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To: Jedi Master Pikachu
India was an ally of the Soviet Union (and is still an ally of Russia).

Remember well, the term, 'ally' isn't in the same as in the usual context. India never is, and never has been, an "ally" of anyone except herself. Tell me one base in the vast Indian expanse, that's operated by a foreign power?

As for the US, India did have a decent relationship with the US for most of the time, if not all. India even sponsored spying missions with the US against China, at a time that India was also the closest with Russia.

The Russian relationship was out of sheer necessity. The US wasn't willing to support a post-Independence India that seemed too large and too unstable compared to Pakistan (a big folly to assume) and they even prevented the British, who have always been key weapons supplier to India from selling advanced jets. That was the time when the Russians stepped in with offers of not just selling planes, but even establishing manufacturing lines for them, in India. It was an offer that was too hard to refuse. Besides, the Russians even helped the Indians drive off the USS Enterprise that had maintained a threatening posture off the Bay of Bengal, against India, in the 1971-72 Indo-Pakistan War.

And after all that, not a single Soviet base on Indian soil. So much for "alliance".

17 posted on 10/28/2007 10:57:17 PM PDT by CarrotAndStick (The articles posted by me needn't necessarily reflect my opinion.)
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To: CarrotAndStick

“And after all that, not a single Soviet base on Indian soil. So much for “alliance”.”

Fiancee unit reported seeing lots of old Soviet era red stars and Stalin photos/statues in south India - but also noted that they seemed old and dejected. It was a different era, for sure.

Why should India let anyone else have bases there? They have a lot of landmass and they can protect it themselves. We don’t give other countries basing rights, either. India sees themselves as achieving Superpower status at some point. Not this decade, but it’s a possibility.


20 posted on 10/29/2007 8:08:54 AM PDT by GovernmentIsTheProblem (The GOP is "Whig"ing out.)
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To: CarrotAndStick
Remember well, the term, 'ally' isn't in the same as in the usual context. India never is, and never has been, an "ally" of anyone except herself.

I will agree with this, but the times have changed - the USAF has been conducting long-range training with India's Air force, and helping to bring them up to speed on long-range aerial warfare (including working with them on aerial refueling). Why that is happening, I do not know. They publicized the hell out of it as well, obviously sending a message to somebody...
23 posted on 10/29/2007 9:48:26 AM PDT by af_vet_rr
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