Cheney Wags Finger At A Defiant Russia

(CBS/AP)  U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney assured Azerbaijan on Wednesday of America's "abiding interest" in the region's stability. It was the first stop on a tour of three ex-Soviet republics that are wary of Russia's intentions after its war with Georgia last month.

Russia was watching the trip with suspicion, and a top Russian security official accused Cheney of an ulterior motive: seeking to secure energy supplies in the South Caucasus in exchange for U.S. support.

Cheney met with U.S. Embassy officials and international oil executives before going to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev's residence on the Caspian Sea.

Cheney said the principle of territorial integrity was endangered today, noting that they were meeting "in the shadow of the Russian invasion of Georgia."

He added that U.S. President George W. Bush had sent him with a clear message that the United States had a "deep and abiding interest" in the stability and security of countries in the region.

Azerbaijan has some of the largest oil and gas reserves in the former Soviet Union.

The U.S. vice president later was to go to neighboring Georgia, where Washington is trying strengthen support for President Mikhail Saakashvili's U.S.-allied government, battered by last month's short war with Russia.

Cheney was expected to announce Wednesday a $1 billion economic aid package for Georgia to help the pro-Western former Soviet republic rebuild after Russia's invasion last month.

CBS News producer Alexsei Kuznetsov said Medvedev made the comments in an interview with Italian TV network RAI, aired widely across Russia.

Medvedev's remarks were a response to a question about whether Russia would agree to take part in a mediating conference in Rome, which Saakashvili has agreed to attend

Despite the inflammatory remarks, Medvedev said Russia was willing "to discuss various issues, including those related to post-conflict settlement in this region, including at international floors."

Medvedev said other Baltic states' concerns about their security in the wake of Russia's operations in Georgia were unwarranted, reported Kuznetsov.

"Their concerns about Russia's policy following the Georgia conflict are only a way to keep the political elite in a somewhat exalted state," he told RAI.

Cheney also planned to visit Ukraine, whose Western-leaning governing coalition has been plagued in infighting and growing wariness about Russia's intentions.

The head of Russia's powerful presidential Security Council criticized Cheney's planned tour, saying his real goal was to trade U.S. support for energy supplies in the region, and to make sure these countries had governments sympathetic to Washington.

"Cheney, during his visits to Georgia, Azerbaijan and Ukraine, will try to instill in them confidence that they will receive support of the U.S., and (he) will do it in such a way that the U.S. will continue to wield influence on them," Nikolai Patrushev said during a visit to neighboring Armenia.

Russia's relations with Washington have become increasingly tense. Since the war in Georgia, Russia has boldly asserted its right to exert clout over what it says is its historic sphere of influence - including many former Soviet republics.

Russia has also objected strongly to U.S. plans to place components of a missile defense shield in Poland and the Czech Republic - both former Soviet satellites - as well as to Western support for Kosovo's independence from traditional ally Serbia.

Both Georgia and Ukraine have sought to pull themselves out from under Russia's shadow, pushing for membership in Western structures such as the European Union and NATO - much to Moscow's consternation.

Washington also has courted Azerbaijan, trying to ensure its oil wealth is exported to the West bypassing Russia. Many European capitals are wary of Russia and its vast oil and gas wealth after disruptions in European-bound Russian gas and oil shipments exported via other former Soviet republics.

The U.S. Embassy in Baku said in a statement that Cheney on Wednesday met with local representatives of British Petroleum and Chevron who briefed him on their "assessments of the energy situation in Azerbaijan and the broader Caspian region - especially in light of Russia's recent military actions in Georgia."

Azerbaijan's government has often been criticized by rights groups for heavy-handed treatment of independent media and opposition groups. International observers have said past elections were flawed.

[chimpyout]

Throwing money and weapon at these Black Sea bufords (Georgia boys) is another typical instance of Chimp-Cheney "statesmanship." All it will do is invite international ridicule and opposition and increase our trillion-dollar deficit (legacy to our posterity).

[kohin-2009]

Now that we all know what it is all about, and we heard Republican saying Pallin can handle Russia because she just come from alaska which is next door to Russia(Dumpiest thing I eveer heard), It is time my american friend to restore your credibility so that we can be proud again to be america`s friend not ashamed anymore.

[samsel3]

The August 8, 2004 Moscow News quotes Georgian leader Mikheil Saakashvili: %u201CIf war begins it will be a war between Georgia and Russia, not between the Georgians and Ossetians. %u2026 We are very close to a war [with Russia], the population must be prepared.%u201D

As a result of the above Russia will not shed tears if BTC is sabotaged. It might even clandestinely lend its hand to groups that might do just that. Russia might also team up with Iran in an effort to promote the alternative route southward out of the Caspian to the Persian Gulf.

