Reflecting just how firmly the protest movement has seized control over East Libya, the protesters announced today that the first post-Gadhafi oil tanker departed from the region, carrying about 1 million barrels of crude oil, and bound for China.
The reports also indicate that a second, smaller tanker with 600,000 barrels is preparing to depart for Italy. The two are the first shipments out of the far east city of Tobruk in nearly two weeks, and go a long way toward restoring the nation’s normal oil flow nationwide.
Production has slowed considerably, however, because violent crackdowns by the Gadhafi regime sparked an exodus of foreign oil workers from the nation, and while a minimum of 80 percent of the oilfields is under the control of the protest movement, it may take some time for the workers to return.
The state-run Arabian Gulf Oil Company has also been taken over by the protest movement, which ousted its pro-Gadhafi director. The resumption of refining activities in Tobruk is also reportedly underway.
See, the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) Chinese don't care, they will buy the oil or resources no matter which faction is in power. Obviously, the anti-Ghaddafi rebels are not Ghaddafi' lies of Al Queda. A executive for S. Korea's Hyunndai has said the Middle East in the 1970, 1980s has been a gold mind for Korea. "If Islamic radicals got in, we would sell to them also". Obviously they are not. The point is Americans should be doing the American national interest, many other nations are. Make things, and manufacture in the US. Stop trying to use scare tactics to the nation against people whose parents belong to a religion with a different history of the US. The days of the Cheney type politician manipulating us should be gone. We can't afford it.
No "need" for humanitarian intervention by the US after all then? Hmmmmm? We'll just wait and see how much gnashing of teeth the five-sided death star will exhibit because they can't get any action.
It's as plain as mud: if the Qaddafi forces still in control of the western half of Libya begin menacing the current stronghold of the east, which is delivering the oil, someone is going to take down Qaddafi with US gunboats. China is getting the oil. We owe money to China. We are going to make sure China gets its oil so that we get our electronics. Maybe Qaddafi will respond to a cease and desist order. But it appears that he is either driving a hard bargain, in denial about his loss of absolute power, or truly crazy (which I somehow doubt – he's crazy like Crazy Eddie, the Syrian American electronics seller/fraudster). It's the Crazy Eddie style he's using on the media now. It may not be selling Ms. Hilary. She doesn't look like the kind of person to make an impulse purchase and let him have what he wants in exchange for not attacking the rebels. But he'll keep trying and competing with Charlie Sheen for air time.