Richard Morningstar to Europe: Russia's Not the Only Country with Energy Resources
Engagement in the Caspian region is an effective way to improve transatlantic cooperation, says Richard Morningstar. As the current US Special Representative for the Caspian Region, Morningstar foresees European over-dependence on Russian resources decreasing as a result of Caspian engagement. Russia could lose influence in neighboring countries. While US policy makers have always focused on the Caspian region (known for its vast energy resources), their European counterparts have failed to do so, resulting in dependency on Russian oil and gas. Although many European companies—BP, Shell, TotalFinaElf, Statoil—are involved in the region, their host governments display little interest.
Sun, Mar 23rd 2008, 07:20
ilyas m mohsin, ppp, Platinum Contributor (253)
As costs rise for the US in terms of men, money and prestige in the Iraqi quagmire, the cost of gasoline is hitting the citizens. This is not only caused by the fall-out of the mess prevailing in the area. In addition to the rather scandalous misappropriation of Iraqi oil-resources/ revenues by powerful elements of the US’ paraphernalia in the green-zone, the rising tensions with Iran are also adding fuel to the fire of price-hike.
While the middle-class etc consumer may be suffering, it benefits many in the US. First, the energy-giants are turning out fantastic profits which would only intensify the rich-poor divide. Second, as the experts say that most of the people tend to borrow more through their credit-cards which again benefits the few rich at the cost of the struggling majority. Third, Russia as well as Iran is making windfall gains from the mess which haunts the area under US-occupation. If all these elements see a window of opportunity in prolonging the status quo, then the rich can keep on making gains from the oil-business if and when the next Administration gets in with a different outlook.
The Russians must be feeling happy. While the US is bogged down in such ‘misadventures’ with cumulative loss of Goodwill all over, they are not only making big-money; they are also consolidating their position vis-à-vis the Caspian resources.
The Caspian sea is 700 mile-long and it touches Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan. Following the collapse of Soviet Union in 1991, all the 3 central Asian countries became free. The Caspian region has historically been producing oil/gas and it is believed to have vast potential. Since mid-nineties the production of energy has increased following the intervention by the multinationals etc.
There is a widespread belief in the world, particularly in the 111World, that the US attack on Taliban was motivated not by the flaunted concern for ‘justice and democracy. It was dictated by the concept of the conquest of the strategic Afghanistan which provides the easiest access to the Caspian area. The US wanted to control the exploitation of the Caspian resources of oil/gas which are estimated to be worth $5 trillion. According to the Congressional Research Service report updated on Sept 8 2006, the oil reserves may turn out to be equal to those held by Saudi Arabia. Already more than 2.5 ml barrels a day are being pumped through the various pipeline systems to a variety of destinations in the world. BTC- Baku,Tbilisi Georgia, to Ceyhan Turkey/ Mediterranean Sea pipeline is the biggest being 1040 miles long and pumps I ml barrels a day.
Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan are known to possess 6.6 trillion cubic meters of natural gas awaiting utilization by the energy-hungry industrial giants. Planning is going on for setting up alternate pipelines to Turkey/ Europe as well the rapidly expanding Asian markets. India, Iran, Russia and Israel are trying to arrange the supply of oil/ gas to south/ east Asia. The most feasible route is through Afghanistan which is now highly unstable following its conquest by the US in 2001. A MOU signed to build a 900 mile-long pipeline from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan and Pakistan is on hold due to the same reason. The energy magnates are rather keen on exploiting the Caspian resources whatever it takes. Hence the belief that the US occupied Afghanistan to monopolize the cheapest transit route for the pipelines for the industrial exploitation of the vast energy resources. The US/ British energy-giants like Chevron, Exxon, Mobil, Unocal and Enron and Amoco/ BP are feverishly pursuing the manipulation of the energy resources in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan which promises a return of billions of dollars on their investment if the Afghans can be under control. "Those that control the oil routes out of Central Asia will impact all future direction and quantities of flow and the distribution of revenues from new production,” said energy expert James Dorian recently in Oil & Gas Journal on September 10 2001.
Unocal was working on a pipeline project to bring Turkmenistan's abundant natural gas through Afghanistan to the growing markets of Pakistan and India, until the turmoil in Afghanistan led them to withdraw from the project. The planned pipeline would carry gas from the Turkmen Dauletabad fields, among the world's largest, to Multan in Pakistan, with a planned extension to India. The line from Dauletabad through Afghanistan is planned to transport 15 billion cubic feet of gas per year for 30 years. The pipeline-project is held up due to the mess in Afghanistan. Another Unocal project to build a 1,030 mile oil pipeline, called the Central Asian Oil Pipeline Project, starting at Chardzhou in Turkmenistan it would link Russia's Siberian oil field pipelines to Pakistan's Arabian coast. This pipeline would have the potential of transporting 1 million barrels a day of oil including other areas of the Former Soviet Union. It would run parallel to the gas line route through Afghanistan and passing through Pakistan it would head for the Indian Ocean terminal in Ras Malan..
Christopher Bollyn of the American Free Press quotes Indian press sources to assert that in G 8 summit held in Genoa, Italy on July 20-22, 2001, India proposed consultations among interested powers like G 8 of an international plan to remove the fundamentalist Islamic Taliban from power. He quotes such press reports of June 2001 elaborating that the invasion would start in Oct 2001 wherein "India and Iran will facilitate, U.S. and Russian plans for limited military action, against the Taliban if the contemplated tough new economic sanctions don,t bend Afghanistan's fundamentalist regime. Tajikistan and Uzbekistan will lead the ground attack with a strong military back up of the U.S. and Russia. Vital Taliban installations and military assets will be targeted.” It may be a coincidence that most of the rich Republicans in power have vital interests in the oil-lobby.
Taliban were obscurantist and Saddam was a despicable dictator. We may still be rubbing shoulders with their prototypes in the world at large. Meanwhile, the rich will need new technologies to keep an account of their inflated riches while others have to fend for themselves against such daunting odds.
The EU with NATO’ help must bring peace to the countries ‘under occupation’. Only that would ensure a safe exploitation of Caspian energy resources followed by their availability to our energy-hungry Globe. This is the writing on the wall. Any aggressive policy would provide a big chance to Russia, Iran and the central Asian countries bordering the Caspian Sea along-with Iran to try to go it alone with the help of China, India etc.