Love Ya, Dubya

Bush’s crucial visit


By Ghayoor Ahmed

GEOPOLITICAL realism demands that the United States, being the sole superpower of our times adopt a policy of even-handedness towards Pakistan and India. It should strengthen its strategic ties with both of them. Regrettably, however, the United States, desirous of India playing a dominant role in Asia, has entered into an alliance with it last year and has thus thrown its weight behind it for that purpose.

It seems that in order to fulfil its strategic objectives in Asia, the United States has sought to strengthen India militarily and has apparently lost sight of the adverse implications it will have for Pakistan. Political observers are completely baffled by the strange behaviour of the US, which describes Pakistan as its most allied ally in Asia. However, Mathew P Dale, who was a senior adviser on South Asia in the State Department, some years ago, has provided the answer.

In his candid statement, Mathew has stated that in the past there were attempts to impose intellectual constraints such as balance or evenhandedness in American policy towards Pakistan and India. Those days are over, if indeed they ever existed. At any given moment or on any given topic the United States might appear to be evenhanded that would be an incidental outcome of a policy, not the objective of the policy — meaning thereby that America tents to be partial to India.

The existing US policy towards Pakistan reflected, as enunciated by Mathew, is one of expediency. Regrettably, our policy-makers have once again failed to see which way the wind is blowing in the corridors of power in Washington. They remain content with the heap of praise showered by the US leaders and its media on Pakistan for its role in the fight against terrorism.

If Pakistan wants to avoid a bitter disillusionment, it should evolve a clear-sighted policy that would protect its long-term strategic interests in the region and beyond. It should not, however, be interpreted as meaning that a change in Pakistan’s policy should underestimate its strategic ties with the US which are rightly seen to be of great importance to the country.

During his forthcoming visit to Pakistan, President George W Bush need to be convinced that the US-India strategic partnership will not promote any discernible American interest in South Asia where India’s continuous desire for political and military hegemony has already created serious concern to this country. America’s partisan attitude in favour of India is bound to create awkward problems for it.

The US policy-makers are probably convinced that Pakistan will continue to play the role of a toady in consideration of the financial assistance it receives from the United States. Given the favourable attitude of America to its ruling elites, there would be no opposition by it to the proposed US-India strategic partnership. To some extent, it is true as, for many years, the policy-makers in Pakistan have kept silent over the emerging “new relationship” between Washington and New Delhi that poses a real threat to Pakistan’s security interests in the region. The US-India Strategic Alliance is now a fait accompli.(Bad news for Islamists like FV)

During the last five years or so, Pakistan’s relationship with the United Stated has undergone a significant change. Pakistan is an important partner of the United States in its global war against terrorism. Pakistan is therefore, thinking in terms of the US as the main source of support for strengthening its defence capabilities to address its security concerns in the region. Regrettably the United States strategic partnership with India has largely falsified this hope.

Pakistan’s annoyance with the United States on this account is fully justified. The Bush administration was by no means unaware of the adverse implications of the US-India agreement for Pakistan. But it made no effort to allay Islamabad’s concerns on this score and has tended to pay greater attention to India’s interests. Needless to say, a weak Pakistan which occupies one of the most strategic areas in the world would not be in the United States’ global interest and it should therefore rectify the situation without undue delay.

Our media, both official and private, is trying to make the people of Pakistan believe that President Bush would take personal interest in getting the Kashmir problem resolved. President Bush’s address at the Asia Society’s meeting and the interviews he gave to some of the Pakistani media men on the eve of his trip to South Asia may have created this impression. However, some political observers in Pakistan believe that Bush’s emphasis on the need for an early resolution of the Kashmir dispute was an empty rhetoric. Their argument is that President Bush’s predecessors had also made a similar plea but nothing came out of all because of India’s inflexibility and obduracy.

It remains, however, to be seen if the strategic partnership between Washington and New Delhi makes any difference to India-Pakistan relations and that President Bush would indeed be able to play a meaningful role on Kashmir during his visit to the subcontinent. The US policy-makers should, however, realize that a South Asia at peace with itself is in the US interest and, therefore they must strive hard to resolve the Kashmir problem which is not only a perennial source of tension between Pakistan and India, but can also be a destabilizing factor in the region.

The writer is a former ambassador.

