Why would the US release our STRATEGIC RESERVES to an enemy?
Ok, despite that loaded question, I truly don't understand why we would do this. We'll release some oil to a country that has spewed venom regarding us for years. It's there for a strategic reserve--so what's the strategy for this?
Maybe because our leaders only pretend to be enemies for political benefit?
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If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom, go from us in peace. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen! - Samuel Adams
It appears the oil will be released to a refinery in the US that employs US citizens, and the oil will be consumed here in the US. Why that particular company would be favoured with the reserve oil, considering its Venezuelan owmership, I don't know, other that logistics.
But, US government and businesses have a long history of giving and selling strategic materials, militarily useful technology, food, equipment and machinery critical to manufacture of weapons of war, etc. to some of our most avowed enemies. Just one example I have among many; this comes from a book recommended in the April 1972 General Conference and endorsed by then Apostle Ezra Taft Benson, "A clique of American financiers not only helped establish Communism in Russia, but has striven mightily ever since to keep it alive. Ever since 1918 this clique has been engaged in transferring money and, probably more important, technical information, to the Soviet Union. State Department documents have been cited that show that virtually everything the Soviets possess had been acquired from the West."
Along these same lines, I have heard that the legislation authorizing drilling in ANWR has no guarentee that the oil must be sold to, refined, and used in the USA. When it is finally available in 10 years it might just be sold on the international market to countries willing to pay more for oil than the USA.
I've heard something along those lines. I don't have a reference, so don't quote me, but I think that we produce more oil domestically already than we have refinery capacity for.
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If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom, go from us in peace. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen! - Samuel Adams