Bush has authorized the transfer of 150,000 barrels of oil a day into the reserve

NEW YORK, November 26 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) – The United States has been secretly stockpiling oil in anticipation of an upcoming war on Iraq which will lead to disrupts in the oil supplies, a U.S. newspaper reported Monday, November 25.

The New York Post said that the U.S.’s “Strategic Petroleum Reserve, stored in Texas  and Louisiana, holds and estimated 600 million barrels of oil, enough to offset the loss of Iraq’s oil if inspections lead to war.”

The paper added that U.S. President George W. Bush has authorized the transfer of 150,000 barrels of oil a day into the reserve. “He could release 4 million barrels a day for 20 weeks if war interrupts the flow,” the paper said.

The stockpiling, according to the paper, will allow “Bush to avoid the shortages that plagued his father's administration during the previous Bush war with Iraq in 1991.”

Meanwhile, another U.S. newspaper, the New York Times, said Tuesday, November 26, that the Unites States is dependent as ever on Saudi oil.

According to the newspaper, Saudi Arabia supplies about one sixth of the United States oil imports. "What gives Saudi Arabia its considerable political strength is its role as the only producer with the spare capacity to replace millions of barrels a day of lost oil. That amount could be drained from the market temporarily by an attack on Iraq, according to the administration's internal assessments as well as outside experts," reported the NY Times.

Despite the strained relations between Saudi Arabia and the U.S. over the fact that several of the alleged September 11 hijackers were Saudi, Bush's administration's strategic option are limited by "American dependence on Saudi oil", the paper reported.   

Iraq: Tanks Fitted Out For Iraq War: Hoon Inspectors Arrive for First Test in Iraq, U.S. Plans Post-War Government Inspections will Be Substitute, Not Prelude, For War: IAEA Chief War on Iraq Has Already Begun: The Independent Palestine: UNWRA Slams Israeli Army For "Humiliating" Employee Israel to Receive New Patriot Missiles, Asks U.S. for $10 Billion Israel Kills Child, Abducts 9 Palestinians, Raids Central Gaza Syrian FM Rejects U.S. Pressure to Close Palestinian Jihad Office Ramadan Ramadan in Mexico Muslims in Kosovo Perform Taraweeh in the Open New Muslims Enjoy Peace, Serenity of Ramadan Fast Anti-Islamic Crimes Surge in United States: FBI Report U.S. Televangelist Steps Up Anti-Islam Rhetoric Danish Court Orders Continued Detention of Chechen Envoy Three Turkish Sisters Jailed Over Hijab Demonstration Malaysians, Singaporeans Gearing for Eid Celebrations Britain Withdraws Advice on Getting Students Interested in Bombs U.S. Secretly Stockpiling Oil, Dependent on Saudi Arabia Nigeria's Obasanjo Defends Shari’a, Blames Press for Miss World Riots Terror-Funding Claims "Outrageous, Irresponsible": Saudi Ambassador’s Wife Aussie Woman Kills Herself, Inspired by "Crusader" Dr Death South Korean Students Break into U.S. Army Headquarters Indonesia Bracing for 20 Million Exodus During Eid Chechen War Reaches Moscow World Wide War Invasion into Gaza Arafat HQ Destroyed… In Pictures Homeless in Minutes War on Iraq.. World Reaction Yesterday's News Advanced Search     News Archive : Day: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31     Month: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12   Year: 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999