Former US Federal Reserve chief Alan Greenspan famously spills the beans in his new memoir, The Age of Turbulence: "I am saddened that it is politically inconvenient to acknowledge what everyone knows: the Iraq war is largely about oil." (London Times, Sept. 16) On her blog Sept. 25, Arianna Huffington lauds leftist icon Naomi Klein for calling out Greenspan on this point in a Sept. 24 interview with him on Democracy Now: "Are you aware that, according to the Hague Regulations and the Geneva Conventions, it is illegal for one country to invade another over its natural resources?" (Contrast Ann Coulter's "Why not go to war just for oil? We need oil! What do Hollywood celebrities imagine fuels their private jets? How do they think their cocaine is delivered to them?")

Another blow in Iraq's escalating Sunni civil war—and further evidence that any attempt at "reconciliation" will be doomed as long as the US remains in Iraq, allowing the jihadis to pose as the "resistance," and anyone advocating co-existence to be tarred as collaborators. (Not that these collaborationist sheikhs necessarily do want co-existence with Shi'ites.) Contrary to the depressing conventional wisdom, the first absolutely necessary requisite for a de-escalation in Iraq and isolating the al-Qaeda types is a withdrawal of all occupation troops. From the New York Times, Sept. 25:

While Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's Sept. 24 soapbox session at Columbia University sparked high-profile protests and a media feeding-frenzy, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's appearance that same day at a Shi'ite mosque in Queens went largely unnoticed—despite the fact that he runs a death-squad state and also aspires to Iran-style Shi'ite totalitarianism. Why is that? OK, here's a clue: The mosque where he appeared is named after and linked to the foundation established by a late imam of al-Maliki's tendency who was no more progressive (or "moderate") than Iran's reigning mullahs where rights for women, gays, secularists or Sunnis is concerned—but who happened to be on the CIA payroll. In other words, as FDR said of a particular Central American dictator, "our son of a bitch." While al-Maliki's visit did make the New York Times, it was only the Queens Times-Ledger which noted (without comment) his rather sinister comments at the affair (emphasis added):

From the Iraq Freedom Congress (IFC), Sept. 20:

The Iraqi minister of oil (Shehristani) has requested the Iraqi Prime Minister Almaliki to arrest the leaders of the Anti-oil Law Front (Subhi Albadri; chairperson. Hassan Juma; president of GUOE and Front member. Falih Abood Imara; secretary of GUOE and Front memberand many more) few days ago. The spokesperson of the ministry of interior stated that they are waiting for the government to decide whether arresting those leaders or let them stage their intended strike on September 22, 2007 that is aimed to topple the draft oil law. The Iraqi parliament member (Mahmood Uthman) said "I am against any protest or civil disobedience before the debating the draft law and declaring any protest before this debate means that there political motivations behind it."

Blackwater security guards who protect US diplomats in Iraq have been involved in at least seven serious incidents—including some which resulted in the deaths of innocent civilians—Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said Sept. 19. The revelation came as al-Maliki announced he has revoked the firm's license to operate in Iraq while US and Iraqi officials investigate the Sept. 16 shooting that Iraqi officials now say left at least 11 people dead. Blackwater characterized the incident as an ambush, but survivors and witnesses described it as an unprovoked shooting spree.

From CBS News, Sept. 15:

Tens of thousands of anti-war demonstrators marched through downtown Washington on Saturday, clashing with police at the foot of the Capitol steps where more than 190 protesters were arrested...

First, the basic facts from the New York Times, Sept. 14:

Sunni Sheik Who Backed U.S. in Iraq Is Killed
BAGHDAD, Sept. 13 — A high-profile Sunni Arab sheik who collaborated with the American military in the fight against jihadist militants in western Iraq was killed in a bomb attack on Thursday near his desert compound. The attack appeared to be a precisely planned assassination meant to undermine one of the Bush administration’s trumpeted achievements in the war.

Some very insightful words from Paul Krugman in the Sept. 14 New York Times on the Kurdish Regional Government's unilateral oil deals. Fortunately, Ed Strong's Best That's Left blog rescues the column from the Times' elitist pay-per-view policy. Relevant passages:

Last month the provincial government in Kurdistan, defying the central government, passed its own oil law; last week a Kurdish Web site announced that the provincial government had signed a production-sharing deal with the Hunt Oil Company of Dallas, and that seems to have been the last straw.