US Orders Oil Reserves Filled

PR Newswire ^ | 4 Aug 2002

[JPJ1]

NEW YORK, Aug. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- As the debate about a U.S. invasion of Iraq continues in Washington, President George W. Bush's administration is quietly getting ready for a fight, Newsweek reports in the current issue. U.S. munitions plants have put on extra shifts to rebuild arsenals depleted during the Afghan war, and a few hundred uniformed personnel are working as advance teams in Jordan and elsewhere, assessing the need for new airstrips, wider roads and the like, Newsweek reports. And even before Saddam Hussein became a priority target, the U.S. Department of Energy was working to get America's strategic petroleum reserve up to its full capacity of 700 million barrels -- enough to meet U.S. energy needs for more than 80 days in a crunch, report National Security Correspondent John Barry and Diplomatic Correspondent Roy Gutman in the August 12 issue of Newsweek (on newsstands Monday, August 5).

Story Here

[SauronOfMordor]

Wouldn't it be interesting if this whole "Vacation" is just a ruse to throw Saddam off track and this war starts during W's vacation and the congressional recess...

Which would make an Iraqi WMD strike on DC in response less effective than it otherwise would be...

[Paulie]

"However, the whole world will know that we're about to do it, and then it will still be several more days."

Nice post on #81. But while the above statement is true, it's long bothered me that everyone including Saddam gets a chance to position themselves for the fight. I'm by no means a military expert, but seems to me a few well placed nukes from space at 3:00am would suffice. And a lot less hassle.

[ThePythonicCow]

Yes, they take time, but also a sense of urgency is essential to success. Both patience and urgency are needed. Give neither short shrift.

[Dog Gone]

That's true, but we really can't obliterate several million Iraqi civilians just because it's the easy way to win. Not only do we not have anything against those poor guys, but there would be repercussions that would be extremely negative to us.

[freebilly]

Travis Air Force Base is located in Fairfield, CA. I know some jet mechanics there....

[blackbag]

I won't presume to speak about oilman, but others working on the privilidged end of business in the region have expressed the same opinion. These people are for the most part rich lefties. Send money, the muslims are peace loving
and our policies with Israel have caused it.

Funny thing is that historically the D party has benefited
from the american jewish lobby more the r's...

A real paradox

[freesia2]

Not to belabor the point but here's yet another story, without primary sources, about a story not yet published which obviously can't be sourced.

I've seen what your talking about happen too much, but in this case, it looks as though this is a press release by Newsweek about its upcoming article.

[Diddle E. Squat]

I'm with you on the likelihood that nothing will happen until post-election, but perhaps for some different reasons. I don't buy into the prevailing wisdom that going to war will be a big bump to the GOP in the November elections. Now a solid victory might produce that, but an attack on Iraq could spin-off some pretty messy byproducts short-term. Bio warfare, a damaging counterattack against Israel, unexpected intervention, domino opportunism in another region, etc. None are probable, but all are within the realm of legitimate risk. None would prevent us from winning in the long-term, but would give the media and Dems the opportunity to ferment increased discord and implied second-guessing at the moment. They Dems(who'd sue their mother if it advanced their agenda) would do it in a heartbeat if they felt it might swing a close election. A key to their strategy has always been to sow doubt now, and worry about the truthful refutation after the election, with 2 years for the public to forget. So an October start is politically risky, while Sept/August are only less so by degree.

Plus any pre-election strike would be immediately questioned by the media as an October surprise to aid the GOP in Nov., since the economy is dropping and scandals are emerging. The media will gladly carry the Dems water for a month or two, and it would likely have an impact on the ignorants and a portion of the swing voters. Wouldn't necessarily prevent Bush from striking if he felt that was the time to do it, but it is being factored in.

