As I've said before, we need to control the Iraqi oil fields as a way to prevent the jihadis from getting the benefit of them. The fact that we haven't shows just how poorly this whole situation is understood. Trying to do favors for these people is a big mistake, as events like this will increasingly prove.

Posted by: jewdog at May 26, 2007 8:09 AM

Did not the Americans and the British, at great expense, dredge and enlarge the Iraqi port at Umm Qasr as one of their very first acts of "reconstruction"? Was Umm Qasr not to be a port from which oil could be off-loaded? And what about the pipelines north into "staunch ally" Turkey -- what happened to them?

Is this the kind of deal that will demonstrate to the Sunni Arabs of Iraq that the Shi'a now in control are intent on all kinds of fairness and "reconciliation"? Is this what the Administration was looking for?

Is it real egg on their faces, or merely, for cholesterol-counting reasons, only Egg Beaters?

Posted by: Hugh at May 26, 2007 8:10 AM

"because many of them are still operating in southern Iraq despite the flight of other foreign companies."

......because many of them were attacked by Iranian backed mobsters.

Carter might just be right in calling this presidency the worst in history, only he is looking to remove himself from that illustrious seat.

Posted by: Sheik er' Bouti at May 26, 2007 8:44 AM

this is nothing but islamist taquia, you think that the US is going to protect any freakin pipeline going to iran? or that the sunni are going to let it happen. something about these muslims is that they keep on wishing and dreaming so high, that falling off their high hopes is a big downer.

Posted by: ZenaWarriorPrincess at May 26, 2007 8:51 AM

I love Prez Mahmoud. He's such a jolly Persian-Moslem, and it don't get no better than jolly Pesian Moslems. As any of them will tell you, the Pesians are the best, and that they're now Moslem is totally awesome.

But, speaking of Fictive Reality, let us not forget, despite the bullshit artists in the various media, that Prez Mahmoud started his career as a kidnapper of American diplomats.

You fictives, all you media haids, you opinion programmers, you morons, can you actually claim that Prez Mahmoud was not the leader of the Ayatollah Khomeini kidnapping of the embassy?

This is what I'm talking about. Accept one falsehood and inevitably there are more in your accpetance box and bam joe be fictive. When the accepted fictions start to pile up, and pretty soon you're lost, everybody's lost.

On Islam, we are lost.

Know what we need? We need a non-Ivy League person, a non-Marixt non-Ivy League peson, to go into State and sort this mess out.

* 33:21 ** 33:21 ** 33:21 ** 33:21 ** 33:21 ** 33:21 ** 33:21 ** 33:21 ** 33:21 ** 33:21 *

In my spare time, I like to light up my pipe, lean back in my Barca Lounger, and enjoy the show.

Did Mohammed not order, in writing, the felony murder kidnapping at the Expedition to Nakhah?

Prez Mahmoud has guidance, and God bless him for that. We do not.

Posted by: Alarmed Pig Farmer at May 26, 2007 8:58 AM

To put it in a slogan;

NO OIL FOR BLOOD!

Posted by: profitsbeard at May 26, 2007 9:10 AM

"The government [of Iraq] has said it would extend Iranian firms preferential treatment because many of them are still operating in southern Iraq despite the flight of other foreign companies."
-- from the article above

Fiasco. Fiaschissimo.

Posted by: Hugh at May 26, 2007 9:52 AM

Iran annexes Iraq

Posted by: MoBlows at May 26, 2007 10:09 AM

I just spent over $80 filling up my gas tank. News like this just irritates the heck out of me!

And, why the heck does Iraq think that Iran need more oil? Aren't they working on their "peaceful use only" Nuclear reactors???

Cheers,

http://doctorbulldog.wordpress.com

Posted by: Doctor Bulldog at May 26, 2007 10:34 AM

Doctor Bulldog the liberal elites want you to drive a tin can, or better yet, use a bike or take a bus, you know the speech that Algore gives out as he jets
off from private jets. yeah libs dont want the US to find the oil in your own waters therefore your dependant on others.

Posted by: ZenaWarriorPrincess at May 26, 2007 11:08 AM

It's not a question of whether or not the pipeline will be built....the sunni mujahadeen will liquidate to first construction crew that appears. The question is, what is Dubya to make of all this? (Probably nothing, but one can always hope...)

Posted by: Infidel33 at May 26, 2007 11:18 AM

Robert has used this photo in previous posts.

I think a better caption would be "Mission Accomplished".

Or better yet , could someone with photoshop please insert a banner behind these two fellows that reads "Mission Accomplished", and send it to JW.

Posted by: Leave Iraq Now at May 26, 2007 11:47 AM

It appears to me that the only thing that the Crawford Town Idiot has accomplished is to turn a secular Iraq into a bastion of Shiism destined to form an alliance with Iran.

We are in deep dodo, and the American two party system created this mess. Our alternatives in the elections of 2000 and 2004 were both unpalatable.

