THIS GROUNDWORK paid off for the U.S. in the aftermath of 9/11. The U.S. immediately set up military “facilities” in the five Central Asian states formerly part of the USSR that would play an important role in the invasion and occupation of Afghanistan. Suddenly, the strongest military on earth had secured a position that greatly furthered its aims–militarily pressuring Iran to the west, and giving the U.S. military a key airbase within short flying times of key cities in both Russia and China.Certainly, control of proposed oil and gas pipelines is a key part of the equation. But what the U.S. is after is even bigger–limiting Russia’s economic, political and military revival, and raising the stakes for China as it attempts to turn its growing economic power into greater political clout. Full article.