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Title: The War on Lebanon and the Battle for Oil
Source:
GlobalResearch.ca
URL Source: http://www.globalresearch.ca/index. ... CHO20-060726&%20articleId=2824
Published: Jul 26, 2006
Author: Michel Chossudovsky
Post Date: 2006-08-05 07:50:18 by BTP Holdings
Keywords: None
Views: 1811
Comments: 24
by Michel Chossudovsky July 26, 2006 Is there a relationship between the bombing of Lebanon and the inauguration of the World's largest strategic pipeline, which will channel more than a million barrels of oil a day to Western markets? Virtually unnoticed, the inauguration of the Ceyhan-Tblisi-Baku (BTC) oil pipeline, which links the Caspian sea to the Eastern Mediterranean, took place on the 13th of July, at the very outset of the Israeli sponsored bombings of Lebanon. One day before the Israeli air strikes, the main partners and shareholders of the BTC pipeline project, including several heads of State and oil company executives were in attendance at the port of Ceyhan. They were then rushed off for an inauguration reception in Istanbul, hosted by Turkey's President Ahmet Necdet Sezer in the plush surroundings of the Çýraðan Palace. Also in attendance was British Petroleum's (BP) CEO, Lord Browne together with senior government officials from Britain, the US and Israel. BP leads the BTC pipeline consortium. Other major Western shareholders include Chevron, Conoco-Phillips, France's Total and Italy's ENI. (see Annex) Israel's Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Binyamin Ben-Eliezer was present at the venue together with a delegation of top Israeli oil officials. The BTC pipeline totally bypasses the territory of the Russian Federation. It transits through the former Soviet republics of Azerbaijan and Georgia, both of which have become US "protectorates", firmly integrated into a military alliance with the US and NATO. Moreover, both Azerbaijan and Georgia have longstanding military cooperation agreements with Israel. Militarization of the Eastern Mediterranean The bombing of Lebanon is part of a carefully planned and coordinated military road map. The extension of the war into Syria and Iran has already been contemplated by US and Israeli military planners. This broader military agenda is intimately related to strategic oil and oil pipelines. It is supported by the Western oil giants which control the pipeline corridors. In the context of the war on Lebanon, it seeks Israeli territorial control over the East Mediterranean coastline. In this context, the BTC pipeline dominated by British Petroleum, has dramatically changed the geopolitics of the Eastern Mediterranean, which is now linked , through an energy corridor, to the Caspian sea basin: "[The BTC pipeline] considerably changes the status of the region's countries and cements a new pro-West alliance. Having taken the pipeline to the Mediterranean, Washington has practically set up a new bloc with Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey and Israel, " (Komerzant, Moscow, 14 July 2006) Israel is now part of the Anglo-American military axis, which serves the interests of the Western oil giants in the Middle East and Central Asia. While the official reports state that the BTC pipeline will "channel oil to Western markets", what is rarely acknowledged is that part of the oil from the Caspian sea would be directly channeled towards Israel. In this regard, an underwater Israeli-Turkish pipeline project has been envisaged which would link Ceyhan to the Israeli port of Ashkelon and from there through Israel's main pipeline system, to the Red Sea. The objective of Israel is not only to acquire Caspian sea oil for its own consumption needs but also to play a key role in re-exporting Caspian sea oil back to the Asian markets through the Red Sea port of Eilat. The strategic implications of this re-routing of Caspian sea oil are farreaching. What is envisaged is to link the BTC pipeline to the Trans-Israel Eilat-Ashkelon pipeline, also known as Israel's Tipline, from Ceyhan to the Israeli port of Ashkelon. In April 2006, Israel and Turkey announced plans for four underwater pipelines, which would bypass Syrian and Lebanese territory. "Turkey and Israel are negotiating the construction of a multi-million-dollar energy and water project that will transport water, electricity, natural gas and oil by pipelines to Israel, with the oil to be sent onward from Israel to the Far East, The new Turkish-Israeli proposal under discussion would see the transfer of water, electricity, natural gas and oil to Israel via four underwater pipelines. