Ahmadinejad Makes First Visit To Pakistan

Iranian President To Discuss Security Concerns As Well As Fate Of Gas Pipeline Project

(CBS)  Written for CBSNews.com by Farhan Bokhari, reporting from Islamabad.

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Iran’s president Mahmoud Ahmadinejadand Pakistani leaders are expected to discuss security issues in their surrounding region, including worsening conditions in Afghanistan, when Ahmedinejad arrives in Islamabad on Monday for his first visit to the south Asian country.

Ahmadinejad’s visit - a day after Afghan president Hamid Karzai narrowly escaped an assassination attempt - is a powerful reminder of the instability in the war-torn central Asian country with possible consequences for its surrounding region, a senior western diplomat warned.

“If Afghanistan goes out of control, Pakistan and Iran will feel the consequences. There is a very real danger of the war in Afghanistan spilling over mainly into Pakistan, but the consequences will also affect Iran,” said the diplomat stationed in Islamabad in a CBS News interview given on the condition of anonymity.

The diplomat said worsening insecurity inside Afghanistan may intensify the conflict in that country between the West (including U.S. troops) and members of the Taliban, with the danger of that conflict eventually bringing intense fighting close to the Pakistani border (as well as Iran’s border) at a future stage.

Pakistan has been surrounded with persistent reports in the past two years for its linked to the Taliban movement which is believed to have carried out Sunday’s attack on Karzai.

The Pakistani government has always denied connections to the Taliban, though Western diplomats insist that there is evidence of connections between the Islamic militants and their supporters in Pakistan, such as members of local tribes living near the Pak-Afghan border.

For predominantly Shia Muslim majority Iran, a big concern is tied to militant violence in the country carried out by members of hardline Sunni militant groups who, according to Iranian officials, have operated from Pakistan’s southwestern Baluchistan province.

“Iran’s security concerns are directly connected to these people (militants) coming from the Baluchistan area,” a senior Iranian official told CBS News in an interview in February this year on the condition that he would not be named.

After taking off on Monday morning from Tehran, Ahmadinejad will first travel to Islamabad for a stopover before leaving for Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, on the same afternoon. On his return from Sri Lanka, Ahmadinejad would stop over in Delhi, the Indian capital, for discussions with Indian leaders.

On Sunday, a senior Iranian official speaking to journalists in Tehran said Ahmedinejad’s visits to India and Pakistan could help push a longstanding plan for a new pipeline to transport gas reserves from southern Iran to the two south Asian countries which both face energy shortages. In recent weeks, Pakistani officials have said, the pipeline could be extended to China as well at a future date.

“It looks like arriving at this agreement [for the pipeline] will not be out of reach [during Ahmadinejad’s trip],” said Mohammad Ali Hosseini, the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman speaking at a news conference in Tehran. “And it is natural that the matter (of the pipeline) which is one of the most important issues of interest by the three parties (Iran, Pakistan and India) will be discussed in the trip by the president,” he added.

In the past, the U.S. has opposed the pipeline project estimated to be worth $7.5 billion on the grounds that it would inject fresh revenues to the Iranian economy which has been under U.S. sanctions - this at a time when Washington is seeking to further pressure Iran due to Iran’s alleged involvement with backing anti-U.S. groups in Iraq, and also due to Iran’s development of its nuclear program.

Iranian gas reserves are thought to be the second largest in the world (after Russia’s) and could bring billions of dollars in fresh revenue to Tehran if the pipeline project gets completed. In the past, Iran has failed to develop its gas reserves under the weight of U.S. sanctions which have prevented the flow of new technology and foreign capital to the Islamic country.

[pentangyl]

Pardon the typos, I really can spell!

[pentangyl]

Hamid Karzai, meeting with Ahmadinejad to discuss a Iranian pipeline was not in his best interests in regards to his health. The US went to war in Afghanistan over that pipeline. That project was already spoken for (Rothchields)Shell. what was Hamid Karzai thinking!

Not the right toes to step on!

Never bite the hand that feeds you!

If this is really the Matrix, my eyes are open now!

[usbrit-2009]

When I read this I''''m reminded of why this sub-set of the world (Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Myanmar, India, etc) was once referred to(by a leading diplomat) as the "back-as*shole of the world"). This whole region is uniformally worthless, dangerous, and adds no value to the rest of the world. Who among us would not be better off if this entire part of the planet, along with all it''''s people, were to vanish tomorrow? I rest my case.

Posted by michaelt302


Now''''s a good time to nuke the holy f*uck out of Pakistan. We could get the scum leader of Iran and also knock out 99% of al Qaeda all at same time. A

Posted by taylor2124

Based on these two posts can anyone be blamed for thinking that the U.S. is the biggest threat to peace in the world today?

[brianbwb-2009]

"Who among us would not be better off if this entire part of the planet, along with all it''''s people, were to vanish tomorrow? I rest my case." Posted by michaelt302

Whoever makes such a decision, and those that support such a decision are no better, in fact worse than those they condemn.

[winnerindia]

WinnerIndia--What happened with the Iranian airbases in 1971 with regard to the war between Pakistan and India?
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Po
sted by Prinzowhales at 07:12 PM : Apr 27, 2008


During that war, Iran offered India it''''s air to strike in Baluchistan (Pakistan''''s province). Pakistan lost that war. As a consequence, Bangladesh that once was a part of Pakistan, separated and became a new, INDEPENDENT country. Now, how could Pakistanis forget that A*S*S pain? lol.

