India News

India warns US on arms sales to Pakistan

2004-11-20T13:22:00.000-08:00

India warns US on arms sales to Pakistan: "India warns US on arms sales to Pakistan

Reuters
Posted online: Saturday, November 20, 2004 at 1134 hours IST

Washington, November 20: India warned on Friday that new American arms sales to Pakistan could harm improving New Delhi-Washington ties as well as a promising dialogue between the South Asia's two nuclear rivals.

During talks in Washington, top Bush administration officials raised US concerns about Iran's nuclear activities but Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran said his government was "not really in a position to pass judgment."

Saran met Secretary of State-designate Condoleezza Rice before she went into the hospital for minor surgery and also had meetings with Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage and Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, among others.

Washington is improving relations with the world's largest democracy, attracted by its booming technology expertise and commercial market, but India's nuclear weapons capability and ties with Iran are a serious concern.

A defense official said last month the administration would consult Congress on Pakistan's nearly 15-year quest for advanced F-16 fighter aircraft. Under US law, Congress must approve such deals.

Pakistan became a vital ally in the war on terrorism after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.

Saran said he was told the administration has not decided whether to go forward with the F-16 sale.

But he told a news briefing: "When I met the secretary of state-designate, I did raise our strong concerns at reports of impeding arms sales by the United States to Pakistan.

"We pointed out the repercussion that such supplies could have on the ongoing India-Pakistan dialogue which was poised at a rather sensitive juncture."

India has began a cautious peace process with Pakistan and announced the withdrawal of some troops from the disputed region of Kashmir.

IMPACT ON RELATIONS

Saran noted that during President George W. Bush's first term of office US-India relations improved significantly.

"So in this context, the supply of sophisticated weaponry to Pakistan will inevitably impact on the positive sentiments and good will that has come to characterize US-India relations," he added.

US officials assured Saran that Bush is committed to advancing relations with India. Washington supports the India-Pakistan dialogue and will continue to press Pakistan to end cross-border attacks, they told him.

The administration has accused Iran of vigorously pursuing a nuclear weapons program and the issue is an urgent challenge facing Bush as he begins a second term. Tehran insists it only wants nuclear technology to generate electricity.

Although Saran said his government has an impeccable record of protecting its nuclear technology, the United States recently imposed sanctions on two Indian scientists for alleged nuclear cooperation with Iran.

After New Delhi protested that the men did no wrong, Washington agreed to "review" the sanctions. Saran said there has been no decision.

He said US officials voiced their concerns about Iran and he reiterated India's view that Iran should adhere to its international commitments."

Ambassador Blackwill made a mess of India assignment

2004-08-19T18:21:00.000-07:00

State Dept mum on Blackwill

PTI[ THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2002 09:47:53 AM ]

WASHINGTON: The US State Department has refused to react to reports that the morale at its embassy in New Delhi had hit rock bottom since Robert Blackwill took over as Ambassador and that the Inspector General's office was reviewing his performance.

"I have seen these reports and I have nothing to give you on it", acting State Department spokesperson Lynn Cassel said on Wednesday.

"Ambassador Blackwill is our Ambassador. I don't know anything about the morale at the embassy in Delhi. I haven't been there. So it's just beyond my expertise at all", she told reporters.

The Washington Post on Wednesday quoted diplomatic sources as saying that Blackwill was "incredibly arrogant" and treated his staff like furniture.

It added that the Inspector General's office had sent two teams to New Delhi to review Blackwill's running of the mission.

The Far Eastern Economic Review in its latest edition said the "combative" Blackwill faced a recall from his post, which he has held for less than a year.

http://www.indiaexpress.com/news/world/20040715-0.html

2004-07-15T04:14:00.000-07:00

Armitage visit reflects warm Indo-US relationship: US : World News : IndiaExpress.Com: "Armitage visit reflects warm Indo-US relationship: US
12.35 IST 15th July 2004

By IndiaExpress Bureau

US today said the Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage's meetings in New Delhi with top Indian leaders reflected the "warm and collaborative nature" of Indo-US relationship.

"The United States and India remain close friends and partners. All of (Richard) Armitage's meetings reflected the warm and collaborative nature of our relationship with India and they are indicative of the direction we want the relationship to proceed," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said in Washington on Wednesday.

He said Armitage was the highest-ranking US government official to visit India after the new Congress-led UPA government came to power.

Asked whether Armitage found any disposition "in that region" for contribution of troops to Iraq, Boucher said, "there is not anything to report at this point. Obviously, other governments will have to give their positions on this.

