T. Boone Pickens says United States continues to pay for both sides of the war

December 14, 2010. In his monthly update on the level of foreign oil imports in the U.S., energy expert T. Boone Pickens said that based on the latest figures from the Federal Reserve Economic Database, the U.S. imported 57 percent of its oil, or 327 million barrels in November 2010, sending approximately USD 28 billion to foreign countries.

"With even more evidence that money spent on foreign oil is funding terrorism, it's never been clearer that we're paying for both sides of the war," said Pickens. "Recently reported State Department cables show oil revenue in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates are the single biggest source of funding for terrorist groups like Al Qaeda. This is a critical national security issue.

"The U.S. Energy Information Administration just announced that OPEC oil revenues are expected to hit $750 billion this year, which is a 32 percent increase. And in 2011, we'll see USD 100 oil. We simply cannot keep putting our country at risk by spending billions of dollars every month on foreign oil.

"If you're going to solve the foreign oil crisis you must focus on transportation – using our own abundant natural gas resources to fuel heavy-duty trucks can immediately reduce our dependence on OPEC oil; improving our national security while strengthening our economy. It's time for the American people to call their elected officials and tell them to act."

The Pickens Plan to encourage more heavy-duty fleet vehicles to run on domestic resources has been included in several pieces of legislation introduced in the House and Senate.