Bharat Rakshak

While the US and China negotiate a new resolution on North Korea as Pyongyang flouts sanctions with impunity, countries like India are coming under American attention to "do more" to contain the reclusive nation.

A US delegation from the State Department visited New Delhi this week to discuss how India could plug all exposure to North Korea. Among the "suggestions" to India are to limit and scale back its diplomatic engagement with Pyongyang.

North Korea tested an intercontinental ballistic missile on Friday that it claimed has the range to hit major US cities, prompting a fresh round of condemnation from the US and other countries.

India's exports to North Korea is about $110 million and in 2016, officials said, there was an over 30% drop in bilateral trade. China, North Korea's largest trading partner, on the other hand, registered a rise in trade.

In April this year, responding to UN resolutions, the Indian government also banned all trade (except food and medicines) with North Korea.


New Delhi sees a complex web of sharing of nuclear and missile technology between China, Pakistan and North Korea, something that is well documented.

Officials say they are being put on the defensive as India is the third largest trading partner for North Korea. "If more than 95% of trade is by one country (China), others in the list don't really matter, do they?" said an Indian official. The US has had singular failure in getting China to act definitively on North Korea.

Sources said the US wanted India to help to look for North Korean activity in the Indian sub-continent, which could be illicit activity under the garb of legitimate trade and suspicious movements of its people.

The US is clearly coming up dry in terms of options to deal with this intransigent nation which has advanced its technological prowess despite being under UN and US sanctions. But the Trump Administration is looking at this differently.

Having imposed sanctions on a couple of Chinese entities, Washington is on a mission to get its partners like Germany, France and India to cut back on engagement with Pyongyang as also remain on the same page. This is becoming difficult because of China and Russia, neither of whom really want to cooperate with the US at present.

At the recent G-20 summit in Hamburg, which took place under the shadow of Pyongyang's ICBM test of July 4, sources said 18 out of 20 countries issued strong statements condemning the test.

India said it was a threat to international peace. "North Korea's continued pursuit of nuclear& ballistic missile programmes and proliferation links pose grave threat to international peace.

They also impacted India's national security, call upon North Korea to refrain from such actions that undermine international peace," MEA said.

The two countries who did not condemn the tests were South Africa and Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia is one of Washington's closest allies. Recent reports suggest that there are thousands of North Koreans working in the Gulf states like UAE and Qatar.

Some other reports also point to UAE's purchases of weapons from North Korea. All these countries are very close to the US, despite the current crisis in the Gulf.

However, Indians have been alerted to the possibility that North Korean cyber-criminals (apparently under guidance of the state) might be targeting India's IT sector, in terms of hacking or inserting malware. Nobody seems to have detailed evidence.

But a private threat intelligence company called Recorded Future released a study recently in which it said, "There are significant physical and virtual North Korean presences in several nations around the world — nations where North Koreans are likely engaging in malicious cyber and criminal activities. These nations include India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Nepal, Kenya, Mozambique, and Indonesia."

Its report said they had analysed internet activity of North Koreans from April to July 2017. "Patterns of activity suggest that North Korea may have students at least in seven universities around the country and may be working with several research institutes and government departments. Nearly one-fifth of all activities observed during this time period involved India."

The bottom-line as far as India is concerned is that both China and Pakistan should be called out for their past and present collusion with North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes.

SSridhar wrote:Scale back engagement with North Korea, US tells India - Indrani Bagchi, ToI

India must reciprocally ask the US to cut down on its engagement with Pakistan.

On a sunny morning show on Tuesday, Lindsey Graham made an exceedingly dark calculation. North Korea’s second test of an intercontinental ballistic missile meant that Kim Jong Un is nearly capable of placing a nuclear warhead on a long-range missile and hitting the United States with it, the Republican senator noted on the Today show. And America can’t allow such a “madman” to get to that point, at whatever cost to non-Americans.

Donald Trump agrees, Graham added, and he knows that because he’s heard it straight from the president: Trump has “got to choose between homeland security and regional stability,” Graham argued. “Japan, South Korea, China would all be in the crosshairs of a war if we started one with North Korea. But if [North Korea gets] a missile they can hit California, maybe other parts of America.”

“If there’s going to be a war to stop [Kim Jong Un], it will be over there. If thousands die, they’re going to die over there. They’re not going to die here. And [Trump’s] told me that to my face,” Graham said. “That may be provocative, but not really. When you’re president of the United States, where does your allegiance lie? To the people of the United States.”

