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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Condor who wrote (18234)	2/7/2002 10:50:34 AM
From: Win Smith	Respond to of 281500

I think that piece loses its kick without the lead-in. Maybe this is why we are not just leveling Afghan. Very sobering words! Implying, I guess, that reducing Afghanistan to a finer grade of rubble would solve some problem or other. Sobering, indeed.

To: Condor who wrote (18234)	2/8/2002 10:28:15 PM
From: SirRealist	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

Paranoid about the Saudis? The CIA says: >>GDP: purchasing power parity - $232 billion (2000 est.)<< and: >>Riyadh expects to have a moderate budget deficit in 2001, in part because of increased spending for education and other social programs. The government in 1999 announced plans to begin privatizing the electricity companies, which follows the ongoing privatization of the telecommunications company. The government is expected to continue calling for private sector growth to lessen the kingdom's dependence on oil and increase employment opportunities for the swelling Saudi population. Shortages of water and rapid population growth will constrain government efforts to increase self-sufficiency in agricultural products. << and: >>The petroleum sector accounts for roughly 75% of budget revenues, 40% of GDP, and 90% of export earnings. << >>Exports: $81.2 billion (f.o.b., 2000) Exports - commodities: petroleum and petroleum products 90% Exports - partners: Japan 18%, US 18%, France 4%, South Korea, Singapore, India (1999) << and: >>Imports: $30.1 billion (f.o.b., 2000) Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, motor vehicles, textiles Imports - partners: US 25%, Japan 10%, Germany 7%, Italy 5%, France, UK (1999) << The point being that they can ill afford to cutoff oil sales without harming themselves, and they have no desire to cutoff the country providing the machinery to extract the oil, which also is their chief trading partner and the supplier of their food. If they are buying gold as a hedge, that's an understandable portfolio diversification. But their economic strength depends too much on ours to attempt such things as that poster suggested. .