I firmly believe that the lifestyle of the general population in the middle east is dramatically BETTER because of the world's thirst for oil. A lot more children would be dying, or never be born in the first place, if the world had no use for oil. The middle east doesn't really have much going for it, except they happen to be sitting on a resource that happens to be in great demand right now. Eliminate the demand for oil and just see how many more children in Iraq die (of starvation, most likely). Look at Africa. No widespread resources in great demand, so no money, and for the most part the world looks the other way. A LOT (I mean A LOT) more children are dying in Africa than Iraq.