Chris Herz: A lot's happening out there with important implications for Venezuela

VHeadline's Washington DC-based commentarist Chris Herz writes: First is the evident determination on the part of resurgent Russia to end US penetration into the former states of the old Soviet Union.

Apparently the Georgian authorities determined to attack Russian-supported rebels in South Ossetia during the distraction provided by the opening of the Olympic Games. The Russians smartly halted this move militarily and appear to have raised the war to the level of preparing for total occupation of Georgia.

• As of this morning they are ignoring alike Georgian and US requests for a cease-fire.

Much needs to be said here, starting with the late US efforts to bring Georgia inside the NATO treaty. This move was checked by the European nations. But given the presence of many US trainers and suppliers on the Georgian side it hardly seems credible that the invasion of South Ossetia was done without US fore-knowledge, and without probable US assent.

The Caucasus region is important since it is the route for oil and gas from the trans Buku areas to reach the Black Sea, and thus the Mediterranean and Europe. The USA have never hid their interest in depriving Moscow of her historic pre-eminence in this area as well as in the Muslim lands of former Soviet central Asia. Looks like the Russians have now called this bluff too.

If the Russian kleptocracy succeed in driving their US homologies from both the Caucasus and Central Asia, then there is little justification for the US to remain in Afghanistan. Recall, it was US threats, her demands for Afghan territory to build a pipeline from the 'Stans to the Pakistani coast, which induced the Islamist and Taliban governments of those countries to turn Al-Qaeda lose.

Without control of Central Asian oil and gas and a pipeline to the sea, all of Afghanistan with Pakistan thrown in, are not worth the bones of a single South Carolina Marine.

Iraq now is demanding a total withdrawal of all US forces no later than the end of 2010. And the favorable concessions granted the big Western oil companies will last no longer than the departure of the last US Marine. If that happens we must look to our historic imperial hinterlands in Latin America for new territories and resources to conquer. But perhaps we will find Russians there too!

For surely we are not going to live within our own means like ordinary countries!
From the imperial capital

Chris Herz
cdherz44@yahoo.com

____________________________________

Venezuela is facing the most difficult period of its history with honest reporters crippled by sectarianism on top of rampant corruption within the administration and beyond, aided and abetted by criminal forces in the US and Spanish governments which cannot accept the sovereignty of the Venezuelan people to decide over their own future.

HELP US TO KEEP BRINGING YOU THE TRUTH
http://tinyurl.com/n4fg