The F Word: Shelling Out for Shell

Free trade... Free oil contracts... There it is again, that cute word "free."

Of 46 international oil companies, including firms from China, India and Russia that had their eye on the first major oil deals in post-Saddam Iraq, guess who got the gig? Exxon-Mobil, Shell, Total and BP!

The western giants got the first-of-a-kind no-bid contracts to service Iraq's biggest fields NOT because the US invaded Iraq for oil. Oh NO. According to the Iraqi Oil Ministry, Exxon-Mobil, Shell, Total et al received the first-of-a-kind, no-bid deals because, of the years of "free" consultations those companies have been giving to the ministry. The ministry also cited a certain "comfort level" in their joint operations. That's the ministry's word.

So how's your comfort level? The companies have been advising "without charge" thanks to you. They get to give their consults away because we the taxpayers have been picking up the tab. We've paid for the imperial influence peddlers, which is to say -- the US military. We've paid the Pentagon -- and the private mercenaries who keep the Green Zone "comfortable" for Big Oil and the Ministry. We the tax-payers have been shelling out for Shell -- to the tune of over $750 million a day.

All that "free consulting" costs blood too: the blood of well over a million men and women and children and the health of a nation's water and soil.

It's not for naught. The companies are blissed out. Iraqi oil production is expected to go to 3 million barrels soon and 6 million barrels later. Imagine the revenues at today's $140 per barrel. It'll be great for profits. And don't forget: profit's just another word for money someone didn't pay for.

So take pride in the oil companies whom you helped to offer so much, so comfortably, for "free." But don't expect a piece of the profit. Expecting back would be disturbing the comforts of the cronies of big oil. Besides, the companies are counting on you not to think about it too much. "Free" sounds great. Don't let the facts -- or the deaths -- mess with your comfort levels.

The F Word is a daily commentary by Laura Flanders on GRITtv. Watch GRITtv on Free Speech TV (Dish Network Ch. 9415) or at GRITtv.org. And become a subscriber.

Comments

[Levittown]

Paul O'Neil ( O'Neal ) told us about the distribution of the oil "spoils' in his book, " The Price of Loyalty ".He also saw the raid on the treasury to pay off the campaign contributors and his cronies. Cheney planned the no-bid contracts with no accountability clauses. And they also planned the destruction of the country
so that their Halliburton and Bectel would have 10 years of billions dollar cost plus contracts to rebuild Iraq with our armed force (low cost security) and Blackwater and other expensive security to protect the workers and politicians who will come there often to spend time at the fortress ( our embassy ).

[BobLablah]

Your post implies that you would feel better if Russia and China got contracts instead of France (Total Oil) and the Netherlands ( Shell).

Do you really think France got oil contracts because the US invaded Iraq? I seem to remember something about France not liking the war so much. So much for your whole thesis.

[demfriend]

Mission Accomplished. Remember those words? Bush and Cheney and all of the oil friends they have as well as Haliburtin are the victors of war to which the spoils go to while the blood of 4100 plus soldiers and too many to count that we even know about, Iraqis dead, displaced and living in a broken country occupied by not only US but the militia Blackwater. Yeah mission accomplished and we can do not one thing about it. Sad because anger hasn't helped either.

[appleknocker]

"Victory" has been achieved. Can we go home now?