India-US Relations : News and Discussion

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 30 Sep 2014 10:34

JE Menon wrote:I think Ramana is right. Here is a chance. We take it with very clear entry/exit terms, and very clear command terms. Blood our soldiers there. This will be the first of many such necessary engagements to come.We have the army for, the soldiers for it, and the capability for it - depending on what exactly we are going to do of course. I'm sure a full-on permanent large scale occupation is not what is being discussed.Will this happen? Not sure, but wouldn't rule it out, not with Modi at the helm.

AFAIk, Barzani's feelers were rejected by Moron Singh Sarkar. Kurdistan will be secular state in the amidst Muddlar sickular states and soon will be richer than all of its neighbors. A good strategic partner to handle all of Paki friends there. All that is required is cleaning of ISIS all the way to Syria and pipeline across Syria to warm port not through Turkish port where they loose half the revenue. With supply glut,15 -20Dollar drop in Crude will save us enough to keep the "peace" machine well oiled plus Independence.

symontk · Post by **symontk** » 30 Sep 2014 10:47

Ok, from Syrian and Turkish ports, how the oil will come to India? Thru Saudi Red sea? Wonderful. Also how the soldiers will reach this Kurd territory? thru Iran? Thru US overflights? Great

merlin · Post by **merlin** » 30 Sep 2014 10:48

JE Menon wrote:I think Ramana is right. Here is a chance. We take it with very clear entry/exit terms, and very clear command terms. Blood our soldiers there. This will be the first of many such necessary engagements to come.

We have the army for, the soldiers for it, and the capability for it - depending on what exactly we are going to do of course. I'm sure a full-on permanent large scale occupation is not what is being discussed.

Will this happen? Not sure, but wouldn't rule it out, not with Modi at the helm.

Blood our soldiers there indeed!

I wonder why some on this forum appear so keen to waste Indian lives there. The US doesn't appear keen at all to waste the lives of their soldiers there. Here's a suggestion - let India say they will match the number of US soldiers they deploy against ISIS. See if US bites.

TSJones · Post by **TSJones** » 30 Sep 2014 10:59

The US has made it quite clear that foreign military is no solution to ISIL. The US believes only a united Iraqi front can defeat them. not Shia front, not Kurdish front, but a UNITED front. How many times do we have to say it? The US does not want a large contingent of foreign troops in Iraq. How plain can we be about this? We would indeed like some moral support in our endeavor in Iraq and Syria. But nobody is expecting or demanding a large presence of foreign troops. How would you guys like if I just droned on and on about US troops in Kashmir? As if the US has any intention of ever do so?

member_23370 · Post by **member_23370** » 30 Sep 2014 11:01

Absolutely no to Indian soldiers on the ground. Su-30MKI and Mig-29K can proceed for strikes if required to defend Indian interests.

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 30 Sep 2014 11:04

pankajs wrote:http://www.business-standard.com/articl ... 097_1.html

India & US issue vision statement as Modi, Obama meet

"We will prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction, and remain committed to reducing the salience of nuclear weapons, while promoting universal, verifiable, and non-discriminatory nuclear disarmament," it said.

I like that part universal, verifiable non-discriminatory. The p5 will go first in the order of Pakistan-China-nk, UK, France, US-Russia, and last India-Israel.

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 30 Sep 2014 11:13

TSJones wrote:The US has made it quite clear that foreign military is no solution to ISIL. The US believes only a united Iraqi front can defeat them. not Shia front, not Kurdish front, but a UNITED front. How many times do we have to say it? The US does not want a large contingent of foreign troops in Iraq. How plain can we be about this? We would indeed like some moral support in our endeavor in Iraq and Syria. But nobody is expecting or demanding a large presence of foreign troops. How would you guys like if I just droned on and on about US troops in Kashmir? As if the US has any intention of ever do so?

