*Editors Note | Since September 11th, 2001, there has been intense 
speculation regarding Bush administration negotiations with the Taliban 
regarding this very project prior to the attacks. American petroleum 
giant Unocal very much wanted this project for years, but it was stymied 
in 1998 after bin Laden blew up two American embassies in Africa, 
causing the Taliban to be diplomatically isolated. There are a number of 
reports that describe a reinvigoration of this pipeline plan after Bush took 
office, and further describe the Bush administration's negotiations with 
the Taliban including threats of war if the project was not allowed to 
pass through Afghanistan. Some say these threats, in the name of the 
pipeline, triggered the 9/11 attacks. The Taliban is gone, Afghan 
President Harmid Karzai is a former Unocal consultant, and the pipeline
deal is finally done. - wrp)

( http://www.paknews.com/top.php?id=1&date1=2002-12-28 )

Agreement On US 3.2 Billion Gas Pipeline Project Signed
PakNews.com 

December 28, 2002 

Pakistan, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan on Friday signed here a 
framework agreement for a US $ 3.2 billion gas pipeline project 
passing through the three countries.  

The ceremony was held at the Presidential Palace with the three 
leaders, Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali, President 
Saparmurat Niyazov of Turkmenistan and Afghan President Hamid 
Karzai signing the document.  

The framework agreement defines legal mechanism for setting up 
a consortium to build and operate the pipeline.  

According to a study by Asian Development Bank (ADB), the 1460 km 
pipeline would use gas reserves at Dauletabad fields in Turkmenistan, 
which has world's fifth largest reserves, while passing through 
Afghanistan into Pakistan.  

The three countries had earlier signed a trilateral agreement to develop 
a natural gas and oil pipeline from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan into 
Pakistan in May this year, during the first trilateral summit in Islamabad. 

The three countries are laying great importance on the project as 
it could provide much needed boost to their economies.  

(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material 
is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior 
interest in receiving the included information for research and 
educational purposes.)

(c) truthout 2002

                              -==-

Source: http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/12.30A.afgh.pipe.htm

Cheers, Steve..

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