US Military's Next 'Foolish' Bombing Target? Oil Pipelines

[Judi Lynn]

Published on Thursday, October 23, 2014
by Common Dreams

US Military's Next 'Foolish' Bombing Target? Oil Pipelines

Top official says that airstrikes against ISIS-controlled pipelines are "a viable option" now under consideration

by Jon Queally, staff writer

A top State Department official on Thursday said that bombing oil pipelines controlled by Islamic State (or ISIS) in Syria is now a "viable option" under consideration by the U.S. military.

Julieta Valls Noyes, the US deputy assistant secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs, was in London and her comments were first reported by the British press. Citing figures that estimate ISIS is generating nearly $2 million every day by selling crude oil reserves it now controls, Noyes said that the U.S. may expand targeting of oil-related infrastructure inside Syria to include "kinetic strikes against some of the pipelines" and other "physical action to stop the flow."

According to the Independent, Noyes said that sale of fuel is one of the U.S. government's "principal concerns" regarding ISIS' ability to fund its ongoing military operations and that in addition to other methods to stem the group's the sale of oil "air strikes are a viable option.”

Reacting to Noyes' comments, Michael T. Klare, a professor at Hampshire College who has written extensively on energy resources and U.S. foreign policy, told Common Dreams that any attempt to bomb oil pipelines in Syria would be a serious mistake with potentially far-reaching implications.

More:
http://www.commondreams.org/news/2014/10/23/us-militarys-next-foolish-bombing-target-oil-pipelines

[yurbud]

1. they are doing worse and worse at hiding this stuff

They might as well stop lying and start telling the truth.

They might gain some support just by not insulting our intelligence with their fairy tales of concern about human rights and democracy.

[jakeXT]

4. The good old simpler times of imperialism.../nt

[louis-t]

2. And, as a result, ISIL will ramp up kidnappings.

Whack-a-mole.

[arcane1]

3. To be fair, the price of oil was getting a bit low.

I imagine the Saudis weren't crazy about that.

[AdHocSolver]

5. Bomb the oil pipelines to reduce supply and watch the price increase dramatically..

For oil companies, it is not really stupid.

[blkmusclmachine]

6. Ka-ching! After all, what's a few more thousand dead foreigners?!?!

[hack89]

7. Prices are being deliberately driven down by Saudi Arabia as it is

They are trying to undercut Canadian tar sand production to maintain market share.

[The Stranger]

8. Overheard: "Um, Mr. [Neocon], the CEO one of the pipleine construction companies called."

"They need some work."

"And they said the lobbyist has the check."