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aavenda2

Saudi oil minister adviser: annual oil demand seen growing up to 1 mln bpd - 0 views

www.reuters.com/...audi-oil-idUSL5N0X629G20150409

Saudi Oil Projected Growth

shared by aavenda2 on 09 Apr 15 - No Cached
  • aavenda2 on 09 Apr 15
     
    Saudi Arabia's oil minister claims expected annual growth by up to 1 million barrels per day
allieggg

Revisiting the Libyan War | The American Conservative - 0 views

www.theamericanconservative.com/...revisiting-the-libyan-war

shared by allieggg on 23 Nov 14 - No Cached
  • I do not in any way regret my support for that intervention, which saved many thousands of lives and helped to bring an end to a brutal regime. Still, it is impossible to look at Libya’s failed state and civil war, its proxy conflict and regional destabilization, and not conclude that the intervention’s negative effects over the long term outweigh the short-term benefits.
  • left Libya without a functioning state and little solid ground upon which to build a new political order. The likelihood of such an outcome should have weighed more heavily in my analysis.
  • My hope had been that the intervention would act to restrain other autocrats from unleashing deadly force against protesters and encourage wavering activists to push forward in their demands for change. Unfortunately, this only partially panned out and had unintended negative effects.
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • No government that bordered on Libya wanted outside intervention, presumably because they feared that they would be adversely affected by it. The Arab governments that most wanted the war were the ones least likely to suffer from its ill effects. The fact that authoritarian GCC governments supported this “humanitarian” intervention should have been a reason to be very wary of military action instead of being an argument in its favor.
  • The worst effects were on Syria. The Libya intervention may have imposed a certain level of caution on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, leading him to search for just the right level of repression to stay beneath the threshold for international action.
  • Libya intervention almost certainly encouraged Syrian activists and rebels – and their backers in the Gulf and Turkey – in their hopes for a similar international campaign on their own behalf. That unintended moral hazard probably contributed to the escalation of Syria’s civil war.
  • Intervention in Libya was always likely to give protesters and rebels in other countries false hope that their plight would trigger outside intervention as well. The moral hazard may not have been intended, but it was there for all to see.
wmulnea

Isis threatens future oil supplies, warns IEA - FT.com - 0 views

www.ft.com/...59-11e4-a1a9-00144feabdc0.html

shared by wmulnea on 02 Mar 15 - No Cached
  • Mr Birol said instability in the Middle East, and especially in Iraq, had “major implications” for oil markets.
  • Iraq has the world’s third-largest reserves of conventional oil
  • the government in Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government in Erbil, which are usually at loggerheads, this month agreeing a temporary deal for crude exports and revenue sharing
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • Iraq’s oil production has fallen only 10 per cent this year.
  • the rapid ascent of Isis has raised questions about the country’s security, adding to international companies’ concerns about regulatory, environmental and budget problems.
  • Poor roads and transport infrastructure were adding to security concerns and hence costs, he added.
  • Mr Birol said it was highly unlikely that US crude production could meet the expected increase in global demand, even if shale oil production continued to outpace forecasts as it has done in recent years.
wmulnea

