India-US Strategic News and Discussion

[Garooda]

James_Bond_Ishtyle_Espionage_Might_Be_Back?

LONDON: Spooked by threats of wire-tapping and snooping, Indian diplomatic staff have dusted out their typewriters and have been ordered to hammer out sensitive documents on paper and not on computers, Russkies did the same thing too...high commissioner Jamini Bhagwati said on Thursday. He said staff had been told to be careful about discussing classified information inside the embassy premises for fear of bugs planted by international security agencies. Kyaa farak padtaa hia jub UPA vaise bhi desh ka leelaam karr rahaa hai dheere dheere...

Recent revelations made by whistle blower Edward Snowden showed that the US National Security Agency (NSA) planted bugs at the Permanent Mission of India at the United Nations and the embassy in Washington. The NSA supposedly used four different kinds of devices to spy on the Indian diplomats and military officials.

Replying to a TOI query, Bhagwati said, "No highly-classified information is discussed inside the embassy building. And it's very tedious to step out into the garden every time something sensitive has to be discussed."

Calling it a blunt force security system, Bhagwati added, "Top secret cables are never conveyed through the internet or machines with cable connections. External hard drives with tremendous amount of data storage capacity are easy to access. Therefore, top secret cables are written on the typewriter which can't be tracked."

Bhagwati said he wasn't aware whether Britain's spy agency GCHQ had bugged the high commission in London. In a lighter vein, he said, "The British might have got bored with what they hear us talking inside the embassy. They must be saying 'this is what the Indians talk'." Saara india bhi bored ho chukaa hai UPA ki promises sunte sunte GCHQ has been a partner of America's NSA in the global snooping operation. Snowden has revealed that a top secret American internet snooping programme had 700 servers installed at 150 locations across the world to track internet traffic, including one in India.

Snowden revealed a top secret XKeyscore programme run by NSA that allowed analysts to search with no prior authorization through vast databases containing emails, online chats and the browsing histories of millions of individuals.

A map of locations of the surveillance servers has shown that a server was installed near Delhi to snoop into Indian internet users.

Snowden has also revealed that the US government paid at least £100m to the UK spy agency GCHQ over the last three years to secure access to intelligence gathering programmes. Hmmm I wonder Indian agencies/companies/NGO ko kitna diyaa hoga? And that GCHQ had tapped into 200 fibre optic cables, which gives it access to huge amounts of information every day - equivalent to sending the contents of all the books in the British Library 192 times.

The documents reveal that by last year GCHQ was handling 600 million "telephone events" each day, had tapped more than 200 fibre-optic cables and was able to process data from at least 46 of them at a time. GCHQ has for years been collecting vast streams of sensitive personal information and then sharing it with the NSA, Snowden said.

[Rudradev]

RudraJi,

Uneven also made some similar observations to me as Bodansky does in that interview although not in blunt terms.

...

2. As long as that barbarism is contained to the region and does not affect US, US is fine with it.

CRamS ji, thanks for a useful articulation of the Uneven (& probably widespread in DC) position.

You mention the notion that US will be fine with Taliban barbarism "as long as it's contained to the region" (your point 2 above.) No doubt you mean the funneling of Afghan jihadis into Cashmere and Cashmere alone.

Unfortunately that was tried already. The US winked at ISI-sponsored jihad in Cashmere for over a decade, from 1989-2001, and would have continued winking if we had not forced their hand with Parakram. However, a vigorous ongoing Cashmere jihad did nothing to save the US from Khobar Towers, Kenya/Tanzania, USS Cole or 9/11.

Why? Quite simply, because India refused to quit. Thousands upon thousands of Jihadis were funneled into India by the ISI throughout the 90s. Many of them were Afghan-war vets supplied with the connivance of sequential ISI-backed regimes governing post-Soviet Kabul-- Mojadeddi, Hekmatyar, and the Taliban.

These jihadis sowed a lot of suffering and death but ultimately, all of them died at the hands of our security forces, and India showed no sign whatsoever of packing up and leaving J&K. Like the Brits in Northern Ireland, we refused to be exhausted, we refused to die from a thousand cuts, we just doggedly hung on... even at a time when the Indian economy sucked and the GOI was led by ineffectual characters like Deve Gowda and I K Gujral.

This has always been the weak spot in the US' calculus. They have swallowed their own propaganda, and think that J&K is an "occupied territory" for India the way Vietnam, Iraq or Afghanistan were for them. They think that being a democracy, we will eventually tire of a jihadi insurrection, give up and go "home" (as if Cashmere isn't our home). We've never done that.

So what happened, after all those years of ISI-sponsored jihad in Kashmir with no political achievement to show for it? At the end of the day, jihadis are also subject to human foibles. You need victories to keep cadres motivated year after year, real meaningful victories like driving out the Soviets or the Americans from an occupied Islamic country. Instead, each of the Cashmere jihadis' "victories" (like blowing up civilians) were answered, sooner or later, with the "masterminds" receiving INSAS bullets to the head. And the political will of India to retain J&K remained unshakable.

Ultimately, this is why... other than the TSPA/ISI itself... all other players in the Talib-Paki Islamist nexus eventually tired of Kashmir as the primary focus of jihad. OBL never had much interest in it (though, by facilitating his move to Afghanistan from Yemen, both the CIA and the ISI had hoped he would energize and concentrate on the Kashmir jihad.) The Taliban soon lost whatever interest they had in Kashmir, and so did their Wahhabi backers from KSA. You can keep throwing cannon fodder at an immovable army for only so long, after all, without your mujahids eventually losing faith in you, and in the Allah-blessed invincibility that you "guarantee" them.

