africa: When Uncle Sam Comes Calling in Africa

Interest in African oil has been further heightened by the US-led war against Iraq; recent strikes by Venezuelan oil workers; and by potential political instability in Saudi Arabia - all of which underscore America's vulnerability as its voracious appetite for oil grows. Oil development in West Africa offers many attractions, experts say. Reserves are bountiful, the quality is high and shipping routes to America are generally shorter than from other regions.