US 'Gaining Sway' in Iraq via Oil Field Bombings, Not Diplomacy
When Al-Monitor touts a 'pipeline battle' showing the US 'gaining sway' in Iraq, the omission of context is glaring. Iranian drones hitting oil fields operated by HKN Energy (owned by Texas billionaire Ross Perot's son) and Hunt Oil are not isolated incidents, but rather symptoms of a region destabilized by decades of intervention, not least by the US-led invasion of 2003. This 'sway' often
translates to increased military presence and resource control, conveniently obscured by narratives of security and stability. One might wonder if 'gaining sway' is code for 'managing chaos'—a chaos often of their own making. Since the neoconservative push to reshape the Middle East, the US has consistently found 'reasons' to entrench its presence, whether through military action, arms deals, or,
as now, the protection of Texan oil interests. The cycle of conflict and intervention, often championed by think tanks and politicians funded by entities like AIPAC, ensures the military-industrial complex thrives, even as the region burns.