So my point is this. If Uneven and that lot think they can confine the barbarism to "the region" by funneling Jihadi energies into Kashmir once again... they're mistaken, once again. Yes, India will suffer losses among security forces and civilians. Yes, it will go on for year after year without India crossing the LOC/IB to hit at the source. But in the final analysis, we will kill every jihadi who comes through, and we will not leave J&K for any reason.

Then what? Of course, the attention of the Talibs and other assorted players will drift once again towards an "easier" target... Western interests. While this may go totally against the grain of how many BRF-ites are used to seeing things... the fact remains that on a strategic scale, Western targets are a much better payoff for Jihadis than India. Don't be fooled by all those "shock-and-awe" youtube videos of US hardware in action. The fact is, US, Soviet and NATO armies have been sent packing from Lebanon, Iraq and Afghanistan within time-frames of 10 years or less. Those are the kind of victories Jihadi leaders need to keep their cohorts motivated. India has taken a lot more hits in terms of lives lost, but India has also refused to budge an inch in 66 years (the last 22 of them facing continuously active jihad.)


This explains the US' eagerness to force India to make concessions over J&K at the political table. This is the ONLY REAL danger. If India makes ANY concession to Pakistan on J&K... the narrative is up for grabs. The US will spin the concession as a result of intervention by their "good offices", but Jihadis give a rat's @ss what the US has to say. What matters is, the TSPA and ISI will sell ANY Indian political concession to their jihadi and Talib cohorts as, first and last, a victory achieved by jihad under the TSPA/ISI aegis. THEN it will truly be open season, Ghazwa-e-Hind, with Talibs and Pakis trying to claim the whole of India for dar-ul-Islam by jihad... because the jihadis will feel motivated that their efforts finally paid off with political rewards in J&K.

As long as India holds firm on J&K, though, the AfPak jihad machine will invariably tire of fighting an unwinnable war, and turn their attention to the West. I think Uneven and gang know this very well. In fact, this is why they are so eager to start a pan-Middle East Shia-Sunni conflict over Syria; it's an alternate pressure valve where the AfPak jihadis could be diverted, given India's stubborn intransigence on Kashmir.

And please, CRamS ji, stop swallowing the "glass parking lot" story for your own sake. The US will never do that to Pakistan, for many reasons, no matter what the "redline" that TSPA/ISI crosses. Even a repeat of 9/11 wouldn't elicit that reaction, I'll bet money on it.

The implicit threat of US military retaliation didn't prevent the first 9/11 from happening, even when many countries actually believed the "hyperpower" myth that the US had built up around itself. Since 2001 the US has made explicit threats to bomb Pakistan, failed to follow up on these threats despite the repeated perfidy of Pakistan costing the lives of American soldiers and civilians, and is now turning tail and running away from AfPak. You think the Pakis are scared of American "redlines"? Trust me, they're far more scared of trying to cross the LOC.

[anmol]

Judge to Sikh Man: Remove “That Rag” or Go to Jail

By Bear Atwood, ACLU at 4:57pm

09/25/2013

Today, in a letter to the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT), the ACLU and United Sikhs called on state officials to investigate the harassment of a Sikh commercial truck driver pulled over early this year for a flat tire. After detaining Mr. Jageet Singh in January as he passed through Mississippi, the officers called him a "terrorist" and harassed and humiliated him because of his appearance and religious beliefs. As a devout Sikh, Mr. Singh wears a turban and carries a kirpan. A kirpan is a small, spiritual sword that is sheathed and sewn to the waistband. It is designed and worn as an article of faith, much as a cross is worn by devout Christians.

Contending, wrongly, that his kirpan was illegal, the officers demanded that Mr. Singh remove it. When Mr. Singh explained that he was a Sikh and that the kirpan was a sacred religious article, the officers laughed at him and mocked his religious beliefs. One officer declared that all Sikhs are "depraved" and "terrorists." They continued to taunt him, and forced Mr. Singh to circle his truck with his hands on his turban while they searched the vehicle. Finally, not content with this humiliation, they arrested him, claiming that Mr. Singh had refused to obey an officer's lawful command.

Mr. Singh's ordeal did not end with the MDOT. When he returned to Mississippi on March 26, 2013, for his court date at the Pike County Justice Court, he once again suffered humiliation, harassment, and discrimination because of his religious beliefs. Waiting for his attorney in the back of the courtroom, he was stunned when four Highway Patrol officers approached him and ordered him to leave the courtroom. The officers stated that Judge Aubrey Rimes had ordered them to eject Mr. Singh from the courtroom because he did not like Mr. Singh's turban. Moreover, they told Mr. Singh that Judge Rimes would punish him if he failed to remove his headdress.

When Mr. Singh's attorney went to Judge Rimes's chambers to inquire about the matter, he readily confirmed that he had expelled Mr. Singh from the courtroom because of his turban. He further stated that Mr. Singh would not be allowed to re-enter the courtroom unless he removed "that rag" from his head and threatened to call Mr. Singh last on the docket if he continued to wear the religious headdress.

As an observant Sikh, Mr. Singh wears a turban at all times as a reminder and public declaration of his connection to God. For him, the turban is an inseparable part of his Sikh religious identity: Like all Sikhs, Mr. Singh believes that a man cannot be considered a Sikh if he does not wear the turban and that unwrapping his turban and exposing his "naked" head in public is sacrilegious and shameful.

Mr. Singh respectfully declined to remove his turban. As threatened, Judge Rimes forced Mr. Singh and his attorney to wait for several hours until every other litigant had been heard before allowing him into the courtroom.