The POTUS pressed ABV quite strenuously for Indian boots on the ground in Iraq. That's why the doubts linger on so strongly

Vikas · Post by **Vikas** » 30 Sep 2014 11:17

Why not let the Su-30MKI and Mig-29K first bomb GHQ of Terrorist Pak Army.
Where have ISIS really threatened us except for one Pak sponsored statement and even Al-Baghdadi will be hard pressed to locate Kashmir.
It is fight between Gulf Momins, so let them sort it out. In fact join this war by selling weapons to both sides in true Massa ishtyle.

member_23370 · Post by **member_23370** » 30 Sep 2014 11:19

I said if it is in India's interest. Not because the gulf sand <whatever> want us to. I am perfectly ok with IN and IAF launching strikes to protect Indians or cities where Indians are present. Instead of GHQ why not the paki nuke arsenal? Take it out in one go with Brahmos and Shauryas.

habal · Post by **habal** » 30 Sep 2014 11:25

If India, Russia & China can provide air-support to the Kurds, Assad etc on ground, then it would make eminent sense. Also these 3 will for sure bomb the living daylights out of any ISIL or ISIS or IS, without any concessions to the Saudis, Quetaris or any Gulf Sheikhdom. It should be a sight to behold.

If India goes with US with boots on ground, then US can easily make Pakistan pipe in with same number of boots on ground and then Pakistan will send it's bhooka-nanga soldiers to 'match India'. Then these buffoons will play one against other and have a chuckle while we make a fool of ourselves. These are the games US is bound to play since they are too clever by half, if India commits ground forces.

Dilbu · Post by **Dilbu** » 30 Sep 2014 12:08

There will be NO Indian ground troops to fight ISIL. It is a non starter after the cut and run policy US displayed recently. Forget a nationalist like Modi even a munna like MMS will have trouble in sending foot soldiers to fight unkil's wars. Modi and his team will be fully aware of the duplicity emanating from foggy bottom and other unkil agencies which are in bed with pakis even if white house is singing a different tune. Indian soldiers will be at the mercy of these agaencies when shit hits the fan. So it is a non starter.

Rahul Mehta · Post by **Rahul Mehta** » 30 Sep 2014 12:21

Dilbu wrote:There will be NO Indian ground troops to fight ISIL. It is a non starter after the cut and run policy US displayed recently. Forget a nationalist like Modi even a munna like MMS will have trouble in sending foot soldiers to fight unkil's wars. Modi and his team will be fully aware of the duplicity emanating from foggy bottom and other unkil agencies which are in bed with pakis even if white house is singing a different tune. Indian soldiers will be at the mercy of these agaencies when shit hits the fan. So it is a non starter.

Thats the problem.

If MMS had said "send Indian soldiers to fight ISIS in Syria", then every nationalist in India would have opposed and MMS would have been forced to cancel the policy.

But NaMo say "send Indian soldiers to fight ISIS in Syria", then given the nationalist image NaMo has, many nationalist in India will support NaMo on this issue, and the policy may get implemented.

JE Menon · Post by **JE Menon** » 30 Sep 2014 12:35

People seem to be under the impression that a role for India against ISIS is only going to be our soldiers as cannon fodder. This reflects the same "victim" and "follower" mentality. No one will say here take 10,000 of our soldiers and do what you want. These things will be done on our terms. It may be only a protective force at an airbase where our own jets will be participating in air strikes against these fools. It may be a protective force involved in training the peshmerga at the same time. It could be a bloody regiment to protect the Yazidis, who knows.

If you are not prepared to step out, on your own, and make your position clearly known, then, as it happened over a 1,000 years, others will step in and fight on our territory. This is an almost perfect opportunity for that first step outside the subcontinent. There is an opponent who cannot get worse in terms of inhuman acts, to the point of almost being a caricature. They and their Al Qaida associates have directly threatened India. All our economic "friends" in the Gulf are exercised about it (at least they can't say why are you doing this when their own jets are in the game). It's a good opportunity to take that tentative step.

My guess though is that we won't do it. It will be probably be judged as being too early for this sort of thing. And it may be the right decision. My opinion though is that we should make our presence felt there. But no worries, there will be more opportunities coming our way.

hnair · Post by **hnair** » 30 Sep 2014 13:59

Give a few hundred scholarships for the Kurdish, Yazdi and other displaced kids. Bring their teens over (particularly the vulnerable girls) here for undergrad and teach them well. We need a lot of Karzais, Abdullah Abdullahs and Sultan Qaboos in those part of the world. Already I see a lot of affluent Iranian students doing technical courses in Bangalore. Why not mandate that the private engineering colleges need to have atleast one of these kids admitted every year?

