AHC/WI: Soviet Pipelines through Afghanistan

Delta Force

Banned
At one point in the 1990s, Afghanistan was considered a potential route for pipelines carrying petroleum and natural gas from Central Asia. These include the Trans-Afghanistan Pipeline proposal, as well as the Afghanistan Oil Pipeline proposal. Could the Soviet Union have built something similar if they had decided not to invade Afghanistan, or if they had achieved victory there?
 
At one point in the 1990s, Afghanistan was considered a potential route for pipelines carrying petroleum and natural gas from Central Asia. These include the Trans-Afghanistan Pipeline proposal, as well as the Afghanistan Oil Pipeline proposal. Could the Soviet Union have built something similar if they had decided not to invade Afghanistan, or if they had achieved victory there?

Short answer is yes, if "victory" had been achieved. In this case I'd define victory as the absence of a robust revolt that could routinely threaten the pipe line. Afganistan has a few times in its history something that resembles stability, there are frequently times when there is no wide spread insurrection or warfare. If the relative quite of the 1960s can be had then major industrial projects are practical.
 
There were also rumours that WALLIES wanted to build a pipeline across Afghanistan post 9/11.
One motivation was to suck out Central-Asian crude oil before Communist China.
 

Delta Force

Banned
What would the response be if the Soviets had built the pipelines during the 1960s or 1970s versus after achieving victory in the Soviet War in Afghanistan? Could the Soviets have flipped Pakistan, and if so how would that impact Soviet relations with Iran and India?

Also, any chance of a railway and naval base in Pakistan, or would that likely provoke a superpower showdown over the Indian Ocean?
 

Delta Force

Banned
Could the Soviet Union have implemented this while still maintaining relatively good relations with Iran and India?
 

Delta Force

Banned
I'm more interested in the repercussions of something like this for the Soviet economy and foreign relations in the area, but now I'm wondering if it would have been possible for the Soviet Union to have built. Didn't the Soviet pipelines in Europe and Siberia require extensive imports from Europe and elsewhere to complete? The United States would probably come down very hard on anyone trying to sell equipment to the Soviets after a War in Afghanistan.
 
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