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1145961328841&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull “Baku oil can be transported to Ashkelon via this new pipeline and to India and the Far East.[via the Red sea]" "Ceyhan and the Mediterranean port of Ashkelon are situated only 400 km apart. Oil can be transported to the city in tankers or via specially constructed under-water pipeline. From Ashkelon the oil can be pumped through already existing pipeline to the port of Eilat at the Red Sea; and from there it can be transported to India and other Asian countries in tankers. (REGNUM ) Water for Israel Also involved in this project is a pipeline to bring water to Israel, pumping water from upstream resources of the Tigris and Euphrates river system in Anatolia. This has been a long-run strategic objective of Israel to the detriment of Syria and Iraq. Israel's agenda with regard to water is supported by the military cooperation agreement between Tel Aviv and Ankara. The Strategic Re-routing of Central Asian Oil Diverting Central Asian oil and gas to the Eastern Mediterranean (under Israeli military protection), for re-export back to Asia, serves to undermine the inter-Asian energy market, which is based on the development of direct pipeline corridors linking Central Asia and Russia to South Asia, China and the Far East. Ultimately, this design is intended to weaken Russia's role in Central Asia and cut off China from Central Asian oil resources. It is also intended to isolate Iran. Meanwhile, Israel has emerged as a new powerful player in the global energy market. "Defense Ministry sources point out that a naval base in Tartus will enable Russia to solidify its positions in the Middle East and ensure security of Syria. Moscow intends to deploy an air defense system around the base - to provide air cover for the base itself and a substantial part of Syrian territory. (S-300PMU-2 Favorit systems will not be turned over to the Syrians. They will be manned and serviced by Russian personnel.) Tartus is strategically located within 30 km. of the Lebanese border. Prior to the bombing of Lebanon, Israel and Turkey had announced the underwater pipeline routes, which bypassed Syria and Lebanon. These underwater pipeline routes do not overtly encroach on the territorial sovereignty of Lebanon and Syria. On the other hand, the development of alternative land based corridors (for oil and water) through Lebanon and Syria would require Israeli-Turkish territorial control over the Eastern Mediterranean coastline through Lebanon and Syria. The implementation of a land-based corridor, as opposed to the underwater pipeline project, would require the militarisation of the East Mediterranean coastline, extending from the port of Ceyhan across Syria and Lebanon to the Lebanese-Israeli border. "The Long War" Israeli Prime minister Ehud Olmert has stated that the Israeli offensive against Lebanon would "last a very long time". Meanwhile, the US has speeded up weapons shipments to Israel. There are strategic objectives underlying the "Long War" which are tied to oil and oil pipelines. The air campaign against Lebanon is inextricably related to US-Israeli strategic objectives in the broader Middle East including Syria and Iran. In recent developments, Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice stated that the main purpose of her mission to the Middle East was not to push for a ceasefire in Lebanon, but rather to isolate Syria and Iran. (Daily Telegraph, 22 July 2006) At this particular juncture, the replenishing of Israeli stockpiles of US produced WMDs points to an escalation of the war both within and beyond the borders of Lebanon. Annex The BTC Co. shareholders are: BP (30.1%); AzBTC (25.00%); Chevron (8.90%); Statoil (8.71%); TPAO (6.53%); Eni (5.00%); Total (5.00%), Itochu (3.40%); INPEX (2.50%), ConocoPhillips (2.50%) and Amerada Hess (2.36%). (source BP) © Map by Eric Waddell, Global Research, 2003. (click to enlarge) See related articles: The Militarisation of the Eastern Mediterranean: Israel's Stake in the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline Planned US-Israeli Attack on Iran, by Michel Chossudovsky Is Israel running out of Bombs? New Deliveries of WMD "Made in America" The Replenishing of Israeli WMD stockpiles points to escalation both within and beyond the borders of Lebanon, by Michel Chossudovsky
The War on Lebanon and the Battle for Oil
Israel has a stake in the Azeri oil fields, from which it imports some twenty percent of its oil. The opening of the pipeline will substantially enhance Israeli oil imports from the Caspian sea basin.
