OIL PRICES: A U.S.–EURO CONFLICT BUT THE UMMAH PAY

[stanley]

OIL PRICES: A U.S.–EURO CONFLICT BUT THE UMMAH PAY FOR IT


1/7/05


by Ahmed Abdul Kareem Al Nabulsi


Voice of Ummah - www.voiceofummah.net


Islam vs Kufr – www.islamvkufr.com


صوت الأمة – www.sawtalummah.com


الإدراك - www.idraak.com


The recent record level of $60 a barrel for crude oil is the result of another long term plan concocted by the United States in order to finally eradicate what little influence the European states have within the Gulf region and to curtail Japan's economic aspirations. Indeed as far back as early 2002 Herman Franssen, director of Petroleum Economics Ltd, exposed how U.S. interventions within the Middle East were aiming for the $60 a barrel figure. As to how the high oil prices are detrimental to the Europeans and peripheral to the United States, this is apparent when one observes the true figures of Gulf oil supply to the various nations:


- Europe receives 87 – 92% of its oil supply from the Gulf region.


- Japan receives 98% of its oil supply from the Gulf region.


- The United States on the other hand, only depends on 12% of its oil supply coming from the Gulf.


It is also a fact that the Gulf countries are still dependent and using refinery plants manufactured and provided by the Europeans. The increase in oil prices has been the U.S. method to initiate a drive within the Gulf towards the adoption of a more 'modern' refinery process i.e. one that disbands with the archaic infrastructure set in the 1960s by the Europeans such as Britain and replaces them with the newly developed U.S. technology. In 2001 Robert Parker, Deputy Chairman of Credit Suisse Asset Management commented on the rise in oil prices and its correlation with the inability of the currently established European technology, ".. the reasons for that is the state of the industry where there is very old infrastructure and their ability to turn the taps off is limited." Recent comments by American lickspittle, Ali al-Naimi, Saudi Arabian Oil Minister, were far more explicit: "Saudi is able to lift output...there was no demand for extra crude from the world market due to bottlenecks in the global refining system…..The supply is here, inventories are building, there is certainly no shortage of supply -- so build, build refineries." The call for new up to date refineries to replace the more than 20 year old plants was also echoed by Al Naimi's Qatari counterpart Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah. Even while in Vienna prior to a meeting with OPEC Al Naimi reiterated again, "Start building refineries and you will solve maybe half of the problem,". Furthermore recent deals between the Gulf States and American companies has seen the idea of 'partnership deals' taking place whereby the U.S. will provide and own the new state of the art refinery systems, thus giving them a far greater control of the Ummah's resources, (the new L.N.G. deal with Qatar is an avid example of this). All of this leads to the eventual disbandment of European technology and equipment imports within the Gulf which due to the American instigated rise in oil price, are proving themselves to be inadequate and inept to control fluctuating demands. This will lead to further consolidation of American hegemony within the Gulf and the removal of what remaining influences there are of the old colonial masters.


Furthermore the U.S. is aiming to diversify world oil supply from the strategically important proven reserves of the Middle East to the regions of Africa and the Caspian. The U.S.'s rise in oil prices has made the utilization of the African and Caspian Sea oil far more viable for the Europeans and a greater incentive for them to loosen the finger grip they have left within the Gulf.


Thus the United States aims to make herself the sole colonial master within the Middle East, raging her War on Islam and polluting its tyranny of democracy and debauchery upon the Islamic Ummah. America has acknowledged the importance of the Middle East region and the necessity to curb any future Islamic uprising which may hinder its ideological aspirations. We are witnessing the most evil and deceptive of all empires preparing itself to eradicate Islam and its sublime values under the guise of 'democracy' reformation' and 'freedom'. Yet sadly, none of this could occur, without the consent and measly pay off received by our subservient 'rulers'.

[reepicheep]

I think this article is flawed. The basic premise seems to be that, by NOT buying petroleum products from the Middle East, the United States will have total control over the region. This is an illogical assumption.


Nevertheless, it is true that, with each passing year, the Middle East is becoming a less and less important supplier of petroleum imports to the United States. Here's a summary of the source of US petroleum imports for the 2004 calendar year:


16.3% Canada


12.7% Mexico


11.9% Saudi Arabia


11.8% Venezuela


8.7% Nigeria


18.9% Entire Persian Gulf (including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, and United ArabEmirates)


I expect that, for the 2005 calendar year, Venezuela will pull past Saudi Arabia and be the third most important supplier of petroleum products.


Within a few years, US petroleum imports from Canada will probably exceed imports from the entire Persian Gulf (Canada is currently building an oil pipeline over the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. Once it is completed, we will start shipping huge quanties of oil by tanker to California).


Incidently, it's a little known fact that Canada has the second highest petroleum reserves in the world, with Saudi Arabia in first place. Iran is a distant third:


261.9 billion barrels - Saudi Arabia


178.8 billion barrels - Canada


125.8 billion barrels - Iran

[stanley]

assalamulaikum -


please brother/sister i think u need to re-read the article agian as you have not understood. It is in no way implying 'not to buy middle east oil'. Rather its clearly stating how the rise in oil prices is part of the U.S. struggle to remove what European influence there is left in the middle east leaving it solely for America's devices.


jazakallah khayr

[reepicheep]

Why don't the Persian Gulf countries immediately lower the price of oil to $10 per barrel, and teach those evil Americans a lesson???

[Andysand]

reepicheep, you misunderstand how the Economis world works.


Firstly, lowering the price of oil (if it were possible which it most certainly is not) is in EVERY countries interest. There is a point when prices continue to provide wealth for the producers as well as continuing to stimulate the worlds econony.


However, this particular argument is probably pointless for this reason. The worlds oil supplis are running down yet demand for oil is increasing exponentially due to the develepment of China and India among others. The middle east is pumping as much as it can which usually brings down the price of oil. Why is it not working this time? Simple, the world markets have begun to understand that there is a finite quantity. This, more than anything else is probably what led to the invasion (or liberation depending on your politics) of Iraq. Ironically, the unstable governments of the middle east encouraged this sitation to arise. Maintaing oil supplis is MORE important than ANY other policy in world economics. Without energy, the world would have been unable to develop to its present state. Poverty would be much more common than it is now. Think of a world where travel was impossible and let your mind boggle the result!


Thefore, leaving unstable dictorships in charge of oil supplies is a very dangerous thing to do. If Saudi for example were suddenly to become an Islamic fundamentalist state, and cut oil production as a weapon on the 'wicked' west, the world economy (including the middle east) would suffer a massive shock leading to reccessions, unemployment, poverty and starvation.....you name it. Do you think the west would stand by and allow this to happen? No! We would have serious wars between the OPEC countries and the west that would make Iraq look like a minor slap in the face. Imagine too the scenario were Iran to achieve its ambition to become a nuclear power.


For now, global supplies have to be maintained in order to prevent a world war. In the future, countires are going to have to start thinking about alternative energy supplis in order to head of this real danger of worl;d chaos when the oil runs out.


Keeping prices high is not in the middle easts interest either and they know this very well. Although short term profits are much higher, it reduces demand as countries either find new sources of energy or alternatively, they start conseving better.....more efficient cars etc etc.


Anyway, I don't have enough time to continue my rant [img]style_emoticons/default/smile.gif[/img], so I'll leave you to ponder .


Andy