External Actors in the Afghan Problem
continues....

After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the creation of the Central Asian states, oil and gas emerged a primary motive of the US in getting involved in the region.

After the emergence of Central Asian Republics (CARs) as independent countries in 1991, the prospects of availability of huge oil and gas reserves brought the area to the attention of various energy corporations. In 1997, a multinational consortium, Central Asia Gas Pipeline Consortium (CentGas) was evaluating the construction of a gas pipeline. The proposed 790-mile pipeline would have linked Daulatabad gas field in Turkmenistan, pass through southern Afghanistan to Multan in Pakistan. In the next stage, from Multan the pipeline would reach Delhi for the growing energy market of India. UNOCAL of California and Delta of Saudi Arabia was working on another 1040 mile long oil pipeline from Turkmenistan via Afghanistan to a port to be constructed on the coast of Pakistan.

The USA hoped that some day the war in Afghanistan would come to an end making the pipeline secure. Many members of President Bush administration and Afghans involved in the situation had links with energy corporations. President Bush’s National Security Advisor, Condoleeza Rice has been a former member of the board of Chevron, a large US oil firm. Vice President, Dick Cheney had headed Halliburton, a large oil pipeline construction firm.

To be continued....