Iraq Better Chums With China Than US?

In our greasy and overcrowded college canteen I watched as US marines made their way across Iraq in an operation called Iraqi freedom. Nine months before that I watched the course of history (and my future) change forever when two airplanes crashed into the New York stock exchange during first period Family and Health Class in high school. How these two events were linked was anyone’s guess. The terrorists of 9-11 had been founded by Wahhabism from Saudi Arabia and had based themselves in Afghanistan. Iraq was a whole separate issue and we knew it, even in college I was perplexed by the strong of events and circumstances that supposedly tied them together. Operation Iraqi Freedom seemed to say that we were fighting for the freedom of others (although we weren’t sure they wanted it) yet when our first act was to secure the oil fields there were questions raised. And others doubted whether Bush junior wasn’t just trying to complete a job his father didn’t finish. (i.e. ousting Hussein) There were and still are at least one solid truth; there are terrorists out there seeking to end the lives of American’s. Why Iraq then? Major game-changing questions aside, we go to war and hundreds of American’s sacrifice their lives for Iraqi democracy, we pour loads of money into their government system in hopes that they will stabilize and we can head home victors. Meanwhile the government and every other contractor involved is secretly hoping our extended stay and willingness to embroil ourselves into the countries affairs will bring us closer together. And it has in many ways been a golden opportunity for oil companies to create stronger ties with Iraqi representatives and for business to make lasting connections that will better the economies of both nations. Unfortunately the opposite has been true. The thought of doing business in Iraq would send shivers down any business man’s spine and the oil companies haven’t faired much better. Most recently the Iraqi government signed an agreement with China to drill their oil fields and help them manage their expansive oil market. China!! In the eyes of every security analyst there could be no worse insult. Russia has long been a saber rattling, but hollow threat and North Korea has finally agreed to nuclear inspection again. China is the only country whose technology is slowly encroaching on our own and their economy continues to be a force of reckoning. Did I mention how large their population was or how expansive their military is becoming? So when after years of American sacrifice and funding, the Iraqi people turn to China for assistance with their coffers, it’s easy to imagine Cheney having a small corollary over this scenario. The irony was not lost on me. For me, it serves as yet another reminder that the Iraqi people can make their own beds and dig their own graves…we gave them the freedom to do that and for that we should be proud, but this so-called relationship we have with the Iraqi people is no longer mutually beneficial let alone amicable.