The Pike County Board of Supervisors recently recognized that Judge Rimes's harassment of Mr. Singh was unacceptable. In response to an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the Board revised the County's harassment and non-discrimination policy to explain that religious discrimination includes "requiring an individual to remove a head covering or denying that individual access to a County office, building, program or activity because they are wearing a head covering, if that head covering is worn for religious reasons."

But Judge Rimes should not have needed a DOJ investigation or county policy to know that his conduct was impertinent and inappropriate. Our justice system is founded on the principle that every person entering a courthouse is equal before the law and is entitled to respect. Judge Rimes's treatment of Mr. Singh – in particular his use of the slur "rag" and his effort to intimidate and embarrass Mr. Singh because of his minority faith – flouted his responsibility under the Mississippi Judicial Code of Conduct to uphold the dignity of the judiciary.

The ACLU and United Sikhs also plan to file a complaint with the Mississippi Judicial Commission, asking officials to investigate Judge Rimes's conduct and impose appropriate sanctions.

The letter sent today to MDOT officials demands that they provide public documents relating to Mr. Singh's detainment and arrest and urges them to implement an ongoing training program to educate officers about their responsibility to treat every person with dignity and to remain respectful of religious diversity.

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[RamaY]

Great summary Rudradevji.

[Philip]

O'Bomber,aka O'Bugger, has seen his favourite general get shafted for indiscretion,esp. in revealing the existence of the ultra-secret STUXNET virus,a JV between Israel and the US.

https://socialreader.com/me/content/V3O ... rnal-1-opt

Obama's Favorite General Stripped of His Security Clearance
Gordon Lubold, Foreign Policy

The Defense Department has stripped Gen. James "Hoss" Cartwright of his security clearance, depriving the man once known as "Obama's favorite general" access to classified data as the investigation into leaks of national security secrets continues.

Multiple current and former administration sources told FP that Cartwright, the former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, lost his clearance earlier this year. It was an indicator that that government officials might, in some way, consider his ongoing access to secrets a national security risk while he was under investigation by the Department of Justice for possibly leaking sensitive information about the Stuxnet computer virus. And, it presents challenges for a man who has been working to shore up his image since retiring in 2011.

It was also a further indignity for Cartwright, who turned 64 this week, and who was once an Obama administration darling. Cartwright enjoyed privileged access "across the river" at the White House when he was the number two senior officer on the Joint Staff at the Pentagon from 2007 to 2011. He had adopted contrarian views on issues like the troop surge in Afghanistan, which alienated him from senior brass at the Pentagon but in many ways helped catapult his reputation within the White House.

He quickly fell from grace, however,after being linked to leaks about a highly classified cyberweapon created by the U.S. and Israelis called Stuxnet. The super-secret worm, designed to attack Iran's nuclear facilities, was widely believed to be a joint U.S.-Israeli operation. A report by the New York Times' David Sanger confirmed it, marking the first time a government had even unofficially taken credit for a weapon made entirely of code. The Times reported that Cartwright conceived and ran the cyber operation known as Olympic Games, which included Stuxnet and other highly-sophisticated pieces of malware aimed at the Iranian nuclear effort. The story provided details about the operation and referenced interviews with current officials in the administration. The charge from critics of the administration, including from Capitol Hill, was that the Obama administration authorized the leaks in order to increase the president's bona fides on national security. The Obama administration immediately denounced the leaks and launched the investigation.

In June, NBC first reported that Cartwright had been targeted in the Justice Department investigation. At the time, Greg Craig -- the former White House counsel under Obama who now serves as Cartwright's attorney -- called the targeting ridiculous. "General Jim Cartwright is an American hero who served his country with distinction for four decades. Any suggestion that he could have betrayed the company that he loved is preposterous," he said. (Cartwright himself did not respond to multiple requests to comment for this article.)

That Cartwright's security clearance has been revoked may come as little surprise for a high-profile investigation into leaks surrounding a highly classified program. It hasn't stopped him from serving on a number of boards and panels and participates in various studies around Washington; he is the Harold Brown Chair in Defense Policy Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, for example.

But Cartwright does serve on at least one panel that requires a security clearance.

Cartwright is a member of the National Defense Panel, an independent board reviewing the Pentagon's upcoming grand strategy report, known as the Quadrennial Defense Review. But Cartwright was unable to attend the panel's first Aug. 20 meeting, at the Pentagon, raising questions about the status of his security clearance. Asked about the matter, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said he would not comment on Cartwright's security clearance status.

The panel, which is required by Congress, will essentially check the homework of the QDR, the Defense Department's overall review of strategy and resources due out next year, once it's done. The National Defense Panel will assess the QDR's assumptions on strategy and risk and conduct an independent assessment of its findings; it will review resource and force structure requirements and then provide recommendations to Congress. The work of the panel is being facilitated by the United States Institute of Peace in Washington. Cartwright was appointed to the board by Sen. Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Levin's office had no comment on the matter of Cartwright's security clearance.

But it's not clear how effective Cartwright will be on the panel if his lack of a security clearance prevents him from attending those meetings which require access to secret information.

