"Russian behavior is driven to a large extent by the personal strategies and interests of a few individuals at the very top. There is no overarching geopolitical plan, but a lot of political infighting and short term asset-grabbing strategies."

Up to a point Lord Copper, up to a point.

http://tinyurl.com/6q67mb

and

http://tinyurl.com/5z634a

Briefly "The Putin game plan was no secret, is no secret, it was his Doctorate thesis - "Mineral Natural Resources In The Development Strategy For The Russian Economy." Step by step it has been allowed to take place."

"Marx's pamphlet the "Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte" demonstrates how the class struggle in France forced Napoleon to create himself as head of a state run by the security organs and the bureaucracy.

"Bonapartism" has been used to describe a government that forms when a military, police, and state bureaucracy intervenes to establish order.

Putin is forming a Board of Directors composed of friends and work colleagues, who set the agenda for Russian energy policy and in fact control the country's vast energy resources.

Their influence should not be underestimated.

Their activities should be carefully observed in the West. The recent spat over Ukraine gas supplies emphasises that these guys play hardball."

That was written in Feb 2006

Chris Vernon used to harass for the Joint Energy Security Of Supply Working Group (JESS) - BERR .. who incidentally were obliged to provide reports on "Long Term Security of Energy Supply" the last one was the 7th and Final on ecember 2006
pdf here http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file35989.pdf

See Para 7 Page 7

"22. The aim of the Government’s international energy strategy is to secure a reliable supply of energy into the UK, while reducing the damaging emissions that lead to climate change. This was set out originally in the White Paper “UK International Priorities – a strategy for the FCO” (2 December 2003)."

No explanation has been given (despite asking) why these reports stopped. For texts (pdf) of all the reports issued go here
http://tinyurl.com/5hfc23

Conventional wisdom (an idea of JK Galbraith whose son was US Ambassador to Yugolsavia and was a silent but successful proponent of Serbian ethnic cleansing by General Gotovina and then the 79 days of bombing of Belgrade and it's environs by Wesley Clark etc.,) says that Russia's military incursion into Georgia was an extension of their “energy imperialism” - leaving out as everyone armchair generalist seems to, the symbolic capture of the birthplace of the Father of all the Russias ol 'Uncle Joe.

The Russkis are back. Back in business.

"no overarching geopolitical plan" .. don't believe it. Mr Putin wrote the book.

BTW he was in Tripoli on August 1st with Mr Miller of Gazprom. Gadaffi got his debt written off, cocked a snook at the Yanquis and has a deal to ship his 1.49 trillion cubic metres of natural gas, lifting up production (and income) from current annual production of just 7 billion cublic metres.. plus lots of other deals, railways and ..er... arms modernization and new weapons programme..incluidng interestingly a proposal to ship Nigerian gas across Africa.

Oddly the Western Press missed this jaunt - try Kommersant and more specialist information here

http://tinyurl.com/5d4u7j