Despite claims to the contrary by the Bush administration, it's difficult to not see the connection between oil and US military interventions in the Middle East. Locations of proven world oil reserves are easy to look up. The top three countries in descending order are Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Kuwait. See any connection between them? Why, the US is great friends with the repressive Saudi ruling family! Hmm, now where do I remember Iraq and Kuwait from? Some "police action" I think.

The next three are almost as interesting: Iran, United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela. I don't know much about UAE but the US has certainly been making threatening noises toward Iran and Venezuela. Venezuela even had a nice brief little coup against the democratically elected government. Who backed the coup? Three guesses and the first two don't count. How interesting!

I was following up on some info in a Norman Solomon article on government paranoia so I could read the original text of a quote from the Department of Defense. It's contained in a nifty little report released on March 18, 2005 with the catch title "The National Defense Strategy of the United States of America" (PDF). This is the excerpt:

Consider this key statement: "Our strength as a nation state will continue to be challenged by those who employ a strategy of the weak using international fora, judicial processes, and terrorism."

Yep, they'll use that ol' "strategy of the weak" against the US. And, eww! "Judicial processes!" Why can't they just use strongarm tactics and economic blackmail like a normal superpower nation? Oh, wait, there aren't any other superpowers... Never mind.