State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland. PHOTO: AFP
"We have serious concerns, if this project actually goes forward, that the Iran Sanctions Act would be triggered," State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said. "We've been straight up with Pakistan about these concerns."
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad launched the construction of a much-delayed section of the gas pipeline with his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari at a ceremony on the border of the two neighbours.
But Nuland added: "We've heard this pipeline announced about 10 or 15 times before in the past. So we have to see what actually happens."
The United States had been seeking alternative plans, saying the move with Iran would take it "in the wrong direction right at a time that we're trying to work with Pakistan on better, more reliable ways to meet its energy needs."
Nuland said the US was "supporting large-scale energy projects in Pakistan that will add some 900 megawatts to the power grid by the end of 2013."
Those projects included renovating the power plants at Tarbela, the Mangla Dam, as well as modernizing others plants and building new dams at Satpara and Gomal Zam, she added.
COMMENTS (28)
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@Mushtaq Bro. Surely you are kidding, aren't you? it creates a picture of any Dark African nation like Sudan or something in my mind. But if it is true than its shame on the face of Humanity, not only Pakistan. However with 20000 population, what you telling is hard to believe.
Gulam Rasool "Kuldeep sharma" New Delhi
Ms. Nulands offer of 900 megawatts is penny-ante stuff. The average western household uses about 20 kilowatts of power. 900 megawatts would supply 45,000 households. Pakistan has a population of 187 million which is growing by nearly 3 million per annum. Obviously, the Pakistan Government has to think somewhat bigger than its US counterpart. The pipeline cost is $1.5 billion, although a US official has said $7.5 billion. However, we know the US get a lot of things wrong don't we? $1.5 billion sounds a lot. It works out at $8.00 per person, and we are not really certain what Pakistan will pay However, spread out over a few years with loan money, it will be a low price to pay for reliable energy.
@Shah (Berlin):
GP65 has a point and as a friend of Pakistan, is pointing out to the strategic mistakes of Pakistan military which lead to Pakistan loosing wars. Both Indian and Pakistan miitaries were trained by the Brits, and todate follow the miitary doctrine of the anglosaxons! They should instead have studied the Romans and the Germanic war tactics which undertake blitzkrieg intrusions into the enemy territory and eliminate all obstacles on their way. This tactic was used by the Taliban force who were able to annhilate the Kashmir resistance, capturing Sirinager and making the Maharaja run for his life. The cat and mouse followed by Pakistan military, Bengal campaign and the great Kargil circus was not a performance of the professional army either--P 65 taunts.
This is history now,the question which comes to mind is that how and when Pakistan current military is going to follow their nuclear "first strike" doctrine.. Hopefully not firing the missile towards kashmir or china, after the Indian miitary has set in motion their airborne military?
Rex Mnor
@gp65: That's what the US thought when it sanctioned Pakistan throughout the 1990s, but eventually had to eat humble pie so that it could invade Afghanistan. Considering that US & NATO wish to have some form of presence in Afghanistan post 2014, Pakistan will have all the leverage it needs.
@Candid 1: "Pakistan really needs to enact a counter-vailing sanctions law, where any country applying sanctions on Pakistan will automtically be subject to sanctions from Pakistan."
Conceptualy sound. But consider the impact which is disparate depending on who is placing the sanctions andwho is the target..
60-70% of Pakistan's exports go to US and NATO allies which would be impacted by US sanction. Not even 0.1% of US exports are to Pakistan which would be impacted by Pakistani sanctions.
30% of your remittances come from US and NATO allies. I do not think they get remittances from their citizens living in Pakistan.
A lot of your current weapons come from US and you rely on them for spares. 0% of US weapons ae manufactured in Pakistan.
Pakistan is in a serious balance of payment crisis where all political parties acknowledge an IMF loan will be necesssary later this year. US and Europe have a big influence on whether it will be approved or not by IMF. PAkistan has no corresponding leverage on US or its NATO allies.
ET: Someone is challenging factual accuracy of what I said. Please allow a fact based rebuttal.
@Shah (Berlin): "@Gp65: underestimate India??????…u live and read the same newspapers as we all here right…!!! or there is a special Pakistani corner in India times which boggus news".
I don't know what you read. Here is what I have read. General Shahid just recently said that Pakistan had completely underestimated India's response to Kargill. IT is a well documented fact that when Ayub Khan attacked Kashmir in 1965, he underestimated India's response and never anticipated that India could open up the Punjab border - an escalation that Pakistan was not prepared for.