Cartwright serves on the panel with co-chairs Bill Perry and John Abizaid, both of who were appointed by the military, along with defense heavyweights like one-time Pentagon policy chiefs Eric Edelman and Michele Flournoy, former Sen. Jim Talent, retired Lt. Gen. Frank Kearney, and USIP's Jim Marshall. The other individuals were appointed by Congress. The panel will meet again this week, in Palo Alto, Calif., and again this fall in Washington, D.C., defense officials tell FP. The removal of his security clearance was a further indignity for a man once seen as a favorite military son at a White House that has very few of them. Cartwright, who served under Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen, developed a close relationship with the White House, sometimes irking some defense leaders inside the Pentagon. Not even Mullen, who was technically the president's top military advisor, seemed as close to Obama. This was a man with whom the president shared a great many secrets. For now at least, that sharing is over.

PS:The Indian defence establishment has to factor in a real possibility of sabotage of Indian defence efforts/programmes by the US (some allege that the Nirbhay partial failure may have been due to malware) and protection of top secret commns. in the wake of this and the NSA spying ops.

[Vayutuvan]

Rudradev garu (what is the Kannada == for garu? is it Ayya? Appa?)

Like the Brits in Northern Ireland,

A small nit - request not to compare Indic forces with crypto-islamists.

[ramana]

This has always been the weak spot in the US' calculus. They have swallowed their own propaganda, and think that J&K is an "occupied territory" for India the way Vietnam, Iraq or Afghanistan were for them. They think that being a democracy, we will eventually tire of a jihadi insurrection, give up and go "home" (as if Cashmere isn't our home). We've never done that.

To bloster RD, Kashmir is home so no question of packing up and leaving.

[JE Menon]

A fantastic post RD.

[rajanb]

Great summary Rudradevji.

Absolutely great summary Rudradev and a good insight from CRamS.

Regardless of what POTUS or GOTUS want and what our politicians agree to in shameless dealings:

a)The Armed Forces, should take their own initiative, and ensure that our land and maritime borders, are a very painful place to breach for the Pakis or anyone else..

b) As per my knowledge of the constitution, no party in power, can impose (in this case non-action) on the Armed Forces. They are sworn to defend the country. Retribution should and must be delivered with plausible deniability.

Where our politicians should tell GOTUS that their plans for Afghanistan have less relevance to our plans for our own security, which definitely include Afghanistan, because Pakistan has used it as their backyard.

Note: I use the term "politicians" because I belong to a party called "None of the current politicians are worth voting for Party" Symbol: Shunya; Membership 3 (my family)

[habal]

'talks are uninterrupted & uninterruptible'

condition is essential for Pak Army & Pak jihadis to attack IA and Indian civilian assets without any corresponding recriminations.

this is like the civilian guarantee and reassurance to TSPA that no harm will come to it from it's ill-intentioned ventures and attack on Indian targets.


It's like this

Congis: It's like this, we can give up anything, it's just that our Army doesn't agree.

TSPA/ISI: Ok then give us cover to attack your army and bring it down a few notches.

Congis: We can do some jargon like, 'talks are uninterrupted and uninterruptible' which can give cover to your assault.

TSPA/ISI: Ok done.

Congis: But MI is not under our control. They may sniff your plans before even you know about it.

TSPA/ISI: So .. take care of them.

Congis: theek hai.

Ofcourse there is no need for any Indian govt to accept this, whatever American pressure or no pressure, unless they are totally beholden to external interests.

Most Indians have to swallow their pride, and admit that they not paid much attention towards Delhi and messed up big time. They have just voted in and voted out one political party or another, while these entire parties have been easily subverted. No point in bringing one or the other unless they are micromanaged from grassroots to be 'Indian Interest organizations'. Also it must be ensured that the top leader has no exposure to US or western influence whatsoever. This is the most important.

[NRao]

India, US to identify joint defence projects

Describing defence relationship as a major pillar of India-US strategic partnership the two countries have agreed to identify specific cooperative and collaborative projects in advanced defence technologies and systems, within the next year.

The intent to pursue such collaboration as part of efforts "to work toward achieving the full vision of expanded defence cooperation set forth in the 2005 New Framework Agreement," was announced after Friday's summit between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Barack Obama.

"Such opportunities will be pursued by both sides in accordance with their national policies and procedures, in a manner that would reflect the full potential of the relationship," said a US-India Joint Declaration on Defence

Cooperation issued after the summit.

Noting that India-US "defence cooperation and engagement has increased significantly over the past decade, in step with the overall deepening of India-US relations," the two leaders endorsed several general principles for fulfilling the 2005 vision.

Topping the list was the principle that the US and India "share common security interests and place each other at the same level as their closest partners."

"This principle will apply with respect to defence technology transfer, trade, research, co-development and co-production for defence articles and services, including the most advanced and sophisticated technology," the declaration said.

Even as the two countries are committed to protecting each other's sensitive technology and information, "they will work to improve licensing processes, and, where applicable, follow expedited license approval processes to facilitate this cooperation."

The US "continues to fully support India's full membership in the four international export control regimes, which would further facilitate technology sharing," the declaration said.

The two sides also agreed to "continue their efforts to strengthen mutual understanding of their respective procurement systems and approval processes, and to address process-related difficulties in defence trade, technology transfer, and collaboration."

A separate factsheet issued by the White House said "both governments are committed to reduce impediments, ease commercial transactions, and pursue co-production and co-development opportunities to expand this relationship."

Since launch of Commerce department's High Technology Cooperation Group in 2002, US strategic trade exports have increased significantly, exceeding $5.8 billion in 2012, it said noting only 0.02 percent of US exports to India require a license today, compared with 24 percent in 1999.

India-US defence trade has reached nearly $9 billion and US-sourced defence articles have enhanced the capabilities of the Indian armed forces, demonstrated by the use of C-130J and C-17 transport aircraft to support flood relief operations and Indian peacekeeping operations, the declaration said.

