Kucinich Writes to Colleagues About Oil Law

[slipslidingaway]

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/22453

"Dear Democratic Colleague:

An issue of critical importance, the Iraqi "Hydrocarbon Law", was again broached yesterday for the third time in the Democratic Caucus and I want to provide you the facts and evidence to support the concerns I have expressed.

As you know, the Administration set several benchmarks for the Iraqi government, including passage of the "Hydrocarbon Law" by the Iraqi Parliament. The Administration misled Congress by emphasizing only a small part of this law, the "fair" distribution of oil revenues. Consider the fact that the Iraqi "Hydrocarbon Law" contains a mere three sentences that generally discusses the "fair" distribution of oil.

Except for three scant lines, the entire 33 page "Hydrocarbon Law," is about creating a complex legal structure to facilitate the privatization of Iraqi oil. As such, it in imperative that all of us carefully read the Iraqi Parliament's bill because the Democratic FY07 Iraq Supplemental puts Democrats on the record in promoting oil privatization."

[IndianaGreen]

1. There is a lot of good info inside a LBN thread started by Barrett808

Lots of info about the rape of Iraq's resources which is what this oil law is all about.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2844111

[slipslidingaway]

2. Thanks, glad to see it is finally getting some attention. We need

to keep this issue in the news and call our reps to find out why we are supporting this rush for passage.

Two part video posted here, worth the ten minutes IMO.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=385&topic_id=26371&mesg_id=26371

[IndianaGreen]

3. Why do you think so many Dems only criticize the management of the war, rather than the war itself?

Perhaps it is because the corporate wing of the Democratic Party coveted Iraqi oil as much as Cheney's 2001 energy task force.

[slipslidingaway]

4. If there is another reason I have not thought of it. There was a

thread in January about the oil law and how Reid dodged the question during a conference held at the National Press Club. Here is the question and answer transcript and cspan had the video. There were only a few responses to that thread and believe it never made the greatest page???


Some other senators being asked about the oil law here, need to look around this site more tomorrow.
http://washingtonstakeout.com/



http://www.husseini.org/content/2007/01/sen_reid_dodges.html

This exchange took place at a news conference with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Leader Harry Reid on Jan. 19 at the National Press Club.

Husseini: Hi. Sam Husseini from IPA Media. I have a question for each of our guests, if I could. First to Senator Reid: an article appeared in The Guardian -- "Iraqis will never appear -- will never accept this sellout to the oil corporations," in The Guardian last week by Kamil Mahdi, who's an Iraqi academic in the U.K. It paints a picture of the administration in the midst of all of the carnage pushing through a new oil law "The U.S. and the IMF and their allies are using fear to pursue their agenda of privatizing and selling off Iraqis resources" with pending Iraq oil law. Are you looking into this? You've spoken about the oil companies and so on, are you looking into this oil law that the administration is apparently trying to ram through.

Reid: Is that a morning or afternoon newspaper? No, I'm sorry I haven't read that article. Um, but that's what Speaker Pelosi and I are talking about we have to lessen our dependence on foreign oil whether it comes from private sources, or in some instances where the oil is owned by the government. We have to--we use 21 million barrels of oil a day in America, 21 million barrels a day and more than 60 percent of that comes from foreign sources. And the United States controls less than 3 percent of the oil reserves in the world, we can't produce our way out of the problems we have with oil. The only alternative we have is to look to alternative fuels: the sun, the wind, geothermal, biomass. We have to do that and that's why it doesn't matter what they do in Iraq as far as our consumption of oil. We, we, we are oil hogs here in America and we've got to lessen our dependence on foreign oil and that can only be done by recognizing that we can't produce our way out of our problems and we have to move towards alternative energy sources.

[slipslidingaway]

5. Raids on union offices in Iraq

Stories at bottom of link.

http://www.icem.org/en/3-Energy-Oil-and-Gas

Military Raids, Arrest at Iraqi Union Office Demands Action
5 March 2007 Iraq
ICEM News release


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ICEM letter to Prime Minister of Iraq on raids on trade union office
5 March 2007 Iraq
ICEM letter

[slipslidingaway]

6. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell today.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070513/pl_nm/usa_iraq_republicans_dc

"The Iraqi government is a huge disappointment," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (news, bio, voting record) told CNN'S Late Edition on Sunday.

"So far, they've not been able do anything they promised on the political side," the Kentucky Republican said, citing the Iraqis' failure to pass a new oil revenue bill, hold local elections and dismantle the former Baath Party of Saddam Hussein. "It's a growing frustration."

"Republicans overwhelmingly feel disappointed about the Iraqi government," he added."

:argh:

[AnOhioan]

7. K&R for Dennis being concerned with the obvious,,,,

the outright theft of Iraq's premiere resource.

[slipslidingaway]

15. The only candidate and one of the few in congress speaking out

on this issue.


Flashback to 2003, one of the few speaking out.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/03/20/sprj.irq.congress.reax/index.html

House, Senate resolutions commend president, troops

"Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, said the House majority was trying "to force members of Congress to vote in favor of the president's unjustified war by wrapping it in sentiments supporting the troops."


...Throughout the day, lawmakers took to the House and Senate floors, offering words of praise for men and women in uniform. Most offices also released written statements.

House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Illinois, compared the start of hostilities with the June 6, 1944, invasion of Normandy, France, saying this action by American forces is a "noble mission to free the Iraqi people from an evil tyrant."

In stark contrast, Kucinich, called the start of the war "a sad day for America, the world community and the people of Iraq."