Posted by: Pelayo at May 26, 2007 11:56 AM

It has been a long time since 1991. If we had let Saddam keep Kuwait, We just might have had an ally against jihad.

Don't everybody jump on Pelayo all at once and get all teary-eyed over the exaggerated claims of Iraqi miscondict in 1990. Our way of life is on the precipice and now is not the time to fret over the suffering of some people who will rejoice over our destruction. Don't forget, Saddam invaded Kuwait after the other Bush failed to provide Saddam with a firm response to hs preliminary overtures concerning Kuwait.

We lost sight of the fact that Iran has been our enemy since 1979. We will pay dearly for the failures of our feckless leadership.

Posted by: Pelayo at May 26, 2007 12:09 PM

This is the thanks we get from Maliki in Iraq.

The same type of thanks we're getting from muslims in the Balkans.

Posted by: LoneRanger at May 26, 2007 12:20 PM

So.. Iran wants it all! Nuclear plants all the oil so it drives up prices here and we have to go through Iran to get it?!
Maybe Iraq buddying up because we are leaving-
someday- guess this is their new democracy?,,
curiouser and curiouser......

Posted by: MZ at May 26, 2007 12:49 PM

I have been an full supporter of the war. This is because of several points.
1. marginalization of Iran, through our presence and by the establishment of military bases in Iraq. Regardless of whether the Iraqui's choose to control their country, or whether they choose to destroy themselves and their country, we should take the steps necessary to set up one or two large strategically placed bases.
2. Oil, we should take steps to secure this commodity as the treasure for our posterity and to fuel our economic machine. Regardless of what anyone professes, it is a war for oil (or it should have been) and we should secure that for which we have paid such a price.

However, this development shows that we will have lost the war, not in terms of men and material, but in the end game. It is one thing if a bunch of radicals in mud huts, decide to follow jihad at the behest of Iran. But, now Iran will control a significant part of the Iraqui oil that we fought to secure. As a result they will have more real power over us. Thus we will have failed to secure what we strategically entered the war for. This is a true failure, and shows that limited warfare conducted by politicans is likely to fail. Surge or not, it is time to retrench to the bases we need to secure and let the Iraqui people fall into full blown civil war.

Posted by: GrimReaperxxx at May 26, 2007 1:15 PM

What threats has Iran leveled on Iraq if they don't comply with this deal? The picture may not show it, but Ahmad is really holding this guy by the balls; the handshake is a mere facade.

Posted by: champ at May 26, 2007 1:33 PM

champ; It shows it! His face looks like it!

Posted by: MZ at May 26, 2007 1:40 PM

ha ha ha! Yeah, he looks a little stunned/pale.

Posted by: champ at May 26, 2007 1:46 PM

What does Iran need nuke power for when it has it's own oil, 'and' that of the Iraqi. I agree that that Sunni will not be happy with this and may take action. It would be better if Bush took action, but probably not. Maliki know that Iran is the enemy of his backers, the US, and he is playing both sides against the middle...Wake up Geo, the Philistines are upon you...

Posted by: duh_swami at May 26, 2007 4:21 PM

What the hell does a nation awash in oil need with oil from another nation awash in oil? (rhetorical).
(iraq has a lot more refineries, and more modern-iran has few, only one "modern"=30 years old. irans problem is refining-it's decrepit & in horrendous disrepair, causing nationwide fuel rationing) Yet he spends on nukes like a wildman.

By the way, is it just me, or does the mOslem munchkin mahmoud look like he needs to lay off the marijuana? LOL

Posted by: jcom972 at May 26, 2007 8:38 PM

re the photo heading this post:

Monkey see, monkey do?

Hope not.

But

keep the oilfields out of Iranian hands, no matter what. How you do that?

Come on now, with all the brains in our leadership, there must be something that can come out of vigorous brainstorming regarding that problem.

Posted by: unicorns62000 at May 26, 2007 8:54 PM

"Come on now, with all the brains in our leadership, there must be something that can come out of vigorous brainstorming regarding that problem. by Unicorns62000

There are brains in Washington? I haven't seen any proof of brains. We don't need no stinkin' brains.

Posted by: Pelayo at May 26, 2007 11:08 PM

By the way, is it just me, or does the mOslem munchkin mahmoud look like he needs to lay off the marijuana? LOL
Posted by: jcom972

Either that or he needs more of it. He has a tough job...more and better drugs are needed...

Posted by: duh_swami at May 26, 2007 11:53 PM

...starting with sodium pentathol, about 20 minutes after lots of water.
:-)

Posted by: jcom972 at May 27, 2007 12:11 AM

Assem Jihad, Oil Ministry’s Information Officer said, the agreement was reached during a meeting between Oil Minister Hussain Shahristani and the Iranian ambassador in Baghdad.

NICE name, assem jihad..

Posted by: Allahfanculo at May 27, 2007 4:04 AM