-Caveat Lector- <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/"> </A> -Cui Bono?- "" But higher oil would also repay some old debts to a former president who had come to their aid, only to face being summarily tossed out of office right after his crowning military moment because the economy had gone bad."" From http://www.worldnetdaily.com/bluesky_excomm/20000316_xex_oil_well_wit.shtml {{<Begin>}} Oil is well with Bush By Tom Flocco © 2000 WorldNetDaily.com Given the continuing heating oil cost crisis in the Northeast and rising gasoline prices throughout the country coupled with the reported role Kuwait is playing in that process, a report by the Chinese Xinhua News Agency that former President Bush visited Kuwait just seven weeks ago notches a few rungs higher on the "curious" list. This second trip to Kuwait by Bush since his son's presidential aspirations became apparent should start to raise some eyebrows. For while private citizen Bush met with senior Kuwaiti officials according to Xinhua, there was no reporting about the content of the high-level discussions and the former president's January trip was quiet enough to escape notice by U.S. media. Given Kuwait's role in the high fuel prices, one wonders whether oil factored into the conversation. Many American families have faced real home-heating struggles resulting from oil prices having tripled since last year; but now the public is poised for another financial assault as gasoline prices have already surpassed 1991 Gulf War levels with oil analysts projecting potential $2.00 per-gallon prices for regular gas by Memorial Day, if not sooner. As recently reported, American oil experts are complaining about Kuwait's strange leadership role in pushing the current round of higher oil, given the financial and human sacrifices Americans have made for Kuwait. Moreover, those with good memories will recount the role President George Bush played as prime mover of the coalition wherein American troops were sent off to save Kuwait from the Iraqi occupation. "That's gratitude for you," said one unidentified expert, quoted in the New York Times. Storm On The Horizon With good cause, the Clinton-Gore administration is worried that skyrocketing oil prices will cause a series of inflationary problems leading to higher interest rates by the Federal Reserve Board, a potential stock market collapse and millions of highly stressed American budgets -- right before the November election. In a March 2 interview with Fox News, former Energy Secretary James Schlessinger said, "oil inventories for summer need to be built now and we are not doing so. I think it could cause trouble (in November) for the party in office if this continues." Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., echoed these sentiments on CNN the same day, saying, "the economy is being thrown off-kilter. OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) has dilly dallied and we're headed toward $2.00 gas by Memorial Day." However, an examination of news report dates and comment relating to Kuwait's primacy in driving oil higher through OPEC, along with Mr. Bush's visits to Kuwait and a number of other coincidences points to some unanswered political questions. Former President Bush is so popular in Kuwait that, according to Reuters reports, his picture hangs in offices and residential buildings are named after him, and it is common knowledge that Bush is Kuwait's favorite American -- so much so that the Kuwaiti sheikhs would likely do almost anything to repay him for leading the coalition in restoring the ruling class to its former royal trappings of power. The question is whether the small country is more grateful to President Bush personally than to the U.S. soldiers who put their lives on the line in the Gulf. American pocketbooks were greatly affected by high fuel oil and gasoline prices caused by the Gulf War -- which contributed to the economic woes that President Bush refused to acknowledge until it was too late before his election. As a result, the agitated and hurting electorate threw him out of office. However, if the current course of events is maintained, with George Jr. securing the Republican nomination, the governor is clearly the beneficiary of an American public likely to be fed up with higher gasoline prices, grocery bills, interest rates and any other consumer items related to the current Kuwaiti-led push for continued high OPEC oil. And then Al Gore gets to explain the mishandled economy. But reporters aren't asking the former president about the two visits to Kuwait and whether the sheikhs sent signals that they would do anything possible to keep the production cuts in place or at least severely limit any increases for as long as possible to further disgruntle Americans as the November elections edge closer. Oil In The Family Kuwait started making noises on Oct. 13, 1998, when Reuters reported that Oil Minister Sheikh Saud Nasser al-Sabah said it would push for oil-output cuts and "warned OPEC and non-OPEC producers against violations and a production war, stressing that Gulf Arab allies would suffer the least as they could damage the economies of others with their huge reserves and low crude oil production costs." Then, on Nov. 27, 1998, The Dallas Morning News reported that OPEC "decided not to cut oil output further and delayed until March 1999 any actions. 