U.S. will need Mideast oil for years to come: Saudi - Reuters

[Eugene]

U.S. will need Mideast oil for years to come: Saudi

By Chris Baltimore | January 22, 2007

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - On the eve of U.S. President George W. Bush's address
to Congress which is expected to tout the need for more U.S. energy independence,
Saudi Arabia's U.S. ambassador on Monday said that the world's biggest oil user
will rely on Middle East crude oil "for many years to come."

Bush's annual State of the Union address on Tuesday is expected to touch on key
energy policy points after Bush made the surprise pronouncement during last year's
address that the United States is addicted to crude oil, including supplies imported
from the Middle East.

However, U.S. policymakers should be talking about interdependence with Middle East
suppliers, not independence, said Prince Turki Al-Faisal, the kingdom's U.S.
ambassador, speaking at George Washington University.

"I think we should be talking not about being independent of Middle East oil for the
United States but rather being interdependent with the Middle East for energy sources,"
Al-Faisal said.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2007/01/22/us_will_need_mideast_oil_for_years_to_come_saudi

[Fovea]

1. Time for all good Ho's to get down and

give it up for your pusher man.

[GliderGuider]

2. "U.S. energy independence" is a concept that can only be sold to the innumerate.

Fortunately, that quality is in good supply among the American electorate.

[IDemo]

3. My grandfather drove a Buick

My father flew an airplane. I drive a Toyota. My grandson will ride a horse.

To paraphrase an old Saudi saying.

[Javaman]

4. He will only ride a horse if the climate is such that he is still able to

grow hay.