The guns and bombs deployed against the ISIL creeps are NOT going to give back to these displaced people, what they had build over the past 70 odd years of relative peace. That is all gone

a_bharat · Post by **a_bharat** » 30 Sep 2014 14:23

Rahul Mehta wrote: If MMS had said "send Indian soldiers to fight ISIS in Syria", then every nationalist in India would have opposed and MMS would have been forced to cancel the policy.

But NaMo say "send Indian soldiers to fight ISIS in Syria", then given the nationalist image NaMo has, many nationalist in India will support NaMo on this issue, and the policy may get implemented.

It is a matter of trust: MMS couldn't be trusted to take decisions purely on the basis of Indian interests.

That said, I hope IPKF type deployment of Indian troops in the Middle East doesn't take place.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 30 Sep 2014 14:36

If the southern route planned for Russian energy supplies ,an offshoot of the pipeline to China where a $500billion deal has been signed,we could avoid the risk of getting all our supplies from the Gulf.China has signed on to avoid the risk in a crisis of its energy supplies transiting the Malacca Straits. We could also spread the risk this way.But getting involved in a war in "Mespot",the death trap for centuries,let alone reluctance to get involved on the ground in Afghanistan,where our interests are far more important,closer to home ,to prevent the Taliban/AlQ from using it as a base for terror attacks against India,would be a "war too far" and fraught with danger.Mr Modi must not get overzealous in fighting the white man's wars.Has he so swiftly forgotten the push and shove in Ladakh?

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 30 Sep 2014 15:44

India can offer to train moderate Syrian resistance, or train Iraqis. Cost much less than umrikan training.

PS: There is the whole area of humanitarian assistance and security for displaced people/refugees that is another peaceful way India can contribute. Say, a medical corps, army corps of engineers.

PPS: given Modi's speech at CFR, that all nations who subscribe to humanism must join together to fight all terrorism everywhere, there being no good terrorism, he must have had something in mind for India to do w.r.t. Middle East if his conditions were met. And he is perfectly capable of asserting, as he did with WTO, that he is all for trade facilitation, but food security must come together with it, not later - likewise with this battle against terrorism.

SandeepA · Post by **SandeepA** » 30 Sep 2014 16:29

No matter what the outcome of the talks with Ombaba are we must not forget this news blackout on American media. These are not friends and never will be

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 30 Sep 2014 16:39

^^^ When Modi kept talking about development being possible keeping the environment safe, and about being able to manufacture as well as take care of climate change, I felt the US media would ignore him. Half were going to ignore him anyway because he is a "totalitarian Hindu nationalist", and now the other half of them would ignore him because he acknowledges the reality of climate change. (The entire Republican Party, for instance, does not believe climate change.)

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 30 Sep 2014 16:43

Erasing the ISI's threat is a global priority. Of course India will ask: OK, today US is concerned about ISIx, but what about tomorrow when the "I' b4 the x is India? And the US will ask the same question back.

The answer must be that any violence starting with I must be stomped out, since $slam as everyone knows, is a relijjun of Biss, no question about that.

So the agreement has to be that any coordination of effort is to wipe out the WHOLE &^%$ threat, for all time. Well... for the next 200 years, or even next 100 years or 2 days or 1 second, I don't think I care a whole lot beyond my Event Horizon.

IOW, "erasing the threat" includes breaking up Terroristan, teaching Saudis to make a choice between prosperity and annihilation, and establishing normal relations with Iran (on an equal-equal basis with Saudistan).

Iran will get the same message: what happens to the Saudis can happen to u 2. Peace=Peace, gratuitous hostility = destruction.

Yes, we will come past the Saudi shores, with mijjiles trained on their oil refineries and oil wells and the MangalYaan guidance software on our cruije mijjiles with their basement shelter ventilation shafts programmed.

