Gulf War II:

1. Gulf War II: Oil or Empire?

2. Official View on Role of Oil • Bush spokesman Ari Fleisher: “The only interest the United States has in the region is furthering the cause of peace and stability, not [Iraq’s] ability to generate oil.”

3. Oil War? • Did the Bush Administration Invade Iraq to grab its oil fields? • What’s there to grab? DOE says: • 112 b barrels of oil, 2nd biggest proven reserves in world, probably much, much more • 110 trillion cubic feet of natural gas • Oil production costs among lowest in world • Lots of high quality crude, e.g., low sulfur • Reduction of OPEC, increased power for MNC’s • Billions of dollars in reconstruction contracts • E.g., Bechtel, Halliburton, etc. profits.

4. Who Holds this View? • Popular view throughout Middle East • Not surprising in view of history • CIA overthrow of Iranian Govt in 1953 • Controlled by MNC until 1972 nationalization • Belief reinforced by priorities of invasion • Guarding of oil fields and oil ministry, not hospitals • Also view elsewhere: • Nelson Mandela of South Africa • “All Bush wants is Iraqi oil.” • Global Policy Forum & World Watch Institute: see articles in syllabus

5. Global Policy Forum • Detailed, on-going analysis of history of oil industry connections of Bush Administration policy makers & their policy statements. • Paul articles from 2002 on how US victory in Iraq will lead to take over of Iraqi oil by Anglo-American oil companies. • Concludes that “free access” to Iraqi oil, I.e., control over it is real reason for invasion. • Post-invasion report: Ex-CEO of Royal/Dutch Shell, Philip Carroll, to run Iraq Oil Industry.

6. World Watch Institute • Set up by Lester Brown of food crisis fame. • Liberal think tank, pro-alternative/renewable energy policies. • Renner article traces US-Iraqi history, including US money and aid to Hussein government, Rumsfeld connection, $100 billion in arms 1990-2001 to Gulf States. • Objective: cheap oil • to reinforce global economy • To undermine alternative /renewable energy • To undermine pro-environmental policies, kill Kyoto

7. War for Empire? • Policy materials associated with Bush Administration call overtly for “Pax Americana” (“Pax Britannia” was “peace of British Empire) • See Bookman reading and Kagan response • Edward Kennedy: “The administration’s doctrine is a call for 21st century American imperialism that no other nation can or should accept” (October 7, 2002).

8. Monthly Review (New York, Left Wing) • New phase in history of imperialism • Quotes Bookman, invasion to demonstrate “that the U.S. is now prepared to use its power at will” • “Defensive war”, from Roman Empire to American Empire • Control of oil & oil profits not enough. • Control of Iraq means • control of Mideast, safety of Caspian pipelines • Leverage over china and Japan • Unlimited Imperial dominance • Will be challenged and undermined by other capitalists in other countries, competition is always unstable • Will be challenged by people who suffer the consequences

9. “Empire” • Antonio Negri and Michael Hardt, Empire • Capitalist Empire vs multitude • Preventive War & Constituent Strategy • American power: asymmetric, intransive • Monarchial power & forms of hegemony • Vs a vis Europe, Russia, China • Iraq is question of Europe (Japan): control of oil is control of biopolitical power • Iran/Caspian is question of Russia • Korea is question of China

10. Resistance? • Choice of field of struggle for multitude: • Must be global networks of resistance • Not nationalist • Not fundamentalist networks • Must be anti-capitalist • Not social democratic • No participation as subjugated people or as corporatist masses • Must accompany exodus • Must be democracy of multitude, but how? • “Council with computers”?

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