Tag Archives: oil

International, Opinion, U.S.

Obama giving Libyan Rebels $25 million, after giving speech saying the U.S. needs to cut domestic spending

To the people of the United States it’s one slap in the face after another.  Recently President Obama gave a speech saying cuts need to be made to U.S. government spending.  Then he gives $3 million so some students can study in China, and now he’s giving Libyan rebels $25 million in equipment!

On April 20, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made the announcement.  Obama is joining with United Kingdom, France and Italy in openly taking sides with Libyan militants, some of who might actually be al-Qaeda, according to military officials, including NATO boss U.S. Admiral James Stavridis.

International, Opinion

France & Italy join the U.K. in sending troops to Libya

Following the British announcement that they will send troops to train Libyan rebels, France and Italy say they will do the same.

The UN coalition members say, officially, they are within UNSCR 1973 because training rebel militants will protect civilians.

It’s interesting that Libyan government troops are being portrayed as non-Libyan, while rebels are being portrayed as the only Libyans.  Don’t forget that even U.S. officials admitted that some rebels could be al-Qaeda.

This is not a rebellion, it is a Civil War.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Iran threatens higher oil prices, says “No way will it fall below $100”

“Iran can have an effect on world energy and fuel. Fuel prices will go up dramatically. If sanctions are not removed, particularly sanctions against banks and other economic sanctions, the price of oil will go above $150 a barrel.”-Mahmoud Bahmani, Iran’s central bank

A top U.S. Federal Reserve official said that gasoline prices above $4 a gallon would throw the U.S. economy into another recession.

Iran is the world’s third-leading oil exporter, and thanks to U.S. backed sanctions, has just expanded their own oil refining abilities, now making them an exporter of gasoline as well.

On top of any threats of increased oil prices, Iranian oil Minister Massoud Mir-Kazemi, said factors remain that will ensure that oil prices will continue to go up, regardless of how much oil is pumped out of the ground: “The price of oil depends on two things: First, the fundamentals, including supply and demand, and then the political, psychological and unforeseen elements. Based on these factors, oil prices should increase again by end of the year.”

 


International, Opinion

Coalition/NATO openly violates UNSCR 1973, sending troops to help Libyan Rebels

The United Kingdom (Britain), a member of NATO, and a United Nations coalition member supposedly enforcing UNSCR 1973,  announced they are sending 20 commandos to train Libyan rebels.

UNSCR 1973 states that efforts should be made only to protect civilians.

Recently NATO members (including the United States) announced that their main objective is to get rid of Moammar Gadhafi (Gaddafi), which is also a violation of UNSCR 1973.

The United Kingdom has admitted to sending 1,000 suits of body armor, and satellite phones, to the rebels.  NATO members are also considering sending the rebels electronic counter measure equipment.

The total disregard for UNSCR 1973, by coalition forces, and the lack of condemnation by the United Nations, is proof that any resolution passed by the UN is worthless.

Business/Economics

Destroy U.S. Dollar: Iran getting rich off Gold

“Iran’s gold reserves have hit unprecedented levels and the country has supplied its domestic gold market for the next ten years.”-Mahmoud Bahmani, Governor of the Central Bank of Iran

Iran announced that their gold reserves now stand at 4 million tons, and that’s from just one mine.

The Zarshouran mine is located in the West Azarbaijan province. But don’t let the 4 million figure fool you. For every ton of gold ore, they get only 5.81 grams of gold.  I should say ‘only’, hah, when you think about how much gold is selling for it’s still worth the effort.

The mining and extraction systems are being upgraded at the Zarshouran mine, and they hope to get 3,600kg of gold bullion and more than 1200kg of silver bullion.

 

Technology

Iran diversifying elecrical power generation

Iran isn’t relying on their nuclear plant for providing lots of power. They’ve been developing other forms of power generation.

It includes hydroelectric, steam power and natural gas fired plants. At the end of 2009 they finished a solar powered plant. Now they are going to build more steam powered plants and even wind farms.

The goal is to add another 5,000 mega watts to their system. Officials claim that all the non-nuclear energy programs use 100% domestically produced materials. Gee, isn’t that kinda what President Obama talked about for the United States?

 

Business/Economics, International, Opinion, U.S.

Will Obama attack Ecuador? He kicked out their ambassador, oil is involved

Thanks to a WikiLeaks release, tensions between the United States and Ecuador are heating up.

The WikiLeaks document showed that the U.S. ambassador to Ecuador, Heather M. Hodges, made some not so nice comments about their President. Apparently President Rafael Correa gave her a chance to retract, or explain, her statements, and she allegedly refused. She was then declared persona non grata (unwelcome) in Ecuador, but not officially kicked out.

Now the United States has actually kicked out the ambassador from Ecuador. The U.S. State Department says it’s in retaliation for Ecuador ordering Hodges out of the country, which President Correa disputes. Correa says they simply said she was no longer welcome, but they were not “kicking her out”.

This continues a long list of problems between Ecuador and the U.S. In the past few years the United States was pushing Ecuador to allow U.S. military bases to be set up on their soil. The official reason was to fight drugs in Columbia, but many people believe it was to encircle Hugo Chavez in Venezuela. President Correa responded, in 2009, by saying that the only way the U.S. could build bases in Ecuador, was if Ecuador was allowed to build bases in the United States.

Now we have the WikiLeaks/ambassador fiasco. What’s next, oil? Maybe!

Ecuador has oil! They have been fighting international legal battles to prevent oil companies from coming in and drilling. That’s right, they do NOT want anymore oil pumped out of their ground. Ecuador does have active oil fields, but they don’t want anymore. The oil corporations, backed by governments (Chevron/United States), are saying to bad so sad, you just a piddly country, what you gonna do about it?

So far Ecuador has been petitioning United Nations members, but not getting much support.  There’s estimated to be hundreds of millions of barrels of oil still to be drilled and pumped out in Ecuador.  And with the price of oil making it more tempting, could President Obama (or any other future U.S. president) be planning some kinda humanitarian military intervention in Ecuador?

 

International, Opinion, U.S.

More proof that the Libyan Civil War is about Oil, not Freedom

Libyan rebels have been focusing all their attacks on cities tied to the oil industry. They have already made oil deals with several countries including Qatar, and, they have received their first payment for oil apparently from China.

Now the rebels are complaining that they are losing three oil fields they recently took control of.  Why so upset? They admit they want the oil money.

Just who attacked the rebel held oil fields is unknown. The Libyan government say the British bombed the rebels by mistake (plausible because NATO has done it, twice now). The rebels say some of the attacks where from artillery.

In any case the rebels are really upset about losing control of any oil production that they have captured.  Mmmm. I didn’t realize that oil was an integral part of freedom and Democracy?

International, U.S.

“low likelihood” Libyan Rebels can win, even with NATO support

The U.S. general in charge of the United States Africa Command, Gen Carter Ham, says Libyan rebels probably will not win, even with NATO help.

General Ham also says we should not be arming the rebels until there is “a better understanding of exactly who the opposition force is”. There is evidence that some of the rebels are al Qaeda, the group we’re supposed to be at war with.

 

Business/Economics, Fukushima

Toyota hoping for increased parts supply for Japanese plants

Toyota thinks they might have enough parts built up to open more of its Japanese factories.

Toyota hopes to open more plants, in Japan, by late April. However, they point out that they will not be able to run at full production, and, if parts supplies continue to be a problem then all bets are off.