General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: The Isolationist Left Needs to Get Real. And Fast. [View all]TBF
(32,212 posts)Top oil reserves -
1 Venezuela (see: Oil reserves in Venezuela) 297,570[2]
2 Saudi Arabia (see: Oil reserves in Saudi Arabia) 267,910
3 Canada (see: Oil reserves in Canada) 173,625 - 175,200
4 Iran (see: Oil reserves in Iran) 157,300[3]
5 Iraq (see: Oil reserves in Iraq) 140,300[4]
6 Kuwait (see: Oil reserves in Kuwait) 104,000[2]
7 United Arab Emirates (see: Oil reserves in the United Arab Emirates) 97,800
8 Russia (see: Oil reserves in Russia) 80,000[2]
9 Libya (see: Oil reserves in Libya) 48,014
10 Nigeria (see: Oil reserves in Nigeria) 37,200
(source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_proven_oil_reserves)
Oil in Iraq:
ISIS/ISIL/IS (whatever you prefer) in Iraq - many maps but #4 is especially important:
Iraq's enormous oil reserves
Iraq has the fifth largest proven oil reserves of any country, after Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Canada, and Iran. Production has gone up since the fall of the Hussein regime; in February 2014, 3.6 million barrels were being pumped a day, while in 2002 about 2 million were pumped a day. In 1991, following the Gulf War, a mere 305,000 barrels were pumped a day, gradually picking up as the country recovered from its defeat. The oil is concentrated in the Shia south and Kurdish north, with Sunni regions to the west notably lacking in oil wealth. That makes it all the more significant that the Sunni ISIS rebels have targeted the country's largest oil refinery and have suggested they plan on seizing much of the country's northern oil fields; see the map of "ISIS's 2006 plan for Iraq and Syria" below for more on that.
Much more here to learn more about Iraq and why Cheney wanted control of that country: http://www.vox.com/a/maps-explain-crisis-iraq
BTW, I am sure Obama didn't love inheriting this problem. I happen to think he's not that bad of a guy. He's personable, talented, and really quite bright. His mistake was thinking he could control capitalists and their MIC. Ain't no one tearing it all down easily ...