Customer Reviews

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

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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.

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.

"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

This is an interesting book. Anyone who is interested in an alternative to the right wing talk radio and tv news should seriously consider checking out the Thom Hartmann radio show opposite Rush Limbaugh weekdays at: thomhartmann dot com / showlisten.shtml

Whether democrat, republican, or indepedent, so many of the facts out there are completely ignored by the mainstream media and talk shows. This show is one strong example of an examination of the facts regardless of your political affiliation. I am not affiliated with the show in any way, just struck by the facts so many seem to ignore.

This is a well-researched, even-handed book describing the history of the oil industry. It is not overtly liberal, nor does it overtly criticize any particular position, but it is perhaps the most interesting and enlightening book I've read this year.