Friday, April 09, 2010
Reality Check: Contrary to Popular Belief, Persian Gulf Oil, OPEC Oil and Foreign Oil are Not the Same
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the United States imported about 57% of the petroleum that it consumed in 2008, including crude oil and refined petroleum products.
Nearly half of these imports came from the Western Hemisphere.
In 2008, the U.S. imported only 18% of its crude oil and petroleum products from the Persian Gulf countries of Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The five biggest suppliers of crude oil and petroleum products were: Canada (19.3%); Saudi Arabia (11.8%); Mexico (10.1%); Venezuela (9.2%); and Nigeria (7.7%)
Contrary to popular belief, OPEC and Persian Gulf countries are not synonymous. OPEC--the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries--was organized in 1960 for the purpose of negotiating with oil companies on matters of oil production, prices, and future concession rights. Of the 12 countries currently in OPEC, only six of them are in the Persian Gulf.
U.S. dependence on foreign petroleum is expected to decline in the next two decades.Iran Advancing Toward Atomic Armageddon
Gold Emerging as Alternative Currency
With Greece at the brink of bankruptcy--it desperately needs an EU bailout, despite official claims to the contrary--gold is increasingly seen as a monetary alternative to the euro and to fiat currencies internationally.
Gold rose today against the dollar, which was weakened by speculation that the EU bailout may not be necessary. Even during periods of relative dollar strength, however, gold will rise against other international currencies as the world works its way out of a global economic mess.Dire Warnings of Terrorism From US General
Yuan Could be Pegged to Basket of Currencies
Hamas 'Desperate' for Cash
7 Years After Fall of Iraq Capital, Chaos Looms
Baghdad fell to American forces exactly seven years ago, on April 9, 2003.
Sectarian violence and a full-blown civil war followed the U.S. invasion.
Today, a political impasse--with rival nationalists courting a radical anti-American cleric--threatens to again plunge the country into chaos. Click herefor the story.
EXTRA: Al Qaeda group claims responsibility for Sunday's suicide bombings in Baghdad.Thursday, April 08, 2010
Is Karzai Crazy?
Netanyahu Cancels Nuke Summit Trip/Trap
The Israeli prime minister must be reading China Confidential. Click here for the news.Group Urges Honeywell to End Iran Trade
United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) on Thursday called on Honeywell to end its business in Iran. Honeywell is listed on UANI's Iran Business Registry, which lists 200 companies targeted for doing business with nuclear-arming Iran.
The list of companies includes Royal-Dutch Shell; Hewlett-Packard; Advanced Micro Devices; and Coca-Cola.
Honeywell authorizes dealers in Iran to sell its technologically-advanced surveillance and security products, which can be used to secure Iran's oil pipelines and nuclear reactors.
Honeywell also conducts business in Iran through the company's foreign subsidiary, Universal Oil Products (UOP).
UOP is currently engaged in expanding and upgrading the Arak Refinery in Iran. The project could nearly triple Iran's gasoline production.
Given the nature, size and importance of the Arak project, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps must be involved in it, according to UANI and China Confidential analysts and intelligence experts.
Any Honeywell business in Iran is of even greater concern because Honeywell is a leading federal contractor. In the past decade Honeywell has received over $12.9 billion in U.S. federal contracts and grants. In other words, Honeywell profits from the U.S. government while at the same time undermining the strategic interests of the U.S. vis-à-vis Iran.
Honeywell says it is merely fulfilling contractual obligations and will not commit to new Iran business dealings.
The company's response recalls the treachery and treason of Standard Oil, ITT, Ford, and other leading U.S. firms that traded with Nazi Germany before--and during--World War II, using foreign subsidiaries and other entities and intermediaries, including high-ranking Nazi officials and agents of influence and sympathizers.A Radical Muslim Superpower by 2050?
U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitri Medvedev today signed a nuclear arms reduction pactthat seems to signal an improvement in U.S-Russian relations, which is a good thing.
But this reporter wonders: will Russia's nuclear arsenal eventually be controlled by radical Muslims?
Is Russia on the way to becoming a radical Muslim superpower?
Consider that the ethnic Russian population is in severe demographic decline while the Russian Muslim population is growing rapidly.
A Muslim majority in Russia by 2050 is possible.
Russia's population rose slightly in the first four years after the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union, reaching 148.5 million in 1995. The population declined every year between 1995 and 2009, and Russia is trying to stabilize it at 145 million. It could fall to 116 million by 2050 unless action is taken to reverse current trends, according to a recent United Nations report.
In the meantime, there is a steady stream of Muslims from the former Soviet republics and predominantly Muslim parts of the Russian Caucasus. The migrants are attracted by economic opportunities; more important, they tend to have much larger families than native Russian Muslims.
Thus, small Muslim communities of Moscow and St. Petersburg that comprised less 1% of the population 20 years ago have increased more than ten-fold. The situation in Moscow is striking. Estimates of the Muslim population in Russia's capital range between 1.5 and 2 million. Entire neighborhoods have been taken over by Muslim newcomers. There are many new mosques, Muslim cultural clubs, hospitals, schools, kindergartens, food shops, etc.
Most of the mosques are completely or partially funded by Wahhabis--Saudi Arabia's gift to the world, along with oil. Not surprisingly, the new generation of Muslims is more religious, more extreme in outlook and appearance. The new generation tends to create its own communities--so-called enclaves--which have been and are easily radicalized.
A radical Muslim superpower by mid-century--the ultimate nightmare.Mounting Speculation China About to Revalue Yuan
Friday, 9 April 2010
china confidential
Iran unveiled a new generation of more efficient, domestically built nuclear centrifuges, as reported here.
A National Guard general says another terrorist attack on the United States is certain, thousands of people caught illegally crossing the border from Mexico last year are non-Mexican nationals "of interest." Read all about it here.
China may raise rates soon; and the yuan could be pegged to a basket of currencies, as reported here.
A Kuwaiti newspaper says Western sanctions on Iran are severely hampering its ability to fund Hamas. The Palestinian terrorist organization, which rules the Gaza Strip, is said to be "desperate." Click here for the story.
Former UN Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan Peter Galbraith sounds off on Hamid Karzai and the Afghan government. That Karzai is a clown and a crook has long been obvious. But Galbraith suspects the Afghan leader may actually be crazy.
Ambush avoided--for now.
There is mounting speculation regarding a possibly imminent revaluation of China's currency and change in its exchange-rate regime. Click here for the story.
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