As the Israeli’s continue to beat the drums for war with Iran, Russian involvement in ths Islamic Republic is making that option less and less feasible. Alexander Foumin, the head of the Russian Federal Organization of Military and Technical Cooperation has made the announcement (more than once) that Iranian-Russian cooperation will continue, it will increase and that it will lead to a much needed stability in Central Asia and the Caucuses.
The key to Russo-Iranian cooperation is in the strategic but small country of Armenia. Squished between two hostile powers, Turkey and Azerbaijan, she has always looked to Russia for protection against her Islamic neighbors. Iran has joined this security alliance for several reasons: first, because the two Islamic countries that threaten Armenia are supported by the United States and generally follow Washington’s line and second, that containing the American threat to the region is better served by a pro-Russian rather than a pro-Azeri stance. The military build-up of Azerbaijan is aimed at Armenia and, to an extent Russia, and, notably, is being financed by the United States, to a large extent through Israel’s local client, Georgia. The victor in this increasingly tense Caucasian political space will control trillions of dollars in oil and natural gas and has a strong chance of hurting the Russian economy. This battle’s strategic, global significance cannot be overrated.
Armenia is a central player in Russo-Iranian cooperation and the Iranians know it. Russia is Iran’s trump card in its relations with the United States. For their part, the Russian government and military have consistently made the claim that cooperation with the Iranians is far better for world peace than confrontation. An attack on Iran in 2009 is, ipso facto, an attack on both Russian and Armenia.
The nature of Armenian/Russian cooperation with Iran is multiform, but most importantly, it takes the shape of a company called ArmRosGazprom, a joint Armenian-Russian conglomerate that specializes in transporting Iranian natural gas to Armenia, where it is translated into electricity that the Iranians depend upon. Since both Russia and Iran are interested in eliminating Mossad’s influence in the region, this pipeline and translating facility is more than just an economic venture.
Furthermore, the Russians, with this same end in view, have successfully built oil refining facilities for the Iranians in Armenia as well, making the latter country a key player not just in the Caucasus, but in Central Asia and Middle Eastern politics as well.
Even more, the Armenians, Russians and Iranians have also signed a little known contract several months ago so begin exploring the Caucasus Mountains for deposits of Uranium, a contract that has Israel up in arms. The sum total of all this work is to create a Russian-Iranian security corridor that is self-sufficient in energy, weapons and trade, cutting out the American-Israeli-corporate complex that has sought to derail this cooperation through the agency of both Georgia and Azerbaijan, proving that US/Israeli policy knows no religious bounds.
Even more, the sanctions imposed on Iran can and will have no effect, since Russia is acting as Iran’s advocate on the United Nation’s Security Council, and can easily make up for any lost income from American sources. “The Israeli intelligence service, Mossad does whatever within its power to protect Azerbaijan from the threats posed by Iran” so read the chief Azeri newspaper Yeni Musavat back in July of 2008. The story continues by saying, ominously, “It, however, remains undeniably true that the [Azeri] republic has entrusted its security with Mossad in order to stay safe from the Iranian influence and the threat posed by the Islamic Republic [of Iran].”
Even further, the assistant Minister of defense for Iran, Alizra Asgari was kidnaped by Mossad agents working with both the Turkish and Azeri state security units two years ago. The Voice of Southern Azerbaijan is a radio program created by Israeli security beaming Zionist propaganda into Iran. German telecommunications agencies have pinpointed the radio station to be most likely in Israel. Furthermore, since the Azeri’s are a large minority in Iran, Israel’s mobilizing of Azeri nationals within the Islamic republic has become Israeli state policy. “Southern Azerbaijan” is a name given by Mossad to that part of northern Iran that borders Azerbaijan proper, creating a “separatist movement” under Mossad auspices to assist in any action against Iran by western sources. Iranian cultivation of the Azeri’s arch-enemy, the Armenians, is of course, an attempt to counter this. Russia has benefitted since Iran, in exchange for this cooperation, has eliminated its support for the Chechen rebels, allowing the Russians to finally end that war. Mossad has taken over where Iran left off, since Chechnya is part of a major Central Asian/Caucasus pipeline project. BY posing as the “protector of the Chechen nation” Mossad has been attempting to wrench this area away from Russian influence, unsuccessfully as it turns out.
Oil politics is world politics, and it is the case that political power and interest can be traced by following the pipelines, both real and planned. At the moment, the largest field for oil extraction lies in the huge Russian republic of Siberia. The US Geological Survey estimated several years ago a capacity of 144 billion barrels and 1,300 trillion cubic feet of gas. These resources are being contested by two very different firms, the state sponsored Rosneft, and the Israeli-backed TNK-BP, the latter registered in the British Virgin Islands.