Oil and Terror: ISIS and Middle East Economies - 0 views

www.investopedia.com/...-and-middle-east-economies.asp

shared by wmulnea on 02 Mar 15 - No Cached
  • ISIS's economic cost is significant not just for Iraq but also other Middle Eastern countries.
  • Iraq has the fifth largest oil reserves in the world and third highest in the Middle East after Saudi Arabia and Iran.
  • Part of ISIS's rise in Iraq can be attributed to sectarian politics.
  • ...15 more annotations...
  • part of their dissatisfaction came from the distribution of oil revenues. 
  • The mismanagement of oil revenues is also manifest in Iraq's poor infrastructure
  • Though currently the Iraqi government has reserves and surplus funds, mounting expenditures and falling oil prices has economists to project that Iraq will run a deficit next year.
  • it is running a self-sustaining economy, making it the world's richest terror group.
  • Thankfully, 6 of 8 Iraq’s major oil fields lie in the Shia South, which is unlikely to come under ISIS control.
  • It sells crude at a steep discount, at a rate of USD $30 per barrel
  • Turkey runs a huge trade surplus with Iraq, which is likely to slow down dramatically due to lower demand from Iraq.
  • Jordan and Lebanon, which have both absorbed a large number of refugees.
  • Iran’s position seems to be the trickiest of all in that its interests align with those of the US in its fight against ISIS
  • Falling oil prices have definitely curtailed Iran’s ability to intervene without serious consequences for its economy. Iran needs oil prices well above USD $100 for it to balance its budget,
  • Any cooperation between Iran and the US over ISIS could lead to a gradual withdrawal of sanctions, which would allow Iran to sell its oil on the open market and generate revenue. The flip side is that Iran’s oil would surely depress oil prices further.
  • Saudi's allegiances have become muddled.
  • it finds its interests are aligned with those of Iran, a traditional foe, both of which are against ISIS.
  • Russia needs oil prices near USD $100 to balance its budget and Iran needs high oil prices to support its nuclear program.
  • Regionally, ISIS will disrupt and degrade the economy of several states, and that in turn may lead to further political chaos -- which is precisely ISIS's goal.
fcastro2

ANNE R. PIERCE: Beware ISIS strategy that fortifies Russia, Iran, and Syria - Washingto... - 0 views

www.washingtontimes.com/...-isis-strategy-fortifies-russi

strategy russia syria

shared by fcastro2 on 16 Mar 15 - No Cached
  • President Obama stressed the importance of showing the world “we are united in our resolv
  • Demonstration of united resolve against blood-thirsty terrorists whose ranks, ambitions and territory have grown exponentially is important
  • forging strategy to battle ISIS without also forging strategy to thwart Syria, Russia and Iran is a terrible mistake
  • ...14 more annotations...
  • brutality and aggression of the Islamic State, he still whitewashes the brutality and aggression of established states Syria, Russia and Iran, and still ignores the need for grand strategy to deal with them
  • We must, therefore, take Iran, Russia and Syria, and the collusion between them, seriously.
  • potentially, an even greater threat to the “free world” than ISIS. Because they are terror sponsors and supporters, WMD in their control means WMD out of control, susceptible to being sold or given to fanatics who are willing to work for their cause
  • working with the Iranian, Russian and Syrian regimes to address Middle Eastern problems and fight ISIS is a sure way to alienate Middle Eastern moderates and traditional partner
  • Russia’s staunch support of Syria and Iran; its ruthless aggression in Ukraine; and its expansionist designs in Eastern Europe, should make containing Russia an American foreign policy priority
  • Instead, much of the White House plan for combating ISIS plays right into Syrian, Iranian and Russian hands, for it revolves around their plans –which include allowing Assad to stay in power, legitimizing Russian-sponsored “peace conferences” that buy Assad time and raise Putin’s stature, accommodating the Iranian nuclear program, and giving Iran the lead in the battle against ISIS and in the Levant.
  • the United States has been mostly passive, while Russia, Iran and its proxies, and al Qaeda-affiliated terrorists, have seized the day.
  • opened the door to extremist groups eager to hijack the Syrian revolt and/or defend the Syrian regime
  • Iran and Russia have worked stolidly to protect Assad and capitalize on the chao
  • While the Obama administration justified its unwillingness to give meaningful aid to Syrian rebels with fear of helping extremists within rebel ranks, that stance allowed extremism within Syria to metastasize
  • development so serious that it now requires a military respons
  • Russia provided cover for Syria in the UN, and supplied many of the very weapons Assad uses to massacre civilian
  • the administration has endorsed yet more Russia-sponsored “peace talks”
  • President Obama and Secretary Kerry have backed even further away from demands that Assad leave, while even the goal of a transitional government which characterized the previous talks has been dropped
  • fcastro2 on 16 Mar 15
     
    Working with the Iranian, Russian and Syrian regimes to address Middle Eastern problems and fight ISIS is a sure way to alienate Middle Eastern moderates.
allieggg

