Someone will be master of the Gulf in ten years. Whom do you prefer, the US or Saddam?
Would you believe US, Turkey, and Israel? :o}
Two important news items from Turkey.
1. Whoever wins the upcoming Turkish National Elections; we now know it won't be Islamist's
2. The Baku-Ceyhan pipeline is now a reality (as predicted by yours truly). This is a huge boost to Turkey as the Turks will now get revenues from the transport of not only Iraqi crude but Caspian crude as well and will give the US another large conduit for crude outside the Persian Gulf. Imo it will also militate much of the economic and political sting to Turkey of the temporary loss of Iraqi oil revenues due to the upcoming Iraq incursion.
Imo US Foreign Policy is now to turn Turkey into a major linchpin in it's activities in the ME. Turkey was important before but will loom ever larger in the future.
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Turkey bars Islamic leader from poll
news.bbc.co.uk
The leader of Turkey's most popular party has been banned from running in November's general election because of his criminal record.
The country's electoral board ruled that Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the head of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party), could not take part because of his conviction on charges of "Islamist sedition".
The board decided by a majority of the votes to reject Erdogan's application to stand in the elections
$3Bln Baku-Ceyhan Pipeline Gets Under Way
themoscowtimes.com
SANGACHAL, Azerbaijan -- U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham joined the presidents of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey on Wednesday for what he called "one of the most important energy undertakings" -- the start of construction of the Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline.
The pipeline from Azerbaijan's Sangachal terminal, 40 kilometers south of the capital Baku to the Turkish Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, has been under discussion for eight years. When completed, it is expected to reduce dependence on Persian Gulf exporters and Russian pipelines.
Abraham, Azeri President Heidar Aliyev, Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze, whose territory the pipeline will cross, participated in Wednesday's groundbreaking ceremony.
"This project guarantees peace, security and stability in the region and still further unites three countries and three peoples," Aliyev said at the opening ceremony.
The 1,760-kilometer pipeline, which will be operated by BP, will carry Caspian energy resources -- the world's third largest -- to a Turkish port en route to Western markets.
It has won strong support from the United States, which is eager to find a more stable energy source outside the sway of the Middle East. Aliyev said Wednesday that U.S. help in championing the pipeline had been crucial. |