But there is another dimension which directly relates to the war on Lebanon. Whereas Russia has been weakened, Israel is slated to play a major strategic role in "protecting" the Eastern Mediterranean transport and pipeline corridors out of Ceyhan.
Russia's Military Presence in the Middle East
Meanwhile, Moscow has responded to the US-Israeli-Turkish design to militarize the East Mediterranean coastline with plans to establish a Russian naval base in the Syrian port of Tartus:
(Kommerzant, 2 June 2006, http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=IVA20060728&articleId=2847
Moreover, Moscow and Damascus have reached an agreement on the modernization of Syria's air defenses as well as a program in support to its ground forces, the modernization of its MIG-29 fighters as well as its submarines. (Kommerzant, 2 June 2006). In the context of an escalating conflict, these developments have farreaching implications.
War and Oil Pipelines
Is this not one of the hidden objectives of the war on Lebanon? Open up a space which enables Israel to control a vast territory extending from the Lebanese border through Syria to Turkey.
Michel Chossudovsky is the author of the international best seller "The Globalization of Poverty " published in eleven languages. He is Professor of Economics at the University of Ottawa and Director of the Center for Research on Globalization, at www.globalresearch.ca . He is also a contributor to the Encyclopaedia Britannica. His most recent book is entitled: America’s "War on Terrorism", Global Research, 2005. To order Chossudovsky's book America's "War on Terrorism", click here.
Revised, 28 July 2006.
For details on th Campaign against the pipeline see http://www.bakuceyhan.org.uk/more_info/bp_pipeline.htm
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#1. To: innieway, loner, scrapper2, omerta, SKYDRIFTER, Kamala, noone222, lodwick, robin, bluegrass, Eoghan, mehitable, Pissed Off Janitor, Cynicom. Tauzero, Zoroaster, Rabble Rouser, HOUNDDAWG, Arator (#0)
PING!
"Madmen in authority, who hear voices in the air, are distilling their frenzy from some academic scribbler of a few years back." Lord Keynes
Hitler gambled everything on reaching the Baku oil fields but fell short. At that time Russia was getting 90 per cent of its oil from Baku. The Baku oil wells date back to at least 5th century BC.
The thing about the bombs we deliver is the flexible payment structure. Our bomb manufacturers guarantee only the safest, most reliable and kilo for kilo the most destructive bombs available on the market today, okay? So, we're talking primo product here. And, the Israelis get emergency door-to-door delivery of these weapons, routed thru the shortest permissible path of friendly countries. (And, there are no additional charges for having to route around otherwise friendly England's airspace. But, this war is dirty business, and...well, you know.) And, Israel doesn't pay a dime until March of 2007, and the loan is interest free for the first two years. And, then when the final balloon payment is due, Israel pays us with a third party out of town post dated check drawn on the US Treasury.
1. According to one of the links in this article (Jewish Post 05/11/06) there's still quite a ways to go to have this idea get the go-ahead so I don't understand what the word "inauguration" means as it relates to the big wig meeting held on July 13. From the 05/11/06 article in th Jewish Post: ....The project, which would likely receive foreign economic backing, is currently undergoing a feasibility study sponsored by the Luxembourg-based European Investment Bank. The proposal comes at a time when accession negotiations are under way for Turkey's future, but still undated, entry into the European Union, and at a period of burgeoning Israeli-Turkish relations... 2. A big part of this oil-water deal, from Turkey's viewpoint, is for the Turks to be accepted into the EU. I don't see that happening any time soon. 3. Speaking of the EU, what's in this Baku oil deal for them - competitive oil pricing because Russia would have to match prices? 4. This deal is scary because it would give Israel unprecedented power and influence what with being a "hub" of fuel commerce ( and ironically so because Israel itself is bereft of oil and natural gas itself).
Informative and thought provoking. I think Chossudovsky knows what he is talking about.
Truthseeker
Marked paid in full and signed by George Bush...
It means the Baku-Tblisi-Ceyhan pipeline is on line and pumping. It has been for a while now, but this was the official opening ceremony.
