The North Coast times-eagle., October 01, 1990, Page 9, Image 9

PAGE 9
THE NORTH COAST TIMES EA G LE, O C TO BER 1990
R is k in g W o r ld W a r
F o r The
C o n t in u e
R ig h t T o
The
P la n e t
BY BILL WEINBERG
THE KISS O f D&TH?
U .S . C O U N C IL F O R E N E R G Y A W A R EN ESS
U. S. P r e s i d e n t G e o rg e B u sh h a s r e s p o n d e d
of th e M id d le E a s t d e s e r t s p r o m i s e d v a s t s u b -
to I r a q i s tr o n g m a n S a d d a m H u s s e in 's in v a s io n
te r a n n e a n s e a s of th e s u b s ta n c e fo r th o s e w ith
a n d o c c u p a tio n of th e tin y b u t o i l - r i c h e m ir a te
th e m o n e y to in v e s t in e x p lo r a tio n an d d e v e lo p ­
o f K u w ait by c a llin g up th e r e s e r v e s a n d s e n d ­
m e n t.
in g te n s of th o u s a n d s of tr o o p s to the d e s e r t of
W ith T u r k e y 's d e f e a t a t th e en d of W o rld
S a u d i A r a b ia — m o re U .S . tr o o p s th a n h av e
v W ar I, th e v ic to r io u s A llie s w e n t a b o u t c a r v in g
b e e n m o b iliz e d in a n y m i l i t a r y o p e r a tio n s in c e
u p th e O tto m a n E m p ir e a n d d iv id in g i t a m o n g s t
th e e n d of th e w a r in V ie t N a m .
t h e m s e l v e s . B r ita in to o k P a l e s t i n e a n d I r a q , L
M uch of th e m e d ia h a v e lin e d up u n c r itic a lly
F r a n c e to o k L e b a n o n a n d S y r ia , w h ile m o n a r c h ­
b e h in d B u s h 's w a r m o v e s . S a d d a m H u s s e in is
ie s w e re e s t a b l i s h e d in th e A ra b ia n p e n in s u la ,
lik e n e d to A d o lf H i t l e r , a n d ta b lo id s a r e s c a n d a l ­
m o s tly u n d e r B r i t i s h tu te la g e . By f a r th e m o s t
iz e d by a n I r i s h r o c k s i n g e r 's r e f u s a l to a llo w
p o w e rfu l of th e s e w as th a t of S a u d i A r a b ia —
th e " S ta r S p a n g le d B a n n e r " to be p la y e d b e fo re
th e o n ly c o u n try on E a r t h n a m e d a f t e r i ts r u l ­
a s t a t e s i d e c o n c e r t. B u t d o e s th e w a r w h ich
in g f a m ily . T he r o y a l S au d f a m ily s t i l l s r u le s
o u r c o u n tr y is p r e p a r in g to fig h t in th e M id d le
a s a m o n a rc h y t h e r e to d a y . T o th e e a s t of th is
E a s t h a v e a n y th in g w h a ts o e v e r to do w ith d e ­
m a s s iv e b u t s p a r s e ly - p o p u la te d s t a t e , on the
fe n d in g p r in c ip le s of d e m o c r a c y ? O r do th e
A ra b ia n s h o r e s of th e P e r s i a n G ulf, m i n i s t r i e s
q u ic k ly e s c a la ti n g p r ic e s a t the g a s o lin e p u m p s
s u c h a s O m a n , Q a ta r an d B a h r a in jo in e d K uw ait
s a y m o r e a b o u t the r e a l r e a s o n s f o r th e m a s s ­
a s B r i t i s h - p r o t e c t e d m o n a r c h ie s .
iv e tr o o p m o b iliz a tio n ?
