More Gas and Oil

Saw Prof. Michael Schwartz speak last night at the U of M about my favorite subject, oil wars. His basic thesis is: It's the Oil, Stupid! So he takes us around the Middle East ( mostly, a few detours into Russia and Ukraine and China) and explains the "oily substrate" of ongoing conflict in the region. Something new I learned was the relationship between Israel, Palestine, and Natural Gas. Turns out there is a giant formation right there in the old Mediterranean, just to complicate matters even further, right? I also learned about the vast amount of oil smuggling that goes on, this whole crazy enterprise where various militants capture a well or a pipeline, tap into it and sell the crude on the black market. And then, serendipitously, I hear a report on NPR this morning about the incredible sums involved in...you guessed it, oil smuggling. Get some kalishnikovs, maybe some rpgs and shit,and some big trucks filled with barrels and you are in business, and a brisk business it is, 2 million smackers a day! I live near an oil patch here in Montana but....no, I'm just not ambitious enough. One last thing I learned about was the oil that is being pumped from Kirkuk, now in the hands of Peshmurga Kurds, THROUGH TURKEY! Throw in a little EXXON- Mobile and a little Gasprom, maybe a couple of warlords and clan chieftons...