OIL WARS

Iraq government -- and economy -- beholden to US, for years to come

"Throughout the spring, ... Bush viceroy in Iraq Paul Bremer was quietly signing a series of edicts that will give the United States effective control over the military, ministries -- and money -- of any Iraqi government, for years to come, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Bremer has placed U.S.-appointed 'commissions' made up of Americans and local puppets throughout Iraqi government agencies; the ministers supposedly in charge weren't even told of the edicts.
These boards 'will serve multiyear terms and have significant authority to run criminal investigations, award contracts, direct troops and subpoena citizens,' the Journal reports. Any new Iraqi government 'will have little control over its armed forces, lack the ability to make or change laws and be unable to make major decisions within specific ministries without tacit U.S. approval, say U.S. officials.'"