Two rival Libyan governments claim to control oil policy | Top News | Reuters - 1 views

af.reuters.com/...idAFKCN0I705N20141018

militias armed groups war middle east policy oil reuters

shared by allieggg on 14 Nov 14 - No Cached
  • Oil traders are concerned about the uncertainty over who is in charge of Libya's vast oil reserves after the Misrata group appointed its own oil minister and took over the official website of state firm National Oil Corp (NOC).
  • ncertainty about the oil industry, which had just started to show signs of recovery after Thinni managed to end a blockage of major eastern ports by groups of rebels demanding autonomy.
  • the newly appointed oil minister, Mashallah al-Zawi,
  • ...6 more annotations...
  • Thinni, whose government is recognised by the international community, responded from Bayda, a town east of Benghazi, where his government has relocated and is trying to stay in contact with ministries almost 1,000 km (620 miles) away in Tripoli.
  • He said oil revenues for the OPEC member state continued to enter a Libyan bank, which transferred them to the central bank.
  • "They are under the control of the state of Libya and the government approved by the Libyan parliament," he said, referring to the elected House of Representatives, which has moved to Tobruk, east of Bayda near the Egyptian border.
  • chairman of National Oil Corp, Mustafa Sanallah
  • Zawi said oil revenue, Libya's sole source of income, would be around only a fifth of last year's level due to the wave of protests at oilfields and ports.
  • Western powers worry that the conflict between the Bayda- and Tripoli-based governments will lead to civil war and that the elected government's nascent army is no match for former rebels of various factions who defy state authority.
  • allieggg on 14 Nov 14
     
    As their sole source of income the control over oil policy and revenue proves to be a huge factor in which government will gain control over the greater Libya. Thinni, the prime minister recognized by the international community, has assured OPEC members that oil revenues are deposited into the Libyan Bank, which then transfers them to the central bank. While this may be true, OPEC members are worried that the continuation of Islamist militant aims for political autonomy through the occupation and attacks on oil ports. BPD have already become a fifth of what they maintained just one year ago. 
wmulnea

BBC News - Falling oil prices: Who are the winners and losers? - 0 views

www.bbc.com/...business-29643612

shared by wmulnea on 13 Feb 15 - No Cached
  • The reasons for this change are twofold - weak demand in many countries due to insipid economic growth, coupled with surging US production. Added to this is the fact that the oil cartel Opec is determined not to cut production as a way to prop up prices.
  • Russia loses about $2bn in revenues for every dollar fall in the oil price,
  • Russia has confirmed it will not cut production to shore up oil prices.
  • ...12 more annotations...
  • Venezuela is one of the world's largest oil exporters, but thanks to economic mismanagement it was already finding it difficult to pay its way even before the oil price started falling.
  • Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter and Opec's most influential member, could support global oil prices by cutting back its own production, but there is little sign it wants to do this.
  • There could be two reasons - to try to instil some discipline among fellow Opec oil producers, and perhaps to put the US's burgeoning shale oil and gas industry under pressure.
  • Saudi Arabia needs oil prices to be around $85 in the longer term, it has deep pockets with a reserve fund of some $700bn - so can withstand lower prices for some time.
  • were to force some higher cost producers
  • In the 1980s the country did cut production significantly in a bid to boost prices, but it had little effect and it also badly affected the Saudi economy.
  • Saudi Arabia, Gulf producers such as the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait have also amassed considerable foreign currency reserves, which means that they could run deficits for several years if necessary.
  • Islamic State, capturing oil wells. It is estimated it is making about $3m a day through black market sales - and undercutting market prices by selling at a significant discount - around $30-60 a barrel.
  • "The growth of oil production in North America, particularly in the US, has been staggering," says Columbia University's Jason Bordoff.
  • It has been this growth in US energy production, where gas and oil is extracted from shale formations using hydraulic fracturing or fracking, that has been one of the main drivers of lower oil prices.
  • "Shale has essentially severed the linkage between geopolitical turmoil in the Middle East, and oil price and equities," says Seth Kleinman, head of energy strategy at Citi.
  • With Europe's flagging economies characterised by low inflation and weak growth, any benefits of lower prices would be welcomed by beleaguered governments. A 10% fall in oil prices should lead to a 0.1% increase in economic output, say some. In general consumers benefit through lower energy prices, but eventually low oil prices do erode the conditions that brought them about.
jordanbrown16

