Yamani: importance of Gulf oil collapses in the interests of the Caspian Sea
Regional, Politics, 2/1/2002

Former Saudi oil minister Ahmad Zaki al-Yamani said that the strategic importance of the Gulf oil will collapse after the US tightens its control on the Caspian Sea oil.

Al-Yamani expected a great decrease in oil prices and ruled out using oil as a weapon for serving the Arab causes because of economic problems facing the oil countries. Al-Yamani added that the " US has a strategic objective which is to control the oil of the Caspian sea and to end dependence on the oil of the Gulf."

In a seminar held on the sideline of the Cairo's book exhibition said replying to a question on the relation between the war in Afghanistan and the competition on the wealth of the Caspian sea, Yamani said:" regrettably we help the US to achieve this objective and the role of the Arab oil will be ended ultimately." The former Saudi minister said that the wealth of the Caspian Sea used to be a strategic objective for Washington before the beginning of the war in Afghanistan and that there were high ranking American officials at the former US administration who talked about that frankly like the former US secretary of state Madeline Albright. He continued that the current situation ensures a golden opportunity for the US after the installation of the new military bases for the US in this region.

He said that the success of using oil as a weapon to serving the Arab cause happened only for one time in 1973, noting that there were attempts of that kind in 1986 but were foiled by the US. Al-Yamani stressed that the Arabs will not be an effective power in the world of future without adopting democratic methods in their rule, stressing that the US and Europe will stand against any Arab attempts to move into that direction.

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