India US Relations

[roma]

haivng australia in the triumvirate of india usa japan is fine and dandy but much more implortatn is having israel in the partnership

one may ask , how is israel part of the region ..... firstly we live in a word where e no place i s too far ...secondly we do know that israel suplies china with military prducts ....ad that has to be eitehr stopped, or we need to buy more from them so that they wont need china and when i say we imean usa and japan too .....so we shod get aus in as a buyer support program ~~~

main thing is india-israel-usa-japan as the inner core plus aus and s korea as the next level
the 3rd level will e vietnam and the 4th level will be all the aseasn countries because of the SCS strate4gic area

ref

Donald Trump Offers To Host Prime Minister Narendra Modi . “Overall our sense was that the administration has a very positive view of the (India-US) relationship and a very positive view of India,” Jaishankar had said after his meetings.
http://www.indiandefensenews.in/2017/03/donald-trump-offers-to-pm-host-narendra.html

Let me ge
to support wars, atrocities and world dominance. People are waking up here..they are tired of being mislead and fooled by these warmongers. India needs to be militarily very strong as world is going thru a phase where "might is right" is being followed.

After Nikki Haley’s comment, US says India, Pakistan should talk directly to each other



The 45-year-old Haley surprised both Indians and Americans when at a news conference on Monday she said the US under President Donald Trump would like to “find its place” in efforts to de-escalate tensions between the two Asian neighbours.

“We have and continue to encourage India and Pakistan to work together to resolve any differences,” the spokesperson said.

Haley, who will be the UN security council president for the month of April, had said the US should be “proactive” in its efforts to de-escalate India-Pakistan tension and “we don’t think we should wait till something happens”. It wasn’t clear then if that was the position of the Trump administration, as it marked a significant policy shift.

Most important, household income of Indian Americans is higher than any other ethnic group in US, even higher than whites!:biggrin2:

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to visit US, Russia this week

NEW DELHI: Finance MinisterArun Jaitley will visit the US this week to attend the 2017 Spring Meetings of the World Bankand IMF before travelling to Moscow to boost military ties with Russia.

Jaitley will leave for Washington on Wednesday and will attend the World Bank-IMF meetings from April 21-23, official sources said.

The meetings bring together central bankers, ministers of finance and development, private sector executives and academics to discuss issues of global concern, including the world economic outlook, global financial stability, poverty eradication, jobs and growth, economic development, and aid effectiveness.

Jaitley, who has regularly attended the meetings since becoming the Finance Minister in May 2014, is also likely to use the opportunity to meet his counterparts from countries like the US, the sources said.

Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das will also be there in the US for the World Bank and IMF meetings.

From Washington, Jaitley will travel to Moscow for a two-day visit from April 25.

Jaitley, who also holds additional charge of Defence Ministry, will discuss bilateral ties with Kremlin.The two nations, which had strong ties during the Cold War, had in October last year announced multi-billion dollar deals, when President Vladimir Putin visited India.

They had announced plans for a joint venture to build helicopters in India.Also, New Delhi had decided to buy surface-to-air missile systems and stealth frigates from Moscow as the two nations look to deepen military ties. Both the countries also agreed on plans to build and supply stealth frigates to the Indian navy.

Sources said during his Moscow visit, Jaitley is likely to meet Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu to discuss bilateral ties. He will return to the capital on April 27.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...-us-russia-this-week/articleshow/58223383.cms

India Will Maintain Ties With Russia Independent Of United States: Ashley Tellis

A top US expert has said India will maintain its relationship with Russia independent of the US.

Washington: India will maintain its relationship with Russia "independent of the US" as Moscow is willing to provide in depth capabilities and technologies which America would not offer, a top US expert has said.

"I think India will always have a relationship with Russia independent of the United States for a very simple reason, that the Russians have been far more willing to providing in depth strategic capabilities and strategic technologies of the kind that we would not either for reasons of policy or law," Ashley Tellis, a senior fellow of the Carnegie Endowment for International Relations told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee yesterday.


"Our objective with India has been more subtle than I think has been expressed often in the public commentary. The United States has approached India with a view to building its own capabilities, rather than seeking to forge an alliance," Mr Tellis said in response to a question from Senator Elizabeth Warren.




"Some have recently suggested that India is playing the US and Russia against each other for its own benefit. Do you think that is true and do you believe that this is something the US should be concerned about?" she asked.

Ms Warren said the US-India relationship has evolved over the past decade from one of distance to a close strategic partnership.

"In just the past few years alone, the US Department of Defense has named India a major defence partner and established the Defense Technology Trade Initiative," she said.

"But India famously values its non-alignment in foreign policy and it has a long-standing relationship with Russia.

Even today, Russia is India's primary arms supplier and whereas the US emphasises restrictions on the use of force, Russian arms come with very few strings attached," Ms Warren said.

