SUNDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2001
Foreign powers have eyes on Caspian Sea: Iran
TEHRAN: The head of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, commander Rahim Safavi, has charged that foreign powers have their eyes trained on the Caspian Sea, the official IRNA agency said Saturday.
"It seems that with the predicted energy shortfall for next year in Asia, the United States and Japan, the major powers have their eyes trained on the Caspian" Sea, Safavi was quoted as saying in Shaluss, a northern town bordering the Caspian Sea.
"It is quite clear that the results of the changes in the region have drawn the attention of powers (to the Caspian Sea) from both within and beyond the region," he added, while stressing that the sea has "gigantic oil and gas resources."
He said that "the United States and its allies are trying to open a new chapter to strengthen their presence in the region, which will bring on a fierce rivalry between the European powers and the multi-nationals."
Safavi said that "the presence of the Americans in the region was prompted by their desire to dominate central Asia and the Caucusus."
Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who is the commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces, Monday condemned the US-led strikes on Afghanistan and accused the United States of "lying" about its intentions.
Last week, an Iraqi government newspaper also accused the United States of seeking to exploit its war against terrorism to control the Caspian basin.
One of the objectives the United States is trying to achieve under the guise of combatting terrorism is "to control the Caspian Sea region which, according to oil experts, sits on reserves that could make Western industries operate for decades," al-Jumhuriya said.
The region is thought to hold 200 billion barrels of oil and 600 trillion cubic feet of gas.
( AFP )
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