THE Taliban, Afghanistan's Islamic fundamentalist army, is about to sign a £2 billion contract with an
American oil company to build a pipeline across the war-torn country.
The Islamic warriors appear to have been persuaded to close the deal, not through delicate negotiation
but by old-fashioned Texan hospitality. Last week Unocal, the Houston-based company bidding to
build the 876-mile pipeline from Turkmenistan to Pakistan, invited the Taliban to visit them in Texas.
Dressed in traditional salwar khameez, Afghan waistcoats and loose, black turbans, the high-ranking
delegation was given VIP treatment during the four-day stay.
The Taliban ministers and their advisers stayed in a five-star hotel and were chauffeured in a company
minibus. Their only requests were to visit Houston's zoo, the Nasa space centre and Omaha's Super
Target discount store to buy stockings, toothpaste, combs and soap. The Taliban, which controls
two-thirds of Afghanistan and is still fighting for the last third, was also given an insight into how the
other half lives.
The men, who are accustomed to life without heating, electricity or running water, were amazed by the
luxurious homes of Texan oil barons. Invited to dinner at the palatial home of Martin Miller, a
vice-president of Unocal, they marvelled at his swimming pool, views of the golf course and six
bathrooms. After a meal of specially prepared halal meat, rice and Coca-Cola, the hardline
fundamentalists - who have banned women from working and girls from going to school - asked Mr
Miller about his Christmas tree.
They were interested to know what it was for and what the star was," said Mr Miller, who hopes that
Unocal has clinched the deal. "The first day, they were stiff and cautious. But before long they were
totally relaxed and happy," he said. Unocal, which heads an international consortium of companies from
Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Japan, has been bidding for the contract since vast oil and gas reserves
were discovered in Turkmenistan, one of the southernmost states of the former Soviet Union, in 1994.
The fuel has so far been untapped because of Moscow's demands for high transport fees if it passes
through Russian-controlled territory. The quickest and cheapest way to get the reserves out is to build
a pipeline through Afghanistan.
It will supply two of the fastest-growing energy markets in the world: Pakistan and India. The Unocal
group has one significant attraction for the Taliban - it has American government backing. At the end
of their stay last week, the Afghan visitors were invited to Washington to meet government officials.
The US government, which in the past has branded the Taliban's policies against women and children
"despicable", appears anxious to please the fundamentalists to clinch the lucrative pipeline contract.
The Taliban is likely to have been impressed by the American government's interest as it is anxious to
win international recognition. So far, it has been recognised only by the UAE, Saudi Arabia and
Pakistan.
Unocal has promised to start building the pipeline immediately, despite the region's instability. There is
fighting just 87 miles from the planned entry point of the pipeline in the northwest of the country. The
Taliban has assured Unocal that its workers and the pipeline will be safe, but it cannot guarantee that it
will not be attacked by opposition forces.
The consortium has also agreed to start paying the Taliban immediately. The Islamic army will receive
tax on every one of the million cubic feet of fuel that passes through Afghanistan every day. Unocal has
also offered other inducements. Apart from giving fax machines, generators and T-shirts, it has
donated £500,000 to the University of Nebraska for courses in Afghanistan to train 400 teachers,
electricians, carpenters and pipefitters. Nearly 150 students are already receiving technical training in
southern Afghanistan.
But it was the homely touches which swayed the Taliban. When the delegation left Texas, one of their
entourage stayed behind. Mullah Mohammad Ghaus, the former foreign minister and a leading member
of the Taliban ruling council, remained in Texas for medical treatment. Years on the front line damaged
his eyesight. Unocal bought him a battery-powered magnifying glass and are paying for him to go to an
optician.