Ashley Tellis said America's calculation has been that if India can stand on its own feet, and if India can help balance China independently, then that's a good thing for the US irrespective of what they do with the US bilaterally.

"I think that policy is a sensible one and we ought to pursue it. Let me say one other thing about Russia," he said.

According to Mr Tellis, Indians have come around to the recognition that Russia today no longer has the kind of cutting-edge capabilities that it did during the days of the Soviet Union.

"And that the Russians are not particularly reliable with respect to providing advanced conventional technologies of the kind that the US has," he said.

"So while they want to keep the relationship with Russia in good repair, because they have a substantial, military hardware. They want to diversity and the US is number one on the diversification plan," Mr Tellis said.

There is nothing much to expect.

President Trump has a namesake stance on every policy. He will say just about anything which feels right, often contradicting himself in the same tweet. Those who expect him to be fair let alone presidential will be let down.

USA is India's are natural ally. Both are democratic nations believers in freedom and liberty . Both are multicultural and multilingual societies. The educational system and legal systems are almost identical.
Both nations are technology savvy. Both are believers in free enterprise and individual property rights.
The closest natural ally to India is undoubtedly United States.

In contrast , Communist China hardly has much in common with India. Not a multiparty democracy, no liberty and no property rights in China. Do you know that all the land in China is owned by the state and people own only the building structure. Govt is extremely powerful and people have not much power. Most businesses are controlled directly or indirectly by Communist party whose comrades are very powerful and average Chinese has to keep his/her head down and keep working in sweat shops. This is the account given by a friend who just returned from 6 month visit to China. People there live in fear and look disciplined .

All you see on roads are mostly bicycles and not many cars. Only a few big cities have those shiny towers.
USA is 8 trillion dollar economy for 330 million people whereas China is 7 trillion dollar economy for 1300 million people. US military is more than 10 times as powerful as China.

Most Americans admire India and its culture. Many Americans are madly in love with Yoga and Meditation.
I made my point. US and India are beacons of mankind and I believe they have common destiny in coming decades.
As for Paki...this country is just a nuisance without much relevance...the breeding ground of terrorism.

So happy with this comparison .......

Al -Jazeera is giving More publicity to Modi ........Now all those countries who are victim of Islamic terrorism will support Modi .




View attachment 17090

Would you expect any better from an Islamist anti-India propagandist organisation run by an arab state.Not to mention the article was penned by a left-wing congress loving secular hindu journalist - a species favoured by arabs,pakistanis and lefties of Europe and North America.

Quite rich coming from a guy who's onw PM is a fraudster and who's Military is a bunch of Uniformed jihadis @rock127 @Akshay_Fenix @Pinky Chaudhary @LETHALFORCE @Kunal Biswas @mayfair @aditya10r

Americans talking about "militancy". Their 51st state(Canada) is a big hub of separatists and runaway terrorists and their "cute boy" PM even rewards terrorists in million.You should check how Tarek Fateh exposes that Justin Trudeau often.US created ISIS is the worst kept secret...NYT should concentrate reporting about it.

A place where blacks are still killed like dogs on streets and even anything which has some skin color.Not long ago a old Indian man was beaten to almost death. America is full of double standards of the highest level.

The more they hate Sangh/RSS the more it rises.Now add Indian President too.

View attachment 18048

This admiral Harris is giving too many quotes to Indian media lately which are above his pay grade.

More important, who is making him say what he says. And why?

 

[Cutting Edge 2]

US to rejig its defence department to boost military ties with India
Trump administration is creating two under secretary level posts in the department of defence to strengthen military ties with India

The US government in a report to the Congress said it is creating new positions in the department of defence (DoD) to strengthen its military ties with India.

Two new under secretary level posts will come up by February 2018 to steer the defence technology and trade initiative (DTTI) that seeks to overcome bureaucratic obstacles to cooperation and identify opportunities for sharing of defence technologies, said the July report.

The report was submitted jointly by DoD and the department of state, underlining different aspects of the ties, including military exercises, cyber security, technology security and India being designated a major defence partner of the United States.

Established in 2012, the DTTI seeks to identify opportunities for co-development and co-production of military hardware, collaborate on science and technology projects and jointly explore policy changes needed to further the military relationship.

The report on enhancing defence and security cooperation with India is a follow up to the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA) passed in December 2016.

The NDAA had set a six-month deadline for the secretaries of the two departments to give their report on issues dealing with transfer of advanced technology, strengthening of the DTTI and resolving all pending issues impeding India-US defence trade.

Since 2014, the DoD’s efforts under the DTTI have been led by the under secretary of defence for acquisition, technology and logistics (USD-AT&L).

