Why a war in Syria probably won't hit you at the pump

Hint: It has to do with a little thing called fracking

Man at gas station
(Image credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Historically, when turmoil hits the Middle East, Americans tend to feel it at the gas pump.

And right on cue, as President Obama builds support for a military strike against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces, gas prices in the U.S. have started getting jumpy. This week, the average price for a gallon of gas in the U.S. is up to $3.61, says GasBuddy.com, a nearly 4 cent increase from late August.

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Carmel Lobello is the business editor at TheWeek.com. Previously, she was an editor at DeathandTaxesMag.com.