[Light Speed]

If you get the chance..read Zbigniew Brzenski's CFR work.. "The Grand Chessboard"- American Primacy and its Geostrategic Imperatives.
Clintons mishandling on the "Pipeline" expansion thru several unstable regions may have been a set back..yet the "Afganistan expansion" model has worked exceedingly well ....many "Brand new" U.S. military facilites now appear from the Balkans to Pakistan.

Sure...Russia was given a large "Piece of the action"..large oil and gas contracts to Europe..liquidity city!...yet..the "Nearness" of American corporate power and Military positioning will undoubtadly force Moscow to counter via countries like Iran..Syria and Lebanon.
Its in Russias best interest to "Agitiate" radical Islamic elements in the Gulf..and in the former Muslim Soviet Bloc nations.
Stir the pot....and see what comes of it.