“The NDAA for FY 2017 also directs the department to reorganise the office of the USD (AT&L) into two new under secretary positions - one for research and engineering (USD-R&E) and one for acquisition and sustainment (USD-A&S). This change will take effect no later than February 2018,” the report said.

The NDAA outlined that the DTTI leadership would consist of an individual with experience in acquisition and technology to ensure the success of the US-India defence relationship. The DoD had established an exclusive India Rapid Reaction Cell in 2015 to support the DTTI.

Since 2008, India has bought or ordered military equipment worth $15 billion from the US, including C-130J special operations planes, C-17 transport aircraft, P-8I submarine hunter planes, Harpoon missiles, Apache and Chinook helicopters and M777 lightweight howitzers.

Last week, India gave nod to a $650-million proposal to buy six Apache AH-64E attack helicopters for the Indian Army from the US.

India has spent more than $100 billion on buying new weapons and systems during 2008-17, with imports accounting for around 60-65% of the country’s military requirements.

At $15 billion, military purchases from the US have consumed more than a fourth of the total capital expenditure for the last decade.

The Trump administration is supporting US military contractors exploring the possibility of setting up production lines for single and twin-engine fighter jets in India.

“These proposals (for F-16 Block 70 fighters and F/A-18 jets) will help create and maintain jobs in both countries and demonstrate the depth of our commitment to defence cooperation,” the report said.

The US government’s decision to supply Guardian unmanned aerial vehicles, manufactured by General Atomics, to the Indian Navy is one of the major developments that has taken place after the NDAA was passed.

The deal for 22 such UAVs is expected to be worth $2 billion.

 

[ezsasa]

Today, Secretary Tillerson spoke by phone with #Pakistan's PM Abbasi, #India's FM @SushmaSwaraj and #Afghanistan's FM @SalahRabbani.

Sec Tillerson discussed how the US would like to work with each country to stabilize #SouthAsia through a new, integrated regional strategy.

 

[Params7]

Any details on that strategy? Trump was rather light on the specifics and I wonder if we can get India or Pakistan to reveal more.

 

[airtel]

US defence secy James Mattis’ India visit likely from Sept 25 | india-news
By Shishir Gupta, Hindustan Times, New Delhi

3-4 minutes


India’s role in Afghanistan, sharing of defence technology top Mattis’ agenda.

US secretary of defence Jim Mattis (left) is expected in New Delhi on September 25. His visit will be followed by that of secretary of state Rex Tillerson (right). (AFP file photo)


Updated: Aug 24, 2017 20:44 IST


US defence secretary James Mattis is expected to begin his two-day visit to India on September 25, with focus on Afghanistan, counter-terrorism and greater sharing of defence equipment and technology, government sources said on Thursday.

Mattis be followed by secretary of state Rex Tillerson, as two countries look to strengthen bilateral ties and step up engagement.

Tillerson, who wouldn’t accompany Mattis due to scheduling problems, will be in New Delhi for the first two-plus-two India-US dialogue involving external affairs and defence ministers of the two countries, sources said.

The proposal for the new format, which replaces the India-US Strategic and Commercial Dialogue, is still to be received from the state department.

President Donald Trump had on August 21 called for a closer engagement with India on Afghanistan as he laid out US’ strategy for the war-ravaged country.

In his address to the nation from Fort Myer military base in Virginia, Trump asked New Delhi to contribute more towards economic and development assistance to Kabul. He singled out Pakistan-based terrorist groups for creating instability in Kabul and South Asia at large, something that has been saying all along.

Trump’s address was followed by a phone conversation between Tillerson and his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj, diplomatic sources in New Delhi and Washington said.

US national security adviser HR McMaster and his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval, too, discussed Afghanistan in a detailed phone conversation.

Though New Delhi is tight-lipped, sources said the two sides discussed ways in which India could contribute towards a stable Afghanistan without putting boots on the ground.

While Afghanistan is going to be central to Mattis’s meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, defence minister Arun Jaitley and Doval, the revival of the defence technology and trade initiative (DTTI) would also feature widely.

At present, the DTTI has joint working groups on aircraft carrier, hot engine aircraft technology and future vertical lift helicopters, with small unmanned aerial vehicles and roll-on-roll-off C-130J modules off the table.

India is looking at six V-22 tilt rotor Osprey aircraft for rapid deployment on its western and northern borders. The US also wants to sell F-16 and F-18 multi-role fighters to India through the government-to-government route.

Secretary (defence production) Ashok Kumar Gupta was likely to visit Pentagon early September to review the DTTI projects and also look at new India-specific technologies, sources said.