This was not a major topic in India. I think the Indian Government has already been quite clear on what its position is." During his brief visit, Armitage had meetings with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, National Security Adviser J N Dixit besides holding extensive parleys with Foreign Secretary Shashank.

He briefed the leaders on the Iraq situation, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kashmir besides other regional issues.

The US has not made any request for contribution of troops to Iraq, he said, adding India had, however, indicated ways in which it may be helpful in the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the war-ravaged country. "

Richard Armitage meets Pak officials

2004-07-15T04:02:00.000-07:00

Sunnetwork Online News: "Richard Armitage meets Pak officials
Islamabad, Jul 15 - US Deputy Secretary Richard Armitage today held talks with Pakistani officials on a wide array of issues, including means and ways to combat terrorism, Indo-Pak ties and developments in Iraq.
The US official, who arrived last night from New Delhi, met Pakistan Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokhar and later held talks with Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri.

He will also be meeting interim Prime Minister Shujaat Hussain and Prime Minister designate Shoukat Aziz.

The agenda for the talks between Armitage and Pakistan include bilateral relations, cooperation in the war against terrorism, Indo-Pak relations and situation in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Armitage has already set the tone of his visit with comments in New Delhi on Wednesday that he would discuss the continuation of infiltration across the LoC into Jammu and Kashmir and press Pakistan to intensify campaign against Taliban.

Ahead of his arrival Khan played down reports that Armitage would focus his talks with Pakistan leaders on sending troops to Iraq.

Khan said the appointment of Pakistan diplomat, Ashraf Jahangir Qazi as special UN envoy to Iraq will not influence its decision to deploy troops in Baghdad.

He said situation in Iraq will figure in discussions but Pakistan has not yet decided to send troops to Iraq.

Pakistani officials said Pakistan will raise the issue of stepping defence cooperation between the two countries.

Armitage will leave for Afghanistan later in the evening. "

RADIO AUSTRALIA: Pakistan yet to fully dismantle rebel training camps

2004-07-14T14:21:00.000-07:00

RADIO AUSTRALIA: "Pakistan yet to fully dismantle rebel training camps
US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage says Pakistan has not dismantled ALL the training camps of militants staging a bloody insurgency in Indian Kashmir.

Mr Armitage was responding to a question in New Delhi about his assessment of the level of infiltration.

Two years ago he helped pull India and Pakistan back from the brink of a possible third war over Kashmir by securing a commitment from Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf that all rebel camps in Pakistan would be dismantled.

Since then, tensions have drastically eased and the arch-rivals have begun a peace process."

The Statesman: India and Pakistan in dialogue to resolve Jammu and Kashmir

2004-07-14T04:00:00.000-07:00

The Statesman: "Natwar-Kasuri meet on 25 August
Statesman News Service
NEW DELHI, July 13.� Coinciding with the arrival of the US deputy secretary of state, Mr Richard Armitage, in New Delhi, India and Pakistan announced an �agreed� set of dates for the next rounds of talks in the bilateral composite dialogue process. The foreign ministers of India and Pakistan will meet in New Delhi on August 25 to review the progress in the dialogue to resolve differences over Jammu and Kashmir and other identified contentious issues.
According to announcements made simultaneously by the foreign office spokesmen in New Delhi and Islamabad, Mr Natwar Singh and his Pakistani counterpart, Mr Khurshid Mehmud Kasuri, would hold talks a day after their foreign secretaries meet to prepare a broad agenda of issues to be taken up by the two leaders. Both ministers are also expected to hold bilateral talks on the sidelines of the two-day Saarc ministerial meeting scheduled in Islamabad from July 20. "

The Lanny Budd Project

2004-07-14T03:57:00.000-07:00

The Lanny Budd Project: "Strip-searching: Armitage says he is 'horrified': 'Strip-searching: Armitage says he is 'horrified'

New Delhi, July 14: US Deputy Secretary Richard Armitage on Wednesday said he was 'horrified' at the incident of strip-searching done on George Fernandes during an official visit to US as Defence Minister and apologised to him.

'On the way in the car here I had the opportunity to telephone my old friend George Fernandes and told him I had heard about the problem he had. I was horrified about it and I personally apologised to him,' he told reporters after he met leader of the Opposition L.K. Advani here. "

India Snubs Richard Armitage

2004-07-13T18:54:00.000-07:00

Richard Armitage runs into protocol barrier - The Times of India: "Richard Armitage runs into protocol barrier
SIDDHARTH VARADARAJAN

TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ MONDAY, JULY 12, 2004 09:37:20 PM ]

NEW DELHI: In a break with the tradition followed by the erstwhile Vajpayee government, the visiting US deputy secretary of state Richard Armitage will no longer be interacting here with the external affairs minister but with a minister of state (MoS), in keeping with his own junior position in the American hierarchy.