The IP pipeline is crucial for Pakistan, it is the only way that Pakistan can access sufficient quantities of gas at a reasonable price. The so-called alternatives being pushed by the US, LNG and TAPI, are not realistic and would be far too expensive, quite apart from the fact that they would not supply enough gas to begin with. The US objections have nothing to do with what is good for Pakistan, they are driven only by their desire to isolate Iran. Unfortunately, given geography and just basic reality, ignoring or isolating Iran is not an option for Pakistan. As for the rather idiotic Indian trolls on this comments thread, you will need this gas soon too!
One day the price is $1.5 Billion the next it's $7.5 Billion? . Normally a pipeline is build because someone has determined it's more cost effective to transport the product via the pipeline - how one performs an feasibility/economic analysis without even knowing the capital cost or the enormous maintenance and security cost associated with building a pipeline is a mystery and anecdotal evidence that this pipeline may be nothing other than a pipe dream. . Pakistan got into this energy crisis because of lack of planning and it would appear that the IP is an example that you still haven't put "planning" on the priority list.
Pakistan really needs to enact a counter-vailing sanctions law, where any country applying sanctions on Pakistan will automtically be subject to sanctions from Pakistan. And for those who think it will have no impact, then just remember how the world made a bee line for Pakistan for help in the War on Terror.
Besides, Pakistan as a soverign country is not subject to laws enacted by foreign countries.
The state dept. has a point. But they should be careful; invoking sanctions against Pakistan autmoticaly meants the removal of the American flag in a second muslim country. They should also look carefully at the geography of muslim lands, they are all linked with one another, forming the new power base in the emerging Hub of the future world, and complete exit for the yanks..
Rex Minor
Thanks God, when US will put sanctions and we will be free
@Something Clever: But all of the things you mention trade, investment and loans have no impact on my village s twenty thousand population as we have no doctor with any sort of dispensary no school no drinking water. We use pound water to drink & used 50 thousand year old medicines. We use cart for transport to nearby town. We dont have any school since 50 thousand years. We are living with life style of thousand of years of old. So all these things that US can do have nothing to do on my planet.
Alright. put some sanctions. Its been too long since US last imposed sanctions on us. I hope Caretaker government will put some sanctions on Nato supply in response.
7.5 Billion$? lets build a metro bus project in Rawanpindi?
@SK: Never test depth of river by both legs. You haven't taste the sanctions yet. Once you have you will know how worse these are.
Policing the world will no more work in this Global Village. America is looser.
@Hamad Jatt: I'm not quite sure that you know what sanctions are. It means you'll be cut off from trade, investments, aid, loans, and so on. Example being the recent article about the 20bn dollar deal will go straight down the drain because that man, himself, would be cut off from everything bank-related that was intended to be used for that deal.
@Gp65:
underestimate India??????...u live and read the same newspapers as we all here right...!!! or there is a special Pakistani corner in India times which boggus news...
If only the puppet countries such as Britain would follow Pakistan's lead the America/Zion combo would have to place sanctions on everybody. If America does place sanctions on Pakistan would this mean that the Karachi/Afghan trucking route would be closed to US supplies again?
US Energy Sanctions - from the American people !
Go Ahead put your sanctions uncle Sam !, Even if you cringe and whine when we are trying to meet our energy needs then i seriously doubt your intention about friendship. Honestly, i am done with being an ally of US, Saudi and UAE. We are sovereign and we will take every action for our interest. Please keep your peanuts to yourself !
I wish US put these sanctions on Pakistan.. when they stop giving adis and money to pakistan, there will be no more interest left for pakistan to continue with War on Terror, and i beleive PAF will be happy to shot down US Drones too.. On the mean time Pakistan Can learn to stand by its own feet instead of US-Aids and assistence.
what more sanctions you can impose??? There is very few space for it. Our Govt have already impose sanctions to continuos electricity supply with hygienic water. May there is space for two hours supply. Can you shut that too???? My village in Okara got power supply for just two hour in whole day.
My village have no girls school and acces to clean drinking water since last fifty thousand years.
7.5 Billion$. My god, We are a poor country and just the pipe line cost 7.5 billion$. I would rather spend this budget to improve the productivity within energy sector and create more jobs for my own people. There are thousand ways to over come on current energy crisis all you need is keenness and seriousness to work for country.
Pakistan underestimated India!s reaction in 1965 and 1999 and came to grief. It underestimated us resilience to supply line closure and came to grief again. Once more it has underestimated US response to the snub when even China is treading carefully. There is a pattern here.
please go put sanctions- only people hurt will be your puppets in govt as they won't get your dollars to loot