Are All These Pipelines Really Necessary? Legislators and Citizens Want FERC to Answer
By Robbie Harris • Oct 26, 2015 wvtf.org
“..“We believe that pipelines are unnecessary and reviews them together with existing infrastructure, it will determine that there is currently enough capacity in our pipelines that are already in place to carry the gas the Marcellus region through Virginia and North Carolina.
At a news conference, local landowners and Republican and Democratic state legislators cautioned FERC to resist the temptation to compare the advantages of natural gas to coal, and instead compare them to renewable energy, when making its determination about whether the projects are the best way to go to address climate change and energy demand…”
Natural gas study stirs up controversy over Atlantic Coast Pipeline By Caleb Stewart | Posted: Mon 7:12 PM, Sep 12, 2016 whsv.com
“…”The fact is, demand for natural gas in Virginia and North Carolina is growing significantly – by 165 percent over the next 20 years,” said Ruby. “Existing pipelines in the region are constrained and operating at full capacity. They are not capable of meeting that huge growth in demand. In Hampton Roads, Virginia, for example, natural gas service is already being curtailed for large industrial customers during high-demand periods because existing pipelines are so constrained. Utilities have looked at expanding that infrastructure for years, and it just isn’t feasible. That’s why we urgently need new infrastructure like the Atlantic Coast Pipeline.”..
In North Carolina, there is currently only one pipeline serving the entire state, and it predominantly serves the western North Carolina.,” said Ruby. “That leaves entire communities in eastern North Carolina with limited or no access to natural gas. Upgrading the existing system or using available capacity, as the authors of this report propose, won’t do anything to expand service in eastern North Carolina. That’s why you need the Atlantic Coast Pipeline – it will actually be located in eastern North Carolina where these communities are located.”
“The reality is, the existing pipelines in our region are constrained and operating at full capacity during those peak demand periods. We need new infrastructure to alleviate those constraints,” said Ruby. “That’s why we’re proposing the Atlantic Coast Pipeline..
—DEPENDENCE ON NATURAL GAS?—
The pipelines, if approved, would provide the mid-Atlantic with natural gas for 80 years, the lifetime of the pipelines. The SELC argues that that would lock the region in to dependence on natural gas.
“An investment of billions of dollars in natural gas will further discourage these utilities from moving towards renewable energy, like solar and wind power that could save their customers more money,” Buppert said.
The two proposed pipelines would transport fracked natural gas from wells in West Virginia to customers in Virginia and the Carolinas. The pipelines would transect natural and recreation areas, along with cities, towns and farms. A number of citizen groups and businesses in several states have formed to oppose the pipelines.
—EXPORTING NATURAL GAS—
The report also raises the possibility of another utility-driven incentive to push for these projects:
“Because the supply of natural gas is abundant, utilities are exploring options to export the fuel overseas. That would require more capacity to move natural gas to the mid-Atlantic’s coastal ports. Therefore, ‘pipeline developers … have an additional motivation to expand their ownership interests in natural gas supply infrastructure,’ the researchers said.”…”
Pro-Pipeline Views
Bernard Hancock – Roughneck, facebook.com
WATCH: Oil industry worker speaks his mind at Kinder Morgan protests!
WATCH: First Nations man confronts anti-pipeline protesters
“Published on Nov 21, 2016
Christopher Wilson runs into a pro-oil and gas industry First Nations man who speaks up about the hypocrisy of anti-Kinder Morgan protesters in Vancouver, including his confrontation with an anti-oil Grand Chief in attendance. MORE: http://www.therebel.media/watch_first…
http://www.Facebook.com/JoinTheRebel *** http://www.Twitter.com/TheRebelTV”
New Technology Could End The Debate Over Pipeline Safety
By James Stafford – Aug 27, 2014, 6:16 PM CDT oilprice.com
“… They corrode and rupture, which threatens workers and nearby communities. In 2013 alone, over 119,000 barrels of oil were spilled in 623 incidents.
America’s existing pipelines are getting older and more prone to corrosion, and over the next five to 10 years, there will be a significant increase in the number of new pipelines.
And that is creating a huge opportunity for better pipeline safety technology.
Monitoring and detecting corrosion in pipelines is still a crude affair (no pun intended). Pipeline companies tend to underspend on safety, concerned only with meeting the minimum regulatory requirements.
One of the major ways pipeline operators detect corrosion is with a “pig,” a machine that travels down the inside of a pipeline looking for problems.
