IRAQ LABOR TOUR & article about OIL LAW

Written by: Bobbi Jo Chavarria on Jun 8, 2007 11:07 AM EDT

IRAQ LABOR TOUR
Sunday, June 10th 8:30am
Iraqi Labor Leaders will visit Arlington West Santa Monica
A rare opportunity for people in the US to dialogue directly with Iraqi workers and labor leaders about current attempts to control Iraq's oil, women's issues, the occupation, and the role of labor in creating a non-sectarian, progressive Iraq. Their brief visit to Arlington West Santa Monica will be just one stop on their speaking tour in the Los Angeles area June 8th, 9th, and 10th.

For the complete list of their tour schedule, see here: Voices of Iraqi Workers Solidarity Tour - 2007

For more info www.arlingtonwestsantamonica.org

Co-sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee and United for Peace
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June 7, 2007 at 10:31:00

Iraq Occupation Coming to a Head Over Oil
by Kevin Zeese
excerpted...

Oil Law Brings Theft of Resources Out in the Open, Oil Workers Strike Forces Maliki to Choose Between Iraqis and the Occupiers

...Oil workers have been on strike for three days and are being threatened by the Iraqi government and surrounded by the Iraqi military. The Parliament passed a resolution urging an end to the U.S. occupation and has refused to act on the oil law the U.S. is demanding.  Both the Democrats in Congress and the Bush Administration have united around the passage of the oil law as the top benchmark for the Iraqi government.

If these trends continue it will become evident to the world what this war was about all along ? oil.  Even the U.S. media will have to publish an honest analysis of the Iraq oil law and why Iraqis are resisting it.

... The parliament has not acted on the oil law submitted to them on February 26th despite aggressive U.S. pressure.  The Democratic leadership in Congress joined with President Bush to make passage of the law the top benchmark to show success of the government.  Both Vice President Cheney and Defense Secretary Gates have made recent trips to the region to urge passage of the law.  But, the parliament is resisting - even threatening to take a vacation rather than pass the oil law.

In Congress, Dennis Kucinich has tried to raise the issue of the unfairness of the oil law in a Democratic caucus meeting... Kucinich made an hour long speech describing the Iraq oil law and how it would result in U.S. oil companies controlling their market and reaping most of the profits from Iraqi oil.

Iraq oil workers seeing this U.S. pressure have taken their own action.  Members of the union have been on strike since Monday 4th June. Among the union's demands is consultation on the proposed oil law, which the union opposes. On Tuesday, al-Maliki warned that he would meet threats to oil production "with an iron fist."  Maliki issued arrest warrants for leaders of the union on a charge of "sabotaging the economy."  The warrant specifically names Hassan Juma'a Awad, the leader of the 26,000-strong Federation of Oil Unions, and three other leaders of the Federation.

If Maliki follows through on his "iron fist" promise and uses the military against the oil workers it will be evident to all Iraqis that he puts the demands of U.S. occupation forces ahead of the needs of the oil workers. It will also become obvious that he is willing to turn over Iraq's oil to western oil companies rather than meet the needs of the Iraqi people. 

The recent comments by representatives of the Bush administration that the U.S. presence in Iraq will be much like the U.S. presence in South Korea - which has lasted 50 years - is relevant to the oil law because U.S. oil companies are seeking 30 year contracts in Iraq.  Thus, having a strong U.S. military presence in Iraq will help to assure enforcement of those contracts.

The coming out of oil as the central goal of the invasion and occupation of Iraq is going to make the occupation more difficult. 

The chant, mocked at the beginning of the invasion by many, "no war for oil" is now becoming to be seen for what it is - the truth.  And it will be a truth seen by  the entire world.

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