US would welcome `professional' Indian Army in Iraq and Afghanistan

bhramos

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US would welcome `profesional' Indian Army in Iraq and Afghanistan

Babina (UP), Oct. 26 - ANI: A senior commander of the U.S. Army on Monday said that having a professional force like the Indian Army at its disposal, especially in highly aggressive war zones like Iraq and Afghanistan, would always be welcome.

The Indian Army is a professional force and the US Army will be comfortable with it anywhere, Lt. Gen. Benjamin R. Mixon, Commander, Pacific Command, said in reply to a question on whetherthe US Army is ready to seek Indias help in Iraq and Afghanistan in a counter terror and insurgency operation.

Lt. Gen. Mixon, who was addressing accompanying media on the sidelines of the first ever Indo-US joint mechanized forces exercise in Babina, Uttar Pradesh, further went on to say: We want to work together as militaries to establish peace in Asia-Pacific region. If any eventuality occurs in future, we are better prepared to work together.

He also claimed that the exercise had so far been a wonderful and worthwhile experience, and had gone a long way in raising the level of understanding between the two armies.

The counter insurgency/terror exercise with India has been absolutely fantastic and it has helped the US soldiers to understand India in a better way, Lt. Gen. Mixon said.

From the Indian side, Lt. General A.S. Sekhon, Director General, Military Operations, said: This is a training exercise and it is not aimed at anybody. We are trying to know each others procedures. The is all about training with the US Army to enhance our understanding and capability.

A significant aspect of the 17-day exercise that commenced on October 17 and concludes on October 29, is that for the first timethe US Army has deployed the Javelin Missile and Stryker armoured vehicles to act as force multipliers in a third country other than Iraq andAfghanistan.

Another first is that of the Indian mechanized battalion participating along with Strykers Squadron in a joint exercise under overall command of an Indian Brigade headquarters.

So far, the achievements of the joint exercise called Yudh Abhyas2009 are:

- Both sides have achieved interoperability and capability to function alongside for operations under an UN mandate and - The US troops were exposed to rich culture and tradition of India.The Indian troops gained exposure to contemporary weapons systems used by US troops. The overall aim of the exercise is to conduct a joint Indo-UStraining exercise under the framework of an agreed joint training program for sharing useful experience in peacekeeping operations, humanitarian and disaster managements and relief operations.

Two hundred and ninety five personnel are representing the US Army, while 700 personnel are representing the Indian Army.

Yudh Abhyas is a regularly scheduled bilateral exercise hosted by the Indian Army.

The exercise is designed to promote cooperation between the two militaries while sharing training, cultural exchanges, and building joint operating skills.

This years Yudh Abhyas features 17 Stryker vehicles the largest deployment of the vehicles outside of Iraq and Afghanistan for the U.S. Pacific Rim forces.

Along with the 17 Strykers, the U.S. will showcase the Javelin Anti-Tank Missile system, employed to defeat current and future threat armored combat vehicles.

The YA 2009 constitutes the largest troop exchange since the YA partnership exercise commenced in 2004.

Indian Army soldiers from the 31st Armored Division are working with U.S. soldiers from the 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry regiment, Strykehorse, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, from Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

This years exercise includes a multi-echelon, full spectrum combined operation focusing on a United Nations peacekeeping operation scenario, while executing a maneuver live-fire exercise.

During the exercise, participants will engage in a variety of missions, from joint planning and maneuver execution, a variety of artillery ranges, to cordon and search operations as well as search and rescue training.

US would welcome `profesional' Indian Army in Iraq and Afghanistan

Is it Possible?
 

amitkriit

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India must politely say "NO", no matter how sweet/tempting this offer may look like. USA is just trying to enforce the current level, which is definitely not sufficient. Pakistan required 90000 soldiers to carry out it's operations in FATA, which is just 1/3rd the size of Afghanistan, while USA somehow found 100,000 sufficient number to deal with insurgents in Afghanistan, which was proven to be a wrong decision.
 

