Cheap oil, rely less on Saudi, prevent ME powers collating.  Are these reasons for the Iraq war enough?
398990
Those were none of the reasons.
726905
The situation in Iraq reminds me of trying to hold water in your bare hands.  The present government is like a Mirage in the desert, and will surely fall, maybe as soon as this week if the Shiites threat holds up.  If we leave Iraq will collapse.  If we stay it will collapse slower, but still collapse.  The idea that fundamentalists, no matter of what stripe, will have control of Iraq's oil I'm sure is making people sweat all over the world.  Oil must be reasonably stable.  To accomplish this end,  Bush is going to have to open this up and really include the rest of the world in discussions, military personnel, planning, and execution,  if there is any hope at this point  Let us hope that it is not too late for some form of reasonable solution to be worked out.
760410
ANWAR wouldn't supply enough oil to make a difference. \n\nActually, Bush started saying that if we left Iraq, the terrorists would get the oil now.
283967
Well, the invasion of Iraq may have occured because of that in part. However, the securing of oil reserves is also part of it.  The Peak of Oil production has limited the remaining oil in the world to approximately 1 trillion barrels, that means as more is pumped out there will be less for increasing demand. (Picture the top of a bell curve)  Holding onto oil allows for the continued supply.\n\n   As for the bourse coming online at the end of this week in Iran, it may lead to the dumping of US currencies by countries like China and Russia as well as the European Union.  These state actors won't dump all their currency, but since China holds over 800 million US dollars, they may divest a few hundred million in order to pick up Euros a more stable currency that has far less debt behind it. (Over 8 Trillion dollars if you've been following the news).  The result is a devaluation of the US currency and inflation to prop it up.  \n   Will the USA go into Iran?  I doubt it, it's 3 times the size of Iraq and the US does not have the military to put soldiers on the ground to hold what it might initially be able to take.  Also, since Iraq and Iran are, for religious reasons far closer than than have ever been, the prospect of fighting a mass uprising in Iraq while in Iran is too real to consider.  \n   There have been suggestions of nuclear weapons being used to neutralize threats.  I doubt the USA wants the political fall-out domestically and internationally to let the nuclear genie out of the bottle again.  \n  Will oil be sold in Euros?  Almost certainly, will it negatively affect the US economy, definitely.  Can it be moderated?  Possibly, by negotiating with Iran to sell in Euros in increments.  Will negotiations take place?  It doesn't seem likely given the current political tone.  Is it a mess?  One like that hasn't been seen since World War 2.
996935
Islamic countries have oil. Big transnational companies need oil so they bribe some western governments to produce lame excuses and terrorize the western public so that they can steal away oil, just like in Iraq.
542488
Oil is so politicized these days that I'm sure that you will never be told or be readily allowed access to the real story but please keep trying.\n\nBy the way if you think about it, I mean really think about it, oil is too cheap.
841269
I suggest reading 'armed madhouse' by greg palast. In this book he makes the arguement (with footnotes) that the reason we went into Iraq is for the oil. But not to take the oil. No ... we want to keep the oil in Iraq. You see economic supply and demand would dictate that if the second largest oil producing nation was bogged down by an occupation then prices would soar. Hmmmm and how have the oil companies been fairing since the invasion???? Who's side do you think this honest patriot is on?? http://blogs.it/0100206/stories/2004/03/15/houseOfBushHouseOfSaud.html
419350
The only reason that anyone is interested in peace in the middle east is because of oil. The Iraq-Kuwait war was started because of oil. \nSo to answer your question 95%. If Iraq and Kuwait didn't have oil then no one would give a rat's ass. \nJust because it is about oil doesn't make it a bad thing. If the would's oil production is cut off the reults may be 10 times worse than the war in Iraq.
582254
See movie "Wag the Dog", insert Iraq as target country. If the federal government pours billions and billions into our economy, we experience positive economic growth artificially. It also can have the effect of artificially push our fuel usage to the maximun of production capability, hense rising gas/diesel prices/profits. It also has the potential to allow companies in the oil industry, where our president and vice president have their roots, to know in advance and have the numbers worked out in advance, to bid on government contracts to supply background services for that war. But ultimately, you must remember, this isn't about people making money. Its only and I stress ONLY about terrorism and people that attacked the U.S., even though they actually had nothing to do with Iraq, aside from the fact that they were muslims. We only engaged in that war to protect American citizens from a threat that wasn't really there, oops I meant perceived to be there. Notice this whole thing started from stock knives on airplanes and we are allowed to carry them on airplanes again, now that the machine is in motion.
