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Sweet Stars
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posted January 04, 2007 02:25 PM           Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The "Demonization" of Muslims and the Battle for Oil by Michel Chossudovsky

Category: News and Politics

The "Demonization" of Muslims and the Battle for Oil

by Michel Chossudovsky

Global Research, January 4, 2007

Throughout history, " wars of religion" have served to obscure the economic and strategic interests behind the conquest and invasion of foreign lands. "Wars of religion" were invariably fought with a view to securing control over trading routes and natural resources.

The Crusades extending from the 11th to the 14th Century are often presented by historians as "a continuous series of military-religious expeditions made by European Christians in the hope of wresting the Holy Land from the infidel Turks." The objective of the Crusades, however, had little to do with religion. The Crusades largely consisted, through military action, in challenging the dominion of the Muslim merchant societies, which controlled the Eastern trade routes.

The "Just War" supported the Crusades. War was waged with the support of the Catholic Church, acting as an instrument of religious propaganda and indoctrination, which was used in the enlistment throughout Europe of thousands of peasants, serfs and urban vagabonds.

America's Crusade in Central Asia and the Middle East

In the eyes of public opinion, possessing a "just cause" for waging war is central. A war is said to be Just if it is waged on moral, religious or ethical grounds.

America's Crusade in Central Asia and the Middle East is no exception. The "war on terrorism" purports to defend the American Homeland and protect the "civilized world", it is upheld as a "war of religion", a "clash of civilizations", when in fact the main objective of this war is to secure control and corporate ownership over the region's extensive oil wealth, while also imposing under the helm of the IMF and the World Bank (now under the leadership of Paul Wolfowitz), the privatization of State enterprises and the transfer of the countries' economic assets to foreign capital. .

The Just War theory upholds war as a "humanitarian operation". It serves to camouflage the real objectives of the military operation, while providing a moral and principled image to the invaders. In its contemporary version, it calls for military intervention on ethical and moral grounds against "rogue states" and "Islamic terrorists", which are threatening the Homeland.

Possessing a "just cause" for waging war is central to the Bush administration's justification for invading and occupying both Afghanistan and Iraq.

Taught in US military academies, a modern-day version of the "Just War" theory has been embodied into US military doctrine. The "war on terrorism" and the notion of "preemption" are predicated on the right to "self defense." They define "when it is permissible to wage war": jus ad bellum.

Jus ad bellum serves to build a consensus within the Armed Forces command structures. It also serves to convince the troops that the enemy is "evil" and that they are fighting for a "just cause". More generally, the Just War theory in its modern day version is an integral part of war propaganda and media disinformation, applied to gain public support for a war agenda.

The Battle for Oil. Demonization of the Enemy

War builds a humanitarian agenda. Throughout history, vilification of the enemy has been applied time and again. The Crusades consisted in demonizing the Turks as infidels and heretics, with a view to justifying military action.

Demonization serves geopolitical and economic objectives. Likewise, the campaign against "Islamic terrorism" (which is supported covertly by US intelligence) supports the conquest of oil wealth. The term "Islamo-fascism," serves to degrade the policies, institutions, values and social fabric of Muslim countries, while also upholding the tenets of "Western democracy" and the "free market" as the only alternative for these countries.

The US led war in the broader Middle East Central Asian region consists in gaining control over more than sixty percent of the world's supplies of oil and natural gas. The Anglo-American oil giants also seek to gain control over oil and gas pipeline routes out of the region. (See table and maps below).

Muslim countries including Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Yemen, Libya, Nigeria, Algeria, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, possess between 66.2 and 75.9 percent of total oil reserves, depending on the source and methodology of the estimate. (See table below).

In contrast, the United States of America has barely 2 percent of total oil reserves. Western countries including its major oil producers ( Canada, the US, Norway, the UK, Denmark and Australia) control approximately 4 percent of total oil reserves. (In the alternative estimate of the Oil and Gas Journal which includes Canada's oil sands, this percentage would be of the the order of 16.5%. See table below).

The largest share of the World's oil reserves lies in a region extending (North) from the tip of Yemen to the Caspian sea basin and (East) from the Eastern Mediterranean coastline to the Persian Gulf. This broader Middle East- Central Asian region, which is the theater of the US-led "war on terrorism" encompasses according to the estimates of World Oil, more than sixty percent of the World's oil reserves. (See table below).

Iraq has five times more oil than the United States.

Muslim countries possess at least 16 times more oil than the Western countries.

The major non-Muslim oil reserve countries are Venezuela, Russia, Mexico, China and Brazil. (See table)

Demonization is applied to an enemy, which possesses three quarters of the world's oil reserves. "Axis of evil", "rogue States", "failed nations", "Islamic terrorists": f demonization and vilification are the ideological pillar of America's "war on terror". They serve as a casus belli for waging the battle for oil.