F-14

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The Indian army will not go to Afghanistan because of 2 reasons

Historical, cultural and logistical

Historical : Afghanistan has been a graveyard for any army and during the Indian Empire the Indian army has fought in Afghanistan (albeit under British direction ) and still remember the defeats that such campings bought to it

Cultural : the Deployment of the IA can give a tool to the taliban and its ISI masters in Pakistan a cause to do some rabble rousing in the name of religion and mobilize for yet another holy "Jihad" to drive the "Infidel" Armies out

Logistical : the most worry some of all is Logetics sinces the only logical way to resupply any deployment is through the air but with pakistan in the way the air is not an option
then there is Iran with the yankees at logerheads with Iran every third day that option to is closed

our option is to continue to Build up the Nation of Afghanistan and its institutions
 

Vladimir79

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Let's see --- India sends troops to Afghanistan, Pakistan says India--US are conspiring against them and Zadari stops the S. Waziristan offencive. I don't think so.
 

F-14

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sir this Meara statement it self will be made in to a mountain the size of the Caucasus ranges by Pakistan so just think what will happen if we deploy a brigade in Kabul
 

Ray

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Lt. Gen. Mixon, who was addressing accompanying media on the sidelines of the first ever Indo-US joint mechanized forces exercise in Babina, Uttar Pradesh, further went on to say: We want to work together as militaries to establish peace in Asia-Pacific region. If any eventuality occurs in future, we are better prepared to work together.
Asia Pacific Region.

No mention of Iraq or Afghanistan.

Check McChrystal's statement from Afghanistan.

These are mere polite feel good statements as far I think
 

bengalraider

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The Indian army has enough to tackle at home(KASHMIR, NORTH-EAST) to send troops into harms way in a foreign land.When India cried itself hoarse about the miliatnt threat from pakistani & afghan soil on india since 1980's the international community kept quiet and looked the other way, these very same people rewarded the perpetrators of kargil,parliament attack,chattisinghpora massacre and others by granting their backers military and financial aid;even today they keep quiet on 26/11 and try to pressurise india on kashmir and other issues. When the hijackers of IC-814 were protected by the afghan's they stayed quiet.
That was my angry rant my serious post is below!
India is respected in afghanistan as a nation who is helping to build the future afghanistan, is we have boots on the ground today we shall face many problems; we shall be among those who shall face the blame for each bomb ISAF lobs into a residential compound by mistake, we shall have to share the blame for each civilian killed.internally much of the indian muslim populace is against the U.S war in afghanistan, this shall also be a problem.
 

Yusuf

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BR,
Why would any Indian Muslim have a problem with US presence in Astan? Very common reason politicians give to play vote bank politics. Indian Muslims dont even bother about what happens in their own state of Kashmir so let alone foreign land.

I have always been a supporter of Indian presence in Astan as it puts Pakistan under tremendous pressure. If its with American blessings, then there is nothing that Pakistan can do about it. They will have to do America's will otherwise America will steamroll it.

Logistics will not be a problem as we have Iran as a route. Even if America is at loggerheads with Iran, India can use its good relations with Iran to get its supply. We can also use the American supply line to shore up our own.
 

bengalraider

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I'm not talking about the educated urban muslim like yourself. I have enough muslim friends and colleagues to know that educated urban forward looking muslims do not care. I am takling about the uneducated muslim masses whose only source of info is from the mosque , many of these mosques especially in western U.P are hotbeds of fundamentalism(deobandis) , trust me these are going to make a noise,these people will try to sway the muslim poor on the name of religion; of course vote bank politics comes into play everywhere in india so some or the other politician shall jump into the fray(remember how ram bilas paswan got a osama lookalike to campaign for him in the bihari badlands in the name of islam).
 

Yusuf

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The urban educated muslim dont care of what happens elsewhere. The uneducated poor muslim will certainly not care as he is more bothered about earning the next meal.

