Saudi Arabia calls out US bluster

Friday, 14 October 2022 — Indian Punchline

by M. K. BHADRAKUMAR

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman shares a laugh with Russian President Vladimir Putin after giving the Russian leader a high-five that morphed into a handshake, on the opening day of G20 Summit, Buenos Aires,  Nov. 30, 2018. USA Today described it as ‘a car alarm blaring in a library… closely parsed for meaning’.

Saudi Arabia has politely but firmly rebutted the threats and calumnies levelled by the US political elites in the past week since the OPEC decided to cut oil production by 2 million barrels per day. On Thursday, a Foreign Ministry official in Riyadh forcefully pushed back the allegation that the OPEC decision was at Saudi initiative and was politically motivated against the US, and, worse still, to help Russia.

Continue reading

Two potentates meet up at St. Petersburg

Wednesday, 12 October 2022 — Indian Punchline

A 19th century painting of Konstantinovksy Palace, St. Petersburg

There was something profoundly meaningful that the President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan undertook a visit to Russia amidst the gathering storms in Ukraine. Conscious of the symbolism, Russian President Vladimir Putin received Sheikh Mohammed on Tuesday in a grand setting befitting a monarch — at the gorgeous Konstantinovksy Palace in St. Petersburg whose heritage dates back to Peter the Great, a symbol of the revival of Russia and its cultural heritage.

Continue reading

A perfect storm in US foreign policy

Tuesday, 11 October 2022 — Indian Punchline

By M. K. BHADRAKUMAR

The old adage is that a good foreign policy is the reflection of the national policy. A perfect storm is brewing on the foreign policy front in America triggered by the OPEC decision on Thursday to cut oil production by 2 million barrels a day, which will on the one hand drive up the gas price for the domestic consumer and on the other hand expose the Biden Administration’s lop-sided foreign policy priorities.

Continue reading

Putin tells US to stop ‘looting’ Syria

Thursday, 21 July 2022 — Aletho News

Samizdat | July 19, 2022

The US needs to stop “stealing” the oil from the Syrian people and state, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday, after meeting with his Iranian and Turkish counterparts in Tehran. The three guarantors of the “Astana process” also agreed that the US should leave the trans-Euphrates, and stop making the humanitarian crisis in Syria worse with their unilateral sanctions.

Continue reading

EU economies are down on their knees

Tuesday, 5 July 2022 — Indian Punchline

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L), at a meeting with Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu, revealed proposals of army commanders in Ukraine “for the development of offensive operations”, Moscow, July 4, 2022

On July 1 at the White House, US President Joe Biden made a startling disclosure that “the idea we’re going to be able to click a switch, bring down the cost of gasoline, is not likely in the near term.”

Continue reading

In An Attempt to Offset Rising Oil Prices, Biden Administration Makes Nice with Brutal Saudis—But Spurns Socialist Venezuela

Wednesday, 6 July 2022 — CovertAction Magazine

Saudi ArabiaJoe Biden and Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman. [Source: republicworld.com]

Right-wing lobbies and ideological zealotry continue to prevent initiation of rational policy toward Venezuela

On June 2, Saudi-led OPEC and its allies announced it will accelerate oil production in July and August, as the cartel’s key player, Saudi Arabia, agreed to U.S. pleadings that it take action to cool crude oil prices. The sharp rise in the price of a barrel of crude since the start of hostilities in Ukraine has threatened to stall the global economy with the United States being especially vulnerable.

Continue reading

Reports of OPEC+ death are greatly exaggerated

Thursday, 2 June 2022 — Indian Punchline

by M. K. BHADRAKUMAR

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud (R) met visiting Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, Riyadh, May 31, 2022

The fact that the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states held a joint ministerial meeting with their Russian counterpart Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in the Saudi capital of Riyadh at this point in time in global politics conveys a powerful message in itself.

Continue reading

EU stumbles over Russian oil slick

Wednesday, 11 May 2022 — Indian Punchline

by M. K. BHADRAKUMAR

Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán (R) with  President of European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Budapest, May 10, 2022

The European Union officials are insisting that oil sanctions against Russia are coming. On Sunday, France’s Ecological Transition Minister Barbara Pompili was certain that “we will reach (an agreement) by the end of the week.”

Continue reading

This Ain’t Putin’s Price Hike: Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix

Sunday, 13 March 2022 — Caitlin Johnson

by Caitlin Johnstone

Listen to a reading of this article:

Higher fuel and food prices are a sacrifice I’m prepared to make in exchange for a greatly increased likelihood of nuclear armageddon.

