Is 16 Years of War in Afghanistan Really About An Oil Pipeline?

Good evening! This late afternoon, I returned from walking Max and Millie and decided I had a taste for a good cup of strong black tea. My old red and white graniteware kettle has screamed it's whistle, announcing teatime. I recently dropped my old teacup and swept the remnants up, forcing me to replace it. I bought a new one, that I think I like even better.

I am sitting down with my new Walmart yellow ceramic beehive cup, leisurely sipping the deliciously satisfying Bigelow brand of English Teatime black tea. Grandpoppy is watching the MSNBC news broadcast and I am pondering the news possibly contained in the Presidential address scheduled for later tonight on tv.

Is Trump going to lift US sanctions on Russia? Is the war in Afghanistan less about stopping the Taliban from acts of terrorism against America or is it really about ensuring Caspian Sea oil is safely transported to market through the Afghanistan pipeline? My money is betting on following the money trail to get to the truth.

I personally have a high degree of faith and certainty in the core of Trump's defective character and moral compass pointing off kilter to a directional NE, instead of "True North"! Trump's actions have repeatedly proven that he is not interested in altruism or patriotism to defend America. His constant moral companions remain unchanged in his personally motivating values of greed and narcissism. 

The questions regarding his dubious business ties to Russia come into play now, because of his anxious behavior to remove sanctions on Russia and the cloaked details of who stands to gain by removing Russian oil sanctions? Would it reveal the best interest of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin or the American taxpayers collectively? Who will gain and who will lose from Trump removing sanctions and paying private mercenaries in the employ of Betsy De Vos' brother Eric Prince? 

Tonight at 9 P.M., the world will find out, who wins and who loses this global war of foreign economics vs. the democracy of the ordinary, unwitting taxpayers. Is Donald Trump working to enrich himself or the citizens of America? Whose true interest does this President serve?   

The question of hiring Betsy De Vos' brother Eric Prince private mercenaries would prove to be the British metaphor of a sticky wicket, for Trump. 

The history of war in Afghanistan is quite interesting, since it has hinged for decades on economic profit for the countries involved. 

Looking back, we see that Russia had been engaged in war for more than 9 years without success against the Afghani's and finally pulled out, effectively ending their quagmire. 

Then, here we come to wage war with the Taliban, that has lasted for the last 16 years with no end in sight and thousands of lives lost in the nasty process. Shouldn't the cooler heads have prevailed and reviewed the dismal facts about Russia's war in Afghanistan? Shouldn't that have been some kind of sticking point for us to consider the chances of our future success? What have we achieved? Why are we continuing on a losing trajectory following a dusty path that is leading us militarily, no where? 

Why is Trump even considering adding privately paid military mercenaries employed by Eric Prince, that American taxpayers will end up footing the bill for? 

Many Russian detractors have reportedly commented that Russia's involvement was, "A Russian war fought by non-Russians against Afghanistan." The point of the Russian war was reportedly commenced, in order to establish an easy access to the Indian Ocean, through Afghanistan, for a direct and safe route to carry pipeline oil for transport.

Didn't work! Afghanistan allied with Pakistan, Iran and China for help. 

I imagine that in the end, there may be 2 winners, if this scenario should come to fruition. If Trump does hire Betsy's brother Eric Prince to take private contract for the job, the winners would be Eric Prince and Russian oil company Rosneft.

There is even more to consider, Afghanistan has 2 assets: opium and the oil pipeline running from the Caspian Sea. Trump has to get rid of sanctions on oil to pump the oil and then get rid of the Taliban from Afghanistan in order for the oil companies involved to safely lay the pipeline and keep it open, so the oil flows undisturbed, keeping the pipeline clear to ship out to Europe and China, at the nearby ports on the seas and oceans. It would be helpful to remember that Eric Prince has business ties to both Iran and China. Here's a little info below to help illuminate the situation:

The Afghanistan Oil Pipeline was a project proposed by several oil companies to transport oil from Azerbaijan and Central Asia through Afghanistan to Pakistan or/and India. 

In the 90s, the American Unocal Corporation considered in addition to the Trans-Afghanistan Gas Pipeline building also a 1,000 miles (1,600 km) long 1,000,000 barrels per day (~5.0×107 t/a) oil pipeline to link Türkmenabat (former Chardzou), Turkmenistan to Pakistan's Arabian SeaCoast. Through the Omsk (Russia) – Pavlodar (Kasakhstan) – Shymkent – Türkmenabat pipeline, it would provide a possible alternative export route for regional oil production from the Caspian Sea. The pipeline was expected to cost US $2.5 billion. However, due to political and security instability, this project was dismissed.

From Wikipedia:
Disputed theory This section may be confusing or unclear to readers. (June 2011)Some critics have proposed that the motive for invading Afghanistan in 2001 was its importance as a conduit for oil pipelines from Azerbaijan to Afghanistan's neighboring countries.[1] Others have argued that the pipeline was not a significant reason for the invasion of Afghanistan because most western governments and oil companies prefer an export route that goes through the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan then to Georgia and on to the Black Sea instead of one that goes through Afghanistan. Bypassing Russia and Iran would break their collective monopoly on regional energy supplies.[2]Afghanistan Oil Pipeline Location Country: Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan From Türkmenabat Passes through AfghanistanTo Pakistan's Arabian Sea Coast, Runs alongside Trans-Afghanistan Gas Pipeline.

General information:Type oil Owner Unocal Corporation Technical information:Length 1,000 mi (1,600 km)Maximum discharge 1 million barrels per day (~5.0×107 t/a)

Rex Tillerson, former Exxon CEO, has a vested interest in oil, as he was the one in charge who signed contracts with Russia during which time America had already placed sanctions to stop Russia using American oil companies to drill for oil in Russia. Tillerson ignored these sanctions and contracts were signed anyway. According to the New York times article published in 2014:

At Exxon Mobil and Chevron, Refining Businesses Support Earnings 
By CLIFFORD KRAUSS OCT. 31, 2014 
Excerpt from article: 

Citing a 3 percent increase in earnings for the third quarter compared with the same quarter a year ago, Rex W. Tillerson, Exxon Mobil’s chairman, said in a statement that the results “demonstrate the strength of our integrated business model.” 

He added that the integration of refining and chemical production into Exxon Mobil’s business plan “gives us competitive advantages in scale, efficiency, technical and commercial capabilities regardless of market fluctuations over the business cycle.” 

Beyond oil prices, Exxon Mobil and Chevron both face some significant challenges. Exxon Mobil’s drilling in the Russian Arctic is in jeopardy because of Western sanctions after Moscow’s intervention in Ukraine, while Chevron is facing rising costs in its large liquefied natural gas export projects in Australia.

                                        "Boner Appertite!"

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