The Battle for Oil requires the demonization of those who possess the oil. The enemy is characterized as evil, with a view to justifying military action including the mass killing of civilians. The Middle East Central Asian region is heavily militarized. (See map). The oil fields are encircled: NATO war ships stationed in the Eastern Mediterranean (as part of a UN "peace keeping" operation), US Carrier Strike Groups and Destroyer Squadrons in the Persian Gulf and the Arabian deployed as part of the "war on terrorism".

All-nuclear formation: Enterprise, Long Beach (CGN-9), and Bainbridge (CGN-25).

USS Enterprise Strike Group

The ultimate objective, combining military action, covert intelligence operations and war propaganda, is to break down the national fabric and transform sovereign countries into open economic territories, where natural resources can be plundered and confiscated under "free market" supervision. This control also extends to strategic oil and gas pipeline corridors (e.g. Afghanistan).

Demonization is a PSYOP, used to sway public opinion and build a consensus in favor of war. Psychological warfare is directly sponsored by the Pentagon and the US intelligence apparatus. It is not limited to assassinating or executing the rulers of Muslim countries, it extends to entire populations. It also targets Muslims in Western Europe and North America. It purports to break national consciousness and the ability to resist the invader. It denigrates Islam. It creates social divisions. It is intended to divide national societies and ultimately trigger "civil war". While it creates an environment which facilitates the outright appropriation of the countries' resources, at the same time, it potentially backlashes, creates a new national consciousness, develops inter-ethnic solidarity, brings people together in confronting the invaders.

It is worth noting that the triggering of sectarian divisions and "civil wars" is contemplated in the process of redrawing of the map of the Middle East, where countries are slated to be broken up and transformed into territories. The map of the New Middle East, although not official, has been used by the US National War Academy. It was recently published in the Armed Forces Journal (June 2006). In this map, nation states are broken up, international borders are redefined along sectarian-ethnic lines, broadly in accordance with the interests of the Anglo-American oil giants (See Map below). The map has also been used in a training program at NATO's Defense College for senior military officers.

MAP OF THE NEW MIDDLE EAST


Map: click to enlarge

Note: The following map was prepared by Lieutenant-Colonel Ralph Peters. It was published in the Armed Forces Journal in June 2006, Peters is a retired colonel of the U.S. National War Academy. (Map Copyright Lieutenant-Colonel Ralph Peters 2006).

The Oil Lies in Muslim Lands

The oil lies in Muslim lands. Vilification of the enemy is part and parcel of Eurasia energy geopolitics. It is a direct function of the geographic distribution of the World's oil and gas reserves. If the oil were in countries occupied predominantly by Buddhists or Hindus, one would expect that US foreign policy would be directed against Buddhists and Hindus, who would also be the object of vilification..

In the Middle East war theater, Iran and Syria, which are part of the "axis of evil", are the next targets according to official US statements.

US sponsored "civil wars" have also been conducted in several other strategic oil and gas regions including Nigeria, the Sudan, Colombia, Somalia, Yemen, Angola, not to mention Chechnya and several republics of the former Soviet Union. Ongoing US sponsored "civil wars", which often include the channelling of covert support to paramilitary groups, have been triggered in the Darfur region of Sudan as well as in Somalia, Darfur possesses extensive oil reserves. In Somalia, lucrative concessions have already been granted to four Anglo-American oil giants.

"According to documents obtained by The Times, nearly two-thirds of Somalia was allocated to the American oil giants Conoco, Amoco [now part of BP], Chevron and Phillips in the final years before Somalia's pro-U.S. President Mohamed Siad Barre was overthrown and the nation plunged into chaos in January, 1991. Industry sources said the companies holding the rights to the most promising concessions are hoping that the Bush Administration's decision to send U.S. troops to safeguard aid shipments to Somalia will also help protect their multimillion-dollar investments there." (America's Interests in Somalia, Global Research, 2002)

Globalization and the Conquest of the World's Energy Resources

The collective demonization of Muslims, including the vilification of Islam, applied Worldwide, constitutes at the ideological level, an instrument of conquest of the World's energy resources. It is part of the broader economic, political mechanisms underlying the New World Order.
Oil Reserves by Country
(Proven reserves in billions of barrels)

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Sweet Stars
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posted January 04, 2007 02:30 PM           Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote

Rank

Country

Percent of World Reserves

World Oil, December 2004

Percent of World Reserves

Oil & Gas Journal, January 2006

1.

Saudi Arabia

24.2

262.1

20.6

266.8

2.

Canada*

0.4

4.7

13.8

178.8

3.