No one should use religious sentiment when it comes to national security and interest.

Indian troop presence in Astan will give Pakistan sleepless nights and im sure all terror activities can be controlled. One more attack and we attack from two fronts should be the clear message from India to Pakistan.
 

ahmedsid

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BR,
Why would any Indian Muslim have a problem with US presence in Astan? Very common reason politicians give to play vote bank politics. Indian Muslims dont even bother about what happens in their own state of Kashmir so let alone foreign land.

I have always been a supporter of Indian presence in Astan as it puts Pakistan under tremendous pressure. If its with American blessings, then there is nothing that Pakistan can do about it. They will have to do America's will otherwise America will steamroll it.

Logistics will not be a problem as we have Iran as a route. Even if America is at loggerheads with Iran, India can use its good relations with Iran to get its supply. We can also use the American supply line to shore up our own.
Getting into Afghanistan, even with American Blessings will be really bad for our troops. We need not police any other country, havent we learnt our lessons from IPKF? We need not loose troops unnecessarily in a hostile country and bring more reason to the taliban and the Pakistanis to Join Hands once again, and play their dirty little games in India.

I like the way its going now, and dont want to disturb the status quo. We need to make our presence felt in Afghanistan in all ways other than Military Deployment. The assistance we are doing right now is applaudable, but Military Presence wont be!

About Indian Muslims, well most were against Iraq War and we could see why, but In Afghanistan, they didnt have much thought about it, and most of them knew of the Repressive ways of the Taliban and the dangers it posed.
 

bengalraider

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The urban educated muslim dont care of what happens elsewhere. The uneducated poor muslim will certainly not care as he is more bothered about earning the next meal.

No one should use religious sentiment when it comes to national security and interest.

Indian troop presence in Astan will give Pakistan sleepless nights and im sure all terror activities can be controlled. One more attack and we attack from two fronts should be the clear message from India to Pakistan.
Most politically motivated and organised protests are well funded events with paid protesters(albeit behind closed doors); this is an open secret don't see why it would not be the same way here as well!
 

tarunraju

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So this is what it's all been about: adding Indian troops to the American oil war, when other NATO members are losing interest there. The Indian administration should be crazy to oblige, especially when its own territory is being eaten up bit by bit, by Naxals.
 

Yusuf

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Looking at the bigger strategic game, it will not do us any harm in having our troops there. Besides India can go in with a mandate for peace keeping and training afghans and not take part in the war. That way build goodwill among afghans and at the same time keep the Pakistanis jittery.
 

F-14

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yusfji do you favour a more "Hands" on approch n this fact and besides that it will be a grate stratagic game changer but my fear is that our deployment in Astan might be potrayed by taliban and ISI inc as a game to harm the "islamic" fabric of Afghanistan and also our deployment might be counter productive to the Minority Hndu and shik populations in afghanistan to
 

Yusuf

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Our troops can become the protector of minorities there.

As far as what the Taliban and Pakistan think, well who cares. As it is for them India is the land of kafirs.

I am more bothered about the advantage India will get from such a move.
 

F-14

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perhaps you are right from a strategic point of view an Indian force in Afghanistan might be to our advantage but yusufji what about the logistical part of things
 

Yusuf

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Iran. Use the port we built and the relations we have with Iran. Also use the US's existing line of supply. But Iran does remain the best option. Tajikistan is the other.
 

roma

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In fact George W had asked india for troops to help out in both a'stan and iraq and was politely informed of it's insuitablilty.
besides the reasons i have read above in other posts about cultural differences , basically im sure india doesnt want to become the manpower supplier to the usa for these policing actions.
 

Ray

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I want to correct one US idea that is stated - in harm's way.

I have just attended the Infantry Day celebrations.

We do not think there is anything called harm's way.

We have to defend the country and there can be no way to defend the country against our enemy without being in harm's way.

If there is some way, one would sure like to know how!
 

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