Friday, February 1, 2008

There Will be Blood: Iraq

Reading Between the Lines: (Just a reminder)

1. As of 2007, Iraq was estimated to have the second-largest oil reserves in the world. Of those reserves, only 2 thousand oil wells have been drilled.

2. In Texas alone, there are 1 million active oil wells. Iraq has about 115 barrels of oil underneath its soil, more than 5 times what Texas has.

3. Experts believe that Iraq may have between 220 - 300 billion barrels still undiscovered.

4. On Wednesday, the New York Times ran an editorial on President Bush's use of signing statements. I quote:

Over the last seven years, Mr. Bush has issued hundreds of these insidious documents declaring that he had no intention of obeying a law that he had just signed. This is not just constitutional theory. Remember the detainee treatment act, which Mr. Bush signed and then proceeded to ignore, as he told C.I.A. interrogators that they could go on mistreating detainees?

This week’s statement was attached to the military budget bill, which covers everything except the direct cost of the war. The bill included four important provisions that Mr. Bush decided he will enforce only if he wants to.

It’s glaringly obvious why Mr. Bush rejected the fourth provision, which states that none of the money authorized for military purposes may be used to establish permanent military bases in Iraq.

Yes, it is. One big straw. And the Iraqis won't be drinking from it.

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