Geopolitics

The Real Reason for the Iraq War

"Like most lefty journalists, I assumed that George Bush and Tony Blair invaded Iraq to buy up its oil fields, cheap and at gun-point, and cart off the oil. We thought we knew the neo-cons true casus belli: Blood for oil. But the invasion was not about 'blood for oil', but something far more sinister: blood for no oil. War to keep supply tight and send prices skyward. Oil men, whether James Baker or George Bush or Dick Cheney, are not in the business of producing oil. They are in the business of producing profits. And they've succeeded. Iraq, capable of producing six to 12 million barrels of oil a day, still exports well under its old OPEC quota of three million barrels." Continue reading →

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Worldwide loss of oil supply heightens Syria attack risk

"Libya's oil output has crashed to a near standstill over the past year as warlords and strikes paralyse the country, tightening the screws on global crude supply as the crisis in Syria comes to a head. There are still pockets of rising oil output, notably in the US where shale oil is rapidly reducing US dependence on energy imports. The geo-strategic effect of shale is double-edged for the US: it lowers the incentive for Washington to commit forces to the Middle East, but it also means the US is better able to handle the consequences of any oil spike. The biggest losers would be those emerging economies such as India and China that rely on fuel imports and operate inefficient industries." Continue reading →

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Syrian rebels get 400-ton shipment of arms

"Gulf-based supporters have sent a 400-ton shipment of arms to Syria’s outgunned rebels, one of the biggest to reach them in their two-year-old uprising. The consignment – mostly ammunition for shoulder-fired weapons and anti-aircraft machine guns - came into northern Syria via the Turkish province of Hatay in the past 24 hours, and was already being handed out. Syria’s conflict, pitting mostly Sunni Muslim insurgents against President Bashar al-Assad, whose Alawite sect follows an offshoot of Shi’ite Islam, has ignited sectarian tensions across the region. Qatar and other Sunni-led Gulf states have backed the insurgents, while Shi’ite power Iran remains one of Assad’s main allies." Continue reading →

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22 Reasons Why Starting World War 3 In The Middle East Is A Really Bad Idea

"Russia and China are sternly warning the U.S. government not to get involved in Syria, and by starting a war with Syria we will do an extraordinary amount of damage to our relationships with those two global superpowers. Could this be the beginning of a chain of events that could eventually lead to a massive global conflict with Russia and China on one side and the United States on the other? Of course it will not happen immediately, but I fear that what is happening now is setting the stage for some really bad things. The following are 22 reasons why starting World War 3 in the Middle East is a really bad idea." Continue reading →

Continue Reading22 Reasons Why Starting World War 3 In The Middle East Is A Really Bad Idea

The US-Syrian Quandary: A Case of Déjà-Vu

"All of this sounds just a little bit too familiar for our taste. We all know how much of a problem the Iraq debacle has been for the US government and its budget. In fact, we may just be weeks away from seeing Tomahawk cruise missiles raining on Damascus. As Doug Casey likes to put it, never let a good crisis go to waste. Though Syria is not a major producer of oil, the impact of its civil war can reach far beyond its borders to countries such as Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. We believe this saber-rattling by the US government is simply another step toward trying to secure the Persian Gulf… and its precious oil resources." Continue reading →

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A Real and Lasting Peace

"Seems as if supplying Syrian rebels with arms just isn’t enough. The US government and its Western allies are about to unleash direct military force in the small Middle Eastern country. We have heard the drumbeat of war for a long time – now as early as Thursday bombs may start falling on Syria. Instead of regime change, we are told, US military forces just seek to 'send a strong message' to Syrian president Bashar al-Assad to stop (apparently) using chemical weapons. A humble, non-interventionist, foreign policy is no good — to be humanitarian we must bomb other populations." Continue reading →

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Why Is the U.S. Destabilizing One Country After Another?

"[..] Sixth, the military-industrial complex and its lobbies on the Hill thrive on the profits, the work of war, the advancements, and the demand for their services that instability brings. The DHS thrives on an atmopshere of war and fear. Members of Congress thrive on making speeches about promoting rights and democracy, even though they are promoting war, instability, refugees and death. The State Department appears to have abandoned diplomacy and become subservient to the neocon influences. Seventh, the U.S. has a ready-made pro-war interest group in many churches. [..]" Continue reading →

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Meet Bandar bin Sultan: The Puppetmaster Behind The Syrian War

"It is good of the Saudis to admit they control a terrorist organization that 'threatens the security' of the Sochi 2014 Olympic games, and that house of Saud uses 'in the face of the Syrian regime.' Perhaps the next time there is a bombing in Boston by some Chechen-related terrorists, someone can inquire Saudi Arabia what, if anything, they knew about that. Four weeks later, we are on the edge of all out war, which may involve not only the US and Europe, but most certainly Saudi Arabia and Russia which automatically means China as well. Or, as some may call it, the world. And all of it as preordained by a Saudi prince, and all in the name of perpetuating the hegemony of the petrodollar." Continue reading →

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Pepe Escobar: Obama set for holy Tomahawk war

"The 'responsibility to protect' (R2P) doctrine invoked to legitimize the 2011 war on Libya has just transmogrified into 'responsibility to attack' (R2A) Syria. Just because the Obama administration says so. On Sunday, the White House said it had 'very little doubt' that the Bashar al-Assad government used chemical weapons against its own citizens. On Monday, Secretary of State John Kerry ramped it up to 'undeniable' - and accused Assad of 'moral obscenity'. So when the US bombed Fallujah with white phosphorus in late 2004 it was just taking the moral high ground. And when the US helped Saddam Hussein to gas Iranians in 1988 it was also taking the moral high ground." Continue reading →

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Congress Should Veto Obama’s War

"Who made Barack Obama the Wyatt Earp of the Global Village? Moreover, where is the evidence that WMDs were used and that it had to be Assad who ordered them? Such an attack makes no sense. Firing a few shells of gas at Syrian civilians was not going to advance Assad’s cause but, rather, was certain to bring universal condemnation on his regime and deal cards to the War Party which wants a U.S. war on Syria as the back door to war on Iran. The basic question that needs to be asked about this horrific attack on civilians, which appears to be gas related, is: Cui bono? To whose benefit would the use of nerve gas on Syrian women and children redound?" Continue reading →

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