About Iraq

Lilian Rodriguez asked:


"Once again I call on the American people to recognize the request that I have been making for over one year. I have asked for our administration to cease fire in Iraq, pull back the troops to our bases, and to renegotiate with Nouri al-Maliki on behalf of our taxpayers, and our American soldiers."

Imperato supports an Iraqi oil discount program in order to offset the cost of Iraq’s liberation and reconstruction that has been incurred by the United States.

On Monday Night, Zalmay Khalilzad, the US ambassador in Baghdad, announced that the Iraqi Cabinet had approved a national oil revenue sharing plan that would involve the Sunnis, the Shiia, and the Kurds.

"Today I call on what I believe is a two sided coin. Zalmay Khalilzad has welcomed a deal that Iraq has approved, in draft, concerning oil legislation. This is great. The Iraqis approve a draft oil legislation that needs to be approved by the Iraqi Parliament identifying the split up of oil revenues in three groups, basically protecting the Sunnis, the Shiia, and the Kurds."

It was unclear what concessions led to the compromise, and the precise terms of the deal were not immediately available. The United States has been exerting considerable pressure on Iraqi leadership for months to reach the accord, and one Sunni politician said Monday night that the deal had been brokered by Khalilzad himself.

The deal also opened the door for what the Los Angeles Times called, "a bonanza for foreign oil companies", through international investment provisions in the Iraqi oil industry.

However, there was one group that Imperato felt was left out of the new Iraqi oil deal.

"Guess What. They forgot America. I stand up today to request our administration to demand an inclusion of the draft oil legislation agreement. Iraq must include the missing link, the fourth party to its oil deal, the United States of America and its taxpayers. The taxpayers must be paid back the $400+ billion it has invested in the Iraqi government.
This must be done before the parliament can even consider bringing this piece of legislation to the table. The American people need to yell loud and clear, and the administration needs to listen."

In Washington, White House spokesman Tony Snow called a new oil law the "key linchpin" in Iraq’s recovery because it gives "everybody a shared economic interest in working together."

There was no comment from Snow as to why the United States taxpayers were not involved in the deal.

"It is the perfect time for our President to negotiate a payback structure for the United States while the parliament of Iraq is considering approving this legislation. I cannot believe that our administration and the people of the United States are allowing our administration to lead us down a rosy path of darkness with no repayment plan in sight. This is unacceptable."

Imperato concluded his remarks with the following, "That’s why I should by your next president. I will protect the people of the United States first. I will draw the line in the sand with leaders of countries who have enjoyed the help from America and to date have not returned the favor. It’s time the American people are paid back for their help. It’s time that the American leadership negotiates in good faith with the world on behalf of the people of the United States of America."

Jessica