"Madmen in authority, who hear voices in the air, are distilling their frenzy from some academic scribbler of a few years back." Lord Keynes
I've been keeping an eye on these developments for some time. The underwater pipelines are very expensive. And I've been watching as the BTC pipleline has been built on gone online. At one time there was a quite large special forces detachment assigned to protect the pipeline while it was under construction. Those nasty terrorists had designs on keeping the Zionist Anglo-American axis out of the oil business in the Caspian region, or at least to keep them from getting any oil out. Afghanistan is still not a sure thing either. I wonder if they figure it is more cost effective to bring the world to the brink of nuclear war than to just negotiate in good faith. Oh, how silly of me, the Zionists never negotiate. If they did, they would have to make concessions.
"Madmen in authority, who hear voices in the air, are distilling their frenzy from some academic scribbler of a few years back." Lord Keynes
At that time Russia was getting 90 per cent of its oil from Baku. Hitler had it pegged to cut the Soviet oil supplies and bring Stalin to his knees. His generals screwed it up. The next target should have been to cut the supply lines from Archangel in the north. The Battle of Leningrad threw a monkey wrench into the plans and was the death knell for European culture and civilization.
"Madmen in authority, who hear voices in the air, are distilling their frenzy from some academic scribbler of a few years back." Lord Keynes
Fascists, including of the zionist stripe, are not very good at negotiations, take our ruling elite as a prime example.
Truthseeker
The seige of Leningrad may have thrown a monkey wrench in the hitlerites plans to eliminiate the slavic people, but it was the crushing defeats of the Battle of Stalingrad, and then that following summer the crushing defeat of the nazis by the Glorious Red Army, as it was known in those days, at the Kursk Plateau, where the nazi armor was destroyed, and the soviet drive for Berlin started. Those two battles arguablly won WW2.
Truthseeker
So leave Lebanon and Syria alone! Lots of good links in this article, bookmarked!
"If there’s another 9/11 or a major war in the Middle-East involving a U.S. attack on Iran, I have no doubt that there will be, the day after or within days an equivalent of a Reichstag fire decree that will involve massive detentions in this country." - Daniel Ellsberg Author, Pentagon Papers Thanks for your clarification. I must have experienced a brain misfire ( not enough coffee this morning?) and missed comprehending that the article addresses 2 different types of pipelines - an overland portion( already exists) and an underwater portion( future project between Turkey and Israel). The latter would truly enhance Israel's power and influence because it would become the hub for "switching off" oil, natural gas, and water from Turkey/Caspian Sea to other nearby "Israel-friendly"countries and also avoiding "Israel-unfriendly" countries like Syria and Iran. Now do I have it right?
Good article. They have to be puckering, what with China gettin' all lubed up and joining the party, all the backdoor AIPAC deals are taking a hit.
"Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves." -- William Pitt, 18 Nov 1783
Oh, Senor didn't go to google. What a schmuck, talking about Iraq being a worth it. Well, to him it certainly was, I'm sure his new bride needed no dowry.
"If there’s another 9/11 or a major war in the Middle-East involving a U.S. attack on Iran, I have no doubt that there will be, the day after or within days an equivalent of a Reichstag fire decree that will involve massive detentions in this country." - Daniel Ellsberg Author, Pentagon Papers So leave Lebanon and Syria alone! As BTP pointed out to loner in a response (#8) above, underwater lines will be VERY expensive. Salt water is highly corrosive, so a potential line will have to be something well protected from it's "outside" environment. Pipelines are also eroded from the inside by the material it's carrying. I used to be a pipe/boiler tube welder. I worked a paper mill once that had to replace a line carrying paper fiber from the digesters to the bleach plant. The line had grown so thin new holes were popping up in it almost daily. We put in a ¼ inch thick stainless steel line (stainless known for high resistance to abrasion) and the mill was HOPING the line would last the 4 months it would take before the titanium line they had on order - at a cost of $3000/ft - came in!! So when looking at expense, you not only have to consider the initial expense of putting in the line, but also the maintenance which WILL have to be done. When a line is underwater, performing that maintenance is MUCH more difficult/costly than one above ground. Multiply this cost times 4, since they are looking at 4 lines to carry 4 different products. Whatever they spend on this lopsided war will PALE in comparison to what they would spend on the underwater line proposal - or at least that was thier likely thinking. They NEVER expected HA would pose such a formidable enemy - OR maybe they did, knowing full well the stated objection of completely dismantling HA would "give them the excuse" for (1) total dismantling of Lebanon, and (2) eventually pushing into Syria, as most likely as HA does wear down that is where they will retreat to. Knowing all this, I certainly wouldn't be surprised to learn (if there's a way to ever dig out the truth of the matter) that Mossad and/or CIA were the actual "kidnappers" which this fiasco was based upon.