Our telescopes are now looking from Mangal onlee - they can see the HOLE DUNIYA at once, and very big! See image of Appukuttan Somasundaram sitting on a wall on Mars, taken from Ulaan Bataar with MangalYaan Mark IV telescope!

I am tired of the oily threats. They can take their oil and do u no what with it. We have sunshine and wind and Bullock Power and coconut oil, survived so far with it, can do in future too. We have monsoons and hurricanes to bring water. What are they going to do after we are done with them?

Probably cut the subsidies for the annual boondoggle and put a tax on air fares there instead, to fund scholarships for the children of our policemen and soldiers who put their lives on the line fighting terrorism.

IOW, there is as much or more for Indian law enforcement and Defense forces to do in India or from India, as there is for Americans to do in America and from America, etc. The threat is truly global, and I am glad BO seems to be starting to wake up. And hey, maybe he has realized that if he really wants to go after this menace, who better as an ally than (never mind)

ManjaM · Post by **ManjaM** » 30 Sep 2014 16:47

SandeepA wrote:No matter what the outcome of the talks with Ombaba are we must not forget this news blackout on American media. These are not friends and never will be

I dont understand why "not being in the headlines" is an issue. He has met whom he needed to meet, conveyed what he wanted to convey and hopefully was able to achieve what he came here for. Nothing wrong with being below the radar, till such a time we own the radar itself.

So please stop this wailing.

JwalaMukhi · Post by **JwalaMukhi** » 30 Sep 2014 17:23

SandeepA wrote:No matter what the outcome of the talks with Ombaba are we must not forget this news blackout on American media. These are not friends and never will be

The media has problem in formulating headlines. They are used to baiting. They are pondering as to how to spin, perhaps:
"Hindu Nationalist prime minister on his foreign tour, meets first Islamic (who also follows non-Islamic faith) head of a state, president Barrack Hussain Obama, in his home country"

kmkraoind · Post by **kmkraoind** » 30 Sep 2014 17:31

X-posting. This is the article jointly Oped by Narendra Modi and Barack Obama, so please go through the article in its totality.

A renewed U.S.-India partnership for the 21st century

pankajs · Post by **pankajs** » 30 Sep 2014 17:33

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/ ... story.html

Obama’s opportunity with India and its new leader - Nicholas Burns

In strategic terms, there are few countries more important to Washington than India, the dominant power in the Indian Ocean region and, with Japan, the most important U.S. partner in Asia seeking to limit Chinese assertiveness in the region. But, from the start of the Obama administration, India has never been a top priority and the long-term U.S. project to cement a strategic future with India is currently adrift. To be fair, Obama has had a multitude of critical short-term crises — Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Russia — to contend with. But overlooking India has had a price. Seeming U.S. indifference and an Indian government under former prime minister Manmohan Singh in domestic gridlock combined to put the two countries at odds on global trade, climate change, Iran and Russia.

CRamS · Post by **CRamS** » 30 Sep 2014 17:45

ManjaM wrote:
I dont understand why "not being in the headlines" is an issue. He has met whom he needed to meet, conveyed what he wanted to convey and hopefully was able to achieve what he came here for. Nothing wrong with being below the radar, till such a time we own the radar itself.

So please stop this wailing.

Nothing wrong with not being in the media as long as, just as you point out, Modi gets what India needs in the background. And I think that is happening in terms of talking to business leaders, a few defense deals here and there etc. I doubt ModiJi will be able to get anything substantial on the single most issue that threatens the India story: TSP, but we'll have to wait and see. Despite the spin put out by the likes of Uneven and others that Arnab gathered on his show last night, TSP cannot survive a week should US withdra its lavish economic/military support. And furthermore, as Maroof brilliantly pointed out, US can easily discredit TSPA in the eyes of the TSP Abduls, should it choose to.

Now, where not being in the headlines becomes important is to contrast the round the clock hype by the likes of TimesNow and NDTV with the reality on the ground. Poor chaps like Arnab are howling from their roof tops on what a grand reception Modi got, budding US India relationship etc. But as anyone with any knowledge of US knows, silence in the US media indicates the low level of interest in India among the power brokers in DC. So US media is an important barometer on what is on the minds of the power brokers.