[w4rma]

8. Very good. It's bad law. (nt)

[slipslidingaway]

11. If it's bad law why is Edwards not speaking out on this issue?

The same benchmark was in the first bill that he wanted sent back to Bush again and again. Also the unions are against the oil law as currently drafted, their offices have been raided, yet he seems to want the Iraq oil law enacted? Does he oppose the unions in Iraq?

I think the candidates and the Dem leadership need to be asked these questions, so far most have successfully dodged them.


:shrug: :wtf:

[jarnocan]

9. Got this related info&ACTION from David Swanson via e-mail

For Five Years We've Called It Blood for Oil
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/22446
By David Swanson

And we've been right. The first of the five "benchmarks" in the war funding bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on May 10 requires Iraq to pass an oil law:

http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/22389
Rep. Dennis Kucinich: http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/22362
Rep. Lynn Woolsey: http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/22427

More information is available at http://PriceOfOil.org

PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION: http://priceofoil.org/action

PLEASE TELL THE MEDIA AND CONGRESS THAT YOU KNOW THIS WAR IS BLOOD FOR OIL.

[slipslidingaway]

10. Thanks. "They're Not Benchmarks"

From one of the embedded links in your article, why do I have the feeling we are being set up by many of our own elected representatives??? This is not a trivial matter to the Iraqi people, it is the main source of income for the Iraq government and their people.


By David Swanson

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/22389

"The new war money bill passed by the House on May 10 does not include even a nonbinding end date for the war. It does fund the war for a shorter period of time at one shot, but the Senate doesn't like that idea, and the bill must be reconciled with whatever the Senate passes. So, what's left in the bill that Bush doesn't like? Benchmarks!

But there are two problems with this. Bush DOES like them. And they're NOT benchmarks. A benchmark is a standard of excellence against which other items are measured. Or it's a measure of progress toward a goal. The so-called benchmarks in the House bill are nothing of the sort.

Here's the relevant section:

<<see link>>

These are our much vaunted BENCHMARKS. This is how the Democratic Party is "standing up to" Bush and Cheney. Let's face it. The Iraqi government is better representing the wishes of the American people in this matter right now. The following groups and organizations want to end the occupation:

The Iraqi Parliament
The Iraqi people
The active-duty US troops in Iraq
The American people

The following groups and organizations want to keep funding this war:

The White House
The Congress
The war profiteers
The U.S. media"



********And from another post, not surprising given the remarks by Pelosi which I found strange, link below.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=3263215&mesg_id=3263215

"Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., could support a war-funding bill that includes benchmarks..."



http://www.speaker.gov/blog/?p=366

"Speaker Pelosi:

“The President’s own benchmarks for measuring progress in Iraq will be the centerpiece of that evaluation. You would think that the President would embrace this legislation - it has his benchmarks."

[slipslidingaway]

12. Update on the strike

http://www.handsoffiraqioil.org/2007/05/oil-union-to-negotiate-with-maliki.html

Oil Union to Negotiate with Maliki - Northern and Central Unions will Strike in Solidarity

"Monday May 14th

Oil Strike Postponed for Negotiations with Prime Minister

The Iraqi Federation of Oil Unions has postponed its’ strike for this week.A 7-member delegation from the IFOU will meet with Prime Minister

Nourial Maliki in Baghdad tomorrow to continue negotiations.The delegation is set to return on Thursday when, if negotiations have failed to bear fruit, a new strike date will be set.

Union President Hassan Jumaa said that unions in the Northern OilCompany in Kirkuk, and the Mechanics and Engineers Union and Dora Refinery Union in Baghdad are ready to take solidarity strike actionwith the IFOU. ‘Members were balloted and have decided to take action with us if we strike’.

The Union, representing 26,000 workers, has held three previous strikes since 2003, each time stopping exports, for up to two days at a time. The Iraqi government has declared strike action by the Union as illegal."

[Tellurian]

13. Great Thread..K&R

Hope it turns into a noose around the GOP's neck..

Another point...what about the 50,000 to 100,000 gals of oil that go missing everyday. Has that been addressed anywhere?

[slipslidingaway]

14. Not just a noose around the GOP's neck, the Democrats are

supporting this as well??? On the missing oil each day, there will probably be an investigation, not sure how much it will help. Thanks for the K&R.

Hopefully others are calling their reps on this issue. I've called my reps, the leadership offices and the candidate's offices. They have a hard time formulating an answer as to why exactly they support this benchmark and the draft Iraq Oil law.

The senate is currently discussing the benchmarks for the new bill so now is the time to let our opinions be known.

From the initial article.

"As such, it in imperative that all of us carefully read the Iraqi Parliament's bill because the Democratic FY07 Iraq Supplemental puts Democrats on the record in promoting oil privatization."



http://www.carbonweb.org/showitem.asp?article=223&parent=39

"Notes

1: For example, in October, US Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad and General George Casey, head of US operations in Iraq, listed the passing of such a law as one of the “milestones” they were pressuring the Iraqi government to deliver. Similar calls have been made by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (see eg www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2006/75418.htm) and Energy Secretary Sam Bodman (eg AFP, 18 Jul 06, ‘US wants new Iraq oil law so foreign firms can take part’).

Secion II.B.5 of the Iraq Study Group Report (pp.83-85) recommends that the US government both advise on writing an oil law, and encourage international oil companies to invest. back to top

2: See eg Dow Jones Newswires 6 Dec 06, ‘Iraq's Draft Hydrocarbon Law Recommends PSAs’ back to top

[slipslidingaway]

16. Obama's office called me back this evening to say they will send

a reply in writing, at least they called back. Still waiting to hear back from the offices of Edwards and Clinton.

Since the senate is currently debating the language of the supplemental bill now is the time to make our voices heard.