India is looking to speed up setting up of tri-services command in Andaman and Nicobar Islands as China rapidly militarises the South China Sea. New Delhi is also stepping up engagement with the US Pacific Command based in Hawaii.


http://m.hindustantimes.com/india-n...rom-sept-25/story-35r61K6foCboozcHMb8FsN.html

 

[Villager]

Looking At Ways To 'More Actively Support' India's NSG Bid: White House
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, was responding to a series of questions on what steps the Trump administration has taken so far to push India's membership to the NSG, which has repeatedly been blocked by China.

India's Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) membership was discussed when PM Modi met Donald Trump in June

Washington: The US is looking at ways to "more actively support" India's membership bid to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) as the Trump administration considers it a very important matter, a top White House official has said.

A plenary meeting of the elite nuclear club in June failed to take a decision on India's application for its membership, but decided to discuss in November the issue of entry of non-NPT signatories.

China, a key member of the NSG, has been stridently opposing India's bid primarily on the grounds that New Delhi is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Its opposition has made India's entry into the 48-member group difficult as the Nuclear Suppliers Group works on the principle of consensus.

"There is a meeting coming up shortly on this issue. The US is considering ways it can to support more actively India's membership in the NSG, because it is something that's very important to the US," the White House official told news agency PTI.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, was responding to a series of questions on what steps the Trump administration has taken so far to push India's membership to the NSG, which has repeatedly been blocked by China.

"The US is very supportive of India's membership in the NSG. That continues to be something very important, and in fact it came up during the meeting of Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi with President (Donald) Trump (at the White House on June 26)," the White House official said.

"In terms of the specific interactions with China, I'm not aware if it's been raised. It's something certainly that the US does support," the official said, insisting that the Trump administration is committed to support India's case.

After India's application for entry into the elite group which controls the nuclear trade, Pakistan too applied with the tacit backing of Beijing.

An NSG statement after the June meeting had said that the members had discussions on the issue of "Technical, Legal and Political Aspects of the Participation of non-NPT States in the NSG".

"The group decided to continue its discussion and noted the intention of the chair to organise an informal meeting in November," said the NSG statement issued at the end of the two-day plenary meeting in the Swiss capital Bern.

 

[Trinetra]

US Congressmen introduce resolution in House backing India’s UNSC bid

HIGHLIGHTS

• Frank Pallone and Ami Bera, the Congressmen from the Democratic Party, introduced the resolution
• The introduced a similar resolution last year, with near identical wording
• India's role in advancing global prosperity should be recognised, said Pallone

NEW DELHI: Two influential US lawmakers have for the second year in a row introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives to support India being made a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

"It's in the interests of the United States and the world to have a UN Security Council whose members combine military strength with respect for democracy and pluralism, and an appreciation of the dangers posed by rogue states and terrorist groups," says the resolution introduced this week.

The resolution would put the US House of Representatives officially on record in support of India's bid; it has seven original co-sponsors. There are currently five permanent members on the UNSC - the US, the UK, Russia, China, and France.

View image on Twitter

Follow
Rep. Frank Pallone

@FrankPallone
India belongs on the #UN Sec. Council & Congress must makes this clear to the #Trump administration and the world.


Frank Pallone and Ami Bera, the Congressmen from the Democratic Party, introduced a similar resolution - with near identical wording - in the US House in June 2016 as well. Pallone is the founder of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, and Bera is the vice ranking member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the longest serving Indian-American in Congress.

"India plays a critical role as a strategic partner for the United States and is a pillar of stability in South Asia. The five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council reflect the world as it was 60 years ago, and it's time we recognize India's role increasing global prosperity. Securing a permanent spot for India on the UN Security Council would strengthen democracy around the world," added Pallone.

 

[square]

presently it is very convenient for the US to support india for NSG or UNSC ....coz they know china won't let it going to happen ....

 

[IndianHawk]

presently it is very convenient for the US to support india for NSG or UNSC ....coz they know china won't let it going to happen ....

Nobody is going to let it happen. Not even Russia. UNSC is dead in water. Look at the NoKo crises even USA is a joke at UNSC.

India needs to believe in real hard power and excersice the same .

 

[Trinetra]

Nobody is going to let it happen. Not even Russia. UNSC is dead in water. Look at the NoKo crises even USA is a joke at UNSC.

India needs to believe in real hard power and excersice the same .

But I would still say we need UNSC seat.. as a responsible power we are bound by world forum rules.. we may want to avoid UN sanctions if at all we are going to war against pakistan or china and take over the land what is rightfully ours of kashmir. if we have the veto we can overthrow any kind of sanction that will be shot towards us.. after any country's true friend is the same country itself..

