US sanctions against India to be lifted soon

[Guest guest]

WASHINGTON: Following a long-awaited South Asia policy review that is now in its final stages, the Bush Administration will begin working with Congress next month to lift sanctions against India.

 

"It will be a matter of weeks, not months," a senior administration official told The Times of India.

 

Almost the entire administration and the Congress is now on board on waiver of sanctions against India, except for a small group of hawks in the State Department’s Bureau of Non-proliferation. But Robert Einhorn, who heads this group, is leaving the bureau soon and that will remove the last hurdle to the removal of sanctions, administration sources say.

 

The one last remaining point of debate is whether sanctions should be removed both against India and Pakistan simultaneously. The administration is split on this issue, with one section wanting to move quickly on India, and another group, lobbied hard by the Pakistanis, arguing that unless Islamabad too gets the waiver, it will get left behind and "the issue will be difficult to revisit later."

 

In any case, the administration can only lift nuclear-related sanctions against Pakistan. Other sanctions invited by the overthrow of a civilian government by the military regime will remain in place till democracy is restored in that country.

 

 

The Pakistanis have been lobbying fervently for removal of some sanctions, including the Pressler Amendment that has forbid aid since 1990 for crossing the nuclear threshold. The Pakistani-American community has been commandeered to try and ensure that Islamabad does not get left behind on what it thinks is a gravy train.

 

 

"They are terrified that they are getting further and further behind…that they are becoming completely irrelevant in this town and no one is listening to them," a Congressional source said. Pakistan’s foreign secretary Inam-ul-Haq will be here shortly to press the administration for easing of sanctions among other things.

 

 

The Indian officialdom has shown little interest - and some disdain - over Pakistan’s effort to clamber on to the aid train. Some officials noted with delight a lengthy page one Washington Post story - one of the several in the US media in recent times -- focusing heavily on Indo-US ties with almost no reference to Pakistan.

 

 

The Post quoted Armitage as saying State Department officials have held preliminary talks with Capitol Hill and will move forward "at a speed visible to the naked eye" in easing sanctions once Congress returns from summer recess.

 

 

While commentaries in the American media frequently make a direct reference to Washington’s need to cultivate India as a counterweight to China, the Post noted - to the satisfaction of Indian mandarins --that "US officials are scrupulous about not depicting their emerging ties with India as an initiative to counter China - an objective that could also offend many Indians long proud of their independent role in world affairs."

 

 

Still, it is no secret in this town that the US endeavour in this regard are based largely on the emerging security paradigm that sees China as a potential competitor and India as a possible ally. Both the Post article and a separate commentary in Salon Magazine spoke of increasing Indo-US military cooperation.

 

 

The two sides have been holding some modest joint exercises that are going to be expanded in the coming months. Washington has indicated that it is ready to revive the Defence Policy Group meetings that were suspended in the wake of the May 1998 Shakti nuclear tests. The meeting may take place in December following a visit to the US of the Indian naval chief Admiral Sushil Kumar, the senior-most among the service chiefs, Indian officials said.

 

 

<h3>There are also plans for training American soldiers in jungle and high-altitude warfare and counter-insurgency at Indian centers. Already, personnel from elite Indian forces have been coming to the US for instructions in mines and explosive detection.</h3>

 

 

However, some Indian officials - mostly those directly connected to the country’s military and science and technology establishments - cautioned that despite all the hoopla on the diplomatic front, there had been very little movement on the ground insofar as technology transfers were concerned.

[Guest guest]

<h3>Indo-US military ties worry Israel</h3>

Jerusalem, Aug 13

THE US decision to clear the way

for greater military planning, joint operations and eventual

sharing of weapons technology with New Delhi has raised

concern in Israeli defence establishment which fears the move

could hinder its weapon systems and technology exports to

India.

 

 

 

Keen to consolidate Israeli hold on weapons sales to New

Delhi, defence officials here are worried about winning

contracts with New Delhi in future following Washington's

decision to lift restrictions against American firms selling

military hardware and technology to New Delhi, according to

media reports and analysts here.

 

 

 

Israeli sources are of the view that Washington would put

pressure on New Delhi to award major contracts to American

companies, similar to their Israeli counterparts in offering

an array of products and technology, including anti-armour

missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, radar systems, electronic

warfare suites and avionics for combat aircraft, Haaretz

newspaper reported.

 

 

 

The Bush administration has decided to work with Congress

to lift sanctions against India imposed in the aftermath of

May 1998 nuclear tests, clearing the way for greater military

cooperation, joint operations and eventual sharing of weapons

technology with New Delhi.

 

 

 

Israeli Defence Ministry and defence industry officials

had earlier expressed concern when the possibility of

Washington's lifting of restrictions against New Delhi was

raised several months ago, Haaretz said.