Sunday, April 8, 2007

US Reiterates Opposition To
Iran-Pak-India Pipeline Project

ISLAMABAD, April 7 (Bernama) -- US has reiterated its opposition to the US$7 billion Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline project to bring gas to the Indian sub-continent, but was ready to help Islamabad overcome its energy crisis through "financial and technical support".

Responding to queries on the project, Gordon W. Weynand, a US energy expert and a senior official in the US Agency for International Development (USAID), was quoted by PTI as saying that Washington was against associating the Iranian regime with the IPI gas project and was ready to help Islamabad meet its energy needs.

"Next three years are going to be very difficult and challenging for Pakistan to resolve its energy crisis for which we are ready to offer our financial and technical support," said Weynand, who is on a two-week visit to Islamabad.

The Bush administration, which has declined to sign a civil nuclear pact with Pakistan on the line of the India-US civil nuclear deal, has offered Pakistan financial and technical assistance to overcome its energy shortage.

Weynand said the US had decided to help Pakistan import electricity from Central Asia, especially Tajikistan. The US energy expert said that the World Bank planned to provide financial assistance while the Asian Development Bank would be extending technical support to help Pakistan import 1,000 megawatts of electricity from Tajikistan.

"Our mission is to put together economic growth strategy for Pakistan for the next five years and to see how energy fits into the Pakistani economy," Weynand was quoted Friday by the Dawn daily as saying.

In regard to the security concerns about the Afghan transit route for the energy project, he said: "These are some difficult issues but then we will make sure that every thing goes normal in Afghanistan and Pakistan gets this electricity from Tajikistan and also from Kyrgyzstan."

-- BERNAMA
http://www.bernama.com

Comment:

In my humble opinion, the above news item is reflective of the hidden agenda of the US in the Central and South Asia regions in the 21st century. The agenda are:

To exert the divide-and-rule principles to selected nations. Example: The US “has declined to sign a civil nuclear pact with Pakistan” but had already established one “India-US civil nuclear deal.”

To subtly forced Pakistan to become the reluctant ally of the US in the Central and South Asia regions through various aids and technical assistance.

To block any business deals between Iran and nations in the Central and South regions aimed at marginalizing Iran from spreading its sphere of influence in both regions.

All the above are some of the ways to ensure that the US military, economic and political hegemonies in Central and South Asia, which were indirectly established through the launching of the war against international muslim terrorists in 2001, will remain intact and free from interferences by nations considered as unfriendly to the US.

Therefore, it is interesting to see what will be the ultimate response of Pakistan to such a statement that the US opposes the US$7 billion Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline project to bring gas to the Indian sub-continent. Will Pakistan accept the US offer of "financial and technical support" to help her overcome her energy crisis?

– Ruhanie Ahmad

1 comment:

Mika Angel-0 said...

NUKE IN YOUR BACKYARD

The rich buys their electricity cheap.

How long before alternative fuel comes into the market in a big way? 10 years?

There is talk of clean nuclear power plant!

Pakistan will have more nuclear power generators to satisfiy her energy needs. Built by USA and her Allies.

This is not to be construe as fact as fusion power plant is as good as a nuke bomb in your back yard. See Chernobyl.

Can you defend against a military strike at the power plant and guarantee there is no radioactive fallout?

Who needs a pipeline?