Counterrevolutionary offers some thoughts on a Jim Hoaglund article re: the growing Sovet-American Entente.

"Only a decade after the end of the Cold War, American and Russian leaders move toward an era of global entente that will reduce the strategic influence of Europe, China and Japan on Washington and Moscow."

This is beginning to sink in with the Euros, who are less than happy. Especially given Russia's status as the source & conduit for large amounts of their natural gas and soon, a large fraction of their oil. Fuerthermore, it's a growing dependence. Kyoto should spur gas usage in Europe - it's already doing so in Greece, for instance.

Winds of Change has covered Caspian pipeline politics before, but there are other dimensions in play. Like the EU working to finance pipelines from Caspian sources and Iran via Turkey, whose economic picture and debt load actually looks a lot like Argentia. It's just that Uncle Sam isn't about the let the Turks go under, so you don't hear about it much. Anyway, the Turks just did an EU-backed deal in March with their arch-enemy Greece for a pipeline through to Komotini. This will make exports from Tabriz (Iran) to the EU a lot easier, and the pipeline may eventually be extended to Italy for easier trans-shipment.

Other pipelines are planned via Turkey instead of Russia, but that country's economic woes have stalled most of them. Gazprom and Italian energy firm ENI are nearing completion of a gas line from Russia to Turkey, and the Eurocrats hope the Tabriz pipeline plus a consortium involving BP and Azerbaijan would begin to diversify European supply options as the North Sea begins to wind down over the next quarter century.

Pipeline politics and the quiet tugging as the EU and USA maneuver for advantage isn't a front page story like Iraq. Still, if you want to look at developments that will have far-reaching effects on the international order, this is a subject worth your time and attention. The Winds of Change for many countries will begin to blow around these issues.

UPDATE: No, this does not prove the "Afghani pipeline is why we went to war" canard. Winds of Change has already covered this idea's idiocy. Anyone who would seriously consider investing billions in a pipeline running through Afghanistan, then or now, should be hospitalized immediately.