As to Iran or N. Korea being attacked first, no way(at least not this year). What has Bush done to state his case to the leaders of other nations and to build geopolitical will for such a strike? He's not afraid to go it alone, but he will attempt to build a coalition before taking such a drastic move. Such an attack would completely go against his previous patterns of behavior. That doesn't preclude a strategic quit hit, like what the Israeli's did with the nuke plant in the early 80's, or some requested aid to revolutionaries, but not a full-bore gov't toppling action. Same for Korea, Bush has a pattern of giving enemies at least a pretense of a chance to back out before he drops the hammer. Oh, he may set the bar so high that he knows the renegades will never agree to the requested conditions, but he always builds a case that he gave them an out, and their actions/inactions forced his hand and left him no choice.

We'll see, but my guess is post-election. Possibility of something within the next month or so, but not in October. You're point of he being a patient man is right on target, IMHO.

[freesia2]

your = you're

[hoosiermama]

Right before and during the Gulf War and a few days before the Afgan started I woke in the middle of the night to the drone of transport planes flying over head. (from about 1:00 am till right before dawn.)

I'll let you know the next time they wake me. Court on a week or so after that.

[AmishDude]

A functioning elected legislature had been in place in Japan for 55 years before the end of WWII. Institutions were in place. Also, the emperor agreed to renounce his divine status. The transition to full democracy was not difficult.

Iraq would be one of two dozen Muslim states. Any government seen to be installed by the Americans would not only be seen as illegitimate from within but, most importantly, from without. There was no other "Japanese state" other than Japan.

The parallels aren't there.

[Humidston]

I heard someone (can't recall who) on TV who said, "You never start a war in the desert in the summertime..."

[Michael Barnes]

American's are audacious. We are slow to rouse, but once we have been, stand by. Long ago we passed the "surprise" attack on a large scale. Now, we let you know were comin' for ya, and when we do come, we leave dead enemy everywhere.

No doubt were getting prepared, but if there is one thing that cannot be more underestimated by those on this board is how our brethern on the left, the normal working guy love it when were at war, just the same as those affiliated with the right. The fools on the hill can try to turn up politics before country all they like, they'll get peacnic's and extreme leftist's behind them. The country as a whole, it want's more payback, and I don't think it cares who the target is. America has been kicking ass and taking name for over 200 years. We won't stop now, we'll just let the world know whose next, and audaciously complete the task.

[TheDon]

I guess the parallel I was thinking about was where a mortal enemy of our country, in which we were engaged in a war, upon being defeated became a secular democracy, where it had once been a dictatorship. A further parallel that I was alluding to was the nice constitution that we wrote for them. That the two cases are not completely parallel is obvious.

[Not gonna take it anymore]

Attack date: September 11, 2002.

[RightWhale]

What we probably see here is several potential presidential candidates each trying to fence off some of the war issue for himself. Even the national Democrats have the full range of the hawk-dove spectrum.

[eastforker]

Definate sundy night bump.

[RightWhale]

the Osama dead pool. Whatever happened to that pool?

I missed the OBL dead pool since I wanted 15 Dec '01 and it was taken already. I think 15 Dec '01 is still good.

[TheBattman]

Waiting too long has another very negative consequence....Weapons of Mass Destruction. I certainly doubt Saddam's ability to produce enough of these to defeat us, but the longer he has to build up his arsenal, the more of OUR boys who loose their life.

I would be very surprised if these "leaks" are accurate in any significant way, other than the possibility of "sooner rather than later". All of these reports that our arsenal of weapons is still low, etc, are likely a game.

My only consern -regardless of when the attack begins - is that we do the job right/complete the job this time. G.W.'s daddy had a perfect opportunity to finish the job when he was in office. Let's just get the job done! We've got bigger fish to fry!

[ASA Vet]

I think 15 Dec '01 is still good.

Close, just a few days to late.

The pool was meaningless, since President Bush wasn't about to
allow an offical death announcement.

Elvis Bin Laden will just slowly fade into obsurity thus being
deprived of martyr status.