Did the United States go to war against Iraq in both 1991 and 2003 to secure control of oil from the Persian Gulf? This book explains: how the Persian Gulf came under the control of a coercive cartel with benefits for members that were denied to outsiders. Also it explores the history of the oil system that evolved in the United States: its roots in Pennsylvania, through Texas “wildcatters” and the dominance of Standard Oil barons. Finally it discusses the central role of oil in conflicts in Central Asia. The introduction and conclusion address the motivations behind the most recent war in Iraq. Stephen C. Pelletière is the author of `The Kurds: An Unstable Element in the Gulf’. He was the Central Intelligence Agency’s senior political analyst on Iraq throughout the Iran-Iraq War.