http://registan.net/index.php/2007/06/29/the-new-new-not-great-game-continues-apace/ All Central Asia, All The Time Fri, 25 May 2012 03:15:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://registan.net/index.php/2007/06/29/the-new-new-not-great-game-continues-apace/comment-page-1/#comment-375037 Steve LeVine Sat, 30 Jun 2007 14:32:54 +0000 http://www.registan.net/index.php/2007/06/29/the-new-new-not-great-game-continues-apace/#comment-375037 Joshua, an interesting post. I think the U.S. has simply lacked the same drive, shrewdness and local partners that produced Baku-Ceyhan. For all his flaws as an institution-builder, Heydar Aliyev relished taking on the Kremlin, and, along with Shevardnadze, had the canniness and experience to triumph. When the U.S. got behind them, defying the bluster of most of the oil companies and some academics, Aliyev and Shevardnadze also had the leverage. Conversely, the U.S. from the beginning gave in to the absurd pretense by both Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan that they were doing the U.S. a favor by considering a trans-Caspian pipeline spoke. Nazarbayev, Niyazov and now Berdymukhammedov have lacked the vision and courage to suffer the short-term consequences of challenging Russia's position on the sea in exchange for the exponentially higher long-term benefits of obtaining this independent route. I fear now that it may be too late. Steve at www.oilandglory.com Joshua, an interesting post. I think the U.S. has simply lacked the same drive, shrewdness and local partners that produced Baku-Ceyhan. For all his flaws as an institution-builder, Heydar Aliyev relished taking on the Kremlin, and, along with Shevardnadze, had the canniness and experience to triumph. When the U.S. got behind them, defying the bluster of most of the oil companies and some academics, Aliyev and Shevardnadze also had the leverage. Conversely, the U.S. from the beginning
gave in to the absurd pretense by both Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan that they were doing the U.S. a favor by considering a trans-Caspian pipeline spoke. Nazarbayev, Niyazov and now Berdymukhammedov have lacked the vision and courage to suffer the short-term consequences of challenging Russia’s position on the sea in exchange for the exponentially higher long-term benefits of obtaining this independent route. I fear now that it may be too late. Steve at http://www.oilandglory.com

]]> http://registan.net/index.php/2007/06/29/the-new-new-not-great-game-continues-apace/comment-page-1/#comment-375036 Steve LeVine Sat, 30 Jun 2007 14:32:42 +0000 http://www.registan.net/index.php/2007/06/29/the-new-new-not-great-game-continues-apace/#comment-375036 Joshua, an interesting post. I think the U.S. has simply lacked the same drive, shrewdness and local partners that produced Baku-Ceyhan. For all his flaws as an institution-builder, Heydar Aliyev relished taking on the Kremlin, and, along with Shevardnadze, had the canniness and experience to triumph. When the U.S. got behind them, defying the bluster of most of the oil companies and some academics, Aliyev and Shevardnadze also had the leverage. Conversely, the U.S. from the beginning gave in to the absurd pretense by both Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan that they were doing the U.S. a favor by considering a trans-Caspian pipeline spoke. Nazarbayev, Niyazov and now Berdymukhammedov have lacked the vision and courage to suffer the short-term consequences of challenging Russia's position on the sea in exchange for the exponentially higher long-term benefits of obtaining this independent route. I fear now that it may be too late. Steve at www.oilandglory.com Joshua, an interesting post. I think the U.S. has simply lacked the same drive, shrewdness and local partners that produced Baku-Ceyhan. For all his flaws as an institution-builder, Heydar Aliyev relished taking on the Kremlin, and, along with Shevardnadze, had the canniness and experience to triumph. When the U.S. got behind them, defying the bluster of most of the oil companies and some academics, Aliyev and Shevardnadze also had the leverage. Conversely, the U.S. from the beginning
gave in to the absurd pretense by both Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan that they were doing the U.S. a favor by considering a trans-Caspian pipeline spoke. Nazarbayev, Niyazov and now Berdymukhammedov have lacked the vision and courage to suffer the short-term consequences of challenging Russia’s position on the sea in exchange for the exponentially higher long-term benefits of obtaining this independent route. I fear now that it may be too late. Steve at http://www.oilandglory.com

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