Obama Sends Troops to Another Oil Rich African Nation

Is it just me, or is it strangely funny and coincidental that over the past decade everywhere we sent US troops in which we aided in the death; killing or assignation of a sovereign foreign head of state has been in an energy rich country with vast amounts of oil and/or natural gas. Saddam Hussein was in Iraq and he was hanged. Kaddafi was in Libya and he was summarily executed. In Afghanistan, no telling how many tribal and regional leaders (since they historically never had a nation state with a central government) we have killed. And as I stated in each case they have what we need to paraphrase the great Biz Markie – Oil and natural gas. This tradition is continuing with the recent deployment of US service personnel to Uganda. Oil and Uganda? Yes.

If you didn’t know Uganda is sitting on tons of oil. Oil exploration began in Uganda’s northwestern Lake Albert basin nearly a decade ago and according to estimates by the Energy Ministry, the African nation has over two billion barrels of oil. The British firm Tullow Oil operates three oil blocks in the region, and had sold off part of its stake to Total and China's CNOOC. But the sale was halted following the allegations of bribery. Specifically that Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi has been accused of receiving funds to lobby for oil production rights on behalf of the Italian oil firm ENI, which eventually lost its bid for exploration rights to British firm Tullow Oil. In addition, Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Kutesa and Internal Affairs Minister Hilary Onek have also been accused of taking bribes from Tullow Oil worth over US$23 million and $8 million respectively.

As a result of these activities occurring over the past few weeks, it is ironic the Obama has decided to intervene with the rebels he claims are wrecking havoc in the region and fostering social unrest. Obama notified House Speaker John Boehner, of deploying the mostly Special Operations Forces, to central Africa with the first troops reportedly arriving in Uganda on last Wednesday.

Truth is that the rebels are representative of the people just as those he sent NATO forces to protect in Libya. It was hoped that the discovery of oil would improve the economic conditions of the masses of which 51 percent of the population lives below the poverty line. The Uganda economy is suffering from a 20-year high double-digit inflation now at 28.3 percent.

Oil exploration began in Uganda’s northwestern Lake Albert basin nearly a decade ago, with initial strikes being made in 2006 and is scheduled to begin oil refining in 2014 . The 2.5 billion barrels of crude along Uganda's western border with Congo will be extracted upon the development of a refinery in a phased manner, starting with capacity of around 40,000-60,000 barrels a day before peaking at 150,000 barrels a day by 2016.

Many are unaware that Africa's exports of oil to the United States, largely from Nigeria and the dictator state of Equatorial Guinea, at rates almost equal to those of the Middle East. But again why now? I have outlined several factors including the suggestion of US intervention by, the International Crisis Group, which is the principal author of “Responsibility to Protect,” the military doctrine used by Obama to justify the U.S. led NATO campaign in Libya. Even more coincidental is that billionaire George Soros is a member of its executive board and personally, just recently recommended the U.S. deploy a special advisory military team to Uganda.

Soros, via his Open Society Institute is one of only three nongovernmental funders of the Global Centre for Responsibility to Protect, as well as other Institute advisors including Samantha Power, the National Security Council special adviser to Obama on human rights, who also aided in the establishment of the International Criminal Court. Soros himself maintains close ties to oil interests in Uganda. As early as April of 2010, Soros’ International Crisis Group, or ICG, released a report sent to the White House and other lawmakers advising the U.S. military to run special operations in Uganda to seek Kony’s capture. It makes sense seeing that in 2008 a National Oil and Gas Policy, proposed with aid from a Soros-funded group, was supposed to be a general road map for the handling and use of the oil.

Like in Libya, the U.S. mission will be to advise forces seeking to kill or capture Joseph Kony, the leader of the rebel Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). In the past, the Obama administration has stated it would only deploy US troops in the Middle East, Africa or Central Asia to target terrorist groups and rogue states that threaten the U.S. Unfortunately this is not an apt description of the Lord’s Resistance Army

So why is it that all of a sudden we are sending troops to another African nation? Not any nation but one rich in oil? We know the region, which includes South Sudan - which became an independent state in July after a two-decade civil war with the government in Khartoum, is also one of the emerging oil-rich states producing 500,000 barrels per day. This account for 80 percent of the country’s untapped oil deposits: meaning our presence may provide for increased penetration by Western-based oil firms in the United States and Europe. We know that the U.S. was a major proponent of splitting off South Sudan from the central government, as well as supporting the secessionist rebel movements in the western region of Darfur.

South Sudan became an independent state in July after a two-decade civil war with the government in Khartoum. Sudan is one of the emerging oil-rich states producing 500,000 barrels per day. The oil concessions in Sudan were largely in partnership with the People’s Republic of China and other Asian and Middle Eastern states.

Uganda has yet to produce a single barrel of oil, but it is obvious that its presence has played a key role in the Obama’s administration via the influence of George Soros to intervene militarily to help Uganda fight the rebels of the LRA who are currently in the Central African Republic.

I find this puzzling since we had these opportunities before oil was found and neglected to get involved. Now we are and the only fact that has changed is that the country is now rich in oil and we want to get out hands on it. To do such, we will most likely kill another person in another nation who has the support to the people more than the elected government does.

Bich do your job

The bottle of Partida blanco is empty and no more hot sauce, but the effervescence remains. Been thinking lately (not like that is nothing new), and I really would like to know where is the Attorney General and where that mutha fuca been for the last 8 months to start? I would not be surprised if a lot of folk don’t know who the current Attorney General is or even what Department of the government they work out of.

The Judiciary Act of 1789 created the Office of the Attorney General. They are supposed to be the chief law enforcement officer of the Federal Government. Michael Mukasey is the acting US Attorney since 2007 I think. But I have yet to hear his named mentioned at all this year. That is strange to me given the massive amounts of fraud and manipulation that has reared its head in this age of collateralizing debt and massive financial fraud. Yep I said it fraud,

A lot, not all, but a significant segment of what had happened to our financial services sector has been the result of negligence, incompetence and greed – and for lack of a better phrase – criminal behavior. From the very bottom of accepting mortgages with no money down to the manner in which securities and commodities have been traded in unregulated and a seemingly black market fashion, there is enough criminal behavior to go around. Even Henry Paulson, who said we would use the bail out loot for capital injection to supposedly buying troubled and toxic assets (which now he is doing neither) borders on criminal behavior to me.

I think instead of making a fat salary, Mr. Mukasey needs to re-read the constitution and start seeking out all these crooks from Wall Street to the Capital Hill, and start prosecuting folks. He can start if he scared, with the hedge fund industry and work his way left and right. The hedge fund industry is estimated to control about $US2.5 trillion of assets, most which are beyond regulatory supervision. This is one sector of the financial sector that can be blamed for volatility in stock markets as well as destabilizing our banking sector. The main or one what they have done such is by the short selling of stocks of companies that has resulted in reducing the values and even bankrupting said companies.

George Soros, who testified before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee last week suggested that hedge funds will be hit hard and maybe even destroyed by the global financial crisis to such an extent that possibly 75 percent of the money they manage may be lost.

I know some of the folks in Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, UBS and Bear Stearns have some foul folks doing some foul things, and I would suggest that the AG start to investigate, if not, I hope the President Elect will hold the folks responsible and send these folks to jail, so what the contributed to your campaign, fair is fair and such will go a long way to restoring confidence in the market and responsible financial behavior in such institutions. So as me and my folk sang in 1996, Bich do yo’ job.