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-- Zimbabwe thread
Zimbabwe thread
all these threads of iraq, hillary, etc.
anyone here concerned aboutt Afrika's well being...
i mean all those tribal wars....and Zimbabwe about ready to be free from Mugabe (spelling is sooo off!). all in due time....
any thoughts?
Great topic!
There's a lot of issues in Africa right now that seems to be more or less ignored by media and the internation political discussion. I for one need to read up on it before articualting any specific comments about the issues though. 
i saw a bbc story on this last week 
all i have to say is, Thank you france, uk and other euro countries who are stepping in. Where is the US in all this? no where, no oil there, and im sure many americans would give up thier life and childrens life to save some "negros"... cause lets face it we are racist
only way we'll do something there is if theres another bush tall tale about WMDs/terrosim that involves zimbabwe
the sooner mugabe is gone the better!
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| anyone here concerned aboutt Afrika's well being... i mean all those tribal wars....and Zimbabwe about ready to be free from Mugabe (spelling is sooo off!). all in due time.... |
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| Originally posted by rizen i saw a bbc story on this last week all i have to say is, Thank you france, uk and other euro countries who are stepping in. Where is the US in all this? no where, no oil there, and im sure many americans would give up thier life and childrens life to save some "negros"... cause lets face it we are racist only way we'll do something there is if theres another bush tall tale about WMDs/terrosim that involves zimbabwe |
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| Originally posted by DrUg_Tit0 Africa always used to be in the european zone of interest, so america never intervened much there. |
Finally something different from the Arab/Israeli conflict or the war on terror. What has been going on lately?
Why should we talk about this Mugabe character? I haven't hardly seen anything in the news about him. Who is he? And where's Zimbabwhat? Is that anything to do with that Congo-Jongo crap that pops up here and there?
Say, that Mugabe guy wouldn't happen to be the guy whom the U.S. helped rise to power was he? He wouldn't happen to be the one who plundered his own countries riches in diamonds, gold, etc. to a cool estimate of 4.5 billion or so was he? That Congo place doesn't happen to be the place where there's been an estimated 3.3 million people killed due to warfare, starvation and famine now is it? This wouldn't happen to be the same place where there is continual rape of women, torture, and where they could off limbs of boys so they will not fight in the future now is it?
Because I'm not interested in that. I want to know what's going on in Iraq. I want to know if Saddam really is dead. I want to know where Saddam planted all his stinkin' weapons, especially those ones which could be deployed within 45 min.! I want to know where his useless biol. weapons are that have a shelf life of 10 years, and are likely useless today. And finally, when are we going to bomb the crap out of Iran? Who do they think they are, trying to run a democracy over there and stuff? Those idiots! Didn't they learn the first lesson we taught them back in the 60's, when our CIA successfully helped overthrow their successful democracy and create a ruthless dictatorship that became a haven for terrorism for the next 3 decades?
So let's keep ourselves focused on the REAL issues at steak here. We've got a war to win, and a world to conquer. Let those stupid Africans kill themselves - we'll conquer them later once they're almost all dead.
