Dubya’s ‘l’affaire India’

Hindustan Times (India) ^ | 2/25/2006 | Pramit Pal Chaudhuri

[Santiago de la Vega]

Bush may have had a vision. But for most US officials, India was an ex-Soviet ally, prone to “whining and moralising”.

The personification of all this was US Secretary of State Colin Powell. A hero in Europe, he was a villain in India. Powell rarely questioned the conclusions of his subordinates about South Asia. When he was told to trust Pakistan, not India, on the Taliban, he believed it. When he was told India was a proliferation threat, he believed it. “He was an example of how the obstacle to Indo-US relations is not anti-Indianism, but bureaucrats without imagination,” says an Indian official.

[Santiago de la Vega]

The genesis of the new relationship with India.

"It's Bush's fault."

The incompetent and treasonous Powell surfaces again.

The relationship with India will likely be one of 43's top ten accomplishments.

[Decepticon]

Well into the briefing, Bush interrupted: “Wait a minute. Why aren’t we talking about India?” The Vulcans — who included Condoleezza Rice, Donald Rumsfeld and Paul Wolfowitz — looked at each other. India didn’t matter, they explained.

If true, that is a startling revelation.......

[AmericaUnited]

The relationship with India will likely be one of 43's top ten accomplishments.

Amen to that! It's pure strategic brilliance. How else do we possibly deal with Pakistan and China?

[CarrotAndStick]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1585621/posts

Bush's journey to India


Excerpts:

A recent poll found that nearly 3 out of 4 Indians hold a favorable impression of the United States, solid base for the visiting president. "I like Bush," volunteers a young Indian riding a train bound for the capital, New Delhi, from his home in Agra, best known for the famed Taj Mahal.

Adds Mohandas Pai, chief financial officer for Infosys Technologies, one of India's IT whiz companies in the southern city of Bangalore, "He's good for the world. He's the only person who can stop the spread of al Qaeda." Predictably, India's still-strong leftist parties are planning anti-Bush protests, and some ultranationalists also oppose closer ties with Washington. But the government here seems determined to produce happy images for the Bush visit.

[Gengis Khan]

"Well into the briefing, Bush interrupted: “Wait a minute. Why aren’t we talking about India?” The Vulcans — who included Condoleezza Rice, Donald Rumsfeld and Paul Wolfowitz — looked at each other. India didn’t matter, they explained.

Bush’s response: “You’re wrong.” "



The reason why he has such a huge popularity in India....

He understands India unlike no one in the administration.

[Gengis Khan]

"No Vulcan knew what he was talking about."

Bush is a man of vision. The "Vulcans" may think they are running the show but President Bush is the real brain behind them.

[Gengis Khan]

Great article !

Book-marked it!

[Tarnsman]

Shhh! Don't tell the MSM that the President has a plan and it seems to be working.

[Gengis Khan]

The Free Republic India and Indo-US Issues Ping!

 

(Freepmail me if you want on/off. )

[voletti]

Tks for the ping.

Strange, that for a man the media paints as too dumb to locate India on the map, the president was aware of India's strategic location (jury still out on whether he knows the geographic location though. /sarc off) on the world map.

[CarrotAndStick]

Strange, that for a man the media paints as too dumb to locate India on the map, the president was aware of India's strategic location (jury still out on whether he knows the geographic location though. /sarc off) on the world map.

I think that was a baseless allegation. IIRC, Bush has been to India once, in the 70's.

[voletti]

From the article, the best parts methinks were these: "Here are two guesses as to why an ex-alcoholic Texan oilman should be toiling so hard for India. First, Bush’s opinions are driven by instinct rather than intellect. Once his opinion forms, it is impervious to even political calculation. Bush once said he “loathed” Kim Jong-Il. Ditto for Saddam Hussein. When political advisor Karl Rove urged him against invading Iraq until his second term, Bush responded, “I am prepared to be a one-term president.” (Wow. I mean just wow. Am sure I wopuld've heard about this exchange if true, But how do we know it is true??) Bush seems to have a gut feeling about India -- a good one. Bush’s desire for India to succeed is close to religious; geopolitical explanations are post facto and come from others. During the 2003 campaign Rove urged Bush to bash outsourcing. Bush knew outsourcing meant India and refused. Second, for Bush India’s democracy means it can never be hostile to the US; it is a “natural partner”. To believe otherwise is to deny his instinct about his own country. . These days Bush lectures Arab leaders to look at India as a model. When he introduced Manmohan Singh to Laura, he couldn’t help but gush, “Not one Indian Muslim has joined al Qaeda.” What better evidence for Dubya that the axiom of the Bush Doctrine — democracy cures militancy — is true? Future historians will probably argue Washington was ready for a new policy on India. India’s sun was so clearly rising. Too many Americans had soured on Europe. China’s mix of dictatorship and capitalism was worrisome. Wonks like Walter Russell Mead have already cubbyholed Bush as a president of the “Wilsonian” school — idealistic world-changers that don’t shirk from the use of arms. But right here and now it is about one man, a plan and a faith in two democracies.

[Americanexpat]

Powell may be incompetent as a Secretary of State. But there is no way he is a traitor.

[Mind-numbed Robot]

The incompetent and treasonous Powell surfaces again.

I would like to be wrong but I have always viewed Powell as more interested in appearance than accomplishment.

[Mind-numbed Robot]

From the article, the best parts me thinks were these:....

Those are the ones that stood out for me also.

[ozdragon]

It is difficult to believe that Rumsfeld, former CEO of Searle and Wolfowitz, were as uninformed as the article indicates. I suspect this is an exaggeration. They both are independent thinkers and were suspicious of those at State. As for Powell, he had a bad habit of actually listening to the people at State.

[jch10]

" an ex-alcoholic Texan oilman "

Just what did this have to do with this article?

[sticker]

"... the vulcans....." Does this mean Rice, Rumsfield etc are working for:

[Raj13008]

I'm afraid India has a huge muslim population and a bunch of assorted commies , and they all hate Bush , for obvious reasons. And these folks intend to hold huge protest rallies during Dubya's visit and burn a few US and Israeli flags....

....the hindus on the other hand - have nothing against Bush. And the hindu middle classes in particular simply love Dubya for the way he has taken on the Islamic freaks.

[indcons]

Great article....bookmarked and bumped!!