Pakistan-Iran Go Ahead with the Gas Deal

Despite US objections, Iran and Pakistan have reached a deal to build a multi-billion-dollar pipeline to transport natural gas between the two countries. This was reported by Iranian state television Saturday. The contract will be formally signed next month, the TV station said. More here…

The pipeline is expected to run 2,600 kilometers (1,625 miles) from Iran to Pakistan and should carry 150 million cubic meters (5.2 billion cubic feet) of gas a day.

India was viewed as a potential party to the deal, but has for now stayed away from the contract.

According to the Gulf News: “With the looming fear of a US attack on Iran it is pertinent to reanalyse the US-Iran conflict beyond conventional wisdom. Instead of defusing the crisis by labelling it as a US-Iran affair or specific to the Middle East more emphasis should be placed on international, and more importantly, regional cooperation. Sharing a 564-mile long border Iran and Pakistan could provide that regional cooperation.

“The major tipping points of the 1979 revolution and the terrorist attacks of 9/11 negatively effected geopolitics of the region. If Iran and Pakistan could bury the hatchet and strengthen diplomatic and economic ties they could play key roles as peace brokers between India and Pakistan; and between Iran and the United States.

“Furthermore, four things unite the Iranians and Pakistanis more than common cultural, linguistic and historical links: the hanging sword of a potential US attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities and the role of Pakistan to avert such an attack; Iran’s leverage with India vis-Ã -vis Kashmir; the Baloch insurgency; and bilateral energy trade.”

Meanwhile President George Bush continues to repose full faith in his friend and protege Pakistan’s President General Pervez Musharraf. More here…