In article ,
(B2431) wrote:

From: "Rostyslaw J. Lewyckyj"
Date: 10/22/2003 1:48 PM Central Daylight Time
Message-id:

Stuart Wilkes wrote:

The U.S. cut off raw material shipments to Japan as a result Japan's
misbehaviour in China. The Japanese rationale for attacking the U.S. was to
ensure they could take the Dutch oil fields, the Philipines etc uninterrupted
for control of their resources. Estimates were Japan had about 6 months before
running out of strategic resources at the time of Pearl Harbour.

My personal opinion is the Pearl Harbour attacks were a waste of time since
Japan could have expanded into the areas without much more than a yell or two
from the U.S..

Japan didn't think so, largely because raw materials that they needed to
continue expanding into Asia had been embargoed by the U.S. On top of
that, neither the Brits nor the Dutch were likely to stand aside and let
Japan take over the Dutch East Indies oil fields.