Pigs are not new — the industry has long relied heavily on them—and the newest generation of pigs, known as “smart pigs,” is considered an improvement over the pigs of yesterday. Smart pigs give a read on the state of the pipeline, such as cracks, corrosion, and metal loss. Operators receive this information in a control room and can then dispatch crews to fix the problem. As of 2012, 93 percent of pipeline inspections were conducted using smart pigs…
So alternative methods to detect trouble spots are needed. One method for detecting corrosion uses a device from outside the pipeline. A series of sensors placed on the outside of the pipeline can search for corrosion without interfering in operations.
Pipeline safety company Fox-Tek, a subsidiary of Augusta Industries (CVE: AAO), uses such a system to detect corrosion, as well as a fiber optic system to detect bends, strains and stress in pipelines.
But the real innovation in Fox-Tek’s system is its data analytics package. Companies that use smart pigs usually need to spend months doing post-inspection analysis, but Fox-Tek has developed proprietary software that does continuous and automatic analysis. ..”
Structural health monitoring of buried pipelines under static dislocation … researchgate.net
Products Made from Oil and Natural Gas oilandgasinfo.ca
Everyday Petroleum-based Products
“Published on Oct 2, 2013
Did you know that last year 36% of our energy consumption came from petroleum? What petroleum-based items do we use on a daily basis? Sneakers, bubblegum, bath soap and sweaters? These are only a few things made from petroleum. Watch this video and find out more!”
Neutral
Pipelines vs Oil Trains May 26, 2015/0 Comments/in Articles, Data and Analysis, News and Information /by Guest Author fractracker.org By Juliana Henao, Communications Intern
Natural Gas: Pros and Cons by RP Siegel on Tuesday, Apr 3rd, 2012 triplepundit.com
Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline Pros and Cons By Scott Steele May 31, 2013 RSS PDF newswire.net
“..Looking at the advantages it is certain the pipeline will provide jobs to boost economic growth in communities along the pipeline, provincially and nationally. Enbridge Inc. (NYSE:ENB) (TSE:ENB) notes on its website that the, “Northern Gateway Project will create 550 long-term jobs in B.C., 380 in Alberta and 210 in the rest of Canada for a total of 1150 long term jobs. Also there will be 270 billion in growth to Canada’s GDP over 30 years.”
Pipe fabrication & manufacturing is done according to industry standards and specifications to ensure safe delivery of oil and gas fuels. After the pipe is manufactured it undergoes various testing phases and inspection services including visual inspection, protective coatings inspection, x-ray inspection to name a few.
Pipelines have been proven to be the safest and most reliable mode of transport. According to Canadian Energy Pipeline Association (CEPA), “Our most recent statistics show that 99.99 per cent of liquid products were transported safely between 2002 and 2011.”
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada report that only five pipeline accidents were reported to the TSB in 2011, down from the 2010 total of 11, and below the 2006–2010 average of 9.
Another advantage is the difficulties in handling large amount of products by rail from one loading point is reduced. Findings also show minimum transit loss.
The disadvantages to laying pipelines, including the initial cost of environmental studies, pipeline construction is very expensive. Over time the pipeline could corrode and cause leakage. The Pembina Institute, natural Resources Defense Council and the Living Oceans Society, which issued a joint report on the proposed pipeline in November 2011 stated, “Diluted bitumen may weaken pipelines at a quicker rate than conventional oil because of its acidic, sulphuric, abrasive and viscous nature.”
This is minimized by treatment of the pipe with anti-corrosive coating supplemented with cathodic protection along with increased inspections and pipeline maintenance. New and innovative technologies like digital sensors are being tested, these sensors would help lower the risks of leakage even further.
Pipelines can become damaged by natural disasters or sabotage resulting in contamination of soil and groundwater the costs for clean-up could be astronomical. These occurrences are a lot harder if not impossible to control. Some other disadvantages are slower delivery to a limitation of fixed points.
“Oilfield Directory offers oil and gas company information, recognizing the need for inspection services such as pipe inspection, tank inspection, infrared thermography, calibrations services and more we have oil and gas companies and contractors who are committed to the safety of individuals as well as the environment .” notes a company spokesman for oilfielddirectory.com..”
