I've bought Spring water 100ml for 28p (40c). it's more than the price of oil in Saudi arabia... I'll try and get you the exact figures for a barrel of oil...
I think it's a bit mean to say they'd be living in caves if it wasn't for us... I mean if you look at what happened in the 70's, where all the arab countries decided to simulatnously stop pumping oil western society nearly stopped and this was only for a breif period, you'll relize we owe them!!! They're making money by an honest means, and they have the chioce at how much they sell, how much they sell it for etc...
I'm very optimistic about peace in the middle east, dispite the recent assasination... There is a chance that the palastinains will be given an independent state (a proper one not some "leapord skin state, which will solve the main problem, but there were still be kashmire like situation about what belongs to who, who stole it when, etc...
Horror stories exist about the talaban as it does with Indonesia, as with China, as with Isreal, as with Saudi Arabia, but the poeple who are responible for these acts dont sit at the nogotaition tables. This is nothing to do with how the Talaban nogotaite... Also the truth maybe a little exagerated, you can clearly see by the language the auther is not neutral (or any where near that)... Another thing is the whole interview is with one person (Hafiz Sadiqulla Hassani), so this is probably and extreme example taken to somehow represent the entire talaban, this is an old trick... If you want to read something neurtal read " the independant" especailly Robert Fisk's articals..
The talaban are no angels, but I get a little upset when we're giving emotivly phrased stories, with one acount, which has been hand picked as being the best story (and so the most extreme). We're not stupid, and we can see what is going on...