Shale Gas in Poland

Timothy Birdnow

The Russians will not be happy about this.
http://www.wbj.pl/article-55960-uk-firm-reports-gas-flowing-from-shale-gas-well-in-poland.html

The best laid plans of mice and Putin. Russia seeks to corner the market on energy, sort of like a Parker Brothers tycoon. That was the reason for the Georgian war a couple of years ago; Europe and the United States were trying to bypass Russia and the Bear's lickspittle lackey without a razor Iran by running the South Caucasus Pipeline aka the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum Pipeline From Azerbaijan through Georgia, our ally.
(The Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline is it's sister, only running oil.) Russia wants to be the only porthole for oil and gas to Europe, and seeks to hold the West hostage to a fuel stoppage. That is why their first target in Georgia was the pipeline.

If Poland can produce natural gas...

Control of energy is power. Energy usage is a measure of wealth (which is why the Left is so desperate to impose Cap-and-Trade and other energy restrictions on the West; they think we live too well and are too powerful) and the power to cut, well, the power makes the holder of the switch untouchable. Russia and Iran have allied to squeeze Europe. They want to be able to do what Russia did to Ukraine, turn off the heat in winter and force them to come crawling.

It is unclear what Russia would do if her plans of energy dominance would fail. It would certainly hurt them economically; energy is the cornerstone of the Russian economy. Shale gas has already had a deleterious effect on the Russian economy. http://tbirdnow.mee.nu/shale_gas_to_weaken_russian_and_iran Would Russia consider some foreign adventure to squeeze her competitors? Would Medvedev and the Riddler (aka Vladimir Putin) perhaps aid Iran in some such action?

Russia invaded Georgia to maintain her monopoly; why do we think they would take this lying down?

That would be Obama's job!