Remembering that there is an oil pipeline running from Kirkuk, Iraq to Ceyhan, Turkey, and another pipeline running from Kirkuk, Iraq to Baniyas, Syria, one can see the geostrategic and geoeconomic game unfolding.
Oil companies shipping from the ME to the US have always wanted to avoid the costly Persian Gulf route. Instead, these oil companies have long dreamt of having a cheaper access point in the Mediterranean. Israel has long dreamt of having this access point in Haifa, Israel. However, the strenuous relations with its neighbors has placed Israel outside the bidding process.
Israel would like to replace the Kirkuk, Iraq to Baniyas, Syria pipeline with their own location, i.e. Haifa, especially now that Iraq is under US occupation. Israel feels that Jordan could be coaxed into allowing such a deal.
Russia, meanwhile, has its own ambitions to run its oil out from the Caspian Sea region. Russia and Iran have already made agreements about usage of the Caspian Sea.
Just as of today, Russia and Syria have made an agreement:
http://en.rian.ru/rian/index.cfm?prd_id=159&msg_id=5347266&startrow=1&date=2005-01-26&do_alert=0"On Wednesday Minister Victor Khristenko and Ibrahim Haddad, Oil and Mineral Resources Minister of the Syrian Arab Republic, had a discussion of topical matters of bilateral cooperation in the energy sphere.
They considered the possibility of Russian companies' participation in the tender for realization of the third stage of the Syrian portion of the strategic pan-Arab gas pipeline project (it extends from the Syrian-Jordanian border to Homs in central Syria). The Russian side has voiced interest in participation in another new promising project Palmira Gas."This is a highly important development, when one considers that the Baniyas, Syrian pipeline running from Kirkuk, Iraq is need of some repair. This was even the case prior the invasion of Iraq.
And yet in anoter recent development, Russia appears to be regaining Central Asia, as one can see with the following development:
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/business/articles/eav011905.shtmlThe message from the Kremlin may have been about peace and partnership following signature of a border agreement with Kazakhstan on January 18, but long-term attention promises to be on an energy deal that will furnish Russia with a stake in one of Central Asia’s largest natural gas deposits.
The treaty, signed in Moscow by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kazakhstani President Nursultan Nazarbayev, defines the 7,500-kilometer-long frontier between Russia and Kazakhstan, the world’s longest land border. The document, six years in the making, acts as "confirmation of Russia’s recognition of Kazakhstani sovereignty" Putin told a news conference after the signature ceremony. "It means that people living on either side of the border will feel comfortable," the Russian news agency Novosti quoted Putin as saying.
My guess is that the US and Israel not only wanted to pressure Russia, but also to stir up some trouble between Russia and Syria, especially during the recent talks taking place between Russia and Syria. Neither Russia or Syria took the bait as represented in this press release from their meetings:
http://en.rian.ru/rian/index.cfm?prd_id=160&msg_id=5340175&startrow=1&date=2005-01-25&do_alert=0"When a president goes on a foreign visit, he does not discuss specific arms supplies. We discuss general issues of military and technological cooperation," said Mr. al-Asad.
When asked about a scandal around possible arms supplies of Russian anti-aircraft Iskander-E missiles to Syria, he said that at stake were defense weapons.
"These are defense weapons, air defense, that prevent enemy aircraft from infiltrating our air space. If Israel is against our purchases, it sounds as if it were saying, "we want to attack Syria but we do not want it to be able to defend itself," said Mr. al-Asad.
In addition to the question of oil pipelines, pull out an atlas and one can see why the US placed military assistance to the nation of Georgia sometime after 911.