A better deal over oil in Iraq

Sam Pizzo, Henderson

Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2013 | 2:02 a.m.

Iraq has asked the United States for aid to help tamp down violence that wracked the country with 1,000 deaths in July, the highest number of casualties in a month since 2008.

Since the American invasion of 2003, Iraq has become one of the world’s top oil producers; China is now its biggest customer, buying nearly half of the oil Iraq produces. That number is expected to increase in the coming years to 65 percent.

Since the U.S. has provided the troops and money to keep the Iraqi oil fields operating, you would think we would get the first shot at buying Iraqi oil. This has not happened; maybe it’s time for the U.S. to tell the Iraqi government to ask China for military assistance. I can’t see us losing our men and women so China can have a safe passage on oil deliveries.