So the Iranian president only has $s in his eyes for the gas pipeline project otherwise Iranians and Pakistanis don''''t like one another. Cio :)

[winnerindia]

WinnerIndia--What happened with the Iranian airbases in 1971 with regard to the war between Pakistan and India?
--------------------------------

Posted by Prinzowhales at 07:12 PM : Apr 27, 2008


During that war, Iran offered India it''s air to strike in Baluchistan (Pakistan''s province). Pakistan lost that war.
So the Iranian president only has $s in his eyes for the gas pipeline project otherwise Iranians and PAkistanis don''t like one another. Cio :)

[taylor2124]

Now''s a good time to nuke the holy f*uck out of Pakistan. We could get the scum leader of Iran and also knock out 99% of al Qaeda all at same time. A two-fer. Talk about your win-win situations!!!

[randynason]

We need to leave that part of the world unto itself. We have no business there, except to peddle politics and influence oil production/distribution. Power, greed and fear-based arrogance is no reason to wage war and kill other people. It''s pointless and counter productive to the evolution of mankind.

[glock4me]

I am Pakistani,and we respect Iranis very well. It is westerners hobby and intention to create anarchy world over. Otherwise Pakistan and Iran war is as probable as war between USA and israel.

We are unfortunate to be neinghbor of stupid indians, who wont bring peace to region. I would like india,pakistan,china to have a common defence against white jerks.


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Posted by tw9kle at 08:28 PM : Apr 27, 2008


Unlike Iran, Pakistan and China make a lot of money selling cheap junk to us "white jerks" so I doubt they would participate in your little pact.

[hungry1968]

I wonder if he had to sneak into the country unannounced like Bush and his cabal have to, or if he can just fly in announced and with a presidential welcome like he did when he went to Iraq?

Or if al Qaeda launched RPG''s at the air base he was landing at, like when Cheney came to visit?

[antoniof123]

This is just cake here you have a guy that is a nut case and he even understand that you need to talk.

America wake up the neo cons are trying to bring about WWIII. They think god will reward them if they hurry the process along.

First of all you can''t make god do anything second of all they are more nuts than this guy.

[tw9kle]

I am Pakistani,and we respect Iranis very well. It is westerners hobby and intention to create anarchy world over. Otherwise Pakistan and Iran war is as probable as war between USA and israel.

We are unfortunate to be neinghbor of stupid indians, who wont bring peace to region. I would like india,pakistan,china to have a common defence against white jerks.

[tw9kle]

I am Pakistani,and we respect Iranis very well. It is westerners hobby and intention to create anarchy world over. Otherwise Pakistan and Iran war is as probable as war between USA and israel.

We are unfortunate to be neinghbor of stupid indians, who wont bring peace to region. I would like india,pakistan,china to have a common defence against white jerks.

[tw9kle]

I am Pakistani,and we respect Iranis very well. It is westerners hobby and intention to create anarchy world over. Otherwise Pakistan and Iran war is as probable as war between USA and israel.

We are unfortunate to be neinghbor of stupid indians, who wont bring peace to region. I would like india,pakistan,china to have a common defence against white jerks.

[tw9kle]

I am Pakistani,and we respect Iranis very well. It is westerners hobby and intention to create anarchy world over. Otherwise Pakistan and Iran war is as probable as war between USA and israel.

We are unfortunate to be neinghbor of stupid indians, who wont bring peace to region. I would like india,pakistan,china to have a common defence against white jerks.

[tw9kle]

I am Pakistani,and we respect Iranis very well. It is westerners hobby and intention to create anarchy world over. Otherwise Pakistan and Iran war is as probable as war between USA and israel.

We are unfortunate to be neinghbor of stupid indians, who wont bring peace to region. I would like india,pakistan,china to have a common defence against white jerks.

[tw9kle]

I am Pakistani,and we respect Iranis very well. It is westerners hobby and intention to create anarchy world over. Otherwise Pakistan and Iran war is as probable as war between USA and israel.

We are unfortunate to be neinghbor of stupid indians, who wont bring peace to region. I would like india,pakistan,china to have a common defence against white jerks.

[tw9kle]

I am Pakistani,and we respect Iranis very well. It is westerners hobby and intention to create anarchy world over. Otherwise Pakistan and Iran war is as probable as war between USA and israel.

We are unfortunate to be neinghbor of stupid indians, who wont bring peace to region. I would like india,pakistan,china to have a common defence against white jerks.

[tw9kle]

I am Pakistani,and we respect Iranis very well. It is westerners hobby and intention to create anarchy world over. Otherwise Pakistan and Iran war is as probable as war between USA and israel.

We are unfortunate to be neinghbor of stupid indians, who wont bring peace to region. I would like india,pakistan,china to have a common defence against white jerks.

[tw9kle]

I am Pakistani,and we respect Iranis very well. It is westerners hobby and intention to create anarchy world over. Otherwise Pakistan and Iran war is as probable as war between USA and israel.

We are unfortunate to be neinghbor of stupid indians, who wont bring peace to region. I would like india,pakistan,china to have a common defence against white jerks.