...

If the U.S. military were to strike North Korea for the reasons Graham mentioned, it would be the result of a calculation that sparking a real conflict in East Asia is preferable to accepting a theoretical threat to the United States—that it’s worth risking the actual deaths of those living in and near North Korea, including American expats and troops stationed in Japan and South Korea, to avert the potential deaths of Americans at home. When I surveyed experts this spring, they predicted that whatever form U.S. strikes against North Korea take, they could result in thousands or even millions of deaths—as the North Koreans retaliate with conventional, chemical, and perhaps nuclear weapons, and the United States and its allies respond in kind, dragging the region into a spiral of conflict. The vast range of the casualty estimates spoke to just how much unknown risk U.S. military planners would be assuming.

The White House declined to comment on internal deliberations.

"The president's national security team is developing a comprehensive, integrated strategy for South Asia that utilizes all aspects of our national power to address this complex region," said Michael Anton, spokesman for the National Security Council. "That strategy has been worked carefully in the interagency process and while no decision has been made the president's team continues to develop options for him that address threats and opportunities to America arising from this vital region."

CRamS wrote:

SSridhar wrote:Scale back engagement with North Korea, US tells India - Indrani Bagchi, ToI

India must reciprocally ask the US to cut down on its engagement with Pakistan.

SSJi, if wishes were horses, beggars would ride. One statement like that from India, and you will see "Hindu fascism", "Muslims being lynched over beef", "India targets civilians across LoC", "India arm twisted Bhutan to oppose China's road construction" etc etc galore on CNN/Fox/NYT/WP. Do you think India has the power, "Hindu nationalist" ModiJi or their Queen madam, to take on US in such equal terms?

Kashi wrote:NoKo has little to offer, but they do have cheap and untapped mineral deposits...

Trade between India and North Korea has seen a large increase in recent years. From an average total trade of barely $10 million in the middle of the 2000s, it shot up to $60 million in 2013. The trade is overwhelmingly in India's favour, with its exports accounting for roughly $60 million while North Korean exports to India were worth $36 million. India's primary export to North Korea is refined petroleum products while silver and auto parts are the main components of its imports from North Korea.[17] India participated in the sixth Pyongyang Autumn International Trade Fair in October 2010 and there have been efforts to bring about greater economic cooperation and trade between the two countries since then.[14][16] In 2010–11, Indo-North Korean trade stood at $57 million with India's exports accounting for $32 million.

"We regard Ivanka Trump the way we do half-wit Saudi princes. It's in our national interest to flatter them.”

“Yes, it is a shame that the US should be compared to a kingdom. But that is America's shame, not Modi's, or India's.”

Donald Trump could 'blunder' into Third World War with North Korea threats, warns former US intelligence chief
Former Director of National Intelligence says he fears 'game of rhetoric chicken' could spiral out of control

Chris Baynes

A former US spy chief has said he fears a war of words between Donald Trump and North Korea could "spiral" out of control into global military conflict.

James Clapper, the ex-Director of National Intelligence, warned the two countries could "blunder" into a Third World War as they exchange escalating hostilities.

His caution came after the US President further ramped up the rhetoric of the nuclear stand-off, vowing North Korea risked being “in trouble like few nations have ever been".

READ MORE
Could North Korea go to nuclear war with the US?

He suggested he had not been "tough enough" when he threatened to unleash "fire and fury" in retaliation to threats by Pyongyang, which responded by claiming it was formulating plans to fire missiles at the US territory of Guam.

"I do worry that this game of rhetoric chicken is going to become self-fulfilling," Mr Clapper told CNN Tonight.

"The President has kind of drawn a red line here and has implied - more than implied - [he would] take some direct action just based on the things that the North Koreans say, which to me is not very responsible."

Mr Clapper, who was Barack Obama's intelligence chief from August 2010 until January this year, added he was worried "that this will spiral out of further control".

READ MORE
US mainland could be 'reduced to ashes at any moment'
Trump 'has not asked' for UK help for North Korea military strikes
China could stay 'neutral' if North Korea launches nuclear strikes

"It's somewhat reminiscent to me of the history of World War I and how the world kind of blundered into that. I hope people learn from history here and don't repeat that," he said.

