Teribus, conspiracy theories have nothing to do with it. UNOCAL ostensibly "withdrew" for a couple of reasons:   1. the Taliban put the kibosh on the deal; and 2. there was "strong pressure from human rights groups all over the world, and especially women's rights groups in the United States, appalled by the Taliban's policies on women. These groups threatened to organize a boycott of UNOCAL and brought bad press to the company." The project was put on hold until a more cooperative and acceptable regime could be established in Afghanistan, and is still on hold, pending the establishment of something vaguely resembling stability in Afghanistan. This is not going well (attention diverted to Iraq), and it may take awhile. Example:—

Rockets Target Airport In Eastern Afghan Province
The airport in Jalalabad, capital of Nangarhar Province, came under rocket attack on 16 September, dpa reported on 17 September, citing Afghan Islamic Press. Only one of the four rockets fired landed near the airport, and no damage was incurred, according to the report. The identity of the attackers is unknown. The same airport came under rocket fire in August (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 21 August 2003).AT

And this is only one of daily occurrences of this type going on in Afghanistan right now. This sort of thing doesn't make it in U.S. news media these days, but Afghanistan is not a happy country, despite its being "liberated" by the U.S. In the meantime, other entities, perhaps more friendly to the various belligerent factions in Afghanistan, are looking at the TAP pipeline with some interest. UNOCAL and the rest may actually lose out after all.

Pakistan To Push For Tap Pipeline Even If India Stays Out
Pakistani Petroleum and Natural Resources Minister Nauriz Shakoor said on 16 September that his country will implement the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (TAP) gas-pipeline project with or without Indian participation, Associated Press of Pakistan reported. Construction of the TAP pipeline project, which is to transit natural gas from Turkmenistan via Afghanistan to Pakistan and beyond, is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2004. New Delhi's participation in the project as a purchaser of gas is crucial to TAP's economic feasibility, as Pakistan alone is not a large enough market for Turkmen natural gas and Afghanistan is not a significant consumer of natural gas (see "RFE/RL Afghanistan Report," 27 February 2003 and "RFE/RL Newsline," 19 and 28 May 2003). AT.

Both of the quoted items found on Afghani news service. Much of my information comes from overseas news services—rather that Fox News.

You really should try to keep up on things.

Don Firth