You are herecontent / The Tripolar Chessboard, Putting Iran in Great Power Context
The Tripolar Chessboard, Putting Iran in Great Power Context
From Tomdispatch today, Michael Klare's "The Tripolar Chessboard, Putting Iran in Great Power Context" http://www.tomdispatch.com/index.mhtml?pid=92161
For months, the American press and policy-making elite have portrayed the nuclear crisis with Iran as a two-sided struggle between Washington and Tehran, with the European powers as well as Russia and China playing only supporting roles. Energy and geopolitical expert Michael Klare suggests in his latest piece for Tomdispatch that our media focus is far too narrow. "An informed reading of recent international diplomacy surrounding the Iranian crisis suggests," he writes, "that another equally fierce -- and undoubtedly more important -- struggle is also taking place: a tripolar contest between the United States, Russia, and China for domination of the greater Persian Gulf/Caspian Sea region and its mammoth energy reserves."
In this striking piece, Klare connects various dots that usually remain unconnected, offering us a seldom encountered view of how our world really works. He concludes:
"As the crisis over Iran unfolds, most of the news commentary will continue to focus on the war of words between Washington and Tehran. Political insiders understand, however, that the most significant struggle is the one that remains just out of sight, pitting Washington against Moscow and Beijing in the battle for global influence and energy domination. From this perspective, Iran is just one battlefield -- however significant -- in a far larger, more long-lasting, and momentous contest."
- Login or register to post comments
-
- Email this page
- Printer-friendly version
In New book: On the Trail of a Lion: Ahmed Shah Massoud,
Oil Poilitcs and Terror, Chap 12 Aghanistan Summer-Fall 2002, Pg 159
Only a month or so after I left Afghanistan, a Rand Corporation analyst named Laurent Murawiec gave a briefing to the American Defense Policy Board. It recommended Saudi Arabia be given an ultimatum to either cease funding terrorism or face confiscation of their oil fields and very considerable assets invested in the United States. (110) The view that "there is an Arabia, but it need not be Saudi," was part of the proposal. The briefing concluded with a “grand strategy” for the Middle East, pinning Iraq as the tactical pivot, Saudi Arabia the strategic pivot, and, curiously, Egypt the prize. (111)
(110) Washington Post 6 August 2002.
(111) Kaleem Omar, “Poetic Licence: Exit America’s Prince of
Darkness”; Daily Times Pakistan 1 April 2003.
From: On the Trail of a Lion, Ahmed Shah MAssoud - Oil Politics and Terror, Chapter 1, UAE & Uzbekistan August 1997, pg 9
Most Westerners consider the Silk Road strictly ancient history. Yet less than two hundred years ago, Napoleon Bonaparte sought to control it. Today it is coveted by the USA. American strategy planners are drafting a plan for a major military buildup throughout the Silk Road Corridor, from China all the way to the Mediterranean. The interest centers on Central Asian oil and gas, possibly the most substantial sources left on the planet. The Americans say they need it to maintain their standard of living. They have already gained the upper hand in bidding and now they want to begin constructing the pipelines necessary for its transport. The White House believes in a sovereign right to protect its investment. This is where the military comes in.
Controlling the Silk Road and Central Asian fossil fuel will do more than provide lucrative investment opportunities for the American military/industrial complex. It will keep the precious resource out of the hands of rivals such as Russia and China, crippling the two main countries that stand in the way of US plans for a global empire. Furthermore, the upcoming war on terror (this would not get underway for another four and a half years) will give the US an excuse to deploy thousands of troops right on the doorstep of both nations. And In less than two years the ominously aggressive objectives to control the Silk Road and its oil will be tabled in US congress as The Silk Road Strategy Act.