Iraq's Oil - Ours for the Taking?
I'm curious about how much play this idea is getting - either from other pundits or in the semi-reasonable corners of Blogistan (relatively speaking, of course).
I mentioned it before, but the transcript is now up. Here's Charles Krauthammer and friends:
MR. PETERSON: And what's it going to cost the economy? What was the Gulf War, about $61 billion?
MR. KING: Most of it picked up by foreigners.
MR. PETERSON: Eighty percent, right, by our allies?
MR. KING: Yes.
MR. PETERSON: This one we'll have to finance ourselves; won't we?
MR. KRAUTHAMMER: If we win the war, we are in control of Iraq, it is the single largest source of oil in the world, it's got huge reserves, which have been suppressed because of Iraq's actions, and Saddam's. We will have a bonanza, a financial one, at the other end, if the war is successful.
MR. KING: Do we go it alone, Charles? Do we go it alone or do what we tried to do in the Gulf War, and build a coalition to go in there.
MR. KRAUTHAMMER: You go with as many as you can, and that's how you do it.
MR. PETERSON: What if the military campaign spreads to Saudi Arabia? How will the generals feel about that?
MR. KRAUTHAMMER: That would be wonderful. I like it.
I included his unrestrained joy at the prospect of going after the Saudis, too, just for fun, but I want to focus on the notion that we can just seize Iraq's oil -- that is, changing this from a mission of "regime change" to one of outright conquest and plunder. Please bring other comments along these lines to my attention if you see them...
