A few days ago, Tommy Franks, commander-in-chief, US central command, who’s spearheading the US war onIraq, made a frank admission. During the daily briefings that the US army holds in Doha, he said the war’stiming was influenced by oil. The fear that Saddam Hussein was about to torch the nearly 500 oil wells insouthern Iraq forced US policy makers to launch the ground assault on March 20, 2003 (Baghdad time). Franks’statement was backed by President George Bush, who too said the decision to send ground troops that morningwas to save the oil wells for the Iraqi people.