India quiet on new US ally status for Pakistan

NEW DELHI, March 19: A day after US Secretary of State Colin Powell anointed Pakistan as a key non-Nato ally, India on Friday announced a major warplanes deal with Britain , but analysts say New Delhi is only masking its own quest to line up likewise as a US ally.

The Indian government maintained a studied official silence on Mr Powell's comment on Pakistan's new status as also on his remarks later that Washington would welcome similar ties with New Delhi.

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's government, which openly declares itself as a strategic partner of the United States, had promptly offered military facilities to Washington in the wake of September 11, 2001 attacks allegedly by Al Qaeda. But Washington decided to lean on Pakistan instead. However, as reported in Dawn on January 30, the US Ambassador to Nato, Mr Nicholas Burns had already spelt out the US script, according to which both India and Pakistan were chosen as future Nato partners, though not as full members of the alliance.

"Nato, as you know, has been a Euro-centric institution for 55 years...But it's very clear to us that we've got to change our geographic focus," Mr Burns had said.

"We're (already) in Afghanistan. We're going to be spreading out and I think that Nato will take control of all international military operations under a UN mandate in Afghanistan.

I think Nato will probably go into Iraq this summer. Our partners increasingly are going to be Russia and I would say India and Pakistan, Tajikistan, Kirgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan."

During Mr Powell's trip to New Delhi, a day before he went to Islamabad, much of the officially orchestrated focus was shepherded to populist economic issues like outsourcing of US jobs to India and a bit on the A.Q. Khan affair. In an election year, in which Washington would not want to rock Mr Vajpayee's boat with any kiss of death, this was understandable. But not everyone was looking the other way. The Communist Party of India (Marxist), among the opposition parties, seeking to unite the ranks in the polls asked a few tough questions.

The party's politburo said that while Mr Powell's announcement to accord Pakistan "major non-NATO ally" was a reflection of their ongoing and deep strategic and military relationship, Mr Vajpayee needed to clarify India's stand on the issue.

"The Vajpayee government should explain what it proposes to do with its much vaunted strategic relationship with the US," the CPI (M) asked. "Does it intend to continue with its uni-dimensional policy and hope to acquire a similar status as Pakistan, of a "major" ally of the United States? Will this require acceding further to demands such as joining the Proliferation Security Initiative of the US or enmeshing India in the National Missile Defence system?

"The Vajpayee government has reduced India's foreign policy to that of a supplicant of the United States which is detrimental to India's national interests," the statement said. But the Indian government apparently responding to the opposition fears, decided on Friday, after 20 years of protracted negotiations, to acquire 66 Hawk Advanced Jet Trainers (AJTs) for the Indian Air Force with Britain assuring their supply under a 795 million pound deal.

A memorandum of understanding for "effective and uninterrupted implementation of the contracts" supply of the 'Hawk 115Y' AJTs by British Aerospace Systems, was signed between Indian Defence Secretary Ajay Prasad and British High Commissioner Michael Arthur here.

However, the actual contracts, the biggest-ever defence deal, among British Aerospace and other equipment manufacturers and the Indian Defence Ministry, state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and allied organisations for supply and licensed production of the Hawk would be signed next week.

AFP adds: India's main opposition Congress party asked the government on Friday to explain the US granting of special military status to Pakistan which it called a "public repudiation" for New Delhi.

Congress Party spokesman Anand Sharma said Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee should explain whether he had any inkling of the move announced by US Secretary of State Colin Powell on his visit Thursday to Pakistan.

"This is a matter of great concern for military as well as political considerations," Sharma told reporters, who said Washington should have informed India of its plan "keeping its sensitivity in mind."

Sharma said that Powell's statement was a "public repudiation of the Indo-US strategic partnership and various statements that they are a natural ally on the war on terrorism."

Indian newspapers said the timing of the move was bound to upset Vajpayee's Hindu nationalist government as it raised questions over its claims of diplomatic success with the world's sole superpower ahead of elections that start April 20.

Interesting. I hadn't heard the NATO ambassador's words before. Bringing both Pakistan and India into NATO sounds like a pretty good idea to me, although the timing is probably several years off.

Having the citizens of both countries realizing that their traditional enemies are now formal allies would certainly decrease the likelihood of any future conflict.

Additionally, it would bring two nuclear powers under the NATO umbrella.

I also like the idea that India made the aircraft deal with Britain instead of Russia. Moving India from reliance on Russia for arms is a significant step in changing its political alliances westward.

I also like the idea that India made the aircraft deal with Britain instead of Russia. Moving India from reliance on Russia for arms is a significant step in changing its political alliances westward.

India did purchase the Hawk Advanced from Britain (primarily due to the fact the Hawk's a pretty good plane ...in the US we even use it for the intermediate and advanced training sections of Navy aviation. We call it the T-45 GosHawk). However India still has huge defence ties with Russia. The Sukhoi SU-30MKI is specifically made for the Indian market, they are getting an aircraft carrier, plus a contigent of MiG-29Ks for the carrier, and there are some Illyushin AWAC-ski systems from Russia (to complement the Phalcon systems it is getting from Israel). I believe that a good part of India's tank forces are of Russian origin (with the rest being made of Brit Chieftains and indigenous Indian designs). Moreover the Indians are developing a ring of anti-aircraft/anti-intermediate ballistic missile defences around major Indian cities that are based on the S-300 complex. And then they are leasing a nuclear submarine from Russia (as well as developing jointly with the Russians the Brahmos supersonic cruise missile).

Basically India still buys from Russia (because it can get the most bang for the buck), and from Israel (they have a strategic liason), from Britain (Commonwealth), and a smattering of other nations (eg they have a couple of French mirage aircraft and their respective missiles).

And personally i do not see any problem with India buying Russian. That would not shift its alliances Westward or Eastward. It is simply a prudent decision when it comes to arms procurement. I am sure if the US could sell weapon systems that were not 'dumbed down' (which happens to virtually all military sales abroad apart from those to Britain and to some extent Israel, in order to fit with certain laws) that India would seriously consider them. And anyways Israel offers the ability to convert any Russian systems to Nato specifications.

All in all i really do not see any problem with that. India's objective is to maintain a qualitative and quantitative edge over Pakistan (and also to be able to fend off China). It will go and buy from any source that gives it the best bang for the buck, as well as a system that is not a 'monkey-model.'

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