Perfect reason for Bush to invade Cuba: New oil deposits found

[zulchzulu]

Bush couldn't have a better reason to invade Cuba now with its new oil discovery. Look out Fidel!

http://www.reuters.com/financeNewsArticle.jhtml?type=businessNews&storyID=7179570

Snip:

"An oil deposit with an estimated 100-million-barrel reserve has been discovered off Cuba's coast by Canadian companies Sherritt International Corp. and Pebercan Inc. , President Fidel Castro said.

"We have a new oil discovery ... the first since 1999," Castro said during a closed-door speech to parliament deputies, parts of which were carried on Saturday by official media.

"The oil has a density of 18 API ... and contains less than 5 percent sulfur," he said on Friday, pointing out it was of better quality than the heavy crude associated with the area, which averages 16 API and 8 percent sulfur.

Cuban oil production was 26 million barrels (71,300 bpd) in 2003 and 653 million cubic meters of gas, the government said, with oil output down slightly in 2004."

[oneighty]

1. Invade?

No. Slant drill from Key West. Much like Kuwait slant drilled into Iraq.

Just kidding. Huh huh huh.

180

[eallen]

2. Perspective: that's five days of US consumption....

The US consumes about 20 million barrles of oil a day. That's almost three hundred times what Cuba produces. This new reserve is a drop in the bucket. It wouldn't last the US five days, even if there were a magical way to recover every last drop instantaneously.

[zulchzulu]

3. Welcome to DU!

As for Bush and the concept of millions, billions and trillions...he would think a million is a billion for all we know.

[rman]

10. darn, you pre-empted me. welcome

-

[Tinoire]

12. All Bush will hear is that there are 3 other potential deposits nearby

I'm happy for the people of Cuba though because when you add this to the 26 million they produce already it will put them at near independence for their oil consumption.

[gjb]

13. The significance of the Cuba discovery is China.........

China just signed a new oil deal with Venezuela and Chavez signed an oil supply deal with Cuba. The China/Venezuela agreement gives China access to a large oil field and an agreement to build new oil refining facilities. At present all the Venezuelan refining capacity is owned by US companies. The ChiCom/Venezuela deal breaks that monopoly.

Prediction: China has also signed an agreement to develop heavy oil in Canada. Look for the Canadian exploration company to sign a development deal with Sherrit and the Chinese providing capital and drilling/refining capacity to Cuba. In order to invade Cuba, Bush will have to confront confront China's legitimate comercial interests in Cuba. In the process invoking sanctions from the UN, the WTO and the EU.

At the moment the US military has a battle front to fight a two theater war with existing resources.

Do the math. The US is tied up in Iraq. Iran is doing has an oil deal with Iran. China signed a pipeline deal with Kazakstan. They are have made major acquisions in strategic metals in South America and Canada and Russia.

So China is quite legally linked with Canada, Russia, Venezuela, Chile, and Russia. Not to mention the mess that is evolving in the Ukraine, Georgia, Lithuania, Romania and Lithuania and the Poles are stirring up trouble in the Ukraine because they want they want to return to the 12th century Polish Renaissance.

By my count that's a ten tier theater.

Puss'n Boots is way out of his depth. Right up to the top of his hip waders.

The irony of the neo cons is that by trying to assert America's military and economic superiority they have inadvertantly, managed to reveal it's weakness. America never had the military and economic resources to go it alone. Bush has removed the fig leaf from the illusion that one nation can controll the world.

[Tinoire]

14. Whoa. Very good post!

Welcome to DU! :toast:

I like the way you think!

[Mika]

4. There's more campaign milage (and $$) to be had keeping Cuba embargoed

BOTH parties garner both pro trade and pro embargo campaign dollars. Why would they want to end that?

charts from opensecrets.org




Also,

No Castro, no anti Castro campaigning. No embargo, no pro trade campaign dollars.

[zulchzulu]

5. Good points...but imagine a much bigger Gitmo in time for martial law

Cuba could be the perfect prison island for Bush to send the evildoers in the US to when the election gets overturned...

:freak:

[AntiCoup2K4]

6. Jeb & Junior would love to wrap Cuba up as a present for Poppy.....

...before his eternal reassignment to Hell's version of the CIA. So far it seems they have been waiting for Castro to drop dead, but if that doesn't happen through natural means, they might have to "Arafat" him.

I can picture the cover story already - they will have "evidence" that Al Qaeda is moving into Cuba and that an immediate invasion is the only way to stop these "terraists" from setting up camp 90 miles from the US mainland.

[Mika]

8. Then, what platform would Fla pols run on?

No Castro, no covert anti Castro funding to skim in Miami and Tallahassee.

No one really wants to get rid of Castro (except for a few die hard miamicuban Batistanos). Castro (and the embargo) is a cash cow for US political campaigns.

[AntiCoup2K4]

11. Who needs a platform when the entire electoral system is rigged?

The Republicans can win any election they need to in Florida as long as the BCE runs the state.

[InvisibleBallots]

7. if Cuba has oil, their economy will boom

Since they are socialist, if that happens, it might give other countries some dangerous ideas. Best to invade now!

[rman]

9. Ok... how much is the daily global consumption of oil?

Isn't that an interesting question.