Babylonian Empire

Page 629

"These should be misunderstandings. I think it may be that we have encountered some problems in the United States. However, it is said that the Senate has doubts about these projects, so they are undergoing consultations and discussions. After they have a positive resolution, soon The supplies stipulated in the agreement will be delivered to you soon," Brightman said.

"Misunderstanding? In our production line, thousands of people have nothing to do. Every day of delay, we lose hundreds of thousands of dollars. Moreover, half a month has passed, and the items we need have not been found. This is not a misunderstanding at all. , but your ignorance. You can spend two months to vote for a resolution, but we can’t wait for such a long time.” Qusay said: “We in Iraq are very concerned about your country’s performance over the past period of time. , I am already very disappointed. It is not only the United States that can export Iraqi technology to us, but many countries in Europe have a very friendly attitude towards us. We need to better develop relations with European countries.”

After hearing this, the French engineers standing next to them showed a smile on their faces. In their hearts, the so-called European countries are probably their France, and they have to send a report to Dassault later. The F-20 The production line has stopped, and our side doesn't know yet. Let's see if we can export Mirage 2000 to Iraq. This is a new order!

"I don't know if Mr. Ambassador is here to see me this time. What's the matter?" Qusay continued to ask after playing up the atmosphere.

Brightman looked at the Frenchmen in front of him and the employees in the distance. He couldn't say here that the United States needs to increase crude oil production in Iraq, right?

"Next to the final assembly workshop is our office building. President Qusay can come and have a rest in the office," said the person in charge of the Iraqi side next to him.

Chapter 744 The United States needs help from Iraq

"President Qusay, I am here this time mainly because of the recent oil problem." Brightman said: "Just in the past two days, oil prices have experienced large-scale fluctuations, mainly because major oil-producing countries have successively appeared. Due to some problems, the international oil price is rising sharply, which is a big burden for all countries in the world."

Seeing President Qusay listening to himself very carefully, Brightman felt more confident. He continued: "The purpose of OPEC is to stabilize the global oil price. Now, when the global oil price is in turmoil, As a major member of OPEC, the Iraqi side should show enough sincerity to increase oil production and contribute to maintaining the stable development of the world economy."

"Okay, no problem at all," Qusay said.

After hearing this, Brightman couldn't believe his ears. He was already very proficient in Arabic, so he must have heard correctly, right?It is expected that President Qusay will have various opinions, but there is no reason to agree so readily.

Sure enough, next, he heard the words of President Qusay: "Please go and propose to OPEC. After OPEC has a meeting, discusses carefully, and makes a decision, we in Iraq will decide to increase crude oil production and increase production in accordance with OPEC's resolution. How much crude oil."

After hearing this, Brightman really wanted to say, you are simply too shameless!If the United States can persuade OPEC, will it still come to you?Who doesn't know that when Saudi Arabia said it wanted to increase crude oil production, Iraq was the most opposed. OPEC needs the consent of all member states before it can pass a resolution. This is simply delaying time!At that time, who knows how long their meeting can last?As long as it is opened for ten days and a half months, the international oil price may rise to [-] US dollars per barrel. Just this morning, there was another news from Saudi Arabia that the aging of Saudi oil facilities is more serious than expected. Months before normal production can resume.

When Qusay said this, it was as if he hadn't said it.

"President Qusay, if you say this, I don't know when the OPEC meeting will be held. You say this without any sincerity. We in the United States express our regret. We in the United States attach great importance to our relationship with your country. However, in At this moment, your country's performance has disappointed us." Brightman decided that it was time to use some tough tactics.

"Really?" Qusay sneered, and said, "Then, I wonder how efficient your Senate meeting is? Half a month has passed. When will the avionics equipment and other materials we need be delayed?" You say that we have no sincerity, and I can only say that you have no sincerity, and the difference is that your country has agreed to export these things to us, and it has imposed rude sanctions on us After it is over, after we have paid the new fee, you are still deliberately delaying, you are very sorry, then, our side is even more regretful, we attach great importance to the relationship with your country, but your country always We are very disappointed in trying to exert political pressure on us by relying on our own advanced industrial technology."

I don't even look at it. Now that you are begging Iraq, you still dare to be so stubborn. That's fine, let's just settle the account.

"Those are temporary. I assure you that our country will pass this resolution as soon as possible, and the equipment sold by your country will be shipped as soon as possible." Brightman said, his attitude began to change, because he was an ambassador in Iraq , he already knew how difficult the man in front of him was to deal with.At the same time, he was eagerly thinking about how to convince the person in front of him.

