The Power and the Peril of Oil author Firooz Eftekhar Zadeh

Liam Butler interviews Firooz Eftekhar Zadeh author of 'The Power and the Peril of Oil

19 September 2014

The Power and the Peril of Oil is Firooz Zadeh's passionately written account about how oil has given strength and empowered some countries while it has imperiled others. It documents the history, politics, and players in the quest for dominance of the Middle East and its highly prized resource.

Question One

Why do you have a passion for explaining how oil has given strength and empowered some countries while it has imperiled others?

Writing is my passion, and I want to make a difference, hoping that through my books I can be instrumental in fostering peace in the Middle East and the world. With more than 2,000 innocent Palestinians killed and thousands injured last month, plus the brutal mass murdering of Iraqi and Syrian soldiers along with the many Christians and Kurds by ISIS recently, I felt "If I sit silently, I have sinned."

In 1951 Iran's legally elected Prime Minister, Dr. Mossadegh nationalized Iranian oil, which England had been taking it for decades. Then Britain's MI6 and America's CIA, organized a covert operation in 1953 and destroyed Iran's only chance of becoming a democratic country. They removed Dr. Mossadegh and replaced him with their puppet, a tyrant, King Reza Pahlavi wanting Iranian oil to flow freely to the West. A more meaningful description for CIA has to be: Criminal Interfering Americans.

The American invasion of Iraq in 2003 was for no legitimate reason except trying to get Iraq's oil that has the second largest reserve in the world has turned life in Iraq into an unbelievable misery, during and after the invasion. It is sad but a very good example of the peril that oil has brought to Iraqis. Similarly, the U.S. and NATO with their air power and financial support in Libya caused the removal of Muammar Gaddafi and his death. The resulting chaos, death, and destruction today in those countries for wanting to take their oil are all my reasons for writing this book in an attempt to show both sides of the coin. America, Europe, and Saudi Arabia have supported and financed the rebel insurgents in Syria to topple President Assad since 2011, again because of control of oil. Their actions have had more peril than power to the citizens, oil companies, or any countries. Finally, the Islamic Jihadists, referred to as ISIS or the Levant, have found a perfect situation, because of this seemingly never-ending crisis in Iraq and Syria, to strike and take control the Middle Eastern oil. Oil is power and the Jihadists are as hungry for this wealth as American and the Western politicians and corporations. Tragically the wars for oil have made life for millions of people in the region and around the world imperiled. The PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome) for many soldiers, who served in the wars, is very sad and has affected them as far away as Australia. Please check the statistical reports on this in pages 33-34.

Question two

You state that "the power from oil is an effective tool for geopolitical stability as a nuclear bomb". What does this mean for New Zealand?America and the West know that if Iran blocks the narrow Strait of Hormuz, where 14 crude oil tankers per day pass carrying 17 million barrels of oil from the Middle East, the price of oil will double or higher in many countries, that makes their respective economies to plummet. If the price of petroleum is $12 in the U.S., it could be the end of America! This makes oil a very effective tool for geopolitical stability for Iran than having a nuclear bomb. Iran has spent 35 years under strict sanctions, but has managed to survive and take care of its people, mainly because of the power of oil. Most people are aware of the daily turmoil, terrorism, and wars in the Middle East, but Iran so far has remained safe from this geopolitical power from oil. I cannot see how the geopolitics from oil would affect New Zealand. We are a nuclear free nation, and New Zealand does not have huge oil reserves or the kind of resources that Western politicians would want to grab for any cost. So, we don't have to worry about the politics of wars for oil in New Zealand like it is the case in the Middle East.

Question Three

You dedicate The Power and the Peril of Oil to those who want peace in the Middle East and the World. In addition to writing you lecture on cruise boats and coach kid's soccer in Sunny Nelson. What does peace mean to you?

The best answer I can give you as my reason for wishing Peace in the world is in the attached U-tube based on John Lennon's "Imagine". I am a peace advocate, and hope that my message in my book, "The Power and the Peril of Oil," can bring us one step closer to peace rather than continuing down the same old road of more wars and destruction for oil.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_YXSHkAahE

The Power and the Peril of Oil

by Firooz Eftekhar Zadeh, published by CP Books, printed by The Copy Press www.TheCopyPress.co.nz $27.50

The Power and the Peril of Oil states that Oil has been the criteria for choosing allies or enemies for the U.S. disregarding the hidden consequences. It is an eye opening, captivating read, full of scintillating documents, maps, images, and facts, peppered with straightforward information about the history of Iran's nuclear program. Written from the author's firsthand experiences, personal knowledge, and research, The Power and the Peril of Oil provides information on the major players and moneymakers in oil, the influence of Islam, the complexity of the Middle East, and Iran's geopolitical importance today for control of oil.

To win a copy of this book CLICK HERE

Competition closes 3rd Ocober 2014. Open to NZ residents only.

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