Back in September I pointed out that the objectively ideal place to shelter Syrian refugees was a peaceful, relatively underpopulated region with a lovely climate that’s so conveniently close to home that practically every country in the world still considers it legally part of Syria.

And now there’s more good news: the local economy should be looking up as the Genie Oil and Gas company recently announced that it had discovered oil in the Golan Heights.

Granted, there are some tricky issues involving the Golan Heights, which Israel conquered from Syria in 1967 and announced it had annexed in 1981.

But Genie Oil and Gas has assembled a Strategic Advisory Board to help it deal with them. From Genie’s corporate website:

Strategic Advisory Board The Strategic Advisory Board of Genie Oil and Gas advises management on strategic, financial, operational and public policy matters. Michael Steinhardt (SAB Chairman)

Noted Wall Street investor and Principal Manager, Steinhardt Management LLC. Founder Steinhardt, Fine, Berkowitz & Co., and noted philanthropist. Richard Cheney

46th Vice President of the United States. Vice President Cheney also served as President and CEO of Halliburton Company and U.S. Secretary of Defense from 1989 to 1993. Marry [sic] Landrieu

United States Senator from Louisiana from 1996 to 2014. Senator Landrieu served as chair of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. In her capacity as chair, she sponsored and passed the U.S.-Israel Energy Cooperation Bill. The bill fosters partnerships focused on developing resources such as natural gas and alternative fuels, on the academic, business and governmental levels. Rupert Murdoch

Founder and Executive Chairman of News Corporation, one of the world’s largest diversified media companies. News Corporation’s holdings include Fox Entertainment, Dow Jones and Company, the New York Post, HarperCollins and significant media assets on six continents. Bill Richardson

Governor of New Mexico from 2003 to 2011. Mr. Richardson has served asU.S. Ambassador to the United Nations (1997-1998), Energy Secretary in the Clinton administration (1998-2001), Chairman of the 2004 Democratic National Convention, and as Chairman of the Democratic Governors Association. Jacob Rothschild, OM, GBE

Chairman of the J. Rothschild group of companies and of RIT Capital Partners plc. Chairman of Five Arrows Limited. Lord Rothschold is a noted philanthropist and Chairman of the Rothschild Foundation. Dr. Lawrence Summers

Charles W. Eliot University Professor and President Emeritus at Harvard University. Dr. Summers served as the 71st Secretary of the Treasury under President Clinton and as Director of the National Economic Council for President Obama. R. James Woolsey

Director of Central Intelligence from 1993 to 1995 and as Under Secretary of the Navy from 1977 to 1979. Mr. Woolsey is co-founder of the United States Energy Security Council and is Chairman of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

So with that caliber of Strategic Advice, I’m sure the Syrian refugees will be moving in and getting high paid drilling jobs in no time. After all, as we all know, Syrian refugees are good for the economy.

By the way, I’m actually not making up this list even though it sounds like some conspiracy theorist’s fantasy. Notice that most of these folks are somewhat at loose ends, although Rupert, in his mid 80s must be still an extremely busy man. But he and Lord Rothschild jointly own 5.5% of Genie:

Claude Pupkin, CEO of Genie Oil and Gas, commented, “Genie’s success will ultimately depend, in part, on access to the expertise of the oil and gas industry and to the financial markets. Lord Rothschild and Rupert Murdoch are extremely well regarded by and connected to leaders in these sectors. Their guidance and participation will prove invaluable.”

Rupert Murdoch and Claude Pupkin, where have I heard those names before?