Cheney Crushes Shotgun Barrel Between Teeth, Loses Two Molars

While the American political process cravenly hawks hollowed ground for the ten thousandth time over bodies that were ground to bits 7 years ago today and then sandwiched between asbestos, concrete dust, and molten steel, I could use some good news. And here it is!

At the OPEC meeting in Vienna, Iraq just told 6 Western oil companies to take their no-bid contracts and go screw themselves. Somewhere, Dick Cheney is gurgling with rage, killing something small and helpless 'cuz the whole point of his Evil Plan just went pfffffftttt. Still think Iraq is "doable," Dick? Hahahahaahaa! The Chinese pay cash up front:

Iraq’s oil minister, Hussain al-Shahristani, told reporters at an OPEC summit meeting in Vienna on Tuesday that talks with Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Shell, Total, BP and several smaller companies for one-year deals, which were announced in June and subsequently delayed, had dragged on for so long that the companies could not now fulfill the work within that time frame. The companies confirmed on Wednesday that the deals had been canceled.

Since that time, however, Iraq’s central government has moved on with other energy deals. The Oil Ministry last month signed its first major post-Hussein contract with the China National Petroleum Corporation.

Unlike Dick Cheney, some people do not see losing control of Iraq's oil as a disaster, in much the same way many U.K. residents don't see successes by India as the end of the world. Rest of the article here.