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Kucinich: “Support the Iraqi Desire to Keep its own Oil Revenue”
Rejects Bush’s Logic Iraqi Oil is Necessary to Protect National Security
Washington D.C (October 22, 2008) -- Following a declaration by President Bush that he would like the U.S. to have the ability to control Iraq's oil, Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) today sent a letter to Members of Congress calling on his colleagues to co-sponsor H.R. 6710, the Oil for Iraq Liberation Act of 2008 which prohibits U.S.-based oil companies from owning, financing or controlling the petroleum resources of Iraq.
Congressman Kucinich renewed his call for support of the O.I.L. Act after President Bush issued a signing statement last week that rejected a provision in S. 3001, the Duncan Hunter Defense Authorization Act, that ensured that funds would not be used “[t]o exercise United States control of oil resources in Iraq.” President Bush asserted in the signing statement that the provision would inhibit his constitutional authority to “protect national security” or “conduct diplomatic negotiations.”
“The nations of the Middle East have chosen for decades to nationalize their oil resources. Iraq has committed to continuing this practice by constitutionally guaranteeing that the oil and gas resources of Iraq are owned by all the people of Iraq. That is their sovereign right, and the United States must support the Iraqi desire to keep its own oil revenue. Since the President has shown he doesn’t respect Iraq’s sovereign rights, Congress must pass H.R. 6710, and stop U.S. companies and individuals from profiting off of Iraq’s oil revenues,” stated Kucinich.
The full text of the letter follows:
U.S. to Control Iraq’s Oil?
October 22, 2008
Dear Colleague:
Recently President Bush issued a signing statement rejecting a provision in S. 3001, the Duncan Hunter Defense Authorization Act. The provision Mr. Bush rejected ensured that funds would not be used “[t]o exercise United States control of the oil resources of Iraq.” The President’s assertion in the signing statement that the provision would inhibit his constitutional authority to “protect national security” or “conduct diplomatic negotiations” is misguided.
Handling of Iraq’s petroleum resources is a controversial issue. The Iraqi Parliament has long been unable to come to a consensus on Iraq’s “Hydrocarbon Act” and there are many differing opinions on how to ensure equitable distribution of the resources amongst Iraqis. As a sovereign nation, Iraq must control and make decisions about its own resources without U.S. interference. Control of Iraq’s oil resources by the U.S. government would fuel suspicions around the world that the occupation of Iraq has been solely to ensure U.S. interests in Iraq’s petroleum resources. Moreover, it will continue to promote mistrust among the citizens of Iraq by reinforcing the belief among Iraqis that waging the Iraq war was about U.S. oil interests. This will undoubtedly promote ill will toward the U.S., and diminishes the safety of our troops and our standing within the global community. U.S. control of Iraq’s oil resources serves to make our nation less safe, undercuts diplomacy and undermines U.S. foreign policy by depriving Iraqis of their constitutionally guaranteed right to their own resources.
I encourage you to join me as a cosponsor of H.R. 6710, the Oil for Iraq Liberation Act of 2008. This important bill prevents U.S. based oil companies from development of and investment in the petroleum resources of Iraq. Absent any legislation, oil companies like Halliburton and Exxon-Mobil could reap billions of dollars from Iraqi oil privatization.
The nations of the Middle East have chosen for decades to nationalize their oil resources, thus shutting out foreign oil companies. Iraq has committed to continue this practice by constitutionally guaranteeing that the oil and gas resources of Iraq are owned by all the people of Iraq. The United States must support the Iraqi desire to keep its own oil revenue. H.R. 6710 will stop U.S. companies and individuals from profiting off of Iraq’s oil revenues and ensure that this money remains in the hands of the Iraqi people.
Sincerely,
/S/
Dennis J. Kucinich
Member of Congress
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Dennis Kucinich, you seem quite often to speak my thoughts, I wish you were my Congressman. And I think it unhappy circumstance that you are not going to be President presently. Mr. Obama will miss a HUGE opportunity if he does not twist your ear often. Your letter seems perfectly reasonable, how could we act in any other fashion, would we treat our neighbors children any other way? It would be seen as coercive, fraudulent, intimidating and we would consider it a crime to treat people this way in America. In fact I think (and hope) we do. It smacks of organized criminal motivations for someone to suggest that we would act outside of your suggestions, ...
Oh yeh, that's right we are talking about BUSHCO the same criminals who invaded Iraq disrespectfully criminally and murderously, smiling, at ease, and feeling confident in their bloodlust and zeal as they knew they would kill, and were killing, and did kill innocent people including, but not necessarily limited to, Americans, our allies, probably a few actual enemies (though whether they would have been our mortal enemies or not, without our unjust, unprovoked, though not unannounced attack is at BEST poorly understood outside of the skulls that held the convictions as our enemy) and the already brutalized people of Iraq through unprovoked global violence for their own personal gains and in spite of the fact that they would indenture the rest of the world with unjust debt and oppressive burden to see their "vision?" come to pass in their own lives. I have taken heat from my friends and family since George, the divinely blinded, Bush first spoke to the NATION about this CRIME he and friends intended to perpetrate, directly on Iraq, and their OWN NATION and indirectly on the world because as Mr. Bush spoke he impressed me as possessed of the same "holy fire" that must necessarily have possessed Mr. Charles Manson in order that he would motivate, convince, explain to his people the NECESSITY of HIS ACTS BEING PERFORMED BY OTHERS! And I said so, out loud to the horror of those around me. I even tried to tell myself after getting some unedited feedback that I was not understanding the problem "correctly", but could never quite swallow that jagged big pill either. Being alone and impotent I tuned out after that for most of this regimes rule and just did my job paid my bills, tried to go along until I understood. Then thanks to voices like yours Sir, I realized that I really did see that hack palm the coin.
Thank You