Alan Greenspan, former head of the Federal Reserve and one of the most respected members of the U.S. government in recent memory, has sparked controversy recently. In his new memoir, Greenspan speaks about many issues, particularly the intricacies of economics and the impact he made on American politics.

But the issue that Greenspan discusses that is sure to raise the most eyebrows, is his commentary on the war in Iraq, “I am saddened that it is politically inconvenient to acknowledge what everyone knows: the Iraq war is largely about oil.”

This is a shocking comment, not because of content but for its context. Greenspan has become the most senior official to tell of the reality of our debacle in Iraq. The question on my mind is, why now?

The first thought that comes to mind is the release of his memoir. While the life of Alan Greenspan may be incredibly interesting, which it is, taking a jab at the Iraq War and the Bush administration is a sure-fire way to sell books.

Another possibility could be that Greenspan has finally decided that, now that he is formally out of the political arena, the truth might as well come out. The sudden development of a conscience in regards to this issue seems far-fetched.

The lead-up to the war in Iraq was undoubtedly off-kilter, to put it nicely. The preposterous claims that Iraq was behind 9/11 somehow, the weapons of mass destruction that never materialized, and the rest of the world who pleaded with Bush to use restraint are all examples of the errors that were visible to the America public.

The fact remains that we, the people of the United States, were lied to. This is irrefutable. Our elected leaders, the people we trust to defend us and to preserve our ideals, lied to our faces and made fools of us.

The message of preserving and defending our national security has gone out the window. Iraq is now a hotbed for Islamic fundamentalism and the conflict there has cost more American lives than 9/11.

Alan Greenspan, whom is not an elected official, had no legal responsibility to inform us of the Bush administration’s misdeeds. In fact, the “acquisition” of Iraqi oil has the potential to help our economy immensely.

But since Greenspan’s comments, the people that have long been declaring the war in Iraq a war for oil stand justified. The deaths of over 3,000 American soldiers who were told that they were fighting to defend the American people are not.

Greenspan might not have had a legal responsibility to say something, but tell that to the families of the brave men and women who’ve died. Tell that to the hundreds of thousands of Iraqis who’ve died for their oil.

I must applaud Alan Greenspan for finally admitting that the Iraq War had little to do with liberation and democratization of an oppressed people. It’s really a wonderful feeling to finally know the truth.

But to be honest, this sudden burst of truth comes too little, too late.