South Asia's Growing Energy Needs Is Changing Altitudes in the Region

South Asia’s Energy Quest Could Reshape Region -- Washington Post

New Delhi — India and its Himalayan neighbor Nepal are set to build a massive power transmission line across their border, a step toward addressing rising energy needs in a region that analysts say has been held back economically by political distrust.

The two countries will meet later this month to finalize a deal in which India will export electricity to Nepal over 87 miles of new power lines. In return, Nepal will construct power plants and eventually send its surplus electricity to India, which is negotiating similar arrangements with Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Bhutan.

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My Comment: South Asia's growing energy needs are changing altitudes and alliances in the region for the simple reason that no one wants to be left out.

South Asia’s Deadly Dominoes

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From The New York Times:

WASHINGTON — The Mumbai attacks may have begun with Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistani guerrilla group known in the West mostly for its preoccupation with Kashmir. But by the time the crisis finally ends, foreign policy experts say, the fallout may have expanded to include the United States, NATO, Afghanistan and Iran.

Once again, South Asia is showing itself to be vulnerable to contagion.

President-elect Barack Obama during the campaign laid out an intricate construction for what might happen in South Asia with the right American push. He advocated increasing American troops in Afghanistan and pressing Pakistan to do more to evict foreign fighters and to attack training camps for radical terrorists along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

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My Comment: This part of the world will probably define President Obama's foreign policy.