Posted on 03/22/2007 3:19:30 PM PDT by knighthawk
The United States has informed the Indian government that it is opposed to the building of a pipeline to carry gas from Iran to India via Pakistan, US Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman said.
"During my trip, I have made it clear at the highest levels of the Indian government that the US opposes the development of the Iranian pipeline to India," he said, a private Indian news channel "NDTV" reported here.
Bodman, in India on a three-day official visit, told Dow Jones Newswires in an interview that the US opposition to the project was linked to concerns about Iran's nuclear program.
Asked why the US is opposed to the pipeline, Bodman said, "We believe that Iran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons, and anything that will support that endeavour is something that we oppose." Earlier, US Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman said at a Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) meeting here Tuesday that India's pacts with Iran will not hamper Indo-US relations.
India's Petroleum Minister Murli Deora, who also met Bodman, said the US official did not raise any objections to the seven billion dollar pipeline or the LNG deal that New Delhi is negotiating with Tehran. "There was no opposition on the pipeline... It (pipeline) is in a very initial stage," Deora told reporters here.
Asked whether Bodman raised any objection on India's LNG deal with Iran, he said Washington had nothing to do with it.
India favors diplomatic efforts to resolve the standoff on Iran's nuclear program.
Iran, India and Pakistan are engaged in negotiations to build a pipeline that will supply Iranian gas to Pakistan and India to meet their rapidly growing energy needs.
The proposed 2600-km pipeline will give Iran an additional outlet for its vast natural gas reserves, estimated to be about 812 trillion cubic feet.
The pipeline will cost an estimated eight billion dollars.
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I doubt India is very happy about a gas pipeline which Pakistan can shut off at any time either, but India needs energy.
Can't these countries just say to bad. U.S. can't really say what is right and wrong about what a country does can it? Obviously human rights is one thing, but whether they have a pipe for energy? I guess if I was in the country I would tell the U.S. to mind there own business. I sure would not want a country coming here and giving their opinion as to what we do.
If I were India I'd tell the US to F. O.
Actually, it isn't just the US saying no to the deal. The US is forced to allow transfer to India major nuclear power technologies, to thwart this pipeline deal. Talk on the pipeline comes up everytime the discussions on the nuclear deal slows down.
It is a sort-of F.O message alright, a tempered one with a variable dosage, and multiple use.
This pipeline is still very much at a tentative stage.No government in India will go ahead without thinking a thousand times about a pipeline passing through 2 of the most unstable countries in the world.A lot of practical issues need to be resolved before even a deal is signed.
india and iran have been very good freinds since the beginning
the taj mahal is influenced by their culture muslims in indian came from iran centuries ago
we even train parts of their armed forces in our country a nuke deal and a opposition wont do a thing if the current indian govt looses the power the next ruling party will eventually tell the US to F.OFF
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