To the editor:

The Bush administration has been preparing the American public for war against Iraq for the last four months. But before the average American volunteers for front-line duty, I think it is important to note the true motives for such a campaign.

To quote the Wall Street Journal from Feb. 23, 1998, “Iraq has more than 112 billion barrels of proven oil reserves, second only to Saudi Arabia’s 250 billion barrels. The U.S. Energy Department’s Energy Information Administration estimates Iraq’s probable and possible resources at a further 215 billion barrels. Put another way, Iraq’s reserves are many times the size of those of the Caspian Sea area, which recently has drawn some of the world’s largest and best-known oil companies.”

Bush ran for president, mainly at the behest of Big Oil (Enron, Exxon-Mobil you know the list). And at this point, Bush is clearly willing to send our boys into harm’s way in Iraq for one reason oil.

In fact, oil is the only reason we’ve been involved in the Middle East for generations. If our economy and our transportation were not oil-dependent, the Middle East would disappear as a priority. Its market potential to U.S. firms is minuscule when compared, for example, to Bush’s strategic partner, China.

While Americans say no to energy taxes that would dampen our desire to consume oil, we say yes to taxes for our military, which increasingly resembles a mercenary force for Big Oil.

Donald Phipps,
Lawrence