Guns for Oil?

A group of US senators is pressing President Bush to halt billions of dollars in sophisticated arms sales to Saudi Arabia and several other Gulf oil producers unless they agree to pump more oil.

The senators said if Saudi Arabia does not increase production, they would seek a resolution that would block the arms deals. But such a move would be difficult to achieve since it would require 60 votes to pass the Senate, must also pass the House and then would be subject to an almost certain veto by the president.

In their letter to Bush, the five senators — four Democrats and one of the chamber’s two independents — said that Saudi Arabia has reduced oil production from about 9.5 million barrels a day in 2005 to 8.7 million barrels a day last year, well below its stated capacity of 11 million barrels a day.

“At a time when high energy prices are causing widespread anxiety among American households, we question the merit of rewarding members of OPEC with lucrative arms sales,” they wrote.

“The Saudis have to understand that this is a two-way street,” Sen. Charles Schumer, Democrat from New York, said at a news conference. “We provide them weapons … and then they rake us over the coals when it comes to oil.”

The trouble is the world is awash with guns, but its not awash with oil…..