Circles Robinson Online

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Location: Havana, Cuba

is a blog to give a fresh angle on a fascinating and beautiful Caribbean Island country that, despite being relatively small and with only 11 million people, has been a major player in American and world politics for a half century. I also suggest you try www.havanatimes.org

Saturday, June 10, 2006

Iran Should Offer US Oil to Curb Nukes

by Circles Robinson

For months now the United States and its European allies have been trying to determine Iran's energy policy by threatening it with sanctions including military if it doesn't stop its nuclear energy development program and accept their generous "help."

Venezuela is already helping poor US citizens weather the high oil prices with cheaper fuel, now Iran, the world's 4th largest oil producer, could well jump into the fray.

With gas prices skyrocketing in the US, where millions of consumers are having to dig deeper in their pockets to keep their compacts or SUVs running, Iran could offer the US a package including more and cheaper oil in return for the US curbing its nuke programs and destroying some of the thousands of warheads it stockpiles.

To avoid another Three Mile Island incident, Iran could provide enough oil at a cut rate price so that the US could begin shutting down its 104 nuclear power plants that environmentalists question in regards to their safety, in an industry where penny pinching on specs can make millions for contractors.

The plan could even be extended to Israel where fuel prices are high and "clandestine" nuclear arms are plentiful.If direct diplomatic channels prove unable to deliver the offer, Tehran could use a surrogate such as Russia or France to make its help available to US citizens.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad need not use the threatening language of George Bush Jr. that "there must be a consequence," or "action will be taken in the UN Security Council" if the US doesn't accept the aid in return for curbing or ending its thriving nuke industry.

While aggression against Iran could be a major topic at the next G-8 Summit (July) of wealthy military and economic powers, the upcoming Non Aligned Movement Summit in Havana (September) could be used to encourage the US to accept an Iranian offer of oil in exchange for scaling back its nuke programs.

However, President Bush and Congress are unlikely to accept "meddling" in the US domestic energy policy. Venezuela's selling cheaper oil to the poor in the eastern US has been frowned upon by the White House, whose executives believe supply and demand should determine the temperature in poor American's homes.

Congress will most likely reject such an Iranian proposal because an end to US nukes would mean foreign policy would have to be based on truth and reason instead of might-makes-right, something the Bush administration shows little interest in.

The International Atomic Energy Agency is not expected to comment on such an Iranian proposal or anything coming out of the Non-Aligned Summit because the so-called Third World was not asked for its opinion on such matters.The United States is the only country in the world to have used nuclear bombs and is also its leading manufacturer.

Well over 200,000 civilians died of the bomb and its aftereffects in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, when President Harry Truman pushed the button. The radioactive sequels, including deformed and cancer ridden offspring, are still occurring over 60 years later.

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