What nixon was going to do

[Basstrap]

Invasion plans

I saw a piece about this on TV as well.

Basically, the US was going to invade oil rich mid-east countries
to secure oil lines for themselves.
it was apparently called off because they were afraid they would upset the entire middle-east
of course...there are for more moral reasons why not to invade.

 

[verte76]

OMG. I'm glad they didn't invade Saudi Arabia. I don't see what that would have accomplished.

 

[melon]

Morality is never part of the equation, unless it involves election-year pandering to the Religious Right.

Melon

 

[Basstrap]

it makes me wonder if not much has changed these days....politicians have just learned to use coy euphenisms

 

[verte76]

it makes me wonder if not much has changed these days....politicians have just learned to use coy euphenisms

There's alot that hasn't changed. The media is more powerful and says more. Gone are the days that the President can have a heart attack and tell the press it was the flu (Eisenhower actually did that). Politicians have to use euphemisms more.

 

[nbcrusader]

Much a do about nothing. If this document truly exists, it is part of a large collection of contingency plans prepared by the US military every year.

 

[Dreadsox]

It is an interesting point in history. The historian in me loves it when new details are released adding to the picture.

And NB is correct, this was a contingency plan, and contingency plans are a necessary evil.

Thanks for the thread Basstrap, I was meaning to do more research on this.

 

[Basstrap]

yes nb crusader this document did exist

and it was more than just "contingincy"
even if it was, that doesn't make it any more better!
that they would even consider it is sad

but you are right...it has nothing to do with us to day in that it was in the 70's. However, it is still very relevant in that it gives us an inside look at a desperate politician.

and whether you're right or left, we cannot deny that oil is one of the biggest movers and shakers of our time

 

[Dreadsox]

On a side note, I was just reading how Kennedy used the FBI and other agencies of the governement to investigate the CEO's and owners of the Steel Industry during his administration. It seems that they made a deal with him to fix the price of steel, he used the office of the Presidency to get the unions to settle contracts with the steel companies, and then they raised the prices. This would have messed up the economy and potentially hurt his reelection prospects. Kennedy basically blackmailed the steel industry into fixing the price to be in line with his economic package.

What is my point....History reveals many things to us long after the events have occured. What we think was unimaginable, may have really been going on.

Nothing, absolutely nothing, would surprise me about revelations about the Nixon administration. They at times acted like they were invincible....Rules be damned.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

i wish i was part of this religious right

 

[FizzingWhizzbees]

Much a do about nothing. If this document truly exists, it is part of a large collection of contingency plans prepared by the US military every year.

It does exist - it was a British government document released recently under the 30-year-rule. (That's the rule that basically states that most government documents can be kept secret for 30 years and then most must be released.) It wasn't just a far-fetched plan either, the British ambassador to the US at the time certainly took it seriously.

I agree with basstrap's comments though: it's worrying to think that a country can believe it has such an absolute right to access another country's oil reserves that it's willing to use military force to do so.

 

[FizzingWhizzbees]

Edited to keep my new year resolution to stop making sarcastic comments about politics.

 

[verte76]

Sure it was a contingency document, but the option was on the table--if not in the media at the time. In this day and age of a more powerful media and the Internet I'm not sure this is possible anymore. If they had a plan like that now in the White House it'd be all over the newspapers, on CNN's "Inside Politics" and on Internet news reports.

 

[anitram]

I'm wondering what it was a contingency for?

If we don't get our oil nicely, we'll do it by force and occupation? What a disturbing train of thought. What next? Countries invading each other over fresh water resources?

Uh oh, I live in the country with the most fresh water in the world.

 

[Dreadsox]

interesting....

The word's "last resort" appear.....

and

in the LAST paragraph the important detail of the Soviets threatening Intervention in the Middle East is left out.

Therefore....the majority of this....would leave one to believe that it was the US just trying to bully Middle Eastern Nations around. There is more to the story.

 

[Dreadsox]

Allow me to correct myself....in my reading online...in another article on the topic.....the words "last resort" was included.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/01/international/middleeast/01CND-DOCU.html?ex=1073624400&en=e935b25b98a27554&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE

 

[verte76]

I'm wondering what it was a contingency for?

If we don't get our oil nicely, we'll do it by force and occupation? What a disturbing train of thought. What next? Countries invading each other over fresh water resources?

Uh oh, I live in the country with the most fresh water in the world.

Careful.......

 

[Dreadsox]

This really is disturbing...

This is a British Document....Not an American Document.
It is their assessment of the US Position.

Finally....Anyone here lived through the OIL Embargo of 1973? It did not just effect the US. It caused a world wide crisis. Do you understand what it was about? Just curious?

#1 It began with Egypt launching a surprise attack on Israel on Yom Kippor in 1973 knowing that there was a secret agreement among the OPEC Nations to increase the price of oil by boycotting the sale to Western Nations and Japan.

#2 On Day 11 of the War OPEC announced the Boycott, thereby assuring that Western Nations would not intervene in the sruprize attack that had been launched against Israel.

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The country that had been supplying EGYPT and SYRIA with the materials for the attack was the SOVIET UNION.

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So yes, this appears to have been a LAST resort contingency PLAN should it appear that the SOVIETS become more involced with troops in the region. The western nations and the United States were looking at the worst financial crisis potentially since the depression.
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As much as I despise the Nixon administration, this really does need to be looked upon in the context of the entire situation.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

^^

 

[verte76]

It does need to be looked at in context, I agree. It was at the height of the Cold War. I am still glad that the invasion wasn't carried out. It was not an easy problem to solve, however. The problem solved itself when the Soviet Union fell apart, but that was yet to be.

 

[anitram]

Of course there is context. And a perfect example of how finances and money take precedence over everything, including sovereignty and human lives. And that applies to all sides here. What a miserable way to live.

 

[Dreadsox]

And distgustingly enough, here we are 30 years later, still dependant on OIL.

On a side note, Nixon made a trip to Saudi Arabia after the embargo ended, and made some great progress there fixing relations with the Saudi kingdom. Unfortunately for him, he is not remembered for that either.

 

[anitram]

And distgustingly enough, here we are 30 years later, still dependant on OIL.

Indeed. We have come far in terms of scientific progress, but I believe that the oil and plastics industrial lobbies will curb further non-oil related research for a long time. Interestingly enough, were we all to move away from a dependence on oil, the oppressive regimes in the Middle East would no longer have the upper hand nor the money with which to squash their people and dreams of democracy.

 

[sue4u2]

this was truly interesting. I must admit I really didn't know some of this was going on behind the scene's. Thanks for the article's Headache & Dreadsox. good point of view.. Anitram.