The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) certainly looks like a contrarian organisation of authoritarian countries in opposition to NATO and other US allies (Japan, Australia, Israel etc).

As well as being a powerful collection of oil producers SCO is strong in tems of Russian and (to a lesser extent) Chinese nuclear weapons and conventional military forces.

Future SCO backing of Iran would add to SCO's oil power and a nuclear Iran could also act as SCO's regional agent facing down the power of Israel.

For "amateur sigint" data I've collected concerning Iran's nuclear weapon interests see http://gentleseas.blogspot.com.au/2010/08/iranian-googling-and-amateur-sigint.html .

It remains to be seen whether a strengthened SCO might form fertile ground for a neo-Cold War/bipolar world.

Certainly the US Romney Republicans approaching the November Presidential Elections would stand to gain from kicking the Russian/SCO can.

Pete

I must congratulate OLO for publishing such an honest article.Many are now starting to wake up and not believe our corporate media lies.

It seems the Bilderberg Group ie BMIC ( Banking Military Industrial Complex) has endorsed Mitt Romney to be next president.Romney will be more pro war and try and take on both Syria and Iran.The BMIC have started something they cannot finish.They have stirred both Russia and China who will not back down.

It only takes one nut job with a finger on a button, to precipitate a war of nuclear reprisals, with enough bombs to destroy the world 40 times over.
Oil rich Iran may seem to be getting a sympathetic hearing from expansionary Russia and China?
But it may well find itself very much alone and outcast if it tries to join them as a nuclear armed partner?
But particularly, if the west is smart enough to entirely divest itself from any future reliance on Middle East or Russian oil or gas supplies.
Be the alternatives obtained by conventional means or new endlessly sustainable alternatives. I would plump for the latter, given they will never ever run out?
Rhrosty.

Even better there a safer types of nuclear reactor http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf06.html .

These offer electrical energy on those windless, winter nights (no windpower or solar) when the wealthy Greens wonder why normal folk (who have children) are shivering :)

Planta

Juan Cole on his Informed Comment website recently published a map showing US bases surrounding Iran. Couple that with the ever belligerent comments of Hilary Clinton, the passage of pro-war resolutions against Iran in the US Congress last week; cyber attacks originating in Tel Aviv; the assassination of nuclear scientists; US support for terrorist organisations such as MEK and Jundallah; the wholly unwarranted sanctions regime against Iran; the constant threats and war preparation by Israel; to mention just a few, it is hardly surprising that Iran should seek friends and allies from the SCO.

Two NIE reports concluded unanimously that Iran did not have a nuclear weapons program, yet the propaganda war continues unabated. I do not think that the evidence supports the view that Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapon, but in the light of the above who could be surprised if they did.

It seems impossible to ever get the Australian media or politicians to discuss how it is OK for Israel, a non-signatory to the non-proliferation treaty, to be heavily nuclear armed, and with a long history of attacking its neighbours and occupying their land in defiance of the World Court, the UN General Assembly and the overwhelming weight of world opinion, but not OK for anyone else to take (possible) steps to protect themselves from endless threats of impending attack.

You are spot on James O'Neill.Either our planet wakes up and enters a new Renaissance of human consciousness or we all go to hell in a hand basket of nuclear conflagration.

The elites in the West have ruled with deception and oppression for far too long.They have now painted themselves into a corner with Russia/China smelling their cowardice and weakness.Their psychopathic mentality however,makes them extremely dangerous both to all humanity and themselves.

My compliments to Mr. O’Neil on his analysis of the situation today in the Middle East he is 100% spot on. I have read many comments on this subject and particularly the possible closure of the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping by Iran. The comments have been of a nature that America will not hesitate to blast Iran back to the middle ages. It is obvious that these people have not absorbed the outcome of recent wars in the Middle East.

