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Subscribe to RSSBritain is secretly seeking oil-drilling rights in Somalia as it offers the beleaguered country humanitarian and security aid, The Guardian of London reported Saturday.
But al-Qaida-backed terrorists and other Islamist groups say they will fight against any Western powers drilling for oil in Somalia.
Last week, British Prime Minister David Cameron hosted a 55-nation international conference that ended with promises of aid for the country he said was for two decades “torn apart by famine, bloodshed and some of the worst poverty on earth."
The summit, the Guardian reported, followed a surprise visit by British Foreign Secretary William Hague to Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, where he discussed "the beginnings of an opportunity'' to rebuild the country.
The Guardian said that away from the summit, British and Somali officials held talks about Somalia’s oil reserves.
Bing maps
The Puntland region of Somalia, where oil exploration is under way after two decades.
Abdulkadir Abdi Hashi, minister for international cooperation in Puntland, north-east Somalia, told the Guardian, "We have spoken to a number of UK officials, some have offered to help us with the future management of oil revenues. They will help us build our capacity to maximise future earnings from the oil industry."
Hashi said Somalia would talk to BP “at the right time” about technology needed to explore Somalia’s oil reserves.
Last month the Canadian company Africa Oil began exploration in the Puntland, the first drilling in Somalia for 21 years.
Hashi, who the Guardian said made the deal with Africa Oil, said the first oil was expected to be extracted within the next "20 to 30 days."
Africa Oil and its partners in the two Puntland licenses, Australia's Red Emperor and Range Resources, are targeting prospective resources of over 300 million barrels of recoverable oil.
The Guardian story comes amid reports from Reuters that an Islamist militia group in the semi-autonomous Puntland merged with the al Shabaab rebel group, which wants to scrap the licenses of Western oil and gas firms drilling in Puntland.
The al Qaida-backed insurgents used Twitter to declare all oil and gas exploration and drilling licenses nullified. While they do not hold the administrative control in the region needed to enforce their demand, the militants could target installations operated by Western oil companies, Reuters said.
The union comes as the insurgents are being weakened, relinquishing ground to African Union troops around the Somali capital, Mogadishu, and losing territory to Kenyan and Ethiopian forces in parts of southern and central Somalia.
Puntland security officials have previously said the Islamist militia camped out in the Golis hills outside the port city of Bosasso is led by Yasin Khalid Osman.
"I ... the leader of Golis ranges Islamists have signed an agreement with al Shabaab leader Sheikh Muktar Abu Zubeir. We are now al Shabaab," a voice identifying itself as Osman said in an audio recording on al Shabaab's website.
"I urge residents to take part in the jihad against the Christian invaders and the Somali infidels that work with them," he said, referring to the foreign troops inside Somalia.
Osman rarely makes statements, and it was not immediately possible to verify his voice.
This article contains reporting by Reuters.
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Who would have thought Muslims would seek to sabotage another economic stream for Africa? If the African people want to lift themselves out of poverty, they will need to address their Muslim problem.
Oil money and the development it brings leads to progress. Progress leads to education and the Islamist fanatics can not keep control over an educated population. The better educated the people are, the more they realize that the Islamist fanatics are backward barbarians and reject their ideas. So , in order to maintain their control over the masses, the Islamist fanatics will strike out at anything that they see as possibly moving the country into the modern world. They need to keep the people poor and stupid in order to keep control.
In addition to Muslim problem, we have a bigger problem: that is the problem due to Muslims, especially Sunni Saudi led ones.
Saudis, oil companies and their lobbyists invented Iraq wars and made sure that oil prices shot up from $30 to $145.00
The same gang with similar players (British, French and some are always team players) have choked Iranian oil supplies.
Oil is very "criticial" now!
As usual, one of the leaders in inventing problems British and French will again jump to new areas like Somalia, Sudan, Nigeria and other places.
Humanitarian aids also will be from our taxes! Saudis will not be around for these dances and dramas.
We will give you the people's money (public funds) in exchange for private guarantees and entitlements. Seems I have been right all along. Governments take our taxes and redistributes it in the form of foreign aid to ensure private corporate entitlements. An insulating layer between the haves and the have nots. THIS CRAP NEEDS TO STOP!!!!
Peter: The Somali govt (such as it is) doesn't have the capability to exploit their own oil reserves. They have to contract out to a third party. As suggested above, that money can be used to shore up their govt and lead the people away from extremism. What alternative does the shaky govt in Mogadishu have?
