okay, so you guys all know this stuff, or are you saying it just isnt relevant to the situation, or are you saying the subject is just too hot to handle?

There are some very relevant points in Wadosy's comments.  Every one agrees that the U.S. Mid East policy has been heavily influenced by AIPAC (and other pro-Israel) lobbies.  And now, it is that policy that has given this energy crisis such a desperate quality.  Just a couple examples below:

1.  In 1995, the U.S. major Conoco signed a major gas production agreement for Iran's giant South Pars field.  The condensate from the rich-gas was to be exported and the residue gas reinjected into Conoco's oil production PSA in Oman (which peaked in 1995).

AIPAC immediately lobbied congress to block this win-win-win (for U.S.-Iran-Oman) project because the Iranian government was meanwhile helping Hezbollah fight the Israeli occupation of Southern Lebanon.  Not too many Americans cared one way or another about the guerrilla war Israel was engaged in Lebanon.  Nevertheless AIPAC succeeded in convincing congress to pass the sanctions act on Iran.  Conoco had to pull out.  South Pars development was delayed by about 5 years, and Oman's oil production dropped rapidly.

AIPAC didn't stop there.  When Mobil wanted to "swap" oil with the reformist Khatami administration of Iran--through an elegant agreement which would have supplied oil from Kazakhstan to Northern Iran oil refineries and taken an equal amount of crude from the Southern Iran oil fields-- again AIPAC-paid congress blocked the deal.  So the land-locked Kazakh oil fields never made it to the international markets (just ongoing talk of a pipeline to China).

2.  The Iraqi invasion and U.S. occupation was a brain-child of Feith and Wolfowitz, based on input from the Netanyahu administration-- several years before 9/11/01.  The oil drum has just posted the link to an LA Times article about how the invasion has hurt Iraqi oil prospects-- so I will not be redundant.  The Iraqi invasion was not in the U.S. interest.

Of course Peak Oil will come regardless of our Mid-East foreign policy.  But since all geologists agree that Persian Gulf is the last to peak, the fact that we have needlessly screwed up our relationship there is adding to the Peak Oil "fear factor."  Many economists are saying that at least $10 of the $60/Bbl oil price is due to tensions in the Persian Gulf region.

For that, AIPAC is responsible.  (Just as much as their right-wing allies on radio/cable TV and the fundamentalist Christian churches.)  

Clea