SAUDIS SOUGHT OIL PRODUCTION CUT SO DEEP IT SURPRISED EVEN RUSSIA

The Intercept ^ | October 20 2022 | Ken Klippenstein

[MinorityRepublican]

THE SAUDI-LED oil cartel OPEC+’s announcement earlier this month that it was cutting 2 million barrels of oil per day — a move that would drive up the price of oil just a month before midterm elections — rankled Democrats in Washington. They accused Riyadh of aligning itself with Russia, another powerful member of OPEC+, which would indeed profit off the move. “What Saudi Arabia did to help Putin continue to wage his despicable, vicious war against Ukraine will long be remembered by Americans,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

But Saudi Arabia actually pushed to cut oil production twice as much as Russian President Vladimir Putin, surprising the Russians, two Saudi sources with knowledge of the negotiations told The Intercept, suggesting that Riyadh’s motives run deeper than what top Democrats want to admit. The sources requested anonymity, fearing reprisal by the Saudi government.

Public reporting has hinted at Saudi’s Arabia’s drive for a far more aggressive production cut than Russia as well as other OPEC+ members first sought. On September 27, Reuters reported that Russia favored a 1 million barrel per day cut — just half of what would later be agreed upon. Then on October 5, OPEC+ announced that it would be cutting 2 million barrels a day. On October 14, the White House’s National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said that “more than one” OPEC+ members disagreed about the cut but were coerced by Saudi Arabia into going along with it — but he declined to specify which countries. The OPEC+ members who privately pushed back against the cut include Kuwait, Iraq, Bahrain, and even the United Arab Emirates, a close ally of Saudi Arabia’s, according to the Wall Street Journal.

[Organic Panic]

The world laughs at Biden. This is there big chance to finally turn the US in to just another S hole.

[NautiNurse]

Perhaps Slow Joe's fist bump was simply too powerful for the Saudis. Or not.

[caww]

What a baffoonish statement......that the White House and other top Democrats have said that the Saudis are pursuing a conscious alignment with Russia. Just like Obama pushed Russia into the waiting arms of China - Biden has done likewise the Saudi-es into the arms of Russia and China...... Both Biden and Obama think their Hood thuggery toward other countries is how to get things done their way. Unwilling and unyielding to reasonable discussions they think they're the heavy weights when nobody sees them this way except themselves..... Coming from a position of strength doesn't work unless you've also got the stance and respect of those you're dealing with....

[caww]

That photo always reminds me of father time passing in the wind......Biden's fist looks like a womans hand by comparison.

[dennisw]

Dems have been insulting MBS for years. Ragging on him over the death of fake journalist Khashoggi. This is payback time. Trump got along fine with him.

[Pocketdoor]

Isn’t this new Bin Salam or whatever his name is, a moderate Saudi, if there is such a thing. Seems like he wants to put pressure on Americans to elect something different than who is running the show.

[Forward the Light Brigade]

These actions by Biden has helped Russia-China-Iran Axis. Maybe Saudi Arabia will join the fold. IF WW III Starts Saudi Arabia may join with Russia. We are planting the seeds of our own defeat. IF The Axis Wins—we lose Alaska (to Russia), Hawaii and Guam (To China) Iraq (To Iran) Porto Rico (to Cuba) Kasovo (To Serbia) Kuwait (to Saudi Arabia).

[jdt1138]

The real problem is that OPEC is able to increase production. The ‘cuts’ are only on paper as they are not even pumping the new numbers.

https://www.zerohedge.com/energy/oil-spikes-after-opec-hints-2-million-bd-production-cut

[Qwapisking]

The even BIGGER problem is an American administration demanding sovereign countries get in line with the dictates of power hungry Elitists attempting to exert pressure on them. They just say NO! fjb forgot his canoe has no paddle and in the creek he’s up, it wouldn’t work anyway. Not pretty but pretty simple.

[dennisw]

“Isn’t this new Bin Salam or whatever his name is, a moderate Saudi, if there is such a thing. Seems like he wants to put pressure on Americans to elect something different than who is running the show.”

MBS sidelined the Saudi Sunni fundamentalists and stripped quite a few billionaires of part of their wealth/ So he is mostly OK. Meanwhile, Dems have been aligning with Shiite Iran. That is now arming the Russians in Ukraine. Idiots.

[atc23]

You can bet Binden has never had so much as a paper cut on those hands - never a callous or anything but a cache of liver spots. A lifelong government teat sucking smallman

[FLT-bird]

I love how the Democrats claim the Saudis are acting against “American” interests. No they’re not. They’re acting against the DEMOCRATS’ interest. Why would anybody expect them not to hit back after the Democrats went miles out of their way to offend the Saudis and to cozy up to Iran?

Then the idiots wail and moan that sanctions against Venezuela have strengthened the Saudis hand. HELLO?????? You know what else has strengthened the Saudis hand? Sabotaging domestic oil production, the building of new refineries and the pipeline from Canada. We were energy independent just 2 years ago. The Saudis could have cut production by 5 million barrels per day and we would have been able to just shrug it off before Biden’s IDIOTIC GAIA WORSHIP wrecked that.

[FLT-bird]

Yep. These are the same morons who can’t see past the noses on their faces. You’d think it might dawn on them that Gaia Worship at home strengthens Russia, Saudi Arabia, etc and weakens America, but no. Ideology ueber alles - even when its so obviously self destructive.

[rollo tomasi]

You have to realize those pols you mentioned could give a rats ass about the citizens of the US. Only thing they care about is if the checks from the Sierra Club, Planned Parenthood, ACLU, solar firms, financial firms all foreign and domestic grifting operations, etc...clear. The media takes care of their PR position.

[FLT-bird]

MBS is fairly moderate in that he pushed for and got a change in the law that allows women to drive for the first time in Saudi Arabia and they are even talking about selling booze in the duty free shops in the airports. He’s plainly not some hardcore fundamentalist muslim radical who hates the West.

But he is very much for the Saudi’s national interests. He’s also perfectly willing to hit back at Democrats when they take swipes at him. I can’t say I blame him in that.

[LouAvul]

Good business move on their part. Lower production costs and higher revenue. After all, America was a leading producer of petroleum products but now is controlled by a fossilized retard and everybody knows it.

Thanks to you stupid liberals for all you do. (San fran, denver, portland, seattle..) Your legacy will live on.

[EQAndyBuzz]

Cut it to the bone. Our domestic production is a much cleaner process anyway.

[mac_truck]

Meanwhile, Dems have been aligning with Shiite Iran.

I see very little evidence that the Biden Administration is aligning itself with Iran...perhaps you can be more specific about which Democrats are doing that.