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might curtail oil production in order
to harass the economies of Weslern
Europe and the United Stales.
At the same time, Kuwail's par–
liamenl voted unanimously lo cut
off all commitments lo Western oil
companies in the event of renewed
fighting between Arab states and
Israel. Libya has followed suit.
ln April of this year, Harvard–
educated Saudi Arabian Petroleum
Minister Ahmad Zaki Yamaru told
U.
S. government officials that
Saudi Arabia will nol significantly
expand its present oil production
unless the
U
nited States changes its
pro-Israelí stance in the Middle
E
ast.
By the end of 1972, there were at
least 15 different threats by Arabs in
responsible or inftuential positions
to use their oil as a weapon against
their "enemies." These threats are
neither empty nor inconsequential.
Arab leaders such as Libya's
Colonel Muammar Qaddafi are
calling for petroleum revenues to be
diverted into the battle against
Israel. Qaddafi has recently stated:
' 'The day will come when oil will be
used as the ultimate weapon in the
battle."
In addition to sorne $200 million
Colonel Qaddafi is spending on over
100 French-built Mirage fighter–
bombers, it is estimated that he
gives at least $125 million a year to
Egypt, sorne $45 million to Syria
and additional millions to Al Fatah
and other Palestinian guerrilla
groups.
Since April 1972, six African na–
tions have broken relations with
Israel, following strong financia!
"encouragement" from Libya.
Many wonder how long it will be
before major Western nations begin
to feel similar pressures.
lt
would not take the cutting off
of all oil production in order to
cause havoc in the West. There is so
little spare productive capacity in
the world today that production in
any one of 7 countries - Saudi
Arabia, Iran, Iraq, the Federation of
Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Libya or
Venezuela - will soon be larger
PlAIN TRUTH
October
1973
than the spare capacity of the rest of
the world combined. "In other
words," as James Akins points out,
"the loss of production of any one of
these countries could cause a tem–
porary but significant world oil
shortage; the loss of any two could
cause a crisis and possibly a panic
among the consumers."
Shortage Has Already Begun
As 1973 began, European head–
lines read: "Fuel Shortage in
U.
S.
Worsens, Spreads to East Coast."
Newspapers in mid-January re–
ported: "Fuel shortages [in the Mid–
West] are already acute. Sorne
schools in the area have closed tem–
porarily.... Railroads have cut
train speeds to conserve fuel. Scat–
tered industries bave eliminated
shífts or shut down for a few days.
Grain is rotting in fields because of
a lack of natural gas to fuel the
dryers."
After all the facts and figures,
what emerges? The recognition by
OPEC nations that their reserves
are exhaustible and should be con–
served.
Coupled with this fact is the addi–
tional reality of the Arab-Israeli
conftict and the growing use of oil as
a fulcrum to bend the Western
wor!d into a pro-Arab stance.
Again, it is not that the world
lacks the potential for energy. The
sources are there. The financia! and
productive capacity for greatly in–
creased immediate supply is not.
This means there is indeed a fuel
shortage. It has begun and it will
increase. Prices are already soaring,
and supplies are being threatened as
never before. The lights are now be–
ginning ever so slightly
to
dim. Un–
less world leaders start taking major
and immediate steps, darkness will
settle over growing segments of the
earth's major nations.
What Líes Ahead?
If
the United States finds itself
with no reserve oil, where will Eu–
rope get its oil? What is the Western
world going to do when it can no
longer get the energy it needs?
G.
Chouv"l
-
Sygmo
Libya's Colonel Qaddafi
continues
his coll for using oil os a weapon in
world politics. leader of the fourth
largest oil producing nation in North
Africa and the Middle East, Qoddafi
has emerged as a militont spokesman
for Arab unity in the struggle with
Israel.
The obvious answer is coordina–
tion among all govemments
in–
volved and a mutual sharing of
available resources. Unfortunately,
such worldwide cooperation and
mutual concern falls into the realm
of good intentions, not political real–
ity.
An energy shortage, and much
more, is coming. To reiterate Dr.
Reierson's words: " ... we are in a
real crisis and 1 see no way out. We
face a decade of tria! and tribula–
tion." Beyond it all there is light at
the end of the proverbial tunnel.
But before the light, there are deci–
sions to be made and lessons to
be
learned. Unfortunately, too many of
these decisions will be made self–
ishly and not for the good of the
whole human family. Nations and
governments and individuals are in–
volved. The global stakes are
high.
o
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