Hilary Benn, the international development secretary, has been in office barely two weeks, but the time to decide whether to release public funds to a $3.7bn (£2.2bn) British-led pipeline consortium is almost up...British-based human rights and environmental groups have been at the forefront of the international protest movement, warning that the subterranean pipeline - being built by British oil giant BP - will reignite conflicts, threaten pollution and accelerate global warming.