"Catalysts of conflict in Central Asia"

By M. K. Bhadrakumar (a former Indian career diplomat who has served in Islamabad, Kabul, Tashkent and Moscow) in Asia Times online (www.atimes.com)


Abschnitt der Pipeline in Gardabani (copyright Timo Vogt)
http://www.randbild.de/ (Homepage von Timo Vogt)

"With BTC, the geopolitics of the Caucasus and Central Asia are shifting to a new level. [...] Russian military analysts have warned that Washington aims at creating a US-Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey alliance in the region and hopes to rope in Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan as well - and that radars installed in any American bases in Azerbaijan or Georgia could cover Russia's industrial regions in the south of the Urals, which play a vital role in Russia's overall defenses. Russian President Vladimir Putin chose the eve of BTC's opening to convey that "I do not want troops of third countries to be deployed in Georgia after our withdrawal. This would threaten our security and the Georgian partners should understand it ... Nothing requires the immediate or rapid withdrawal of our troops. The Russian side believes that the pressure from the Georgian side is unsubstantiated." The point is Caucasus is a region of "frozen conflicts" [...] The territory of North Caucasus is actually bigger than Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia put together." Read more in Asia Times online ...

Siehe auch: "Die längste Pipeline der Welt"