Russia, China, Iran form common ground

The United States' pipeline diplomacy in the Caspian,which strove to by pass Russia, elbow out China and isolate Iran, has foundered. Russia is now planning to double its intake of Azerbaijani gas, which further cuts into the Western efforts to engage Baku as a supplier for Nabucco. In tandem with Russia, Iran is also emerging as a consumer of Azerbaijani gas.

While the US is distracted by the Middle East ( the needs of Israel) and its Imperial aspirations, the rest of the world is aligning itself in a manner in which the US becomes an inconsequential player. The pipeline through Afghanistan is becoming less and less important to the Central Asian Republics. Khusro