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| Originally posted by DrUg_Tit0 I didn't know Mugabe is about to leave. Is it because of the elections or some other reason? |
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| Originally posted by MisterOpus1 Say, that Mugabe guy wouldn't happen to be the guy whom the U.S. helped rise to power was he? |
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From peasant to president Robert Gabrial Mugabe began life as a cowherd but went on to become prime minister and, later, president of Zimbabwe. Derek Brown examines the African leader's rise to power and the increasingly unpopular measures he has employed to cling to it Derek Brown Guardian Unlimited Monday April 3, 2000 Robert Mugabe has ruled Zimbabwe for twenty years, taking it from modest prosperity to the brink of economic meltdown. He came to power after the old white-rule regime collapsed, and although he has preached national reconciliation, the country remains deeply divided on ethnic lines - not just between whites and blacks, but between the majority Shona people and the powerful Ndebele and other minority groups. Throughout his rise to power and since, Mugabe has radiated strength and steely determination. Born on February 21, 1924, he was raised in the north of what was Southern Rhodesia, on a mission settlement in Mashonaland. There he received a Jesuit education, and worked as a cowherd before qualifying as a primary school teacher. Later, he studied at Fort Hare university in South Africa, gaining a BA degree in 1951 followed be a spell of teaching in West Africa, where he acquired a passionate interest in Marxist theory. In 1960, the year British prime minister Harold Macmillan spoke of the "wind of change" blowing through Africa, Mugabe entered politics, joining the National Democratic Party headed by veteran independence campaigner Joshua Nkomo. The NDP was banned, and subsequently replaced by the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU). But soon Mugabe split with Nkomo, and set up his own Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU). Both parties were quickly banned by the white-rule government. Mugabe and Nkomo were arrested shortly before Rhodesian prime minister Ian Smith declared unilateral independence from Britain in 1965. Mugabe used his ten years behind bars to study law. By the time he was released in 1974, ZAPU and ZANU had formed a joint guerrilla army, the Patriotic Front, to fight the illegal Smith regime. The war was vicious and prolonged. In 1980 Rhodesia briefly reverted to British colonial rule and elections were held for the first time with universal suffrage. Many British officials believed that Nkomo, the father of the freedom struggle, would be rewarded by the liberated voters. But Nkomo's power base was in the south, in Ndebeland. Mugabe had the support of the much larger Shona people, and won a landslide victory. He has ruled ever since, as prime minister and (since 1987) as president. In the beginning, he formed an all-party government, but as early as 1982 he fell out with Nkomo and sacked him from the cabinet. The increasingly autocratic Mugabe has browbeaten, dismissed and intimidated his rivals, to the extent that in the presidential election of 1996, none dared oppose him. Though the press has remained free, there have also been barely-veiled attempts to stifle criticism of the ZANU-PF ruling party. Radio and television are government controlled, and slavishly pro-Mugabe. In recent years there has been a rising tide of protest against the authoritarianism and corruption of the regime. Discontent has been fuelled by the parlous state of the economy, where inflation rages and more than half the workforce is unemployed. To add to the nation's misery, an estimated 250,000 people were left homeless by disastrous floods in February and March. The flashpoint issue now is Mugabe's support for the seizure of white-owned farms by landless peasants - his own kind. Last month the voters of Zimbabwe delivered a stinging rebuke to their president, and voted against the land seizures. Mugabe now says he will go ahead anyway. He has also postponed elections due this spring. Even more inexplicably, Mugabe has committed a large part of the Zimbabwean army to the support of the Congolese president, Laurent Kabila. The operation is costing �1m a day, and is wildly unpopular. But the peasant boy who became president apparently no longer cares for popularity. He is interested only in clinging on to power. http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/A...3981683,00.html |
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| Originally posted by occrider Huh? Is there something I'm missing? I would never expect the US to support him especially at that time period when he was a self-acclaimed marxist. If anything I'm finding articles where the US is trying to kill him or remove him. http://www.wsws.org/articles/2002/a.../muga-a28.shtml http://iafrica.com/news/worldnews/207049.htm And the US didn't overthrow anybody in Iran in the 60's ... are you referring to Mossadeq in 1953? Confused! |
