Joking and trivializing the issue at hand would not make it go away - or less true, for that matter - regardless of how much you try.
The aspects that cannot be denied are as follows:
1. Iraq has the second largest oil reserves in the Gulf region after Saudi Arabia.
2. Afghanistan IS useful as an alternative pipeline "host" for the Caspian region.
3. At the same time that US is talking about toppling Saddam Hussein, Russia is making most serious threats against Georgia, quoting "dangers from Chechen terrorists acting on Georgian territory" - a formula that reminds us of similar ones launched a year ago, almost to the day.
4. A simple search on the CIA website, using "Georgia" as a keyword, reveals
this document, dealing with, among others, the oil in the Caspian region, and the interests of other states in the area
5. Saddam Hussein received American support for as long as he was useful to American interests. Even after the Gulf war, he was maintained in power, because the Ba'ath party (of which he is a leader) is a secular organism, keeping Islam fundamentalism at bay. (Note: In Iraq, unlike Saudi Arabia, women can have regular jobs)
6. The U.S. tried for as long as possible to keep a useful regime in Iran, just as it did in other countries of the world, especially in oil-producing places - the Shah was still praised in "Time" magazine when the revolution was well under way in Tehran.
7. What the U.S. does, in matters of foreign policy, does only for what the government - or the lobbies, which pretty much dictate what the government should do - considers best at the moment. This has nothing to do with the noble ideas which are waved before the crowds ("humanity", "freedom", "liberty", "democracy" and so on)
8. The technologies used in American automobiles - and the related advertising industry and other branches of the Big Business - are far from being energy-efficient, thus maintaining a high consumption of oil-related products. This compensates for the low gas prices in the United States, and keeps the oil industry at the top of the food chain. In the end, consumers pay about the same (!) but this practice needlessly pollutes the environment. Diesel technology in Europe is, acording to auto industry insiders themselves, about ten years ahead of what is available in North America.
9. Even if Saddam Hussein (note: the leader of a sovereign country) accumulates weapons of mass destruction, he does nothing that other countries like Israel and China, have not done before him. As long as he does not use them for offensive purposes but keeps them as "deterrents", he should be allowed to do as he pleases - at least according to the same theories which claim any American can keep a shotgun under his pillow. Gun control opponents and people who advocated the MAD doctrine during the Cold War should agree with this - if they are really honest.
10. Yes, it IS the oil.