The Saudis and the Gulf Oil States could once again fill their depleted treasuries and re-open arms sales negotiations with American arms manufacturers that they had to cancel when crude dropped to $10 per barrel. The arms manufacturers could now enjoy the benefits of successfully lobbying the President to play a leading role in the artificial shortage of crude when, in fact, there is still an oversupply of crude - a true glut on the world market.

President Clinton could also maintain the transfer of U.S. dollars to support his Russian foreign policy first through Boris Yeltsin and now Alexandre Putin. Russia is a major exporter of crude. Clinton needed the Russians to play the game so Clinton’s foreign policy would look good, even as it was being ineffective.

The oil companies benefitted by making up for the period when crude oil fell to $10 per barrel and gasoline fell to $1 per gallon at the pump. When it quickly ramped up to $30 per barrel, gas sold at prices ranging from $1.60 to $2.20 a gallon at the pump and their profits leaped to embarrassing high levels - again. These profits should show up at years end when they are forced to declare their increase in profits. (Keep in mind that the artificial squeeze is occurring at the processing plants.) Crude that remains unprocessed at tank farms and in anchored tankers globally is under the complete control of the oil companies.

Perhaps the biggest and most well hidden goal of the oil manipulation is in their long term strategy. By creating a public perception that there is a shortage of crude, the blame fell on OPEC. With an angry public attacking some of their politicians to make it better, legal restrictions prohibiting drilling in ecologically sensitive areas might be rescinded. Drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, along the California coast, in Prudhoe Bay Alaska, along the Alaskan coastline - everywhere where they were heretofore prohibited from drilling would be opened by public demand. This long term windfall would make the present flow of cash look like peanuts. And the damage done to fragile environments would be incalculable.

One can expect swift and pre-planned denial by the oil companies. Those who are conducting inquiries may also be benefitting through campaign contributions and would be expected to quietly bypass that segment of the probe. B ut, if by chance there is a serious probe, State Department E-mail and other back-channel communications should be subpoenaed NOW before they ‘disappear’.

Naturally, President Clinton will now respond to the public outcry by now pressuring OPEC to increase production ‘theoretically’ forcing prices lower. An increase in crude would only be valuable for its political cosmetic benefits since there is really more than enough crude in storage globally.

In order to assist the President and lower the political heat due to excess pricing, the Multi-national oil companies would suddenly increase production of gasoline, heating oil, aviation fuel, truckers’ diesel, and the prices of refined product would be decreased. All of this will occur just before the fall elections. Al Gore, Democratic candidate for President, would look good; Clinton could claim he really isn’t such a bad guy - even if he was impeached. Congress and State Governors would be pressed to eliminate drilling restrictions so more crude would be available. Everyone would be happy - except consumers who were the target of the most cleverly planned price fix in history.

There would be a few sham hearings and perhaps a few millions in fines would be levied against the oil companies for price gouging. However, they would get to keep the hundreds of billions in real profits. They would also get to drill where the environmentalists had pushed legislation prohibiting drilling in fragile areas. The arms industry would continue to receive orders from the now cash flush Saudis and other Gulf oil States. Putin would continue to garner billions of U.S. dollars transferred via the high prices for Russian oil.

As for the Clintons, we will have to wait to follow their money trail for the favors they have done for the various industries and other nations through the transfer of American dollars without having to go through Congressional oversight for the granting of what became free loans. In effect, creating a false increase in oil prices became a hidden tax on all Americans and allows the President to transfer Billions of dollars without having to go through Congress. (This applies to all other countries suffering from the extortionate oil prices resulting from this latest oil manipulation. In many European and Third World countries gasoline and oil costs are even higher - twice or three times higher than in America.)

The pre-planned artful avoidance by those responsible for the underlying reasons behind the high oil increases is now in full swing. The manipulators knew there would be questions about price gouging and were probably even ready to pay a penalty out of their windfall profits. There was a greater win. Legislation that protected the environment from drilling and contamination of vast areas across our coastal seas is rapidly being rescinded with only minor probes determining the environmental impact of this violation of natural resources.

Presently the creditable deniability built into the manipulation is moving forward, as expected. Congress is planning some hearings that may stretch out past the elections. The FTC (Federal Trade Commission), like the Justice Department, is under the thumb of Bill Clinton and can be expected to hold stretched-out hearings with little tangible results except for some minor fines for price gouging. The oil companies, following Clinton’s lead, will deny - deny - deny.

Bill Richardson may take the fall for Clinton, having been secretly tasked by Clinton to go to OPEC when oil dropped to $10 and ask them to cut production in order to raise crude prices world wide. Slick Willie will, no doubt, escape being accused as the pivotal force in this vast manipulation of this orchestrated oil crisis.