![\"\"](\"http:\/\/streamingradioguide.com\/startingover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/azerbaijan.png\" "\\"azerbaijan\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nAfter the breakup of the Soviet Union, the fomer Republics – especially Kazahkstan were left with very large oil and natural gas deposits – but no way to export them anywhere except by going throgh Russia and giving Russia its “cut” of the profits to get the product to Western Europe and elsewhere.<\/p>\n
The Caspian Sea is just that – it’s a Sea with no outlet to the ocean.\u00a0 While the oil can be put on boats, it sill has to be offloaded somewhere else – and building a large oil tanker for an inland sea with no ocean connections is not trivial.<\/p>\n
Azerbaijan is at the friction point between Islam and Christianity –\u00a0their neighbor Armenia was the target of mass\u00a0killings of civilians\u00a0 at the hands of their Islamaic Ottomoan empire neighbors during the final days of World War I (the War to end all wars).\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
John Batchelor travelled to Kazahkstan about a decade ago as the guest of people who support Israel – Kazahkstan was about to enter a period of great prosperity when the Baku-Tblisi-Ceyhan pipline was to be completed in 2006 and the countries had formed a strong strategic relationship.\u00a0\u00a0 Ceyhan is on the Mediterrean in Turkey, allowing shipment of the oil without needing to pass through\u00a0the Black Sea, which is militarily dominated by Russia.<\/p>\n
While there still needs to be a better way to get the oil over the Caspean Sea itself,\u00a0export of oil\u00a0is now a source of significant wealth in Kazahkstan.\u00a0\u00a0 The Chinese\u00a0 also wanted access to this oil and gas and a pipeline was completed in 2009, which I mentioned here at the time.<\/p>\n
While the “Stans”\u00a0were conquered by Islam, they are not Arabs nor are they Persians (Iranians).\u00a0\u00a0 They do not have the same hatred for Israel as their Arab and Persian nieghbors and have been quiet allies.\u00a0 While 70% of the Kazakhs are followers of Islam, other religions (including Judaism<\/a>)\u00a0have their religions freedom \u00a0protected by the government.<\/p>\n Sources within the Obama administration have “leaked” details that Azerbaijan has quietly been working with Israel as a staging ground for potential future military confrontations with Iran.<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.foreignpolicy.com\/articles\/2012\/03\/28\/israel_s_secret_staging_ground<\/a><\/p>\n (Foreign Policy is a publication of the Washington Post)<\/p>\n Azerbaijan is\u00a0heavily dependent on oil and natural gas for its economy – both its own and the transit of oil from Kazahksan, and has a lot to gain\u00a0from Iran’s oil being kept off world markets.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 This\u00a0“news” of an alliance between Israel and Azehbeijan is not illogical.\u00a0\u00a0 Azerbeijan is closely allied with Turkey, which\u00a0has not been friendly toward Isael the past few month, partly over the development of a natural gas field near Cyprus.<\/p>\n When the fighing\u00a0starts,\u00a0it helps to know who the players are and what their motives are.\u00a0\u00a0 Wars are almost always about access to resources, and access to oil has dominated the past 100 years of war.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" If you’ve listened to John Batchelor for a long time you’re aware of the significance in global politics of Azerbaijan and the oil and natural gas pipeline running through it. After the breakup of the Soviet Union, the fomer Republics … Continue reading