The nexus between America and India
‘The United States, which once considered Pakistan a ‘corner stone’ of its foreign policy seems to have shifted the balance towards India. There are speculations that US may soon, or may already have, “outsourced” the management of its South Asian Security Policy to India. India may have been tasked to ‘guard the US interests’ in South and East Asian regions, against a common adversary, China. If this is true then the concern is far more serious for India’s neighbours in the region. South Asian analysts believe if India has agreed to play this role in the region, then the US must have offered her incentives, obviously of strategic nature. And that might have links to the reference of ‘Kashmir’ and ‘Pakistan’ in their joint communiqué.” (Editorial, Weekly Pulse October 13-19) The joint communiqué refers to the official joint statement released on the Indian Prime Minister’s recent visit to the US.
We need to look at this opinion closely and in detail. Security issues were the high point of the meeting between Barack Obama and Narendra Modi. The 2005 Framework on Defence, originally signed between Manmohan Singh and George Bush, was given a new lease of life by the current Prime Minister of India and US President. Issues of “defence technology transfers, trade, research, co-production, and co-development” have been given weightage between the two.
India’s focus to “Act East” brings up an interesting preposition: Does this indicate a meeting between America, India and Japan? America and Japan are strategic allies whereas Japan and India enjoy a Strategic Global Partnership focused more on maritime activities.
America also agrees to provide vehicles to India that are not only mine resistant but also ambush protected. This comes on the heels of America closing a deal to sell 160 similar machines to Pakistan. Does this mean India’s Prime Minister jealously brought up the deal with Pakistan to curry a similar deal? Probably yes.
There have been talks between both the leaders on “dismantling terrorists, criminal networks and safe havens”. Only a day following the joint communiqué, America announced her decision to freeze assets of at least two of Pakistan based terror organisations: the first being Harkatul Mujahideen and the second being Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Earlier, in August 2014, Chuck Hagel had visited India for three days, a follow up to John Kerry’s visit as well as a trip by US Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker. “In one masterstroke, Kerry solved the highly emotive issue of the denial of visa by dismissing it as a decision taken by a previous government, thus distancing Obama from any “Modiphobia”. Modi himself had never played it up as an impediment and now it has become a non-issue. The snooping issue was similarly dealt with in a forthright manner, with Swaraj insisting that it was not acceptable and Kerry giving assurances of non-intervention without discussing intelligence matters. Swaraj did not provide any alibi for the US in the name of anti-terrorism measures, as her predecessor did on an earlier occasion.” (TP Sreenivasan, Former Ambassador of India)
The signal is clear. It’s green. It indicates America’s renewed interest in India. Chuck Hagel’s main agenda was to help move both countries closer. “India is likely to buy Apache gunships and 22 Chinook attack helicopters, both built by Boeing. The deals are expected to feature in Mr Hagel’s meetings with Defence Minister Arun Jaitley and the Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha. Sources say Mr Hagel hopes to persuade India into a follow-on order of 39 AH-64D Apache helicopters in addition to the 22 now being negotiated. The two sides have been wrangling over the price of the gunships, with the initial deal having been estimated to be worth $1.4 billion. The initial batch of Apache helicopters is meant to replace the Indian Air Force’s ageing fleet of Soviet-era aircrafts and will be armed with Hellfire and Stinger missiles.
“The Indian Army has separately requested a fleet of at least 39 of these attack aircrafts, some of which will be deployed as part of a new mountain strike corps it is raising along the disputed border with China, an army official said. The two sides are also in talks to finalise a contract for the Indian Air Force to buy 15 CH-47F Chinooks, a twin-rotor helicopter capable of lifting heavy loads, also valued at $1.4 billion. The Cabinet has just cleared a proposal to allow 49 percent foreign participation in the defence industry, up from a current cap of 26 percent, in a bid to boost local manufacturing and end a long dependence on overseas acquisitions that made India the world’s biggest arms importer in recent years.” (NDTV, August 08, 2014)
“Leadership in South Asia is, of course, just one part of India’s increasingly important global role. As India is both a rising power and a democracy, we in Washington view its growing influence in the world as broadly congruent with US interests. Both countries seek to promote democratic principles and institutions around the world because we know that stable democracies are largely peaceful and better able to manage the consequences of globalisation. Whether it comes to ensuring that China’s rise is peaceful or preventing the Muslim world from turning its back on modernity or stopping rising economies from being ruined by rising temperatures, it is hard to think of two other countries with as much at stake or as much to offer to global stability.” (Nicholas Burns, US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs writing for Foreign Affairs).