"US companies look forward to concluding additional transactions to bring new capabilities to India's services in the near future," it said noting "India is also the first nation to deploy the P8-I Poseidon, a state of the art maritime surveillance aircraft."

"US and Indian services participate in a range of bilateral exercises, including: "Malabar, "Yudh Abhyas", and "Red Flag".

India has also accepted an invitation to participate in the 2014 Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC) in Hawaii, a multilateral exercise that is expected to involve nearly two dozen nations.

The US and India also discussed joint principles for bilateral cooperation on training peacekeepers and plan to conclude a memorandum of understanding between the US Army Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute and the

Centre for United Nations Peacekeeping India.

For six decades, India has been among the largest troop contributors to peacekeeping missions around the globe, and the US remains the largest financial supporter of UN peacekeeping, the Fact Sheet noted.

Read more: http://india.nydailynews.com/newsarticl ... z2gCOpsRxl

[NRao]

India, US agree to identify joint defence projects in a year

As part of their effort to enhance defence engagements, India and the US have agreed to identify areas of cooperative and collaborative projects in advance defence technologies and systems in the next one year.

Applauding bilateral defence cooperation and expressing satisfaction with the progress achieved to date in defence relations, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and US President Barack Obama in a joint statement yesterday emphasised the need for more intensive defence cooperation on both sides.

The two leaders, post their meeting at the White House on Friday, endorsed a Joint Declaration on Defence Cooperation as a means of enhancing their partnership in defence technology transfer, research, co-development and co-production.

"The two sides look forward to the identification of specific opportunities for cooperative and collaborative projects in advanced defence technologies and systems, within the next year," the Joint Declaration on Defence Cooperation said.

The two countries share common security interests and place each other at the same level as their closest partners, the joint declaration said.

The same principle will apply with respect to defence technology transfer, trade, research, co-development and co-production for defence articles and services, including the most advanced and sophisticated technology, it said.

The declaration said the both countries "will work to improve licensing processes, and, where applicable, follow expedited license approval processes to facilitate this cooperation. The US and India are also committed to protecting each other's sensitive technology and information".

The US said that it continues to fully support India's full membership in the four international export control regimes, which would further facilitate technology sharing.

"The two sides will continue their efforts to strengthen mutual understanding of their respective procurement systems and approval processes, and to address process-related difficulties in defence trade, technology transfer and collaboration," it said.

Obama welcomed India's decision to participate in the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) naval exercise hosted by US Pacific Command in 2014.

The two leaders, in the spirit of their continuing non-proliferation cooperation, reviewed the close cooperation of the US-India to realise New Delhi's intention of joining the multilateral export control regimes. Obama also reaffirmed the US support for India's early membership in these groups, the declaration said.

Looking ahead to the 2014 Nuclear Security Summit in The Hague, the two nations will seek to deepen their cooperation through the 2010 Memorandum of Understanding with India's Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership, to strengthen global nuclear security.

The two leaders also called for expanding security cooperation between the India and the US to address 21st century challenges in the areas of counter-terrorism, cyber, space, and global health security.

[Cosmo_R]

OK this has to take the cake and I hope got this in before anupmisra

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/29/us/ns ... ns.html?hp

But wait. Look at the PowerPoint Slide:

http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2013/ ... P-NSA.html

And then at the top left in purple yet

[Vayutuvan]

Didn't somebody apologize for using that four letter word? Was it PM Blair, President Bush or even (God forbid) President Obama himself?

[ramana]

NRao, Nanda raja bhavishaythe!!!
In one year much water will flow down the Potomac and the Yamuna and not to mention even the Musi!

[Philip]

Too true.The mendicant is on the conveyor belt to the waste disposal unit.His masters in Washington are desperate to get him to sign on the dotted line as many times as possible in the nuclear and defence spheres before the hustings.Even after this announcement,the next hurdle is going to be the "Saint of Indecision",who still has a political future ahead of him and wishes to keep his dhoti cleaner than white.The "R-bomb" that has just detonated under his throne has mortally wounded him.The "ideological" young Turks in the party are waging war against the "cynical" old guard.As TJS George brilliantly put it in a piece in the media today,the Congress which flowed like the Ganga towards Bangladesh,has now made a spectacular about turn and is now flowing towards Pakistan!.With Rahul having effectively emasculated whatever "josh" was still left with MMS,he is going to find the going v. tough to push through whatever "His Master's Voice" has ordered.

The other point is what major R&D projects can be the focus of Indo-US JVs? The big ticket items have already been signed on.
The FGFA is with Russia,the LR SAM with Israel,the MMRCA with France,strategic missiles have to be desi due to the MTCR,Brahmos a great success with Russia,radars and avionics have several European tie-ups,tanks are firmly being acquired from Russia and our very own Arjun,advanced naval systems like Akulas and ATV assistance from Russia,and the slew of US agreements cover the transport sector.One sees a back-door attempt to scuttle the Rafale,but if the US us serious,then R&D in aero-engines is to me top priority.It will also try very hard to bag the 100+ naval helicopter deal,as the US wants to integrate the IN as a vassal naval force into its order of battle.Will the Javelin affect Nag? I see a future in UCAVs ,but this is a very sensitive item and the US will have to water down its intrusive agreements for headway to be made.Knowing the speed with which Indian babudom works,esp. in the MOD ,real progress will have to wait for the new regime to take over.

