U.S. May Hurt India-Pakistan Peace Efforts

[cal04]

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) - The United States could hurt peace efforts between India and Pakistan by offering civilian nuclear aid to New Delhi and opposing a planned Iranian gas pipeline crossing the subcontinent, analysts say.
Officials from India, Pakistan and Iran were meeting in Tehran on Wednesday to discuss the multibillion-dollar pipeline which has the potential to forge a lasting link between nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan, which have fought three wars.

Analysts say U.S. opposition to the pipeline is aimed at curbing Iran, which Washington says is trying to build nuclear weapons, while the U.S. offer of nuclear aid to India reflects an effort to offset China's growing power in Asia.
But both policies could undermine peace efforts between India and Pakistan, which have rapidly rising needs for energy, the local and international experts said.

It also signals that Washington places its interests in the region above those of sovereign governments, they said.
``This shows the extreme contradictions of the American policy in the region and indicates that it is only looking after its own national interests, which are completely contrary to the interests of other countries,'' said Talat Masood, a former Pakistani general and political analyst. President Bush announced in India this month that America would supply the Asian giant's civilian nuclear program with atomic energy and fuel.

The deal flies in the face of decades of American anti-proliferation policy that has rejected providing atomic aid to countries - like India - thas the same deal, but has instead been given an American cold shoulder, with Bush saying the two countries have ``different needs and different histories.'' Washington has, however, promised to help promote coal, hydroelectric, solar and wind energy here.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-5687016,00.html

[malaise]

1. That is the plan

create more chaos - afterall non-white lives do not count as long as the American agenda is furthered.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. I figured this out yesterday: Chaos makes money.

It's that simple. The * administration go around the world with its pot-stirring campaign and makes money in the process. I would be surprised if they don't have a plan to break up the European Union.

[Javaman]

6. Personally, I think we are seeing the subtle shift away from Pakistan...

The real money for moron* and his room full of dopes is in India. Once our own president for life is sworn in again in 2008 (I know about term limits and the 22th amendment, but since when does moron* pay attention to the constitution?), the full court push will begin on Pakistan.

years ago when all this bullshit started, I made a statement on here saying, "if moron* really wants to fight a war on "terror", then he should go after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Those are the nations that are the hot beds for extreme Islamic fundamentalism. All have oppressive gov'ts, all treat their general pop like shit, all limit freedoms, etc."

But now, moron* has so completely screwed us and the rest of the world with his brand of bullshit, I see this as the last desperate act of someone who knows he's fucked.

[bemildred]

3. Then again, the US could be impotent to do anything about it.

It's so easy to speculate.

[tanyev]

4. No, no, no. He's a uniter, not a divider.

Didn't this reporter get the memo?

[genie_weenie]

5. I think it's a little cheeky

for a UK newspaper to lay blame for Pakistan/India relations on the US!

[Vidar]

7. Spreading the "christian" love.

[0007]

8. Ah yes, it goes hand in hand with Democracy and Capitalism

[MrPrax]

9. Good point...

Leave it to the foreigners to figure it out...

US editorials, if they actually weren't cheerleading, simply mentioned the 'snub' to Pakistan in the context of the effect on US foreign policy and passing off Bush as a peacemaker...ignoring reality of course.

This guy is saying that basically the 'snub' was done on purpose in order to exasperate tensions between the two countries, which has ALWAYS been the cornerstone to US foreign policy since the 60s.