2006: Position on War for Oil in the Middle East

In a July 2006 speech at an energy summit, Joe Biden declared that “domestic energy policy is at the center of our foreign policy” and cited protecting U.S. oil interests as a factor in the Iraq War. “What about the hidden military cost? Does anybody believe we would allocate a significant portion of our defense budget to CENTCOM, if not for our extraordinary dependence on oil?” Biden said. “Even before the Iraq War, we spent $50 billion a year to maintain our large military presence in the Gulf. Its primary purpose was to protect the free flow of oil that we buy.” He added, “I’m not saying we attacked Iraq for oil. But ensuring we do not leave behind a civil war that turns into a regional war is in part about oil. We are losing thousands of American lives, and spending hundreds of billions of dollars to avoid that.”