Afstan, oil (?!?) and the Globe and Mail

There ain't no stinkin' oil involved in Afghanistan. A letter sent to the Globe and Mail and, amazingly, not published:

Lawrence Martin, in his column "Big Oil pumps up the ugly Afghan and Iraqi mix" (July 3), goes on and on about the great American interest in an oil pipeline through Afghanistan; indeed he claims that oil "...has certainly been among Washington's motivations and now, with the pipeline deal, it will be front and centre."

There is one slight problem. There have certainly been plans since the 1990s for a pipeline through Afghanistan. But those plans have all been for a pipeline to transport natural gas from Turkmenistan to Pakistan, and now also India.

There are no plans for any oil pipeline through Afghanistan. That makes Mr Martin's column a piece of perfervid nonsense, especially his conclusion that "War for oil is hardly a savoury option. But get ready. With the signing of the pipeline plan in Kabul, it will soon be part of the debate in this country." Mr Martin's error is all the more inexplicable in light of the fact that the Globe and Mail ran a front page story June 19 dealing with the natural gas pipeline project, "Pipeline opens new front in Afghan war".

One expects rather better of a columnist in "Canada's National Newspaper".

References:
http://www.independent-bangladesh.com/200803313829/business/india-to-join-turkmenistan-afghanistan-pakistan-gas-pipeline.html
http://www.forbes.com/afxnewslimited/feeds/afx/2008/04/25/afx4933107.html

Whatever might lead the esteemed Mr Martin to be so egregiously slipshod with basic facts? At least he did not mention Cheney or Haliburton.

Update: Chris Selley notices this post at his Maclean's blog:

Megapundit Extra: Putting the Torch to Lawrence Martin