A proposed natural gas pipeline between Iran and India is at the center of controversy. The main problem? The pipeline will pass through Pakistan. Pakistan has been at the epicenter of global guerrilla system attacks over the past several months. Baloch guerrillas have -- using tactics developed in Iraq -- successfully disrupted major potions of the Pakistan's infrastructure (natural gas, railways, electricity, communications, etc.). The existence of these global guerrillas put any new venture in region at risk.
The stakes are huge. The pipeline is key to India's future economic development and long term energy security. It is also worth up to $500 m a year in transport fees to the Pakistani government (in addition to a portion of the $4.16 billion that will be invested to build it). Unfortunately, it is likely that if the project is poorly planned, Baloch guerrillas (or any that follow) will be able to control the energy deliveries for hundreds of millions of people India through proven methods of system disruption.
The time to plan against global guerrilla disruption is now, before a plan is drawn up. This effort would require a robust analysis of the current state of the art in systems disruption as well as likely future developments (know your enemy). It will also require new thinking on methods of systems security that will prevent or diminish future disruptions (non-obvious thinking is required). Will the Indian or Pakistani governments assemble the team to counter this likely scenario or will they put the economic future of the sub-continent at risk?
Recent Comments