India plans 'world's most dangerous railroad' from Afghanistan to Iran

[Vehl]

India plans 'world's most dangerous railroad' from Afghanistan to Iran

India is planning to build what could be the world's most dangerous railroad from Afghanistan's mineral-rich heartland to an Iranian port on the Arabian Sea in attempt to open a new trade route and reduce Kabul's dependence on Pakistan.


Details of the new plan emerged on the eve of the Istanbul conference on security and economic development in Afghanistan in the run-up to the planned withdrawal of American troops in 2014.

Washington has urged India, Pakistan and Afghanistan to co-operate in creating a new 'Silk Road' of trade ties to break the current suspicion which mars political relations and restricts potential trade. India expects American hostility to its plan, however, because it will bolster Iran's sea capability by developing a major port at Chabahar on the southern tip of the country facing out over the Gulf of Oman.

For India, the prize is a potentially highly lucrative contract to mine Afghanistan's iron reserves, which are estimated to be worth up to $3 trillion – several times the size of India's growing economy(Note: not really "several times") – and the strategic advantage of a new trade and logistics route to Afghanistan which bypasses Pakistan.

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The plan appears to have Afghanistan's backing. An Afghan official last night told The Telegraph:"Whenever it suits them, Pakistan can close the border. We don't want to be dependent on them."


more here
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/8862583/India-plans-worlds-most-dangerous-railroad-from-Afghanistan-to-Iran.html

This is a very interesting and major development indeed.

A few years ago, India and Iran signed an agreement which semi-leased the Chabahar port to India. India, in return will be expanding the port to an international shipping transit-point for the middle eastern region.

The reasons behind this are quite a few, some of the main ones, including brief backstories.

1
This is the the best way for India to access the mineral and oil reserves of Afghanistan and central Asian states, and for Afghanistan to sell/ship their products to the rest of the world.

America has been(not nowadays, but even as recently as a year ago)pushing for a oil pipeline from central Asia to India via Pakistan.(the so called "Peace pipeline" )India has bee rightly leery of any plan that would see the majority of its strategic resource...oil, coming through Pakistan. Given the recent string of "insurgent" attacks on America's military supply line through Pakistan into Afghanistan(which happen every-time Pakistan and America disagree about something), India fears that such "insurgents" will also target this proposed pipeline through Pakistan to India. Thus the only alternative will be through Iran (Iran has been quite friendly to India over the past few decades..so much so that Indian naval ships have docking/supply rights in Iranian ports)

2
Afghanistan fears that America will leave it high and dry once again, at the mercy of Pakistan. Pakistan sees Afghanistan as a colony of sorts. Afghanis resent this and don't want to be at the mercy of Pakistan (which would be the case if this new pathway is not being built, as Afghanistan is a landlocked country). With China eying Afghani resources, this would prevent a Chinese backed Pakistani push for the installation of a puppet regime(like the Taliban government from the early 90s to 2001)

3
India and Afghanistan have a great relationship. India was the only country that aided the Northern Alliance, which fought the Taliban during the years America has no interest in Afghanistan(The years after defeating the soviets and before sept 11). Kharzai and many other Northern Alliance leaders were living in India during that time, and Indian hospitals and agents(set up in Northern Afghanistan, away from Taliban ruled regions) provided much needed assistance to the Alliance in it's fights to keep out the Taliban forces. When the Lion of Panjshir(Ahmad Shah Maussoud, the famed leader of the Northern Alliance ) was fatally injured by an Al-Quaida Suicide bomber (few days before sept 11) he was airlifted to India in a desperate bid to save his life. To this day, dozens of Afgan military officials are trained in Indian Military Academies yearly. These underscore the close ties binding these two nations.



It seems that part of the project, A highway from parts of Afghanistan to the Iranian border has already been built by India.

Given Afghanistan's vital importance for the security of the subcontinent, India's assistance program there already amounts to more than $1.2bn - modest from the standpoint of Afghan needs, but large for a non-traditional donor - and it is set to rise further.

India's efforts in Afghanistan have focused on humanitarian infrastructure, social projects, and development of skills and capacity. Five Indian medical missions provide treatment and free medicines to more than 1,000 patients a day, most of them poor women and children. The Indian-built Indira Gandhi Centre for Child Health in Kabul is connected through a telemedicine link with two specialty medical centres in India.

A million tons of Indian food assistance provides 100 grams of high-protein biscuits to two million of Afghanistan's six million schoolchildren, a third of whom are girls. Indian engineers, braving attacks that claimed several lives, built a 130 mile (218km) highway from Zaranj to Delaram in southwest Afghanistan, opening a trade route to the Iranian border. Indians braved the 3,000m heights to run a power-transmission line from Pul-e-Khumri to Kabul - giving round-the-clock electricity to the capital for the first time since 1982. India is currently engaged in building the Afghan Parliament building, a visible and evocative symbol of democracy.

India has also commissioned 100 small development projects (mainly quick-gestation, small-scale social-sector projects), and pledged further funds for education, health, power, and telecommunications. Of course, some in Pakistan see nefarious designs behind this assistance, but the ultimate objective is straightforward: to build indigenous Afghan capabilities for effective governance, reflecting India's commitment to regional stability in the face of terror and violence.

http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/06/201161410198655929.html

America can make use of this route as well...IF it is willing to let go of its unreasonable animosity to Iran. Iran is vehemently anti Taliban..and if the republicans can set aside their dislike of that nation(and also disregard the occasional rants of some Iranian leaders) it could bring much needed stability to this region.

[aquart]

1. I wanna see the plan for protecting the track.

[FarCenter]

2. Actually, relations between Inda and Pakistan have been improving

As well as relations between India and Iran.

Turkey, Iran, Pakistan and India have a lot to gain by working together.