Sunday, June 13, 2010

Iran to Extend IPI Pipeline to Pakistani Border

In yet another signing ceremony, Iran formally committed itself to start supplying Pakistan with natural gas from 2014. Iran also announced that it will start building the next 300-kilometre (187.5 miles) leg of the pipeline from the southeastern city of Iranshahr to the Pakistani border, through the Iranian port of Chabahar.

Iran has already constructed 907 kilometres of the pipeline between Asalooyeh, the main port connected to South Pars field, and Iranshahr.

If the Iranian-Pakistani agreement is executed by 2014, Iran will export more than 21 million cubic meters (742 million cubic feet) of natural gas daily to Pakistan.

India had originally agreed to join the project as well, known as Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) pipeline, but has since withdrawn its participation. IPI project has been discussed for nearly two decades, with many signing ceremonies in between. So far, the construction of Assalooyeh-Iransharh leg of the pipeline has been the only tangible result of those discussions.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

This good from Iran's security perspective as well. Majority of the Pakistani population is very pro-Iran and even the government and their ISI has now stopped giving sanctuary to the US supported terror groups like MKO and Jundollah who previously operating from Pakistani-Baluchistan, particualrly their camps in Khuzder, Chaman and Nuski areas. This infilitration has completely stopped after Iranian F-14's brought down Rigi's plane over the Persian Gulf.

Another interesting note is the recent London School of Economics report on increased Pakistani ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) support for the Afghan resistance. It is quite obvious that the Pakistani establishment is preparing to the Afghan endgame and is now focusing on maintaining its "strategic depth" policy in the post-US Afghanistan and neutralizing Indian gains with Karzai government.

Iranian economic support, particularly in Baluchistan will only increase Iranian influence over Pakistan and its energy dependence on Iran will further create pro-Iran sentiment amongst the Pakistani population. India had backstabbed Iran on several occassions at the IAEA and UNSC and has been stalling on its IPI investment anyway due to US pressure.

This is the right economic and strategic policy for Iran and the region.

Anonymous said...

Report slams Pakistan for aiding Afghan militants

Islamabad 'appears to be playing a double-game of astonishing magnitude'
By Jonathon Burch
Reuters

KABUL - Pakistani military intelligence not only funds and trains Taliban fighters in Afghanistan but is officially represented on the movement's leadership council, giving it significant influence over operations, a report released on Sunday said.

The report, published by the London School of Economics, a leading British institution, on Sunday, said research strongly suggested support for the Taliban was the "official policy" of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI).

Although links between the ISI and Islamist militants have been widely suspected for a long time, the report's findings, which it said were corroborated by two senior Western security officials, could raise more concerns in the West over Pakistan's commitment to help end the war in Afghanistan.

The report also said Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari was reported to have visited senior Taliban prisoners in Pakistan earlier this year, where he is believed to have promised their release and help for militant operations, suggesting support for the Taliban "is approved at the highest level of Pakistan's civilian government."

Anonymous said...

ISI provides SAMS to Afghan resistance

Another deadly turning-point in the conflict was marked last week with the discovery that Taliban had acquired the missiles for downing Western helicopters and low-flying aircraft.

The British Prime Minister David Cameron had to cancel his helicopter flight to the main British base of Camp Bastion on June 12 after receiving intelligence that the Taliban was preparing to shoot it down.
Three days earlier, on June 9, an American Chinook crashed near Sangin in the Helmand Province killing all four US servicemen aboard. It was then that US and NATO commanders first realized that an unknown party had given the Taliban those anti-air missiles and instructed them in their use.

This means that US helicopters can no longer provide ground forces with close air support and must fly at higher altitudes out of missile range.

Anonymous said...

The report, published by the London School of Economics, a leading British institution. This institution has not been correct recently in it's economic forecasting so what makes you think that their politics view is of any use. BTW we tax payers fund this so called institution to excel in economics not politics!

Anonymous said...

Iran should look more to Central Asia republics and leave the Zionist infested European Russia. The republics like Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are Zionist/imperialist creation of Stalin and bear no relation to ethnicity. As the saying goes "My competitor enemies are my friends". Move away from the wholly unreliable Russia, see what they did to their own ethnic type in Yugoslavia!