	u s should reassess mideast policy analyst the u s should reassess its mideast policy in light of its rising dependence on imported oil according to charles ebinger of the center for strategic and international studies the prospect of rising dependence on oil imports from the gulf and the recent revelations of the tower commission report mandate more than ever before the need for a fundamental reassessment of u s interests in the middle east ebinger said he remarks were made in an address to the national petroleum refiners association meeting although in the short run it is difficult to see a direct link between arab anger and threats to oil supplies in the current environment it will be increasingly difficult for moderate arab leaders to be seen as friendly to u s interests ebinger said oil traders said threats to oil supplies has kept  oil prices strong recently although some believe prices will be weaker if demand falls in the spring but william randol analyst at first boston corp said  oil prices will hold near current levels this spring there will be no spring downturn said randol speaking at the annual refiner meeting he said there is a pct chance that  oil prices could move higher in the second half of the year following an opec meeting scheduled for late june he said he expects opec will extend its current agreement to restrict production opec will renew its production pricing agreement in june because the value of the oil exports of the opec producers has declined along with the u s dollar randol said opec oil exports are priced in u s dollars and the dollar has fallen about pct in the last months randol said u s  oil imports will increase to four mln barrels per day by as consumption rises to two mln bpd and supplies decline two mln bpd reuter 
