# Iraq casus belli was Saddam wanting oil to be traded in euros **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 4, 2012, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraq-casus-belli-was-saddam-wanting-oil-to-be-traded-in-euros/633639 "2012-09-04T14:26:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sweeteviljesus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@sweeteviljesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweeteviljesus)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraq-casus-belli-was-saddam-wanting-oil-to-be-traded-in-euros/633639/1 "2012-09-04T14:26:52Z")
I was speaking to a guy on Sunday who stated that the real reason for the Iraq War was that Saddam was agitating to get oil to be traded in euros. I was thinking about it and I am not sure I agree with him on that. First of all, would Saddam have the clout to push something like that? Would other countries have gone along with it? Would countries who thought that it was a good idea back down from it because of the Iraq War? Also, that comes back to a question I had before about why was Tony Blair on our side. Would the UK care if oil is traded in dollars or euros? What do you think? Rob ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraq-casus-belli-was-saddam-wanting-oil-to-be-traded-in-euros/633639/2 "2012-09-04T14:36:14Z")
Total and complete nonsense. There are folks who simply refuse to believe the plain reasons for things. Saddam did indeed insist for euro payments for Iraq’s oil beginning in 2000, and Iran seems to have made a similar conversion in 2007. Who cares? It’s just more conspiracy theory nonsense. Everyone knows why Bush invaded Iraq. ---
**Author:** ![picker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/picker/32/13969_2.png) [@picker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picker)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraq-casus-belli-was-saddam-wanting-oil-to-be-traded-in-euros/633639/3 "2012-09-04T16:01:00Z")
to get to the other side? ---
**Author:** ![sweeteviljesus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@sweeteviljesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweeteviljesus)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraq-casus-belli-was-saddam-wanting-oil-to-be-traded-in-euros/633639/4 "2012-09-04T16:09:22Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Total and complete nonsense. There are folks who simply refuse to believe the plain reasons for things. Saddam did indeed insist for euro payments for Iraq’s oil beginning in 2000, and Iran seems to have made a similar conversion in 2007. Who cares? It’s just more conspiracy theory nonsense. > > Everyone knows why Bush invaded Iraq. Revenge? ---
**Author:** ![Latro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@Latro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Latro)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraq-casus-belli-was-saddam-wanting-oil-to-be-traded-in-euros/633639/5 "2012-09-04T16:13:56Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > It’s just more conspiracy theory nonsense. Conspiracy- yes. Theory- of course. Nonsense- not so sure. ---
**Author:** ![Strassia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e8c25b/32.png) [@Strassia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strassia)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraq-casus-belli-was-saddam-wanting-oil-to-be-traded-in-euros/633639/6 "2012-09-04T16:45:16Z")
> [@Latro](#): > > Conspiracy- yes. > Theory- of course. > Nonsense- not so sure. In 2002 Iraq produced less than 3 million barrels per day. Total production was almost 65 million barrels per day. Most of the major players in the oil market have a heavy stake in the dollar not collapsing, so I doubt if this a big motivator. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraq-casus-belli-was-saddam-wanting-oil-to-be-traded-in-euros/633639/7 "2012-09-04T17:04:09Z")
> [@Latro](#): > > Conspiracy- yes. > Theory- of course. > Nonsense- not so sure. You think the British contingent in Iraq cared about whether oil was traded in one of two foreign currencies? How about the Australians? ---
**Author:** ![Learjeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@Learjeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Learjeff)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraq-casus-belli-was-saddam-wanting-oil-to-be-traded-in-euros/633639/8 "2012-09-04T17:39:39Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Everyone knows why Bush invaded Iraq. I sure don’t. I don’t believe the reasons were the ones Powell gave to the UN – I didn’t find that very convincing, and if I were a high school teacher I’d have awarded him a C+, feeling generous. I don’t believe even he believed his arguments. My best theory is that it was due to what economists call "energy intensity"of the US economy (the cheaper energy is, the better our economy) coupled with high inelasticity in the oil market, where getting Iraqi oil back on the market would reduce prices dramatically even though the output isn’t that big compared with the total. (Inelastic markets respond more dramatically to smaller changes in supply.) That and Dubya had his mind set on it, for who knows what reasons. I’m still confused as to why all the Dems (but 1) voted in favor of the Iraq war. (No doubt it’s been discussed here; please feel free to post a thread.) ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraq-casus-belli-was-saddam-wanting-oil-to-be-traded-in-euros/633639/9 "2012-09-04T17:59:04Z")
The currency the oil is traded in makes no difference. All major currencies are floating versus the other currencies so they can easily be exchanged for one another. Oil is priced in dollars to keep things simple but it conveys no benefit for the USA for this to happen except it saves American purchasers the hassle of a simple bank transaction. ---
**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraq-casus-belli-was-saddam-wanting-oil-to-be-traded-in-euros/633639/10 "2012-09-04T18:57:14Z")
> [@Latro](#): > > Nonsense- not so sure. You’re not so sure if upon hearing that Iraq wanted to trade it’s oil in Euros in 2000 Bush did what - set in motion the 9/11 attacks to bring down the WTC using controlled demolitions while fabricating the plane hijacking in order to whip up a national frenzy that he could then use to invade Iraq? Seriously? ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraq-casus-belli-was-saddam-wanting-oil-to-be-traded-in-euros/633639/11 "2012-09-04T20:04:36Z")
