Help for Iraqi Christians: Why Now?

The Christian communities of Iraq have been under continual assault since the ‘liberation’ of that country by the American Empire and the so-called Coalition of the Willing in 2003.  Yet few have paid them any mind until now.  What has changed?

Sadly, as is so often the case with the [u]nited States and Western European countries, the motivation isn’t a sterling love for mankind or deep devotion to Christ and His Church, but, rather, their own material self-interest.  The rescuing of Christians, Yazidis, and others trapped on a mountain near Erbil is only a conventient mask for their efforts to protect the oil interests of transnational corporations friendly with America and the West:

 . . . The U.S. and France have never lifted a finger to protect the Kurds. Indeed, the U.S. has actively betrayed the Kurds and let them be slaughtered. For example, during the Gulf War, the U.S. called on the Kurds to rise up against Saddam (implying that he would protect them), but then let Saddam slaughter the Kurds en masse.

So why are the U.S. and France moving now to protect Erbil?

Because Erbil has now become a major oil center. The Kurdish government estimates that the region is the world’s 9th largest oil producer.

Oil companies from around the world operate in Kurdistan, including (major oil companies are indicated in bold, U.S. and French oil companies in italics):

USA

·                 Exxon Mobil

·                 Chevron

·                 Aspect Energy

·                 Marathon Oil Corporation

·                 Hillwood International Energy

·                 Hunt Oil

·                 Prime Oil

·                 Murphy Oil

·                 Hess Corporation

·                 HKN Energy

·                 Viking International

France

·                 Total

Canada

·                 Forbes and Manhattan

·                 Western Zagros Resources

·                 Talisman Energy Inc

·                 NIKO Resources

·                 Ground Star

·                 Shamaran

South Korea

·                 Korea National Oil Company (KNOC)

Turkey

·                 Genel Energy

·                 Petoil

·                 Dogan

Britain

·                 Gulf Keystone Petroleum

·                 Sterling Energy

·                 Heritage Oil

Anglo-French

·                 Perenco

UAE

·                 TAQA

·                 Dana Petroleum

Austria

·                 OMV

China

·                 China acquired a significant presence in Iraqi Kurdistan after Sinopec Group bought Addax Petroleum in 2009.

Hungary

·                 MOL

India

·                 Reliance Industries

Papua New Guinea

·                 Oil Search

Russia

·                 Norbest

·                 Gazprom Neft

Norway

·                 DNO

Iraq

·                 Oil Search (Iraq) Limited

·                 Kar Group

·                 Qaiwan Group

Spain

·                 Repsol

Independent

·                 AFREN

Yup … with Chevron, Exxon, Marathon, Hess and Total operating major facilities in Erbil, the latest Iraq war is also about oil … as confirmed by the New Yorker, New Republic and Vox.

For those who don’t believe that Iraqi oil is driving foreign policy, take a look at what Brookings wrote in June:

It should be obvious that a key consideration for the United States arising from [the seizure of huge swaths of Iraq by ISIS] is its potential to affect Iraqi oil production.

***

Any significant disruption of current Iraqi oil production or long-term diminution in its expected growth could have major repercussions for the U.S. economy.

Kurdistan also possesses approximately 89% of all Iraqi natural gas reserves. And so the West – including France – is eager to protect Kurdish hydrocarbons from falling into the hands of ISIS.

Postscript: Indeed, virtually all U.S. wars involve a fight over hydrocarbons.

Source:  ‘The REAL Reason for New U.S. and French Military Involvement in Iraq’, http://www.infowars.com/the-real-reason-for-new-u-s-and-french-military-involvement-in-iraq/ , posted 12 August 2014, accessed 13 August 2014

It will be interesting to see how the BRICSA nations (who also have some holdings in the Kurdish region, as shown above) respond to this latest effort of the Western elite and their neo-con servants (Sen Lindsey Graham, Bill O’Reilly, Hannity, etc.) to make the world safe for democracy (i.e., corporate colonialism).