Dennis Kucinich: “The administration sets several benchmarks for the Iraqi Government, including the passage of the hydrocarbon law by the…”

“The administration sets several benchmarks for the Iraqi Government, including the passage of the hydrocarbon law by the parliament. The administration misled this Congress by emphasizing only a small part of this law, the so-called ``fair'' distribution of oil revenues. Consider the fact that the Iraqi hydrocarbon law contains a mere three sentences that generally discuss the ``fair'' distribution of oil. Except for these three scant lines, the entire 33-page hydrocarbon bill is about creating a complex legal structure to facilitate the privatization of Iraqi oil. As a matter of fact, yesterday, Vice President Cheney was in Baghdad specifically to tell the Iraqi legislature they must stay in session to pass this hydrocarbon bill which hands Iraqi oil over to foreign oil companies. It is imperative that all of us look at this carefully before we cast our vote today. Mr. Speaker, this war will never end if the Iraqi people believe the U.S. government is trying to deliver its oil over to U.S. oil companies.”