[milkncookies]

Could the "Severnaya" references somehow be linked to the vast oil deposits in the Caspian Sea, not nuclear or shipbuilding? A huge power plant (Severnaya) was recently completed in Azerbaijan.
The Caspian holds the 3rd largest oil reserves in the world, second to Siberia and the Persian Gulf Area.
No doubt we are currently highly dependent on Middle East oil.
OBL, and the Saudis, would like to see us remain dependent on Middle East oil, for different reasons.
A disruption in the flow of oil from the Caspian and preventing our access to that oil would go a long way in achieving that goal.
Now if Russia is in fact pulling OBL's strings, and if the regime in Saudi was to be overthrown and replaced by those sympathetic to Al Qeda and OBL, then we'd be looking at a double jeopardy situation.
Am I reaching? :>)

[milkncookies]

er....make that third only behind Siberia and the Persian Gulf area.