Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Is Oil Dependence Undermining America's Effort To Stop The Iranian Bomb

Energy Insecurity: How Oil Dependence Undermines America's Effort To Stop The Iranian Bomb -- John Hannah, Shadow Government/Foreign Policy

Energy issues have figured prominently in Governor Romney's campaign. Achieving "North American energy independence" has been a central pillar of the 5-point economic plan that he's been touting -- including at last week's first presidential debate. A bit surprising, then, that in the governor's October 8th foreign policy speech, with its heavy emphasis on the Middle East, energy didn't even merit a mention.

Let's face it. Ensuring the free flow of oil has been the main driver of American strategy in the Middle East for decades. Our nation's economic wellbeing depends on a well-supplied global oil market, and countries in the Middle East account for a significant portion of the world's production. The cartel they dominate, OPEC, today controls between 30 and 40 percent of the international market while possessing the vast majority of the world's proven reserves.

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My Comment: This is partly true .... oil has (and is) always on the minds of U.S. policy makers. But .... when it comes to Iran there is a far more greater concern than the flow of oil .... it is the possibility of an armed conflict that can quickly spiral out of control.

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