pills.
The rain had stopped, and the overcast skies left a refreshing chill in the air as he walked out to find the Rose Garden packed with reporters. With his entire NSC team in the background, he read the statement developed and prepared in the Situation Room. To the complete surprise of his team, who knew he was not feeling well, he said, “I’d be happy to take a few questions at this time regarding the Chunxiao Incident.”
“Have you had a chance to talk to the leaders of Japan and China, Mr. President?” asked an SNS reporter.
“Yes, I have spoken to both Prime Minister Sato Itsuke and Chairman Lin Cheng and, needless to say, both leaders were deeply concerned about where this thing could go.”
“Mr. President,” asked a Wall Street Journal reporter, “the New York financial markets have plunged over four percent since the opening bell, and oil prices have jumped from $231 to over $265 per barrel. Can you comment on what government policy might be in light of these developments?”
“I’m aware of the markets and concerned with where they could go. Keep in mind, the Chunxiao Incident happened only twenty-four hours ago, and we’re still trying to assess the situation. Oil shortages, unfortunately, have been with us constantly over the past five years, and we have learned many times that a disruption of any kind in the oil supply will have a negative impact on the markets and oil prices. The fact that two major powers are involved is bound to roil the markets—no way around that. I’d remind the American people that our oil reserves are well secured and the Chunxiao Incident—serious as it is—will have only a negligible effect on global oil supply. Short answer is that it’s too early to say what, if anything, the government will do.”
“Could you elaborate, Mr. President, on the timelines and future directions American policy might take if the conflict over Chunxiao drags on?” asked a Fox News reporter.
“I don’t think it’s prudent to speculate on hypothetical events at this time. As I mentioned earlier, America will protect its interests in the Pacific and do whatever it can to bring about an amicable solution, but it’s simply too early to speculate on what forms those solutions might take.”
“Mr. President, there have been rumblings about conflicts within OPEC and within and among Middle Eastern governments. Are you concerned with the impact the Chunxiao situation might have in these areas or the direction of Western policy?”
President Burkmeister paused for a moment before answering. He had growing concerns about the intelligence reports coming out of Saudi Arabia, but he did not want to give the media any hint of his concern. The tempo of his answer slowed.
“Having open access to OPEC oil and maintaining peace and stability in the Middle East are matters of utmost concern to the United States and our allies. The common denominator, let’s be honest, is oil. The Chunxiao Incident occurred several thousand miles away from the nearest OPEC producer, and the amount of oil produced there is infinitesimal compared to what OPEC produces; it’s unlikely the incident would adversely impact OPEC. Clearly, the United States is committed to protecting the diminishing supply of global oil, and we would hope that the Chunxiao Incident is not seen as an opportunity by any nation or group to exploit an already tense situation for private gain.”
“Mr. President, Senator Tom Collingsworth, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he was concerned that your administration would waffle in its support of Japan, our long-time Pacific ally. Your ‘wait and see’ statement could be seen as confirming his concerns. Can you comment on this, sir?”
“The chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee,” he said, too irritated to even acknowledge Collingsworth’s name, “has the luxury of making such injudicious statements before knowing all the facts. As president, I
The rain had stopped, and the overcast skies left a refreshing chill in the air as he walked out to find the Rose Garden packed with reporters. With his entire NSC team in the background, he read the statement developed and prepared in the Situation Room. To the complete surprise of his team, who knew he was not feeling well, he said, “I’d be happy to take a few questions at this time regarding the Chunxiao Incident.”
“Have you had a chance to talk to the leaders of Japan and China, Mr. President?” asked an SNS reporter.
“Yes, I have spoken to both Prime Minister Sato Itsuke and Chairman Lin Cheng and, needless to say, both leaders were deeply concerned about where this thing could go.”
“Mr. President,” asked a Wall Street Journal reporter, “the New York financial markets have plunged over four percent since the opening bell, and oil prices have jumped from $231 to over $265 per barrel. Can you comment on what government policy might be in light of these developments?”
“I’m aware of the markets and concerned with where they could go. Keep in mind, the Chunxiao Incident happened only twenty-four hours ago, and we’re still trying to assess the situation. Oil shortages, unfortunately, have been with us constantly over the past five years, and we have learned many times that a disruption of any kind in the oil supply will have a negative impact on the markets and oil prices. The fact that two major powers are involved is bound to roil the markets—no way around that. I’d remind the American people that our oil reserves are well secured and the Chunxiao Incident—serious as it is—will have only a negligible effect on global oil supply. Short answer is that it’s too early to say what, if anything, the government will do.”
“Could you elaborate, Mr. President, on the timelines and future directions American policy might take if the conflict over Chunxiao drags on?” asked a Fox News reporter.
“I don’t think it’s prudent to speculate on hypothetical events at this time. As I mentioned earlier, America will protect its interests in the Pacific and do whatever it can to bring about an amicable solution, but it’s simply too early to speculate on what forms those solutions might take.”
“Mr. President, there have been rumblings about conflicts within OPEC and within and among Middle Eastern governments. Are you concerned with the impact the Chunxiao situation might have in these areas or the direction of Western policy?”
President Burkmeister paused for a moment before answering. He had growing concerns about the intelligence reports coming out of Saudi Arabia, but he did not want to give the media any hint of his concern. The tempo of his answer slowed.
“Having open access to OPEC oil and maintaining peace and stability in the Middle East are matters of utmost concern to the United States and our allies. The common denominator, let’s be honest, is oil. The Chunxiao Incident occurred several thousand miles away from the nearest OPEC producer, and the amount of oil produced there is infinitesimal compared to what OPEC produces; it’s unlikely the incident would adversely impact OPEC. Clearly, the United States is committed to protecting the diminishing supply of global oil, and we would hope that the Chunxiao Incident is not seen as an opportunity by any nation or group to exploit an already tense situation for private gain.”
“Mr. President, Senator Tom Collingsworth, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he was concerned that your administration would waffle in its support of Japan, our long-time Pacific ally. Your ‘wait and see’ statement could be seen as confirming his concerns. Can you comment on this, sir?”
“The chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee,” he said, too irritated to even acknowledge Collingsworth’s name, “has the luxury of making such injudicious statements before knowing all the facts. As president, I
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