Probably won't happen regardless, but it's as good a plan forward as any, and it relies on Somali resources, not ours.
It WON'T be an "economic stream" for Africans---at least not beyond the corrupt little aristocracy that the West installs to ensure that the oil is extracted under terms favorable to Western oil companies.
Of course, any Somalis who object to the pillage of their country's natural resources will quickly be labelled "terrorists".
Then we'll all be able to shake our propaganda-stuffed heads, cluck our condescending tongues and pretend that they became "terrorists" because they're Muslims, and not because they're living in poverty while Western oil companies loot their oil wealth.
We draw closer to world war 3. The West is dependent on a diminishing resource and becomes despirate. The Ilamic world controls the oil, and is inherently desperate, and wants to kill the west.
sounds scary
What is there to be scary about?
British, French, Germans and many others tried to be too smart in Iraq and Afghanistan.
They got real good kicks such that they started hiding in tents or running from the places.
It seems they have not learnt lessons from the kicks they got!
They will get life time bootings in Somalia!
Let them get them and we should enjoy! Some nuisances will be quiet for sometime in their bars!
Oil in Somalia ? Now we will see who the real pirates are ! AAAAAAAAAAARGH AHoy mateys, make way for BP and the gang of British Pirates !
Critical times hard to deal with, will be here.
And of course US companies aren't in other people's backyards after oil? Plenty of scorn to go around, not just for the British and Dutch companies.
That's right, Obama is drilling for batteries for electric cars.
John sounds like you think our dependence on oil is a good thing.
Funny thing is that the materials needed to make the batteries used in cell phones, laptops, and electric cars is even more rare and harder to obtain than oil. And much of the world region for obtaining those materials is located in the hills of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and China. Look up the phrase "Rare Earth Metals", and you will see what I am talking about.
Sounds like we need to clear out that area of those Muslims too. *sigh* It's about the oil. It's ALWAYS about the oil.
But I have to admit, if we are going to clean up that area (or more technically help the UK) then let's be swift about it and thorough. Screw politically correct. Clear out the vermin and move on.
guess we know why the sudden interest there again they've been letting them run wild for the past 20 years.
Trying to get a little petrol in a country that's barely under control and that al-Shabaab would happily attack to keep as their gang turf and pirate-booty mine...
...no, no potential bloody catastrophes at all. Do continue, BP and friends, do continue.
you have to understand, if they set up any kind of oil project they will have very well armed mercenaries with top of the line weaponry, armor, and likely close air support. the sand jihadis will get owned.
It would be cost prohibitive to transport the oil through the entire logistical line with that much security.
If you've been away since 1935, time to catch up on the oil news.
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~ma04/wood/mot/html/ethiopia.htm
Because the LAST thing any country would want would be to develop other sources or through conservation improvements need LESS oil, particularly from a craphole like that!
Although, if we use up their oil first, we can leave 'em in the sand with nothing?
Is anyone else bothered by the fact BP is involved in the attempt to gain an oil-drilling presence in Somalia? Really, BP, of all the inept companies out there? And they think they can help Somalia rebuild? With BP partially at the helm? Are they @!$%#ing nuts?
Then again, maybe the issue here is that BP feels the environment around the coastline of Somalia isn't polluted enough.
what?
From the above article:
Hashi said Somalia would talk to BP “at the right time” about technology needed to explore Somalia’s oil reserves.
Because the Exxon Valdiz was a model of ecological responsibility?
Since BP is involved, we might see Greenpeace ally itself with Al-Shabaab! LOL ;-p
Somalia has a lot of rich natural sources; pray that they stop fighting against each other. Or they have just torn down their own nation.
Sweet - they'll now be be able to sell their oil, pump it into tankers, then pirate them while they're still getting filled
Best comment of the day!
They are not pirates. They are just building a commercial oil fleet for when they start producing oil.
I think it's long past the time that we stepped it up as a whole in the world and start taking out Al-qaeda by the bunches. Shoot first, ask questions later.
Start making examples of their leaders by executing them in public and video taping it and posting it on the internet, like they did when they were using their scare tactics of showing beheadings of innocent people. Use their own methods against them and start kidnapping their leaders, members, and family members. Fight fire with fire. No more mercy. Show them getting their heads blown off by an oozie. It's time to get barbaric with barbaric animals.