Iranian Parliament Decides to Reactivate Nuclear Program in Event of New Sanctions - 0 views

jpupdates.com/...ar-program-event-new-sanctions

Iran nuclear sanctions uranium

shared by jordanbrown16 on 09 Feb 15 - No Cached
  • jordanbrown16 on 09 Feb 15
     
    Iran demands U.S. nuclear sanctions be lifted in response to a 2013 deal struck between the Obama Administration and Iran.
fcastro2

Turkish forces raise flag on Syrian territory - Daily News Egypt - 0 views

www.dailynewsegypt.com/...es-raise-flag-syrian-territory

turkish forces flag ISIS syria politics war

shared by fcastro2 on 23 Feb 15 - No Cached
  • urkish forces entered Syrian territories and advanced to the outskirts of Aleppo Saturday to transport the buried remains of the founder of the Ottoman Empire, Suleyman Shah.
  • Ashma village, on which the forces planted Turkish flag and claimed authority
  • was threatened in March 2014 by the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) as the radical militant organisation demanded that Turkey lowers its flag and withdraws troops guarding the site.
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • A soldier was killed in the operation, as far as the international coalition to combat ISIS knows, although it didn’t see clashes,
  • After the Turkish forces transported the remains, they destroyed all the buildings in the site to “prevent abuse of the site
  • fcastro2 on 23 Feb 15
     
    After the retrieval of the historical tomb, Turkish forces raised the Turkish flag in the village the tomb was transferred to. Syrian forces felt this as a bit of a threat and so relations between the two governments remain tense. 
sambofoster

Bangladesh: Women Commit Suicide to Escape Sexual Harassment | Violence is not our Culture - 0 views

violenceisnotourculture.org/...icide-escape-sexual-harassment

sexual harrassment suicide women

shared by sambofoster on 24 Feb 16 - No Cached
  • sambofoster on 24 Feb 16
     
    Sexual harassment against women in Bangladesh is turning deadly. According to local human rights groups 28 women committed suicide this year to escape frequent sexual harassment. Before killing themselves most of them wrote a note demanding an end to the sexual harassment known locally as 'eve teasing' where boys intercept girls on the street, and shout obscenities, laugh at them, pull or touch them or worse.
cthomase

A Radical Idea to Rebuild a Shattered Libya: Restore the Monarchy - 0 views

www.nytimes.com/...ibya-restore-the-monarchy.html

Libya politics war ISIS revolution

shared by cthomase on 24 Feb 16 - No Cached
  • cthomase on 24 Feb 16
     
    Libya is in the midst of complete chaos as they currently have no official government. One idea that some say could fix the situation is to restore the monarchy that ruled Libya until it was overthrown by Gadddafi. As of now, there is one distant relative, a grandnephew of the former King who stands waiting to rescue his nation if "the people demand it."
mcooka

Hillary Clinton Gives Israeli Education Program Spotlight on Campaign Trail - Israel - ... - 0 views

forward.com/...am-spotlight-on-campaign-trail

hillary clinton israeli education program

shared by mcooka on 10 Feb 16 - No Cached
  • ch week in Israel, young parents open their homes to local instructors who teach them how to prepare their toddlers for school.
  • In her bid for the Democratic nomination, Clinton rarely misses an opportunity to tout her record on early childhood education, from her first job out of law school at the Children’s Defense Fund to her Too Small To Fail program at The Clinton Foundation.
  • The story of how Clinton brought the Israeli education program to America starts with a coincidence.
  • ...5 more annotations...
  • In 1969, an Israeli educator named Avima Lombard conceived the program as a way to help the children of North African immigrants get a head start in the Israeli school system
  • Clinton’s associates in Arkansas apparently had a similar reaction when she told them they would have to travel to the Holy Land for HIPPY training: “‘Israel! Where is Israel?’”
  • HIPPY has been studied widely in academic and research settings.
  • But the two strong personalities also clashed occasionally. For several years, Lombard demanded that certain HIPPY USA staff members receive training in Israel. As the program grew, this practice became expensive and unsustainable, leading HIPPY USA to start training staff in Arkansas.
  • In 1998, Hillary Clinton visited a HIPPY event in Jerusalem while accompanying her husband when he was president. It was around holiday time, and Clinton was photographed with HIPPY children and their mothers.
  • mcooka on 10 Feb 16
     
