Interesting article in tomorrow's(today's) Haaretz newspaper...

[kentuck]

If you look at this from the "oil" perspective, it would make sense to move the threat to Haifa
pipeline out of reach. That means the Hezbollah would need to be pushed to the north, if they are going to get an oil pipeline from Kirkuk-Mosul-to Haifa via Jordan...This makes more sense than anything I've heard thus far, all the bullshit about Israel's existence, etc..
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http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=332835

U.S. checking possibility of pumping oil from northern Iraq to Haifa, via Jordan

<snip>
The United States has asked Israel to check the possibility of pumping oil from Iraq to the oil refineries in Haifa. The request came in a telegram last week from a senior Pentagon official to a top Foreign Ministry official in Jerusalem.

The Prime Minister's Office, which views the pipeline to Haifa as a "bonus" the U.S. could give to Israel in return for its unequivocal support for the American-led campaign in Iraq, had asked the Americans for the official telegram.

The new pipeline would take oil from the Kirkuk area, where some 40 percent of Iraqi oil is produced, and transport it via Mosul, and then across Jordan to Israel. The U.S. telegram included a request for a cost estimate for repairing the Mosul-Haifa pipeline that was in use prior to 1948. During the War of Independence, the Iraqis stopped the flow of oil to Haifa and the pipeline fell into disrepair over the years.

The National Infrastructure Ministry has recently conducted research indicating that construction of a 42-inch diameter pipeline between Kirkuk and Haifa would cost about $400,000 per kilometer. The old Mosul-Haifa pipeline was only 8 inches in diameter.

[lapfog_1]

1. This is going to be called planning ahead

let's rescue what we can from the Iraq mess...

After the country is partitioned, the only folks that we will likely have friendly relations with is the Kurds... so maybe we can get their oil across northern Iraq to the Jordanian border, Jordan won't oppose it going across their lands to Israel. Then it's a short hop to Haifa.

Of course, Hezbollah was in the way (to close, might interfere with pipeline with lucky rocket strikes)...

what to do... what to do...

Oh, I know, let's start a little war in southern Lebanon based on some pretext, and Israel can righteously occupy maybe 20km of the border region and the pipeline will be secure.

Darth Cheney to Olmert: "Can you get on this right away? Thanks."

:sarcasm:

[kentuck]

3. and if they wish to use the existing pipeline to Haifa....?

They will need to change the government in Syria....not Iran.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

2. Will the current flower throwing ceremony in Iraq interfere?

It's still rather boisterous from all reports.