Fourth Arab-Israel War: The Use Of The
"Oil Weapon" Against USA
30 November 2012
By Al-Ikhwah Al-Mujahidun
On October 6 1973, the holiest day in Jewish
history known as yom kapor, Egypt and Syria launched
simultaneous attacks on Israel.
It was the beginning of October war, the 4th and the
most destructive of Arab-Israel wars and it was the
one that had greatest impact on the world. Egypt's
president Anwar Sadat pressured Saudi King Faisal to
retaliate against the United States, because it backed
Israel both economically and militarily. Sadat was
referring to use the "oil weapon" against USA, because
President Nixon had passed an urgent bill from
congress to deliver a swift aid of $2.3 billion to
Israel. A string of hatred and anger blew in the
Muslim world against USA by having a pro-Israeli
stance.
Consequently on October 16, 1973 five Arab countries
including Iran announced a 70% increase in the posted
oil price. It was decided as a result of meetings held
in Kuwait by the oil ministers of the Arab world. They
pondered some other options as well.
The Iraqi representative was thoroughly in favor of
targeting United States. He called upon other
delegates to nationalize American business in the Arab
world, to impose a total embargo on US an all those
states friendly to Israel. The Iraqi minister further
added to withdraw Arab funds (petro dollars) from
every American bank. Petro dollars refers to those
dollars which were received by OPEC countries as a
result of oil export.
Other Arab ministers were reluctant to agree to such a
radical plan, but they decided on a limited embargo to
punish US for backing Israel. They agreed upon hike in
prices and cutting the production up to 5% per month
until and unless their demands are not fulfilled. Oil
prices touched new peaks of $8/barrel while in 1970
the prices were nearly $1.2/barrel. The abrupt hike in
oil prices resulted in a deep recession in US economy,
while the oil giant companies known as (seven sisters)
were badly affected. US GDP in 1973 came to be half
that of 1960. On November 11, Saudi Arabia announced a
total embargo on US. It was an amazing tragedy for
American economy. Oil in filling stations was hardly
available. Congress banned private transportation and
they persuaded the citizens to use public transport.
A member of congress was caught by police, who was
driving his own car during mid night to buy some
loaves of bread in the nearby market. The embargo did
not last more than a single year, but the consequences
it had on American economy were catastrophic.
The embargo elevated Saudi Arabia's status as a player
in world politics and forced Washington to recognize
the kingdom's strategic importance to the American
economy. Consequently it resulted in significant
attitude and policy changes in US politics. It
convinced Wall Street and Washington that such
embargos in future could never be tolerated.
The US think tank was summoned to begin brainstorming
on how to prevent such embargos in future. Think tank
mainly consisted of Oil giants and EHMs. Economic
hit-men (EHM) are highly paid professionals who cheat
countries around the globe out of trillions of dollars
and funnel it to the United States. They have high
credentials and technicality. Their tools include
fraudulent financial reports, rigged elections,
payoffs, extortion and murder. EHMs are hired by big
companies which play with the global politics.
During the session of the think tank, the EHMs argued
that they will try to shackle Saudi Arabia in foreign
loans as they did in the Latin America, south East
Asia and Iran. They would convince a country to borrow
money from IMF or World Bank and then invest it as per
their prescription. They would prescribe such projects
that could benefit the country but can never generate
enough revenue to pay back the borrowed amounts.
Consequently the country would go bankrupt. EHMs were
interested in those loans that led a country to
financial crisis and finally default.
EHMs could pursue their target easily in bankrupt
countries, because that country was beholden to the
creditors. In exchange they would buy their UN vote,
establish military bases or access to natural
resources like oil.
The ones who presided the meeting did not agree with
this complex conspiracy, because Saudi Arabia would
never be in need of foreign loans, as they had huge
inflows of petro dollars. In the next session they
agreed on a three point agenda that is as follows.
1. To build interdependence of US and Saudi economies.
2. To decrease dependence upon oil and introduce
efficient usage.
3. To search for oil reserves in undeveloped countries
like Indonesia, panama and some other latin American
states.
It was a long way to bridge interdependence between
two unrelated economies, but it was not among the
impossibilities.
America not only intimidated the royal family, but
also tried to enhance long term relationship by
presenting them an attractive deal. United States
promised its commitment to provide total political, if
necessary, even military support to the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia, to ensure the prolong existence of Saud
family as the sole rulers of the country.
It was such an attractive deal that the Saud family
could hardly refuse, Due to lack of military might,
high vulnerability in the neighboring countries like
Iran, Syria, Iraq and Israel. In exchange, the only
requirement of US was to help them in future embargos
if confronted.
If the royal family refused so they could no longer
remain rulers of the kingdom. National Security Agency
(NSA) of America intimidated the seniors of Saud
family that they would bear the same consequences as
did Muhammad Musadeq in Iran. Musadeq remained
president of Iran from 1951-1953. He was overthrown in
a coup which was orchestrated by CIA agents. Kermit
Roosevelt, who was the grandson of US president
Theodore Roosevelt, played a great role in
overthrowing Musadeq. The only reason for overthrowing
President Musadeq was that he restricted BP (British
Petroleum Company) from operating inside Iran, because
this company was accused of manipulating oil prices in
the country.
The Saud family was also threatened that the
consequences will not be different from that of
Musadeq's if they refused the deal. This intimidation
bowed the Saud family to knees. By knowing the
weakness of the kingdom, US imposed one other critical
condition. In this condition, the kingdom was obliged
to invest its petro dollars in the long term
securities of US government.
In return, the annual interest earned by these
securities would be spent by the US department of
treasury, in such projects that enabled Saudi to
emerge from the Bedouin society to a modern and
industrialized world.
The principal amount invested in those securities went
on so huge that the US treasury would require years
and years to pay back. Even the annual interest
amounted in billions from these securities. US
department of treasury would hire American engineering
and construction firms like MIAN, Bechtel and Rily, at
the expense of Saudi Arabia. These firms would sign
two contracts at a time, one for the completion of the
project and the other was meant for the maintenance.
This deal of cooperation between US and Saudi Arabia
transformed the kingdom practically overnight. Saudia
became a country of express ways, computers, air
conditioned malls, elegant hotels, fast food
restaurants, satellite television channels, up to date
hospitals and amusement parks. The kingdom travelled a
distance of centuries in years, but at the cost of
losing its culture, Wahabi dogmas and at the cost of
Palestine.