US Sen Dems To Threaten Arms Deals Unless OPEC Boosts Output

[maddezmom]

Source: Dow Jones

WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--U.S. Senate Democrats are taking a tough line with OPEC as oil prices surge to record highs, and plan on Thursday to threaten to hold up arms deals with Saudi Arabia and other OPEC nations unless the oil-producing countries agree to increase oil production.

Sens. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., Bob Casey, D-Pa., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., plan to call on President George W. Bush and his administration to "use its leverage" with OPEC nations or "risk Congress holding up multi-million dollar arms deals."

The strategy will be unveiled at a press conference on Thursday at 11:30 a.m. EDT.

Earlier this year, the members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries ignored Bush's request to increase production in order to bring down U.S. gasoline prices. Most recently, Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter, over the weekend said it had no plans to increase production capacity beyond the amount it is already pursuing for several years until it gets clearer signs about future consumption.


Read more: http://news.ino.com/headlines/?newsid=20080423020206

[OregonBlue]

1. Of course they'll back-down and cave-in. At least it will get a little press.

[magellan]

2. There's no output to boost. n/t

[leaningprog]

3. oil is a better weapon than what we are selling

We need oil far worse than OPEC needs more weapons. This is
a no brainer for them. We are close or in Peak Oil, the halfway
mark of extracting relatively good and economical petroleum.
It justs gets scarcer and more expensive from here out.

This is knee jerk election year crap in lieu of any shred of
a long term strategy.

[bemildred]

4. If you want to threaten someone, you have to use something they are afraid of. nt

[Xipe Totec]

5. Take that, Iran, no more arms for you

Oh, wait...

[dipsydoodle]

6. That's plain old simple

arrogance.

[roamer65]

7. They'll just buy 'em from the Russians and Chinese.

Chavez already is...

[Pavulon]

8. Chavez is finding oil is not edible

he may sit on oil he has to sell, but we control agri products. Seems destroying 25% of that has caused a few problems.

As for buying second tier arms, they can, we spend trillions on systems to destroy Russian systems.

They really want those weapon systems.

[IndyOp]

9. What fucking stupidity. Just kill that damn arms deals and convert us to

sustainable energy. Bernie - dude - what's up with this shit?

:grr:

[cal04]

10. U.S. arms sales to OPEC at risk over oil -senators

Source: Reuters

Democrats in the U.S. Senate stepped up their attacks on OPEC oil producers on Thursday, threatening to block multibillion-dollar arms sales to suppliers such as Saudi Arabia if they fail to take action to tame record oil prices.

Democratic senators Charles Schumer of New York, Byron Dorgan of North Dakota and others have called on the White House to use its leverage to convince OPEC members to boost output or "risk Congress holding up ... arms deals with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other OPEC members," according to a statement from the lawmakers.

"The Bush administration has refused to be tough with so-called OPEC allies and in fact continues to provide huge arms deals, despite the economic pains taxpayers are feeling," the senators stated in the advisory.

The Bush administration is in a delicate position on Middle East policy, and record-high oil prices near $120 a barrel are just one of many complicated issues in the region.

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N24410168.htm