Peace through natural gas

Imagine Michael Moore and George W. Bush palling around on a fishing trip and mugging for the camera with full-toothed smiles. Now that you've imagined the impossible, you can understand how improbable it is that India and Pakistan have announced that they are on an "irreversible" course toward peace.

What would cause two longtime, sworn enemies to suddenly get sweet on each other? How about a natural gas pipeline that will run through Pakistan to India and supply both with badly needed energy for their growing economies. Not one to take this outbreak of peace lying down, Condolezza Rice scolded both countries because the pipeline is coming from Iran.

While the warming relations between Pakistan and India might well deteriorate for any number of reasons, the implacable opposition of the United States to anyone else getting a piece of the remaining energy pie seems to be one thing that is irreversible.

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