SNIP
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>Actually, I think you're a lot closer to the truth than you think. My understanding is that both Russia and France have a lot of vested interest in what happens with Iraq. The numbers I've heard is that they have about $60 billion in oil futures contracts, that could totaly disappear if the US goes to war in Iraq. That $60 billion to those countries is a really big deal, much more so than $60 B is to the US. Anyway you measure it, it's about the oil and money, just not who you really think the oil and money is for!

While I don't argue your numbers or your point, I do want to say that things probably are not nearly so simple as that.
After all, quite early in this game - certainly before 1441 was unamimed by the Security Council - President Bush stated in front of the world that all existing contracts were in no jeopardy from any action by the U.S.
Also, though, consider that ANYTHING can be bought and I have no doubt that American or Dutch or British or ???? oil interests would apply whatever pressure possible to 'purchase' much of the stuff at reduced rates.
And I also wouldn't put it past the U.S. or other government, including my own, to exert pressures in other areas in order to "obtain" the subject rights/good anyway.

It just so happens in this case that the U.S. has had only marginal business with Iraqi companies, but history is full of cases where the U.S. ignored embargoes when other countries were involved.

No matter how it's sliced, oil IS at the root of this. Sure, it can be disguised as 'the need to bring democracy to Iraq', and then to Saudi Arabia, and then to Bahrain and then to Qatar and then to Kuwait. Funny how all these sit on the world's huge oil reserves. Funny how there is no need to bring democracy to China or to North Korea or to Cuba. What...they don't have lots of oil? Oh, I forgot.