"We in the United States have always attached great importance to our relationship with you. For example, in the last conflict, we in the United States maintained neutrality, correctly handled the contradictions between the Arab countries and Israel, and also acquiesced in the Arab United Army's response to the conflict. Peacekeeping in the Golan Heights..."

"Really? Then we don't mention your arms embargo on Iraq, the freezing of funds for Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, and your aircraft carrier formation outside the Persian Gulf. We just want to know that the fighter planes of the Israeli Air Force , Where did it come from? The Israeli fighter planes actually flew from the Asia Minor peninsula! And some of those pilots are American pilots." Qusay said.

"That's absolutely impossible. We, the United States, absolutely did not participate in the war." Brightman said.

"Really? It seems that I need to let you hear the sound of our monitoring?" Qusay said.

"Even if there were, they joined the war secretly. We in the United States absolutely don't know about it." Brightman said that the Iraqi side was able to decipher the radio conversations between the pilots of the U.S. Air Force fighter jets. It seems that they have to send a message back to China. , let them change the device.

Of course, Qusay doesn't have that kind of ability to monitor at all. He just lied to Brightman when he said this. At the same time, after he said this, he just waited for the US to replace all the radio equipment. This is not a small matter. an investment.

"The various performances of your side are not worth the sacrifice of our own interests in Iraq to maintain a low oil price." Qusay said: "Our current production capacity has reached its limit. We have provided crude oil to the world and we have made our own Contribution, we can no longer sacrifice our own interests, expand production, and at the same time drive down oil prices, causing losses to our own economy, while allowing the Western world to enjoy cheap crude oil.”

Such naked words made Brightman very uncomfortable, but he knew that what the other party said meant that if the United States did not change its attitude towards Iraq, Iraq would never compromise.

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration flashed in his mind, and there was one last weapon that he didn't use.

"President Qusay, we in the United States are very concerned about the recent detention of your citizens in the UK," Brightman said. ?Hearing Brightman mention this matter, Qusay was a little strange, what did he want to say?

"Our citizens were innocently detained in the UK. We protested strongly against the UK. At the same time, we also downgraded the relationship between the two countries. This is to maintain the rights of each of our Iraqis. They are abroad, absolutely not. It should be looked at differently, a victim of political struggles in certain countries," Qusay said.

By saying this, he is denying that the officer conducted espionage as a political maneuver against Iraq by the British.

"We, the United States, are willing to help your country to persuade the United Kingdom to let them agree to release people," Brightman said.

persuade?How can the British be so easy to be persuaded? Unexpectedly, the Americans have made a big enough bet this time, even at the expense of putting some pressure on the British?It seems that the imperialist countries are not monolithic, and this time I am trying to provoke conflicts between them.

"If you are willing to rescue our Iraqi citizens, we are very grateful," Qusay said.

"So, about the oil production increase?" Brightman asked.

"We are very grateful to you for allowing our citizens to return safely. I remember that we in Iraq have helped your people several times, right? For example, the last hostage crisis. However, the oil issue is related to all our people We will not increase oil production easily.” Qusay said: “Unless your country shows enough sincerity to restore the friendship between us, your country’s recent actions have made We can't accept that."

The talks between Brightman and President Qusay failed to reach an agreement. The news was sent back to the United States, and the United States held an emergency meeting again.

For the United States, the most important thing is probably the current energy issue, which is directly related to the deteriorating economic problems in the United States.

In the past, there were several times of high oil prices, but at those times, it was a kind of confrontation caused by the Arab world's support for the West's issue of Israel. These were all expected by Western countries. Some measures will also be taken in advance.

But this time, it was completely unexpected. Originally, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and these pro-American countries began to increase crude oil production to curb the rise in crude oil prices, and the results were remarkable. Crude oil prices have begun to decline. Right in front of him, he fell to the bottom in an instant. This time it was a natural disaster.

The most basic supply and demand relationship is the foundation of the economy. When the supply exceeds the demand, the price will fall, and when the supply exceeds the demand, it will rise.Now, major problems have occurred in oil-producing countries, especially unforeseen problems in Saudi Arabia, which have led to an extreme reduction in crude oil production in the world. It is no wonder that prices do not soar.

The price of oil is close to $[-] a barrel.

