Middle East
Iraq has been attacked by the US forces!
Plans for Attack
Will the Americans attack before all the forces they need are already in the Gulf area or will they attack before? The Northern offensive plan has been put on hold since Turkey still hasn't allowed US troops on its soil, but in the South new troops are added every day. However the question is will the Americans attack now or later?
article on Yahoo -- "US May Strike Before All Forces Arrive"
Oil? What role will it play in the Iraq conflict?
An article recently featured in Al-Ahram, an Egyptian newspaper, by one of its correspondents discusses what effects the war in Iraq will have on the prices of oil. According to the article prices of oil will rise. Many of the countries with the big reserves of oil are unstable. For example Venezuela is experiencing a crisis. The journalist even ventures as far as to surmise that the US is waiting for the situation in Venezuela to stabilise and then launch a war on Iraq. The US imports around 50% of its oil and Venezuela supplies about 15% in total. Iraq is also a major source of oil for the US. Obviously if the US would launch a war on Iraq that source will disappear and if Venezuela stops exporting at that time too it could lead to serious problems for the US economy. So the situation in Venezuala plays a huge part in determining when the war on Iraq will occur.
article in Al-Ahram Weekly- "Bracing for the shock"