From the "task force"
"Remove bottlenecks and other obstacles to energy supply, both domestically and internationally
the Task Force recommends that the government consider all possible means of de-bottlenecking supplies and removing obstacles to delivery of supplies, both domestically and internationally. Options need to be considered that are unilateral as well as those that are bilateral, regional, and international or multinational by nature. In addition, the government needs to establish permanent machinery for integrating energy policy with economic, environmental, and foreign policy on a sustained basis."
"All possible means" is another way of saying "By any means necessary"...a typical term for tacitly suggesting war.
Prior to the invasion of Iraq, the right wingnuts threw that phrase around alot when saying UN Res 1441 meant invading Iraq was required....even if done unilaterally
From the "task force"
"A trend toward anti-Americanism could affect regional leaders’ ability to cooperate with the United States in the energy area.
The resulting tight markets have increased U.S. and global vulnerability to disruption and provided adversaries undue potential influence over the price of oil. Iraq has become a key "swing" producer, posing a difficult situation for the U.S. government."
Wow...look at all that oil in Iraq...
By the way...did we mention "all possible means"?
From the "task force"
Government attention to energy issues has tended to fade as prices fall. That complacency could be justified so long as surplus capacities existed. But in a world of energy capacity constraint, complacency could shackle the U.S. economy for years to come. If it does not respond strategically to the current energy circumstances, the United States risks perpetuating the unacceptable leverage of adversaries and leaving its economy vulnerable to volatile energy prices."
We don't want to frighten anyone but...
By the way, did we mention Iraq?
From the "task force"
U.S. unilateral sanctions as well as multilateral sanctions against oil-producing countries have discouraged oil resource investment in a number of key oil provinces, including Iraq, Iran, and Libya. U.S. sanctions policy has constrained capacity expansion to some extent in Iran and Libya, although the unilateral aspect of the U.S. action limited its impact. In the case of Iraq, the U.N. sanctions imposed as a result of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait have had a severe effect on potential Iraqi production.
"Sanctions’ role in constraining investment in several key OPEC countries has aggravated the global problem of spare production capacity, which is now less diversified among a number of large producers than was the case twenty years ago. The consequent lack of competition has contributed to high prices. Most of today’s spare productive capacity is located in Saudi Arabia. And Saudi Arabia’s high, and growing, level of production and the lack of significant spare unutilized capacity outside the kingdom have spotlighted that country’s critical role in determining the state of current and future oil markets, in turn creating unique political pressures. Iran and Iraq accuse Saudi Arabia of seeking higher production rates to accommodate the economic interests of the United States, Japan, and Europe at the expense of the needs of local populations, creating internal pressures in the Arabian Gulf region against a moderate price stance. Bitter perceptions in the Arab world that the United States has not been evenhanded in brokering peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians have exacerbated these pressures on Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and given political leverage to Iraq’s Saddam Hussein to lobby for support among the Arab world’s populations."
So this sanctions thing on Iraq is not working out for us oily guys.
Not that we want to go around pointing fingers and naming names but...we pretty much understand the political problem with lifting sanctions because that saddam guy is such a pain in the ass.
We'll let you think that over a bit because we know how much you really don't like saddam.
If saddam was gone those sanctions wouldn't be in the way of us oily guys and you would be happy if saddam was gone...right?
You know we're willing to work with you on this.
We kinda like you PNAC guys...all that global hegemony talk could become more than just shiny words and sparkly ideas. |
