Final Word from Monday, February 24, 2003
Is the impending invasion of Iraq about oil? Czech politicians say No, although some, like Václav Havel, admit that the war is of course about oil, too. Senator Josef Zieleniec said that reducing it to oil is primitive and simplistic. US-DEU Chair Petr Mareš, like political analyst Jiří Pehe, said that if the U.S. wanted Iraq's oil, it would just buy it instead of fighting for it. Pehe said it would be easier for the U.S. to attack the United Arab Emirates (UAE) or Saudi Arabia if oil were the issue. ODS Chair Mirek Topolánek and Foreign Minister Cyril Svoboda said economic interests are an issue but are second or third on the list. Economics are behind everything to an extent, Svoboda said. But when asked if the CR has economic interests in play in Iraq, he said definitely not. Miroslav Macek of ODS said that if everyone else is looking out for his own economic interests in Iraq, why shouldn't the CR too?