Bush was playing to a very, very domestic agenda. It's just rhetoric. |
Even for nations that don't directly import from Iran, any disruption in imports affects prices. And Asia, with its dependence on Iranian energy, would be directly hurt. |
For international oil companies, Libya is interesting because it's one of the only new frontiers and they can book reserves. |
High oil prices show no signs of coming down. Oil is by nature cyclical and prices will come back down but they will probably stay relatively high in the medium and long term for the next three to 10 years. |
There is much more investment in Europe and the Middle East and generally the Muslim world. They are trying to diversify so they don't get caught. Many were burned by 9/11. |