Iran And The Politics Of Pipelines From The New Republic

Iran And The Politics Of Pipelines

From The New Republic:

Why care about what happens in Iran? There's the prospect of a nuclear arms race in the region--and of Israel initiating a war with Iran to prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons. There's also Iran's major role in Iraq and somewhat less important but still significant role in Afghanistan. Iran could be a force for stability or instability in the most volatile region in the world stretching from Israel and Lebanon on the west to Afghanistan and Pakistan in the east. So what happens there matters.

But there is also another issue that is rarely voiced in American politics, but that is central to Iran's relationship to Europe, and could figure in any attempt to impose sanctions on Iran. That is its natural gas reserves. Central Europe and Eastern Europe currently depend on Russia for their natural gas supplies. And Russia has used its monopoly to intimidate its neighbors and get its way with the EU, as well as to sustain internal moves toward autocracy. So it's very much in the interest Europe--and the United States--for Europe to develop other sources of natural gas.

Read more .... http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs/the_plank/archive/2009/07/10/iran-and-the-politics-of-pipelines.aspx

Many Europeans froze this past winter when the Russian-Ukraine natural gas dispute resulted in a cutoff of gas. The Europeans need energy .... and the consequences be damn. The U.S. may voice their concerns as much as they want .... but it is going to change nothing.