The next factor is cost.US milware comes in currently at a costlier unit price than Russian and EU products.Our endeavour has been to indigenise especially in the age of Rupee fever.Indigenisation has been the official mantra.A desi source which has many "irons in the fire",says that they were clearly told by babudom that an equitable balance and distribution of awards to firang entities is the policy at the highest level and were deliberately kept out of supplying certain items.They continue to knock on the door.I don't think that the DRDO which has made much headway in developing indigenous ABM systems,etc., is going to lust after the Patriot,especially after NATO ally Turkey is now buying and co-developing a system with China of all nations! Identifying "within a year" the projects is very unrealistic.As Mahatama Gandhi said of the British decades ago as they prepared to quit India,guarantees from MMS are as effective as a "post dated checque on a faling bank" !

[kshirin]

Apropos:

"The two sides will continue their efforts to strengthen mutual understanding of their respective procurement systems and approval processes, and to address process-related difficulties in defence trade, technology transfer and collaboration," it said.

What the Indian side will learn is that the US procurement system is wholly focused on DOMESTIC procurement and DOMESTIC R & D, not on foreign buys. Analyse ours, and till the 2013 reforms in the DPP it was wholly focused on imports, with offsets thrown in as a sop. Hope we learn something from this simple fact.

[CRamS]

After reading Bodansky's interview, I am veering to the opinion that not only is US contemptuous of India, it hard not to characterize US as India's enemy. Or am I exaggerating?

[NRao]

Nanda raja bhavishaythe!!!

Nice.

"Bhavishya" is to be made, not discussed or debated. Even the Musi was tamed in the 1800s. Up to EACH individual.

What the Indian side will learn is that the US procurement system is wholly focused on DOMESTIC procurement and DOMESTIC R & D, not on foreign buys

Well, glad to see someone bring up aspects other than JUST technologies (engines, planes, ships, tanks, radars, etc).

On procurement - no, the US is very, very widely distributed. They are very suspicious of the Chinese - for very good reasonS. But they have got around major issues and tightening around what is left.

On R&D, that is the nature of the beast - most companies are located in the US and teh funding is in the US. So one cannot expect major work share to be shipped outside. R&D is based purely on risks and the fact of the matter is that there is no nation outside the US that has a need or the funds to support that risk. The Soviets are the only others that come to mind - need + funds.

However, be patient and let us see what happens. A few more lego blocks need to fall - will not be easy, but there is bright day light at the end of that tunnel.

Pakalam.

[krithivas]

That would be an erroneous conclusion (IMO) - The majority of USA is Indophilic (conclusion reached after 22 years of living in the desert lands).

The rabid Christian fundamentalist right reviles Hinduism and by extension India. The political power block led by Jewish fundamentalists reviled India; After all how many times did India vote against Israel and voted for the Islamic block (for stupid negative returns)? The Jewish fundamentalists however are revisiting their India-phobia ever since NDA. Kissingers visit to India was one of those steps.

After reading Bodansky's interview, I am veering to the opinion that not only is US contemptuous of India, it hard not to characterize US as India's enemy. Or am I exaggerating?

[Mort Walker]

James_Bond_Ishtyle_Espionage_Might_Be_Back?

LONDON: Spooked by threats of wire-tapping and snooping, Indian diplomatic staff have dusted out their typewriters and have been ordered to hammer out sensitive documents on paper and not on computers, Russkies did the same thing too...high commissioner Jamini Bhagwati said on Thursday. He said staff had been told to be careful about discussing classified information inside the embassy premises for fear of bugs planted by international security agencies. Kyaa farak padtaa hia jub UPA vaise bhi desh ka leelaam karr rahaa hai dheere dheere...

Recent revelations made by whistle blower Edward Snowden showed that the US National Security Agency (NSA) planted bugs at the Permanent Mission of India at the United Nations and the embassy in Washington. The NSA supposedly used four different kinds of devices to spy on the Indian diplomats and military officials.

Replying to a TOI query, Bhagwati said, "No highly-classified information is discussed inside the embassy building. And it's very tedious to step out into the garden every time something sensitive has to be discussed."

Calling it a blunt force security system, Bhagwati added, "Top secret cables are never conveyed through the internet or machines with cable connections. External hard drives with tremendous amount of data storage capacity are easy to access. Therefore, top secret cables are written on the typewriter which can't be tracked."

Bhagwati said he wasn't aware whether Britain's spy agency GCHQ had bugged the high commission in London. In a lighter vein, he said, "The British might have got bored with what they hear us talking inside the embassy. They must be saying 'this is what the Indians talk'." Saara india bhi bored ho chukaa hai UPA ki promises sunte sunte GCHQ has been a partner of America's NSA in the global snooping operation. Snowden has revealed that a top secret American internet snooping programme had 700 servers installed at 150 locations across the world to track internet traffic, including one in India.

Snowden revealed a top secret XKeyscore programme run by NSA that allowed analysts to search with no prior authorization through vast databases containing emails, online chats and the browsing histories of millions of individuals.

A map of locations of the surveillance servers has shown that a server was installed near Delhi to snoop into Indian internet users.

Snowden has also revealed that the US government paid at least £100m to the UK spy agency GCHQ over the last three years to secure access to intelligence gathering programmes. Hmmm I wonder Indian agencies/companies/NGO ko kitna diyaa hoga? And that GCHQ had tapped into 200 fibre optic cables, which gives it access to huge amounts of information every day - equivalent to sending the contents of all the books in the British Library 192 times.

The documents reveal that by last year GCHQ was handling 600 million "telephone events" each day, had tapped more than 200 fibre-optic cables and was able to process data from at least 46 of them at a time. GCHQ has for years been collecting vast streams of sensitive personal information and then sharing it with the NSA, Snowden said.

