[Battle_Scarred_Galactico]

I had a thought today. When America can no longer project any meaningfull military power into the M.E, would it rather destroy the oil than let others have it and rise to superpowerdom.

If I were them, I'd rather blow it....

[Doly]

When America can no longer project any meaningfull military power into the M.E, would it rather destroy the oil than let others have it and rise to superpowerdom.

That would hurt America more than anybody else. After all, they're the country most dependent on oil.

[Battle_Scarred_Galactico]

I'm aware of that fact, but picture an America in total decline with no hope of recovery (not hard), wouldn't they rather deny anyone else the chance to rise, I would.

[mekrob]

How is that even possible? Could the fields even ignite like a powder keg or do they just burn like in Kuwait during the Gulf War? If they just burn, then it would take too long to burn it all up as somehow water would get diverted to put out the flames. And if American forces were to stay to make sure it was all (or mostly) gone, then they woulda just pumped it anyway.

[Tanada]

How is that even possible? Could the fields even ignite like a powder keg or do they just burn like in Kuwait during the Gulf War? If they just burn, then it would take too long to burn it all up as somehow water would get diverted to put out the flames. And if American forces were to stay to make sure it was all (or mostly) gone, then they woulda just pumped it anyway.

You would have a heck of a time destroying the oil itself, but if you destroyed the well tops, storage facillities, pipelines, terminals and a buch of tankers you would destroy output for a decade while everything was repaired.

We are on the knife's edge, any competent military in the area could do the same thing, like the old cold war cartoon, Uncle Sam and the Soviets standing knee deep in gasoline each threatening to light a match to kill the other.

[Battle_Scarred_Galactico]

Exactly, and that's with conventional weapons...