Posted on 07/27/2004 8:24:17 AM PDT by CarrotAndStick
NEW DELHI: India has fully side-stepped the hard-pressed American establishment of Iraq, preferring its traditional network in the Arab world including goodwill enjoyed among the tribal leadership of strife-torn Iraq to secure the release of three Indians in the custody of terrorists.
The situation is "at a delicate stage" and India is in the process of getting Sheikh Hisham al Dulaymi to act as the interlocutor. India expects al Dulaymi, an Iraqi tribal leader, to begin his negotiations soon.
Indian officials said Indian embassy in Kuwait and possibly the embassy in Baghdad would be dealing with Dulaymi. "Americans are not in the picture at all," an Indian official said.
Ministry of External Affairs and Indian embassies are in constant touch also with other tribal leaders in Iraq and governments of Kuwait, Jordan, Iran and other Islamic countries of the region, officials here said.
Officials in the know of things say that it is a deliberate decision not to depend on the Americans and rather depend on the "goodwill" among the old Arab friends. "It would complicate matters," the Indian officials told timesofindia.com, when asked why they are avoiding the Americans despite the fact that they have a powerful presence in Iraq.
"The situation in Iraq is quite volatile, and the Americans have no control over the chaos," the official said. He said the Americans have been ineffective in resolving hostage crises involving their own men. "In a situation where it has hardly any control, despite such heavy military presence, it wouldn’t be very wise to depend on the Americans to help us," the official explained.
When the three Indians along with three Kenyans and one Egyptian were kidnapped last week, the US embassy in New Delhi had stepped in and helped India get in touch with the American embassy in Baghdad. The official said the Indian authorities had established contacts with the US but decided to side-step them and go ahead to explore the goodwill among the Arab nations and Arab community at large "because of ground realities".
"It was a deliberate decision not to depend on the Americans because the situation in Iraq is extremely volatile and the complex nature of the very challenge has over-whelmed the Americans. It may not have been very prudent to depend on them for the safe release of the three," says an intelligence official.
"There is no bad blood between us and Americans. They also understand our position," the official said of Indian decision to go for the Arab friends than depend on Americans who control Iraq. "Every country that is facing the hostage crisis is using their network among the Muslim nations and their goodwill among Iraqis for securing release of hostages. Not one hostage has been rescued by the American forces till now," the official argued, when asked if the decision to completely avoid the Americans in securing the release of the three was a policy decision taken by the new government.
"Behind the chaos in Iraq there is a very complex society that doesn’t like Americans being there. It is because there is order behind chaos that we were able to establish contacts with the hostage takers. We have been assured that the hostages won’t be harmed," says the official.
U.S.-Led Forces Rescue Italians, Pole Held in Iraq
So much for the Indians getting it right.
Not Indians. Congress.
But then, what else do you expect from the Congress party -a bunch of commies and cowards. Their heroes - Gandhi, the ultimate wimp, the Nehru, the ultimate pansy.
This is understandable. I wouldn't make too big a political thing out of it.
What exactly do u suggest that the Indian government should do -Send in it's paracommandos??Or link up with the Americans-Both are fine with most people,but do keep in mind that there over 6 million Indians working in the Persian Gulf&who send back precious remittances which comprise a sizable chunk of the economy.If ever the Indian government or India is seen as anti-Iraqi or anti-Muslim by its actions,u can be assured that these expats will be sitting ducks to the numerous lunatics there-Or if scores of them were sent back as was the case in east Africa in the early 70s(those Indians got British passports though)Can u even imagine the damage it can do to the Indian economy??Who is going to protect them-Most of these expats are lower end workers & anyway Indians are treated like S*** when compared to the Westerners & cannot be protected in a concrete.This is the first&foremost thought that any sensible government ,Congress or others,will give weightage to .Unfortunately,this means negotiating with shady characters,which ofcourse most Americans are not new to.
About the Congress & Gandhi being cowards,well i don't see them as being any more cowardly than a bunch of "TRUE PATRIOTS " who were scared to blow the daylights out of the Pakis(didn't want to offend the US)& who sent the foreign minister to chaffeur 3 terrorists all the way to Kandahar in '99.
I must add that these patriots showed tremendous courage in raping innocent Muslim women & reaping out the foetus of a pregnant lady in Gujarat in 2002&oh their cousins also burned a Christian missionary&his 2 sons too in 1999,but were too scared of hitting back at the Pakistanis when terrorists shot a 3 month old child(along with 28 others) to death.NATIONALISTS- MY FOOT!!!!!
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Agree with your second paragraph. BJP under Vajapayee was a pathetic disgrace. India had a fantastic opportunity with Kargil and he blew it. My favorites in India are Sardar Patel, Bhagat Singh, Chandrasekar Azad. Not Gandhi, Nehru, etc.
Regarding your first paragraph, read Rediff India of July 26. There is an excellent article on Natwar Singh's follies.
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