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| In 1960, the Congo achieved independence after almost a century of brutal Belgian colonial rule. Soon after, Patrice Lumumba, a pan-africanist who favored returning his country�s natural resources to its people, was elected prime minister. Barely a week after independence, the Congolese army revolted. A few days later, Moise Tshombe, leader of Confederation des Association du Katanga (CONAKAT), declared independence for the mineral-rich province in the south. Tshombe called on Belgium to ��re-establish public order and security and contribute its technical, financial and military aid� - opening the door for the colonial power to return. On January 17, 1961, Belgian soldiers, with the aid of the CIA, executed Lumumba and several of his ministers. New documents have revealed the order to kill came from Eisenhower himself. According to one account, �their bodies were hacked into pieces and dissolved in acid. And when the executioners ran out of acid, they burnt the remains.� The Congo was thrown into chaos, as Mobutu Sese Seko, a former ally of Lumumba, took power in 1965, again with the help of the CIA. Mobutu would become one of the world's most corrupt dictators. Ruling for more than three decades, he brought in billions of dollars of U.S. aid despite a dismal human rights record. He would also hand out the country�s vast mineral rights to foreign companies as he amassed a personal fortune that some say totaled in the billions of dollars. Today, with Mobutu and his successor Laurent Kabila both gone, the Congo is once again wrecked by war � and foreign companies, like the Belgian colonialists before them, are once again rushing to extract the country�s resources with little regard for the toll its taking on the people. http://www.guerrillanews.com/newswire/36.html%22target= |
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| 1960 - Patrice Lumumba becomes the Congo�s first prime minister after independence from Belgium. But the Belgians don�t quite leave. They keep their hands on the vast mineral wealth in the Katanga province, where the Americans also have a piece of the action. Lumumba is defiant, calling for the Congo�s economic and political liberation. In other words, he is doomed. In January 1961, he is assassinated with help from the CIA, under orders from Eisenhower himself. His body is chopped up into little pieces and burned in acid. Mobutu Sese Seko takes over, changes the name to Zaire, and begins one of the most corrupt and bloody dictatorships in modern times. Even his CIA handlers are amazed at his cruelty. Thirty years later, despite its rich natural resources, the people of the Congo are still dirt-poor, Mobutu is a multibillionaire, and the country is in chaos. In 1997, Mobutu is overthrown, and retires to the Cote d�Azur. The country slides into a civil war that has killed more than one million. http://www.guerrillanews.com/human_rights/doc358.html |
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| When the people of the African country then known as Zaire rebelled against their brutal and corrupt dictator Mobutu Sese Seko, Carter ordered the U.S. Air Force to fly in Moroccan troops to help crush the popular uprising and save the regime. http://www.guerrillanews.com/human_rights/doc782.html |
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| In fact, there's a long history of destructive policy in Congo. Shortly after independence in 1960, the U.S. was actively seeking out the assassination of Congo's first prime minister. Someone else beat us to it, but from 1960 onward the U.S. used Congo as a pawn in the Cold War. We pumped in a lot of aid for economic development and had a lot of business interests here. But neither the aid nor the investment did anything to benefit the Congolese people. It was done under the bloody dictatorship of Mobutu, and we never put conditions on our support, provided that he serve our purposes during the Cold War. There's a lot of resentment in the Congo from that. http://www.tompaine.com/feature2.cfm/ID/4946 |
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| Originally posted by MisterOpus1 Yes, I was referring to Mossadeq in '53. Thanks for the correction. As for my earlier comment, I was referring to the overthrow of Lumumba in 1961 from the Belgians with the aid of C.I.A. |
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Did Ike Authorize a Murder? Memo Says Eisenhower Wanted Congolese Premier Dead By George Lardner Jr. Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, August 8, 2000; Page A23 As president, Dwight Eisenhower laid down strict rules for reports on meetings of the National Security Council: no direct quotations. A memo concerning an Aug. 18, 1960, meeting about the Congo's troublesome first premier, Patrice Lumumba, made public this week at the National Archives after years of gathering dust, suggests the wisdom of the rule--at least as far as Ike was concerned. The official note taker at that meeting, Robert H. Johnson, vividly recalled Eisenhower turning to CIA Director Allen Dulles "in the full hearing of all those in attendance and saying something to the effect that Lumumba should be eliminated." After that, "according to Mr. Johnson, there was a stunned silence for about 15 seconds and the meeting continued." Johnson made the statements in a conversation with the director of the select Senate intelligence committee on June 10, 1975, in the midst of its investigation of U.S. assassination plots against foreign leaders. However, Johnson was a bit more circumspect when he was called before the committee on June 18. At the hearing, he recalled Eisenhower as saying "something--I can no longer recall the words--that came across to me as an order for the assassination of Lumumba, who was then at the center of political conflict and controversy in the Congo." The Senate committee, headed by the late Frank Church (D-Idaho), finally decided there was "a reasonable inference" that Eisenhower had authorized Lumumba's assassination, but stopped short of a firm finding. The CIA acted as though the president had given the go-ahead, sending one of its scientists to the Congo in September 1960 with a vial of deadly poison that could be injected into something Lumumba might eat. "In high quarters here, it is the clear-cut conclusion that if [Lumumba] continues to hold high office, the inevitable result will at best be chaos and at worst pave the way to