ON THE WALLABY- 22nd July 2007

”They won an election we insisted on having. And so, unpleasant group as they may be and as unsatisfied as I find some of their positions,I think through some means, Hamas has to be engaged” – Colin Powell, former US Secretary of State on the exclusion of Hamas from Middle Eastern peace talks

IF IRAQ IS ALL ABOUT OIL (AS BRENDAN NELSON AT LAST AGREES), WHY WOULD THE IRAQI PROVINCES SIGN THE OIL AMENDMENT BILL?

In a confidential report given the Pentagon and released through ABC News (USA), it appears the Iraqi provinces have jibbed at making agreement on the signing of the Oil Amendment Bill until after September.

The agreement is one of 18 key agreements highlighted by President Bush to indicate “satisfactory progress” by the Iraqi Government towards self rule and yet, when you read that the same bill will give US and British oil interests somewhere between 70% and 80% of Iraq’s oil revenue for the next 30 years (the Iraqi government will get 20-30%), you have to ask “why in heavens name would they sign it?

With 90% of Iraq’s export income being obtained from oil sales, this is obviously an enormously important decision and given that of the three areas, one Shi’ite, one Sunni and the other Kurdish, that the oil is in the first and last areas, why would the Sunni’s even look like agreeing anyway?

The report also concludes that “ as security in Iraq is so unstable, it is unlikely that any foreign oil company would not be able to invest in Iraq during 2008 unless heavily subsidised by the US Government”.

It seems to me that, on reading this, the September deadline for the report on Bush’s surge into Iraq has more on the agenda than troops fighting and oil is a big part of that!

HOW DO YOU GET PEACE IN PALESTINE WITHOUT THE INVOLVEMENT OF HAMAS?

I found the quotation I have used of Colin Powell, former US Secretary of State and which appears in this weekends edition of The Australian Financial Review to be a ray of common sense being emitted from what is basically a dark area of trapped ideologues.

As he rightly points out, and most in the international community with the exception of the government of Israel and their backers within the US have agreed, Hamas won the election last year fair and square and took power off Fatah.

To my way of thinking, if the election was run, and won, fairly, and I have no doubt given the strong community work that both Hamas and Hezbollah do (leaving apart their antipathy towards Israel) was a big factor in that win, they should be recognised as the legitimate government.

I have no doubt also that Gaza will also soon return to law and order under their administration so it alludes me, given that they control so much of the disputed territory, just why they would not be included in any peace talks?

If you wish to make a long term and binding agreement in any scenario, all parties must be there and whilst I readily admit to having no concept of just how deep hate runs in the veins of all parties, surely somewhere amongst these men and women there must be a cadre who can make it work?

The role of Australia here is one that, for whatever reason, we have overlooked and it is a tragedy for Australia’s standing, through service in that area in two world wars and since, has us in good stead. Whilst the remark of our PM about being “the Sheriff in SE Asia” I am sure would not have won any awards with the Islamic community there, nonetheless we would be going in as arbitrators with a lot less baggage than the USA and the UK and with a national sense of a “fair go”.

Sure, when oil runs out, as it assuredly will, many will not give two hoots about what happens there with the battle returning to countries, such as Australia, Brazil, the USA etc that can grow vast amounts of bio-degradable fuel (that will be in another OTW) but be that as it may, on all expectations that time is probably 30+ years away so the questions remains – “what do we do in the meantime”?

How we answer that may well dictate world peace.

Carpe diem

Tony

Tony Fountain

Professional Speaker, auctioneer and author

tony@fountainandco.com

Bowral NSW Australia

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