He goes on to write, “Meanwhile, the United States and India must also achieve more advanced cooperation on counterterrorism, intelligence, and law enforcement, based on the recognition that terrorism is a central threat to both countries. This means, among other things, working more closely to disrupt the flow of funds to terrorists. We also urge India to participate in our Container Security Initiative (which, among other things, allows the United States to check suspect US-bound cargo containers at their foreign ports of departure) and to unleash its proven expertise in information technology to meet a new generation of threats from cyberspace.”(November-December 2007 issue)
More recently, Indian-American Sampat Shivangi has been appointed as the Chairman of the Mississippi Board of Mental Health, making him the first Asian to occupy the top health post in the southern American state, announced The Times of India on July 25, 2014. His credentials notwithstanding, it’s not the appointment but the timing of the appointment that makes it interesting. Further, Anita M Singh, who previously worked at the White House on cyber-related issues, has been appointed the Chief of Staff and Counselor in the National Security Division of the US Justice Department. As NSD’s Chief of Staff, Singh will focus on strategic management issues including the design of structural changes to support work in emerging threat areas, according to a statement from the Justice Department, says The Times of India. (Oct 22, 2014) My observation remains the same as in the case of appointment of Sampat Sivangi.
Is the Editorial of Pulse right after all in stating that the US may soon, or may already have, “outsourced” the management of its South Asian Security Policy to India?
Ms. Ali : Thanks for exposing the 'boogeyman' in every mundane interaction between India and other countries. With so much paranoia, I wonder what you take at night to fall asleep.
mr.indian, Your ugly plans are visible what you want to achieve…..
wow, women in pakistan are allowed to write?!
Are Indian woman allowed to go to the loo ?
Hi Yasmeena
I am impressed with yours strategic analysis.
Strategic analyis is logical and depends completely on progressive(Socio economical) behaviour of 2 countries.
This is Partnership Era. Neither country can be isolated nor cornered. Strategically US and Iran may vary but eventually they may come very close to each other.
what i mean to say , i want analysis in that prospective which includes all countries,
Women of Pakistan allowed to read, cut, and paste? That must be counted as great progress in failed state. Keep it up.
Relationships based on selling Military hardware at a discount, is normally termed as opening a new market for the seller, and a long trail of spares sales for 20 years useful life of equipment as well as entry into defense of the nation through continuous presence.
Yes, US is now more sensitive about China's financial, industrial and military growth… best part is China does not have direct military presence in any nation, unlike USA's physical presence in 50+ nations.
Indian is still technically a Russian supported camp…and their leadership will very nationalistic, unlike Pakistani mercenary leaderships we have seen in every political party.
to counter these plans if at all they are true and after having read the analysis given what plans do we have as a strategic state which has no price .we are paid that price and conduct their operations in Wana ,Swat ,Waziristan and any where they want us to in our country ,we are always ready to fight Imposed wars . what counter policy do we have .the article i am sure is not meant to scare the nefarious designs into a common mans mind , of this PARADISE ON EARTH (PAKISTAN)
even if the whole earth got together and signed contracts to completely wipe out Pakistan from the map or globe t he power of ISLAM is a force which can fight million Americas and not ONE AMERICA.
TAWAKKUL KA YEH MATLAB HAI K KHANJAR TEEZ RAKH APNA
It is the geo-strategic location of Pakistan which will defy the Indo-US nexus to enforce Indian hegemony or supremacy in the South Asia.
A very good article, you have have been able to identify " Clear and Present Danger" but more important is the response from relevant quarters, broad contours of which are visible now, but is this a correct response without any changes to fundamentals.
Because of higher and wider education standards, Indian origin US citizens will continue to rise in the hierarchy, we should not see it as a sinister design. Also Indian economic development will bear strategic dividends. We the Pakistanis need to put our house in order before we can think of competing on the international stage. When we can't even hold one free and fair elections, how can we think of finding the same footing as Indians.
We are still debating whether to allow underage girls to marry. Strategic goals are beyond our capacity.
USA always wanted to foster a relationship with India. In the presence of USSR, India preferred a non aligned policy and reaped benefits from both sides.
The US is once again trying to cultivate and influence India to act as it's surrogate in the region to checkmate China's strategic and economic interests in South and Central Asia. It seems to has found a willing audience in the Modi government whose mandarins want to project a more muscular and belligerent foreign policy.
The recent heat up of both rhetoric and use of massive fire power on the Line of Control with Pakistan by India is a demonstration of its new approach to appease the hawks of BJP and RSS who have found a kindred spirit in NM. Hope India maintains it's independent foreign policy and not succumb to the US siren song of strategic interests which suits it's purpose now.
Ardeshir.
Sent from my iPhone
friendship with Americans means the end of India.Nothing could be best for Indian rival states once they see Bharat Matah being swallowed by Cow boys
After WW2 there was an influx of massive Jewish immigration into the US and when
we were medical interns and residents in training there in the sixties and seventies
the vast majority of University chairmen of ALL departments were Jewish….and that
set up a very pro Israeli shift in American foreign policy. Think tanks and political
appointees were in the main run by these brilliant Jewish Americans….take a look at the
career of Henry Kissinger for instance !