Keystone XL Pipeline Facts: Pros and Cons Published 6:04 pm EST, November 14, 2014 Updated 12:23 pm EST, November 15, 2014 2 Comments By Emer Hughes heavy.com
The Pro’s and Con’s of the Keystone Xl Pipeline
Anti-Pipeline Views
(see Environment: Clean Water Rights? goodnewseverybodycom.wordpress.com)
Oil Pipelines and Spills cla.auburn.edu
“..Ponca City, Oklahoma is an example of one of the cities that is being affected by the expansion of the Keystone pipeline. Ponca City is now receiving an increased amount of toxic emissions from tar sand transport. Tar sand is composed of sand, petroleum, and mineral salts; a highly toxic class of chemicals are also added (Tar Sands Blockade). Tar sand produces 17% more greenhouse gases than traditional crude oil (NPR). The air quality has become life threatening, and residents are forced to breathe in dangerous emissions. Children in surrounding the new pipeline are 56% more likely to develop leukemia versus children that live ten miles away. Even though the Keystone XL website states that it will be the “safest pipeline” in North American, shabby construction work has already had to be redone. If a leak does occur once the pipe is built, residents will be at risk of toxic exposure. In every instance of a tar sand leak in populated areas, toxic chemical exposure through respiration has occurred. Toxic chemical exposure can lead to migraines, painful rashes, breathing complications, nausea, chemical sensitivities, and exacerbated cancer activity (Tar Sands Blockade). Tar sand sinks into water, making the cleanup extraordinarily expensive. When tar sand is exposed to air, the harmful chemicals that are added as diluents evaporate into the air forming heavy toxic clouds close to ground level…”
‘Pipe Dreams’- The Keystone XL Documentary Narrated by Daryl Hannah
“Published on Mar 24, 2016
This award winning documentary explores the implications of one of today’s most controversial issues – the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline. Pipe Dreams is a new 40-minute documentary by Leslie Iwerks on the proposed Keystone XL pipeline. It is narrated by Daryl Hannah, who was arrested in Washington, DC at the sit-in protest in front of the White House calling on US President Barack Obama to reject the pipeline.
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The Real Impact of the Dakota Access Pipeline By Staff Writer Taylor Veracka ‘18 November 7, 2016 jhupolitik.org
“..With all the chaos surrounding the DAPL it’s hard to make out what exactly is the truth and what is not. There are some things that are strikingly clear, however. The Sioux Nation feel that they have been done (yet another) injustice by the US government. They feel their culture and environmental health is at risk, and that they are being taken advantage of. Clearly, many Americans agree. Regardless of the economic benefits of the pipeline, it is important to recognize the problems that the Sioux are facing, and to remember that the majority of the people making political decisions on oil transportation do not completely understand tribal connections to their land. This pipeline represents another opportunity to exploit already endangered and disadvantaged population, and their voices must be considered with the same weight as economic concerns. ..”
Map Displays Five Years of Oil Pipeline Spills
by Amanda Starbuck, 6/22/2015 foreffectivegov.org
“..Since 2010, over 3,300 incidents of crude oil and liquefied natural gas leaks or ruptures have occurred on U.S. pipelines. These incidents have killed 80 people, injured 389 more, and cost $2.8 billion in damages. They also released toxic, polluting chemicals in local soil, waterways, and air.
Over 1,000 of these incidents occurred on pipelines carrying crude oil. High Country News, a nonprofit news organization in Colorado, mapped these spills:..”
-Texas to Mexico
Inspired by Standing Rock, West Texans take action to fight another pipeline Sasha von Oldershausen The Nation Thu, 08 Dec 2016 12:12 UTC Map sott.net
“..Two residents of the 6,000-person city of Alpine were arrested early Tuesday morning on grounds of trespassing after they chained themselves to the entrance gates of a pipeline-construction site owned and operated by Energy Transfer Partners (ETP), the Dallas-based energy company responsible for the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). Dozens more stood by, holding electric tea lights and signs denouncing the energy company.
Inspired by the fight against the DAPL near the Standing Rock Reservation in North Dakota, the group was protesting a different ETP pipeline project. The Trans-Pecos Pipeline will cut through the spare and pristine Big Bend region of Texas to the border of Mexico, transporting natural gas into Mexico’s interior. ..
…This week’s victory at Standing Rock, in which the Army Corps of Engineers announced it would not permit the pipeline to be drilled under the Missouri River, underscored the power of direct action. Indigenous organizers and, eventually, thousands of supporters camped on the banks of the Cannonball River to protect their ancestral lands and water source. Their united action, even in the face of police violence, proved that last resorts can work.