It seems that the nature of competition in Russian big business is between firms that are backed by the Rothschild and Israeli interests, and those backed by the Russian state. The TNK underwrites the operations of the violently anti-Russian Carnegie Institute (as did the fallen oligarch Mikhail Khrdorkovsky) and the Royal Institute for International Affairs, parent of the American Council on Foreign Relations.
TNK-BP is a classic oligarchical institution. It is dominated by three Russians of Jewish background, Mikhail Friedman, worth 20,8 billion and sits on the board of the Council of Foreign Relations, Viktor Vekselberg, worth $10 billion, and Leo Blavatnik, who is worth a paltry $7 billion, and who sits on the board of Warner Brothers entertainment. TNK is half-owned by the Rothschild British Petroleum, while the other half is owned by the three mentioned above, who control the Alfa group, an Israeli investment firm.
In fact, the TNK organization is so close to the Rothschild fortune, that Lady Rothschild invited Mr. Blavatkik to a party at 10 Downing Street after Tony Blair’s dismissal to find the former PM a job. At the same time, the debts of TNK are financed occasionally by the Rothschild’s bank holdings.
On the other hand, about 25% of the fields in Siberia are held by the Putin connected Rosneft, controlled by the former head of Putin’s administration Igor Sechnin, who was placed in charge of the Russian state oil firms after the fall of Khodorkovsky. He is considered a Russian nationalist and as such, is criticized in western media outlets. The other major figure in Rosneft is Sergei Bogdanchikov, whose policy, to the chagrin of the Israelis, is to move Russian interests both to Kazakhstan and China. Both are considered Russian patriots, and their politics are completely opposite of the Israeli-backed TNK oligarchy. Therefore, the Siberian oil wars are over petrodollars as well as political ideology.
But the Siberian oil wars are just the beginning. Another battle is heating up since 2005 in the former Soviet Republic of Kazakhstan, a pro-Russian country (40% of its population are Orthodox, the remainder, Islamic) under the popular presidency of Nursultan A. Nazarbayev. The Kazak field at Kurmangazy contains an estimated 1 billion tons of oil. This field, as well as the Caspian sector, is currently being developed by Rosneft. To the outrage of Israel and the US, Nazarbayev gave the former LUKoil contract (which used to be controlled by Israeli interests under Khrdorkovsky) to the more nationalist Rosneft, who is now developing the Kazaki-based pipeline to China, cementing both a political and economic alliance among Russia, Kazakhstan and China. Less than a year later, the international press (e.g. MoneyWeek magazine) was shying investors away from Rosneft as being “too risky.”
This earth shaking agreement was decided in early 2006, and 10 months later, the American media came out with the movie Borat, mocking and attacking the Kazakis as “anti-Semitic” (among other things). Since a major player in TNK-BP sits on the board of Warner Brothers–the firm that released Borat– a clear political connection can be deduced. Kazakhstan paid dearly in the entertainment world for its tilt to Russian interests over US/Israeli interests. Putin, realizing the political and economic connection, banned the film in Russia.
It is generally accepted that the future of petro-politics and the global energy economy is being decided by the alliance of Rosneft, Nazarbayev and China. The fact that the Russian nationalist company received the contract to develop the Kazaki fields is one of the most significant political developments of 2005-2007. Add to this that Kazakhstan is one of the lading suppliers of uranium, the Israeli fears here can be understood.
Throughout these lucrative and significant oil deals, the world’s media, especially the British papers connected to both BP and the Rothschilds (and these interests often intersect), unsurprisingly, Nazarbayev has been called “corrupt” and a “terrorist.” But like most of the politicians who oppose Israel’s interest, such as Putin in Russia, Lukashenko in Belarus and Nazarbayev, they become very popular. For the president of Kazakhstan, since 1992, his popularity has hovered in the 70 to 80% range, depending on the poll, with a remarkable consistency. Though it is no secret as to why: Russian investment in the Kazaki oil fields has led to a prosperous country with an average GNP growth of about 10%, a very high rate that has dipped in recent years with the flattening of oil prices.
While the OSCE and the British papers refer to his rule as “corrupt” and his elections “rigged” (which has become a standard tactic), the Kazaki literacy rate is 99%, the population is growing (including the 30% of the population who are Russians), introduced Proportional representation in parliament, created a 40 billion dollar reserve, created numerous agencies to oversee investment transparency, ended inflation growth and added billion of dollars to the country’s infrastructure, social security and educational fields (e.g., in 2007 alone, there were 76 schools and 23 hospitals opened). To make matters better for that developing country, the president has lowered taxes substantially on small businesses and on investments outside of the petro-chemical industry. All the while, Kazakhstan has become a model for inter-ethnic and inter-religious peace, with the development of a genuine Islamo-Orthodox nationalist movement against Israeli and American interests. Hence, the foreign attacks on the president have fallen on deaf ears inside Kazakhstan.