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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
"Iran just hit the wall"
2008-01-03
Interesting analysis linked by Classical Values.
And read all the way into the comments, especially those by 'M. Simon'. Interesting thesis.
Posted by:Seafarious

#16  OOOOPSIES, forgot to add from TOPIX > ASIA TIMES -A SNEEK PEEK AT A DESERT ARMAGEDDON [Iran vzIsrael/US-Iran]. Should be ARMAGEDDONS, in the plural. Also from TOPIX > THE COMING CHINA-PHILIPPINES-VIETNAM CRISIS OVER THE SPRATLEYS AND SOUTH CHINA SEA. Silly boy, ya though it twas only TAIWAN now, didn't you Moriarity!?
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2008-01-03 22:13  

#15  Comparewid TOPIX > IS DETENTE IMPENDING BETWEEN IRAN AND USA?, + STANDOFFS [Multiple] THREATEN THE ENTIRE ME REGION + DAMASCUS [Syria] MAY HAVE JUST LOST THE ARABS + ANALYSIS: WHY ISRAEL MIGHT HAVE TO STRIKE IRAN SOONER + ISRAELI ARABS REFUSE TO BE COUNTED AS GAZA/PA CITIZENS.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2008-01-03 22:08  

#14  I could be wrong but wouldn't fomenting trouble on the Israeli border cost cash that Iran can't afford?

Yes, and no. Iran already has the assets in place. It'd cost some more, but it'd also be a distraction for the domestic population and a boon to the government (especially if Israel went after Iran). And it would have the effect of putting pressure on the US and Europe.

It's also a fairly good indicator that if Putin isn't working with (or for) the Red Mafia, then it's a fortunate 'alignment of the stars'.
Posted by: Pappy   2008-01-03 21:25  

#13  Besides US$100.0 a barrel oil prices, REDDIT > a 10,000-tonne cargo ship is about to sail using an experimental SOLAR SAIL to power her. Also on the Net - NANO SAIL TECH???

Looks like FUTURIST JAPANESE ANIME, SCI FI/CARTOON CHANNELS, + MORGAN WEBB will get their revenge after all.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2008-01-03 20:56  

#12  1: Iran also shut off gas to Turkey either last year or the year before due to cold domestic temperatures spiking demand to the point where all exportable surplus was burned up keeping warm. Many of the houses in Iran are not insulated like Western homes are and can burn a lot of fuel to heat.

2. Russia will be in a fantastic position in a few years time. They will be raking in a fortune in oil profits, have a MUCH smaller pensioner population to support, in the middle of a new baby boom of their own making at the same time the US government is going broke under the burden of paying pensions to 1/3 of its population.
Posted by: crosspatch   2008-01-03 17:57  

#11  At last count, Iran imported two thirds of its gasoline from Saudi Arabia. Shutting down the country would be a cakewalk.
Posted by: McZoid   2008-01-03 17:27  

#10  I could be wrong but wouldn't fomenting trouble on the Israeli border cost cash that Iran can't afford? I know they want to distract their people but do you really think they have the assets in place and paid for to run any kind of serious distraction without having the logistics and cash to followup?
Posted by: rjschwarz   2008-01-03 16:45  

#9  Expect Lebanese-Israeli border to heat up

That was always part of Iran's strategy, except now it'd be due to internal problems rather than a war.

Along with the 'Hesb'allah option', it's likely that Al Quds forces will be used to create problems for Qatar, the UAE, KSA, etc. as a means to secure internationally-sponsored 'humanitarian supplies' of natural gas.
Posted by: Pappy   2008-01-03 14:05  

#8  Great info! As the man said, Faster, please!
Posted by: Titus Hayes   2008-01-03 13:27  

#7  Who knows Darth maybe our boys got it right. Remember the Siberia CIA pipeline? We might wait for years to find out what is really going on.
Posted by: Icerigger   2008-01-03 07:53  

#6  Whether this is business, or part of a greater plan, it is a perfect opportunity to crank up our psyops in Iran. Increase unrest with anti-mullah tactics and starting causing more gas lines to go haywire. This could really be whipped up into a perfect storm to bring down the government.

Now if only we had the intelligence agency to do it....
Posted by: DarthVader   2008-01-03 06:56  

#5  To me, this means Turkmenistan is either knows something we don't know or is totally stupid considering the trend Iran has been following. Or maybe it's just business, which would suggest that Iran doesn't seem to be able to pay its gas bill. Seems to me Russia didn't trust them to fall too far into arrears a few months ago, either.
Posted by: gorb   2008-01-03 06:36  

#4  Gas shortages = civic unrest. Expect Lebanese-Israeli border to heat up.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2008-01-03 04:20  

#3  Very interesting. Back in the 90s Turkmenistan used to cut off gas exports in the blink of an eye if a former Soviet republic customer was tardy in its payments. This mundane explanation might also be considered.
Posted by: Verlaine   2008-01-03 01:41  

#2  The USSR was broken by a decrease in revenue brought on by an 'agreement' with the KSA, combined with an unsustainable increase in military spending brought on by 'Star Wars' and Afghanistan.
Is this a varaiant on the theme? Make a deal with Turkmenistan to force Iran to either lose revenue or anger the populace, at the same time they are spending unsustainably on military activities in Iraq, Lebanon, and maybe Afghanistan? Realpolitik at work behind the scenes of the Bush democracy proselytization?
Posted by: Glenmore   2008-01-03 00:36  

#1  Interesting commentary about Gazprom and the Red Mafias.
Posted by: Pappy   2008-01-03 00:30  

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