Can you imagine how much these intel agencies are spending to figure out what in the world Indians are talking about? Just go on over to the GDF section of BRF and it is an utterly confusing blend of benis speak, Hinglish, Bollywood speak, Tamil, and Telugu. Sometimes I think the BRF dictonary should be taken down.

[Rony]

After reading Bodansky's interview, I am veering to the opinion that not only is US contemptuous of India, it hard not to characterize US as India's enemy. Or am I exaggerating?

US is not India's enemy per se nor its a Indian ally per se. Its meaningless to view in those terms. US cares for only US interests.If it sees someone as weak, it will exploit it to the hilt.If it sees someone powerful (Russia, China) or someone who can create troubles to US (Pakistan, Iran, North Korea) , it will compromise.Strength respects Strength.We dont need a american expert to tell this.It is pretty obvious.

[Philip]

You know the famous cynical saying,"no permanent friends only permanent interests".That sums up the US.It uses nations like a condom then discards it into the dustbin.We aren't their enemy,unless our mil. power threatens them directly as state policy.Neither is the US to be considered "our enemy".The relationship has to be muddle through ,but we need to show some spine and self respect unlike servile Singh who nauseatingly told Dubya that "India loves you",actually expressing his own lackey love for his US master.

Our key problem with the US is their "all weather" friendship with Pak,or rather that of the CIA and its intel agencies,who have been "sleeping with the enemy" for decades.It's why even the US despite its nationals being massacred during the 26/11 outrage,has done b*gger all to bring the Pakis responsible to book,or taken them out with drone strikes.That is typical US behaviour,why I describe it as a "nuclear hypocrisy",not a democracy.

It now wants us to take part-send warships, to the next RIM-PAC naval exercises which comprise of only US lackey states.Some message we send to the international community.The US has for long lusted after the IN,seeing it as the best service whose assets it can use against China.Our "tilt" towards the US is now approaching a far flatter trajectory than is wise,and furthermore ,it is only going to see more mischief from the dragon on our borders and a closer interaction with Pak to estabilise India.

Unfortunately the US still has many Cold War warriors,like Kissinger & co.They are still around and haven't been able to get out of their anti-Russia mindset.As is happening in Syria,if the US and Russia collaborated on Afghanistan,involving the Central Asian states and India into the Afghan solution,they would easily be able to take care of Paki perfidy and the Taliban in the process.But since there is no real love lost for either India or Pak ,enjoying both nations claw at each other,and turned away from playing any meaningful global role ,Uncle Sam can chuckle and light up a Cuban.

[Philip]

"Now hear this......"

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world ... 47658.html

American nuclear chief investigated over casino cheating
Navy Vice Admiral Timothy Giardina is accused of using counterfeit poker chips at an Iowa casino

Apparently, the US military would prefer the officers in charge of its nukes not be the gambling sort. Over the weekend it emerged that Navy Vice Admiral Timothy Giardina, the second-in-command of the US nuclear arsenal, is the subject of an illegal gambling investigation into the use of counterfeit poker chips at an Iowa casino. Admiral Giardina, who has not been arrested or charged, was suspended from his duties on 3 September, officials said on Saturday.

The admiral, a highly decorated submariner, graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1979 and has been awarded the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, among several others, during his 34-year career. Before taking up his current post at the US Strategic Command in 2011, he was the deputy commander of the Navy’s Pacific Fleet.

The Iowa authorities reportedly launched an investigation of Admiral Giardina on 16 June, after being alerted to the possible use of counterfeit gambling chips in poker games at the Horseshoe Casino in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Robert Kehlerr, the Air Force General who heads Strategic Command, learned of the investigation a month later, and referred Giardina’s case to the US Naval Criminal Investigation Service. Special agent David Dales of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation told the Associated Press that the case involved “a significant monetary amount”.

The Strategic Command is based around 18 miles from the Horseshoe, across the Missouri River at Offutt Air Force Base outside Omaha, Nebraska. It oversees the military’s nuclear-armed submarines, its nuclear bomber planes and its land-based nuclear missiles, as well as its satellites and cyberwarfare operations. Giardina remains assigned to the Command, but has been suspended from nuclear-related duties and other activities requiring security clearance, according to Command spokesperson Captain Pamela Kunze.

It is not known whether Admiral Giardina’s alleged actions compromised national security or Strategic Command operations, but Kunze said General Kehlerr had recommended he be reassigned. Admiral Giardina was previously scheduled to rotate out of his post later in 2013.

The US nuclear establishment had already been having an off year. In May, 17 launch control officers assigned to the maintenance of nuclear missiles at Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota were sidelined following a safety inspection. The officer in charge of their training was later relieved of duty. Last month, a missile unit at Montana’s Malmstrom Air Force Base also failed a nuclear safety and security inspection; the commanding officer there was also relieved of duty.

This does not give a flattering picture of the manner in which the US is looking after its strategic N-deterrent,that too in the hands of an alleged cheat! How can it pontificate about the threat and safety of WMDs of other nations now?

[vinod]

James_Bond_Ishtyle_Espionage_Might_Be_Back?

LONDON: Spooked by threats of wire-tapping and snooping, Indian diplomatic staff have dusted out their typewriters and have been ordered to hammer out sensitive documents on paper and not on computers, {And then what? Send it through someone to India in hard copies???} high commissioner Jamini Bhagwati said on Thursday. He said staff had been told to be careful about discussing classified information inside the embassy premises for fear of bugs planted by international security agencies.

