Russia and the Caspian: The New Middle East. Part I in a series
be somewhere around 7 billion barrels of oil and oil equivalents. Pipelines are now being planned and built, with billions of dollars each year at stake. Salt Lake City and the Olympics are small potatoes compared to this.
The Caspian Sea basin will produce much of the oil and natural gas we will use in the next century. It boasts all of the ethnic hatreds, ancient strongman tradition and post-colonial arbitrary borders of the current Middle East. The religious fundamentalism is well on the way. (I suspect there is some relationship, which I will explore in a future article, between an oil boom and religious fundamentalism and social reaction.)
Most importantly, it's all on the front porch of one very interested Great Power. One Great Power which not only could really use the money, but whose political structure is deteriorating to the point where its leaders would be likely to consider even a risky adventure abroad.
Next issue: Where the oil is, where it's going and across whose front porch...and line of fire.
Latest Articles