Bush U-turn on Iranian pipeline

[cal04]

President George W Bush has indicated the US has dropped its staunch opposition to a proposed gas pipeline from Iran to India via Pakistan. Mr Bush said on his visit to Pakistan he understood the need for natural gas in the region and that the US argument with Iran was over nuclear weapons.

The $6bn project for the 2,600km (1,625 mile) pipeline will bring Iran revenue, Pakistan transit fees and India energy.
The nations hope to start construction in 2007, with key talks due this month.

The US had previously stated it was "absolutely opposed" to the gas pipeline, even indicating Pakistan and India could face sanctions if the project got under way. But in Islamabad, Mr Bush said: "Our beef with Iran is not the pipeline, our beef with Iran is... they want to develop a nuclear weapon and I believe a nuclear weapon in the hands of the Iranians will be very dangerous for all of us."

He said he had discussed the pipeline with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and understood "the need to get natural gas in the region, that's fine". Mr Bush said his secretary of energy would visit Pakistan to discuss Islamabad's energy needs. However, Mr Bush indicated there was no current likelihood for a civilian nuclear deal between the US and Pakistan similar to the one he has signed with India.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4774312.stm

[niallmac]

1. Having trouble figuring out what our foreign policy is?

Is the U.S. following a mission statement of core principals when it comes to our foreign policy decisions or do we just
make this stuff up as we go along?

[goforit]

29. Way to call it like it is.

[Doctor_J]

2. Flip-flop, flip-flop

[Deja Q]

26. big-time. Puts Kerry to shame, that's for sure.

I wonder if the voters have noticed.

[truthisfreedom]

3. good-ol' "whatever's convenient at the moment" bush.

flippity-floppity-floop...

[VegasWolf]

4. Wonder what Bush will say tomorrow? He is just a convenience liar

deep in the pockets of Amerikan Capitalism.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

5. Pakistan must have told His Royal Chimpness that they were....

...going to switch sides if the pipeline was blocked. India must have had a similar conversation.

[cliss]

11. You got it.

That was exactly my thought, as I read the article.

I think the US's weakness is showing. We seem to come out as a "tough guy", and then we back down when it comes right down to it.

Our position reminds me so much of an old Opera Singer. WAY past her prime, but she still insists on being the Prima Donna.

It's become obvious now. We back down on all kinds of developments now. By far the biggest one is though, now we are going to give money to Ha Mas.

[hatrack]

17. And an opera singer who can't quite hit the notes . . .

But whose voice can still occasionally shatter glass.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

28. I think the glass just winces.

[anotherdrew]

31. Bush's statements about Iran make diplomacy impossible, he's worthless

If after 9.11 he would have just played nice with Iran - some constructive engagement things could be very different today.

But how can Iran possibly concede anything to the US when the US keep denigrating the nation? Any anti-proliferation agenda could still be pushed without saying Iran can't be trusted with nukes, bush has basically abandoned the non-proliferation treaty.

[oblivious]

32. I agree.

US companies could be making deals to develop oil and gas fields, build refineries and reactors, sell cars, and so on. Instead the business is going to Chinese, Russian and German companies.

Of course Iran's not going to back down. They've been adhering to the NPT since 2003. What do they get in return? The US and Israel are threatening to bomb them.

[Deja Q]

27. I doubt it.

India needs the energy sources to fuel their booming IT industry.

Which proves that energy is not being saved by nixing US jobs. It's being transferred. There is NO savings and the crisis will only continue.

In fact, it'll worsen - India has over one billion people.

Bring things home.

[VegasWolf]

6. and some people ACTUALLY thought that Bush had either the BALLS or

the WHEREWITHAL to attack Iran. Hah!

[EuroObserver]

8. It's not Bush (Jr.), it's the people behind Bush (Jr.).

More-or-less free and fair access to available resources, not only amongst the most powerful but shared, somehow, amongst all, according to their capacities and their needs, ought to, surely, be the right way to go. While meanwhile the best brains on this planet, at this time, continue to research and develop the post-fossil-fuel future (while we still have energy and time): and not only in the interests of homo sapiens but in those of the complex web of life itself.

A sense of "what makes sense" will of course return (maybe is even now, as we speak, returning) to the structures of power in the USA - that recently (on an historical scale), were it not for recent sickness, (amongst the) most practically-minded of nations.

ed: missing one comma.

[VegasWolf]

9. Of course, we all know that Bush himself can't think his out of a wet

brown paper bag. It's always his handlers. The person is synonymous with the organization that controls Bush.

