Problem is MSI, the article doesn't mention Shell at all.
Yep, I had noticed exactly the same. My time of download corresponded to about 7 pm ET last evening, appended the version I saved. So local copies aren't in vain after all :-) Wonder who had an interest to push RD/Shell :-)
worldnetdaily.com
Wednesday, May 1, 2002
BLACK-GOLD BLUES
Phillips, Conoco among smallest Saudi oil buyers
While Chevron, Exxon-Mobil rank among Riyadh's biggest customers
Posted: May 1, 2002 1:00 a.m. Eastern
By Paul Sperry
WASHINGTON – Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah may have vowed not to use oil as a "weapon" against the U.S. by joining an Arab embargo.
But some terrorism experts argue that Saudi Arabia, in covert ways, already has been using oil as a weapon against America for years.
Not only does the Saudi monarchy pump tens of millions of dollars of its oil money into Islamic mosques and schools in America – some of which have produced terrorists – but foundations tied to the royal family allegedly launder the money to foreign terrorist groups through U.S.-based Muslim charities, says a lawyer representing former FBI agents who allege the State Department covered up the Saudi-funded terrorist network to spare the royal family embarrassment.
"The Saudi government secretly funded al-Qaida, Hamas and Islamic Jihad," said John J. Loftus, a St. Petersburg, Fla., lawyer for whistleblowers in the U.S. intelligence community.
In investigating the alleged connections, federal authorities recently raided Muslim charities in Florida and Virginia, and seized their financial records.
The Saudi royal family gets much of its money from America, its biggest oil customer. The U.S. buys about 1.5 million barrels of crude a day from Saudi, or nearly one-fourth of Saudi's total sales, says American Petroleum Institute analyst Ron Planting.
He says about 45 percent of the Saudi crude is refined into gas and sold at major gas station chains across the country.
Many Americans want to fight back with their wallets – by boycotting Saudi oil at the pumps. They intend to send a message to U.S. gas retailers to stop buying oil from Saudi, which is looking more like America's foe than its ally in the war on terrorism.
Who imports the most Saudi crude?
WorldNetDaily reviewed Energy Department sales reports, which break down crude-oil purchases each month by buyer and supplier.
Based on 2001 figures, Chevron Corp. is easily Saudi's biggest U.S.-based customer. The energy giant, based in San Francisco, operates about 8,000 gas stations in 25 states.
Houston-based Marathon Ashland Petro LLC ranks as Saudi's second-largest American customer. It operates more than 2,069 convenience stories that also sell gas. The chain – Speedway SuperAmerica, or SSA – is based in Enon, Ohio.
Exxon Co. USA, along with its partner Mobil Oil Corp., also rank among the biggest buyers of Saudi crude.
U.S. gas retailers buying the least amount of Saudi crude, meanwhile, include: Phillips 66, Conoco Inc. and Diamond Shamrock Refining and Marketing, Energy data show. |
