India Fears Pakistan May Delay Iran Pipeline On US Pressure

[chlamor]

India fears Pakistan may delay Iran pipeline on US pressure

ANUPAMA AIRY

Posted online: Tuesday, March 15, 2005 at 0000 hours IST

NEW DELHI, MARCH 14:  India suspects Pakistan of shifting gears, in response to the pressure being exerted by the United States to go slow on the Iran-India gas pipeline project via Pakistan. Says the ministry of external affairs in its letter to petroleum ministry: “there can be little doubt that the US will be simultaneously exerting similar pressures on Pakistan to go slow on the pipeline project. One thought is that it is quite possible that, in response to US pressure, Pakistan could shift gear and bring forward the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India project and attempt to inject both economic viability and urgency into it.”

Sources said this issue is also likely to figure in the wide-ranging discussions between the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and external affairs minister Natwar Singh. Ms Rice, who will be on a day’s visit, reaches New Delhi on Tuesday and proceeds to Pakistan on Wednesday to discuss a range of bilateral and regional issues.

It remains to be seen how Pakistan responds to US pressures, particularly when it is projecting huge requirements of gas (50 million cubic meters per day) and suggesting that the project is viable even if India does not participate in it. (Pakistan has also suggested that the pipeline could go to China from Multan if India does not join the project). However, as per officials, the recent approval of the Cabinet giving petroleum ministry the go-ahead to pursue negotiations on the Indo-Iran and other pipeline projects, would certainly deprive Pakistan of the excuse to delay the proposal.

http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=85240
 
 

[cliss]

1. Now THIS promises to be interesting.

I will follow this story with interest over the next few weeks. I'd like to see how the US (fading World heavy-weight Champion Hegemon) sizes itself up with the Emerging Powers (The Big Contenders: China, India).

Watch the US throw its weight around, only to retreat, backtrack, flip-flop, change its mind about 50 times. Watch India hover in the background, getting steadily pissed over the developments.

Personal prediction: Pakistan will do whatever Washington tells them to do. After all, Musharraf knows which way his bread is buttered. I wouldn't get in a car with Pervez, though.