'Until March, there will be too much oil, and prices will probably fall because of OPEC's inaction,' said Kuwait's oil minister, Sheikh Saud." Suddenly, Reuters reported, a few days later, former President Bush showed up in Kuwait to meet with his Middle Eastern friends and was received at the airport by Crown Prince and Prime Minister Sheikh Saad al-Abdullah al Sabah. However, no reports were available regarding the subject of the meetings. Since the Gulf War, Bush had visited Kuwait in 1993 and again in 1996, but now, in December 1998, he could proudly tell the Kuwaiti rulers that his son George W. had just been overwhelmingly reelected governor of Texas and the family was now discussing whether the younger Bush should follow his dad and gear up in early 1999 for a presidential run in 2000. On March 10, 1999, OPEC held one-day talks regarding oil production cuts before the final session later in the month wherein oil minister Sheikh Saud said they had agreed to a "considerable reduction in current production." Then, as Reuters reported, Saud added, "I can describe the current situation as a big step in the right direction." But the Kuwaiti sheikh then took a harder line, saying that "First there must be full compliance with earlier agreed on cuts." That same week, U.S. News and World Report declared Bush "The Man To Beat" in a big magazine spread as reports confirmed that the Texas governor had formed his presidential exploratory committee four months after being reelected so that he could begin to collect contributions and recruit a staff. Later that spring, Sheikh Saud said, "we expect prices to go up further with the start of winter in the northern hemisphere. ... It depends on how severe next winter will be and how far demand will rise." And May 15, 1999, Reuters added that "Kuwait expects additional compliance to boost prices during the summer months." Kuwait's price militancy increased dramatically after the Washington Times reported on July 2, 1999, that George W. was "flush with cash and may forgo matching funds," which would free him to raise and spend as much as he wants from individual donors. For just 18 days later on July 20, Reuters reported that Kuwaiti oil minister Sheikh Saud said, "oil exporters were not considering cutting the size or duration of agreed output cuts even if prices rose further. ... The commitment until the end of March (2000) is concrete, withstanding any situation." By September, Kuwait turned up the pressure even more as the U.S. presidential race began to draw closer. Sheikh Saud reiterated its opposition to any increase in oil production and said the production cut agreed upon in March may stay even beyond its expiration date March 2000, according to a Reuters report on Sept. 29, 1999. But Sheikh Saud wasn't finished as a Hemscott Information Exchange Report out of Kuwait City on Dec. 2, 1999, noted that the oil minister said, "The possibility of extending the cuts beyond their March 2000 term has now become a reality, and I emphasize the word reality." Six weeks later, on Jan. 15, as the Xinhua News Agency reported, former President Bush arrived in Kuwait again and met with senior Kuwaiti officials. That same day Reuters reported that Kuwait's oil minister, Sheikh Saud, said he saw "full agreement" among the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council to extend the cuts when they meet later this month in the Saudi capital. No U.S. reporter has questioned whether former President Bush had influenced the position of the Kuwaiti oil minister a few weeks ago during their meetings. Oil Is Slick There are a number of compelling reasons to consider Kuwait's leadership in the push for higher oil and their desire to limit expected production increases. First would be their budget deficit, which resulted in large part from the reconstruction expenses after the Gulf War, projected at about 22 percent of gross national product -- one of the highest in the Middle East and North Africa region. Higher oil prices would help to draw down that deficit. But higher oil would also repay some old debts to a former president who had come to their aid, only to face being summarily tossed out of office right after his crowning military moment because the economy had gone bad. High oil prices had created the inflationary environment that wrecked Bush's chances for reelection. Now Kuwait could help former President Bush avenge his unfair presidential loss to Mr. Clinton, impede Albert Gore's presidential quest by causing the electorate to become uneasy and distressed about oil- caused economic problems and help their hero's son, George W., crush Mr. Gore -- Clinton's legacy -- in November, all while solving their own deficit problem at the same time. How? The Kuwaiti sheikhs need only to convince OPEC to hang tough with the production cuts until summer -- or at least limit the production increases. U.S. citizens would just have to live with high gasoline prices and their concomitant economic consequences for just a few more months and everything would work out fine -- for both Bushes and for Kuwait -- Americans none the wiser. And when the dates, visits and quotes out of Kuwait City are combined, there are just too many reasons to question whether former President Bush may have had some understanding about Kuwait's strong desire to increase oil prices -- if just until Junior was safely elected. However, absent an inquisitive media, the real truth may only be revealed in the quiet conversations between father and son after the inauguration ceremony. Tom Flocco is a teacher and freelance writer who lives in Pennsylvania. His associates, Robin Akers and Mario Calabrese, contributed additional research to this report. 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