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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| Russia / Georgia conflict sounds alarm bells at threat to vital link in the energy chain |
| 2008-08-09 |
| The conflict erupting in the Caucasus has set alarm bells ringing for many reasons, not least Georgia's pivotal role in the supply of Central Asian oil to the West. While it has no significant oil or gas reserves of its own, Georgia is a key transit point for oil from the Caspian region destined for Europe and the United States. Crucially, it is the only practical route from this increasingly important producer region that avoids both Russia and Iran. The 1,770-kilometre (1,100mile) Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline, which cost $3 billion (£1.55 billion) to build and was partly underwritten by British taxpayers, entered full service last year. It is the world's second-longest oil pipeline and pumps about a million barrels a day from Baku, on the coast of the Caspian Sea in Azerbaijan, to Yumurtalik, on Turkey's Mediterranean coast, where it is loaded on to supertankers. The route also avoids the congested Bosphorus shipping lane. Tell me when Russia ever gave a damn about its citizens. Now tell me when Russia only cared for its self intrests. Namely Oil. |
| Posted by:Full Bosomed1072 |
| #6 #5 - except for the pipeline, which they heavily invested in. |
| Posted by: linker 2008-08-09 21:43 |
| #5 I don't think the Turks want anything to do with this. This is imperial Russia at their traditional game. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2008-08-09 21:22 |
| #4 As to the PKK - to remind folks: The Kurdistan Workers' Party (Kurdish: Partiya Karkerên Kurdistan or PKK, also called KADEK, Kongra-Gel, and KGK[10]) is a militant Kurdish organization founded in the 1970s and led by Abdullah Öcalan who is at present in a Turkish prison. The PKK's ideology is founded on revolutionary Marxism-Leninism and Kurdish nationalism. Natural old friends of KGB-Putin? Also, Turkey is attacking them... with us looking the other way... |
| Posted by: 3dc 2008-08-09 01:12 |
| #3 Wikipedia on the pipeline On 6 August 2008, a major explosion and fire in eastern Turkey Erzincan Province closed the pipeline. The PKK Kurdish separatist group claimed responsibility for the attack.[31] However, the cause of the explosion would become clear only after a technical examination. The subgovernor of Refahiye town of Erzincan Province said the blast was caused by a system failure not due to sabotage.[32] So two days ago it was blown up. Remember the Lion of Panjsher was killed just before 9/11. Similar play? |
| Posted by: 3dc 2008-08-09 01:07 |
| #2 Talk at Belmont Club that Russia and Iran want to control Caspian basin oil and gas. No signs of any Iran moves against Azerbaijan, but it bears watching. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2008-08-09 00:17 |
| #1 What say the Turks? Maybe they could help Georgia. |
| Posted by: Ho Chi Flish1815 2008-08-09 00:11 |