Did anyone accept my bet? It seems that my prediction regarding an agreement on the reactors to be declared civilian has come true:

```Both countries welcomed the successful completion of discussions on India`s separation plan and looked forward to the full implementation of the commitments in the July 18, 2005, Joint Statement on nuclear cooperation.``


I was against India going nuclear and I am also in favour of this deal. I think that I am consistent and those who were opposed to nuclear weapons and oppose this deal are inconsistent. The deal at least puts a curb on India`s capacity to build weapons. For the same reason, I would also support a similar deal with Pakistan.

I have another, stronger, reason to support this deal. India`s nuclear program is hidden in a fog of secrecy. There have been reports in the past of nuclear leaks which have not been followed through. Bringing civilian plants under international inspection would ensure that they meet the international safety standards. The Indian scientists have for too long enjoyed protection from the glare of international safeguards.

I am not a soothsayer. But there is no need to gloat about the signing of the nuclear deal. Take a look...

NYT

and this is the latest:
//Under the accord, the United States would share American nuclear know-how and fuel with India to help power its fast-growing economy, even though India won`t sign the international non-proliferation treaty.

It would represent a major shift in policy for the United States, which imposed temporary sanctions on India in 1998 after it conducted nuclear tests, and came after last minute haggling about how to separate India`s tightly entwined civilian and nuclear programmes.//

Take all these happenings with the article by Dr. Bharat Karnad (post # 133) to get a clear picture.

Fast breeder reactors not up for inspection

March 02, 2006 18:44 IST
Last Updated: March 02, 2006 19:09 IST

After hard bargaining on the nuclear deal with the US, India Thursday agreed that 14 of its civilian nuclear reactors will be open to international safeguards while the fast breeder programme will not be subject to outside inspection.

igh level official sources said after talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and US President George W Bush that India has made it clear that classification of nuclear reactors to be built in the future will be its sole decision and there would be no debate on it.

Details of the separation plan as also the assurances given by the US under the deal will be outlined by the prime minister in Parliament soon, the sources said.

They said the separation of India`s 22 nuclear reactors will be undertaken in a phased manner and completed by 2014.

During the negotiations, India insisted on removal of ambiguities to ensure that whatever nuclear reactors were built in the future, did not come to be questioned.

The sources said India had no problem with having permanent safeguards on its civilian nuclear reactors, but wanted perpetuity of supplies considering that there has been unreliability in this regard in the past.

They cited the case of Tarapur plant to which the US has not supplied fuel arguing that it required change of American laws.

The deal is an exception to India only, they said adding, the agreement was a ``win-win`` situation for both New Delhi and Washington.

Referring to the India-specific safeguards to be worked out with IAEA, about which the prime minister spoke, the sources said that it stemmed from the fact that India`s case was unique and the safeguards should be such that are applicable to a non-military nuclear power country.

They explained that though India was a ``de-facto`` nuclear military power, it was not recognised as such by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty regime.

#140 Haaaaaaaa
LOL

Re: # 140
why farzana publicising herself? I mean just reading her stuff should be enough to send a chill down the spines, now she goes and puts up her fotograf for all to see...

tut, tut, tut, Farzana, this is not the way for a good, decent, honourable muslimah to behave. Modesty and sharmindagi are what are required from you - a role model of sorts! Now, please reform yourself and dawn the sack clothes and ashes in this month of lent! (yes ofcourse having just gorged over id and Fat tuesday (Pancake Tuesday/Shrew Truesday for the angrezi lot here)!










(okay before you blow a fuse - tongue is firmly in my cheek here.....) If you could do one thing that is really good - then please incorporate smilies on these pages not just UP!

Freedom struggle advances in Karachi. May all residents of Karachi be liberated soon !

http://www.yahoo.com/s/135782/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060302/ap_on_re_as/pakistan_bombing


REMEMBER: violence always has a root cause and we must be sympathetic to the supreme sacrifice of the martyrs. Maybe an investigation by the UN or independent third-party is needed? Even better would be a referendum for independence or secession of Sindh. Please keep in mind the desperation and frustration that causes such unfortunate events.

