On the subject of "it's not about oil or Iraq..."

Battle shapes up over future of US role in Iraq (Yahoo News)

... this article discusses the larger interests of the U.S. in Iraq and the Persian Gulf region.

While I think this article exaggerates the drama of this being some "ultimate" stage of U.S. occupation in Iraq, it at least gives a nice overview of what's at stake, and the demands and political concerns of all the sides involved.