No Blood For Oil

I think I've figured out why the saber-rattling on Iran has continued apace, despite the NIE: they dropped the dollar.

Iran, the second-biggest producer of crude oil in the Middle East, has "completely halted'' all oil transactions in dollars, the state-run ISNA news agency said, citing Oil Minister Gholamhossein Nozari.

Nozari said the U.S. currency was no longer reliable as the dollar continues to depreciate. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries has set up a team to study pricing oil in another currency, the INSA cited Nozari as saying. The measure is designed to prevent further losses in revenue to oil exporters, ISNA reported.

The war machine often mobilizes to defend our economic interests.

UPDATE: A very troubling consequence of the Bush years is how it has crumbled America's faith in their government. To wit:

Just 18% of American voters believe that Iran has halted its nuclear weapons program. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 66% disagree and say Iran has not stopped its nuclear weapons program. Twenty-one percent (21%) of men believe Iran has stopped the weapons development along with 16% of women.

The survey was conducted following release of a government report saying that Iran halted its nuclear weapons development program in 2003.

The Administration politicized the intel on Iraq, and when it was revealed to be bogus, blamed the intelligence agencies. The learned behavior of the public is to question intelligence. That now works to the warhawks' advantage.