European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 03, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 10 column the stars and stripes thursday january 1991 a Felt 1 it it Flora Lewis crisis spurs Paris a a Nat provoked the persian Gulf crisis is Money Oil Money. It is prudish to deny that although a great Many 6tbir factors a Legal political social and emotional a have become involved. When the crisis is Over however that comes about the problem of Oil Money will remain along with the other end car problems gravely exacerbated by tire confrontation. Iraqi officials made Clear from the beginning that Saddam Hussein decided to take Kuwait because he desperately needed Money and did not Trust open to keep Oil prices High enough to handle his debts. A this neck was on the Block he had no Choice a i was told. Quot otherwise we would have become Brazil Quot a country that earn enough to pay the interest on its a. Y q leave aside the fact that Iraq was strapped because its dictator lavished its earnings and its credit on arms War and fancy but unproductive projects. He tried to use what he had bought to replace what he had squandered. Others amassed great riches on the same Windfall and put themselves in a position to ride out Low prices. A a notice that with the Sharp Rise in prices since the invasion of Kuwait brought by panic lost supplies from Iraq and Kuwait have already been More than compensated on the world Market mainly by saudi Arabia. Notice that open is in tatters and As Youssef Ibra. Him of the new York times reported will emerge in deep trouble whether there is War causing real shortage and prices so High As to change the whole Energy equation or a peaceful solution that brings a Supply glut. 1 certainly Industrial countries and especially the United states which is the most profligate with Oil need Energy policies to become less dependent on Petroleum. A 5-cent tax Rise on a gallon of Gas is ridiculous. The Cost at the pump is still about a third of what it is in Europe. Alternative non hydrocarbon Energy is a must. To meet the longer term environmental threat. But the world will still need a Lafof Oil an increasing amount if developing countries Are to grow and limit deforestation. The Price of Oil will remain crucial to the International Economy a vital strategic Issue. Many countries Are still suffering acutely from the Oil shocks of ,1973 and 1979. Measures were taken that brought a complacent sense of weathering the storm. But continuing devastating third world debt is largely the result of a recycling petrodollars then and the difficulties Are renewed now extended to the struggling new Eastern european democracies volatility also undermined the populous Oil producers like Nigeria and Mexico which mortgaged and spent anticipated revenues that did not materialize. It drove Iraq to War and led to the great costly International coalition now threatening military retaliation the Power of Oil to upset the world can scarcely be Walter r. Mears overestimated but it is left to vagaries to manipulation and shifting alliances and enmities bound to bring recurrent shocks. It is time to recognize the Market needs some guidance based on larger common interests that it is not equipped to reflect on its own. Open tried to enforce some order but it is a producers Only Cartel. Sheik Ahmed Zaki Yamani the longtime saudi arabian Oil Whiz who was dismissed by his government for a having a broader View has proposed a larger agreement to stabilize Oil prices and supplies. It has never been possible before because of inherent hostilities but he is convinced it could be achieved because of a the lessons of the past. At least we could recognize the damage we cause to the world Economy every time we have an Oil a tripartite managing system would be required a a producers major Consumers and Oil companies cooperating to avoid sudden shocks like the Ever Normal granary program does for . Grain producers. It works Tor rubber and did for tin. They Are very different commodities but its never been tried for Oil. Yamanis idea is not really new. It was what King Faisal of saudi Arabia had in mind when he persuaded France to Call the ill fated North South conference in Paris in the mid-1970s.the conference dissolved in vaporous rhetoric about a a new world economic but times have changed and More lessons have been taught if not Learned. Oil like War and peace is too important to be left to the a invisible hand alone. Governments must include an approach to Market stability in their Post crisis planning its Lack is a. Major reason the Middle East is so troublesome. V v a a new York times a. The opinions expressed in the columns and cartoons on this Page represent those of the authors and Are in no Way to be considered As representing the views of the stars and stripes or the United states government. T for the new Congress convening the questions of peace and War Are waiting with added urgency As the Days dwindle toward the Jan. 15 deadline for iraqi withdrawal from Kuwait. A five months of intermittent debate and a dozen House and Senate hearings have produced no answers and scant guidance to define the role of the democratic Congress in a crisis under Republican management Quot a a a. According to the democratic leaders of Congress . Forces cannot be sent to fight without congressional approval. According to the Republican administration Bush already has All the authority he needs to act. That debate will resume when Congress docs. It wont be conclusive. The answer has been elusive for two centuries under a constitutional system that makes the president the commander in chief and empowers Only Congress to declare War. Bush has met with congressional leaders several times Over the Gulf crisis and according to Senate Republican Leader Bob Dole of Kansas will do so again after the new Congress is sworn in. Defense Secretary Richard Cheney and Secretary of state James a. Baker Iii also arc expected to participate in the sessions. There were demands during the fall that Congress be summoned Back to declare War. There were Calls for a Resolution of approval for Bush a policy of threatening military action against iraqi occupation of Kuwait there were proposals to invoke the Creaky machinery of the War Powers sys t pm u n de r which a pics id e it cant Sci d troops into danger unless Congress approves. None of that happened and none of it is Likely to happen now. But in one form or another the 102nd Congress to have to come to Clear majority decisions on the persian Gulf possibly but not necessarily on direct questions of policy certainly on the Money and. Manpower to Back up that policy. The administration will need a supplemental appropriation of up to $20 billion Early this year to finance operation desert shield. Call up authority for some support units summoned to Active duty will begin expiring in March unless cont. Gress extends it or Bush declares a nation a emergency. A i and there May have to be action later in the year to change the timetable for cutbacks that Are supposed to reduce a $ Tive duty military forces by at least 80,000 before next sept. 30. A a a a a an attempt to write a policy Resolution and get it through House and Quot Senate would be risky for both Congress and the White House. Bush has up can quoted As telling members of Congress that he would Welcome a Resolution of support along the lines of the United nations Resolution authorizing Force after Jan is a but a if you re going to debate this for months and , each a conclusion and he Paul la to than that a Quot Najt he resolutions endorsing his policy were adopted by overwhelming votes m the House and Senate Early in october backing a continued action by. The Orcsi Dent. To deter iraqi aggression and protect american lives and Vit m r ests the authors of said they covered Only what had been inc Kuwait was built around economic sane Iraq with the United states assigned to defends Nuli s any attack by Saddam Huv wuss forces a on nov. 8, Bush ordered . Forces doubled to create the capability and raise possibility of military action to retake Kuwait. Democratic leaders were told of the decision shortly before Bush announced it. And support that had been almost unanimous began to fray with democrats urging patience to give eco Homic sanctions More time to work. But democrats can to risk becoming the party of dissent while american forces Are at risk. That could weaken the . Position in the current confrontation at a time when Bush says the Best Way to avoid War is to convince Saddam that he faces War unless he relents and it could do them lasting political damage. Vice president Dan Quayle produced a preview of a Republican counterattack saying in Early december that a patience at any Price would amount to appease meat of Saddam. A As the debate resumes sen. George j. Mitchell a Mainc the majority Leader says whatever the differences on timing and tactics the United states is United on the goal of getting Iraq out of Kuwait. 1 he question is How. _ associated press to
