From FOrbes Magazine (an excerpt):

"LONDON, March 25 (Reuters) - British companies have secured an important toe-hold in Libya, seizing on improved relations to line up deals in energy and aviation, but the juiciest prizes in the oil-rich country are likely to go to U.S. firms.

To Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, whose country's most coveted asset is its oil and gas, the U.S. dollar speaks much louder than the British pound, oil industry experts said.

"Gaddafi knows the only game in town is Washington, so there'll be a big slice of Libyan oil for the Americans..," said Fred Halliday of the London School of Economics.

He said there was plenty of oil, gas and other business for Western firms, but added: "The United States is the power in the world, the only power with the ability to actually overthrow him, and the only power that might just achieve some of the things Gaddafi wants to see happen."

British Prime Minister Tony Blair shook hands with the West's old foe in Tripoli on Thursday. In doing so, he began to usher Libya out of the investment wilderness -- and into the arms of London-listed firms Royal Dutch/and BAE Systems ."

Seems a lot clearer when you follow the money, doesn't it?


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