Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Target the Oil
Robert Zubrin:
As I explain at some length in my book Energy Victory, during World War II, the American strength in oil production was a decisive advantage for the Allies. Airplanes, ships, and tanks all ran on oil, and we controlled the supply. Because we were so rich in oil, we had no compunction whatsoever deterring us from bombing the Third Reich’s oil refineries or sinking the Japanese tanker fleet, and by doing so, we brought the enemy to their knees. In contrast, today, we are afraid to strike the Islamists for fear that our actions might endanger their petroleum output. The Kharg Island oil terminal handles 80 percent of Iran’s oil exports. An air raid on this extremely flammable facility would bankrupt the regime, thereby putting an end to its nuclear bomb project — and probably its existence. But we are not prepared for the economic consequences, and so must refrain, even as the terrorists continue to pour ever more bomb-usable, highly enriched uranium from their centrifuges.
