It appears that the Betchel Group, recent recipient of a lucrative government contract to rebuild Iraq, has a history in the region. In the 50s, they built a pipeline from Kirkuk in Iraq to Syria, and in the ’80s they had plans to build a massive oil pipeline from iraq to Jordan. And who was the point man in negotations on that latter (unrealized) project? Why, a fellow by the name of Donald Rumsfeld. But remember, only America-hating loons think oil (sorry, Glenn, I mean “oooooooil”) might have anything to do with this.

Update: A commenter observes that negotiations are underway to resurrect a Mosul-Haifa pipeline that could provide Israel with oil. And in an unusually blunt bit of trade negotiation, it’ll be a condition of removing sanctions on Iraq that Israel be provided with oil. It’s nice to see that military actions undertaken for sound national security reason have so many coincidental side-benefits for the U.S. and its allies in the region.