Posted on 09/06/2013 8:12:15 AM PDT by qman
Ping
Putin’s playing for keeps.
5/23/13
“Lawrence Solomon: Why Russia is in Syria”
http://opinion.financialpost.com/2013/05/23/lawrence-solomon-why-russia-is-in-syria/
6/28/13
“How Gazprom’s $1 trillion dream has fallen apart”
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/28/us-russia-gazprom-dream-idUSBRE95R0XW20130628
Going through Syria first would still require going through Turkey. Basically to reach the closest significant Natural Gas Tie-point, they go to Ankara in Turkey. I don't see Syria as a real obstacle as it makes little difference in pipeline length. But I don't now the terrain, avoiding mountains could be a reason to go through Syria.
Iraq borders Syria. A pipeline can go to Syria without going through Turkey. But there are definitely geo-political gyrations going on beneath the surface here.
That is part of the reason, but only a part. Obama has been conducting a cold war with Russia ,through Syria, for the past two years. I think that the recent escalation is nothing but an Obama hissy fit over Snowden. Obama was flexing his muscles and posing, but the mirror cracked.
Obama has been supporting the Muslim Brotherhood in the Middle East for five years and he has been shocked that they have not been grateful. The MB demands on Obama have been increasing and Obama was dragging his feet on open capitulation. Instead Obama engaged in a little push back against Al Qaeda for the increased anti-US efforts. But, the Snowden debacle pushed Obama over the edge. Obama was desperately seeking world respect and miscalculated world reaction.
I bet Obama’s aids and advisors have their hands full keeping Obama calm in Russia.
They don't want to sell Natural Gas to Syria, they want to sell it to Europe. That is where the big demand is.
I know. I think that some folks believe Turkey is getting too much control of pipelines from the Caucus and Middle East. They want a separate option via Syria and would build an LNG facility there.
They already have LNG port. The largest cost in Natural Gas transport is the liquification and the vaporization operation. There would be no justification build that pipeline and still convert to/from LNG.
The pipeline is only economic if it avoids going to LNG altogether and stays gas pipeline to pipeline.
Avoiding ship travel around the Saudi Peninsula while still going to LNG does not justify the pipeline.
I think you are missing a larger point. The conflict in the Middle East has evolved into a widening Shiite/Sunni rift. A pipeline from Iran to Syria via Iraq would represent a pipeline beyond the control of Sunni energy powers, and to the Shia that matter more than raw economics. Assad is a Shia Alawite and that minority rules Syria.
To say that we're going to war over a natural gas pipeline is to say that this administration has a reason for its war. I don't think that's at all accurate because I don't think even they know why they're doing it.
Would it not just be easier for Qatar to hook up with the Iraq/Turkey pipeline and just avoid going through Syria altogether?
1) 0bama changes ROE to favor Islamists then surrenders in Iraq
2) 0bama changes ROE to favor Islamists then surrenders in Afghanistan
3) 0bamacare forces churches to promote abortion
4) 0bama promotes homosexuality and same-sex marriage in military
5) Confiscation of Bibles in military and removal of 'Islam' from terror training manuals
6) 0bama asks Mubarak of Egypt to step down
7) Support and funding of the Christian-killer Muslim Brotherhood (church burners) in Egypt
8) Support and funding of Christian-killer 'rebels' (Al Qaeda) in Syria
and so on..
Imagine that,
blood for oil!!!
All of the discussion has been a pipeline from Qatar, not Iran.
I don’t think we will see a pipeline from Iran going through Iraq in our lifetime.
That is an oil pipeline, not natural gas.
Also, essentially all pipeline traveling this route are already going to be running at capacity, even near-term future pipeline not built yet. There is far too much demand and supply and not enough infrastructure in this route.
BTTT
Follow the money, as always.
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