Underlying Reasons for the Raging Syrian War: Competing Natural Gas Pipelines

[KamaAina]

http://www.nationofchange.org/2015/09/27/underlying-reasons-for-the-raging-syrian-war-competing-natural-gas-pipelines/

The country of Qatar has substantial reserves of gas which it badly wants to sell to these European countries, to take the business away from Russia, the current major supplier, and prevent Iran from doing the same in the future. The favored, most expeditious route for the Qatar gas pipeline is via Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Syria, to Turkey and then to Europe. The problem is that Assad, who initially signed off on the routing this pipeline through Syria, did an about face and backed out of the deal.

Quite likely Assad did it because he decided to align himself with the planned development of the competing Iran,-Iraq-Syria pipeline. That move on his part is why many geopolitical experts say that this clash between Syria and Iran (with Russia in the background) on the one side and Qatar/Saudi Arabia and the U.S. on the other, was the main reason why this conflict erupted.

Is it logical to think that competition over a pipeline route could actually cause such a massive war and crisis? Well, many past wars were started over much less important issues; and in this situation the European gas market represents mega-billions of business for whoever is the major supplier and controls the method of delivery....

It’s no secret that Saudi Arabia, because of its wealth and power, is deeply involved with all important issues, including the funding of many terrorist groups that develop in the Middle East. It’s also a fact that Saudi Arabia, whose government has no love for either Syria or Assad, is closely aligned with Qatar in the development of this pipeline.

[MattSh]

1. Yes!

The idea that Syria was all about a noble people trying to overthrow a vicious dictator would make Goebbels proud. Well, it certainly made some American Goebbel wannabes proud.

It's always about money and power.

[G_j]

2. From what I understood,

drought was a major factor.

[dixiegrrrrl]

3. The Reich Wing of our Gov. is still trying to drum up anti-Assad action

but now that Russia has put military in Syria and China is doing the same, there is much gnashing of teeth on our "democratic" shores.

[pampango]

4. Yeah. Thousands of Syrians took to the streets in 2011 to protest a dictator's pipeline choice.

In the old days liberals actually thought people rebelling against repressive dictators actually might deserve liberals' support. Now we shake our heads at the gall those protesters in Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Syria and elsewhere had. Things were calm under their dictators who were the "lesser of two evils" given the terrorist alternative. I don't want to live under a dictator but those folks should have had no such qualms.

[KamaAina]

5. The article is not saying that.

It's postulating that the pipeline issue has helped escalate the situation from mass demonstrations to full-blown war.