 

[prohumanity]

India 's relationship with USA should not be at the cost of its relationship with Russia. Russia has been a solid, time tested, reliable friend of India for last 60 years. On the other hand, USA has been a sponsor of Pakistan for last 60 years. Although US interests are changing and are aligning with India's interests and they are natural allies based on many similar values and principles... so its perfectly fine to be closer to USA. But, never give up on old, time tested friend..Russia......
India must not be anyone's poodle...India can afford to friends of all. (except envy infested Pakistan)

 

[sorcerer]

India should provide non-lethal logistical help for US troops in Afghanistan, since Washington cannot rely on Pakistan
http://www.firstpost.com/india/indi...shington-cannot-rely-on-pakistan-4095125.html


Some of the plans for expansion of Indian development activities – which is after all the main plank of Indian presence in Afghanistan – is already outlined in the joint statement at the end of the meeting of the Partnership Council. For one, the air cargo corridor is to be expanded to other cities besides Kabul. This is a vital development and extends trade opportunities for Afghans from various provinces across the country.
'
If India wishes to accommodate US interests, it is possible to twin this capability towards providing US forces non-lethal logistics for its troops. The troublesome logistical chain that goes through Pakistan remains prone to attacks by hostile elements whenever the Pakistan government is miffed with the US. These lines of communication that entered Karachi from the sea, towards the Afghan border were vital when the US troop strength was climbing to a hundred thousand. With the present total likely to be at about a fifth of that figure, the logistical chain can be easily replaced by India. Taking this role is risky given that it shifts the focus away from India’s consistent development agenda, but the point being made here is that it can be done. A less risky option is that of using our air cargo capability to transport in requirements for Afghanistan's security forces. Overall, both or either of these will result in Pakistan losing whatever existing leverage it still retains as a logistical node.

The second instance of India's pure development agenda is the announcement of 116 high-impact projects in 31 of the 34 provinces in Afghanistan. With only three provinces left out, this appears to be an effort to spread out Indian aid into as large an area as possible, and thus benefit a larger number of Afghans. While this is commendable, it risks aid being divided into penny packets. Ideally, aid needs to be concentrated towards an overall Indian objective.

Statements of such senior officials such as the foreign secretary, and the joint statement itself, seems to stress increased connectivity as an overall goal in bilateral engagements. If this was a priority, it would be useful if aid and assistance be directed into those provinces through which such a corridor would be expected to pass towards Central Asia. Trade corridors need sustenance along the way — for instance warehouses, customs and security capabilities, border infrastructure to mention a few — apart from specific skills that go with such infrastructure. A trade corridor will succeed only when it is seen as improving the lives of local people in these provinces, a lesson that China should learn as it pushes through with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor in Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir, where locals oppose the CPEC on the grounds that it does nothing for them.

A trade corridor through Afghanistan should serve the US strategy as well, which specifically stated that Afghans cannot expect a "blank cheque" but must carry a part of the economic burden. To be able to do this, Afghanistan has to be enabled to maximise its exports. The hiccup here is of course whether the US would reconcile to the fact that Chahbahar in Iran, is the only viable exit for such a route. A nod from the US would give a fillip to a trade corridor, and open up Indian assistance in the setting up of the entire gamut of infrastructure including warehouses, power and most importantly, banking and financial institutions to back this. Afghanistan’s ability to pay for itself, and thereby reduce the costs to the US — which is apparently a bugbear of President Trump — is dependent on such an initiative.

A third issue is one that received only a passing reference in the India-Afghanistan Joint Statement, and none at all in the US strategy. This is the question of narcotics. Afghanistan continues to be the largest opium producer in the world, with opiate production surging every year after a brief dip in 2015. What is of even more relevance to the war in Afghanistan is that an overwhelming 85 percent of areas under cultivation are under Taliban control or areas of high influence. Simply put, an erosion of the narcotics trade would seriously hit Taliban funds and Taliban leaders personally. Leaders like Maulvi Abdul Zahir, formerly agriculture minister in the Taliban government, is known to be heavily involved in narcotics trafficking. Another drug lord was a minister for Haj and religious affairs.

Analysts now believe that the Taliban are a drug cartel in the fullest sense of the term. In fact, a large part of the fighting is believed to be dictated by the need to exert control over drug routes or cultivation areas. Witness the jostling for Badghis which is the entry for trade into Russia and the almost unending fight for Helmand, the wellspring of drug cultivation. Unsurprisingly, the nodes of finance are in Pakistan, often under the control of Taliban leaders or their cutouts.

It is hardly likely that Pakistan Intelligence would be unaware of its activities. Indeed, with much of drug money being banked in Pakistan, it is entirely possible that this segment this forms a significant part of Pakistan’s own economy. Analysts have argued reasonably that fighting the Taliban, while allowing them to rake in the profits of the drug industry is like trying to empty out a well with a bucket of water. Counter Narcotics experts in their turn have called for a complete and effective ending of narcotics production with the use of aerial spraying among other methods. However, US officials and aid agencies feel that such a move would ruin Afghanistan, and add unemployed youth to the ranks of the Taliban.

