Wasn't the Debacle In Iraq supposed to be about freedom, peace, liberty, Jeffersonian Democracy etc? How many warbloggers with teeny brains out there declared solemnly that we were bringing an end to the imminent threat posed by the 45-minute threat to world peace that was Saddam Hussein? How much of the slowly declining fresh air in the world was, and still is being wasted by the 1600 Crew and it's apologists who want us to be believe their circular logic for invasion and conquest? Well, here's a little story about the Rooskies and Vlad the KGB Impaler, and well, Roosian oil...

Mr. Alekperov wanted American consumers to understand that they need Russian oil and that companies like his are ready to provide it. For the last two years, oil has become an increasingly powerful bond between the United States, the world's largest consumer, and Russia, among the largest producers.
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People close to Mr. Putin and Mr. Alekperov said that they expected Mr. Putin to raise the question of protecting the Russian oil contracts with President Bush during their weekend meeting at Camp David.
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There is a great deal of speculation in Moscow these days that Russia would agree to send troops to help the American-led coalition in Iraq if the Bush administration moved to protect Russian oil interests in that country, according to Russian businessmen. But a person with Mr. Putin's delegation who spoke on the condition of anonymity said that Mr. Putin would likely abide by what he has said all along: that Russia would only send troops if the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution authorizing such a step.

Mr. Alekperov said that he knew of no such quid pro quo of oil for Russian military help, but did not discount the possibility of Russian troops going to Iraq at some point. Sending troops, he said, "is a political question. But if oil contracts go through quickly, we would have lots of Russian oil specialists on the ground, and every country should be able to protect its own people."

Mr. Aleperov may not admit to knowing of such a 'quid pro quo' because that's more latin than President Murders Everyone for Oil actually knows, however he probably told Pootie-Poot: "You scratch my back, and I'll scratch mine".