|
U.S urged to buy African oil to end dependence on Gulf supplies
|
SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Monday, June 17, 2002
WASHINGTON Ñ The Bush administration is being urged to replace Arab
oil imports with those from Africa.
Congressional leaders have pressed the White House to diversify U.S.
energy suppliers so that the United States no longer remains dependent on
Gulf Arab oil. Currently, the United States obtains more than 15 percent of
its oil from Africa, Middle East Newsline reported.
Rep. Ed Royce, chairman of the House subcommittee on Africa, said the
United States will significantly increase oil purchases from Africa,
including Angola, Cameroon, Chad and Nigeria. His panel obtained a report on
the need to diversify oil suppliers, which cited the import of African oil
as a U.S. national security priority.
"It's clearly in our national interest to diversify our energy supply,
especially given the turbulent political climate in key parts of the world
today," Royce told a news conference on June 12. "The expansion of energy
production in Africa matches that interest."
|
