Assessing the Oil Motive After the U.S. War in Iraq

Much opposition to the U.S. invasion of Iraq was based on the idea that it had little or nothing to do with threats to national security, but was instead motivated by a U.S. drive to control or at least influence Iraqi oil production. What then does it mean that the war has not resulted in a bonanza for U.S. oil companies? In this essay, it is argued that U. S. decision makers were keenly interested in Iraqi oil before the war. But recent events also suggest the need to update our ideas about resource wars. Additionally, these events serve as a reminder that there are important limits to U.S. power.