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Blood for Oil: A Good Trade?
By Thomas D. Segel
February 14, 2002

There are times when the political elite of Washington view all Americans as nothing more than ignorant clods. This group is so into double speak they automatically believe we will accept any statement they make as unvarnished truth. They are certain we are not mentally equipped to decipher their babble and understand it for what it really means. Most mature thinkers understand what kind of mind games are being played. However, the misguided still believe such prattle. They also really believe Saudi Arabia is a friend and our partner against terrorism. What they should believe is we are trading American blood for Arabian oil.

We all know bin Laden is from Saudi Arabia and brought his share of the family fortune into exile, where he used it to fund terror attacks against the United States. One of his terrorist organization demands is for the United States to end its presence in his and other Muslim countries.

The Saudi link to terror also exists with 15 out of 19 suicide hijackers in the 9/11 attack. They were citizens of that country, even if their government still refuses to accept any responsibility for their actions. If this isn't enough to paint the country as supporters of terror, add in the two terrorist bombings of U.S. military facilities in 1995 and 1996. The Saudi government is still stonewalling our investigation efforts to determine who was responsible for those attacks.

The Saudi support of United States efforts to eliminate terrorist organizations in that region has been less than enthusiastic. There are strong restrictions placed on our military operations from inside the country and there are even calls for removal of American forces now serving there at the invitation of the government.

A retired Marine, Frank Burke of Stephenville, Texas, lived and worked in Saudi Arabia for many years. He feels they will continue to rattle their sabers, which he says are still carried by Saudi men. "They'll probably cast some of the American devils out of the kingdom", he says, "but, will more than likely continue much as they've been doing since 1932"... "the crux of it all is that oil under the ground in the eastern province"... "I wouldn't call Saudi Arabia a terrorist nation, but I would call it a supporter of terrorists."

So, be it a terrorist nation...or supporter of terrorists adds up to the same thing, according to the words of President George W. Bush. He says any nation not with us is against us... and Saudi Arabia meets all of that criteria.

So, why has this troubling nation remained off the "enemies" list? Could it possibly be that with one fourth of the world's proven oil reserves, Saudi Arabia has developed a special status? During 2001 that country supplied the United States with 1.6 million barrels of oil per day. This was 18% of all the oil imported during that period.

In all fairness, this writer will never be considered to be among of those great strategic thinkers who dwell in those sacred halls of Washington. Our view has always been limited to what Marines call their "field of fire". Within that "field", we see the Saudis as either terrorists or terrorist fellow travelers. As a nation we can end this disgusting relationship by increasing our oil purchases from Russia, Mexico and South America, reducing our oil consumption at home, and making a few members of Congress car-pool, instead of being chauffeured to work in government automobiles. If we don't take such actions, we will most certainly continue to trade our citizen's blood for that black arab oil.