But he added: "I don't think we are there yet. I think there is still time for other measures. Sanctions, diplomacy, all those kind of things."

Mr Clapper served in US intelligence agencies and the military for more than 40 years, working under both Democrat and Republican presidents.

CNN's chief national security correspondent Jim Sciutto suggested the ex-spy chief's warnings should be taken seriously because he "is not someone who tends towards bombastic comments".

"He has genuine concern about the direction of events in North Korea," the journalist added.

Mr Trump's bellicose rhetoric this week rattled both allies and adversaries and led to 60 members of Congress signing a letter of complaint to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Thursday.

But the President showed no signs of toning down his hostility after North Korea taunted him as “bereft of reason” and someone for whom “only absolute force can work".

“Frankly, the people who were questioning [my] statement, was it too tough? Maybe it wasn’t tough enough,” he said.

Manish_Sharma wrote:^ it must be a jnu leftist bureaucrat, otherwise it's out of character for our MEA official to talk like this, and HT + brishit are advertising also makes it suspicious.

Heather Nauert
Spokesperson
Department Press Briefing
Washington, DC
August 10, 2017 ……………………..

QUESTION: Afghanistan?

MS NAUERT: Okay, last question. Afghanistan. Hi.

QUESTION: What’s your stand on Senator McCain’s Afghan strategy which he unveiled this morning? Have you seen this?

MS NAUERT: Mm-hmm. So I’m certainly aware of Senator McCain’s proposal. By the way, it was great to see Senator McCain back here in Washington just a few weeks ago, a very strong and tough man. And as someone whose own father experienced the same illness that he had, I was really proud to see him walk back into Washington.

That personal note aside, let me just say the Afghan review policy, which I know a lot of people are very curious about, is still under way. There have been a lot of conversations and negotiations with the President’s national security team. Of course, that includes Secretary Tillerson as part of that. We are looking at this as not just a solution to Afghanistan, but also a broader concern that incorporates India and Pakistan as well as a regional solution. We just don’t have that plan. And by the way, the White House will roll out that plan, but we just don’t have that done just yet. It’s still under review, okay?

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA: A disquiet anxiety has gripped the residents of Charlottesville, many of whom are Indian Americans, after a rally of white supremacists ended in clashes with counter-protesters and claimed the life of a woman and two others.

While normalcy seemed to have returned to the city by afternoon yesterday, residents grappled with shock and fear following a day of violence when a car rammed into a crowd peacefully protesting against the rally by white supremacists, killing the 32-year-old woman.

The city in the US state of Virginia has a significant Indian and Indian-American population, but there was no report of anyone from the community being injured in the violence on Saturday.

Philip wrote:A warning to China ,even delivered privately,that it would face US N-wrath if it threatened India with an N-strike would suffice.

Washington: US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have agreed to enhance peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, the White House said on Tuesday.

The have decided to establish a new two-by-two ministerial dialogue, which would elevate their strategic consultations

Trump had spoken with PM Modi last night to greet him on the eve of India's Independence Day.

During the phone call, Trump welcomed the first-ever shipment of American crude oil to India, which will begin this month from Texas.

He pledged that the US would continue to be a reliable and long-term supplier of energy to India, the White House said in a readout of the phone call between the two leaders.

"The leaders resolved to enhance peace and stability across the Indo-Pacific region by establishing a new two-by- two ministerial dialogue that will elevate their strategic consultations," the White House said, as per PTI.

Prime Minister Modi thanked President Trump for his strong leadership uniting the world against the North Korean menace.

Y. Kanan wrote:Are you serious? The US wants China to nuke us. It would be a huge boon to their military industrial complex as it would lock India into US arms purchases for many decades to come.

arun wrote:

Prime Minister Modi thanked President Trump for his strong leadership uniting the world against the North Korean menace.

If true that this is indeed what our Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, I am truly disgusted at this abject grovelling our Prime Minister. I say that as North Korea is a minor direct security threat in comparison to the menance of the Mohammadden Terrorism Fomenting Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Peoples Republic of China etc., as at worst North Korea represents a menace only from the limited standpoint of proliferating missile technology to the Islamic Republic. If on the other hand this is a bit of Self Aggandisement by Donald Trump then India must officially deny.

