Oct. 3, 2010
Iraq: Unfinished Business
Lesley Stahl On The Many Possible Sources of Conflict That Could Erupt Once The U.S. Withdraws Completely
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Play CBS Video Video Iraq: Unfinished Business Lesley Stahl goes to Iraq to report on the many possible sources of conflict that could erupt once the U.S. completely withdraws from the country by the end of 2011.
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Video Extra: Al Qaeda And Iraq Gen. Ray Odierno talks to Lesley Stahl about Al Qaeda's attempts to try to stay relevant in Iraq.
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Video Moving Day: Getting Out of Iraq We all know moving isn't easy. Try moving roughly two million items, ranging from ammunition to office chairs, over desert sands in 130 degree heat while the enemy is shooting at you. "60 Minutes Overtime" unpacks the story of the U.S. Army's massive logistical draw down in Iraq.
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Lesley Stahl and Gen. Ray Odierno, flying over "disputed" areas of Iraq. (CBS)
To calm things down, Odierno organized teams of Pesh Merga, Iraqi and U.S. soldiers to man check points together and patrol the region.
"There's a lot of mistrust. So…we're trying to build trust between them and hope this would help," Odierno explained.
But there's another dispute between the two sides, that's just as contentious: oil.
"This is one of the major points that needs to be resolved very quickly, because this cannot be allowed to continue," Hussein Shahristani, the minister of oil in Baghdad, told Stahl.
Shahristani says this issue is so subversive it threatens to fragment the country. He says the Kurds have illegally hired oil companies from China, Turkey, Norway and elsewhere to explore and develop their oil independently of the central government.
"They've went and signed some contracts, which we declared as unconstitutional," he explained.
"But as I understand it, what you say is illegal is exactly what has been going on. They have hired something like 40 smallish oil companies to develop the oil fields. So what happens now?" Stahl asked.
"This cannot be allowed to continue, that the Iraqi oil is taken out from Iraqi territory, sold, the money is collected by we don't know who. Not deposited," Shahristani said.
"So, you don't know where the money goes?" Stahl asked.
"Exactly," he replied.
According to the minister, "not a single dinar" is making it down to Baghdad.
One of his more startling accusations is that one of the countries the Kurds are selling their oil to is Iran. If true, that would seem to undermine, if not outright violate U.S. sanctions that prohibit such sales.
"Are the Kurds selling oil to Iran?" Stahl asked Odierno.
"They say they are not selling oil to Iran," Odierno replied.
"And you don't. My question is: you don't really know the answer at this point," Stahl remarked.
"But the minister of oil says they might be. We're trying to get the right answer," the general said.
We decided to look for ourselves, so we drove close to the border between Iraqi Kurdistan and Iran and found oil trucks lined up as far as the eye could see.
Nobody stopped us, as one driver after another told us they were transporting fuel oil and gasoline. We followed them and watched them cross into Iran one by one.
Produced by Richard Bonin
? MMX, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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Add a Comment See all 37 Comments
- I don't think for a moment that Israel and their neocon shills in the Bush administration had any part in involving the USA in Iraq.
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- it is with a sense of dread and great foreboding that I take your bait. I cant help myself. I see the worm, and I can see that big hook in there plain as day.OK, lets have it. Who put the US into Iraq? The Bilderbergers? The Rothchilds? The Masons? The Jews? Oh wait. ****. You already said it wasnt israel. Who could it be?? Go ahead. Sicken me.
- But I think they really want it Democracy?????????????? Just like Athens wanted Democracy what they have now is "a Boullibaise of selfishness " There tribal Dammit just like wild dogs and OUR Pack is bittin at their Heels!!!!
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- "many possible sources of conflict"? Like their long post-poned civil war maybe? geesh, people, we need to wise up and GTF out of Iraq! There was never any reason to be there in the first place. If they want a blood bath, they're going to have one no matter how long we delay it.
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- I hate to say it, but the Iraquis will have no on to blame but themselves for whatever happens after US troops pull out. For starters, the Iraqis asked the US to withdraw its troops. Their inability to form a stable government is a result of being unable to bring the warring religious factions together. 5,000+ American lives plus billions of dollars are more than enough contributed to them to help stabilize their crisis. There were two reasons we went to war there; WMD's and to rid the country of Saddam Hussein. The US should have started pulling our troops out of there the day after Hussein was captured. I don't understands why the US feels it is our duty to solve the problems of the world. The US is in the middle of one of the worst crisis' in American history.I think the government need to clean its own closet and stabilize the US before taking on the problems of other Nations. We are currently trillions of dollars in debt because of our own corrupt government and thieves from Wall Street and American Bankers. China (technically) owns almost one-half of the US as a result of the US continually borrowing money from other Countries. $80 billion dollars were sent to Greece to keep their government from collapsing. I think funds and supplies sent to other Countries when they experience natural disasters is the right thing to do, however the US has enough starving, homeless and downtrodden people right here in the US that should be taken care of first.!!
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- nobody to blame but themselves? They can cast a little blame toward the US. For they had an island of western secular society, with equal rights for women and religious fundamentalism kept in check. Their society has been blown backwards a few hundred years, with a rule by fanatics, depending on how big and how many guns they have. Al Queda now has a permanent home in Iraq. An entire generation lost The middle east is a much more dangerous place now. All for what? The WMD lie? Surely you jest. Yeah,right, we should have began pulling our troops out the moment after we blew their society to bits. I dont understand why we feel obligated to "solve" the problems we create.
- Lesley Stahl is so not compassionate in her interviews...I would not want her to talk to me!!!!!
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- Peace with honor.
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- Iraq: Unfinished Business. "To the rear, 'harch! Double Time!" France: Vietnam, Algeria... US: Vietnam, Lebanon, Somalia, Iraq...
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- The "Bush lied" line used by the left is just so much hatred of Bush with no facts. It is so easy to look back and blame and villify, but even today it is mostly about scoring political points.
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- Although its easy to look back and say the Iraq war was a mistake, we really do not know what would have happened had we not gone to war. It was a very fearful time and the war would not have happened without huge public support and support from democrats, as well as support from the world. All intelligence thought Saddam had weapons. The left has been very successful at villifying George Bush, but much of the criticism is very very unfair. War is rarely popular, but we really will never know if it was a mistake or not because we don't know what would have happened had we not gone to wary
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- Unfinished Business? War is not just a business. WAR IS A RACKET and THE MILITARY INDUSTRIAL MAFIA has not finished robbing you of money and the lives of your sons and daughters.
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