280307
Helped both economically and its citizens but damaged 'co-alition's' public image. \n\nThe gulf conflicts are purely down to oil, if oil was not available to the world to use from Iraq Western oil prices would obviously soar crippling the economies and businesses.\n\nUnder the previous regime Saddam kept the revenues from oil for himself, his family and the Republic Guard. The West were very worried after the Gulf war when he burned oil refineries and oil rigs cause millions of £££ worth of damage and loss of a massive amount of oil. What's stopping him from doing it again?\n\nSo by securing oil supply from the Middle East it has actually helped both the US, UK and Iraqi people as this provides the money to invest into their infrastructure and improve standard of living. \n\nUnfortunately this is completely wrong! unethical and embarrasing that we could represent a race of people so materialistic and selfish its about time we realised that we can not keep raping this planet's resources and we need to limit use of resources and pollution before we come to a very abrupt end.\n\nThe war in Iraq as absolutely nothing to do with ridding the Iraq people of a dictator, nobody could give a flying f-uck..  look at Africa! no one cares about the dictators and warlords that have done far FAR worse than Saddam, unfortunately they have no oil.
757890
You seem to be suffering from an unfortunate case of naievity. The war in Iraq was and remains an conflict to gain oil and distract public opinion from home problems. I'm an ex-British infantry officer (Afghanistan veteran) and I now work in the Oil industry so I'm fairly confident of my sources. The US (and incidentally us brits) went into Iraq in order to corner one of the largest oil reserves in the world and open it up for exploitation by their (and their political allies) coorporations and multinationals. If you look at the companies making billions out of the restructuring of the region and more importantly those who stand to make billions from their share in the now non-embargoed oil you will not find any French or German owned or based companies. You will however find companies who fund the election campaigns of the majority of the US Senate and pay huge ammounts of taxes to the British government. \n\nSchroeder and Chirac may have scored political points with the masses temporarily, but in the long run their disastorous right-wing policies on unemployment and immigration respectively will ensure they remain as negatively memorable as Bush and possibly Blair.\n\nFurthermore, what you call, the carnage in Iraq was not unimaginable four years ago. Senior Britsh military and independent analysts predicted that Iraq would turn into a bloody policing action in a similar manner to the explosion of violence in Northern Ireland in the 1950s. They were mocked in the newspapers when immediatedly after the 'liberation' there were no mass reprisals. Any occupying force in history, whether benign or not, has inevitably become the scapegoat for all local problems and has then been attacked, at the very least in the popular press and at the worst in the form of terrorism and or an armed uprising. International examples of this include Aden, Sierra Leone, Vietnam, etc.\n\nFinally the Iraqi's are not better off than they were before. However a basic understanding of the power dynamic in the Arab world and the disparate collection of races Iraq is made up of shows that widespread conflict in Iraq was inevitable. If and when Saddam died in power the same Sunni, Shiite, Criminal or potential Dictators would have formed their own cliques and siezed or recruited whatever weapons and branches of military they could and resumed the infighting. The proof of this is that this has occurred every time there has been a transition of power in Iraq since they deposed of their King just prior to World War 2.\n\nWars are never fought for the reasons claimed before or decided after the event.
434640
Nah, it wasn't oil.  That's probably the most overworked cliche.  If it had been oil we'd have complete control of all the oilfields by now and that's not happening.\n\nSome part of it might have been left over grudges from the first Iraq war, but I suspect that combined with George Bush #2 getting some justification for finishing things, like the overreaching for weapons of mass destruction, was all it took.\n\nThe real reason I believe had more to do with Israeli security than anything else.  Iraq represented the biggest threat to Israeli security and pressure by Israel on the US may have had something to do with it.\n\nOther than that, Bush may have deluded himself into thinking that God told him to do it. Bush may be on a sort of "religious" conquest in his own mind.\n\nOne of these three possibilities may have been the prime motivator, or some combination, but I doubt very much if oil had anything to do with it because events subsequent to the invasion do not support that theory.
881664
Yes. Consider "oil supply" or "Oil reserves" if appropriate.\n\ncc
1089976
Not a single role. See the below facts and you decide for yourself:\n\n\nIslamic countries have oil. Big transnational companies need oil so they bribe some western governments to produce lame excuses and terrorize the western public so that they can steal away oil, just like in Iraq.
188335
iraq has the 2nd largest oil deposits in the world. Before the war these could not be exported due to UN sanctions. UN sanctions would not be lifted untill saddam complied with the UN regulations and allowed inpectors in. Answer.... get rid of him. If Demand for oil is increasing, and supply remains the same. prices would go up. So if supply increases with demand prices wont change, and blair and bush will get re-elected!! They might not be popluar for liying about the war but niether would they if you were paying £8 for a gallon
1079169
The realities of the oil crunch and energy-hungry nations have forced many countries into a potential global conflict. We can't back away from it but we could limit it by producing alternative sources of power. While the US sanctions the war in Iraq (as a source of black gold),it condemns China for seeking the same in African countries...by peaceful means! The American government has been led by wealth over many years,and the current administration is not an exception. Perhaps we should require a different document....not of independence but a curriculum vitae of elected officials as well as proof of their financial dealings.
10174
I think it was beacuse of the Oil as Iraq was planning to award all the contracts to the European and Russian companies.\nThe other reason is that George Bush Jr wanted to complete the task what GB Sr has set to achieve "Oust saddam" campaign\nMaybe even to safeguard the interests of Israel