In this assessment, they are only partly right. They forget that in the 1970s Afghanistan was once self-sufficient in food production, and a net exporter of agricultural produce, including dried fruits and nuts, or derived from agricultural products including karakul skins, wool, cotton, and rugs. This long-lost capability can be revived, if India and the US work together to knit projected Indian assistance in hydropower and irrigation, to US counter-narcotics expertise. Certainly, such an effort will have to move district by district, eliciting local support in these areas.

The realities that underlie the basis of a counter-narcotics strategy are simple. Data indicates that there are some 80,000 growers and their families, and another 4,80,000 itinerant agricultural workers. This is a formidable figure and certainly, indicates that efforts towards alternate crops will have to be slow. But here’s the really notable figure. Actual traders and traffickers are less than 10-20,000. That means that the core of the counter-narcotics programme has to be carried out by the US in Pakistan, even while India carries out an alternative agricultural programme. This is a partnership that ideally, even Russia could be persuaded to cooperate with, given the serious security implications from the narcotics surge.

The 'endless war' in Afghanistan is at a critical juncture, where the US has definitely indicated that it sees a strong Indian role as beneficial to its own objectives in the war-torn country. Conversely, it has identified Pakistan as the main culprit. Indian objectives should not, however, be dominated by a desire to be one up on Pakistan. While retaining all capabilities and initiatives to end terrorism emanating from Pakistan and the bloody nexus with narcotics, an overall effort aimed at stabilisation of Afghanistan could include Pakistan in areas where it has a capability or shows a willingness to assist. For instance, Pakistan Army-led anti-narcotics force has a formidable capability. Consultations between Indian, Afghan and Pakistani narcotics teams may sound like the stuff of nightmares at present. But the seeds have to be sown for cooperation. Their germination will depend on whether Pakistan can be kept isolated by major powers until its own leaders decide that cooperation is better than castigation from international podiums.

 

[Trinetra]

On One Belt One Road, US backs India, says it crosses 'disputed' territory

Washington: The Trump administration on Wednesday threw its weight behind India's opposition to the China- Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), saying it passes through a disputed territory and no country should put itself into a position of dictating the Belt and Road initiative.

India skipped the Belt and Road Forum (BRF) in May this year due to its sovereignty concerns over the nearly USD 60 billion CPEC, a flagship project of China's prestigious One Belt One Road (OBOR), which passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Having returned from his maiden trip to India last week wherein he met his counterpart Nirmala Sitharaman and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis today appeared to be a strong opponent of China's ambitious OBOR initiative.

"In a globalised world, there are many belts and many roads, and no one nation should put itself into a position of dictating 'one belt, one road'," Mattis told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee during a Congressional hearing.

"That said, the One Belt One Road also goes through disputed territory, and I think, that in itself shows the vulnerability of trying to establish that sort of a dictate," Mattis said apparently referring to India's position on CPEC.

Mattis was responding to a question from Senator Charles Peters over OBOR and China's policy in this regard.

"The One Belt One Road strategy seeks to secure China's control over both the continental and the maritime interest, in their eventual hope of dominating Eurasia and exploiting natural resources there, things that are certainly at odds with US policy. So what role do you see China playing in Afghanistan, and particularly related to their One Belt One Road," Peter had asked.

 

[Dark Sorrow]

