out of Iraq. . .

in order to invade Iran, just where do you expect them to stage the assault from, a ship anchored somewhere off coast in the Gulf?

[HereSince1628]

11. Actually I don't think we'll do an attack on Iran

But if we did I don't think the initial major thrust would be with ground forces from Iraq. Too mountainous and travelling roads is a damned good way to find not only the almighty IED, but God's honest true anti-tank mines and probably ambushes as well.

More likely we would have multiple attacks.

Obviously air assaults everywhere to disrupt communication and destroy critical infrastructure, and air support if not bombing missions would for sure would come from Iraq.

Perhaps an overland assault on the southwest of Iran to protect the oil shipping points in Iraq.

Probably a Marine assault on Babdar Abbas and other sites along the coast to secure the exits from the Persian gulf.

Maybe ground assaults from Pakistan, but more likely from Afghanistan, I think the terrain is better suited to make a dash for Tehran from there.

[nashville_brook]

5. if this happens -- trading in euros -- another war will be the least

of our worries. i'm not making an arugument for war. read the whole article. our economy will break. these snakes won't compromise. they are going to shoot the moon.

[bonito]

8. I see that

I just don't know why this pnac can't be civil and negotiate. with different monetary systems there's almost going to be unfairness there. A new world order is a good concept where all the worlds interest met equally.

[LoKnLoD]

6. Very Interesting article

While reading I had a fleeting vision of this bleak future... there is another 9/11, the military follows Cheney's military plans and nukes Iran, martial law is instituted in the US because the American people have had enough and are protesting all over the country. Russia, China, France and Germany consider the US a rogue nation because of 2 illegal attacks on other nations and put together a invasion force to invade and remove * the dictator from power. We have hardly any military available, and the president cuckoobananas lauches the nukes against Russia, Germany etc. Scary.

[Sgent]

7. Sorry but this is so much crap.

I can show you how to buy a barrel of oil in Euros, or use futures, swaps, etc.

By selling in Euros, it will reduce the costs to europeans by 1-2% by reducing transaction costs and foriegn currency hedges, but have no economic effect other than that.

Given, its not insignificant, but its sure as heck not fighting a war over.

[nashville_brook]

9. hope you're right

[markam]

Given, its not insignificant,

2004 was about 1.2 trillion. 2005 will be over 2 trillion. This is money that the US can send overseas, get goods and services for, and not actually have to do anything for.


The government runs a deficit. The money goes out into the public. the money then goes to buy overseas crap. The money is then spent either to buy government bonds or buy oil.

If people overseas stop seeing the value in our currency, everything in the US is going to go to hell real quick. Not having oil based in dollars can easily collapse our house of cards.

[Sgent]

12. Yea

But the forex market is about 1 trillion -- a day. Any large trading desk could structure it so that you can buy oil in euros, using currently publically traded futures/options and currency swaps. Given, you have to pay the traders, and there is some expense involved in the swap, but its not very signficant in the grand scheme of things.

[markam]

10. Given, its not insignificant,

2004 was about 1.2 trillion. 2005 will be over 2 trillion. This is money that the US can send overseas, get goods and services for, and not actually have to do anything for.


The government runs a deficit. The money goes out into the public. the money then goes to buy overseas crap. The money is then spent either to buy government bonds or buy oil.

If people overseas stop seeing the value in our currency, everything in the US is going to go to hell real quick. Not having oil based in dollars can easily collapse our house of cards.

[wli]

13. thanks for bringing this up with a reference

I mentioned it earlier but it didn't seem to get very far with googlable hyperlinks alone.