What does Syria's lack of oil mean for US involvement?
Because of its small oil resources, Syria is in a non-strategic second-tier position, as far as the interests of the United States and its allies in the region are concerned, according to OilPrice.com.
People and security officials are seen Wednesday after a shelling attack in Akcakale, Turkey, on the border with Syria. Had Syria been a major oil producing country chances are the US would have already dispatched military forces, according to OilPrice.com
Anatolia/AP/File
There is a popular belief in the Middle East that Washington’s foreign policy, particularly as it relates to this precarious region, is largely driven by America’s dependency on, and insatiable appetite for Arab oil. One can make a good argument for that.
Skip to next paragraph
offers extensive coverage of all energy sectors from crude oil and natural gas to solar energy and environmental issues. To see more opinion pieces and news analysis that cover energy technology, finance and trading, geopolitics, and sector news, please visit Oilprice.com.
Recent posts
-
05.18.13
US eases natural gas glut with second export terminal (+video) -
05.18.13
Forget ExxonMobil. Chevron is new leader in oil. -
05.17.13
New fracking regulations upset just about everybody -
05.17.13
Canada boosts advertising budget for tar sands, Keystone XL -
05.16.13
Ernest Moniz confirmed unanimously as Energy secretary
Subscribe Today to the Monitor
Had Syria been a major oil producing country chances are the US would have already dispatched military forces to impose a pax Americana and to put a stop to the horrific fighting that has been slowly, but without any doubt, ripping Syria apart and dismantling the infrastructures that make the Syrian state what it is today. Even if the war was to end today it would take years for Syria to return to its pre-war position from an economic and military perspective.
Some analysts believe that oil is what drove the United States to become militarily involved in Kuwait in 1990-91, in Iraq in 2003 and more recently in Libya.
Asides from some stealth behind the scenes support to a few of the many rebel groups engaged in the conflict that has been forthcoming in the form of weapons (mostly light weapons) and some intelligence delivered to a handful of the multitude of forces demanding the departure of Syrian President Bashar Assad, the US-NATO-Saudi-Qatari alliance has refrained from moving to the next step; full scale military intervention. Last week the Qataris made some attempts at the UN General Assembly in New York to drum up support for an Arab military intervention in Syria but that did not seem to take any traction with other Arab countries. (RELATED: Iraq to Invest $500 Billion in Energy Sector)
Become part of the Monitor community