India rejected US military requests

The Beeb ^ | Friday, 28 March, 2003 | Unidentified BBC Correspondent

[TBP]

India 'rejected' US military requests

Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee is reported to have turned down requests by US President George Bush to help the ongoing military campaign in Iraq. In comments published on Friday, Mr Vajpayee was quoted by the Hindustan Times newspaper as saying that President Bush had approached him three times on the issue.

No details were given of the kind of assistance sought but India had said earlier it would not allow US planes to refuel on its airfields.

India has said the war on Iraq is unjustified but has otherwise been restrained in its criticism of the US-led war.

"The US President George Bush has spoken to me three times saying that India must help the USA as Saddam Hussein had left him with no option but to go for the attack," the Hindustan Times quoted Mr Vajpayee as saying.

Mr Vajpayee said he told President Bush that war was not a solution to any problem and so could not help.

He also said he hoped the conflict would end soon.

"I have written to the heads of many countries including China, Russia, France and USA as we are very seriously concerned with this war which goes against the United Nations."

Domestic pressure

During the 1991 Gulf War the Indian Government allowed US planes to refuel on its territory.

Opposition parties have been critical of the Indian stance this time, with many arguing that it has not been forceful in condemning the attack on Iraq.

But the Hindustan Times reported that Mr Vajpayee said there was no need for "harsh words" even though Delhi opposed the war.

Soon after war broke out the Indian Government made plain its opposition to the US attacks.

Several protests were held on the ground although not on the scale of similar protests elsewhere.

But Indian Muslims have been vocal in their criticism.

"Indian Muslims consider the American attack on Iraq as an attack on Islam and humanity," Imam Bukhari said.

Several Indian families living in the Gulf have returned home although many others have chosen to stay back.

India is also worried about the fallout of the war on its economy.

India imports most of its oil requirements and any increase in oil prices is likely to lead to all-round price increases in the country.

[TBP]

Here we go again: another country claiming to be pro-American and claiming to be fighting terrorism, yet in actuality taking actions that show the opposite. Oh well, I didn't expect much from them anyway.

Do any of the India advocates here still want to try to say that India is offering more than lip service to anti-terror efforts?

[Illbay]

India just WUVS Russia.

[Illbay]

Ironically, of the two of them, India and Pakistan, only Pakistan is putting up.

India just does "lip service."

Deeply disappointing, considering how much the U.S. does for India, if you only count the U.S. dollars flowing back there from the large Indian ex-pat population here.

[the gillman@blacklagoon.com]

Enraging, if you consider the amount of jobs that have been sent to India or been taken over by H1B visa holders.

Round the bastards up and send em home.

[ambrose]

India has a HUGE Muslim problem of its own.

[Taldeine]

Fook them and the Dollie Lama.

[the gillman@blacklagoon.com]

And who's going to help them with it when the Jihadis come to kill them? And it's only a matter of when, not if.

Hope they don't expect any help from us.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

What sort of help could India provide? A plane load of hot curry, perhaps ?

[the gillman@blacklagoon.com]

Mr Vajpayee was quoted by the Hindustan Times newspaper as saying that President Bush had approached him three times on the issue.

No details were given of the kind of assistance sought but India had said earlier it would not allow US planes to refuel on its airfields.

Pretty much asked them for nothing, but they wouldn't give that.

[Taldeine]

BOYCOTT CURRY.... No wait I dont eat that crap anyway.
Boycott....uummmmm Seven Eleven?
Red Dots on foreheads?
Wait now I know what the dot is for... to comfuse us from telling if it is our Lasar site or just their dot .....

[Hop A Long Cassidy]

I could see him using the Pakastan issue as an extenuating circumstance, one that allows him to beg off the war. But to say this is inflamatory. I think he does not understand that Bush remembers these kinds of disloyalty.

Payback can come immediately in the form of economic (Indian H1B holders) and military (stand behind India in any conflict with Pakastan). What particularly makes this statement stupid is his not recognizing our improving relationship with Pakastan. He should have been much more glib - so now he's identified himself clearly as someone who doesn't need our help.

Hoppy

[Stavka2]

Why would India support America when America supports Pakistan that send terrorists across the Indian border?

[Stavka2]

That's because the US looks the other way while Pakistan (the creators of the Taliban) moved their clients into Kashmir and continue to send terrorists across the Indian border to kill innocent people. Then you expect the Indians to come play? Hardly realistic.

[Cicero]

For fifty years India aligned itself with Russia against the United States, and in return we allied ourselves with Pakistan.

This may change, because, as between Russia and China, our natural ally is going to be Russia. But until things sort themselves out, there are a couple of awkwardnesses: 1) Russia has a long relationship with Iraq; 2) We need cooperation from Pakistan. I think both those matters are temporary. Sooner or later, Pakistan is going to explode and go back over to fundamentalist Islam, when we will have to deal with them differently. And after the war with Iraq is over, Russia will need to adjust its policy. Unlike France, they will not continue to be angry at the US just for the sake of being angry.

[TBP]

"That's because the US looks the other way while Pakistan (the creators of the Taliban) moved their clients into Kashmir and continue to send terrorists across the Indian border to kill innocent people."

An allegation made virtually on a daily basis by the Indian govenrment, but never offering any proof. The Kashmiris I have talked to say the Kashmir freedom movement is sui generis.

However, on January 2, 2002, the Washington Times erported that India is sponsoring cross-border terrorism in Sindh. India's leading newsmagazine, India Today, reported that India created the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), which the U.S. government lists as a "terrorist organization," and put up its leaders in the finest hotle in Delhi.

[Joseph_Erulkar]

I can assure you that India is a wonderful, diverse, robust democracy where, sometimes unfortunately, everyone's voice can be heard and is recognized. I do not know why you are painting India with such a hate filled and vitriolic brush, but it is the most diverse country, culturally, racially, ethnically, and religiously, in the entire world. And it is working.

It is also historically the only nation where people can go, regardless of race, gender, age, sexual orientation, political viewpoint, or religion, and be accepted, unconditionally. Any news articles you post here represent only a minimal and insignificant percentage of the population, and is actually a very unfair and skewed presentation of the way it really is.

India is a wonderful place, but all you seem to want to do is provoke internecine conflicts and foment tension and division, maybe even civil war.

[TBP]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/878161/posts?page=1

[Ramesh Rao]

The Indian government walked a tight-rope on the Iraq issue. To openly support the U.S., including providing refuelling facilities, etc., would have the 150 million Indian Muslims up in arms and claiming that the Indian government -- dubbed as Hindu nationalist by the New York Times and sundry academics -- was anti-Muslim. Also note that the U.S. has palyed ball with Musharraf and provided Pakistan more than 250 million dollars in aid, and written off a billion dollar debt. The U.S. has also ignored the continued incursions into Kashmir of Pakistan-supported jihadists who as recently as March 23 killed 24 Hindus in cold blood.