“[Standing Rock] in North Dakota has really reinvigorated the whole movement,” said Trans-Pecos Pipeline opponent David Keller, an archeologist who earlier this year watched as ETP pummeled through an ancient Native American site at Trap Spring, whose State Archeological Landmark status was pending at the time.
In fact, the events at Standing Rock have inspired the opposition to rethink their approach entirely. At a recent meeting, during which the opposition clandestinely discussed plans for Tuesday’s action, they talked about shifting the verbiage of their protest to more closely resemble that of the protest in North Dakota. ..
..Others see it as a collective fight. “We’re not piggybacking,” Glover said. “This is one big fight that we have before us and it’s scary but it’s also a wonderful opportunity for us because this is not just about our little space here or their space up in North Dakota. This is about how our water is going to be protected all over America.” ..
..In West Virginia and Virginia, for example, residents concerned about the $3.5 billion Mountain Valley natural gas pipeline have formed an alliance to oppose the project, which they say threatens their underground water supplies. Resistance is also gathering against the Bayou Bridge pipeline, another ETP project, which would snake through 60 miles of Louisiana and Texas. Still, few outside these and other municipalities engaged in local pipeline fights have taken notice….
Opponents of the Trans-Pecos Pipeline are eager to do the same. “Even if we don’t stop it altogether, we’re bringing a lot of awareness to this issue in order to pressure, to get our government to change oil and gas infrastructure regulation,” Glover said. …”
GLOBAL
-Pipeline War or Not?
The Syrian Pipeline War: How Russia Trumped USA Energy War in the Mideast Wed, Sep 21, 2016 | russia-insider.com
There is a crucial hydrocarbon component to the great power contest in and around Syria says F. William Engdahl
“..In a fundamental sense the entirety of the five-year-long war over Syria, as well as the entire Arab Spring from Libya to Egypt to Iraq has been about control of hydrocarbon resources—oil and natural gas– and of potential hydrocarbon pipelines to the promising markets of the European Union.
Dick Cheney’s 2001 War on Terror was primarily about providing the excuse for a direct US military takeover of the vast oil fields of Iraq and other key Middle East countries. Washington’s War on Syria has been less a war for control of oil. Rather, it’s about who controls whose natural gas flows via which pipelines through which borders to the vast EU gas market.
At this point it looks more and more as if Russia’s geopolitical and geo-economic strategy is trumping (no Donald pun intended) Washington’s very troubled game in the region. Turkey is apparently deciding to become a key ally in this Russian energy trump…”
The Truth About Pipeline Politics in the Syrian Proxy War
“Published on Oct 7, 2015
http://www.undergroundworldnews.com
Oil politics in the Syrian civil war is a complex web of money deception and proxy war. What began as non-violent grassroots rebellion against Bashar al Assad and the Syrian state has morphed into a complex proxy war involving countless factions and alliances competing for control of oil, and territory. Various nation states and world powers who have their own financial interests in the region are supporting the armies on the ground. This is because of Syria’s strategic importance as a potential gatekeeper between oil reserves from the gulf and oil markets in Europe. There are two different proposed pipelines that will have to run through Syria in order for this to happen. One sponsored by the gulf states called the “Qatar-Turkey pipeline” and one sponsored by the Iranians and Syrians nicknamed the “Islamic pipeline”.
Since the 1990s, Europe has been increasingly dependent on Russian natural gas and oil. In 2014 it was estimated that 42% of the European Union’s natural gas imports originated from Russia. This dependence has limited Europe’s ability to make a show of force against Russia. Last year the U.S introduced economic sanctions against Russia in retaliation for its annexation of Crimea. When the US asked the EU to participate, there was a heated debate amongst the European nations about how exactly to impose sanctions. Eastern Europeans felt especially threatened by Russia’s actions and wanted to enact the harshest penalties possible, however, Western Europeans were well aware that cutting off economic trade with Russia would destabilize their economies. As a result the European Union (EU) has desperately been looking for other sources of natural gas. The “pipeline” which will carry natural gas from Azerbaijan into Europe will help to offset dependence on Russian gas, but will take years to reach full capacity and will not rid Europe of Russian dependence altogether. On top of which European demand for natural gas is expected to rise dramatically in the next 30 years. There is only one known source of gas that can solve Europe’s long term energy needs and that’s source resides in the Middle East underneath the Persian Gulf.