Armitage, who arrives here Tuesday for two days of consultations, will be hosted by National Security Adviser J N Dixit, who holds MoS rank, rather than by Natwar Singh. Singh's US counterpart in protocol terms is secretary of state Colin Powell.

In the NDA government, Jaswant Singh and Yashwant Sinha, as external affairs ministers, regularly played host to US deputy secretaries of state like Strobe Talbott and Armitage. 'Cristina Rocca, whose counterpart is a joint secretary in the MEA, was allowed to have lengthy discussions with the external affairs minister and even the PM under Vajpayee', said a senior government source. 'This will not happen any more'.

Though his meetings will be with Dixit and foreign secretary Shashank, Armitage will, however, make courtesy calls on Natwar Singh, defence minister Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The source said that the manner in which Jaswant Singh would fly off to meet Talbott, his junior in protocol terms, 'whenever Talbott phoned or sent a fax from Rome or Tokyo' was 'demeaning'.

Nevertheless, the fact that Armitage is being hosted by Dixit suggests the MEA is not letting protocol come in the way of diplomacy. Strictly speaking, the vis"

Richard Armitage in India for talks with new government::

2004-07-13T18:50:00.000-07:00

:: Xinhuanet - English ::: "Richard Armitage in India for talks with new government

www.chinaview.cn 2004-07-13 23:05:03

NEW DELHI, July 13 (Xinhuanet) -- US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage arrived here Tuesday on a two day-visit during which he will call on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and hold discussions with other Indian leaders.
This is the first visit by a senior member of President George W. Bush's administration after the new government took over in New Delhi following the general elections, the Indo-Asian News Service (IANS) reported.
Armitage will also call on External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh, besides the prime minister, and hold talks with National Security Adviser J.N. Dixit and Foreign Secretary Shashank.
Besides bilateral issues, the two sides will discuss the ongoing India-Pakistan peace process, Iraq and regional and international issues, IANS quoted Indian officials as saying.
Soon after his arrival, Armitage visited the US embassy and held consultations with Ambassador David Mulford and his senior officials.
All meetings will be held Wednesday, after which the US official will leave for Islamabad."

Richard Armitage in India for talks with new government

2004-07-13T14:39:00.000-07:00

Bring in Iran to stabilise Iraq And India should play a role in bringing about US-Iran rapprochement

2004-07-10T18:42:00.000-07:00

Bring in Iran to stabilise Iraq: "Bring in Iran to stabilise Iraq

And India should play a role in bringing about US-Iran rapprochement

K. SUBRAHMANYAM

Posted online: , Saturday , July 10, 2004 at 0000 hours IST

The United States has transferred sovereignty to Iraq and the government of Iraq’s prime minister, Iyad Allawi, is expected to request help by way of armed forces from various countries, including India.

Meanwhile terroristic attacks in Iraq are increasing. Of particular concern are the attacks on the oil pipelines which are intended to slow down the recovery of Iraq and to keep international oil prices above $40 a barrel. In turn, such high prices may slow down US economic recovery and the global economic recovery. The Afghan elections are to be postponed further in view of the sustained Taliban and Al-Qaida attacks within Afghanistan. There are expectations by the US department of homeland security that there is likely to be a major terroristic attack on the US and elsewhere before the US elections.

There can be no two views that the neo-conservatives of US have made a complete mess of the Iraqi operation through their arrogant unilateralist approach. There is a widespread view in Europe, Russia and in India, that the Americans should be allowed to stew in their own juice. The US should pay for their own arrogance and folly and, therefore, other nations should keep off from Iraq as most nations did in the case of Vietnam. Unfortunately, Iraq is not Vietnam. The latter did not have oil and development, they did not impact on the world economy and the global war on terrorism.

Sadly, Iraq’s neighbours — the Sunni Islamic countries — are not welcome to send troops into Iraq. Even if European countries are willing to send troops to Iraq, their individual capacities to contribute significant forces are very limited. That is one of the reasons why India has been repeatedly pressed to send troops to Iraq. India also holds the key for Bangladesh to follow suit. Pakistanis may not be acceptable, in view of the repeated sectarian Shia killings in that country.

The country that has crucial influence on stabilising the situation in Iraq is Shia Iran. Iran has a natural interest in Iraq stabilising as a majority Shia-ruled state. But Iran has very little interest in allowing Iraq to stabilise if the American neo-conservatives continue to label Iran as a member of the “evil axis” and drop hints that Iran is on their target list after Iraq is pacified. Therefore the key to stabilisation of Iraq is an understanding between US and Iran on the future of Iraq — and reining in Wahabism.

