Bob-

That story broke in the San Francisco Chronicle a few weeks ago. The terms of the contract are classified, and the Pentagon would not release them. However, the contract itself was mentioned in a public Defense Department report.

I should have been a bit more clear, however. It was a Haliburton subsidiary called Kellogg, Brown & Root.

As for why Bush needs more oil, I don't really understand the question. What I'm saying is that oil companies stand to make a lot of money if Saddam is evicted from Kuwait. And Bush has an incredible number of ties to the oil industry. SO while I don't beleive he will personally gain financially (I'm no taccuisn ghim of doing anything illegal in that sense), his pals and supporters in the oil industry stand to make a lot of cash if they can start doing business in Iraq again.

Now in all fairness to the other side, some have suggested that if all Bush was after was opening up Iraq to AMerican oil businesses, he could done that by simply lifting all sanctions. I personally think that American companies would simply feel more secure in their contracts if they had an Iraqi leader that's easy to control.

Just my opinion on this of course.