What alot of people keep forgetting is that the oil researves located in these areas do not amount to much. ANWAR for example has enough fuel to meet US oil demand for just 6 months.
THe biggest self-inflication is the wasteful nature of Americans regarding energy consumption and fuel effieceny. That has been brought about by a government that was more intrested in meeting the short term demands of the car  and oil industry than the long term needs of the people and the nation.