The Pipeline Guardians: NATO, SCO
Author: Kostis Geropoulos
1 September 2008 - Issue : 797
US Vice President Dick Cheney is not famous for his diplomatic skills
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US Vice President Dick Cheney is expected to begin a trip on September 2 to Georgia, Ukraine and Azerbaijan, a move that is likely to irritate leaders in Moscow, who have condemned the United States for siding with Georgia in the South Ossetian conflict. And that’s exactly what Cheney does best. He irritates the Kremlin.
During a trip to Lithuania in May 2006, Cheney accused Russia of “unfairly and improperly” restricting the rights of its people, and of using oil and gas as “tools of intimidation or blackmail” against its neighbours.
It is not yet clear to what extent will Cheney push to get Georgia and Ukraine into NATO. Nevertheless, energy has become an issue of strategic discussions at the Western defence alliance. At recent NATO summits, Washington sought to commit NATO to energy security activities, calling for NATO to guard pipelines and sea lanes. This means NATO members would risk being drawn into long-term military commitments relating to energy.
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