For a frustrating number of years, Dick Cheney had his wishful eye on a pipeline that could move East Caspian hydrocarbons to market across Afghanistan and Pakistan and away from Russia and China. Ideal terms would be that Unocal, an American company, would be granted its long sought contract to build that pipeline.
Putin 1, Cheney ?
For a frustrating number of years, Dick Cheney had his wishful eye on a pipeline that could move East Caspian hydrocarbons to market across Afghanistan and Pakistan and away from Russia and China. Ideal terms would be that Unocal, an American company, would be granted its long sought contract to build that pipeline.
For a frustrating number of years, Vladimir Putin had his wishful eye on a pipeline that could move East Caspian hydrocarbons to market across Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan and away from any Stan or other country manipulated by the United States. Score one for Putin. The Turkmen and Kazaks have agreed to a Russian pipeline that will move their hydrocarbons into Russia and onward to European markets.
This is but a small skirmish in the struggle for imperial positions. The planet is now operating in post peak hydrocarbon production. A nation which can hold access to oil and gas, control the flow to maintain beneficial pricing levels, and determine who can buy it will have an imperial lever to wield no less potent than any royal sceptre has ever been. As time passes, a person can better understand world events by following the hydrocarbon pipelines. As more time passes, add power lines and water lines and information lines.
Come Iran. With Putin besting Cheney for the East Caspian pipeline, Iran is ever more important. With hydrocarbon pipes already crossing into Turkey and on to world markets from there, Iran now holds an additional option to use the Russian pipes if an imperial contestant, say the US UK cabal, would shut off its southern sea routes. Iran Russia relations are often a bit fluid but could solidify quickly for cause.
Come Iraq. Cheney has but one hope; to keep the Iraqi people so distraught and their society so disintegrated and their externally manipulated government so distressed and weak that production sharing agreements can be foisted upon them by the highly contested hydrocarbons law. This will give imperial control over Iraqi hydrocarbons to US UK corporations for 30 years or longer. They would own the infrastructure and control the flow and determine who gets to buy it and what small amount to pay the Iraqi people. They would have no obligation to hire Iraqi workers and no requirement to leave any set amount of profit inside Iraq.
Recall the top secret energy summit that Cheney held with energy moguls? The lead topic was the true amount of easily and cheaply extractable oil and gas beneath Iraqi sands. The fact that Sunnis are walking on sand that floats on as much or more oil than any Shia or Kurd must remain untold. Would Sunnis come to know what wealth they have at their feet, insurgency and al Qaeda would have negative values. Sunni Shia and Kurd would all realize that unity would allow each of them to develop and market their own oil and gas because raising funds for such projects would come easily to a stable and sovereign nation. PSA not required.
Back to Iran. Initial imperialistic moves envisioned staunching the southward flow of Iranian oil since the US armada is already in the Persian Gulf. Possibly, Turkey could be levered into some agreement to disagree with Iran over the northern pipes. Iran would wilt. Invasion not required.
Enter Putin.