Thanks, that does clear a few things up.
"If there’s another 9/11 or a major war in the Middle-East involving a U.S. attack on Iran, I have no doubt that there will be, the day after or within days an equivalent of a Reichstag fire decree that will involve massive detentions in this country." - Daniel Ellsberg Author, Pentagon Papers OUTSTANDING INFO!!! Thanks! I knew about the proposed line being the most likely reason of the Afghani attack, but this was new to me. The silt is settling out of the mud, and the water is getting clearer.
yep, she's another in the long line of mouthpieces for the well-heeled.
"Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves." -- William Pitt, 18 Nov 1783
The BTC pipeline is a major coup for the western oil companies since it bypasses the Straits of Dardanelles and also Russian territory. The Straits are a major choke point, similar to the Strait of Hormuz. Turkey has already warned that there is too much tanker traffic traversing this crucial waterway. Bypassing this and ending up in Ceyhan to load oil makes it a much simpler route to European consumers. And Israel has a huge stake in this since, as Chossudovsky points out, they get 20% of their oil from Caspian sources. It would be a much greater coup, financially speaking for the Israelis, if oil which now flows from Gulf sources to Eilat and thence to Israel's Mediterranean refineries and also shipping terminals, if Caspian oil were sent in the same pipeline in reverse flow to South Asia customers. One thing that Chossudovsky did not mention, Egypt has pipelines which go from the port in Suez at the northern tip of the Red Sea to Port Said. Oil could also be reversed in those pipelines as well. But then the Ziocrazies would lose all those transshipping fees, etc. Water is a huge issue and by attacking Lebanon, the Israelis hope to eventually gain control of the water there. Just a subplot to the other issues which are thrust to the forefront, but a vital one as well. The water resources of the Bekaa Valley and the Litani River are much more substantial than those which flow into Gallilee. Turkey would supply Israel with water from the area from which the headwaters of the Euphrates River is found. That is a substantial benefit of the Israeli relationship with the secular government of Turkey, which walks a tightrope in dealing with its Muslim population. Turkey has great economic potential and the Turks have been trying to obtain nuclear power plants for electricity to further these aims. Sucking up to the Israelis and the west is the course they have chosen. Remember, it is the money power which drives all of the corruption and all else we see, including the wars. Here are some maps. http://www.lib.utexas.edu /maps/africa/egypt.gif http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/middle_east_and_asia/lebanon_rel_2000.jpg http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/atlas_middle_east/syria_map.jpg http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/atlas_middle_east/turkey_map.jpg This map shows an inset of Turkish dams, existing and planned, as of 2002 (click on the size indicator to enlarge). "Madmen in authority, who hear voices in the air, are distilling their frenzy from some academic scribbler of a few years back." Lord Keynes
No, it was all a set up. Naturally, being aware of Hezbollah's past actions of grabbing Israeli soldiers to use in prisoner exchanges, what do you think the planners in Mossad would come up with? Even if it meant the sacrifice of a few IDF soldiers at the outset, the Zionists would still get their war, and continue the original plan of Eretz Israel. This includes control over the water and the ability to import oil and gas, unmolested by uppity Arabs. The AEI meeting in Beaver Creek was a convenient place to finalize what had been planned in the war rooms in Tel Aviv in the preceding months.