Tillerson pitches for new wave of US defence sales


US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is visiting New Delhi at a delicate moment for American defence sales to India. Having rung up $15-18 billion in defence sales to New Delhi in the last decade, Washington is backing the US defence industry’s drive for a second wave of contracts that could add up to another $18-25 billion.
Addressing the media with Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj in New Delhi on Wednesday, Tillerson stated: “[W]e are willing to provide India advanced technologies for its military modernization efforts. This includes ambitious offers from American industry for F-16 and F/A-18 fighter planes.”
On October 18, speaking in Washington before his India visit, Tillerson specified additional platforms that could feature in India’s shopping basket. He said the US had put forward proposals for “[Sea] Guardian UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), aircraft carrier technologies, the Future Vertical Lift program, and F-18 and F-16 fighter aircraft, [which] are all potential game changers for our commercial and defense cooperation.”
US policy insiders tell Business Standard that the Washington bureaucracy believes that, given the tight strategic partnership, US industry should, by right, get at least one of the two fighter contracts.
“We understand the F-16 might be at a disadvantage, owing to Indian perception that US has long supplied it to Pakistan. But the F/A-18E/F is a fantastic aircraft and Boeing has the go-ahead from Washington to set up a plant to build the fighter in India”, a former top Pentagon official told Business Standard.
India, however, is proceeding with competitive procurement. On January 25, the Indian Navy issued a Request for Information (RFI) to global manufacturers for 57 “multi-role carrier-borne fighters” (MRCBF). Consequently, the F/A-18E/F will probably compete with Dassault’s Rafale-M, Saab’s Sea Gripen and Russia’s MiG-29K/KUB that already flies with the Indian Navy.
The 57-fighter MRCBF deal is estimated to be worth $6-10 billion.
Meanwhile, Lockheed Martin, which has offered India the new F-16 Block 70, finds itself in hot competition with Saab’s new Gripen E fighter in the “single-engine fighter” category. With India likely to buy 100-200 of these fighters, the contract would be worth $7-14 billion.
A more sensitive matter for Washington, one that could seriously test US-India relations, is India’s request for 22 Sea Guardian UAVs for maritime surveillance of Indian Ocean waters.
Senior US defence industry executives say New Delhi initiated the request for the Sea Guardian in 2016, following it up with multiple high level requests in US-India meetings. The US administration, recognising a commercial as well as strategic opportunity, pulled out the stops to get it cleared in time for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US in June.
US officials say obtaining export clearances involved intensive lobbying by the Indian ambassador in Washington, and by pro-Indian Senators on Capitol Hill. This also involved dealing with strong counter-lobbying by Pakistan-friendly groups in Washington.
Now, based on the commitment made during Modi’s meeting with President Donald Trump in June, Washington responded to an Indian Letter of Request (LoR) for price and availability (P&A) of the Sea Guardian just days before Defence Secretary James Mattis’ visit to Delhi on 25-26 September. The cost would be in the region of $2-3 billion, say industry experts.
Inexplicably, since then, Indian interest in the Sea Guardian seems to have cooled, say US officials.
The Sea Guardian is a tightly controlled weapons platform, being in Category I under the Missile Technology Control Regime. This entails a strong “presumption of denial” to any export requests.
Contrary to media reports, the Sea Guardian is not strictly an unarmed platform. While it does not come with weapons, its wings are fitted with hard points for weapons carriage. If, at a later stage, India wants to weaponise the UAV, it would be possible to approach Washington for sanctions and weaponry.
Indian Navy officers say buying the Sea Guardian would undercut the rationale for buying more Boeing P-8I multi-mission maritime aircraft. The navy has already signed up for 12 P-8Is, but would like to at least double that figure. However, the defence ministry would question the procurement of additional P-8Is, as well as Sea Guardians.
Perhaps the highest-tech piece of equipment that New Delhi and Washington are negotiating is a billion dollar “electromagnetic aircraft launch system” (EMALS) for its second indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vishal, which is still to begin construction. This uses an electromagnetic rail gun to accelerate carrier-borne aircraft to take-off speed, replacing the conventional steam catapult.
The great advantage of EMALS is its “dial-up-a-power-level” capability, which allows it to safely and quickly launch aircraft of completely different sizes – from light UAVs to 60-tonne maritime surveillance and anti-submarine aircraft.

Link

 

[Villager]

Arunachal Pradesh An Integral Part Of India: US

US Consul General in Kolkata Craig L Hall. (File Photo)

Itanagar: US Consul General in Kolkata Craig L Hall has said that the US government is absolutely clear that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India.

Mr Hall said this during a meeting with Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Kalikho Pul while referring to the often repeated claims of China over Arunachal Pradesh territory, an official release said.




Through Craig Hall, Mr Pul also asked the United States government to help rectify Google Maps wherein China has indicated Arunachal and some parts of Assam as a part of its territory.


Mr Hall said India's Act East Policy could be strengthened further if road connectivity through northeast India is developed well, as Arunachal Pradesh is located in a strategically important position having international borders with Myanmar, Bhutan, and China.

Private companies of the United States are looking for better connectivity in the region so that pace of developmental activities can be accelerated, he said.

"In fact, the US government is working with the Indian counterpart to promote business relations with Northeast India," he said, adding that the region has potential in hydro-power and tourism sectors.

He put forward his opinion to Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Kalikho Pul for global tendering of the hydro-power and infrastructure developments projects of the state, so that the advertisement could be sent to the companies in the US, the release said.

Seeking US support in developing road connectivity and harnessing hydropower of the state, chief minister Kalikho Pul said Western investors should feel free to invest in Arunachal Pradesh.

The chief minister also sought the help of the US for capacity building, particularly in training, support and equipment for dealing with natural disasters.

 

[Villager]

India at risk of 'currency manipulator' label from US Treasury

The US is monitoring India's currency — that alone could hurt the Indian economy

• The U.S. Treasury said in an October report that it will closely monitor India's currency practices after noticing an increase in the "scale and persistence" of the country's net foreign exchange purchases
• India has been buying the U.S. dollar in exchange for the rupee to keep its domestic currency from surging to economically harmful levels
• Analysts said being singled out in the report may limit India's options in managing the rupee

 

[Umbersrtella]

A bit long but worth reading,

 

[TrueNeo]

US goes soft on Pakistan in its demand to act against terrorist outfits targeting India, removing demand to act against LeT (Lashkar-e-Taiba)

WASHINGTON: The US Congress has removed a provision from the National Defence Authorisation Act 2018 that would have required the US Secretary of Defence to certify that Pakistan has taken steps to “significantly disrupt” the activities of both Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the Haqqani network.

