Chapter 17-18 Summary and Analysis

There are oil and gas reserves in Central Asia. Unocal is one oil company that is interested. The company wants to build a pipeline from Turkmenistan through Kandahar to Pakistan. The company sends Marty Miller and John Imle to negotiate. Carlos Bulgheroni, an Argentine oilman, has the same idea as Unocal. Bulgheroni has the support of Prince Turki. The Bhutto government promises to buy Bulgheroni's gas but the Turkmenistan government makes their deal with Unocal. There is support in Washington for the Unocal deal.

Multilaterial lending for the Unocal project requires a stable government. Afghanistan does not meet the requirements at the time. Unocal also needs Pakistan to drop its pledge to buy from Bulgheroni but Bhutto will not. When the Unocal people arrive in Afghanistan, they cannot meet with Mullah Omar because they ware not Muslims. The Taliban...