US THREATENS PAKISTAN WITH SANCTIONS

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Former Member

US threatens Pakistan with sanctions over gas pipeline deal with Iran.

This file photo shows technicians welding the Iranian end of the Iran-Pakistan [IP) gas pipeline to its Pakistani section during the inauguration ceremony of the final construction phase of the project, Monday, March 11, 2013.

This file photo shows technicians welding the Iranian end of the Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline to its Pakistani section during the inauguration ceremony of the final construction phase of the project, Monday, March 11, 2013.

Tue Mar 12, 2013 8:0AM GMT

The US State Department has threatened Islamabad with sanctions if the country goes through with a joint multi-billion-dollar gas pipeline project with Iran.

“We have serious concerns, if this project actually goes forward, that the Iran Sanctions Act would be triggered,” State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said on Monday.

“We’ve been straight up with the Pakistanis about these concerns,” Nuland added.

The 1996 Iran Sanctions Act allows the US government to ban imports from any non-American company that invests more than USD 20 million a year in the Iranian oil and natural gas sector.

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.”

The threats came on the same day as the inauguration of the final construction phase of the multi-billion-dollar Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline, intended to carry natural gas from Iran to its eastern neighbor.

Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari attended the ceremony on the Iran-Pakistan border on Monday.

The pipeline is designed to help Pakistan overcome its growing energy needs at a time when the country of 180 million is grappling with serious energy shortages.

Meanwhile, Iranian Deputy Oil Minister Javad Owji said on Monday that Pakistan has raised its demand for natural gas imports from Iran to 30 million cubic meters (mcm) per day from a previous 21.5 mcm.

Owji added that Iran has hitherto spent USD 2 billion to build the section of the pipeline that lies on the Iranian side of the border and that the Pakistani section would need USD 3 billion.

On March 2, Zardari said that Islamabad would not stop the pipeline project at any cost.

The Pakistani president stressed that his government would continue to pursue the construction of the gas pipeline despite threats and pressure from the US

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2...-pakistan-over-iran/

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NehruBig Mouth Member

Pakistan really believe they Gun Tek Uncle Sam money and NOT follow orders????

3/12/1312:29 PM

Former Member

Originally Posted by Nehru:

Pakistan really believe they Gun Tek Uncle Sam money and NOT follow orders????

Well Nehrubhai this might be the case as quote "On March 2, Zardari said that Islamabad would not stop the pipeline project at any cost"

3/12/1312:34 PM

NehruBig Mouth Member

Originally Posted by asj:

Originally Posted by Nehru:

Pakistan really believe they Gun Tek Uncle Sam money and NOT follow orders????

Well Nehrubhai this might be the case as quote "On March 2, Zardari said that Islamabad would not stop the pipeline project at any cost"

Dont get me wrong, I hope they act in THEIR INTEREST. Israel dont listen to Uncle Sam and collect like there is no tomorrow.

3/12/1312:35 PM

Former Member

Originally Posted by Nehru:

Originally Posted by asj:

Originally Posted by Nehru:

Pakistan really believe they Gun Tek Uncle Sam money and NOT follow orders????

Well Nehrubhai this might be the case as quote "On March 2, Zardari said that Islamabad would not stop the pipeline project at any cost"

Dont get me wrong, I hope they act in THEIR INTEREST. Israel dont listen to Uncle Sam and collect like there is no tomorrow.

Well it will be in Pakistan's Interest to have this Pipe Line in Pakistan and Iran will to lend Pakistan one third of the cost of financilng, at one time the US even threatened India as well.

3/12/1312:48 PM

Former Member

Originally Posted by asj:

Originally Posted by Nehru:

Originally Posted by asj:

Originally Posted by Nehru:

Pakistan really believe they Gun Tek Uncle Sam money and NOT follow orders????

Well Nehrubhai this might be the case as quote "On March 2, Zardari said that Islamabad would not stop the pipeline project at any cost"

Dont get me wrong, I hope they act in THEIR INTEREST. Israel dont listen to Uncle Sam and collect like there is no tomorrow.

Well it will be in Pakistan's Interest to have this Pipe Line in Pakistan and Iran will lend Pakistan one third of the cost of financing, at one time the US even threatened India as well.

3/12/1312:49 PM

NehruBig Mouth Member

Originally Posted by asj:

Originally Posted by Nehru:

Originally Posted by asj:

Originally Posted by Nehru:

Pakistan really believe they Gun Tek Uncle Sam money and NOT follow orders????

Well Nehrubhai this might be the case as quote "On March 2, Zardari said that Islamabad would not stop the pipeline project at any cost"

Dont get me wrong, I hope they act in THEIR INTEREST. Israel dont listen to Uncle Sam and collect like there is no tomorrow.

Well it will be in Pakistan's Interest to have this Pipe Line in Pakistan and Iran will lend Pakistan one third of the cost of financing, at one time the US even threatened India as well.

India acted in THEIR INTEREST and backed away from the pipeline Deal with Iran. I think India will lose in the long run. The Indians wanted Nuclear Technology from the US so they bolted.

3/12/1312:55 PM

Former Member

Deal between India/Iran is still in the works as according to reports re: In its US$40 billion deal with the National Iranian Oil Co (NIOC), India committed to import natural gas from Iran over a 25-year period and to develop two Iranian oil fields and a gas field. Iran will sell the liquefied natural gas (LNG) to India at a price linked to Brent crude oil. According to the agreement, India will pay $1.2 plus 0.065 of Brent crude average, with an upper ceiling of $31 per barrel. Iran will ship 5 million tonnes of LNG to India annually, with a provision to increase the quantity to 7.5 million tonnes.

The above was a report sometime in Jan 2013

3/12/131:04 PM