Neo-Cons, Nabobs and Empire

Neo-Cons, Nabobs and Empire
It's Bigger Than the Neo-Cons
Chris Floyd
From: counterpunch

..Under Bush II, the neo-cons were brought in as shock troops; their mindless zealotry was a perfect tool for implementing the plans drawn up by the real
players in the new regime: Cheney's notorious "Energy Task Force" and the much lesser-known "Joint Task Force on Petroleum" formed by the Council on Foreign Relations and--who else?--the James Baker Institute at Rice University. It was here that the final solution for Iraq was hammered out: regime change with the aim of locking up--not unleashing--Iraq's massive oil reserves, to keep energy prices high and steady (Saddam was mischievously bouncing them all over the place) and to preserve the power of OPEC under the leadership of those time-honored pals and business partners of the American Establishment, the Saudi royals..

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