US opposes Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline

[IndianaGreen]

US opposes Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline

By Sarath Kumara
9 July 2010

Despite opposition from the US, Pakistan signed an agreement with Iran on June 13 to go ahead with a $US7.6 billion gas pipeline between the two countries that will provide a desperately-needed supply of energy to Pakistan from 2014. The deal cuts across Washington’s efforts to isolate Iran economically through UN Security Council sanctions and its own unilateral penalties against Tehran’s nuclear programs.

The agreement signed between the Iranian Gas Export Company and the Pakistan Inter State Gas Limited will provide 21.5 million cubic metres of gas daily to Pakistan. The pipeline will run from Iran’s large South Pars gas field. Islamabad will carry out a feasibility study over the next year for its section of the pipeline before beginning construction.

US special envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke, has warned that the pipeline agreement could fall foul of Congressional legislation aimed at penalising foreign companies doing business with Tehran, including those engaged in Iran’s energy sector. He told the media on June 20 that it would be “a disaster” if “an agreement was reached which then triggered something under the law.”

The US has been pressing Pakistan since January to drop the plan. India, which was also to have been involved, has already done so. Holbrooke told Petroleum Minister Syed Naveed Qamar the US would assist Pakistan in obtaining Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and electricity from Tajikistan via Afghanistan if it abandoned the Iranian pipeline project. To date, Islamabad has not backed down.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2010/jul2010/paks-j09.shtml

[juajen]

1. So, now, can our troups come home. Pakistan took matters into

their own hands and foiled our plans for TAPI. I believe we've been trumped.

[Hydra]

2. Expect a new surge

I bet Washington is getting annoyed with all of these plan foils that keep coming up :p

[yurbud]

3. why do you think we've said al Qaeda has moved to Pakistan?

[dipsydoodle]

4. Pretty much an obvious thing to do

given their common border.