My new podcast episode is out

My new podcast episode is out.

My new podcast episode is out

Sputnik — Saudi Oil Industry at Risk as American, European Refiners Refusing Riyadh’s Crude – Reports

Oil glut?

Sputnik
Saudi Oil Industry at Risk as American, European Refiners Refusing Riyadh’s Crude – Reports

“We Want To Keep The Oil” — Caitlin Johnstone

Whenever I write about oil as a primary motive for US imperialism, I always get a bunch of right-wingers objecting that that makes no sense because the US has plenty of oil, and that it’s really about freedom and democracy or communism or Zionism or pedovore cults or Illuminati or whatever. What they miss, in their squirming attempts to avoid cognitive dissonance, is that it’s not about having and consuming oil, it’s about controlling oil. Control what governments can and cannot access crucial resources, and you can control which governments thrive and which ones don’t....

And this is really the only reason establishment power structures dislike Trump. They don’t feel directly threatened by him, they just dislike the way he’s always saying the quiet part out loud. Status quo power has a vested interest in keeping a smiling mask on things and preventing people from thinking too hard about what’s really going on in the world, and Trump keeps ripping off that mask by telling everyone what he’s doing in plain English....

Control the narrative, control the resources, control the money, control the people.

Caitlin Johnstone — Rogue Journalist
“We Want To Keep The Oil”
Caitlin Johnstone

SouthFront
U.S. To Send Troops, Battle Tanks To “Secure” Syrian Oil Fields – Report

Nick Cunningham — The Threat That Will Send Oil Down To $10

Oil prices will need to trade at around $9 to $10 per barrel in the long run if gasoline is going to be able to compete with electric vehicles and renewable energy. That startling conclusion comes from BNP Paribas, which warned in a new report that crude oil is facing an existential and likely mortal threat from renewable energy and EVs....

Oilprice.com
The Threat That Will Send Oil Down To $10

Nick Cunningham

Michael Hudson — Global Warming and U.S. National Security Diplomacy

Control of oil has long been a key aim of U.S. foreign policy. The Paris climate agreements and any other Green programs to reduce the pace of global warming are viewed as threatening the aim of dominating world energy markets by keeping economies dependent on oil under U.S. control. Also blocking U.S. willingness to help stem global warming is the oil industry’s economic and hence political power. Its product is not only energy but also global warming, along with plastic pollution....

Naked Capitalism
Michael Hudson: Global Warming and U.S. National Security Diplomacy
Michael Hudson | President of The Institute for the Study of Long-Term Economic Trends (ISLET), a Wall Street Financial Analyst, Distinguished Research Professor of Economics at the University of Missouri, Kansas City, and Guest Professor at Peking University

Tim Young — Blockading Venezuela: The Linchpin of the US Strategy of Aggression

Sanctions now form a key part of what is a strategic plan by the US to ruin the Venezuelan economy, says Tim Young.…

It's not socialism that is sinking Venezuela but capitalism — neoliberalism, that is, whose corollaries are neo-imperialism and neocolonialism. Tim Young recounts now capitalist America is mounting an illegal hybrid war against socialist Venezuela, pure and simple, not only based on political ideology but mostly for, you guessed it, for capturing the oil.

You see, Maduro is evil; MBS is good (as long as he delivers, that is).

Venezuelanalysis
Blockading Venezuela: The Linchpin of the US Strategy of Aggression

Tim Young

Ruslan Ostashko — Putin took away Lukashenko’s chance to sell Russian oil to Poroshenko

If you are following either oil or this part of the world.

The Vineyard of the Saker

Putin took away Lukashenko’s chance to sell Russian oil to Poroshenko

Ruslan Ostashko

Translated by Scott Humor

Trump to Saudi King: "You wouldn't last 2 weeks without us." Expect lower oil prices.

Trump tells the Saudi King he wouldn't last 2 weeks without US protection. Then he rants about oil prices being too high.

Expect lower oil prices.

Remember when Obama bowed?

Decameron — Who's on the Iran Action Group? More About Neo-Cons' March through the Institutions

Like most neo-con thinkers, Hook advocates crushing, crippling sanctions that supposedly will suffocate the population to the point that there will be an uprising that overthrows the regime. It's a form of collective punishment--a neo-con pipe dream that destroys nations and people. Hook's mission on Iran is described as coming from Pompeo at the State Dept, but well-placed sources say it's a National Security Council operation, and Bolton's brainchild....

Sic Semper Tyrannis
Who's on the Iran Action Group? More About Neo-Cons' March through the Institutions

Decameron

see also at SST

Stated policy means nothing without some kind of implementation. This Washington Post article describes how CENTCOM is already implementing the stated Syria policy on the ground in al Tanf. In my opinion, we stand a good chance of deconflicting ourselves into a hot war. God help us all.

From Policy to Action
The Twisted Genius

Also from TTG at SST

At some point even the most ardent Trump acolyte will have to admit this is now Trump’s policy. It is not something done by the neocons, the deep state, the anonymous resister or the ghost of John McCain without Trump's acquiescence. He is not some clueless, oblivious Governor Willian J. LePetomane. Trump may not give a rat’s ass about Israel, the Palestinians or Assad, but he has a real hard on against Iran or to be more exact, Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran. It’s all personal. The recently stated Syria policy is all about Iran. Now he’s tweeting warnings to Assad and Putin to leave Idlib alone. He’s not thinking geopolitically. It’s becoming more personal with every tweet. If Putin and Assad defy Trump’s tweet warnings, as they surely will, he’s liable to strike back in rage. And all those around him will goad him on. And then, good buddy, the shit will truly be on.

