Pacific Views

Oh, Asia

Condoleeza Rice is visiting India, and she's a bit put out:

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's bid to promote closer ties with India hit potentially serious snags Wednesday over a pipeline from Iran and the possible sale of F-16s to Pakistan. ...

Rice told her hosts that Washington — seeking to apply pressure on Iran over what it says is a secret nuclear weapons program — was concerned over plans for a $4 billion gas pipeline from Iran through Pakistan to energy-hungry India.

...But New Delhi has opposed U.S. arms sales to Pakistan including F-16 fighters, saying these were aimed against India, while Pakistan has expressed concern about any move by Washington to sell Patriot anti-missile systems to India. ...

So, Rice wants India and Pakistan to stop a $4 billion dollar pipeline deal that's been in the works for years with a country they both have cordial relations with, which could provide steady fuel for India and hefty royalties for Pakistan. Rice also wants to sell weapons to both sides in a long-running conflict, and get them to agree to do what she wants without giving anything up.

Karl Rove may know where every body in Texas is buried, but I don't know how that'll work in India.

On a completely unrelated topic, Iran's drag racing circuit is being turned on its ear by a female racer nicknamed Little Schumacher. Tear it up, Ms. Seddigh.

Posted by natasha at March 16, 2005 06:45 PM | International | Technorati links |