Saturday, March 15, 2008
Iraqi oil was going to pay for the war
And as we reach the fifth anniversary of George W Bush's signature failure, it sure looks like it is doing just that, but not for us.
The sea of oil under Iraq is supposed to rebuild the nation, then make it prosper. But at least one-third, and possibly much more, of the fuel from Iraq’s largest refinery here is diverted to the black market, according to American military officials. Tankers are hijacked, drivers are bribed, papers are forged and meters are manipulated — and some of the earnings go to insurgents who are still killing more than 100 Iraqis a week.But the money to be made from the black market feeds more than just the insurgents, it is a large part of the economy where anything that keeps your family fed is right and proper. And what can be done about it? Not much.
“It’s the money pit of the insurgency,” said Capt. Joe Da Silva, who commands several platoons stationed at the refinery.
Last year, a new Iraqi Army brigade commander, Col. Yaseen Taha Rajeeb, was assigned to the refinery. He helped stop some of the most blatant theft. But the colonel’s paychecks were stopped soon after he began cracking down, and he was fired this year.So after five years of occupation, the Iraqis are remaking their lives as best they can, US troops are still dying and we still do not know why.
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]
Post a Comment