Wow, you sound just like...... a member of Al Qaeda talking about Americans. Look in the mirror my friend and you might begin to understand why..... never mind, you're not going to understand, you just don't get it.
BTW, it's Uzi, not oozie.
HaHaHaHaHa! Oozie is what happens after the Uzi.
So the only way Somalia can get any kind of aid is if they allow big oil to drill in their country? Do I have that right? There is something wrong with our world when this kind of thing happens, as in Syria because Syria has nothing to offer the world in terms of "profits" we leave them to be killed by a dictator as bad or worst then Saddam or Momhar Ghadafi were.
Wrong. They have been getting aid from around the world for decades, but the thug regime, rebels, etc. hijacks most of the aid the get. Food, water, and all other aid ends up getting hijacked by the corropt officials there. The world as a whole has to unite and go in there with force as opposed to going in there as individual countries. The motive should be to aid these people to aid themselves and let them repay however they want to. But if they, like Afghanistan and Iraq, don't want to help themselves, and don't want to be helped, then let them live the way they do. Unfortunately, it is the corrupt politicians and clerics that brainwash these people into thinking that we are the enemy.
This is why Capitalism doesn't work, Socialism is the best and should be the model for the world, we wouldn't have so much strife,poverty, and greed. Capitalism is a corrupted system. and it should be replaced with socialism. where every body have the same opportunity !.
Aside from the Grammatical Atrocities in your Post, it sounds as though you don't live in the U.S.A., if by some remote chance you do, please arrange for your Socialist Loving A$$ to relocate to Somolia and help them out. Socialism's Biggest Problem is it's Ruling Class, these are the folks who never do without, drive the BIG CARS, GET THE BEST TREATMENT and the WORKER BEES will never have the opportunity to enjoy the Largess as the ELITE do, always a Boot on your Neck. These programs are economically supported by the likes of George Soros, think George is going to bail you out, NOT! George does what is good for George and Only George. I would venture to say Mr. Soros is one of the Driving Forces behind the escalation of Oil Prices, I'm sure Mr. Soros would love to be referred to as Supreme Ruler Soros
The price for Oil should be at $350 per barrel every where one go. this would cool the war thirst of western countries!.. because they would be paying the real cost so other nation people can live a decent life!. from their natural resources.
The addictive lure of economic profit, will unite the world against the worldwide scourge of terrorists. Unfortunately it will also sustain the consolidation of continued dominance of the 1% over the rest of us. But I'd much rather prefer the economic hegemony of GM than the threat of al Qaida suicide bombers.
Get to the young who are being recruited to be suicide bombers that the only virgins waiting for them are the same MALE and very few female suicide bombers who left before them. Those are the virgins waiting for them. So if they are willing to live the rest of eternity with male virgins, then blow yourself up.
This is ABOUT KARMA. GOOD KARMA breeds Good Return.
Too bad, Britain has to resort to Somalia for OIL, a country which hates and kills Westerners.
Just think about what Brits did to our Forefathers, killing and torturing our forefathers and kicked them out of their houses for no probable cause. Our forefathers fought the Brits and won and promised never allowed the Brits to torture, kill and murder US of America.
Somalia is right not to deal with Brits and Westerners.
Did you actually read the article? The Somaliis in the Puntland ARE dealing with the Brits. And what does the American Revolution have to do with any of this?
Al Quida .
Is a product of our black hops run by the CIA we Create Al Quida. Because of our quest to dominate the rest of the world. but I will say this. we are riding for a fall.
You're absolutely right.
So the Brits are on the scene now....methinks the Somalis are in for a lesson in pirating... :-)
Hey Brits, keep your drilling in the Queens bedroom.
Pshh...have to be desperate. I can't think of a worse country in the world. It's not even a country.
MR Binkie.
You miss the point. this is pure pirates, by the British. they don't care about Somali's they care about OIL what they can get or i should say hijacked fro that country!. this is hoe the world dictators come about , by western greed!. they are the ones who installed the dictators they believe will murder their own people so we the western country can have access to the countries resources!. for cheap.
Oil brings prosperity to a country? Lolz, only if they actually get paid for the oil taken. Chances are all the wealth will end up in other countries (whoever "gets the right" to drill it.)
Here today...
Gone Somalia..
Every once in awhile, you do have to Punt...
So all of a sudden after years of strife we find out somolia has oil we give a damn in both the UK and US? Cmon people......