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WORLD / Middle East
Gates rejects Greenspan claim war is about oil
(Agencies)
Updated: 2007-09-17 10:24
WASHINGTON - US Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Sunday rejected former
Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan's statement that the Iraq war "is
largely about oil."
US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates speaks at a news conference at the
Pentagon in Washington on September 14, 2007. [Reuters]
With Democratic lawmakers apparently short of the votes needed to force
President George W. Bush to change course, Gates defended the war, now in
its fifth year, and said it's being driven by the need to stabilize the
Gulf and put down hostile forces.
Gates's defense came a day after thousands of anti-war protesters marched
in Washington. A spokeswoman for one of the groups who organized the
march said more than 200 protesters were taken into custody, including at
least 10 Iraq war veterans, when they attempted to cross a police barrier
near the US Capitol.
Greenspan, in his new book, "The Age of Turbulence: Adventures in a New
World," echoed long-held complaints of many critics that a key motivating
force in the war is to maintain US access to the rich oil supplies in
Iraq.
"Whatever their publicized angst over Saddam Hussein's 'weapons of mass
destruction,' American and British authorities were also concerned about
violence in an area that harbors a resource indispensable for the
functioning of the world economy," Greenspan wrote.
"I'm saddened that it is politically inconvenient to acknowledge what
everyone knows: The Iraq war is largely about oil," added Greenspan, who
for decades had been one of the most respected US voices on fiscal
policies.
After more than 18 years at the helm, Greenspan retired in January 2006
as chairman of the Fed, the nation's central bank, which regulates
monetary policy.
Appearing on ABC's "This Week," Gates said, "I have a lot of respect for
Mr. Greenspan." But he disagreed with his comment about oil being a
leading motivating factor in the war.
"I wasn't here for the decision-making process that initiated it, that
started the war," Gates said. But he added, "I know the same allegation
was made about the Gulf War in 1991, and I just don't believe it's true."
"I think that it's really about stability in the Gulf. It's about rogue
regimes trying to develop weapons of mass destruction. It's about
aggressive dictators," Gates said.
"After all, Saddam Hussein launched wars against several of his
neighbors," Gates said. "He was trying to develop weapons of mass
destruction, certainly when we went in, in 1991."
Bush last week ordered gradual troop reductions in Iraq into next summer
but defied calls for a dramatic change of course, saying the US military
role there will stretch beyond his presidency.
Gates said he would urge Bush to veto a proposal by Democratic Sen. James
Webb of Virginia that would require US troops spend as much time at home
as their previous tour in Iraq.
"It would be extremely difficult for us to manage that," Gates said. "It
really is a backdoor way to try and force the president to accelerate the
drawdowns. Again, the drawdowns have to be based on the conditions on the
ground."
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, a Michigan Democrat,
said he did not know if the Senate, held by Democrats, 51-49, would be
able to muster the 60 votes needed to clear a Republican procedural
roadblock and approve the Webb measure. But he said "it has a good
chance."
He conceded, however, that at this point backers do not have the
two-thirds majority that would be needed to override a Bush veto of the
legislation.
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