An uncertain weapon

The statement that emerged from the meeting of Arab oil-producing countries in Kuwait on Wednesday was so ambivalent that western experts were unsure about what the Arabs are actually up to. If the Arab hawks have won the day then oil supplies to the consuming nations would be cut by a minimum of 5 per cent each month, which could quickly lead to rationing in Britain, Europe and Japan. But if the Kuwait statement were actually a victory for the moderate Arab nations, such as Saudi Arabia, then the apparent defects in the policy against oil supplies would probably allow western governments, along with the oil industry, to keep the oil flowing.