The new version has confined this requirement to the Haqqani network only, indicating a desire in Washington to focus entirely on Afghanistan as long as it takes to subdue the Taliban insurgency there.

While the United States considers LeT a terrorist organisation, it also realises that the group’s main focus is Kashmir, not Afghanistan. Linking LeT to the Haqqani network, however, creates an impression that the US not only wants Pakistan to help it win the war against the Taliban but also wants it to change Islamabad’s position on Kashmir.

Since it already considers LeT a terrorist organisation, Washington will continue to ask Islamabad to stop the group from carrying out attacks inside India. But by delinking it from the Haqqani network, US policymakers are sending a message to Islamabad, that fighting the Haqqani network is their first priority.

This distinction is clearly underlined in a congressional document, the `conference’ version of the National Defence Act 2018. As part of the US legislative process, the House of Representatives and the Senate present their separate versions of a bill and then they go into a`conference’ to remove the differences between the two versions.

This joint version places the following additional limitation on reimbursements to Pakistan from the US Coalition Support Fund (CSF): Of the total amount of $700 million of reimbursements and support authorised for Pakistan during fiscal year 2018, $350m shall not be available unless the Secretary of Defence issues a certificate to the congressional defence committees.

His certificate should say that Pakistan continues to conduct military operations that are contributing to significantly disrupting the safe havens, fundraising and recruiting efforts, and freedom of movement of the Haqqani network in Pakistan.

1. Pakistan has taken steps to demonstrate its commitment to prevent the Haqqani network from using any Pakistan territory as a safe haven and for fundraising and recruiting efforts.
   
   
2. Pakistan is making an attempt to actively coordinate with Afghanistan to restrict the movement of militants, such as the Haqqani network, along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border; and Pakistan has shown progress in arresting and prosecuting senior leaders and mid-level operatives of the Haqqani network.
   

The House receded with an amendment that would have required the Secretary of Defence to issue a similar certification about LeT.

The conferees, however, expressed concern about the alleged persecution of groups seeking political or religious freedom in Pakistan, including the Baloch, Sindhi, and Hazara ethnic groups, as well as religious groups, including Christian, Hindu, and Ahmadi.

The conferees urged the Secretary of Defence to ensure that Pakistan is not using any assistance provided by the US to persecute minority groups.

In addition, the conferees authorised reimbursement of Pakistan for security activities along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, including providing training and equipment for the Frontier Corps, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

However, the conferees expressed concern that Pakistan continues to delay or deny visas for US personnel that could assist with the provision of such training.

Given this situation, the conferees recommended that the US Department of Defence condition reimbursements for training and equipment with appropriate access by the US personnel.

The House bill contained a provision that would state that it is the sense of Congress that Dr Shakil Afridi is an international hero and that the government of Pakistan should release him immediately from prison.

The Senate amendment contained no similar provision and the House recedes.

The conferees noted the contributions of Dr Afridi to efforts to locate Osama bin Laden, and said that they “remain concerned about Dr Afridi’s continuing incarceration,” and urged the government of Pakistan to “release him immediately”.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2017

 

[TrueNeo]

Next Yankees would also declare LeT as freedom fighters.

 

[TrueNeo]

India-US Relationship Beyond Mutual Interest, Good For Humanity: PM Modi

PM Modi praised Donald Trump and the relation between India and the US ahead of his bilateral talks with the US President on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Manila during which the two leaders discussed a range of key issues including defence and security.
All India | Press Trust of India | Updated: November 14, 2017 05:43 IST

Donald Trump said PM Narendra Modi is as a 'friend' who is 'doing a great job'.

PM Modi also thanked the US president for praising India whenever he got an opportunity to speak about the country during his Asia tour.

"...in the few days wherever president Trump has travelled and whenever opportunity arose to talk about India, he has expressed very high opinion about India," PM Modi said.

"I would like to assure you whatever the expectations are of the world, of the US from India, India has always made efforts to fulfil those expectations and we will continue to do so in the future too," he said.

President Trump on Saturday praised India's "astounding" growth after it opened up its economy and also lauded PM Modi, saying he has been working successfully to bring the vast country and its people together.

Speaking at a gathering of CEOs on the sidelines of the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in the Vietnamese city of Danang, President Trump had cited India as one of the countries in the Indo-Pacific region making strides.

He praised India as a sovereign democracy with a population of over 1 billion as well as the largest democracy in the world.