BUSH
ADMINISTRATION, JOHN KERRY
PRETEND IRAQ/US ARE NOT IN O.P.E.C.
RALPH NADER SAYS O.P.E.C. HAS NOT CUT BACK
CONSTITUTION PARTY: IRAQ/US OUT OF O.P.E.C.
NEWS
RELEASE
For Release June 1, 2004
Contact: Carl Olson
818-223-8080
SKYROCKETING OIL PRICES FROM OPEC CUTBACKS PROMPT RESPONSES:
**BUSH ADMINISTRATION PRETENDS IRAQ/US IS NOT IN OIL CARTEL OPEC
**JOHN KERRY AND OTHER TOP DEMOCRATS JOIN IN THE PRETENSE
**RALPH NADER SAYS OPEC HAS NOT CUT BACK OIL PRODUCTION
**CONSTITUTION PARTY CANDIDATE URGES REMOVING IRAQ FROM OPEC
Skyrocketing gasoline prices have resulted from oil cutbacks from the oil cartel Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and other producers such as Russia. Gasoline is now over $2 a gallon in contrast to $1 in January 2002.
When the U. S. government occupied Iraq in March 2003, it took over the Iraqi membership in OPEC. It has supported every OPEC cutback policy for over a year and has a duty to provide intelligence and enforcement support. The delegate to OPEC from Iraq, Ibrahim Bahr al-Uloum, is appointed by Ambassador Paul Bremer of the Department of Defense’s Coalition Provisional Authority. OPEC’s next meeting is June 3 in Beirut.
The Bush Administration has been pretending that the U. S. government is an outsider to OPEC. Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham attended an oil industry conference in Amsterdam last week and “hoped” that production would be increased by OPEC and others. Treasury Secretary John Snow at a New York City meeting of the Group of 7 (US, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan, plus Russia) over the May 22-23 weekend demanded that oil producing countries increase output and reduce prices, but failed to mention the U.S. government authority in OPEC.
Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry complains that President Bush does not “jawbone” OPEC strong enough from the outside, but has not revealed what he urges about the Iraq/U.S. membership in OPEC. (www.johnkerry.com) Dennis Kucinich, who is still campaigning for votes, does not have the word OPEC on his website. (www.kucinich.us)
Ralph Nader, whose platform has elements of consumer advocacy, absolves OPEC of all blame for high gas prices: “How is this happening? There is no reduction in supply by the OPEC cartel.” (www.votenader.org)
Presidential candidate Michael A. Peroutka of the Constitution Party, which is on the ballot in over 40 states, urges removing Iraq from OPEC, “The United States ought to avoid foreign entanglements and seek and develop our own supply of oil.” (www.peroutka2004.com, www.constitutionparty.com) Its convention on June 23-26 at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, will vote on this platform plank sponsored by the American Independent Party of California. (www.aipca.org)
The National Federation of Republican Assemblies has found in its website survey a 95% agreement with the question, “Should the US Led Occupation Government of Iraq Support Lower Oil Prices with its OPEC Vote?” (www.gopwing.com)
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