An article in Al Jazeera (22/6/2008) may explain why Blair was joined at the hip with Bush. We are told that Shell is charged with exploiting the vast source of gas in Western Iraq which would would be piped out across Syria. All this while Iraqis continue to endure intense suffering at the hands of the western capitalist war machine.
Further reading of the article raises a puzzle since it appears that plans were well on the way to develop this before the 2003 US led invasion. If this was the case then Blair was well off song in this respect too.

“Iraqi energy experts have told Al Jazeera that oil and gas fields in the western Anbar province may soon begin pumping gas to European markets.
Mukhtar al-Ani, an Iraqi oil consultant, said: “In early January, the Ministry of Oil held talks with a number of potential companies regarding development of the huge Akkas gas field in the north-western desert of Anbar province.”
According to the ministry, Akkas, which lies 40km from the Syrian border, is believed to contain up to seven trillion cubic feet of gas, which accounts for six per cent of Iraq’s estimated total of 112 trillion cubic feet. The field is capable of producing up to 500 million cubic feet per day if fully developed.” Source Al Jazeera 22/6/2008.