Industrialized Cyclist Notepad

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton urged energy-starved India on Monday to reduce its Iranian oil imports to keep up pressure on the Islamic republic to come clean about its nuclear program.

In meetings in the capital, New Delhi, Ms. Clinton was expected to push for India to find alternative sources of oil on the international market.

uhh…

Earlier Monday, she told a town hall meeting in the eastern city of Kolkata that there’s an adequate supply in the market for India to find other suppliers. Ms. Clinton noted India has taken some steps to reduce its imports from Iran but she says the U.S. wants to see more.

“If there weren’t an adequate supply … we would understand, but we believe that there is adequate supply,” she said.

Do they really believe that? Because that is impressively delusional, even for these Champions of Delusion.

Or… Is there really something else going on here? Ah yes — Wal-Mart wants to open in India, and the US is using the threat of sanctions to shoehorn ’em in.

When asked whether India could get a waiver from the Iran sanctions, Ms. Clinton said it was too early to discuss that possibility.

Ms. Clinton also met Monday with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, a key partner of India’s ruling coalition who has stymied government efforts to lift restrictions on foreign-owned investments in the country.

Ms. Clinton had a long conversation with Ms. Banerjee about allowing multi-brand retailers, such as Wal-Mart, enter the market, U.S. officials said after the meeting.

Last year, India’s Cabinet had to rescind a decision to open up its market to major foreign retailers after Ms. Banerjee balked at the move, saying it would crush small domestic retailers.

Ah ha. You see how this works.

via Clinton presses India to cut oil imports from Iran – The Globe and Mail.