Such an agreement between US and Iran may appear to be beyond the realm of diplomatic feasibility for most people. Not so if one recalls the U-turn taken by US and China in 1971, and the secret deals US conducted with Iran in violation of its own laws during the Iran-Contra affair during the Reagan administration. Some of the present prominent neo-conservatives, such as Donald Rumsfeld and Paul Wolfowitz, had taken part in that affair. Though the Iranians were suspected to aid the Hezbollah in Lebanon who were holding Americans as hostages and the US was tacitly supporting Saddam Hussein in his war with Iran, the US had no compunctions about selling arms to Iran to get hostages released and to make a deal that part of arms sales proceeds should finance arms supplies to the Nicaraguan Contras.

Iran has gained a lot more international respectability in the last two decades. It has shown its interest in supporting Ayatollah Ali Sistani’s moderate stand. Therefore, there is scope for a major diplomatic role for India to play in bringing about US-Iranian rapprochement which will contribute to stabilisation of Iraq and for troops from India and Bangladesh to play a peace-keeping and peace enforcement role in Iraq.

The US accepted Pakistan as a frontline state in the war on terrorism against Taliban and Al-Qaida in Afghanistan, although Washington was aware for years that Islamabad had extended various kinds of aid to the Taliban and Al-Qaida. US has always taken a pragmatic stand in such issues. The US is aware, thanks partly to the report of the senate committee headed by democratic presidential contender John Kerry in 1992, on the affairs of Pakistan’s Bank of Credit and Commerce International, that Pakistan had been indulging in nuclear proliferation vis-a-vis Iran as far back as 1987. The way in which Pakistan as a proliferator has been dealt with kid gloves by Washington must have its impact on Tehran.

Russia, Germany and France — besides India — have an interest in invoking Iranian interest in stabilising Iraq and the entire West Asia. The India of today is different from what it was in the era of bipolarity, when economically, politically, technologically, India was weaker. Now India aspires for a permanent seat in the Security Council and there is an expectation that India may be invited to join G-10, to be expanded from G-8. India, after becoming a nuclear and missile power, is no longer a deriver of security from the international system but a provider of international security. Therefore, the Indian approach to Iraq has to be proactive and not reactive.

The Indian approach has to be on the basis of what is good for our national interest and not on ideology. People tend to forget that as far back as December 1947, Jawaharlal Nehru — speaking in the Constituent Assembly — said, “We are not going to join a war if we can help it and we are going to join the side which is to our interest when the time comes to make the choice.”

Iraq is not likely to go away nor can we afford to ignore it because the US blundered into it unilaterally. It needs to be kept in constant review and we have to use our best diplomatic skills to move towards stabilisation of the entire region. The Americans, too, need to be kept engaged. We cannot afford to ignore the sole superpower especially when it commits blunders in our neighbourhood."

Hinduja-led consortia bag Iran projects

2004-07-10T06:34:00.000-07:00

Hinduja-led consortia bag Iran projects - Sify.com: "Hinduja-led consortia bag Iran projects

Saturday, 10 July , 2004, 09:41

Two consortia led by the Hinduja Group have bagged two projects in Iran worth $600 million. One of the projects, to develop and construct a port at Chabahar, will cost $100 million.

The members of the consortium include Ashok Leyland Project Services Ltd, L&T, RITES and National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT). A global tender is out calling for `expression of interest' for a `terminal operator,' who would bring business to the port once the project is completed. Three responses have been received and a partner would be selected in a month's time, R J Shahaney, Chairman, Ashok Leyland Project Services, told presspersons here on Friday.

The other project, for building a railway line between the Chabahar port and Bam, in South-East Iran, costs around $500 million. Partnering the Hindujas in this consortium are RITES and IRCON, both undertakings of Government of India. The Government of Iran could also join in.

From Bam, roads that connect Afghanistan and the CIS countries exist. Chabahar is a strategic port located on the Oman sea. The two projects, therefore, are expected to enhance the logistics capability of Iran. The development of Chabahar port and the associated rail link project were included in the Indo-Iranian Joint Protocol `Delhi Declaration,' released during the visit of Mohammad Khatami, the President of Iran, to Delhi in January 2003.

Shahaney said that two special purpose vehicles would be created for executing these projects. It is expected that these projects will have an equity portion of 30 per cent.

Asked if payment security measures were in place, he said that discussions were going on. The port project could start in the next six months and be completed by mid-2007. The rail project may start in March 2005, and take five years to finish."