Bush visits, oil prices spike again:
Re: my maligned theory of causality between Bush-Cheney Middle East visits and crude oil prices.
Mr. Bush arrived in Saudi Arabia last week, but oil prices preceded him, upward. They moved up when he was en route and they moved up more after his arrival. With each visit, both Mr. Bush and King Abdullah, as well as a gaggle of princes, get richer. The American consumer ends up paying even more for his gasoline and for his heating gas.
And they said he is there to try and reduce crude prices. If he really wants to limit prices, he should stay put in Washington- or, better yet, go back to the ranch in Crawford.

Interesting how about a year ago a Saudi adviser threatened that his country could drown the world in oil and cut prices by half (that was when prices were close to $50-60 per barrel). The idea was that they can hurt the Iranian regime and weaken its influence in Iraq. At the time I suggested that would also hurt the Saudi regime, as they have high unemployment and need a large budget to keep their people happy. Not to mention the adverse effect on the lifestyles of the thousands of princcelings. I was right, n' est-ce pas? Oh, and that adviser was fired quickly, never to be heard from again.

Arab Media Headline Summary:
"The defeat of Hizbullah." (this is a gem, a classic doublespeak from the editor of the Saudi daily asharq alawsat.
"The legend of Hizbullah is finished."
"The leader of Hizbullah is finished."
"Eisenhower reaches Berlin. Eisenhower is finished!" That would be an equivalent 1945 headline in a German daily.

"Bush in Saudia to sign four accords about nuclear energy and protection of oil facilities."

"Hizbullah 'coup' is part of a new Middle East regional system of Iranian hegemony."

"Current Lebanese crisis has further marginalized the Christians."(That is because the Saudi media now dominating the New Middle East did its best to make the complex Lebanese political feud into a sectarian Shi'a-Sunni issue, thus marginalizing the Christians, about half of whom are allies of Hizbullah).

"Jumblatt: what happened is like a summer cloud, it will soon clear up. Concessions are needed." Now what is he up to???

"A new power equation in Lebanon that favors Hizbullah."

"Th great Iranian victory in Lebanon: our congratulations and condolences."

"Lebanon, in the State of Iran."

"The Lebanese crisis in its explosive sectarian phase."

"Washington has reservations on the solution reached to the Lebanese crisis."

"Arab solution: General Suleiman as president, and negotiations over the government."

"The Arab mediators need to return things to the way they were before May 8th." almustaqbal, the Hariri newspaper. (And how does one return all the toothpaste back into the tube? Oh, little silky one?)

"Bush celebrates the anniversary of the 'rape' of Palestine in Israel." Bahrain's Akhbar alkhaleej.

"A London restaurant offers its clients fish slaughtered according to Islamic Shri'a." So, now we have kosher fish.
Cheers
Mohammed