Communist takeover. . . . His removal must be an urgent and prime objective," Dulles cabled the CIA station chief in the Congo on Aug. 26, 1960. The poison, however, was never used, and CIA operatives were unable to get to Lumumba before he was eventually captured by Congolese rivals and killed on Jan. 17, 1961. The Church committee concluded cautiously that "it does not appear from the evidence that the United States was in any way involved in the killing." Fresh questions about that have arisen recently in Belgium, the Congo's old colonial master, where a parliamentary inquiry was started in May into the Belgian government's possible involvement in the 35-year-old Lumumba's murder. (The Congo was known later for many years as Zaire.) The investigation was prompted by a book published in Belgium last year that says the Brussels government engineered Lumumba's capture and execution and even helped dispose of the body. It was cut up with a hacksaw and dissolved in sulfuric acid, according to a Belgian police commissioner who went on Belgian TV last year, displaying a bullet and two of what he said were Lumumba's teeth. Whether Washington was involved in or aware of the final scheme remains unclear. NSC note taker Johnson's Senate testimony on June 18, 1975, was set down and explored at length--along with the differing recollections of other officials present at the 1960 NSC meeting--in the Church committee's 1975 report on assassination plots. But what he said in his June 10 interview remained secret for 25 years. The only reference to it was an ambiguous footnote stating that "one NSC staff member . . . believed that he witnessed a presidential order to assassinate Lumumba." http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/w...7¬Found=true |
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My point was in regards to our government aiding or being deliberately involved in putting evil dictators in power, only to have egg thrown in their faces for their misdeeds by these dictators later. |
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| Originally posted by DrUg_Tit0 Africa always used to be in the european zone of interest, so america never intervened much there. |
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| Originally posted by rizen ...but bush said we went to iraq to free the people from saddam and his evil ways. we should free the people of dr congo too |
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| Originally posted by occrider Ah ok so it's not mugabe you are talking about. At any rate I read a while back about Ike's attempt to eliminate Lumumba. Although the findings were less conclusive then your source indicates: I would question the objectivity and bias of a news source called geurillanews . Yes the CIA did much in the past to set up dictators. However, I'm not sure if I have a complete grasp of the global situation to really criticize cold war politics. Keep in mind the Soviets were setting up dictators in Eastern Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa in order to expand the Soviet sphere of influence. The American response to avoid global isolation was to establish dictatorships of its own when necessary. Nobody really complained at the time because the mentality was that the only way to fight fire was with fire. It is only now, when security has been achieved and the cold war is over, that people come out to criticize the actions done to win the cold war. I'm not going to jump on that bandwagon just yet. Should we have done nothing in Korea, Vietnam, the middle east, etc. I'm not sure ... I'm just glad that in the end we avoided total war with the Soviet Union. What's important now is that the US wash free all of its affiliations with these regimes and begin a process of removing them from power. |
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| Originally posted by occrider Well if we had a 10 year history of tensions and animosity with the DR Congo we probably would |
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| Besides don't you guys always complain about the US being the police man of the world? I distinctly remember that attitude following Kosovo. |
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| Originally posted by DrUg_Tit0 I am all for the US sending its troops if the US is acting through UN institutions and has a valid reason. I supported the attacks on Afghanistan and to tell you the truth, I am not sorry one bit for those moronic fanatics rotting in Guantanamo bay. On the other side, if there are imperialistic reasons for the sending of troops, if the world community is against sending troops, and if the reasons presented for the attack are obvious lies, then I must say I am against such an endavour. |
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| Originally posted by Revolution Well said. But then yu get into the following argument. Did the US have a secret agenda for Afghanistan after the war? Were they there to sap it of it's natural resource? Quite possibly yes. |
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| Originally posted by occrider What natural resource? |
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| Originally posted by DaveSaenz Opiates???? Actually, I have a hippie friend who says that the US gov is propped up by traffic in illegal drugs....... Who knows? |
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| Originally posted by DaveSaenz Actually, I have a hippie friend who says that the US gov is propped up by traffic in illegal drugs....... Who knows? |
^^ Please excuse the spelling/grammatical errors. I'm ill, I've been up since 2am, I've just gotten back from work and I'm filled to the eyeballs with (legal) drugs. Not overly bothered about going back and editing it to be honest. 
