Apocalypse: From U.S.Petro Or ISIL?
Ok, then. From the President’s speech we’re sort of at war with ISIL? Not exactly war, according to John Kerry, but sorta. Let’s just call it large scale counter terrorism, he says. More like humanitarian bombings.
But, my question is, which is the greater threat, short and long term to Americans? ISIL with Toyotas, Arabian machetes and machine guns or the American Petroleum Institute with tipping point stage carbon overload?
My bet is on carbon caused warming and flooding. But, not so fast, because the American Petroleum Institute also has a hand in the middle east crisis and threatened final days caused by the ultimate war between the Caliphate and the Infidels, which apparently includes us here in the U.S. of A.
You see, ISIL is selling pretty huge amounts of crude on the black market thanks to U.S. extraction technology and expertise sold to the producers in both Iraq and Syria. That crude then ships to black markets allowed by our sort of allies in Turkey and then on to sort of allies in Jordan and not so allied Iran. The latter at least not yet, unless we smarten up and do a deal with them.
Now, to further explain the American Petroleum Institute’s involvement in this extremely convoluted caper, they advocate, lobby and represent companies supplying extraction tools and technology to these brand new coalition of the killing partners: Bahran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. In some cases we supply both downstream and upstream oil services.
Oh, did I mention that funding for ISIL is flowing from out of most of these “partners”?
The million dollar question now is which among these guys, plus other coalition partners of the killing from Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon will put enough boots on the ground, headed toward ISIL, not away from them to do the necessary killing with our air, missile and drone support? Remains to be seen doesn’t it?
Frankly, I like Phyllis Bennis’s take on all this much better. In fact, I wish President Obama brought her in as chief of national security. Her idea, from the Institute of Policy Studies, is a 6 step program: l. Stop air strikes creating more extremists, not fewer. 2. No boots, none at all, and no armaments. 3. Immediately cut a deal with Iran who can do this job on ISIL all alone with diplomacy. 4. Create a coalition of diplomacy in the U.N., engaging Russia, Turkey, The Saudi’s, Qatar and the U.A.E. 5. Push the U.N. to end the civil war in Syria and exploit the rumored movement toward an Assad exit in Syria. 6. Undertake massive rebuilding aid with Iraq and Syria and undercut the political/governance ambitions of ISIL there.
It is Ironic that just as President Obama pivots on aiding some Syrian rebel groups, the most successful and reliable option’s leader was killed on the battlefield.
By the way, bragging about our successes in Somalia and Yemen, Mr. President? You’re grasping at straws. Let’s focus our energies on stemming the already irreversible climate change impacts on our shorelines and agricultural production and get the hell out of the carbon extraction business, which ought to include fracking.
I was moved to tears at Obama’s election in 2008 as our first ever black and anti-war president. Now I’m moved to tears that the national security establishment and neo-cons have won the hearts and minds in the oval office, in spite of the current warning from both the intelligence and military sectors that attempting to destroy ISIL on basically our own is a fools errand.
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Oh, believe me, I, too, was (almost) moved to tears at Barack Obama’s election in 2008.
Precious, just precious!
The best thing that could happen to DC is a prolonged Cable TV outage.
I knew Congress with in the thrall of 24/7 “news” dunderheads, but didn’t think that the White House was so mesmerized.
Mr 330 wrote:
What, you are opposed to people having information on which to take their decisions?
Right, Dana, because cable TV is a reliable source for making informed decisions.
You must have missed the riveting ISIS coverage. While bedwetting spiked, facts, as usual, took a hit.
Guess who’s back,Guess who’s back,Guess who’s back flying in on broom again..:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/sep/11/odonnell-no-action-in-syria-is-better-than-half-he/
(WARNING: MOONIE TIMES)
Ugh. And that incoherent mess was probably written by one of her handlers trying to get her back on Fox news.
This:
3. Immediately cut a deal with Iran who can do this job on ISIL all alone with diplomacy.
is completely clueless. Along with any suggestion that the UN could somehow broker a deal here. I’m undecided about the actions the President is taking, but anyone who thinks that this business could be dealt with by the Iranians using diplomacy is working with the Unicorn Theory of Middle East Peace.
The Iranians are Shiites — like much of the Iraqi government — and ISIL is mostly the folks who have been disenfranchised by these Shiites. This ISIL business is an embarrassment for Iran — Iraq is functionally their client state, and that state (including militias funded by Iran) have not been able to hold back ISIL. And, ISIL is also battling Assad — another Iranian client. Add in the UN who hasn’t been able to insert itself in any productive way to any of the world’s recent problems and you clearly have an analyst who is dreaming, not thinking strategically.
That said, what to do? I don’t know. If this is really about air support while Iraqis and other coalition members take back ground, maybe this might work. It largely worked in Libya — who is pretty far from being a stable state, but they have the room to work on it. They are planning a vote on a constitution in December. That won’t fix it all, either, but they still have working room to create their own state. The problem with Iraq seems to be that their governments have been focused on paybacks, not in creating a stable state. ISIL could dissapear today and that problem remains.
Here is one of the smarter pieces I’ve read on the President’s plan:
We Don’t Need Another Dumb War
This is a quote from the Sotoff family regarding their information that their son was sold by a “moderate” group to ISIL prior to his beheading:
A spokesman for the family of Steven Sotloff told CNN that the slain American journalist was sold to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria militant group by “so-called moderate rebels” and the family’s relationship with the Obama administration is “strained.”…
“We believe these so-called moderate rebels that people want our administration to support – one of them sold him probably for something between 25,000 and 50,000 dollars and that was the reason he was captured,” Barfi said, citing “sources on the ground.”
I remember the 73 oil embargo and thinking as a young kid that it was insane to rely on middle east oil. If we had moved forward with a renewable energy program like Jimmy Carter started we would likely be off oil by now and the middle east wouldn’t matter any more. There are many many reason to create a new technology for renewables. Too bad the polluters and their talk radi educated friends won’t allow it
Burlington Vermont is now 100% powered by renewable energy, and the entire state of Vermont will be in a few years. It is possible, but Texans (and southerners in general) are determined to drag this country into the toilet.
And the sad part is that there are a lot of high tech jobs and new technology that could be created if not impeded by the dark side
Oops, mid-course correction. Kerry now says it is actually a war. Thanks for that clarification Sec. Kerry !
Come on Wall St. let’s move fast.
Your big chance is here at last.
And its 1,2 3