UN weapons inspectors recently landed in Baghdad, giving many hope for a fair and credible inspections process in Iraq and that a US attack might be averted. Yet, the US continues its military build up in neighboring Arab nations and has not changed its original war designs. Continued war preparations risk the inspections futile, as if the outcome to this conflict was determined long ago.

The administration's lack of respect for the weapons inspection process calls into question its concern for Iraq's weapon building capabilities. What are their motives for engaging in a largely unpopular, risky, and costly military endeavor? One incentive that cannot be ignored is oil.

A Sept.15 Washington Post article, "In Iraqi War Scenario, Oil Is Key Issue," tells of the billions of dollars of oil available beneath Iraqi soil. US oil companies are maneuvering to be first in line when the Iraqi oil fields are dispensed by a post-war, US controlled governing body. Iraq has the world's second largest oil reserves (estimated at 112 billion barrels). The size of these reserves is exceeded only by those in Saudi Arabia.

The Post article states that "a U.S.-led ouster of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein could open a bonanza for American oil companies long banished from Iraq, scuttling oil deals between Baghdad and Russia, France and other countries, and reshuffling world petroleum markets." The article goes on to describe a post-war Iraq that might withdraw its membership from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), thus fulfilling another of the US's long desired goals of weakening the powerful oil partnership.

US oil companies contributed $26 million to Bush and Cheney's party in the 2000 election campaign, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. While this doesn't necessarily mean that President Bush and his senior administration officials answer to big oil, it does confirm that they have a high level of influence in the White House. With former oil executives in the top two positions of the administration, it's hard not to notice the correlation between the interests of the White House and that of the oil industry.

Another player in this contentious battle is a group called the Iraqi National Congress (INC). According to the Nov. 3 story "Carve-up Begins" in the London Observer, the Iraqi opposition group, supported by the Bush administration, met with US oil multinationals in Washington last month to negotiate the allotment of oil reserves in a post-war Iraq. The Observer article also mentions that INC's leader, Ahmed Chalabi, "has made clear that he would reward the US for removing Saddam with lucrative contracts." This quote is especially notable as it equates rewarding the US government with rewarding US oil companies. In addition to divvying out these multi-billion dollar contracts, Chalabi is encouraging the creation of a US-led consortium to develop Iraq's oil fields.

The evidence suggests that the oil quotient does, indeed, play a large role in the President's intent to invade Iraq. In debating the merits and reasons for an invasion of Iraq, the benefits to the President's associates in the oil industry have to be laid right next to the President's rhetoric on the elimination of possible weapons facilities and regime change.

Getting Heard On Talk Radio
Millions of Americans listen to talk radio everyday. By calling in to talk radio shows you can reach thousands of your fellow citizens and influence public opinion with only a few minutes of your time.

In some areas, members of Congress are frequent guests. They can be held accountable in front of a large listening audience. While this may not change their opinion, it will certainly cause them to take a closer look at your issue and direct staff time toward their position.

General Advice
Plan ahead. Find out what shows in your area have serious discussions. Listen to those programs, or simply tune in at the beginning for a moment to see what the topic is. Write down the call-in numbers on your Rolodex or program them into your phone.

Be persistent. When the host solicits callers, act quickly. On some national programs, you may need to call over and over again until you are connected. You may not be connected at all, but the possibility of reaching thousands or hundreds of thousands makes it an effective use of a small amount of time.

Be prepared. Getting on the air is intimidating if it is a new experience. Always write down an outline of what you wish to say. As a rule, shorter is better. Use material from the Peace Action web site or any other source that will provide you with the necessary info to make your case. Use local statistics and personal stories where relevant. Be thoughtful about the words and phrases you use and try to make your points appeal to the widest possible audience. Remember that your audience is the listeners, not the host or the guests.

If there are two guests on a program, be sure to direct any questions toward the person whom you agree with most. This gives them more airtime.

For more information about calling in to radio programs see our How To… section.

Talking Points
Here are some talking points you can use to raise this issue on the radio. If you are a member of Peace Action, don't forget to mention that on air.

1. Attacking Iraq will make Americans less safe. A US attack on Iraq is likely to provoke retaliation from Islamic extremists and other militant groups. The CIA has also said that a US drive for regime change in Iraq may push Saddam toward using weapons of mass destruction. The American public will be in a much more vulnerable position than if we dealt with Saddam through a credible weapons inspection process.

2. Oil is a big factor behind this war. US oil companies contributed $26 million to President Bush and Vice-President Cheney's party in the 2000 election campaign. Oil companies are holding meetings with Iraqi dissidents to carve up the second largest oil reserves in the world, valued at hundreds of billions of dollars.

3. Civilians will become the biggest victims of war on Iraq. 50,000 to 250,000 Iraq civilians may die in the first three months of a conventional conflict in Iraq. These casualty rates dramatically increase with continued military action. The economic sanctions imposed on Iraq since 1991 have already decimated the population, with 5,000 children, under age 5, dying each month.

Peace Action: Practical, Positive Alternatives for Peace
www.peace-action.org

To reprint or repost this information, please call Carrie Benzschawel at (202) 862-9740 ext. 3041.