New India-Iran-Pakistan Energy Deal?

by Steve

Add India to the list of Iran's new business partners, who are willing to give the finger to the Bush Administration.

Senior Indian government ministers are showing fresh enthusiasm for building an oil and gas pipeline to Iran, in a move likely to add further tensions to US-India relations.

Growing support for the pipeline, which would pass through Pakistan, comes as hopes fade for a hasty conclusion to a historic nuclear power agreement with the US.

Palaniappan Chidambaram, India’s finance minister, said after meeting his Iranian counterpart in Washington on Monday that the pipeline was “completely doable” and “we should do it – Iran has the gas and we need the gas”.

That's right; the Iranians met with the Indian government in our capital to push along a venture directly contrary to the foreign policy of the Bush Administration, which is to isolate that country. Furthermore, while we remain bogged down in Iraq spending precious security resources, a multitude of countries are doing business deals that not only exclude us but also help build economic and energy relationships that would only isolate us should we attack Iran.

Yeah, we seem to have an A-List foreign policy team.