Read More:
http://www.unicornriot.ninja/?p=2092”
WORLD BANK WHISTLEBLOWER ON SYRIA [THE IRAN, IRAQ, SYRIA PIPELINE PROJECT]
“Published on Sep 6, 2013
THE WAR ON SYRIA: [PIPELINES & THE U.S. DOLLAR ARE KEY. ALSO READ “WHICH PATH TO PERSIA? http://bit.ly/R1qbQp, AND THE VIDEO INTERVIEW WITH US GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: “WE”RE GOING TO TAKE OUT 7 COUNTRIES IN 5 YEARS: IRAQ, SYRIA, LIBYA, SOMALIA, SUDAN & IRAN…” http://youtu.be/tYBc92Jw724
WORLD BANK WHISTLEBLOWER : WHO IS KAREN HUDES?
Karen Hudes studied law at Yale Law School and economics at the University of Amsterdam. She worked in the US Export Import Bank of the US from 1980-1985 and in the Legal Department of the World Bank from 1986-2007. In 2007 Karen warned the US Treasury Department and US Congress that the US would lose its right to appoint the President of the World Bank if the current American President of the World Bank did not play by the rules.
[http://www.imf.org/external/np/cm/201… | http://kahudes.net/about-us/ |
http://blogs.forbes.com/people/karenh…%5D
THE IRAN, IRAQ, SYRIA PIPELINE PROJECT (LARGEST PIPELINE PROJECT IN MIDDLE EAST)
“In July 2011, as the NATO and Gulf states’ destabilization operations against Assad in Syria were in full swing, the governments of Syria, Iran and Iraq signed an historic gas pipeline energy agreement which went largely unnoticed…” “This Iran-Iraq-Syria pipeline would be the largest gas pipeline in the Middle East and would span from Iran’s gas-rich South Pars field to the Mediterranean coastline in Lebanon, via Iraq and Syria.
TIMELINE
8/23/06: WikiLeaks Cable: Shell aggressively attempting to acquire oil & gas investments in Syria: http://bit.ly/12xcxx1
2/14/11: Syria, Iraq to Transfer Gas from Iran to Europe: http://bit.ly/16ZaGP9
7/25/11: Iran, Iraq, Syria sign major gas pipeline deal: http://bit.ly/1bM99nm
4/30/12: Busy Day For The FSA: Terrorism, Abductions, Theft, Assassinations, Bomb Blasts And Sabotage of Pipelines:
http://bit.ly/IAn0Af
8/12/12: NATO: Is Syria about the oil?: http://bit.ly/QUPCpe
5/3/12: Nabucco’s Future and Syria’s Convenient Civil War: The End of the Iran-Iraq-Syria Pipeline: http://bit.ly/19Rcrm9
7/28/12: Why Qatar wants to invade Syria: http://bit.ly/Snvwk0
10/8/12: A Primer On the REAL Global Geopolitical Battle: http://bit.ly/RpqkO8
10/11/12: Syria, Turkey, Israel, Oil And The Greater Middle East War: http://bit.ly/SV3Aua
10/14/12: Syria: NATO Sets Its Sights On Gas Pipeline: http://bit.ly/QEkb0A
11/21/12: Iran-Iraq-Syria gas pipeline back on track: http://bit.ly/XBAent
2/20/12: Iraq green lights gas pipeline deal with Iran, Syria: http://bit.ly/12p74qW
3/4/13: New Gas Pipeline will Connect Iran and Syria: http://www.naturalgaseurope.com/iran-…
3/10/13: Iran, Iraq resume talks on gas deal: http://bit.ly/14GrgmH
6/7/13: Oil and Pipeline Geopolitics: The US-NATO Race for Syria’s Black Gold
Syria’s proven oil reserves, amounting to 2.5 billion barrels: http://bit.ly/Zh5fHD
6/18/13: The US Wants Syrian Oil, Not Democracy: http://bit.ly/16ESwVM
6/28/13: Another Oil War? Is the US Playing With Gas in Syria? http://bit.ly/18mZt1d
7/10/13: Syria: The Mediterranean Piece: http://bit.ly/1dvECvV [“We do not want stability in Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and even Saudi Arabia…The real issue is not whether, but how to destabilize.”]
