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Daily WATCH! Volume 2 Issue 70, Tuesday, April 16, 2002
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BLACK GOLD BLUES
By Randy Loudenslager
It appears that Saddam Hussein's pledge to the Palestinians that Iraq would cut off oil to the West for 30 days will not be left as an isolated gesture. Iran's President Mohammed Khatami is following up a call from Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei earlier in the month for oil exporting Muslim countries to cut off oil in support of the Palestinians. Khatami's call, in the form of a letter to other Muslim leaders, added that each of the oil nations should send a month's worth of oil revenues to the Palestinians. Libya's leader Moamar Qadhafi has said that if other nations heeded the call he would shut off his oil as well.
Iran's call for the shut-off of oil has sparked an irritated response from Iraq's Saddam Hussein. Hussein praised Iran's call to shut off oil and send revenue to the Palestinians, but criticized Iran for not taking action on the call as he has in fact done.
The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) had issued a statement back in 2000 that they would not use oil as a weapon. Like any political institution OPEC has become adept at finding loopholes in their agreements and rulings.
Saudi Arabia has told Iraq and Iran that they wouldn't participate in an oil embargo like OPEC staged in 1973. But the Saudis have also announced that they will not increase production to offset shortfalls. Russia, now the largest oil producer in the world, has undercut OPEC in the recent past reneging on agreements she had made to the contrary. It can be expected that any concerted effort by some oil producers to withhold oil exports will likely be offset by strategic petroleum reserves held by oil dependent nations for the short term and by Russia and other nations independent of OPEC in the long term.
The principality of Gog, the chief prince of Russia, is abundant in oil reserves. Russia's leaders are waking up to the power of oil and have begun to assert a more dominant presence in the oil markets. A future shift in world dependence on Russian oil will put Russia into a powerful position. China also is a global competitor in oil exploration and regularly competes with the U.S. for regional contracts. Such is the case in Nepal where the U.S. narrowly won the rights to explore new fields in that country against the Chinese. China already is exploiting oil fields in Sudan, even going so far as to send military advisers to help the Muslim government in the north in its civil war with the largely Christian south. Contrary to the beliefs of many, this civil war, at least from the Muslim north's perspective, is not just about exterminating Christians but is about the oil rich areas of the south presently under Christian control.
Oil is the greatest game of power and wealth on the planet. The nations who can are racing to secure new fields or forge alliances with those who are major producers. Those that threaten oil production for Western markets are dealt with severely, such as when Iraq invaded Kuwait resulting in a coalition of oil dependent Western nations attacking Iraq to liberate Kuwait and her extensive oil fields. Or the current U.S. effort to depose Saddam Hussein who is a constant threat to American oil interests in the region.
There are many who desire oil's ability to influence the actions of super-powers. Ultimately few will be masters of this black gold, but those that are will also understand the value oil will have in coercing other nations.
It is wonderfully strange to see the king of the north in Bible prophecy leading a kingdom that is composed of oil producers while the king of the south who opposes him leads another alliance of oil producers. Although not mentioned as such the nations of these kingdoms are the "whose who" of oil producers.
Believers and Satan know that the final battle will be over who is enthroned on Mount Zion. But to the depraved minds of future leaders the battle may appear to be over the control of the world's major oil reserves.
Little other wealth can be found in the Middle East to build the armies that will swarm over the mountains of Israel. What better battlefield is to be found on the map between the king of the north and the king of the south than Israel? When the king of the north finally conquers the king of the south the most natural place to pitch his tents is in the center of his newly enlarged kingdom between Jerusalem and the sea. At that point the 'mother of all battles' will take place and Jesus Christ will begin His reign over the earth.
Copyright 2002 Randy Loudenslager Ministries
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Our web resources site: http://lastday.info
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