Lutz Kleveman; 'The New Great Game: Blood and Oil in Central Asia'

[reprehensor]

I just finished reading Lutz Kleveman's 'The New Great Game: Blood and Oil in Central Asia' and wanted to recommend it to anyone interested in understanding the complicated geopolitical strategery (sic) afoot in Iraq and beyond.

The dovetailing of rising Fundamentalism, here and abroad, has been an incredible boon to the Neocons who favor militarism and agression above a more nuanced approach to international affairs. This in turn fans the flames of radicals who use American agression to swell their ranks, the repercussions of which will pan out for years.

Instead of boring you with a lengthy review of Kleveman's masterpiece of first-person journalism; here is an equally brilliant article by Kleveman, published in 2004, just like his book, but resonating just as strongly as when it was written.

The question is, how to enlighten American Christians to the fact that their faith has been manipulated on a never-before seen scale to further the ends of the Cheney-Bush Junta, and the real interests they represent.

Oil and the New Great Game

by Lutz C. Kleveman

The Nation magazine, February 16, 2004

Since September 11, 2001, the Bush Administration has undertaken a massive buildup in Central Asia, deploying thousands of US troops not only in Afghanistan but also in the newly independent republics of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Georgia. These first US combat troops on former Soviet territory have dramatically altered the geostrategic power equations in the region, with Washington trying to seal the cold war victory against Russia, contain Chinese influence and tighten the noose around Iran. Most important, however, the Bush Administration is using the "war on terror" to further American energy interests in Central Asia. The bad news is that this dramatic geopolitical gamble involving thuggish dictators and corrupt Saudi oil sheiks is likely to produce only more terrorists, jeopardizing America's prospects of defeating the forces responsible for the September 11 attacks.

The main spoils in today's Great Game are the Caspian energy reserves, principally oil and gas. On its shores, and at the bottom of the Caspian Sea, lie the world's biggest untapped fossil fuel resources. Estimates range from 85 to 219 billion barrels of crude, worth up to $4 trillion. According to the US Energy Department, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan alone could sit on more than 110 billion barrels, more than three times the US reserves. Oil giants such as ExxonMobil, ChevronTexaco and British Petroleum have already invested more than $30 billion in new production facilities.

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So, while the war on terror may not be all about oil, certainly in one sense it should be about just that. A bold policy to reduce the addiction to oil would be the most powerful weapon to win the epic struggle against terrorism. In the short term, this means saving energy through more efficient technologies, necessary anyway to slow the greenhouse effect and global warming. The Bush Administration's old-style energy policies of yet more fossil-fuel production and waste continue in the wrong direction. It is time to realize that more gas-guzzling Hummers on US highways only lead to more Humvees (and American soldiers) near oilfields. What is urgently needed instead-for security reasons-is a sustainable alternative energy policy.

Ultimately, no matter how cleverly the United States plays its cards in the new Great Game in Central Asia and no matter how many military forces are deployed to protect oilfields and pipelines, the oil infrastructure may prove too vulnerable to terrorist attacks to guarantee a stable supply. The Caspian region may be the next big gas station, but, as in the Middle East, there are already a lot of men running around throwing matches.

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Recommended primer: Silk Road Roving.

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