Anantha · Post by **Anantha** » 30 Sep 2014 17:47

kmkraoind wrote:X-posting. This is the article jointly Oped by Narendra Modi and Barack Obama, so please go through the article in its totality.

A renewed U.S.-India partnership for the 21st century

No nothing article
Some clean India tech help, renewable energy help
India-US military co-op will increase to jointly/ iindividually challenge China in the seas
Strong Intel co-op for Int security
Nothing overt on ISIS, not even air attacks let alone boots
everything else gas

CRamS · Post by **CRamS** » 30 Sep 2014 17:53

kmkraoind wrote:X-posting. This is the article jointly Oped by Narendra Modi and Barack Obama, so please go through the article in its totality.

A renewed U.S.-India partnership for the 21st century

Gurus, kindly enlighten be as to how important the following statement is from the joint editorial. Arnab was screaming that this is an unmistakable message to TSP to behave. I think this statement is as unpalatable and bland as my morning oatmeal is devoid of any non-fat milk, cinnamon, cranberrys, and walnuts

.

While India benefits from the growth generated by U.S. investment and technical partnerships, the United States benefits from a stronger, more prosperous India. In turn, the region and the world benefit from the greater stability and security that our friendship creates. We remain committed to the larger effort to integrate South Asia and connect it with markets and people in Central and Southeast Asia.

Yagnasri · Post by **Yagnasri** » 30 Sep 2014 17:54

Peaceful don't like us not because we have attacked some one or not supported someone. Peaceful don't like our very existence. That we have to understand first. Shia, Sunni, etc are all irrelevant. Only a dead peaceful is a good peaceful as for as the security of motherland is concerned.

Support US if we are made UNSC PN with Veto. Let them start something immediately and since the process made take some time, we can provide security etc to US ships etc so that US ships and other assets can be diverted to ISIL. Intelligence sharing is one more thing which we have already done after 9/11 and in return we got David Hadle treatment. So Support for UNSC PN with Veto first and then India can even put boots on ground also. As a major power we should act like one. It is in our interest that there is no ISIL like organisation anywhere.

Gora shall be made to walk the talk this time.

pankajs · Post by **pankajs** » 30 Sep 2014 18:01

CRamS wrote:
kmkraoind wrote:X-posting. This is the article jointly Oped by Narendra Modi and Barack Obama, so please go through the article in its totality.

A renewed U.S.-India partnership for the 21st century
Gurus, kindly enlighten be as to how important the following statement is from the joint editorial. Arnab was screaming that this is an unmistakable message to TSP to behave. I think this statement is as unpalatable and bland as my morning oatmeal is devoid of any non-fat milk, cinnamon, cranberrys, and walnuts .

[*quote]

While India benefits from the growth generated by U.S. investment and technical partnerships, the United States benefits from a stronger, more prosperous India. In turn, the region and the world benefit from the greater stability and security that our friendship creates. We remain committed to the larger effort to integrate South Asia and connect it with markets and people in Central and Southeast Asia.

[*/quote]

No expert here CRamS saar, but to me it seems aimed at China .. the region in focus being Asia as a whole. The next line makes it clear with "We remain committed to the larger effort to integrate South Asia and connect it with markets and people in Central and Southeast Asia."

In that context the statement assumes importance.

Ashok Sarraff · Post by **Ashok Sarraff** » 30 Sep 2014 18:04

Could someone share Modi's MSG speech with english subtitles. Some of my American friends want to watch it but I have not been able to find one with english subtitles. TIA.

habal · Post by **habal** » 30 Sep 2014 18:08

Well I think this whole troop for rent business is because there is nothing else for us to put on the table.

Someone was saying 'post-industrial' US has nothing to offer apart from financial services, insurance, banking, healthcare, pharma, pension funds etc which we are not interested in for obvious reasons. 'Make in India' is not working anymore since all the 10 companies that those CEOs represent are already 'Making in China' and that too for as less as possible.

Outsourcing or more outsourcing is anathema to Obama and his philosophy, IPO and core technology related companies won't shift to India since we are a significant potential threat as our prowess with Mangalyaan has proven. You can easily base high-tech companies in Singapore or Malaysia because they have no way or no outlet for absorbing all that tech.

