Tuscaloosa and Joplin, while hardly tornado-free, are a ways off the usual major axis of destruction.

FORBES: The Great Tornadoes Of 2011 Put In Perspective

When I talk about the axis of oil, what I refer to is a loose coalition of both major energy exporting nations and, on the other side of the market, a group of major energy importing nations for whom energy is providing the basis for a greater strategic collaboration, a collaboration that in many ways works against U.S. interests.

NPR: U.S. Foreign Policy and the Axis of Oil

Mr. LEVERETT: I think that if you really go down the list of what are the major challenges for American foreign policy, a very significant percentage of them get tied up with this axis of oil.

NPR: U.S. Foreign Policy and the Axis of Oil