Iraq and the International Oil System: Why America Went to War in the Gulf [Paperback]

Stephen C. Pelletiere (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0944624456 | ISBN-13: 978-0944624456 | Publication Date: June 1, 2004 | Edition: 2nd

Asserting that the desire to control the Persian Gulf s oil supply sent the United States to war against Iraq in both 1991 and 2003, this work develops a nuanced argument around that claim. It explains how the Persian Gulf came under the control of a system or a cartel a coercive arrangement designed to ensure benefits to members and deny them to outsiders. The evolution of the oil system in the United States from its roots in Pennsylvania entrepreneurs to the Texas wildcatters is traced through the dominance of the oil barons in the Standard Oil era. Further, each United States conflict in Central Asia is analyzed, and the central role of oil in those conflicts is revealed. A new introduction and postscript address the motivations behind the most recent war in Iraq.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Iraq and the International Oil System: Why America Went to War in the Gulf is a fascinating and strange history of global oil politics. Stephen Pelletiere, a professor at the US Army War College, does a wonderful job of destroying the myths of the free market system, even though that is probably not his primary intention. --D. Nordberg, Questia

Book Description

Challenges many assumptions about the causes of the Gulf War, and argues that it resulted from a crisis in the control of the world's oil supply.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 250 pages
• Publisher: Maisonneuve Press; 2nd edition (June 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0944624456
• ISBN-13: 978-0944624456
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,173,316 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A stinging indictment of America's true motives, June 12, 2004

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Iraq and the International Oil System: Why America Went to War in the Gulf (Paperback)

Written by the CIA's senior political analyst on Iraq throughout the Iran-Iraq War, Iraq And The International Oil System: Why America Went To War In The Gulf is a stinging indictment of America's true motives behind its military expeditions to Iraq. To this day no "weapons of mass destruction" have been found in Iraq; Iraq And The International Oil System postulates that the real reason for America's involvement in Iraq is not just to have a source of oil, but to strategically control the oil of the Persian Gulf and arguably the world, Iraq And The International Oil System dissects politics, lies, real motives, the ties of U.S. and foreign oil companies and the wherewhithal of nations to manipulate one another. A sober wake-up call to dark true motives and the desperate need for the truth to come out.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!, February 18, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Iraq and the International Oil System: Why America Went to War in the Gulf (Hardcover)

Recently I did an extensive college research paper on the connection between oil and the recent Gulf Wars, and of all the books that I used, this one was the most useful. Great for understanding the Iran-Iraq war, the media blitz against saddam in the run up of the first Gulf war, and more. I highly recommend it.

Pelletier, I think, is a bit controversial because he places the blame for the Halabja massacre about equally on Iran and Iraq, but his credentials are impeccable and his version of events is highly plausible.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From the Publisher, May 29, 2004

By 

R. Merrill "RM" (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Iraq and the International Oil System: Why America Went to War in the Gulf (Paperback)

"As of this writing no weapons of mass destruction have been found. And, even if a cache were to be uncovered, can anyone seriously believe that weak, defenseless Iraq ever seriously intended to attack the United States?
No, we really must conclude that it was oil, the need of the United States to control the oil of the Gulf, that sent America to war.
The important thing now to comprehend is why was the oil of the Persian Gulf specifically so important to get control of?
And that is where this book should be a help. . . ."
-from the Preface