<This is an interview with the producer/reporter on this program. It was a good program, by the way.

Caller: Washington, D.C.: Does Iraq have a right to defend its oilfields from siezure by a government that's backed by a coalition of large oil and defense interests? I keep thinking back to the 1990 meeting that occured just before the invasion of Kuwait where it has been alleged that the US Ambassador to Iraq signalled a green light to the Kuwait invasion. Even if Saddam turns out to be the only despot we ever do anything about, don't we still have a right to consider the larger profit motive(s) involved?

Sam Kiley: Well, the correspondent has put his finger on what this war is about. There is no question that this is every bit about oil as it is about WMD -- probably more so in my view. It certainly has nothing to do with Western concerns with the plight of the Iraqi people. And, if you look -- I'm not an expert on the oil industry, but its my understanding that Karzai used to work for a major American oil company. I rest my case.

Arf (and I mine)