Wednesday, February 4, 2009

KYRGYZSTAN EVENTS AND OBOOMA LIES


The most current news making headlines is that Russia offered Kyrgyzstan money to oust the US from their present military base necessary for US/NATO Afghan operations.
True enough.

But, there's alot more imperialist economic context that stands behind this isolated news item.

Begin with the following regarding Uzbek, Kyrgyz, Tajik and Russia water, energy and resource development.
FIRST, however, I want to emphasize and EXCERPT one major, overwhelming point before providing the following link with the CURRENT situation:

"....The water dispute dates from the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, when new countries emerged with separate, sometimes conflicting interests.
Prior to that, the constituent Soviet republics existed within a unitary economic system, so that Tajikistan’s and Kyrgyzstan’s power stations were designed to supply the entire Central Asian electricity grid and also regulate water flows to the downstream republics.
In turn, the Tajiks and Kyrgyz would be supplied with oil, gas and coal from Uzbekistan, Kazakstan and Russia.
In the post-Soviet economic order, the Kazaks and Uzbeks began selling their oil and gas on a commercial basis.
Tashkent is now charging the Tajiks and Kyrgyz near world market prices for gas, but it regards water as a free natural commodity and complains when its mountainous neighbouring states withhold it in the crucial growing season in order to fill up their reservoirs and avoid running short of electricity in winter..."
END OF EXCERPT FROM...

http://www.iwpr.net/?p=rca&s=f&o=349823&apc_state=henprca

But, it is not as simple as presented in the article above either in terms of internecine and competing economic interests and imperialist rivalries unleashed in this region by the downfall of the Soviet Union, for whom everybody in their respective roles, including Gorby, got paid millions, if not billions, of dollars.

For this broader context, one must follow an entire series of previous articles done by John Helmer in both mineweb and asiatimes websites regarding Tajikistan President Rahmon and his/their Tajik Aluminum Company, Talco. It is a convoluted affair, involving Russia's oligarchs, Rusal, Norway's Hydro, Tajik President Rahmon, Talco, the Tajik Aluminum Company, EBRD (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development) and a cast of others and offshore entities. As you will see, hydropower is a factor in aluminum production as it is to everything else.

Start with the following Helmer article from 2007.
One SMALL EXCERPT from a VERY DENSE article, below, link following.
The ENTIRE article is MUST reading:

"....Why it would pay Rahmon and Bobokhonov to risk their reputations once more, after getting them blackened through Talco in the first round, becomes clearer, once the role of the EBRD and World Bank to orchestrate the Norwegian takeover of Tajikistan’s aluminium business is understood as part of a general strategy to eliminate Russian influence in the country..."

END OF EXCERPT FROM...

http://johnhelmer.net/?p=155

To recap and add alittle extra to the above, perhaps, in a way that I HOPE will be easy to read/follow, the following link, from MAY, 2008:

http://beyond-the-river.com/?p=112

And, then, you have the option of searching the internet, mineweb and/or asiatimes for Helmer's many background articles mentioned above on this subject, OR, try his blog and work backwards:

http://johnhelmer.net/?cat=14

And, due to current events, while researching the above, I thought I would insert an article for reference written by Helmer in 1992 on the subject of Yeltsin, Russia, the Arab Gulf States, Israel and Iraq relationships. In hindsight, it is quite fascinating.

So, from 1992, and Helmer, "Russia to Ask Arab Sheiks to Pay for Realignment":

http://johnhelmer.net/?p=283

Returning to the present, when Putin/Russia says he/they WANT to cooperate regarding US/NATO Afghan transit, he/they are really saying, he/we are consolidating X number of cards in this region, Kyrgyzstan being one, in a defensive posture and a bargaining chip. Will anything be given in return for cooperation? PERSONALLY, I believe, the answer to that question ultimately is nothing.

And, an end note from United Suckers and Assholes land regarding Nazi Citigroup/Obooma's latest pronouncement about pay limits on executive salaries for firms being bailed out. As usual, it is total, complete bullshit, garbage, PR, posturing, as is EVERYTHING else about him and his/their/our Nazi Citigroup Administration. Here's the truth behind it, again, an EXCERPT from the link following.

MY EMPHASIS IN BOLD:

"...The limit would apply to top-paid executives at the most distressed financial institutions that are negotiating bailout agreements with the federal government. It also would apply to other banks that receive aid, but they could get around the limits by publicizing to shareholders plans to exceed the salary cap.
The limits would not apply retroactively to any bank that received money from the first half of the $700 bailout allocated by Congress. For example, the restriction would not apply to such firms as American International Group Inc., Bank of America Corp., and Citigroup Inc., that already have received such help..."

END OF EXCERPT FROM...

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/090204/bailout_executive_pay.html?.v=17

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