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| Originally posted by occrider What natural resource? |
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ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, Oct. 27, 1997 -- Six international companies and the Government of Turkmenistan formed Central Asia Gas Pipeline, Ltd. (CentGas) in formal signing ceremonies here Saturday. The group is developing a project to build a 790-mile (1,271-kilometer) pipeline to link Turkmenistan's abundant proven natural gas reserves with growing markets in Pakistan. The group is also considering an extension of the line to the New Delhi area in India. "This is a truly significant step in the development of this project," said John F. Imle, Jr., president of Unocal Corporation . Unocal was appointed by the Government of Turkmenistan to lead the project development activities and form the gas pipeline consortium. A Unocal subsidiary will serve as development manager for CentGas. "The interest shown by major international companies underscores both the attractiveness of the proposed pipeline and the significant economic benefits it can bring to the region. This project could be the foundation for a new commerce corridor for the region -- often referred to as the Silk Road for the 21st century. The CentGas consortium will initially include the following companies, either directly or through affiliates: Unocal Corporation, 46.5 percent; Delta Oil Company Limited (Saudi Arabia), 15 percent; the Government of Turkmenistan, 7 percent; Indonesia Petroleum, LTD. (INPEX) (Japan), 6.5 percent; ITOCHU Oil Exploration Co., Ltd. (CIECO) (Japan), 6.5 percent; Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd. (Korea), 5 percent; and the Crescent Group (Pakistan), 3.5 percent. RAO Gazprom (Russia) has indicated an interest in signing the consortium agreements formalizing a 10 percent share in the project in the near future. The proposed pipeline will carry natural gas from the Dauletabad Field, in southeastern Turkmenistan at a rate of up to 2 billion cubic feet per day (20 billion cubic meters per year). The Dauletabad Field has independently certified reserves of more then 25 trillion cubic feet (708 billion cubic meters). The Government of Turkmenistan has guaranteed deliverability of 25 trillion cubic feet (708 billion cubic meters) of natural gas exclusively for the Central Asia Gas Pipeline. Much or all of this gas is expected to come from the Dauletabad Field. The inaugural memorandum of understanding between the governments of Turkmenistan and Pakistan for the CentGas project was signed in March 1995. "The formation of the consortium is another major milestone achieved in accordance with the requirements of protocols and agreements previously signed with the Governments of Turkmenistan and Pakistan," said Marty Miller, Unocal Corporation vice president responsible for new ventures in Central Asia and Pakistan. Miller pointed out that the project still faces significant economic, political and commercial challenges, such as finalizing mutually acceptable commercial agreements and agreements with transit countries. "This project has exceptionally sound economic fundamentals, given the presence of proven gas reserves in Turkmenistan and the market needs of Pakistan and India. The Dauletabad Field has produced well over 2 billion cubic feet per day in the past and is capable of producing that volume today. With the right development program, the Field will continue to be able to produce natural gas at this rate long into the future. No other import project can provide such volumes of natural gas to these markets at a lower price." The proposed natural gas pipeline would stretch from the Turkmenistan/Afghanistan border in southeastern Turkmenistan to Multan, Pakistan (790 miles, 1,271 kilometers), with a 400-mile (640-kilometer) extension to India under consideration. Estimated cost of the project is US$1.9 billion for the segment to Pakistan and an additional US$600 million for the extension to India. This news release contains forward-looking information, including projections of future business plans and potential capital expenditures. Actual results could differ materially from these projections. CentGas Consortium Members: Unocal Corporation (U.S.), 46.5 percent Founded over 100 years ago, Unocal is one of the world's leading energy resource and project development companies providing regional integrated energy solutions. Unocal has reserves of more than 9.8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas