Iraq And Iran Form Alliance Within OPEC
Source: Financial Times
Iran and Iraq are forming a strengthening alliance inside Opec, raising concerns among moderate Arab Gulf producers like Saudi Arabia and increasing the potential for discord in the oil producers group.
With the EU sovereign debt crisis worsening and growing fears for the global economy, the deep divisions within Opec risk undermining the organisations ability to do its job of effectively managing oil supply and preventing violent price swings.
A person familiar with the matter said Opecs meeting in Vienna on Thursday was overshadowed by strong disagreements over issues ranging from the acceptable price of oil, to the global supply-demand balance, to who should replace the current secretary general of the organisation.
A particular bone of contention was a proposal by Venezuela backed by other Opec hardliners like Iran, Iraq and Algeria that the group should protest against the EU sanctions against Tehran over its nuclear programme. The move was rebuffed by Saudi Arabia and other moderates including Nigeria, Libya and Kuwait, who argued that such protests were the preserve of foreign ministers, not oil ministers.
MORE...
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/6a54ea10-b706-11e1-bd0e-00144feabdc0.html
Read more: http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/6a54ea10-b706-11e1-bd0e-00144feabdc0.html
Aristus
(66,462 posts)And we are all going to reap the whirlwind.
You see this, you asshole?: This is what you get what you lump two mutually-antagonistic countries together in "The Axis Of Evil", and then invade one of them for no reason whatsoever beyond an intent to rob them of their oil!
Words cannot convey the depths of my hatred for that clownish, idiotic buffoon. He has ruined our nation in every way imaginable...
loudsue
(14,087 posts)been setting up this New World Order since the time of FDR, and now we're all going to reap the consequences of their short-shighted greed and miscalculations.
We also have the Chamber of Commerce and the NRA to thank for consolidating their power in the short-sighted, greedy 1%.
Posteritatis
(18,807 posts)Aristus
(66,462 posts)I should stop being so shy about expressing myself...
xtraxritical
(3,576 posts)What happened to President O's "green Manhattan project"? Now we're pursuing tar sands, how sad and stupid.
William deB. Mills
(46 posts)I fully agree with the first two commentors that this is indeed a serious issue - the missteps of the U.S. on its international oil policy and the failure of the U.S. to implement a serious domestic carbon tax are fundamental failures that hurt us all.
Nevertheless, take a moment to enjoy the humor of the Financial Times article as well. What could be more hilarious that Saudi Arabia lecturing its fellow oil producers about mixing energy policy with foreign policy! "For shame, all you Shi'i Iranians and Iraqis and Venezuelans (ah, no, guess they're not really Shi'a, but anyway, you know what I mean)! how dare you use oil as a political weapon!?! No Sunni Salafi would ever dream of such behavior!" Were we all so noble as the noble sheikhs.
leveymg
(36,418 posts)OPEC has always been wielded as a political weapon, and there are no "moderates," just sides.
Comrade Grumpy
(13,184 posts)leveymg
(36,418 posts)Crow73
(257 posts)How are they moderate? It is like saying teabaggers are moderates.
demosincebirth
(12,543 posts)sleep well. I bet you do, though.
rhett o rick
(55,981 posts)I actually accomplished it's primary function of moving wealth from the middle class to the wealthy.
demosincebirth
(12,543 posts)rhett o rick
(55,981 posts)demosincebirth
(12,543 posts)rhett o rick
(55,981 posts)dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)demosincebirth
(12,543 posts)dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)rriiight....
Javaman
(62,534 posts)demosincebirth
(12,543 posts)tabatha
(18,795 posts)Bush will go down in history about Iraq - but to the opposite of what you predicted.
You dumb ass.
otherone
(973 posts)Strelnikov_
(7,772 posts)He has brought together two long time enemies, thus eliminating a painful rift in the Ummah.