What is this Administration’s real policy towards Syria? The Twisted Genius

Oil and Gas links

Oil Price
Russia Just Won Big In The European Gas War

Tim Daiss

also

U.S. Oil Exports Eat Into OPEC Market Share In Asia

Tsvetana Paraskova

also

‘’Biggest Ever Change’’ In Oil Markets Could Send Prices Higher

Tsvetana Paraskova

also

India Will Buy Iranian Crude Despite U.S. Sanctions

Irina Slav

See also

Sputnik International
Russia, China Moving Forward to Form Strategic Energy Alliance

Cyril Widdershoven — How The World’s Oil Powers Will Seize The Iran Deal

Analysis of the implications of oil sanctions, including war.

Oil Price
How The World’s Oil Powers Will Seize The Iran Deal
Cyril Widdershoven

Also at Oil Price

Untangling Russia’s economy from the U.S. dollar dependence is one of Putin’s goals, local outlet Sputnik reports.

“We used to behave naïvely, but now we see that the WTO [the World Trade organization] rules are all too often broken, the restrictions are imposed for political reasons, which they call sanctions. Plus more and more of them are imposed to secure its favorite competitive advantages,” Putin said, without specifying an alternative currency for the U.S. dollar in his speech at the Russian Parliament.... 

Putin: Russia Looks To Get Free Of U.S. Dollar ‘Burden’ In Oil Trade

 Tsvetana Paraskova

Sputnik — US Sanctions on Iran Puts India in Catch-22 Situation

US sanctions on Iran are poised to drastically cut the profit margins of Indian oil companies that have already committed huge future imports. Moreover, India cannot afford to turn its back on its engagements with Iran, considering the recent headway made by China in enhancing ties with the oil-rich country, according to analysts.

Sputnik International
US Sanctions on Iran Puts India in Catch-22 Situation

Geopolitika — All Eyes On Iran As Oil Prices Soar

Misleading title. The post is a list of links about global oil conditions.

Geopolitika
All Eyes On Iran As Oil Prices Soar

Willy B — The Serial Interventionists Unhinged

A further look at the Zero Hedge article yesterday, Interventionistas Outraged Over Trump's Syria Withdrawal: "We Took The Oil. We’ve Got To Keep The Oil".

Sic Semper Tyrannis
The Serial Interventionists Unhinged

Willy B

Zero Hedge — Interventionistas Outraged Over Trump's Syria Withdrawal: "We Took The Oil. We’ve Got To Keep The Oil"

Smackdown.

Zero Hedge
Interventionistas Outraged Over Trump's Syria Withdrawal: "We Took The Oil. We’ve Got To Keep The Oil"

Tyler Durden

SouthFront — SDF Confirms Reports That US Establishes Military Base In Vicinity Of Syria’s Largest Oil Field

The US is building a large military base in the vicinity of Syria’s largest oil field – the Omar oil field, Mehdi Kobani, a press secretary of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Deir Ezzor confirmed to Sputnik Turkiye.

“The US is building a large military base in the oil-rich Al Omar region of Deir ez-Zor province. Due to security concerns we cannot provide information about the acreage of this new installation. There is currently construction machinery working in the vicinity of the base, and security is being provided by SDF forces,” Kobani said thus confirming earlier reports on the issue.

The Omar oil field was captured by the US-backed SDF during its anti-ISIS campaign in eastern Syria. According to Syrian sources, the military installation in the area is aimed to allow the US to consolidate control of the oil resources in the eastern part of the country setting ground for further occupation of the area. These oil resources will also be used to strengthen the influence of the US proxies – the SDF – in the area.…

Here, follow the money = follow the oil. US true intent? "It's our oil."

SouthFront
SDF Confirms Reports That US Establishes Military Base In Vicinity Of Syria’s Largest Oil Field

Darius Shahtahmasebi — The Real Reason Israel and Lebanon Are on the Verge of War

You guessed it. Oil and gas.

AntiMedia | OpEd
The Real Reason Israel and Lebanon Are on the Verge of War

Darius Shahtahmasebi

Viktor Katona — Russia Is Taking Over Syria’s Oil And Gas

In accordance with an energy cooperation framework agreement signed in late January, Russia will have exclusive rights to produce oil and gas in Syria.

The agreement goes significantly beyond that, stipulating the modalities of the rehabilitation of damaged rigs and infrastructure, energy advisory support, and training a new generation of Syrian oilmen. Still, the main international aspect and the key piece of this move is the final and unconditional consolidation of Russian interests in the Middle East....

Details follow. It is a daunting task to rebuild Syria's destroyed infrastructure. Iran and China are pitching in, while the US is trying to hang on as best it can without legitimacy.

Oil Price
Russia Is Taking Over Syria’s Oil And Gas
Viktor Katona | Group Physical Trader at MOL Group and Expert at the Russian International Affairs Council, currently based in Budapest

See also

There are even more deals in the pipe than this. As the energy ties slowly but steadily grow, the need for international cooperation in matters of security and defense in states like Syria, Iran, and Iraq also rise. For a long time the United States has been the big military power player in the region, but now with these developments, the West is being eased out of its decades-long role.

Russia Feed
Russia seals key energy pacts with Saudis, shaking up US Mideast dominance

Seraphim Hanisch

Also

The occupied Syrian Golan Heights will “remain in Israel’s hands forever”, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared durin a meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

SouthFront

Netanyahu: Israel Will ‘Forever’ Control Golan Heights