My point is that so many people were so confused that they actually thought Bushco was going to really attack Iran. Many of us here tried to disillusion them of that idea.

[EuroObserver]

12. I think we may be winning, VegasWolf.

I think I observe, perhaps, some changes of plan, some backing-down.

[VegasWolf]

13. I sure hope we are!

:toast: :)

[oblivious]

18. I'm not sure why you say we were/are "confused"!

Israel and the US have been openly discussing the bombing of Iran. The UK has also said this may be necessary. The US and UK have already done this two countries in the neighbourhood. These people are clearly insane. Why would you call us 'confused' for thinking they will go ahead with their threats? It seems a strange choice of a word.

[VegasWolf]

20. Because anyone can see there is no possible way that we can enter

a war with Iran. We have a collapsing economy, a battle fatigued army, desert fatigued army machinery. In short, nothing. If you want to buy into the hype that we are going to attack Iran's
formidable army go ahead. For the record, I laugh at those assertions. Just my thoughts. Time will tell.

[oblivious]

22. Nato may help US airstrikes on Iran

...Tüttelmann’s (the head of Nato’s Airborne Early Warning and Control Force) comments revealed that the military alliance could play a supporting role if America launches airstrikes against Iranian nuclear targets.

...John Pike, director of the US military studies group Globalsecurity.org, said America had little to gain from Nato military help. “I think we are attempting to bring the alliance along politically so that when all diplomatic initiatives have been exhausted and we blow up their sites, we can say, ‘Look, we gave it our best shot’.”

...The commander of Israel’s nuclear missile submarines warned Iran indirectly in a comment to an Israeli newspaper last week that “we are able to hit strategic targets in a foreign country”.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2089-2070420,00.html

[VegasWolf]

30. There you go. You have your opinion. Time will tell! nt

[Roland99]

7. Governing? Whuzzat? "Now, where's my check?"

[fshrink]

10. The idiot is the modern version of Max Headroom.

A virtual mouthpiece with the brain and initiative of an hologram. Ideal politically, when your idea of politics is to screw people, which seems to be really dominant these days. On both sides.

[HuffleClaw]

14. hmmmmmm

i wonder what he's 'paying' for. they were ADAMANT in their opposition to this deal for the longest time. and bush just don't EVER change his mind unless $$$ is involved, so...

[Rex]

15. Our beef? Nononononono little man.

When the US court system comes for you (and justice will come for you one day Bush), on that day try not to include everyone a an accomplice in your murderous cluster-fucks. NO ONE will be there for Bush...so stop including the rest of America in your wargasms.

[no safe haven]

16. Any guesses as to who gets the contract to build the pipeline?

Thinking, thinking....

[VegasWolf]

21. I know! I know! Raising hand in school, "Halliburton!!"

[radfringe]

23. but do they get paid

in money or mangos?

[no safe haven]

24. Yay, go to the top of the class

...and you get a special sticker for being such a clever student.
:woohoo:

Can these guys be any more transparent or what? Georgie's adventure in India and Pakistan on behalf of Halliburton on YOUR DIME.

[cantstandbush]

19. We know Bush is stupid. What is with all those folks giving him advice?

I am not against his final decision. What I question is his initial decision on this. WTF or WhoTF is running this country? Does anyone know? Does anyone care? What evil double-minded force is controlling this thing we called the "world."

[sablefish]

25. Satan is an alien, His intermediary is the Rothschild banking dynasty.

and the tentacles are the secret societies.

[sattahipdeep]

33. Coincidence and likely stories

They dog your trail like a pack of lies
They whine at night when the lights are out
You toss and turn
You pitch and roll
Disinformation, you spin it like a silkworm

Just when I need another point of view
here you come from nowhere
from over the waves
I stand amazed
I see your greatest hits
they blow back down the chimney into everyone’s eyes

Creative thinking in the first degree
You’re a three-way mirror of a one-way world
It’s a perverse company you work for
They build the past
It just can’t last
It’s obsolete by design

They send you out rerouting history
to make the same old mistakes in a brand new way
Come out from under cover
Ollie Ollie in free
Come out come out wherever you are

And virgin places don't mean a thing
to people who never bring their hearts along
and fools like them never fall at all
They’re tough as sin, let nobody in
They turn and spin your wheels and nobody wins

Coincidence and likely stories
they dog your trail like a pack of lies
They whine at night when the lights are out
You toss and turn
You pitch and roll
Disinformation, you spin it like a silkworm.

Buffy Sainte-Marie

:hi: