SOC Implications

In the August twenty-third edition of The Economist, an article titled The Almaty, Beijing and Moscow brought to my attention that China, Russia, and four central Asian states, had participated in a military exercise. The objective of the exercise was to successfully engage terrorists, and jointly destroy their military presence. A small town was constructed in Russia to represent the terrorists hideouts. The exercise was deemed successful and the six countries of China, Russia, Kazakhastan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan, seemed pleased with the outcome. For the western world, the real question lies in the mindset behind this alliance known as the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation. Recent developments between Russia and the United States pertaining to missile defense systems in Europe have led many to question Russian president Vladimir Putin's new motives. The Economist compares the SCO as an alliance to counter NATO. This may not be a bad accusation since no leaders of the SCO have made an outright denouncement of this theory of counter alliance. The Chinese have also begun discussing plans for an oil-pipeline to travel from Kazakhstan to China. Another pipelione is in the works that would link Europe to Turkministan via Russia. With all of these natural resources in play between the SCO one must question the true need for an alliance. Protection and control of the SCO oil resources is not a wild reason for the formation of a military and political alliance. Another possible motive may be the alliance against the western nations in the event of an Iraq like intervention.