Iran

12.1

130.8

10.3

132.5

4.

Iraq

10.6

115.0

8.9

115.0

5.

Kuwait

9.2

99.7

7.9

101.5

6.

United Arab Emirates

6.5

69.9

7.6

97.8

7.

Venezuela*

4.8

52.4

6.1

79.7

8.

Russia

6.2

67.1

4.6

60.0

9.

Libya

3.2

33.6

3.0

39.1

10.

Nigeria

3.4

36.6

2.7

35.9

11.

United States

2.0

21.4

1.7

21.4

12.

China

1.4

15.4

1.4

18.3

13.

Qatar

1.8

20

1.2

15.2

14.

Mexico

1.4

14.8

1.0

12.9

15.

Algeria

1.4

15.3

0.9

11.4

16.

Brazil

1.0

11.2

0.9

11.2

17.

Kazakhstan

0.8

9.0

0.7

9.0

18.

Norway

0.9

9.9

0.6

7.7

19.

Azerbaijan

0.6

7.0

0.5

7.0

20.

India

0.5

4.9

0.4

5.8

21

Oman

0.4.

4.8

0.4

5.5

22

Angola

0.8.

9.0

0.4

5.4

23

Ecuador

0.5

5.5

0.4

4.6

24

Indonesia

0.5

5.3

0.3

4.3

25

UK

0.4

3.9

0.3

4.0

26

Yemen

0.3

3.0

0.3

4.0

27

Egypt

0.3

3.6

0.3

3.7

28

Malaysia

0.3

3.0

0.2

3.0

29

Gabon

0.2

2.2

0.2

2.5

30

Syria

0.2

2.3

0.2

2.5

31

Argentina

0.2

2.3

0.2

2.3

32

Equatorial Guinea

0.2

1,8

0.0

0.0

32

Colombia

0.1

1.5

0.1

1.5

33

Vietnam

0.1

1,3


0.6

34

Chad

0.0

0.0

0.1

1.5

35

Australia

0.3

3.6

0.1

1.4

36

Brunei

0.1

1.1

0.1

1.4

37

Denmark

0.1

1.3

0.1

1.3

38

Peru

0.1

0.9

0.1

1.0

Total Muslim Countries**

75.9

822.1

66.2

855.6

Total Western World (EU, North America, Australia)

4.1

44.8

16.5
213.3
Other Countries 20.6 214.9 17.3 223.6
World Total 100.0 1,081.8 100.0 1,292.5

Source: EIO: Energy Information Administration (Scroll down for explanatory notes on the table)


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Sweet Stars
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posted January 04, 2007 02:31 PM           Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
ANNEX


© Map by Eric Waddell, Global Research, 2003. (click to enlarge)

For details on th Campaign against the pipeline see http://www.bakuceyhan.org.uk/more_info/bp_pipeline.htm




Route of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline


NOTES PERTAINING TO THE TABLE ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF OIL RESERVES

Indicated are the world's main oil reserve countries. Countries with less than 0.1 % of total reserves are not indicated.

The Oil and Gas Journal figures indicated above are based on proven oil reserves including the bituminous oil fields (oil sands or tar sands). The World Oil figures indicate oil reserves without the tar sands. The difference between the two sets of figures largely pertains to the position of Canada and Venezuela. The tar-sands are considered by some experts as not recoverable with present technology and prices, although this issue is the object of heated debate.

Muslim countries are indicated in bold. Percentages are rounded up to first decimal.

*Canada appears according to this estimate as the Second Country in terms of the size of proven reserves, due to the size of its bituminous oil fields. The Oil & Gas Journal's oil reserve estimate above for Canada includes 4.7 billion barrels of conventional crude oil and condensate reserves and 174.1 billion barrels of oil sands reserves.

In other recognized estimates, where the oil sands are not accounted for, Canada's reserves are much lower (in billions of barrels):

BP Statistical Review 16.802

Oil & Gas Journal 178.792

World Oil 4.700

BP notes that "the figure for Canadian oil reserves includes an official estimate of Canadian oil sands "under active development"." BP says of its data sources for oil reserves that "the estimates in this table have been compiled using a combination of primary official sources, third-party data from the OPEC Secretariat, World Oil, Oil & Gas Journal and an independent estimate of Russian reserves based on information in the public domain.

World Oil's Canadian oil reserve estimate "does not include 174 billion bbl [barrels] of oil sands reserves."


Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Centre for Research on Globalization.

To become a Member of Global Research

The CRG grants permission to cross-post original Global Research articles on community internet sites as long as the text & title are not modified. The source and the author's copyright must be displayed. For publication of Global Research articles in print or other forms including commercial internet sites, contact: crgeditor@yahoo.com
www.globalresearch.ca contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available to our readers under the provisions of "fair use" in an effort to advance a better understanding of political, economic and social issues. The material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving it for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material for purposes other than "fair use" you must request permission from the copyright owner.