[samsel3]

November 4, 2004 the IAGS Energy Security reported :

"Much of the stability along the BTC corridor would depend on Russia. Russia is not supportive of BTC. It sees it as a U.S. plot to gain control over the Caucasus and cut all links between Moscow of the former Soviet states, building an economic infrastructure that would prevent the former Soviet states to ever reunite with Russia. Moscow also views BTC as a way to weaken its position as major supplier of oil to the European markets. In a recent article at Asia Times Online, John Helmer refers to the BTC project as an effort %u201Cto redraw the geography of the Caucasus on an anti-Russian map.%u201D

Russia sold it s investment share of the BTC pipeline to Japan before the Iraq invasion.

After loosing Iraqi oil to Operation Iraqi Freedom, they negotiated supplies with Iran. The Russians were not happy with Cheneys BTC pipeline or the Caspian Sea Pipelines project going through Afghanistan. This threatens their economy based on oil & gas.

[samsel3]

Sept. 2, 2008 International Herald Tribune reports:

MOSCOW: Russia and Uzbekistan are to build a new natural gas pipeline across Uzbekistan, strengthening Russia''s bid to establish control over Central Asian gas exports to the West.

Speaking Tuesday in the Uzbek capital Tashkent, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said the pipeline will be built to "serve the growing export potential" of Uzbekistan and neighboring Turkmenistan. He added that the deal will be signed "in the near future.""

Energy-hungry China has also sought a cut of Turkmenistan''s gas wealth, reaching a deal to build a natural gas pipeline that is to come on line in 2009."

[zykracosmos]

The truth is, this is all about control of oil & gas pipelines. The BTC oil pipeline in South Ossetia & the Nabucco natural gas pipeline in NW Georgia supply markets in the European Union.

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Posted by samsel3 at 08:32 AM : Sep 04, 2008
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Samsel13, you are largely correct in your assessment, but a little off in your facts. The BTC pipeline does not go through South Ossetia, but IS located within 35 miles of the border of the region. It is that proximity to what big oil companies consider an "unacceptable risk" to their investments, and that is why Bush/Cheney/Rice loaded up Georgia with military hardware and gave them the green light in July to seize the autonomous region of S. Ossetia. After two days of sniper assault on the capital and 24 hours of mortars and rockets that killed Russian peacekeepers and countless citizens, the Russians struck back, as should have been expected, and now Georgia has lost the rights to these regions- end of story. It IS all about oil, and Cheney is warming up for his primary objective when he returns to Halliburton- expand American interests in the Caucasus region''s oilfields. The sooner this neocon is gone, the better. However, it is certain now that we cannot expect objectivity from McCain, with his "We are all Georgians" speech, a blatant propaganda assault on the American public.

[samsel3]

The truth is, this is all about control of oil & gas pipelines. The BTC oil pipeline in South Ossetia & the Nabucco natural gas pipeline in NW Georgia supply markets in the European Union. In November 2003 the World Bank funded the BTC pipeline to circumvent Russian pipelines supplying europe.

Shareholders in the BTC pipeline are: British Petroleum, AzBTC, Chevron, Statoil, TPAO, ENI, Total, Itochu, INPEX, ConocoPhillips & Amerada Hess.

Russia is the second largest supplier of oil & gas on the planet.
After loosing Iraqi oil to Operation Iraqi Freedom, they negotiated supplies with Iran. The Russians were not happy with Cheneys BTC pipeline or the Caspian Sea Pipelines project going through Afghanistan. This threatens their economy based on oil & gas.

Again it''s the Bush administrations lust for money in World markets for their BIG OIL buddies

[kohin-2009]

mawskarat,it shows how stupid you are and if you believe that even trees will kill jews people you`re dump. I `ve got a muslim friend who tells me that no matters what you believe the only one who judge people is GOD. by the way, the uncle of the prophet was Christian, why the prophet didn`t kill him.when his uncle died, the prophet cried for days. It shows you no matter what you believe, which is a private and personal, we are all human.

[tapsettle]

"Cheney Wags Finger At A Defiant Russia"

.. whilst a laughing Putin demonstrates a finger gesture of his own.

[tapsettle]

Be ashamed - america tortures, and you let it happen. Collectively you elected Bush-Cheney TWICE. What did you expect? You need to start teaching your kids appropriate right from wrong, like you used to, otherwise they will grow up with hollywood ethics electing warmongers over and over again.