T h is c a r v e - u p p ro v id e d th e r o o ts f o r th e
To u n d e r s ta n d how th is l a t e s t M id d le E a s t
c o n te m p o r a r y s h a p e of th e M iddle E a s t . B r ita in
c r i s i s c a m e a b o u t, a l ittl e h i s t o r i c a l b a c k g ro u n d
h a d p r o m is e d th e P a le s t in ia n s in d e p e n d e n c e
is n e e d e d .
fo llo w in g W o rld W ar I if th e y w ould r e v o lt
A t th e tu r n of 20th C e n tu r y , I r a q and m o s t of
a g a in s t th e O tto m a n T u r k s . T h e y h a d , b u t B r i t ­
th e m a s s iv e A ra b ia n p e n in s u la w e re u n d e r the
a in h a d s im u lta n e o u s ly p r o m is e d the s a m e t e r ­
c o n tr o l of th e T u r k is h O tto m a n E m p ir e . O ne of
r i t o r y to J e w e is h Z io n is t l e a d e r s in E u r o p e .
th e e x c e p tio n s w as K u w ait, w h ic h the B r i t i s h
B re a k in g b o th p r o m i s e s , B r ita in s im p ly k e p t
e m p ir e h a d s e c u r e d a s a p r o t e c t o r a t e to c h e c k
P a le s t in e fo r h e r s e l f , e v e n tu a lly le a d in g to
T u r k is h an d G e r m a n c o n s o lid a tio n of p o w e r in
w a v e s of b o th Z io n is t a n d P a le s t in ia n n a tio n a l­
th e P e r s i a n G u lf. (G e rm a n y ow ned th e r e g io n 's
i s t v io le n c e a n d t e r r o r i s m t h e r e . By 1920
r a i l lin e s an d w as a llie d w ith T u r k e y .) The
I r a q i n a tio n a lis t s w e re le a d in g a p o p u la r a r m e d
O tto m a n s h a d d o m in a te d th is p a r t of th e w o rld
u p r is in g a g a in s t th e B r i t i s h o c c u p a tio n of I r a q .
f o r c e n t u r i e s , b u t th e B r itis h , F r e n c h a n d U .S.
T h is p r o m p te d th e B r i t i s h to w ith d ra w , le a v in g
w e re in c r e a s i n g l y p la y in g fo r p o w e r — e s p e c ­
s t i l l a n o th e r p r o - B r i t i s h m o n a rc h y to r u le in
ia lly a s o il b e c a m e an i n c r e a s in g ly v ita l p illa r
t h e i r s te a d .
o f the w o rld e c o n o m y an d s c i e n t i s t s i n c r e a s ­
S im u lta n e o u s ly , th e w o r ld 's m o s t p o w e rfu l
in g ly s p e c u la te d th a t th e g e o lo g ic a l s t r u c t u r e
o il c o m p a n ie s — m a n y of th e m o f f s p r in g s of
J o h n D. R o c k e f e lle r 's m o n o lith ic S ta n d a rd O il,
w h ic h h a d b e e n b ro k e n up by an a n t i t r u s t s u it a
fe w y e a r s e a r l i e r — w e re n e g o tia tin g w ith th e
A llie d g o v e r n m e n ts fo r e x p lo r a tio n an d d r illin g
r ig h t s in th e f o r m e r O tto m a n E m p ir e . In one
fa m o u s 1928 s e s s i o n in B e lg iu m , th e n o to rio u s
" r e d lin e " w as d ra w n a ro u n d th e p r e s u m e d
e x te n t of ill- d e f in e d b o r d e r s of th e d is m a n tle d
e m p ir e w ith in w h ich th e o ilm e n d iv id e d u p the
t u r f . S ta n d a rd O il of N ew J e r s e y (to d a y E x x o n )
a n d the A n g lo - P e r s ia n O il C o m p a n y (to d a y B r i t ­
is h P e tr o le u m ) la u n c h e d a jo in t v e n tu re in I r a q ,
th e I r a q P e tr o l e u m C o m p a n y (IP C ). S ta n d a rd
O il of C a lif o r n ia (to d a y C h e v r o n ) a n d the T e x a s
O il C o m p a n y (to d ay T e x a c o ) la u n c h e d a jo in t
v e n tu r e in S au d i A r a b ia , th e A r a b ia n - A m e r ic a n
O il C o m p a n y (A ra m c o ). T h e s e c o n g lo m e r a te s
c a m e to d o m in a te th e e c o n o m ie s of, r e s p e c tiv e ly ,
I r a q and S au d i A r a b ia .