Today there are hundreds of first generation Indians who are in the SAME position as were
those Jews of a generation ago. Two of them are strong potential Presidential candidates
for 2016…Bobby Jindal , Governor of Lousiana and Nikki Haley (daughter of Sikh immigrants)
and right now the Republican Governor of South Carolina…
The Indians use their vast wealth and intellect in the US to come a FORCE to be reckoned
with….they are first and foremost US citizens and then will, like their Jewish counterparts,
align themselves with the country of their parents and grandparents…that is human nature
after all.
Muslims in the US are a pathetic bunch…at logger-head with each other and always
picking a fight with their fellow Americans. Foremost is their 'agenda' to get as many
converts as possible, and these mainly are done with prison inmates…that's another story.
Dr Nasir Ahmad M.D.,FRCS.,FACS.,
Indus Hospital,
Karachi.
True. Pakistanis are hated in the West. Because of their offensive behavior and habits, Pakistanis are considered dirty and despicable. Also, there seems no urge on the part of Pakistanis to improve. Aggressive behavior, lying, cheating, spitting, talking in loud voices, littering, rash driving, stealing, cursing and criticising all the time, giving angry looks, talking rudely, sitting in a sloppy way, eating in a messy way, – this is the way Pakistanis behave. Shame.
Yasmeen dearest first of all the US is no friend to India they will coddle them until they can start using them like they did in 1962 . Pakistan needs to get its SHIT together and solve its multitudes of issues and stabilize itself , than can we only compete with India favorably ….. Law and order and Toleratnce in the name of the game and we have to put this "Islam Crazy" philosophy from Zia's time back to the Private home and Mosques and liberate the Women in complete equality and freedom, after all they are 55% of the Pak population we CANNOT leave out of the equation Regards Arif Khan
Indian aggression, attack on Pakistan, is expected in Jan-Feb, 2015.
Probably, a probe, localized on the LOC. With a nuclear threat.
This is with Modi's doctrine, teaching Pakistan a lesson, he promised the people of India.
With the 'LALLOO' leadership we have,expect a disaster !
SR.
Major saheb, Did you have extra drug dose today?? Y attack, when you country itself is imploding. Enjoy your life
Dear Yasmeen,
Concise and very well put.It covers evolving challenges that Pakistan might face from a US-India combine, unmanageable military superiority appears to be one.
May I suggest if you could also give a thought to opportunities and possibilities that might exist for Pakistan to break out of the confrontational cast and live with dignity as a responsible, reliable and constructively engaged country in the region.We can not and must not be seen as a people and a country perpetually in conflagration with itself and neighbors.
One can not ever think of foresaking our great civilizational heritage spanning at least ten thousand years.People with such great depth can not be equated with mad and murderous militants and their supporters/howlers in our midst.
Regards, Sincerely, Mehboob Qadir
Yes, the best opportunity exists is to become friends of all neighbouring countries, stop thinking that world rotates around Pakistan and behave naturally( leaving religion at home).
That' s all, see how the things will improve dramatically.
Final comment, your civilization is nothing but same as Indian civilization. you are a pure hindu, indian, who by mistake or force or may be wilfully got converted in to islam
That is right. India is a large market. Non alignment was a wise policy. I too think, with Modi, countdown for India has begun. US friendship can be well described
Hue tum dost jis k, usska dushman aasman kiun ho.
A good strategic analysis of south asia
Don't forget each big brother of today keeps HER own interest prime, be it US or China .So we must carve ourselves into a One UNITED Nation then set our own goals and guard them. Merely getting an Independent piece of land called a Country has sadly not yet become Pakistan
Governance in India is far more strategic than that of our corrupt lot. For them everything is money and patriotism means nothing. On the other hand the US has always double crossed every Muslim State, even then our government/s never understood.
As of India US relations and recent change of dialogs, we need to be more watchful for the thundering clouds.
Door kay dhool sohaany
Dear nadeem sheri indra killed sikhs and got killed even gadhi was killed by his own hindus fundos
Indian ex army chief's filled a case in supreme court for after retirment benifits to vetrans but faild to get the justice
They made entry to marrs where as we speend 4 time more money on matro
Pakistan was created on 27 rumdhan and will remaine alive till dooms day
India joined shoulders with ussr and it brakes and now its american they will have same end of Karzai and ussr
Americans are far clever than that of our plus & minuses. Well, if anything is for the betterment of "us" poor nation, let it be done. But as far as (Nawaz + Modi) = NAWINDER SHARINGH is in our elected parliament, keep your fingers cross.
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