From: Richard Ridge (richard_ridge@tao-group.com)
Date: Tue Jan 08 2002 - 04:19:19 MST
> And why they support Israel? Big business, because industry
> requires oil. Israel was for a long time the only semi-reliable
> ally the US
> had in that region (even Saudi Arabia is still something of a matter of
> convenience), and so by bankrolling the IDF the US gains a lapdog in the
> region that will perform as a guard dog as necessary, keeping the Arab
> states in line.
I'm confused - how does supporting Israel assist with maintaining the oil
supply? I would have thought that the element of volatility Israel
introduces into the region would be a source of considerable instability for
both the oil supply and pricing. As I understand it, the US is concerned
that oil supplies from the Middle East could all but disappear (presumably
with the deposition of the House of Saud and its replacement with a
fundamentalist theocracy) and has therefore been negotiating with Russia as
a means of alternate supply. It seems to me that if the US were to act in
accordance with its oil interests it would probably regard Israel as a
threat, or at least a hindrance.
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