Looks like we know what Pakistan is getting
After the India nuclear deal, I asked the question, "but what is Pakistan getting?" Well, I think we have some partial answers. Today on CNN Blitzer interviewed Musharraf who said that Bush didn't even mention AQ Kahn or anything other than platitudes about democracy in Pakistan.
So, Musharraf gets a completely free hand in opressing his own people. It also looks like he gets this. (BBC)
Musharraf and the participating companies(Musharraf's friends) get to pocket big transit fees, plus, they have the ability to turn off India's fuel supply. Now there's something worth dealing for.
Also, this is a huge Bush backdown, by the way.
So, Musharraf gets a completely free hand in opressing his own people. It also looks like he gets this. (BBC)
President George W Bush has indicated the US has dropped its staunch opposition to a proposed gas pipeline from Iran to India via Pakistan.
Musharraf and the participating companies(Musharraf's friends) get to pocket big transit fees, plus, they have the ability to turn off India's fuel supply. Now there's something worth dealing for.
Also, this is a huge Bush backdown, by the way.
posted by mikevotes at
1:43 PM
2 Comments:
Indeed, I'm astonished that the Indian Government has not considered the likelihood of energy blackmail by a future Islamist regime in Pakistan, should the pipeline be built through Pakistani territory.
There's isn't a lot India could do except cry foul if nuclear armed Pakistan turns off the valves to spite India. What could the west European nations do in the recent Russia-Ukraine gas dispute? Not much except mumble threats of limiting future economic cooperation. India does not have even that leverage with Pakistan, trade with it being practically non-existent.
The only way democratic peace-loving nations will get true energy security is to get over fossil fuel dependence, be it Iranian gas or Saudi oil. That means expanding nuclear collaboration, clean coal technology research, etc.
Yeah, wishful thinking that it will happen anytime soon. But maybe 15-20 years down the line..perhaps things will be quite different.
By
Anonymous, at 4:06 AM
That comment catches my point exactly.
And, like everyone else, I'm for energy independence, but how do you pull it off? Electric cars?
I think the best you can really aim for in a generation is to greatly reduce current imports because you're still going to need huge amounts of hydrocarbons for plastics and fertilizers.
The place to cut, obviously, is in cars and trucks, but if you go full electric, how do you generate the electricity? Nuclear?
I don't know. I don't have an answer.
Mike
By
mikevotes, at 8:25 AM
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