3 Articles
U.S. checking possibility of pumping oil from northern Iraq to Haifa, via Jordan
By Amiram Cohen
The United States has asked Israel to check the possibility of pumping oil from Iraq to the oil refineries in Haifa. The request came in a telegram last week from a senior Pentagon official to a top Foreign Ministry official in Jerusalem.
The Prime Minister's Office, which views the pipeline to Haifa as a "bonus" the U.S. could give to Israel in return for its unequivocal support for the American-led campaign in Iraq, had asked the Americans for the official telegram.
The new pipeline would take oil from the Kirkuk area, where some 40 percent of Iraqi oil is produced, and transport it via Mosul, and then across Jordan to Israel. The U.S. telegram included a request for a cost estimate for repairing the Mosul-Haifa pipeline that was in use prior to 1948. During the War of Independence, the Iraqis stopped the flow of oil to Haifa and the pipeline fell into disrepair over the years.
The National Infrastructure Ministry has recently conducted research indicating that construction of a 42-inch diameter pipeline between Kirkuk and Haifa would cost about $400,000 per kilometer. The old Mosul-Haifa pipeline was only 8 inches in diameter.
National Infrastructure Minister Yosef Paritzky said yesterday that the port of Haifa is an attractive destination for Iraqi oil and that he plans to discuss this matter with the U.S. secretary of energy during his planned visit to Washington next month. Paritzky added that the plan depends on Jordan's consent and that Jordan would receive a transit fee for allowing the oil to piped through its territory. The minister noted, however, that "due to pan-Arab concerns, it will be hard for the Jordanians to agree to the flow of Iraqi oil via Jordan and Israel."
Sources in Jerusalem confirmed yesterday that the Americans are looking into the possibility of laying a new pipeline via Jordan and Israel. (There is also a pipeline running via Syria that has not been used in some three decades.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=332835&contrassID=...'
Commentary by Wake Up From Your Slumber
So this is one of the main reasons American troops are dying in action. Action directed against Iraqi civilians. Actions that have killed close to ONE MILLION Iraqi civilians to date and laid waste to that nation.
All of this death and destruction so Iraqi oil could be shipped to Israel. My, that must be a comforting thought to all of those parents still grieving the loss of their son or daughter, killed in action. Killed fighting not for Democracy, but for Israel.
As soon as the "Theft of Iraqi Oil Law" is passed by their Parliament, the oil will begin to flow to Haifa and into the demented Likudnik regime's pockets.
And that law will be passed. Even if it takes an American engineered coup that tosses Maliki out of office in favor of a Saddam Hussein style strongman to knock together a few heads to pass the "Theft of Iraqi Oil Law."
Looks like we've come full circle. Now, it's time to bring "Democracy", American style, to Iran and "liberate" their oilfields.
http://www.wakeupfromyourslumber.com/node/2753
Yes, the War is for Oil - and the Oil is for israel
Editorial from Wake up from your slumber
Ever wonder where israel gets its oil from?
It's a very simple question that provides a very simple answer to another one: Who Benefits from the Iraq war and every other conflict in the Middle East?
In fact, the following concise summary from Slate.com should make it perfectly clear to everyone that when Greenspan said that the war in Iraq is for oil, what he really admitted in an indirect way was that the war in fact is for israel.
The leader of Hezbollah declared "open war" against Israel on Friday following the bombing of his offices in Beirut, Lebanon. The president of Iran has announced that if Israel were to expand the hostilities by attacking Syria, that would represent "an attack on the whole Islamic world and the regime will face a crushing response." Given the grim state of Arab-Israeli relations, where does Israel get its oil?
From Russia and former Soviet republics. Israel produces only a couple thousand barrels of oil a day, which means it relies on the global market for more than 99 percent of its consumption.
It's difficult to name all of the country's suppliers—in 2004, Israel's minister of national infrastructures admitted that "Israel's situation is complicated. We don't have diplomatic relations with most of the countries from which we import oil." But over the past 25 years, significant fuel imports have come from Angola, Colombia, Mexico, Egypt, and Norway. In more recent times, the Israelis have turned to Russia, Kazakhstan, and some of the other -stans for the bulk of their oil.
Israel has long sought a local source of oil, especially since the oil crisis of 1973. Having a nearby supplier would increase Israel's energy security and reduce the cost of its imports.
Iran filled that need for a while: Starting in 1968, the Israelis used a pipe called the "TIPline" to import Iranian oil from the Red Sea. But the shah was overthrown in 1979, and Iran shut off the tap. (These days, Israel lets the Russians use the TIPline to pump oil in the opposite direction.)
The Israelis gained access to another local source when they took control of Egyptian oil fields in Sinai after the Six-Day War.
Coincidence?
I don't think so.
When Israel agreed to return the fields in 1979, they wanted broad assurances about their access to oil imports. The peace treaty with Egypt stipulated that "Israel shall be fully entitled to make bids for Egyptian-origin oil not needed for Egyptian domestic oil consumption." An accompanying document outlined a deal with the United States that ensured Israeli oil supplies in times of crisis.
Egypt continues to provide oil, but its importance as a supplier has diminished as Israel's appetite has grown. In 1995, Egyptian oil accounted for one-third of Israel's fuel imports; by 2000 that fraction had shrunk to one-eighth. While Israel was forced to look elsewhere for oil, it maintained a warm relationship with Egypt, at least regarding energy. In 2005, the two countries signed an agreement on the trade of natural gas.
Meanwhile, Israel continues to seek nearby suppliers. In the lead-up to the war in Iraq, there was some talk of restarting an abandoned pipeline that runs from Mosul, Iraq, to Haifa. In order for this to happen, Israel would need to somehow wrangle the support of the Syrians, since they control part of the route.
Are you seeing a pattern here???
They need oil, they take Sinai. They don't give it back until they've secure guaranteed access to its oil.
They need oil, they kick off a war between the US and Iraq to secure cheap oil from Mosul to Haifa. But, Syria and Lebanon stand in the way, so they decimate Lebanon and now they're after Syria.
And of course, they've been itching to re-open the pipeline from Iran since it shut down in '79. Hence, israel's incessant call for the US to attack Iran.
Finally, israelis don't intend to end their quest for oil with Iran. They have other countries in their cross-hairs, like Saudi Arabia and their so-called "grand prize" - Egypt.
The Israelis have also tried to ramp up their own fuel production. A few weeks ago, they got some press for developing a new way to extract energy from the country's large reserves of "oil shale."
Why bother with peaceful innovative ways to produce energy when War is so much more effective?
Especially when they have US paying the price, with both our money and our lives.
In fact, israel's insatiable quest for oil and gas can even explain its relentless assault against Hamas in Gaza.
So, the next time someone tells you that the war in Iraq is for oil, you tell them - ABSOLUTELY! - and the oil, in turn, is for israel.
http://www.wakeupfromyourslumber.com/node/3696
