The Genocide Business

It's interesting that, according to the Department of Energy's most recent country brief, Sudan's proven oil reserves — always a squishy concept among oil producers — rose from about 563 million barrels last year to about 5 billion barrels early this year. Implied in that sudden rise is the possibility that vast potential reserves remain as yet undiscovered. Consider also that China gets 6-7% of its oil imports from Sudan and is steadily increasing its investment there. (China and Japan together purchase almost all of Sudan's oil exports.) Thus, one should maintain a skeptical view of humanitarian rhetoric over Darfur in assessing Washington's reverie regarding regime change in Khartoum. Instead, weigh the oil. Indeed, quite possibly its direct economic value may be exceeded by its strategic importance in U.S.-China relations.