America V Afghanistan and America V Iraq total American causalities 4,997. America fought to a standstill in both countries. The death of Osama Bin Laden should have heralded an American victory but America was fighting by a totally different agenda which was the building of an oil and gas pipeline traversing Afghanistan and the oil and gas companies demanded American secure the route of the pipeline. America has so far been unable to succeed.

America V Libya an overwhelming victory as France and Britain joined up with America. Oil companies from the West were eager to sign contracts with the new Libyan government at bargain basement prices. Libya was initially seen as the sole American victory but the civil war is stirring up again as the followers of the executed leader, Colonel Qaddafi regroups to take on the pro-western rebels.

Besides President Obama’s obsession with the use of drone missiles which is what escapes as foreign policy in the Middle East he is unfortunately matched with the worst secretary of state that America has seen in a long time. Hillary Clinton has done absolutely nothing other than order sanctions against Iran and Syria. Sanctions it has been shown time and again do not affect the regime in charge but the people.

This insanity could quite quickly spiral out of control. America and Israel show their stupidity by declaring a cyber-war against Iran. A cyber war is a winnable war by the small weak country because all it takes is one extremely intelligent hacker and who knows maybe we will see Israel launch a nuclear attack against America

Oil exports pay for most of the Russian sabre rattling and Iran,s nuclear ambitions?
If peaceful civilian power was the REAL goal, then the world has four times as much thorium, which arguably is much cheaper, and has no worrying weapons spin-offs?
Our best response to all the rising levels of power posturing is to entirely divorce ourselves from any reliance whatsoever, on Middle Eastern or Russian oil!
In order for that to actually happen, we need to stop listening to pro Russian pro Iranian activists, and proceed to explore our own economic zone areas to our immediate north, if only to understand how much wealth and economic independence, we alone are being asked to lock up, even as projects like Canadian tar sands, are being developed!
Some expert opinion, suggests very strongly, we might be locking up hydrocarbon resources, that rival or eclipse entire Middle Eastern reserves?
We lock up these areas and protect them for all time from economic development, and guess what?
We in the west become increasingly reliant on Iranian and Russian oil!
Which in turn provides the revenue streams that in effect progressively threaten European and American/Australian interests.
Sure we should develop alternative energy products and or production. The trillions in export incomes and very much lower carbon products, we the people might be actually contemplating locking up, would pay in full, for all those very alternatives!
Rhrosty.

It makes absolutely no sense whatsoever, to place ourselves at the mercy of potential and or sabre rattling warlike enemies? Our defence is powered by hydrocarbon products!
Diesel, power kero and gas!
We are poised to lock away, carbon reserves, that could rival or even eclipse the entire known Middle Eastern reserves. Reserves, that we own and which when exploited, produce four times less carbon pollution than the fully imported refined products, we increasingly rely on.
We should exploit these resources, which lie to our immediate north, in relatively shallow water. The many mystery oil slicks with no known shipping source, confirm expert opinion, which nonetheless, could be seriously underestimating the probable reserves?
We should/must develop these reserves, particularly if exploration proves the sort of reserves postulated.
Sweet light crude/gas reserves, of the postulated magnitude, would enable us to sign some very long term contracts with India, China and Europe, to end their reliance on Iranian and or, comparatively expensive Russian hydrocarbon products.
The tens of trillions we could earn in the next ten years; given the contemplated reserves, would pay for our own conversion to alternative energy products, and enough production of the same, to supply our then developed markets, with comparable and endlessly sustainable home grown portable energy products.
It's time to stop the endless talk feists and just do something!
Particularly if that something gives us back our total independence in locally produced much lower cost fuel supplies.
There is nothing but political intransigence, that prevents us from thoroughly exploring and drilling the coral sea, for it's probable bonanza of very low carbon, [comparative,] hydrocarbon wealth.
Yes, oil rigs cost around a billion each. But hey, the annual budget nudges 400 billion, and it ought to be possible to find or appropriate the four or five billion, we would need to get some very worthwhile production, which would then pay for any new rigs, expertise, and or expanded production?
Rhrosty.