"Madmen in authority, who hear voices in the air, are distilling their frenzy from some academic scribbler of a few years back." Lord Keynes
PING! Good thread here.
"Madmen in authority, who hear voices in the air, are distilling their frenzy from some academic scribbler of a few years back." Lord Keynes
And yet another which I overlooked - for no good reason, since I've BEEN to Israel. Let me tell ya, all it is is one big parched rock.. I have a funny story about visiting Izzy, but I'll save it for later..
I forgot about the water, that's a good point.
"If there’s another 9/11 or a major war in the Middle-East involving a U.S. attack on Iran, I have no doubt that there will be, the day after or within days an equivalent of a Reichstag fire decree that will involve massive detentions in this country." - Daniel Ellsberg Author, Pentagon Papers
#2. To: BTP Holdings (#0)
Ceyhan-Tblisi-Baku
#3. To: BTP Holdings (#0)
#4. To: BTP Holdings (#0)
Virtually unnoticed, the inauguration of the Ceyhan-Tblisi-Baku (BTC) oil pipeline, which links the Caspian sea to the Eastern Mediterranean, took place on the 13th of July, at the very outset of the Israeli sponsored bombings of Lebanon.
#5. To: BTP Holdings (#1)
#6. To: HOUNDDAWG (#3)
And, then when the final balloon payment is due, Israel pays us with a third party out of town post dated check drawn on the US Treasury.
#7. To: scrapper2 (#4)
1. According to one of the links in this article (Jewish Post 05/11/06) there's still quite a ways to go to have this idea get the go-ahead so I don't understand what the word "inauguration" means as it relates to the big wig meeting held on July 13
#8. To: loner (#5)
Informative and thought provoking. I think Chossudovsky knows what he is talking about.
#9. To: Cynicom (#2)
Hitler gambled everything on reaching the Baku oil fields but fell short.
#10. To: BTP Holdings (#8)
#11. To: BTP Holdings (#9)
#12. To: BTP Holdings (#0)
What is envisaged is to link the BTC pipeline to the Trans-Israel Eilat-Ashkelon pipeline, also known as Israel's Tipline, from Ceyhan to the Israeli port of Ashkelon. In April 2006, Israel and Turkey announced plans for four underwater pipelines, which would bypass Syrian and Lebanese territory.
#13. To: BTP Holdings (#7)
It means the Baku-Tblisi-Ceyhan pipeline is on line and pumping. It has been for a while now, but this was the official opening ceremony.
#14. To: BTP Holdings (#1)
#15. To: omerta (#14)
#16. To: robin (#12)
In April 2006, Israel and Turkey announced plans for four underwater pipelines, which would bypass Syrian and Lebanese territory.
#17. To: innieway, BTP Holdings, loner (#16)
#18. To: BTP Holdings (#1)
#19. To: robin (#15)
his new bride needed no dowry.
#20. To: scrapper2 (#13)
(Edited)
I must have experienced a brain misfire ( not enough coffee this morning?) and missed comprehending that the article addresses 2 different types of pipelines - an overland portion( already exists) and an underwater portion( future project between Turkey and Israel). The latter would truly enhance Israel's power and influence because it would become the hub for "switching off" oil, natural gas, and water from Turkey/Caspian Sea to other nearby "Israel-friendly"countries and also avoiding "Israel-unfriendly" countries like Syria and Iran.
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/middle_east_and_asia/turkey_se_2002.jpg
#21. To: innieway, robin (#16)
Knowing all this, I certainly wouldn't be surprised to learn (if there's a way to ever dig out the truth of the matter) that Mossad and/or CIA were the actual "kidnappers" which this fiasco was based upon.
#22. To: AllTheKings'HorsesWontDoIt (#0)
#23. To: BTP Holdings (#20)
Water is a huge issue and by attacking Lebanon, the Israelis hope to eventually gain control of the water there. Just a subplot to the other issues which are thrust to the forefront, but a vital one as well. The water resources of the Bekaa Valley and the Litani River are much more substantial than those which flow into Gallilee.
#24. To: innieway, BTP Holdings (#23)
Water is a huge issue
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