T he o il c o m p a n ie s b e g a n to r e s h a p e A m e r i­
c a n s o c ie ty in a n tic ip a tio n of th e s e a s of p e tr o l
w h ic h w e re so o n to e m a n a te f r o m the M id d le
E a s t . In a jo in t v e n tu r e w ith c a r an d t i r e m a n ­
u f a c t u r e r s su c h a s G e n e r a l M o to rs a n d F i r e ­
s to n e , th e y s t a r t e d c r e a t i n g d u m m y c o r p o r a tio n s
an d buying up th e t r o l l e y s y s te rn s in s u c h c itie s
a s L o s A n g e le s , N ew Y o rk an d B o sto n — an d
h a v in g th e m d is m a n tle d , le a v in g th e s e r a p id ly
e x p a n d in g u r b a n c e n t e r s a lm o s t c o m p le te ly
d e p e n d e n t on a u to m o b ile t r a n s p o r t ( e s p e c ia lly
L o s A n g e le s , w hich h a d no su b w a y s y s te m ) .
Imported Beer On Tap
Fish & Chips
WERE NO.1 ON 2 ST.
ASTORIA * 3 2 5 -0 0 3 3
I r a n , w hich h a d n o t b e e n p a r t of th e O tto m a n
E m p ir e , h a d long b e e n d o m in a te d e c o n o m ic a lly
by th e A n g lo - P e r s ia n O il C o m p a n y , an d w as
r u le d by th e d i c t a t o r i a l m o n a r c h y of th e S hah,
w h ic h th e B r i t i s h h a d c r e a t e d a s a m e a n s of
c h e c k in g R u s s ia n in flu e n c e t h e r e . W ith th e o u t­
b r e a k of W o rld W ar II, the Shah d e m o n s tr a te d
s tr o n g p r o - N a z i s y m p a th ie s , so th e B r i t i s h
q u ie tly h ad h im o u s te d a n d d iv id e d I r a n B e tw e e n
t h e i r own o c c u p a tio n f o r c e s an d th o s e of R u s s ia ,
w ith w hom B r ita in w as by th e n a llie d a g a in .
W o rld W ar II w as a s e tb a c k fo r the d e v e lo p ­
m e n t of the M id d le E a s t a s a s o u r c e of g lo b a l
o il. M ilita r y c a m p a ig n s in N o rth A f r ic a w e re
a im e d a t k e e p in g th e A x is p o w e rs a w a y f r o m
M id d le E a s t o il — d e s p ite th e f a c ts th a t S ta n ­
d a r d O il of N ew J e r s e y (E x x o n ) h a d r e c e n tly
g iv e n th e N a z is a n ed g e in i n d u s t r i a l m ig h t
th ro u g h a p o w e r - s h a r in g a g r e e m e n t w ith the
G e r m a n p o w e rh o u s e I. G . F a r b e n , th a t th e T e x ­
a s O il C o m p a n y (T e x a c o ) h a d p ro v id e d p e t r o ­
le u m to th e F a s c i s t d i c ta to r s h ip of G e n e r a l i s ­
s im o F r a n c o in S p a in , an d th a t S ir H e n ri D e te r -
in g , th e m a n who h ad b u ilt R o y a l D u tch S h e ll,
h a d b e e n e a s e d ou t of p o w e r by h is ow n b o a r d
o f d i r e c t o r s fo r s p o u tin g p r o - N a z i r h e t o r i c
lo n g a f t e r it h ad s t a r t e d to be e m b a r r a s s i n g l y
in a p p ro p ria te .
In W o rld W ar II th e A llie s w e re s u p p lie d w ith
o il f r o m V e n e z u e la ( s p a r k in g a U .S . p r o p a g a n d a
a n d e s p io n a g e e f f o r t to c h e c k F a s c i s t in flu e n c e
in L a tin A m e r ic a , w h ic h h a d th e p a r a d o x ic a l
r e s u l t of p o p u la r r e v o lu tio n s to p p lin g U .S .-
C O N T IN U E D ON PA G E 10
CANNON BEACH
436-1572
S E A SID E 7 3 8 -3 5 4 9
P O R T L A N D 2 3 9 -4 6 0 5