    HIlary Clinton is using the Israeli Education program to highlight her campaign. She wants to promote Israeli education and how she supports early education. Hilary Clinton adds she wants to support overseas education as well
jherna2a

Yemen crisis: Who are the Houthi rebels? - 1 views

www.telegraph.co.uk/...Who-are-the-Houthi-rebels.html

Yemen Houthi revolution politics

shared by jherna2a on 10 Feb 16 - No Cached
  • jherna2a on 10 Feb 16
     
    The Houthi rebellion brought forth a conflict with multiple players. The competing factions include the Houthis, the government, al-Qaeda, Al-Islah (a Sunni Islamist political faction), and Al-Hirak (the Southern Movement demanding secession).
jherna2a

Egypt Under Sisi -YouTube - 0 views

www.youtube.com/watch

Egypt Sisi protest violence

shared by jherna2a on 10 Feb 16 - No Cached
  • jherna2a on 10 Feb 16
     
    After the deposition of President Mubarak, a democratic election was held, placing Mohamed Morsi in power. Shortly after, the Egyptian people demanded the new president's deposition. Now, under the rule of General Sisi, the government has responded to any protesters with violence.
blantonjack

Army's Delta Force begins to target ISIS in Iraq - 0 views

www.cnn.com/...pentagon-army-target-isis-iraq

ISIS U.S.A. Iraq

shared by blantonjack on 02 Mar 16 - No Cached
  • blantonjack on 02 Mar 16
     
    The U.S. Army's elite Delta Force operations to target, capture or kill top ISIS operatives have begun in Iraq, after several weeks of covert preparation. The official said the group has spent the last several weeks preparing, including setting up safe houses, establishing informant networks and coordinating operations with Iraqi and Peshmerga units. It's the same strategy that Special Operations forces have used in previous deployments to combat zones. This is a strong move shown by the United States that says ISIS is the main priority in the Syrian War. Many officers of high rank have said that this has taken weeks of planning and scouting out enemy positions so that it would be swift missions that would demand very accurate precision.
irede123

Iraqi Shiite militias say US troops 'forces of occupation,' demand withdrawal - RT News - 0 views

www.rt.com/...336434-iraq-shia-militia-us

ISIS troops occupation

shared by irede123 on 29 Mar 16 - No Cached
  • irede123 on 29 Mar 16
     
    The Hezbollah movement in Iraq said the new deployment of US marines is a plot to help IS terrorists. The shiite group added that if these troops are not withdrawn, Hezbollah will treat them as IS forces
mcooka

Algeria: Labor Protests Forcibly Dispersed | Human Rights Watch - 0 views

www.hrw.org/...or-protests-forcibly-dispersed

algeria labor protests human rights teacher

shared by mcooka on 07 Apr 16 - No Cached
  • Police in Algiers beat teachers demonstrating for greater job security on March 21 and 22, 2016, injuring at least two
  • sit-in to demand integration of teachers into the civil service to provide greater job security.
  • .G., who asked not to be named, has been a contract teacher for three years in a high school in Algier
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • Aïssat said that the police took them to the Mohammadia police station and held them until 5 p.m. He said that the police did not tell them the reasons for their arrest, and released them without charge.
  • Algeria’s constitution guarantees the right to freedom of assembly. Amendments, entered into force on March 7, 2016, include a provision that, “The right to peaceful assembly is guaranteed within the framework of the law, which sets forth how it is to be exercised” (article 49).
  • mcooka on 07 Apr 16
     
    This article looks at the teacher protest in Algeria. There was a group of teachers on March 22 that did a sit in to advocate for better job security. They were forced out and beaten by the police
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