The vital nexus of energy, water, and national security

Canada Free Press ^ | 02/04/15 | Thomas S. Mullikin

[Sean_Anthony]

We need to rebuild a strong America with a sound energy policy ensuring strong energy security. Our energy and national security are too important to lose this opportunity.

The U.S. currently maintains some 160,000 military personnel in approximately 150 countries worldwide with the majority serving in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. This number does not include the thousands of troops involved in singular contingency operations at any time around the globe. All total, more than 2.6 million Americans have served in the Global War on Terrorism since 9/11, with many of these men and women serving multiple deployments.

The Global War on Terrorism has been a war largely fought in the broadly connected region of Central Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. This region is also home to many of the nations that comprise OPEC (the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries), the oil cartel that supplies the U.S. with much of our imported oil.

Dependency on foreign energy endures as a strategic weakness, as the U.S. continues to import almost six-million barrels of oil a day from many countries, including nation states which have actively opposed the United States or harbor terrorists such as Iran, Libya and Nigeria among others.

[ckilmer]

I wish the Captain Obvious article were written by higher ups in any one of a half dozen administrations over the last 40 years.