INDIA WILL VOTE AGAINST IRAN AGAIN

the hindu ^ | Amit Baruah

[voice of india]

NEW DELHI: India would like to avoid a vote on the Iranian nuclear issue at the February 2-3 meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna. But New Delhi will cast its ballot once again against Teheran if it is called upon to make a choice.

Highly placed South Block sources told The Hindu on Monday that the "writing was on the wall." While India, ideally, would want to be bailed out by a last-minute compromise deal, it would not alter its pro-American, anti-Iran vote of September 24, 2005 at the IAEA's governing board.

According to the sources, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's decision to retain the External Affairs portfolio, despite Sunday's Cabinet expansion, is significant.

Conceding that the Government's decision became more difficult after the recent comments by American ambassador David Mulford that India's civilian nuclear deal with the United States would "die" if New Delhi did not vote against Iran, the sources said India's stance remained unchanged since September 2005.

Speaking to the media after assuming office, Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma said on the Iran issue: "Whatever decisions are taken by the Government are in conformity with our stated foreign policy and also in the interest of India and the world. We had meaningfully engaged last time also with the EU-3. We had been talking to Russia and other countries involved to find a solution to this issue."

Asked whether the Government was in the hot seat given the "threats" from the Left parties, he said: "There is no question of a hot seat. I was in a hot seat earlier too. But let me tell you there is no threat from the Left. Yes, they have their perception, and we will talk to them."

[voice of india]

Things would have been lot more smoother if David Mulford had kept his mouth shut.

[Tailgunner Joe]

Maybe so but India needs to understand that the consequences of siding with the Ayatollahs against the USA will be dire.

[indcons]

And the US Govt. should realize that pampering India's enemies (the same ones who protet and shelter Bin Laden) isn't going to help relations between both countries either.

Friendship is not a one-way street.

[AmishDude]

If you're talking about Pakistan, what do you want? India's been trying to deal with Pakistan since its founding and hasn't done a very good job, now have they? The military government there is the best that can be hoped for at the present time.

[indcons]

These empty threats don't signify anything.....we see very clearly that you didn't do much to the country that helped Iran develop its program (Pakistan and mad scientist AQ Khan). As I mentioned in my previous post, your government (more specifically, State Department) appears to be pampering them instead.

Dire consequences indeed!! Take care of your "friend" Pakistan....India loves the US; you have nothing but friendship from the vast majority of Indians. However, people of your stripe don't necassarily reciprocate them.

[indcons]

"The military government there is the best that can be hoped for at the present time."

How fascinating.....

[AmishDude]

If Delhi doesn't like it, why don't they do something themselves?

[indcons]

Actually, Amish Dude...we have done quite well with them. For starters, we thrashed them in three wars even when they were powered by the greatest technological power on earth. This lesson merely reinforces the message that giving technology to muslims is useless....they will still find ways to screw it up.

Second, we are the world's largest democracy (an imperfect one like all democracies) but we have never been tempted by our neighbors to change our democratic ethos. We would have done much better with the Pakis had history placed our respective countries on the same side during the Cold War.

That didn't happen but nothing prevents a mutually beneficial India-US partnership in the future.

[Tailgunner Joe]

I can assure you our threats are not empty.

We threatened Pakistan with invasion before Operation Enduring Freedom if they made the wrong choice. Do you think that threat was hollow?

India has a choice to make too. I hope they make the right one.

[Sangey]

I think that so many Indians appreciate the USA as a friend and we appreciated the US 'diplomatic intervention' in 99. India and the USA have common enemies. We have similar backgrounds, but not identical.

Part of the problem is that some NRI's do not treat their hosts well. This, combined with the outsourcing of American jobs to India has made some Americans not like Indians.

Right now, the US needs to maintain diplomatic relations with Islamabad. I know the difference between relations and friendship. I do not trust Islamabad at all. Unfortunately, it saddens me to say that I do not completely trust New Delhi either. Reagan said "Trust but Verify." I am not sure about the "Trust" part but I am most certain about the "Verify."

I think that it is bad that the whole thing came out in the public, but I agree that India needed to be aware of the consequences of her actions.

I also hope that the USA and India will become strategic partners in the future and even have a close 'special relationship' like the US and Britan do.

[AmishDude]

Actually, Amish Dude...we have done quite well with them. For starters, we thrashed them in three wars

And yet...

even when they were powered by the greatest technological power on earth.

Knock off the indirect references.

Second, we are the world's largest democracy (an imperfect one like all democracies)

The relatively new economic reforms are making a real difference. Just don't let your nationalism blind you to reality.

We would have done much better with the Pakis had history placed our respective countries on the same side during the Cold War.

Hmmm...and I thought you had the mark of the Muslims.

That didn't happen but nothing prevents a mutually beneficial India-US partnership in the future.

Except people blinded by their own patriotism that they can't grasp reality.

[indcons]

India's choices will be based on the overwhelming frienship that exists in that country for the USA. So, your comparisons between a radical Islam population and a jihadi Pakistani military establishment and India are essentially meaningless.

Why doesn't your government take care of Red China or Pakistan if it wants to discipline Iran? It is because both these countries are already hopeless (unlike India which is a friendly country)?

Come on, Tailgunner Joe. You know better than to make empty, meaningless threats. I know you love to exhibit your anti-India bigotry but can't you give it a break even when India SUPPORTSs US interests?

[indcons]

Talking about yourself, are you?

[indcons]

"I also hope that the USA and India will become strategic partners in the future and even have a close 'special relationship' like the US and Britan do."

Amen to that, FRiend.

[Tailgunner Joe]

The threat is that India will lose US nuclear assistance if they don't vote against Iran. This threat is real. Actually I am fairly confident that India will make the right choice, despite the bad advice of certain anti-American Iranian-jihadist sympathizing dhimmis here at FR.

[indcons]

As I have said before (and continue to maintain): we have more in common as people than we have differences. As countries, we must do our best to put Cold War histories behind us and prepare for the future.

However, such a friendly relationship should be based on friendship, mutual respect, and mutual interests. I have no doubt that we are already seeing a sea change in India-USA relationships...things can only improve from here.

Oh...and I hope that the leftists in both countries are taught a lesson by their muslim terrorist allies.

[Brilliant]

When you think of it, India has the most to lose from a nuclear Iran. Russia is second. You'd think the Russians would get smart.

[Daaave]

indcons wrote: "India's choices will be based on the overwhelming frienship that exists in that country for the USA."

How they vote at the U.N.!

Libya votes against the United States 76% of the time. Egypt votes against the United States 79% of the time. Lebanon votes against the United States 80% of the time.

India votes against the United States 81% of the time. India receives $143,699,000 annually in US Foreign Aid.

Syria votes against the United States 84% of the time. Mauritania votes against the United States 87% of the time.

[Collected on the Internet, 2003]

snopes.com/

[rajuchor]

Hey we are spreading democracy, remember? :)

[Thunder90]

Pakistan is in so much hot water that even the Chinese have curtailed their shipments of weapons to them.