Chickens Come Home to Roost in Georgia

New American Media by William O. Beeman | Aug. 11, 2008 (Special Report)

Access to Caspian oil was one burning policy goal of all administrations since 1990. The easy route for transport of petroleum products from the region would be through Iran's well developed pipeline system. Literally just a few miles of pipeline would connect the Azerbaijani oil fields to the Iranian system. However, Washington was ready to do almost anything to avoid providing any economic benefit to Iran. Hence, working with U.S. petroleum producers, ... Full Story »

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Chris Finnie
4.1
 by Chris Finnie - Oct. 1, 2008

This is a very mixed piece. On the one hand, it has some fascinating historical information that really puts the Russia/Georgia conflict in perspective. Read it for that. On the other it falls down on the current events, despite the fact that the author has lived and worked in the region for 30 years. He's exactly right about the tensions in the region and some of the reasons behind them. But he's left a few out, such as Russia's need for warm-water ports. He also claims, without any support that these former Soviet republics are among the most corrupt in the world. I can think of at least three that would at least give them a run for their money and wonder how he came to this conclusion. So, while the ending is weak, overall the piece is still well worth a read.

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4.1

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4.2
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5.0
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