President Barack Obama is today basking in the glow of being the president who will end what he calls the U.S. “war of necessity” in Afghanistan, which was waged by U.S. president Bush from 2001. Two days ago, Obama, in his important “State of the Union” address, however, mentioned the word “Afghanistan” only four times:

“Tonight, we stand united in saluting the troops and civilians who sacrifice every day to protect us. Because of them, we can say with confidence that America will complete its mission in Afghanistan and achieve our objective of defeating the core of al Qaeda. [applause]

“Already, we have brought home 33,000 of our brave servicemen and women. This spring, our forces will move into a support role, while Afghan security forces take the lead. Tonight, I can announce that over the next year, another 34,000 American troops will come home from Afghanistan. This drawdown will continue and by the end of next year, our war in Afghanistan will be over. [applause]

“Beyond 2014, America’s commitment to a unified and sovereign Afghanistan will endure, but the nature of our commitment will change. We’re negotiating an agreement with the Afghan government that focuses on two missions — training and equipping Afghan forces so that the country does not again slip into chaos, and counterterrorism efforts that allow us to pursue the remnants of al Qaeda and their affiliates.”

The New York Times reported that Obama’s decision to bring U.S. troops home from Afghanistan in 2014 was based on his “careful balancing of political and military requirements.”

But there is one very important fact that both President Obama and the American news companies are not telling us about: a major natural-gas pipeline that cuts through Afghanistan. The Trans-Afghanistan Pipeline (TAP) is seen by the world’s economic powers as the 21st-century continuation of the ancient “Silk Road” trade routes that once linked Asia, Africa and Europe — the pipeline is that important. 2014 is the year that, barring any unforeseen problems, the Trans-Afghanistan Pipeline is expected to finally be completed. Why is this critical fact being left out?

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that the U.S. government and oil industry have been influential for many years in promoting the $7 billion pipeline — a pet project of the mighty Asian Development Bank — which will send natural gas of the Caspian Sea region over a distance of more than 1,700 kilometers (1,000 miles) from Turkmenistan, through Afghanistan and Pakistan and on to India. Influence in the geopolitics of the region (especially concerning the nearby nation of Iran) is certainly a key motivation for the U.S. government here, if not for any financial gain the U.S. oil companies can reap as well.

It is important to remember one thing, as we look back today on the U.S.-led wars that have nearly devastated the countries of Iraq and Afghanistan: that in Iraq, it’s about the natural resources (oil); in Afghanistan, it’s about the flow of natural resources (gas). Either way, the U.S. has intended to control the natural resources of the region and exercise its geopolitical influence there, and has largely succeeded in doing so.

The trans-Afghan gas pipeline, the “New Silk Road of the 21st Century,” is said to be about one year away from picking up where the Silk Road of ancient times left off. How far we have come since those olden times, and how little we have learned today about respecting the natural resources of the Earth itself.

Links:

■ Energy & Capital: “Trans-Afghan Natural Gas Pipeline” [U.S., 2013]

■ Strategic Culture Foundation: “What the Future Holds for the Trans-Afghanistan Pipeline” [Russia, 2012]

■ Journal of Energy Security: “NATO, Post-2014 Afghanistan, and the Energy Dimensions of Security” [U.S., 2012]

■ The Express Tribune: “Gas pipeline: Afghan parliament approves TAPI project” [Pakistan, 2011]

■ The Hindu: “U.S. brings Silk Road to India” [India, 2010]