Neither Iraq nor Saddam made any contribution to 9/11. Period. Iraq was invaded because of the imperialistic plans of PNAC, and pushed by their rag the _Weekly Standard_. It was a silly idea that kept finding excuses, from a delusional man who claimed the Iraqis wanted him to take over from Saddam, to ecological destruction in the marshlands, to supposed nuclear tech, to claims that the chemical weapons Saddam had already destroyed were hiding somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraq-casus-belli-was-saddam-wanting-oil-to-be-traded-in-euros/633639/12 "2012-09-04T20:19:01Z")
> [@Learjeff](#): > > I’m still confused as to why all the Dems (but 1) voted in favor of the Iraq war. (No doubt it’s been discussed here; please feel free to post a thread.) You’re confused allright, because that’s not correct. About half the Senate Democrats voted for the Iraq AUMF. Biden was one of them. I think it was about the same in the House, maybe less. All the House Republicans (but 6) voted for the AUMF. Guess who was one of the nays? Ron Paul. All the Senate Republicans (but 1) vote for it, too. Chaffee of RI voted against. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraq-casus-belli-was-saddam-wanting-oil-to-be-traded-in-euros/633639/13 "2012-09-04T21:51:00Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Everyone knows why Bush invaded Iraq. Spill it! And please inform Richard Haass, Rhodes scholar, President of CFR, and _leading advisor to the GWB Administration_, [who has been quoted as not knowing why](http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1731884/posts) : > [@](#): > > George Packer in this book The Assassin’s Gate observes that ‘‘it is impossible to be sure’’ why the country went to war in Iraq, and quotes Richard Haass, an aide to the president, as thinking that he would go to his grave ‘‘not knowing the answer.’’ Frank Rich in his The Greatest Story Ever Sold suspects that Karl Rove’s desire to build a permanent Republican majority was a major factor. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraq-casus-belli-was-saddam-wanting-oil-to-be-traded-in-euros/633639/14 "2012-09-04T21:52:54Z")
Why did so many Democrats vote for the war? They remembered back to the first Gulf War, when they voted against the war and it turned out to be short and victorious. Then they spent the rest of the 90s having to explain why they voted against a short popular victorious war. So when Gulf War II rolled around, they didn’t want to spend another decade being demogogued for voting against another short popular victorious war, so they decided to vote for it this time. Too bad this war turned out to be long, unpopular and inconclusive. ---
**Author:** ![split\_p\_j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e19b73/32.png) [@split\_p\_j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/split_p_j)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraq-casus-belli-was-saddam-wanting-oil-to-be-traded-in-euros/633639/15 "2012-09-04T22:21:27Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Everyone knows why Bush invaded Iraq. I’ll say up front I’m a “truther”, but I have to know. Why did Bush invade Iraq? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraq-casus-belli-was-saddam-wanting-oil-to-be-traded-in-euros/633639/16 "2012-09-04T22:23:50Z")
Because he’s an idiot. ---
**Author:** ![split\_p\_j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e19b73/32.png) [@split\_p\_j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/split_p_j)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraq-casus-belli-was-saddam-wanting-oil-to-be-traded-in-euros/633639/17 "2012-09-04T22:44:54Z")
I see, so basically if you even ask questions now it will be reduced to joke, or you’ll be put in the moon landings were fake, alien cover-up tin foil hat group. It can never be believed that the most powerful country in the world would be involved in a conspircy to controll one of the most important natural resources known to man. Even though they plainly stated that was their goal, on paper. No that’s crazy. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2012, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraq-casus-belli-was-saddam-wanting-oil-to-be-traded-in-euros/633639/18 "2012-09-05T02:16:40Z")
> [@split\_p\_j](#): > > I see, so basically if you even ask questions now it will be reduced to joke, or you’ll be put in the moon landings were fake, alien cover-up tin foil hat group. > > It can never be believed that the most powerful country in the world would be involved in a conspircy to controll one of the most important natural resources known to man. > > Even though they plainly stated that was their goal, on paper. > > No that’s crazy. You seem to be conflating various issues. The Neo-Cons believed Wolfowitz’s idiotic and historically inept term paper that claimed that the U.S. invasion of Iraq would lead to a rejuvenated country along the lines of Japan and Germany with strong ties to the U.S. It was also supposed to provide a beacon of democracy that would lead the rest of the Middle East to become democratic. They also believed the utter nonsense (from what source I am not sure) that they could use Iraqi oil to have the war pay for itself, even though every responsible economist and financial expert pointed out that Iraq’s oil production capacity was not even able to pay for Iraq’s debt to the other Gulf countries for the First Gulf War. Following that nonsense, the Bush administration used the fact that a totally different bunch of terrorists successfully harmed the U.S. to pull a bait-and-switch argument to lead us into an invasion of Iraq. Your language suggests that you think the Bush administration had a hand in planning or executing the WTC/Pentagon attacks. THAT is nonsense. ---
**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2012, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraq-casus-belli-was-saddam-wanting-oil-to-be-traded-in-euros/633639/19 "2012-09-05T02:43:55Z")
> [@split\_p\_j](#): > > It can never be believed that the most powerful country in the world would be involved in a conspircy to controll one of the most important natural resources known to man. The euro? ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2012, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraq-casus-belli-was-saddam-wanting-oil-to-be-traded-in-euros/633639/20 "2012-09-05T04:21:43Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > … to claims that the chemical weapons Saddam had already destroyed were hiding somewhere. WMDs were one of the major issues. Iraq had a chemical weapons program, was widely suspected of having a biological program, and some suggested a supposed nuclear program. Clearly Iraq had chemical weapons at one time and used them in genocidal attacks against the Kurdish minority. That nugget of truth could be exploited by those seeking justification for war. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraq-casus-belli-was-saddam-wanting-oil-to-be-traded-in-euros/633639.md?page=2)