Iran-Pakistan-India: Laying the ‘Peace Pipeline’

A Natural Gas Pipeline that will connect these three critical nations.

Iran, Pakistan, and India, collectively known as the IPI, are very
close to finalizing the ‘Peace Pipeline’ plan that would drop a
critical natural gas supply line that would run through the three
neighboring countries. As always, there is a catch (or several) - and India is weary of signing on
because of the Price Revision Clause being imposed by Iran that would
base the price of the natural gas on a formula that utilizes Japan’s
gas market as a benchmark. Nevertheless, India’s participation in the
‘Peace Pipeline’ doesn’t seem to matter as much to Iran and Pakistan as
they continue bilateral talks that suggest India’s role as merely an
added bonus that would sweeten the deal. Pakistan’s ambassador to Iran,
Shafkat Saeed, insists that if India rejects the terms of the deal, the
oil will be routed through China instead.

“We have informed Iran that we are prepared to transfer
Iran’s gas to China through this pipeline should India decide not to
join the gas project.” [ Associated Press of Pakistan, Oct 2007 ]

Though India has assured that it will take part in the TAPI (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India) gas pipeline
- it is clear that the TAPI pipeline is not a replacement for the
Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline, and their lack of an absolute decision in
light of U.S. pressure is proof that the IPI pipeline stands to bring
benefit to the Indian economy.

U.S. Threatens Sanctions on Pakistan if they seal the deal with Iran - Who Cares?

Check out this Business Week editorial from June of 2005
that demonstrates the United States’ declining ability to ‘demand’
U.S.-friendly international policies. The U.S. perhaps using scare
tactics, has mentioned that investment sanctions are a possibility for
India and Pakistan should they join hands with Iran on this business
deal - But who’s economies are at stake on a local level? There was a
time when the U.S. could influence just about any nation to favor U.S.
interests - either by the diplomatic efforts of our 20th century leadership or brute force.

Russia doesn’t care.

“Russia’s Gazprom has established a branch office in Islamabad to participate in IPI project (Press TV Iran, Oct. 2007)” Furthermore, Russia’s president Vladimir Putin issued a statement
last week to confirm that he will continue to cooperate with Iran on
their nuclear program, identified as a deadly threat by the United
States.

China doesn’t care.

Chinese officials continue to insist that sanctions are not the solution and will only complicate the situation - and as a permanent U.N. Security Council member they have rejected any and all U.S. involvement in Iran.

And of course…Iran doesn’t care.

Mr. ‘what me worry?’ himself, President Ahmadinejad, is not worried
about U.S. sanctions. As a matter of fact a senior Iranian military
commander has warned that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard will carry out suicide bombings throughout the Persian gulf if “necessary.”