April 22, 2003
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How long before this story is reported in US media?
Be sure and read the whole thing. It turns out that the pipeline is basically in tatters and would require rebuilding. Who gets the contract? Bechtel, of course.
Israel seeks pipeline for Iraqi oil
US discusses plan to pump fuel to its regional ally and solve energy headache at a stroke
Ed Vuillamy in Washington
Sunday April 20, 2003
The Observer
Plans to build a pipeline to siphon oil from newly conquered Iraq to Israel are being discussed between Washington, Tel Aviv and potential future government figures in Baghdad.
The plan envisages the reconstruction of an old pipeline, inactive since the end of the British mandate in Palestine in 1948, when the flow from Iraq’s northern oilfields to Palestine was re-directed to Syria.
Now, its resurrection would transform economic power in the region, bringing revenue to the new US-dominated Iraq, cutting out Syria and solving Israel’s energy crisis at a stroke.
It would also create an end less and easily accessible source of cheap Iraqi oil for the US guaranteed by reliable allies other than Saudi Arabia – a keystone of US foreign policy for decades and especially since 11 September 2001.
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Comments (7)
Use it all, burn it up!! I want it all gone!! I don’t want a drop left!!
SUVs for the homeless in the year 2050!!
it just keep getting worse and worse, doesn’t it?
Hmm….ok so lemme see that I’ve got this. According to the article there is this plan that was created in 1975 as a “Memorandum of Understanding” signed by the Sec of State Kissinger. For context, that would place this plan as being created back arround the time of the Saudi led oil embargo against the US started in 1973.
The plan / memorandum has been renewed every 5 years (Pres. Ford, Carter, Regan, Bush, Clinton, Bush) as part of a continuingly renewed piece of legislation. I would be curious to see what the legislation says.
The legislation apparently says that the US will stock a strategic oil reserve for Israel even if it entailed domestic shortages (current value $3 billion in 2002 dollars). Attached with it is the provisions that this bill would be slashed by the construction of a Mosul to Haifa pipeline through Jordon. Cut, I assume, because Israel then no longer need us to play Oil-U-StoreIt. The added advantage for the US being reliable access to Gulf oil other than from Saudi Arabia.
I dunno…just looks like revisiting a 28 year old pipedream that Dem and Rep administrations have had on the books since the days of the Saudi oil embargo to reduce the Saudi control over oil. Peaceful economic cooperation between Israel, Jordan and the new Iraq doesn’t really sound all that bad to me. We’ll have to see how this plays out. Realistically, I don’t see it being sustainable by Jordan or the new Iraq unless the Israel / Palestinian situation get resolved.
Sej: They’re discussing it.
Sounds like they’ve been discussing it off and on for 28 years, with at least some really serious activity effort in the early 1980′s.
Are you trying to argue that this pipeline plan that to real reason for the Iraq war? If so all you’ve got here is some correlation, but isn’t the same as causality.
And in answer to your question: “How long until this is reported in the US media?”
The Washington Post carried the story 5 days before your post…and 3 days before the Observer article you linked to. It was probably carried in a number of other US media as well.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45076-2003Apr17.html
Some of the ‘facts’ are different from the Observer article, but the gist and spin is the same.
Comments are closed.