Gwynne Dyer reporting on Iraq from Malaysia

I suppose keeping Iraq oil from China could be a motive. I wonder though if China actually has problems purchasing oil from the Middle East. Of course it would rather have a piece of the action if possible, which is why China probably does not want stronger sanctions against Iran.

'Iraq war a cover for US's real motives'
R. Manirajan
KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 6, 2007): The United States invaded Iraq, not just for its oil, but to control its supply to countries like China so that it can remain the world's economic giant, freelance journalist Dr Gwynne Dyer said today.
Going to war with Iraq was just a distraction from the actual intention, which was to control the entire supply of oil in the Persian Gulf, he said on the second of the three-day Expose War Crimes - Criminalise War conference here, organised by the Perdana Global Peace Organisation.

Dyer, who is also a lecturer on international affairs, spoke on "The ultimate war crime and how to distract the media".

He said he had spoken with intelligence friends in the course of his work in the US and Britain on the invasion of Iraq and much of the focus was on China and not the threat of terrorism or weapons of mass destruction.

"No point talking to politicians as they talk from the script. Many of the intelligence friends say, the entire invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan was manufactured and sold to the people on the pretext of terrorist threats," he said.

Dyer said the real reason for the invasion was about the great power game and America protecting its economic interest.

"China is becoming a real economic threat to the US, as it is expected to become an economic giant by the year 2040 and a few years after, that it will be India," he said.

"The US does not like to be in the number two or three position economically.

"You don't need to invade a country to get oil from them, when they are actually in the business of selling it. But if you want to control where the oil is being sold, then you might want to invade a country."

Dyer said the principal aim of the invasion was to control the flow of oil to China as most Middle East oil did not go to the US, but to Southeast Asian countries.

He said war was made illegal 52 years ago, but the United Nations had sidelined many important decisons for the past 60 years, adding that this should be addressed.

The other topics discussed today included the tragedy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, low-level radiation being a silent killer and new weapons of mass murder.