"Right now, the UK, Canada, and our local oil industry are all producing at full speed, but we still can't curb the rise in oil, and we can't ask countries like the UK and Canada to sell us oil at a low price. ” US Secretary of Energy James said.

James was a little dissatisfied with this incident. During the Falklands War, the United States did not hesitate to use its strategic oil reserves to support the actions of the British Navy. But now, the British only care about making money. Their oil is enough to meet domestic needs and export at the same time. , but they have been supplying to the United States according to the market price, reluctant to give up a penny of profit.

"Could it be that Iraq is the only one that can solve this energy problem?" President Reagan asked.

"Apart from Saudi Arabia, only Iraq has the largest oil reserves and exports. If Iraq increases crude oil production in large quantities, then the current situation of high oil prices in the world can be eased." James said.

"However, Iraq is not easy to deal with." Vice President Bush said, "We have only two ways to deal with Iraq now."

Chapter 745 Testing Iraq's Attitude

Now, the biggest headache for the Americans is not the Soviet Union, but Iraq, because Iraq seems to be stubborn.

When formulating its policy on Iraq, the United States realized that Iraq was developing too fast. There was ample oil in the ground and a strong armed force. Moreover, if weapons could be produced by itself, Iraq would become Gradually become stronger.If such a country is not willing to be controlled by the United States, it is a great potential threat.

At the beginning, for the purpose of confronting Iran, the United States needed to support Iraqi armed forces, allowing them to fight against the anti-American Iranian regime, and it is best to weaken both sides.The United States absolutely does not want to play a role that is more difficult to deal with than Iran in the Middle East after hitting Iran. Therefore, the United States began to adopt a suppressive attitude towards Iraq.

The United States has become very cautious about allowing Iraq to resume the production of F-20 fighter jets, especially to continue to export advanced avionics equipment.The size of Iraq's ever-expanding modern aircraft fleet will form a more obvious air superiority for Israel.In the future, even if Iraq does not use a large number of ballistic missiles to destroy the Israeli air force, it can still suppress the Israeli air force in face-to-face air confrontation. The United States absolutely does not want to see such a thing.

However, under the current situation, I am afraid that this method cannot continue to be used, because they need the cooperation of Iraq and need Iraq to increase oil production!

"We have only two ways to deal with Iraq now." Bush analyzed: "First, we need to put more pressure on Iraq to get Iraq to agree to increase crude oil production. Second, we continue to export weapons to Iraq to satisfy Iraq's demand in exchange for increased oil production in Iraq."

He continued to analyze: "However, the first method may not be effective. In the previous confrontations with Israel, we have gained a deeper understanding of Qusay, and he will definitely not eat it." If we put pressure on him, it may be counterproductive. He will announce production cuts and make world oil prices even higher. We originally planned an action to replace him and let people under our control come to power, but it didn’t work. effect. In the near future, Qusay’s position will be very stable. We use our force to deter, so it won’t have much effect, and we don’t have enough reason, Iraq is in normal production , and did not cut production. On the contrary, if we use force, it will lead to new tensions in the Middle East, and oil prices will rise even higher. The second is that we open restrictions to Iraq and export more weapons, but we are afraid that it will continue to fuel Iraq’s crisis. The national defense is strong. If we agree, God doesn’t know what weapons Qusay will look at. If he wants to buy an aircraft carrier, will we also export it to him? And, maybe he will also want the shipyard of the aircraft carrier along the way. "

Bush's words are finished, but as if he didn't say anything, these two methods, no matter which one he chooses, are not suitable.

In the Middle East, the world full of black gold, if it weren't for the Soviet Union, the United States would never be stingy with using force to take it over. The United States needs to station troops there to finally solve these problems.

"Could it be that we only have to go to Iraq? Can we also go to other oil-producing countries?" Reagan asked.

"Among the top few countries, only Iraq is left. Oh, there is another one, the Soviet Union." The energy minister said.

Soviet Union?Are you kidding me, can the United States influence the Soviet Union?Of course, the United States also knows that the Soviet Union has been actively extracting crude oil and exporting it in exchange for precious funds to support their domestic building.The production capacity of the Soviet Union is already at its limit.

"Perhaps, we should rethink our strategic arrangements for the Middle East. It would be of great benefit to us if we could bring Iraq back to our US tanks. The huge amount of weapons imported by Iraq will give us Military enterprises bring huge profits, and Iraq has rich oil reserves. As long as the export volume is increased, the world oil price will definitely drop, which is good for us and the world economy..."