Posted on 04/07/2017 1:27:05 PM PDT by EBH
TWO NEW PIPELINES Before the civil war, two competing pipelines put forward by Qatar and Iran aimed to transport gas to Europe through Syria.
Qatar’s plans were first put forward in 2009 and involved building a pipeline from the Persian Gulf via Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria and Turkey.
The gas field located 3000 metres below the floor of the Persian Gulf is the largest natural gas field in the world. Qatar owns about two-thirds of the resource but can’t capitalise on it fully because it relies on tankers to deliver it to other countries and this makes its gas more expensive than Russia’s.
It was hoped the pipeline would provide cheaper access to Europe but Syrian President Bashar al Assad refused to give permission for the pipeline to go through his territory. Some believe Russia pressured him to reject the pipeline to safeguard its own business.
In the meantime Iran, which owns the other smaller, share of the Persian Gulf gas field, decided to lodge its own rival plan for a $10 billion pipeline to Europe via Iraq and Syria and then under the Mediterranean Sea.
Assad signed off on the Iran plan in 2012 and it was due to be completed in 2016 but it was ultimately delayed because of the Arab Spring and the civil war.
Many countries supporting or opposing the war against Assad have links to these pipeline plans.
Failed pipeline bidder Qatar is believed to have funded anti-Assad rebel groups by $3 billion between 2011 and 2013. Saudi Arabia has also been accused of funding the terrorist group.
In contrast Orenstein and Romer noted the successful pipeline bidder, Iran, was believed to be helping Assad by running the Syrian army, supplying it with weapons and even troops.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.com.au ...
“Always, always remember Trump is a business man. These are the terms in which he may have been swayed about Assad.”
What?
Bingo!!!
Now it makes sense.
This is why we armed the Mujahadeen in the 80’s. To prevent a pipeline from Tehran to Russia.
I hope that Trump doesn’t become yet another of our “leaders” who end up doing the dirty work of the Saudi & Qataris Islamists!
A cynical proxy-war if there ever was one
If anyone mentions the words “democracy,” “freedom,” or anything similar in reference to what’s happening on either side in Syria, I am going to throw up.
Is that a serious question??? OF COURSE IT IS!
He can clearly understand the loss of a Saudi Arab controlled billion dollar pipeline to Europe to the Russians. Can we?
The war in Syria has gone beyond that of a pipeline....
I am not sure it is necessarily ‘dirty work’ as we have to question whether we will essentially allow Russia to control that natural gas field in the Persian Gulf?
What value is that gas field to us? To our allies in the area? To our allies in Europe?
Consider the boldness of Russia in annexing nations just last year. Putin see’s that natural gas field as a means to a very strategic end.
The brutality has...the reason hasn’t changed. That/those pipelines are a very strategic position to hold.
Our government has been doing the bidding of the Saudis and Gulf States fro decades.
I thought electing Trump was going to change that.
Oh well........
exactly right. we need to get rid of the corrupt saudi/qatari dictatorships (their entire extended families)...and meanwhile certainly STOP being their military slave always fighting for their greater financial profits at the expense of everyone else on earth (including the American military and taxpayers, of course)
those evil (and very very greedy) rich dictators need us (IF they are going to stay in power)....we do NOT need them...
Yeah, like the coward standing behind you pushing you to fight the bully, there are several Middle East actors who are always willing to hand you their lunch money if only you go out there and beat up the tough guy.
Forget that! Use your own blood money and build your own army and pick up a rifle just like any other country would!
Bunch of cowards.
I’m actually surprised that Iran hasn’t “made nice” with India and sell its natural gas output to that country. India has huge energy demands and getting natural gas cheap from Iran could help India’s economy.
It can’t and won’t.
Consider for a moment...Europe and the Middle East under Putin’s thumb?
What happens if Putin then decides to sanction the United States? No access to Europe, Middle East...
Russia is on the move and has been. ISIS is a Hillary and Obama creation out of the Arab Spring, much like we owned Al-queda.
Yes, we need to get out of the business of ‘proxy war,’ and back to the business of ....Declared War.
This might help.
Why Russia’s relationship with India matters for Europe
http://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_why_russias_relationship_with_india_matters_for_europe379
At an annual bilateral summit in New Delhi, Modi and Putin signed a series of big deals: the state-owned Russian company Rosatom will build 12 nuclear reactors in India; Rosneft agreed to a 10-year, fixed-price contract to provide oil to India; and the two countries will co-operate on the production of 400 Ka-226 military helicopters. The meeting between Modi and Putin illustrated the strength of the relationship between India and Russia – and its potential to undermine the impact of Western sanctions against Russia.
We Americans are truly under-informed on world affairs.
Was Islam mentioned in the article?
5.56mm
I didn’t know this was a secret. It’s the only reason Russia is there, and - what I feel - is why they don’t give a sh!t about Syrian people, civil war or our attacks on the airfields.
As long as the spice flows, Vladimir Von Harkonnen is happy.
I’m just asking, what is Putin’s strategic end other than money? Is that different than Saudi’s strategy? Maybe a little, cause Saudi does have that religious goal.
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