equivalent (1.6 billion barrels of oil equivalent) and major oil and gas production activities in Asia and the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. Delta Oil Company Limited (Saudi Arabia), 15 percent Delta Oil Company Limited, a private Saudi-owned company, was founded by its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Badr M. Al-Aiban. Mr. Al-Aiban established the original Delta entity in Saudi Arabia in 1978, and its activities have expanded significantly since its inception. Today, Delta and its affiliates comprise a diversified group of companies involved in the energy industry, real estate development, food processing and packaging, soft drink bottling and distribution, agriculture and manufacturing. The company's operations extend to Central Asia, South East Asia and other countries in the Middle East. Delta has developed a number of strategic alliances in the oil and gas industry. As a member of the Azerbaijan International Operating Company (AIOC) and the North Absheron Operating Company Limited (NAOC), Delta and its affiliates are involved in exploring and developing oil fields in Azerbaijan, as well as other Central Asian countries. The Government of Turkmenistan, 7 percent Since declaring its independence from the USSR on October 27, 1991, Turkmenistan has looked forward to increasing the economic strength of the new state. The country has strived to build on its traditions, values and history to form a political and economic system capable of increasing the well-being of its people, and strengthening the sovereignty of Turkmenistan. The leadership of Turkmenistan has met the challenge of reform head on, and has established many channels for swift economic development. As an independent state, Turkmenistan has much to offer to the Central Asian region and the international community. By effectively using its natural resources, continuing on a path of economic reform as can be seen in the agricultural industry, and promoting its economic potential to attract foreign investment, Turkmenistan can be assured of decades of successful economic growth. The government believes that by seeking international investment, technological and management support for its country, Turkmenistan can play a major role as the economic catalyst for the Central Asian region, and join the world leaders in the distribution of oil and gas. Indonesia Petroleum, LTD. (INPEX) (Japan), 6.5 percent Indonesia Petroleum, LTD. (INPEX), a Tokyo-based company, has been engaged in the exploration and development of petroleum resources, mainly in Indonesia, since 1966 in order to ensure a continued stable supply of energy resources to Japan. With its core activity area in Indonesia, INPEX is expanding its activities in East Asia, Oceania, CIS, the Middle East and Africa. INPEX and its subsidiaries are currently producing 280,000 BOEPD equity oil and gas in Indonesia, Australia and UAE. ITOCHU Oil Exploration Co., Ltd. (CIECO) (Japan), 6.5 percent ITOCHU Oil Exploration Co., Ltd. (CIECO) was formed in 1972 and is now involved in the exploration, development and production of hydrocarbons in Indonesia, U.K. North Sea, Australia, Pakistan, CIS Countries, Yemen, Oman and Gabon. CIECO is the core company responsible for all Hydrocarbon Exploration and Production activities within the subsidiaries and associates of ITOCHU Corporation, the largest trading company in Japan. With maximum utilization to ITOCHU's worldwide network, CIECO is well placed to continue to expand its foreign activities in the future. Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd. (Korea), 5 percent Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd. was established in 1947, and its major role was rebuilding Korea's infrastructure. Growing rapidly during the early 1960s, Hyundai built dams, bridges, buildings and tunnels, as well as industrial plants that were desperately needed. Since it launched into the international market in 1968, Hyundai has taken a place among top global general contractors, with approximately US$32 billion construction orders through 1996. As the core company of Hyundai Business Group, Hyundai has set the pace for the Hyundai Business Group which is now a US$87 billion multi-national conglomerate specializing in engineering and construction, automobiles, shipbuilding, robotics, electronics, petrochemicals, aerospace and trading. The Crescent Group (Pakistan), 3.5 percent The Crescent Group, in business for more than 50 years, is the premier industrial and financial conglomerate in Pakistan. More than 35 