John Kerry: War Criminal, Profiteering from Stolen Palestinian Natural Gas

by Stephen Lendman

Kerry's involvement in US imperial wars causing mass slaughter, destruction and human misery makes him one of many unindicted US war criminals.

His considerable wealth together with his wife's fortune includes them among the world's billionaires.

He had an earlier million dollar stake in Houston-based Noble Energy - the US firm co-owning Israeli rigs developing Leviathan and Tamar gas fields containing an estimated 25 trillion cubic feet supply plus potentially billions of barrels of oil.

Operations are in Palestinian waters - part of Israel's longstanding grand theft plan, confiscating resources not its own - including what belongs to Lebanon and Syria.

The Western Mediterranean Levantine Basin is oil and gas rich. Israel wants as much of its resources as possible for itself - shutting out Palestinians entirely.

Details emerged about Kerry's involvement from his 2013 financial declaration. Israel's security cabinet intends circumventing its antitrust authority on developing offshore gas.

At stake is reaching a deal leaving Noble Energy and Israel's Delek Group with control of Leviathan and Tamar resources.

In 2015, Kerry sold some of his Noble Energy stake when oil prices slumped. It's unknown if he reinvested or how much.

He was instrumental in arranging a deal for Israel to sell about $15 billion worth of stolen Palestinian gas to Jordan for the next 15 years.

Last December, he got Netanyahu to sign energy deals with Noble after its Jordanian deal was blocked for anti-trust reasons.

On December 30, 2014, State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke said "(w)e continue to engage and we support all parties to move forward with the natural gas deal signed between Noble Energy and entities in Jordan and Egypt."

"We strongly believe that these deals would enhance energy security in the region." Rathke failed to mention Kerry's personal financial involvement.

On December 23, 2014, Israel's antitrust authority commissioner David Gilo voided the Noble/Delek partnership - letting them control Leviathan and Tamar fields over objections on price both companies intended to charge Israel for gas.

In May, Gilo resigned over a proposal to let Noble and Delek remain sole operators of offshore gas rigs. The revised deal reduces Noble's Tamar holdings from 36 - 24% within six years. It removes its partnership veto rights. It still lets it sell gas freely.

In April, Netanyahu and Energy and Water Minister Silvan Shalom authorized sale of Tamar natural gas to Jordanian interests - a $500 million deal for 1.87 cubic meters to Jordanian company Arab Potash and its affiliate Jordan Bromine over the next 15 years.

Israel wants around 40% of its stolen offshore natural gas exported. It wants to become an important industry player, profiting from Palestinian resources.

John Kerry stands to benefit financially through his Noble Energy holdings. What other conflicts of interests is he involved in we don't know about?

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

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