Hindustan Times: India to join Afghan-Pak gas pipeline

[PhilipShore]

Hindustan Times
India to join Afghan-Pak gas pipeline
February 20, 2006

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1630896,0008.htm

Ahead of the visit of US President George Bush, India has decided to join the US-backed Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan pipeline.

This is a move to import natural gas to meet the fuel needs of its growing economy.

New Delhi, earlier this month participated for the first time as an "observer" in the 9th meeting of the steering committee of the TAP project.

India, has since then decided to join the $3.5-billion project.

[IndianaGreen]

1. Isn't this the reason why we went after the Taliban?

We could have gone against bin Laden, but we decided we wanted to put our own puppet government in Afghanistan after pipeline negotiations with the Taliban went sour.

DU's archives are full of threads on this topic!

[enigma000]

2. Went to war against the Taliban to provide India with natural gas?

And for Turkmenistan to reap revenue from the sale of its natural gas? No wonder the Indians like the US.

[Solon]

5. No, to give Unocal a pipeline...

One of their advisers is in charge of Afganistan after all.

[enigma000]

6. Just a pipeline? Doesn't seem that much of a prize n/t

[patcox2]

3. So will this pipeline run to the Enron plant in India?

Enron was lobbying the admin hard just prior to going under to help its failing natural gas powered plant in India, and the end of the afghanistan pipeline was supposed to be the india Enron plant.

[BrotherBuzz]

7. Dabhol power plant is now entirely owned by India

General Electric sold it's interest last year. Bechtel, which bought a chunk of Enron's stake sold as well. The plant is a white elephant until a source of cheap natural gas is available, so it's a good guess that the plant will tap into the pipeline.

[Jose Diablo]

4. Motive. n/t