independent companies operating across Pakistan form the nucleus of the group and are leaders in textiles, jute, sugar, engineering, steel, investment banking, insurance, leasing and software development. The Crescent Group employs over 15,000 people and contributes to one percent of GNP of the country and over two percent of market capitalization of Pakistan. Strategic alliances have helped position the Crescent Group as a leader in its core businesses, such as textile and textile made-ups. Crescent is in partnership with some of the most well-known corporations from the United States and Europe. The Group puts heavy emphasis on keeping its projects environment-friendly, promotes education, and spends considerably on the development of human talent in safe working conditions. Project Overview International Pipeline Consortium Six international companies and the Government of Turkmenistan are forming an international pipeline consortium, Central Asia Gas Pipeline, Ltd. (CentGas) to develop a natural gas pipeline that will link Turkmenistan's vast natural gas reserves with the growing markets of Pakistan and possibly India. This major new source of fuel will supplement indigenous natural gas supply. An efficient, clean-burning fuel, natural gas can be economically and safely transported by pipeline over long distances, and priced competitively with alternate fuels. The Resource Dauletabad Field is one of the largest gas fields in the world. DeGolyer & MacNaughton, an internationally recognized petroleum engineering firm, has thoroughly evaluated the field's reserves. These evaluations clearly show that the field's resources are adequate for project needs, assuming production rates of roughly 1.5 billion cubic feet of gas per day (15 billion cubic meters of gas per year) for 30 years or more. The Government of Turkmenistan has guaranteed deliverability of 25 trillion cubic feet (709 billion cubic meters) of natural gas exclusively for this project. Much or all of this gas is expected to come from the Dauletabad Field. The Market Forecasts based on reasonable gas purchase, sales price and other assumptions show sufficient demand for the imported gas at prices that support the project's economic viability. Market analyses indicate that Pakistan's electric power generation market will be the main consumer of the imported gas. The Route The 48-inch diameter pipeline will extend 790 miles (1,271 kilometers) from the Afghanistan-Turkmenistan border, generally follow the Herat-to-Kandahar Road through Afghanistan, cross the Pakistan border in the vicinity of Quetta, and terminate in Multan, Pakistan, where it will tie into an existing pipeline system. Turkmenistan will construct a pipeline that will link with the CentGas line at the border and stretch approximately 105 miles (169 kilometers) to the Dauletabad Field. A potential 400-mile (644-kilometer) extension from Multan to New Delhi also is under consideration. Estimated cost of the project is US$1.9 billion for the segment to Pakistan, and an additional US$600 million for the extension to India. Inter-Government Support The project enjoys strong support from the governments and leadership of the three countries directly involved and has also attracted the interest of other countries. Turkmenistan and Pakistan have demonstrated inter-government support through various memorandums of understanding. Regional Benefits The project offers numerous long- and short-term benefits to the region. It will link plentiful supplies of clean-burning natural gas with growing regional markets, employ thousands of local people, foster regional cooperation, and enhance trade, transportation and communication. The development of pipeline-related infrastructure also will create opportunities for economic growth in other industries. In addition to regional advantages, the pipeline offers specific benefits to the countries involved. Turkmenistan will reach new markets with its plentiful gas reserves, while Pakistan gains a reliable source of clean-burning fuel to drive its economic growth. Afghanistan will earn extensive economic benefits from the pipeline, both during construction and over the life of the project. SOURCE: Central Asia Gas Pipeline, Ltd. |
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| Originally posted by DrUg_Tit0 This one: The consortium gave up on the pipeline in 1998, due to the taliban expansion. Therefore the talibans indeed have prevented the US from exploiting natural resources in the region. |
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