7/21/13: Iran, Iraq, Syria to form troika to export gas to Europe: http://bit.ly/159SHbo
7/23/13: War against Iran, Iraq AND Syria? http://bit.ly/163lfCa
7/26/13: The Syrian conflict and gas pipeline routes: http://bit.ly/14cssP7
8/2/13: OILPRICE.COM: Iran-Iraq-Syria Pipeline Must Tempt Europe: http://bit.ly/13BBMiv
7/27/13: Why Syria?: http://bit.ly/1dlfGpQ
8/28/13: Syria: The path of the pipeline: http://bit.ly/14Idt2Z
8/28/13: The war on Iran begins…in Syria: http://bit.ly/1dlZW5L
U.S. ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION (EIA) | Overview of oil and natural gas in the Eastern Mediterranean region | August 13, 2013
“Syria possesses the largest proved reserves of crude oil in the eastern Mediterranean countries. The Oil & Gas Journal estimated Syria’s proved reserves at 2.5 billion barrels in January 2013, a total larger than all of Syria’s neighbors except for Iraq. The Oil & Gas Journal also reported at the end of 2012 that Syria held proved reserves of 8.5 Tcf of natural gas. This gives Syria the largest conventional hydrocarbon resource base of the countries in this report,… http://www.eia.gov/countries/regions-…
*Note/Clarification: This is an excerpt from an at-length interview by Greg Hunter. While the interview is not about Syria, Hudes makes mention of Syria as an example of current-day, political theatre. In the original interview, while Hudes is correct regarding the true intent of the demonization/destabilization of Syria (natural gas/pipelines), her facts are reversed. The Saudis offered to purchase $15 billion in Russian arms & to restrict oil output for Russia to maintain their market & price. (Hudes states this info. the other way around.) Original interview: http://youtu.be/gHVgRgYdCsQ”
-Not a Pipeline War
The War Against the Assad Regime Is Not a ‘Pipeline War’
by Gareth Porter, September 24, 2016 original.antiwar.com
“…Even more important, the immediate problem for Qatar’s proposal was not Syria but Saudi Arabia, whose territory the Qatari gas would have to cross to get to Syria. In January 2010, The National, a daily UAE [United Arab Emirates] newspaper reported that the main obstacle to the idea of a pipeline to carry Qatari natural gas to Turkey and then to Europe “was likely to be Saudi Arabia, which has a track record of obstructing regional pipeline development” and still had very bad relations with Qatar. And Middle East geopolitical analyst Felix Imonti reported at Oilprice.com in 2012 that Qatar had been forced to abandon the pipeline idea in 2010 because Saudi Arabia had not agreed to have it built across its territory…
If it’s not a pipeline war, why is the US intervening in Syria? The US decision to support Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia in their ill-conceived plan to overthrow the Assad regime was primarily a function of the primordial interest of the US permanent war state in its regional alliances. The three Sunni allies control US access to the key US military bases in the region, and the Pentagon, the CIA, the State Department and the Obama White House were all concerned, above all, with protecting the existing arrangements for the US military posture in the region.
After all, those military bases are what allow the United States to play at the role of hegemonic power in the Middle East, despite the disasters that have accompanied that role. The degree to which the US determination to preserve its present military profile in the region is illustrated by the case of US-Qatar relations over that tiny monarchy’s arming of extremist Sunni groups in Syria in 2012. The Obama administration was very unhappy with Qatar’s choice of proxies in Syria, and the National Security Council discussed a proposal to pull a squadron of US fighter planes from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar as a way of putting pressure on the government over the issue, according to a story in the Wall Street Journal.
But the US Central Command (CENTCOM), which had moved its headquarters to Al Udeid in 2003, argued that the base was critical to its operations in the region, and that it was about to renegotiate its agreement with Qatar over the use of it. The Pentagon supported CENTCOM’s opposition to any move that would disturb relations with Qatar over the issue and vetoed any such pressure on Qatar. The administration ended up doing nothing about the issue, and in 2013, the US-Qatar Defense Cooperation Agreement originally reached in 2003 was renewed for another ten years.
The massive, direct and immediate power interests of the US war state – not the determination to ensure that a pipeline would carry Qatar’s natural gas to Europe – drove the US policy of participation in the war against the Syrian regime. Only if activists focus on that reality will they be able to unite effectively to oppose not only the Syrian adventure but the war system itself.”
I’m still currently researching on this growing “hot topic” in our nation and planet. Feel free to share any additional resources (e.g. sites) to help argue either side as we call can learn from each other…
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