Iran and China

[Ruth]

If now is a 're-run' of what happenned in WWII, I wonder if China isn't now 'playing the part' of the US in those times and Iran (I know it's a bit of stetch - but England). China is undoubtedly going to replace the US as world leader soon enough. Israel, in what their 'God' must find funny, plays the part of the old Germany. Perhaps Jordan is Switzerland?

If you ask me, China should crash the US ecconomy now (instead of letting the NeoCons do it in their excruciating fashion). They probably won't though, as they know all they have to do is nothing and 'the world and all it entails' will eventually come to them. Still doing nothing is just as bad as deliberately doing the wrong thing....

Real power is where the money is (commerce), not who has the biggest guns, turbans or jackboots. This planet seems to be playing a complicated (no rules), high stakes game of Monopoly.

 

[Ryan]

Then we have this on a recent Signs page:

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsA...191056_RTRUKOC_0_US-ENERGY-IRAN-SANCTIONS.xml

But two key U.N. Security Council members that carry veto powers -- China and Russia -- have multibillion-dollar oil and natural gas projects hanging in the balance, and China depends on Iran's imports to quench its oil thirst. [..]

Iran wants to sign a major oilfield deal to give China's Sinopec a stake in the giant Yadavaran oilfield in southern Iran, which could require investment of at least $2 billion. [..]

China has blocked Security Council efforts to sanction countries like Sudan, where China has a huge oil deal. Sudan's Darfur region is beset by widespread violence between fractious rebel groups, government forces and a government-backed militia.

China's thirst for oil has made it cordial with nations that have raised U.S. diplomatic hackles -- including Iran, Sudan and OPEC member Venezuela.

"I think sanctions that impact oil flows from Iran are very unlikely," said Jamal Qureshi, also with PFC Energy. "The Chinese are major importers of Iranian crude and they would not be too happy to see that." China imported about 300,000 barrels per day of Iranian crude in 2005.

China's oil demand is expected to grow about 14 percent by 2007 to hit 7.9 million bpd, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, versus U.S. demand growth of about 3 percent. [..]

China appears to have a big stake in maintaining the status quo. Yet if the US and Israel are really looking to kick off the next war, China will have to be "persuaded" to either vote for, or abstain from, any security council resolution. That is, assuming no new "Al Qaeda" terror attack occurs which results in unilateral action on the part of either the US or Israel.

Interesting that Israel dispatched a team of diplomats to Russia - will they do the same for China I wonder?

 

[Ruth]

(I'm going to put this one in here)

Re: Iran may have Bush over a Barrel
Shouldn't this be "Israel has Bush over a barrel"? I was under the impression that Iran just wanted nuclear energy and there was a deliberate misquote by the media to imply that they wanted to build a bomb.

I wonder if they will chose to 'take out' Syria before they attack Iran. Syria being the easier target.

It definately is looking like they need some 'excuse' to initiate an increase of military action in the Middle East.