Reply #31: Consider this possible scenario....

[Blackhatjack]

... Saddam's oil for food program is working with Halliburton and other soon to be Iraq war contractors, and they are making a ton on that relationship even though they are prohibited by US law from engaging in any such activity with Iraq according to the terms of the UN sanction.

Saddam begins to direct more of his 'under the table evasion of sanctions business' to Russia and European companies, cutting into Halliburton and other US companies profits from this illegal activity.

The UN oil for food scandal hits, an investigation led by Paul Volker immediately finds Saddam's pervasive network of illegal sanction busting sales of oil and also finds US/European companies to be the biggest participants in the criminal enterprise. He also finds that the top UN officials and their families are being paid enormous bribes for turning a blind eye to the illegal enterprise. Volker's access to documentation is immediately curtailed, and roadblocks are erected at every turn. Volker turns out a report anyway that is unbelievably damning, and the report is secreted and never sees the light of day.

Halliburton and others see the 'end of doing business with Saddam' on the horizon, and determine they need a different manner of extracting huge profits out of the situation now that the oil for food scandal stands to cut off their flow of money and expose their wrongful activity. So they decide the time is right to 'take out' Saddam, engorge themselves on troop logistical support contracts during the fight and reconstruction phase, and then concoct a relationship with the new Iraqi government similar to that they had with Saddam.

Poppy Bush thought they had weakened Saddam enough that his people would overthrow him and we would not be in the postwar occupation/reconstruction business. Of course he was wrong. However, the fact that Saddam survived overthrow made him an appealing target for sanction busting companies like Halliburton --since where there is oil, there is always money to be made.

George had bigger ideas than Poppy, they would overthrow Saddam --Halliburton and friends would move and monopolize Iraq's oil, use the base of Iraq to control oil flow in the region and reward his oil company friends and use their financial support to establish a permanent Repub majority in this country.

How is that for a possible explanation??