In the Strategic Interest of the United States
By W. Vic Ratsma,

Axis of Logic contributing writer
Sep 13, 2004

The foreign policy of the United States has the two-fold objective
of controlling all regions of the world where energy resources are
found while at the same time attempting to weaken and undermine the
potential rise of another superpower that can some day challenge US
hegemony in the world.

The implementation by the Bush regime in Washington of the program
outlined in the Project for the New American Century (PNAC) implies
that one of their objectives is to prevent the rise of another world
power able to challenge American supremacy in the world.

There are several potential candidates that can some day, alone or in
combination with oneanother, pose such a challenge to the USA. Among
them are a re-invigorated and economically strong Russia with its
large landmass and wealth of natural resources, a rapidly developing
China with its huge population, and the ever expanding European Union
(still a US ally today) with a population base and ecomic strength
rivalling that of the USA.

Although the USA is likely to remain the strongest military power
in the world for a long time to come, and can attempt to impose its
will upon smaller foreign nations by force, America is nevertheless
a very vulnerable country. This is mainly due to its dependence on
foreign energy resources which, were they to be cut off or otherwise
restricted would gravely undermine America’s economic strength. The
simple act of replacing the dollar as the world’s trading currency for
oil and replacing it with the Euro –something Iraq did under Saddam
Hussein — would have grave consequences for the American economy.

Besides world domination, oil dependency is one of the reasons why the
US lists so many parts of the world as being ‘in the strategic interest
of the USA’ and why it continuously gets involved in foreign adventures
involving the CIA and the US military. Wherever there is oil, you will
find America. And solong as the oil flows via US corporations to this
most energy hungry nation in the world, all goes according to plan.

But unfortunately for America, not all nations are so
co-operative. Leaving aside the reasons for the sep. 11 attacks on the
US and why they were allowed to happen, these attacks were definitely
used as the trigger to start the implementation of the PNAC program
through the so-called War on Terror in Afghanistan (where an oil
pipeline to the West is supposed to be built) followed by the war in
Iraq where Saddam Hussein switched the oil trading currency to the
Euro, a step that was being considered by other OPEC nations as well.

But America’s need for oil does not stop in Afghanistan and the Middle
East. Other countries with oil resources outside of the Middle East
are for instance Nigeria, Sudan, Venezuela, and the region around
the Caspian Sea in the southern parts of what used to be the Soviet
Union. Interestingly, all of these regions are in a state of turmoil
and all have a growing foreign, mainly American, presence.

Nigeria rightly ought to be one of the richest countries in the world
but the majority of its people live in poverty and despair. As written
on Oneworld.net (1):

“There is a symbiotic relationship between the military dictatorship
and the multinational companies who grease the palms of those who
rule…”. And further:

“They are assassins in foreign lands. They drill and they kill in Nigeria”.

As for Sudan, recent civil strife has been described by US Secretary
of State Colin Powell as “genocide”, a description not accepted by
other countries. As reported by Afrol News, (2) September 10, 2004,
the UN Darfur vote turns into a scramble for Sudan’s oil. “As the
UN Security Council is debating a US draft resolution on the Sudan
crisis, based on colliding views whether a genocide is or is not
happening in Darfur, the issue of Sudan’s oil is becoming a key
factor. If an oil export embargo is approved, China and India would
lose their influence over Sudan’s vast oil reserves and a Khartoum
regime change would open up these resources to the West. The US is
in favour of sanctions, China is against”.

Powell’s attempts at the UN are America’s two-edged sword. Clearly,
the US is attempting here to exploit the Sudan crisis to its own
advantage while at the same time undermining both India and China, the
latter being one of the potential future challengers to US hegemony.

Venezuela, a substantial supplier of oil to the US, has been under
American pressure since the election of president Hugo Chavez, a
reformer and friend of Fidel Castro. Covert efforts by the CIA to
overthrow Chavez have failed and Chavez’ legitimacy as president has
just recently been confirmed in a national referendum. But that’s
not sufficient reason for the US to stop interfering in Venezuela’s
affairs. Now, the US government seeks to punish Venezuela through
sanctions and the withholding of foreign loans. As Les Blough writes
on Axis of Logic (3):

“President Bush on Friday ordered a partial cut in U.S. assistance to
Venezuela because of its alleged role in the international trafficking
of women and children for sexual exploitation.

“There are no words to contain the sheer arrogance and stunning
hypocrisy of this rationale on the part of a country that winks and
looks the other way while funding the very existence of a country in
which such activity flourishes unchecked. One of the biggest centers
for trafficking women in the world is Israel. On August 18, 2004,
Fox News called Israel a “Human Trafficking Haven”.

But perhaps the greatest turmoil exists around the Caucasus, a region
where the independence struggle in Chechnya is being exploited to
weaken Russia’s influence in its southern territories, while at
the same time furthering US interests. An article published sep
9 in Asia Times (4) sums it up as follows: The interest of the US
in the Caucasus is control over oil supplies from the Caspian Sea,
which involves securing compliant regimes in the southern Caucasus,
including Azerbaijan, where the oil is extracted, and Georgia,
through which the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline will pass. As a consequence
of this dominant interest, the US is also committed to thwarting any
attempt by Russia to expand its influence in the Caucasus. From the
American viewpoint, Russian failure in Chechnya is welcome, as long
as it does not get to the point that Chechnya becomes a base for
Islamic revolution worldwide.

America, while itself engaged in the so-called War on Terror, takes
quite a different position when it comes to terrrorist actions in
the Chechnya region. It provides sanctuary to terrorist leaders like
Ilyas Akhmadov and has suggested Russia negotiate with the terrorists,
something the US itself steadfastly refuses to do. They also suggested
the involvement of the United Nations, yet another step to extend US
influence and undermine Russian authority in their own country.

One can add to this the on-going conflict in the neighbouring country
of Georgia, a former Soviet Republic which is already controlled by
the USA and the most recent announcement by Azerbaijan –itself a
substantial oil producer that serves as a corridor for western access
to the energy-rich Caspian Sea basin and Central Asia — that it has
the right to ‘free its occupied territories’ (the Armenian region
of Nagorno-Karabakh), which is an old dispute apparently about to
be reignited.

Why this Azerbaijani move at this time and who is behind it? Read the
statement by Azerbaijan’s minister of defense as reported on sep 9th
in Azertag.com (5):

“Having mentioned the relations between Azerbaijan and the USA,
the Minister of Defense has noted, that our country relies upon the
United States of America as strategic ally, and continues cooperation
with them in all fields, including in military sphere. The Minister
has expressed concern of our people in connection with the conflicts
proceeding in region, including the Armenia-Azerbaijan, still have
not found its settlement.”

In reply, the deputy commander of the US European Command, Charles
Wald expressing the US attitude to development of military links with
Azerbaijan, has noted, “that the USA attaches great importance to
cooperation with Azerbaijan in military area, and he said cooperation
will extend”.

All of the foregoing indicates the United States’ active pursuit of
the dual objectives of firstly ensuring control of all important areas
in the world where energy resources are found and secondly to weaken
and undermine potential challengers to US hegemony by exploiting
(or fomenting) regional conflicts. For many countries it must be a
curse to have oil resources on their territory. Since Russia is the
largest country in the world and has a wealth of natural resources,
especially in Siberia and the Far East, including huge amounts of
oil and natural gas, and since Russia is also one of the potential
challengers to US world hegemony, it seems unlikely that the Caucasus
region will be the last area within Russia where conflict will arise,
no doubt with compliments of the USA and the covert assistance of
the CIA. Stay tuned.