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Sleeping with the devil. How Washington sold our soul for Saudi Crude. Robert Baer. Born July 1, 1952 Ex CIA agent was active from 1976-1997 Active duty served in the Middle East. Protagonist . Main character would be Robert Baer
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Sleeping with the devil How Washington sold our soul for Saudi Crude
Robert Baer • Born July 1, 1952 • Ex CIA agent was active from 1976-1997 • Active duty served in the Middle East
Protagonist • Main character would be Robert Baer • CIA member for 20 years who mainly worked in the Middle East
Antogonist • Yuri who is a known arms dealer • He also smuggles guns into • Tells the CIA agent Robert just how easy it is to transport weapons since the collapse of the Soviet Union
Favorite Character • Robert Baer • Main character throughout
Least Favorite Character • Sergeant Victor Bout a known Soviet officer and main supplier of weapons to Osama Bin Laden
Exposition • Discussion of U.S. addiction to Saudi Arabia’s oil • Discussion of threats that can arise from U.S. addiction
Rising Action • Conversation with the arms dealer who tells Robert how easy it is to smuggle arms into Saudi Arabia • How a majority of 9/11 terrorist are from Saudi Arabia (15 of 19)
Climax • Possible terrorist attack options • How vulnerable oil pipelines are in Saudi Arabia • Consequences of terrorist attacks • The extreme the U.S. is in protecting Saudi crude
Falling Action • How terrorist attacks against oil pipelines aren’t likely • How response ready Saudi Arabia is against attack
Resolution • Hope for U.S. dependence on foreign oil by pushing for renewable resources
Setting • Middle East the current center for conflict concerning the U.S. • Its currently taking place and shows the U.S. willingness to overlook rights of citizens to keep oil
Rating • I rated it as an 8 • It was good but factual
Themes • Political corruption • Terrorism • Human rights violation
Social Issue • Political corruption • Political corruption leads to human rights violation and suppression of freedoms
Iran’s Corruption • Recent election led many to believe that the elections were rigid and many rioted in the streets • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEjoSja1kAk
North Korea’s Corruption • Kim Jong Il has let his populace starve so food and money can go to his nuclear weapons program and maintaining their million man army • This suppression of people has lead to a new generation which is on average shorter and weight less to compensate for the famine in North Korea • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jq4DZMDaR8I http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-FQ_kHPqk4 • Alford, Peter. "North Korea Famine, Refugees, and Foreing Aid." 28 Oct. 2006. Web. 16 Feb. 2010. <http://www.japanfocus.org/-Peter-Alford/2259
China • 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre • People of China saw the Soviet Union getting more rights under Glasnost ( speech) and Perstroika (free trade) • People of China held a pro Democracy demonstration at Tiananmen Square and soldiers entered and killed unarmed civilians • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJBnHMpHGRY&feature=related
Saudi Arabia • Our military protects their borders and air space allowing them to spend money on their own personal body guards and private army which suppresses the people of Iran • U.S. officials turn a blind eye to popular unrest to guarantee oil • Baer, Robert. Sleeping with the Devil: How Washington Sold Our Soul for Saudi Crude. New York: Three Rivers, 2004. Print.
United States • U.S. corrupt when dealing with oil • Promote democracy and rights for people of the world but in Saudi Arabia we turn a blind eye because of oil • U.S. soldiers stationed in Saudi Arabia to ensure our oil suppliers feel safe and keep the oil flowing
Political corruption • Political corruption often leads to human rights violations and hunger as well as terrorism • When political corruption occurs and foreign aid fails than the price of food rises and the already impoverished people suffer even more • Terrorism flourishes in impoverished and corrupt areas because in these areas they can easily pay off the officials and gain support of the people by paying them off • In China and North Korea human rights violations occur, in China for example the Tiananmen square massacre occurred when demonstrators gathered to protect for democracy, In North Korea the people starve because the food goes to the military and foreign aid has been restricted
What’s being done • The United Nations has many Anti-Corruption conventions how ever this only informs people and lets them know what they can do • Very little foreign help is given
Citation • "Middle East and North Africa (mena)/africa_middle_east/regional Pages." Transparency International. Web. 10 Mar. 2010. <http://www.transparency.org/regional_pages/africa_middle_east/middle_east_and_north_africa_mena>. • Alford, Peter. "North Korea Famine, Refugees, and Foreing Aid." 28 Oct. 2006. Web. 16 Feb. 2010. <http://www.japanfocus.org/-Peter-Alford/2259>. • Baer, Robert. Sleeping with the Devil: How Washington Sold Our Soul for Saudi Crude. New York: Three Rivers, 2004. Print. • "Corruption in Afghanistan." GlobalSecurity.org - Reliable Security Information. Web. 16 Feb. 2010. <http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/afghanistan/corruption.htm>. • "CPI 2009 Table/2009/cpi/surveys_indices/policy_research." Transparency International. Web. 16 Feb. 2010. <http://www.transparency.org/policy_research/surveys_indices/cpi/2009/cpi_2009_table>. • Demick, Barbara. "Effects of Famine: Short Stature Evident in North Korean Generation." The Seatle Times, 14 Feb. 2004. Web. 16 Feb. 2010. <http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20040214&slug=korea14>.