Let’s be clear: you’re not paying more for necessities to punish Putin and save Ukraine, you’re paying more for necessities to fund an economic war of unprecedented scale geared toward collapsing Russia to help secure US unipolar domination of this planet.

Continue reading

Go to hell, Shell

26 November 2021 — New Frame

The explosion of rage in South Africa in response to the multinational company exploring for oil and gas in the ocean off the Wild Coast is entirely justified.

The corporate drive for profit frequently takes the form of a psychopathic monomania. But among the many horsemen of the corporate apocalypse, Royal Dutch Shell has a particular record of infamy.

Continue reading

Is Kashmir a US Trap to Confront Russia and China?

20 June 2020 — Global Research

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), founded in 2001 by the Shanghai Five (China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan) and to which Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan were later added would be the ALBA and Iran countries hard core of resistance to world hegemony of the United States and Great Britain. Consequently, the avowed objective of the United States would be to dynamite this organization, having Balochistan, Kashmir and Xinjiang as scenarios for its destabilizing operations.

Iran surges in Venezuela in defiance of US sanctions

25 May 2020 — Indian Punchline

By M.K. Bhadrakumar

Iranian oil tanker Clavel crossing the Gibraltar stretch heading for Venezuela, May 20, 2020

Escorted by the Venezuelan navy and air force, an Iranian oil tanker named Fortune has entered that country’s waters on Sunday, amidst intense speculation whether the US would interfere with the delivery. The US has imposed oil sanctions against Venezuela and Iran and had said it is monitoring the Iranian tanker.

Continue reading

The Persian Rug Weaver Strikes in the US’s ‘Backyard’ Through Venezuela

26 May 2020 — Internationalist 360°

Elijah J. Magnier

https://i0.wp.com/ejmagnier.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/EYvaYQmWsAArYTK.jpeg?w=684&ssl=1Iranian tankers were 2200 km from the US coast when the Iranian-flagged “Fortune”, followed by “Forest”, entered Venezuelan waters, challenging the US embargo and the US’s threats. The Islamic Republic was broadcasting loud and clear a strong message.

Continue reading

The Mad Geopolitics of Israel’s EastMed Gas Pipeline

20 January 2020 — Global Research

By F. William Engdahl

At just a time when the world holds its collective breath over risk of a World War over the US assassination of Iran’s leading general and other provocations, Israel has chosen to sign a natural gas pipeline deal with Greece and Cyprus that is the equivalent of tossing a loaded hand grenade into the hyper-tense region.

Continue reading

Pentagon Claims US Authority to Shoot Any Syrian Govt Official Who Tries to Take Control of Syrian Oil

9 November 2019 — Common Dreams

“This is not a new mission.”

by Andrea Germanos, staff writer

Syrian soldiers are seen deploying in an oil-rich area in the countryside of Qamishli, northeastern Hasakah province, Syria, on Nov. 5, 2019.

Syrian soldiers are seen deploying in an oil-rich area in the countryside of Qamishli, northeastern Hasakah province, Syria, on Nov. 5, 2019. The Syrian army on Tuesday deployed in new areas rich in oil fields in the countryside of Hasakah province in northeastern Syria, the latest progress in the overall deployment of the Syrian army in Kurdish-held areas near the border with Turkey. (Photo: Xinhua/ via Getty Images)

Pentagon officials asserted Thursday U.S. military authority over Syrian oil fields because U.S. forces are acting under the goal of “protecting Americans from terrorist activity” and would be within their rights to shoot a representative of the Syrian government who attempted to retake control over that country’s national resource.

Continue reading

Former British Ambassador to Syria: UK complicit in Trump’s Syria Oil Grab

7 November 2019 — Mint Press

With the UK Parliament already on alert, how long will it be before Congress wakes up to this scandal-in-the-making?

by Peter Ford

The cat is out of the bag. The UK is potentially complicit in a war crime. With typical insouciance the U.S. military dropped this bombshell by tweet and apparently without realizing the implications for U.S. partners:

We are repositioning @CJTFOIR forces to Deir ez Zor #Syria to continue partnering w/ #SDF to defeat ISIS remnants, protect critical infrastructure, & deny ISIS access to revenue sources. Mechanized forces provide infantry, maneuver, and firepower.

— OIR Spokesman Col. Myles B. Caggins III (@OIRSpox) October 31, 2019

Continue reading