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FOIA Documents Regarding The Death of Col. Ted Westhusing

Amid the myriad tragedies and heartache caused by the Second Iraq War, the death of Col. Westhusing is among the saddest and most senseless. I have been asked by a number of people who knew Col. Westhusing for some of the documents that I obtained from the Defense Department via the Freedom of Information Act over the course of my year-long inquiry into his suicide. Rather than distribute paper copies, it makes sense to make them available in electronic form. Herewith, a batch of the key documents, in PDF:

The Democrats and Offshore Drilling

July 2, 2008
Counterpunch
Just when you think the Democrats can’t get any dumber when it comes to energy policy, they surprise you. The latest development is their refusal to allow offshore drilling in the U.S. Their reasons for continuing the ban on offshore exploration are familiar: there’s not much oil to be found; drilling now won’t do any good in the near term; and finally, we’re “addicted” to oil.

The answers to those points are, respectively: wrong, wrong, and yeah, so what?

Iranians: The IPI Deal is Done. Sanctions? Israel? No Problem

July 2, 2008
Energy Tribune
The U.S. may not like it, but the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline deal is done. At least, that’s the claim of S.R. Kassaei Zadeh, the managing director of the National Iranian Gas Company.

Cuba's Energy Revolution, Revolution, Revolution...

July 1, 2008
Energy Tribune
The revolution lives in Cuba. And it’s not just the revolution started by Fidel Castro four decades ago. It’s an energy revolution. Got that? It’s a revolution.

More Brains Per Barrel

June 30, 2008
Energy Tribune
It’s all about access to the resources. That was the common talking point for the heads of Repsol, Shell and BP during the opening session of the World Petroleum Congress in Madrid.

Bryce Interviews Mercedes De Freitas of Transparency International in Caracas

June 2008
Energy Tribune
Mercedes De Freitas is the director of Transparency International’s office in Caracas. In late April, Transparency International released a report that looked at 42 leading national and international oil companies worldwide, three of which are in Latin America: Pemex, Petrobras, and PDVSA. It found that of the three, PDVSA was the worst in terms of transparency.

A Simple Case of Supply and Demand?

June 3, 2008
The American
Why are oil prices so high? Well, if you believe Congress, one of the main problems is that OPEC members aren’t drilling enough. Thus, on May 20, the House of Representatives passed a bill that could allow the Department of Justice to sue OPEC for conspiring to raise oil prices. But just eight days before the House bill passed (by a vote of 324 to 84), the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) released data indicating that world oil demand may be outstripping supply.

The Manhattan Project Is Underway

June 2008
Energy Tribune
Over the past few years, numerous energy watchers and politicos have declared that the U.S. government needs to launch a “Manhattan Project” or “Apollo Project” to provide us with the breakthrough energy technologies that will allow us to transition away from fossil fuels and toward something cleaner/cheaper/more convenient. Doing so, the proponents claim, will create millions of “green collar” jobs, revitalize the economy, and put America back on track as a manufacturer and technology leader.

Let's Sue OPEC! That'll Teach 'Em!

May 21, 2008
Energy Tribune
When it comes to energy policy, Congress goes from dumb to dumber. The latest example: a bill passed by the House of Representatives on May 20 that will allow the U.S. government to sue OPEC for conspiring to raise prices.

There are several reasons why the bill, which passed by a margin of 324 to 84, makes no sense. I’ll focus on two: reciprocity and hypocrisy.

Gasoline Is Cheap

May 15, 2008
Slate
The next time you have to take out a loan just to fill up your tank, remember this: Four-dollar-per-gallon gasoline is cheap.

There's no doubt that high fuel prices are hurting low-income consumers, and high energy costs are placing a tax on the economy that is slowing investment while sending billions of dollars overseas. It's unsurprising that presidential candidates and members of Congress issue new proposals practically every day to lower gas prices: Stop filling the Strategic Petroleum Reserve! Suspend the federal gas tax! Open ANWR to oil drilling!

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