they're going in

[click image]

Keeping a journal....

[I'm not sure if this means Russia has succeeded in keeping us from buying off Uzbekistan, but it looks like it.]

[If you're new to my theories about this, the deal is: an alternative route through Uzbekistan would mean increasing our presence in the Black Sea, a big sore spot in Russo-American relations, to catch the rails through to Uzbekistan and then down to Afghanistan, skirting transit through Russia altogether and strengthening ties with countries where we want bases to encircle Russia. The more of that *-era crap halted the better. Whereas, a route from Dushanbe in Tajikistan involves our ships arriving in the Baltic, catching the rails through Russia, Kazakhstan and into Tajikistan instead. Compare this map and this map for the general idea. It's an all around better scenario for Russia and her interests and better for those of us who don't want to see this bullshit belligerence against Russia continue. I don't want to throw any buckets of water on it, but, er, these northern routes into Afghanistan didn't prove to be any safer in the Soviet incursion than the Khyber Pass has been for us.]