So there is actually nothing of note here, apart from military, defence, maybe offshore defence production in India might be acceptable to US companies more than offshoring to China. Apart from that I do not see any common avenues for cooperation or benefit.

JE Menon · Post by **JE Menon** » 30 Sep 2014 18:17

I don't know about you all, but in my opinion Maroof Raza needs a Bharat Ratna handed to him the minute he touches down in New Delhi for the way he has conducted himself in the US (at the panel programmes, and everything else so far).

CRamS · Post by **CRamS** » 30 Sep 2014 18:25

JE Menon wrote:I don't know about you all, but in my opinion Maroof Raza needs a Bharat Ratna handed to him the minute he touches down in New Delhi for the way he has conducted himself in the US (at the panel programmes, and everything else so far).

100++

And at times I was irritated that Arnab, instead of letting Maroof speak, would cut him off. But good marks to Arnab as well.

JE Menon · Post by **JE Menon** » 30 Sep 2014 18:40

Yes, both held the fort well. But Maroof was a revelation. Guy did not cut a single inch of slack. To anyone. Polite, but so fu(king straight to the point that your hair curls at some of his statements to the people on the panel, regardless of nationality - hell half of us posturing jingos would have toned down the language. On the other hand Teresita Schaeffer was cutting loose in Hindi at one point, and it appears Ron Somers understands or speaks Hindi as well.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 30 Sep 2014 18:53

Key phrases from the Modi/Obama OpEd:

My brief reads:

...a reinvigorated level of ambition...

India wants more.

... harmonize with India’s ambitious development agenda, while sustaining the United States as the global engine of growth

Not do what China did to US industry. Meaning, India will not seek to accumulate huge trade surpluses, but will cater to internal market - a self-sustaining cycle of growth.

....the larger effort to integrate South Asia and connect it with markets and people in Central and Southeast Asia...

Requires Pakistan to provide connection to Central Asia.
About ASEAN, not sure what it all means.

....jointly work to maintain freedom of navigation and lawful commerce across the seas...

China; piracy;

....health collaboration...

Pharma samjhauta.

....improve food security in Afghanistan and Africa...

WTO food security deal; joint efforts in Afghanistan; joint efforts in Africa to counter growing Chinese influence.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 30 Sep 2014 19:01

TIBET.What Mr.Modi can pressurise Washington to do, more for human rights in Tibet and even question China's legitimacy to the nation which was invaded and is under the Chinese jackboot.

Though pertaining to Indo-Sino diplomacy,Tibet is a very convenient weapon where India and the US can cooperate together as it underscores the commitment of both nations to human rights,democracy and all that blah,blah. It would put pressure upon China both in the west ,Tibet; east,Taiwan and from the south,with support to the littoral nations of the Indo-China Sea like Vietnam and the Phillipines. The US could also adopt my nomenclature for the waters adjunct to the land mass of "Indo-China".

Modi using Tibet against China in border dispute: Duowei

Staff Reporter
2014-09-26
President Xi Jinping with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Sept. 18. (Photo/Xinhua)

India's prime minister, Narendra Modi, has made Tibet a major stumbling block for border relations between China and India, says Duowei News, a US-based Chinese political news website.

A Tuesday editorial from Duowei said Chinese president Xi Jinping's recent visit to New Delhi was far from a complete success given his failure to make inroads to address tensions between the two countries over the disputed India-controlled border region of Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims as a part of southern Tibet, as well as the protests against Chinese rule in Tibet that took place during Xi's meeting with Modi.

Though Xi celebrated Modi's 64th birthday and signed a slate of agreements during his visit, he was unable to get India to acknowledge Beijing's one-China policy, with India's minister of external affairs Sushma Swaraj saying rather that China should reaffirm the "one-India policy."

"If we understand China's sensitivity on Tibet and Taiwan, they should also understand that we have sensitivity about Arunachal Pradesh," she said shortly prior to Xi's arrival.