For media inquiries: crgeditor@yahoo.com

© Copyright Michel Chossudovsky, Global Research, 2007


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Xodian
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posted January 04, 2007 02:36 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Xodian     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
SS:

Though in many ways, this article merits good facts, it truly misinterperts a lot of things.

a)The U.S. deficit and debt runs crippilngly high; more so than any profits they would get by taking over Iraqi Oil fields or setting up shop in Afganistan. Lets just say they do manage to set up shop. Importing oil from such a destabilized area is next to impossible without undue risks (especially if you consider Afganistan.) It would be better in the U.S's interest to partner up with Alberta and the Oil sands project.

b)Yes, there is enough evidence to suggest that Iraq WAS indeed on the current administration's agenda even before the events of 9/11. Particuarly the fact that U.S. F-16s bombed quote a few Iraqi radar stations not a few months past when the administration took power. However, I doubt oil was on the agenda.

c) OPEC still artificially controls major supply and demand of oil. So if there is a shortage of supply, it could very well be because OPEC chose to hold back production inorder to increase prices on oil.

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Xodian
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posted January 04, 2007 02:41 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Xodian     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
d) I also forgot to mention the fact that building transport pipelines though instable regions ain't such a hot idea Lol! I know pretty well the cartels wouldn't even dream of it.

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jwhop
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posted January 04, 2007 03:20 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for jwhop     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Tell me TP, why is everyone you quote here a brain dead leftist moron who is either pushing a book or a conspiracy theory?...like the brain dead Noam Chomsky clone Michel Chossudovsky.

All one need do to believe these morons drivel is switch their brains off...or never have had a brain in the first place.

AMERICA'S "WAR ON TERRORISM"

by Michel Chossudovsky
Expanded and Updated Edition of the 2002 Best-Seller: War and Globalisation, The Truth behind September 11

In this new and expanded edition of Michel Chossudovsky's 2002 best seller, the author blows away the smokescreen put up by the mainstream media, that 9/11 was an attack on America by "Islamic terrorists". Through meticulous research, the author uncovers a military-intelligence ploy behind the September 11 attacks, and the cover-up and complicity of key members of the Bush Administration.

The expanded edition, which includes twelve new chapters focuses on the use of 9/11 as a pretext for the invasion and illegal occupation of Iraq, the militarisation of justice and law enforcement and the repeal of democracy. According to Chossudovsky, the "war on terrorism" is a complete fabrication based on the illusion that one man, Osama bin Laden, outwitted the $40 billion-a-year American intelligence apparatus.

Chossudovsky peels back layers of rhetoric to reveal a complex web of deceit aimed at luring the American people and the rest of the world into accepting a military solution which threatens the future of humanity.
"Millions of people have been misled regarding the causes and consequences of September 11.When people across the US and around the World find out that Al Qaeda is not an outside enemy but a creation of US foreign policy and the CIA, the legitimacy of the bipartisan war agenda will tumble like a deck of cards."

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BornUnderDioscuri
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posted January 06, 2007 05:11 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for BornUnderDioscuri     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
I also forgot to mention the fact that building transport pipelines though instable regions ain't such a hot idea Lol! I know pretty well the cartels wouldn't even dream of it.

Yea seriously that would make for one of the easiest targets for extremists and it would cost the US billions to try to make a pipeline, protect it and deal with constant repairs not to mention hiring workers who dont want to be blown up.


quote:
the author blows away the smokescreen put up by the mainstream media, that 9/11 was an attack on America by "Islamic terrorists".

Yeah seriously...i utterly love those 9/11 conspiracy theorists (MAJOR sarcasm in case anyone misses it )the man (Osama) took credit for it...at least give it to him already...betcha hes someone beating his head into the pavement like "here i am trying to make threats on the US and the dumb public thinks their own government did it"...UGH seriously im a moon in Scorpio and even I dont think EVERYTHING is a conspiracy theory...JFK assasination - maybe, 9/11 No not really...

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SecretGardenAgain
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posted January 06, 2007 08:20 PM           Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Actually Osama didn't say 'I did it'. He said he commends the people that did it and he may be connected to them, thats the literal translation of the Arabic video, and what all the Arab stations said.

Anyways there HAVE been times in the past where Arabs have taken credit for something they haven't done. GOD dont ask me why, theyre stupid is all I can say. It obviously made him happy that someone did that to the US. Maybe he took credit to seem mightier than he is. I know a lot of people like that, and a lot of criminals even in the US justice system confess falsely because they're sick and want 'fame'.

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