This is a great day for Pakistanis, our Indian friends can celebrate today, when tomorrow comes it will bring about a much needed change in Pakistani psyche. For too long Pak intellectuals, establishment and politicians have percieved US Presidents as their savior, policies were based upon dependence of US ashirwarth (blessings), anti-India rhetroric and Islamic agenda. This US-India deal will certainly put to rest this redundant model which has wrecked Pakistan since inception. We have fought stupid wars, scuttled democracy, human rights, lost half the country and still live under a military dictator simply because the American President thinks he is a good fellow. iam sure there will be some face saving statements coming to rescue their beloved dictator maybe even throw in a few F-16`s (FCK-16`s) or give a long statement on how Kashmir problem will be solved. WHatever they say or do will be a eyewash cause the fact is that US-India relationship is based on two countries with identical interests, whereas US-Pakistan relations are based on a super power dealing with a pliable dictator.

Congrats to our Inidan friends, enjoy this honeymoon, Cheers.....

radio frequency 786 KHz - aka rf786

forget the deal...think of the american diplomat killed in a Karachi a few minutes back....follow the links to yahoo and CNN (I saw it first - and then found Sri Mati Mishra ji had done the honors in his own peculiar way)

and think of the situation....a real case of having our collective heads up our collective backsides

arjun_m#145:

Here is my second prediction on this thread!

This and other news items suggest to me that there are still some disputed items. As happens when the parties have not ironed out details but are eager to show a deal, I suspect that the language of the agreement would be somewhat ambiguous so that Manmohan Singh can say one thing to the Lok Sabha and Bush another while presenting the same deal to the Congress. Watch, in particular, about how the issue of fast-breeder and future nuclear plants would be fudged. This means that as far as the actual passage of the deal through the Congress is concerned, it is ``dilli dur ast``.

``This means that as far as the actual passage of the deal through the Congress is concerned, it is ``dilli dur ast``.(DM)

dost-mitter -- dilli may be nearby -- but ``washington dur ast``.....)

India must sign NPT and CTBT along with Pakistan........if it wants Congress to approve the deal.....

India is still a country where the majority of people earn under a dollar a day. If anyone was under an illusion that India was shining, he should have been cured of it by the resounding defeat of the shine-wallahs in the last election. All this is well-known. But what is not known to most Indians is that the level of grinding poverty, human misery and degradation that one sees in the Indian cities and slums is worse than anything one sees in the major Pakistani cities. I recently read that there are 40 million mobile phone users in Pakistan, which is significantly higher than the Indian ratio.

But the other side of the Indian story is no less compelling. Only a fool would mock at the 300 million emerging middle class of India. One can neither ignore the 2/3rds glass full nor the one-third glass empty. It is also true that the majority of this noveau-middle class had parents who barely had a bicycle; indeed even this may be somewhat generous, many of them could dream only of bicycles. This is also true of the parents/grandparents of most Indian chowkies.

But this, to me, is the success of the India project. If one compares the top 100 Indian companies today to those in a similar list 50 years ago, one is not likely to find more than ten common names. Long-term chowkies know that I have been, in general, a harsh critic of Nehruvian era. But that era also created an environment for this generational mobility. By heavily subsidising higher education even at the cost of neglecting primary education, Nehru created an environments where paindoos like Manmohan Singh, Dr. Kalam, Lalu Yadav, Mayavati and Dost-mittar could move from defecating at the railway tracks to wherever we are now. And our success gives hopes to those who are still squatting at those railway tracks.

I am sorry. I should have said ``2/3rds glass empty and 1/3rd glass full``.

#152

Do not spread false canards, India is not now or ever going to sign the NPT as a have-not.

#151 by dost-mittar on March 2, 2006 6:51am PT

Personally, I think the whole scientists speaking out against putting the FBRs on the list thing was a show put on by the government to push the negotiations as close to the president`s visit as possible.

Keeping the FBRs out of the civilian list is a big deal...the FBRs are the future of energy generation plus there`s some useful byproducts too..

regardless of whether the deal gets approved by the US congress, I think India did well by keeping the FBRs off the list.

re:#114 by parthaab
You are a commie idiot and it shows in your posts.
If India is such a push over as to capitulate so easily to US pressures, then she is not the country i know.
From what i have seen, nothing has been compromised and yet a historic breakthrough was achieved this morning.
This Historic nuclear deal will ensure increased nuclear cooperation with nations that can benefit India. India also gets to keep its FBR out of bounds and has 8 out of 22 reactors listed for military use.
Sridhar