According to Duowei, Modi, who has taken a hardline stance on India's border issues since becoming prime minister in May, is using Tibet and its exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama as a means to strengthen India's claim over Arunachal Pradesh.

Tawang, a district in Arunachal Pradesh, is the hometown of the 14th Dalai Lama and the place where he was granted asylum in 1959 following the failed Tibetan uprising, after which Tibet was officially integrated into the People's Republic of China. Beijing has never forgiven India for offering asylum to the Dalai Lama and remains opposed to any visits by the spirital guru to the region.

For Modi, however, permitting the Dalai Lama to visit Arunachal Pradesh in the face of China's protests is a way of affirming that the region is Indian territory, Duowei said, which is why he has extended a new invitation for the Dalai Lama to visit the region next year in October and November.

The Dalai Lama has visited the region on four other occasions, each of which came at a time when border tensions between India and China were high, Duowei said. His visit in 1996, for example, came around the time then-Chinese leader Jiang Zeming signed an agreement with India aimed at building trust along the border. His 2003 visit was said to have taken place as India was said to be trying to put pressure on China during the establishment of a mechanism for special representative talks on border disputes. In 2009, the visit came as India increased its troops along the Sino-Indian border to 60,000 and deployed four Su-30 fighter jets to the area.

India's hospitality to the Dalai Lama appears to have paid off, Duowei said. In 2003, the Dalai Lama told Indian reporters that he believed Tawang was a part of Tibet but in 2008 he said the district belonged to India. He followed up that statement by claiming in June 2009 for the first time that the whole of Arunachal Pradesh was Indian territory.

While Modi acknowledges that Tibet is a part of China, he refuses to acknowledge the one-China principle, Duowei said, adding that he has even hinted at turning Arunachal Pradesh into "a second Tibet." Doing so and allowing the Dalai Lama to return to his homeland for good, however, would cause India to lose one of its main bargaining chips in its territorial dispute with China, Duowei added.

Modi's tactics have not stopped at the Dalai Lama either, Duowei said. In May, Modi invited Tibetan prime minister-in-exile Lobsang Sangay to his swearing-in ceremony in New Delhi, marking the first time an Indian prime minister has extended such an honor to exiled Tibetans in India.

China has not been amused by Modi's latest invite to the Dalai Lama, Duowei said, as evidenced by Xi's decision to replace Wei Wei with Le Yucheng as ambassador to India shortly before his visit and also canceling a scheduled press conference with Indian reporters on Sept. 22.

Modi's actions make it clear that is trying to merge Tibet into China and India's border dispute, Duowei said. Tibet has already been a major issue for China-India relations over the last half century, and it appears now that it will continue to be a major obstable for diplomatic ties in the foreseeable future, it added.

CRamS · Post by **CRamS** » 30 Sep 2014 19:03

A_GuptaJi, what about TSP & terror? Did you see anything in that for India?

rsingh · Post by **rsingh** » 30 Sep 2014 19:42

CRamS wrote:
JE Menon wrote:I don't know about you all, but in my opinion Maroof Raza needs a Bharat Ratna handed to him the minute he touches down in New Delhi for the way he has conducted himself in the US (at the panel programmes, and everything else so far).
100++

And at times I was irritated that Arnab, instead of letting Maroof speak, would cut him off. But good marks to Arnab as well.

Video link any?

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 30 Sep 2014 19:51

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 30 Sep 2014 20:04

A_Gupta wrote:Key phrases from the Modi/Obama OpEd:
My brief reads:
....the larger effort to integrate South Asia and connect it with markets and people in Central and Southeast Asia...

I think that is to do with two projects. One, the connectivity between India-Bangladesh-Myanmar-Thailand-Cambodia ASEAN-India connectivity project which is way off the target. India has been seeking Japanese funding etc. It will be good if the US also participates. The other is perhaps the India-initiated counter, Project Mausam, to the Chinese Maritime Silk Road.

Of course, on the Central Asia connectivity, Pakistan has to agree. Hillary Clinton did her bit to put pressure on STFUP and ensure at least one way transit from Afghanistan through Pakistan to India. We have to simultaneously pursue more vigorously the Chahbahar connectivity.

-