United States to build transatlantic pipeline

By Michael Celik

The Obama administration is considering plans to build a transatlantic oil pipeline in order to strengthen the Atlantic Alliance and to reduce European dependence on Russian oil. An unnamed American official has revealed strategic efforts of the United States to curb power and prestige of the emboldened Russian state, bent on eroding American influence and interests on the European continent.

We bring this exclusive story to our readers in a hurry, so that it can reach them in time for the April fools day. For those who are disappointed that their fairy tale ends here, we apologize. Those who believe in Realpolitik please read on, there is more for you.

In all seriousness, if there were such a pipeline in existence, the flow of oil would undoubtedly be in the direction of the United States and away from Europe. The only oil the United States is famous for is “snake oil” but let us not forget that the United States is interested in everybody else’s oil.

When the Soviet Union broke up and the fear of communism vanished, the United States had to invent new justification for occupying the European continent. There was no obvious common purpose and the EU had to be convinced that its interests are still tied to the American imperialist enterprise. European eastward expansion and colonization and the bombing of Yugoslavia under American direction, were meant to prove that point.

The EU quickly moved to dismantle eastern European economies and establish its banking and economic dominance. Millions of new skilled and underpaid workers were added to the labour pool and new markets for EU products were created. This was all good for European imperialist states but Europe remained resource poor and if the United States were to remain useful, it had to satisfy those needs to.

As world’s largest importer of oil, the US could not supply any oil to the Europeans, but it could use its unparalleled military strength to steal oil resources from other states and supply them to its loyal satellites. American obsession with this objective has dominated US foreign policy ever since the demise of the USSR and is responsible for all the recent American wars, either directly or under their sponsorship. Much of the new oil resources were situated in Soviet Central Asian states and were not easily accessible. Iran was not a politically suitable route for pipelines and Russia was to be avoided as transit route at all cost.

Even though Russia had oil and gas for export and America not, Europe was urged to see America as its energy guarantor. To achieve this dominance over oil resources, the United States had to create or instigate wars in order to carve out favorable political geography. Chechen war was meant to force Russia out of the Caucasus, Georgia fell under American sway and the Azeri oil pipeline made a detour around Armenia to pass through Georgia and Turkey and terminate at Ceyhan just to quench Israel’s thirst for oil. It is now clear that Yugoslavia was broken up, bombed, and Serbia kicked out of her Kosovo to create a safe pipeline route for the EU. Siphoning of Central Asian oil and gas resources necessitated the invention of the “Taliban threat”, Iraqi WMD and other fairy tales. The butchery and the division of Iraq is now complete and the Americans are perched on world’s second largest reserves of oil.

While oil can easily be shipped by tankers, in the case of gas, this is not economically feasible and direct pipelines are essential. It is out of necessity and geographic imperatives that Russia has thus become Europe’s indispensable supplier of natural gas. There also, while theUS can not supply gas toEurope, it has used its influence with the Yushchenko government in Ukraine to sabotage these deliveries on several occasions in order to persuade the Europeans that Russia is not a reliable supplier. Even though this is untrue, there is nobody else who could fill Europe’s need for natural gas.

The Europeans know it and the US is becoming redundant in the process. If the US had another 5 years of Yeltsin in power, they could have at least partially achieved their initial ambitions. Failing a major war, the US is losing the battle for mastery of post Soviet oil and gas resources. By preserving its sovereign rights over energy resources, Russia has strengthened her position and influence and denied America free reign in the region. Moreover, Russia is building alternative gas routes; The North Stream, under the Baltic Sea and The Southern Stream, through the Black Sea will supply northern and southern Europe so that Ukraine’s machinations become ineffectual. Once these gas pipelines are completed and operating, any American pipelines would become redundant and uneconomical.

Europe now has a symbiotic relationship with Russia and it knows it. Its wellbeing and security are based on good relations with Russia and American attempts to create hostility and animosity between the two European entities is based on envy and greed. America’s inability to guarantee resources which she does not own or possess is becoming clear to all, but America’s military might and ability to create bloodshed is an instrument she may resort to in order to destabilize and gain advantage. That kind of behaviour is in keeping with American imperialist traditions. Obama’s administration sees the necessity to engage Iran and take care of the logjam in the region but that will be extremely difficult to accomplish after thirty years of hostility towards that country.

Sending another 17.000 American soldiers next door to Afghanistan will hardly be seen as a friendly gesture. The introduction of American missile installations into Poland and the Czech Republic against the will of these peoples is supposed to revive old fears and chauvinistic rhetoric vis a vis Russia. Yes, wars are terrible and Europe does not need them but there would be fewer of them if the Americans just picked up their military junk and went home. The chances that they will arrive at this idea on their own are nil.

Oil imports > Net (most recent) by country

SOURCE: CIA World Factbook , 28 July 2005