Bollocks to any “Half Wit Saudi Princes”, “It's in our national interest to flatter them” type arguents that were trotted out in the Hindustan Times article posted by me on this same page of this thread (Clicky)


Readout of President Donald J. Trump’s Call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India

New breakthroughs! oil shipments frm US to India has started,” the Indian Embassy in Washington tweeted on Wednesday after Indian Ambassador to the US, Navtej Sarna, handed over papers for the shipment to the Texas Governor Greg Abbott.The first lot of two million barrels costs USD 100 million, but given the volume being contemplated by Indian companies, this new development is expected to boost the bilateral oil trade to USD 2 billion.“Opening New Vistas in India US Co-opn,” tweeted the Indian Embassy in Washington DC which also posted several pictures and a video of the event.Consignments of American crude oil left the US shores between August 6-14 and is likely to reach Paradip (Odisha) in the last week of September.hile the 40-year-old ban on export of American oil was lifted by the then US President Barack Obama in December 2015, the real move started during the maiden meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump on June 26 when the two leaders agreed to deepen the engagement in the energy sector.Soon thereafter, Indian companies started purchasing crude from the US. Two Indian oil giants, Indian Oil Corporation and Bharat Petroleum, placed orders for over four million barrels. The development was welcomed by Trump in his phone call with Modi.“In his call with Prime Minister Modi on Monday, President Trump welcomed the first-ever shipment of American crude oil to India, which will occur from Texas later this month,” a State Department spokesperson told PTI.“The President pledged that the United States would continue to be a reliable, long-term supplier of energy,” the spokesperson said in response to a question.

Viv S wrote:

Y. Kanan wrote:Are you serious? The US wants China to nuke us. It would be a huge boon to their military industrial complex as it would lock India into US arms purchases for many decades to come.

Nobody wants anybody to nuke anybody. The world isn't run by mad-men.

If China nuked us, we'd likely nuke them back. The chain of events would be uncontrollable and everybody participating in the global economy would suffer. Including the US. Economic damage aside there are close to 100,000 US citizens visiting or residing in India and an even greater number in China, all whom would potentially be collateral damage in a nuclear exchange.

As for India, arms purchases would be among the last of our concerns after suffering a nuclear strike.

We will also cooperate to advance trilateral and multilateral security and defense cooperation with other partners in the region, notably the Republic of Korea, Australia, India, and other southeast Asian countries.

ROK, Australia, India, and Southeast Asian countries – we will promote more than ever before cooperation and security and defense.

Y. Kanan wrote:But it should be obvious the US wants us to get a bloody nose, preferably a humiliating defeat that leaves Indian territory under Chinese occupation.

Hoping to someday get our territory back, we'd have to go begging the US for political support and arms. As a result, we'd have no leverage any more. Weakened and now friendless, the US could dictate any terms to us, in exchange for some vague promises of support, which as always with the Americans, would never actually materialize.

The outcome of this defeat would drive a giant wedge between India and Russia, forcing the Russians to fully embrace the Chinese-Paki axis at our expense.

arun wrote:Excerpts from August 17 joint press conference held by US and Japan Defense and Foreign Affairs officials dealing with India.

US Secretary of State, Rex W Tillerson:

We will also cooperate to advance trilateral and multilateral security and defense cooperation with other partners in the region, notably the Republic of Korea, Australia, India, and other southeast Asian countries.

Foreign Minister of Japan, Taro Kono:

ROK, Australia, India, and Southeast Asian countries – we will promote more than ever before cooperation and security and defense.

There was no India specific remark made by US Secretary of Defense Gen. James Mattis (Retd.) or for that matter Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera who were also present.

Excerpts from the US State Department website at the below weblink:

Remarks With Secretary of Defense James Mattis, Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono, and Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera at a Press Availability

Y. Kanan wrote:[...
But it should be obvious the US wants us to get a bloody nose, preferably a humiliating defeat that leaves Indian territory under Chinese occupation. Hoping to someday get our territory back, we'd have to go begging the US for political support and arms. ..

Y. Kanan wrote:[...
But it should be obvious the US wants us to get a bloody nose, preferably a humiliating defeat that leaves Indian territory under Chinese occupation. Hoping to someday get our territory back, we'd have to go begging the US for political support and arms. ..

Rudradev wrote:Interesting. India-born Dr. Shiva Ayyadurai, a Republican candidate for US Senate from Massachussets, spoke at the Boston rally for free speech today.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/ ... story.html