Recent revelations made by whistle blower Edward Snowden showed that the US National Security Agency (NSA) planted bugs at the Permanent Mission of India at the United Nations and the embassy in Washington. The NSA supposedly used four different kinds of devices to spy on the Indian diplomats and military officials.

Replying to a TOI query, Bhagwati said, "No highly-classified information is discussed inside the embassy building. And it's very tedious to step out into the garden every time something sensitive has to be discussed."{WTF?? So outside in the garden it is safer than an isolated room inside? I'm confused!}

Calling it a blunt force security system, Bhagwati added, "Top secret cables are never conveyed through the internet or machines with cable connections. External hard drives with tremendous amount of data storage capacity are easy to access. Therefore, top secret cables are written on the typewriter which can't be tracked."

[SSridhar]

. . . It now wants us to take part-send warships, to the next RIM-PAC naval exercises which comprise of only US lackey states.

Philip, China is taking part in RIMPAC too.

[Victor]

Previously, India did not want to participate because of how it might look to the Chinese--stupid view IMO. I don't see the chinese holding back in openly and actively screwing us everywhere they can--Ladakh, Arunachal, PoK, Maldives, Nepal, SL, Myanmar what have you. Now we are taking part in RIMPAC after China's participation became known. However, China's participation is limited to search and rescue and humanitarian relief exercises only per US law. Why would anybody not be contemptuous?

[NRao]

Defence ties with US not at Russia's expense, India says

[Garooda]

Can you imagine how much these intel agencies are spending to figure out what in the world Indians are talking about? Just go on over to the GDF section of BRF and it is an utterly confusing blend of benis speak, Hinglish, Bollywood speak, Tamil, and Telugu. Sometimes I think the BRF dictonary should be taken down.

Yep. All the more reasons to spend money on useless programs. I do concur with BRF dictionary takedown.

[Garooda]

LONDON: Spooked by threats of wire-tapping and snooping, Indian diplomatic staff have dusted out their typewriters and have been ordered to hammer out sensitive documents on paper and not on computers, {And then what? Send it through someone to India in hard copies???} high commissioner Jamini Bhagwati said on Thursday. He said staff had been told to be careful about discussing classified information inside the embassy premises for fear of bugs planted by international security agencies.

Replying to a TOI query, Bhagwati said, "No highly-classified information is discussed inside the embassy building. And it's very tedious to step out into the garden every time something sensitive has to be discussed."{WTF?? So outside in the garden it is safer than an isolated room inside? I'm confused!}

I know what you mean. I asked the same question to myself in addition to several others.

[Yayavar]

Well.. no highly classified info is discussed inside, and it is inconvenient stepping out into the garden. So...nothing is done I guess. And no issue is taken up with UK either. Hopefully behind the scenes something is done.

[NRao]

Oct 1, 2013 :: US makes India groundbreaking defence offer

In a move reflective of growing defence ties between the two, sealed during last week's visit here of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the US has made India a "groundbreaking collaborative defence proposal" to co-develop with India a next-generation Javelin antitank capability, according to a top defence official.

The proposal addresses a key military requirement for both armies and is an unprecedented offer the US has made unique to India, Deputy Defence Secretary Ash Carter,said Monday at the Centre for American Progress, a Washington think tank.

The Javelin is a manportable, fire-and-forget, antitank missile employed by dismounted infantry to defeat current and future threat armoured combat vehicles.

Carter, who with Indian National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon heads the two countries' Defence Trade and Technology Initiative (DTI), said the US is committed to continuing to put new ideas on the table.

He was reviewing Friday's "successful meeting" between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Barack Obama, "the strong and rapidly growing defense partnership between the US and India, as we execute.... the rebalance, so-called, to the Asia Pacific region."

Asserting that US and India are "destined to be partners on the world stage," he said, "we're each big, complicated democracies. We move slowly, but over the long run we also move surely. And that to me is the trajectory for us and India in the defence area."

During a trip to India last month he had delivered a second round of potential capability areas of cooperation proposed by US industry. In India, Carter also made sure to hear from senior Indian industry representatives about their ideas for increasing private-sector partnerships.

The push to reach the next level of defence collaboration and co-development with India comes after 15 months of effort between the countries to overcome bureaucratic obstacles to such work under DTI, Carter said.

Among the advances made possible through DTI, Carter said, involved export controls. "We have demonstrated repeatedly that we can release sensitive technology to India," Carter said.

"We've adapted our system in ways that will speed our release process for India," he added, "especially in the Department of Defence, recognizing that for . all partners this process is subject to case-by-case review and there will always be some technologies that we will keep to ourselves."

Areas of progress include technology transfer, licensing agreements, license exceptions, end-use monitoring and others.

"We've also taken unprecedented steps to identify forward-leaning proposals by industry, from industry on both sides for defence items to be co-produced and-the true measure of our common goal-co-developed by the US and India," Carter said.

These include a maritime helicopter, a naval gun, a surface-to-air missile system and a scatterable antitank system, all of which were discussed with Indian officials during his recent visit, he said.

"In each instance," Carter noted, "the United States has fast-tracked these projects to ensure that our internal processes are ready to go as soon as the Indian government wants to move forward."

US and Indian research and development experts also play a critical role in areas that include the cognitive sciences and others in which the defence department would incentivize increased cooperation by US defence researchers, the deputy secretary said.

"I let the Indian government know last week that I will be incentivizing US researchers who seek and find Indian partners in key research areas we identified previously," he added.

"We'll ensure that those innovative projects receive priority funding. This is an approach we've only ever taken with the United Kingdom and Australia, and now India will join that company."

Read more: http://india.nydailynews.com/newsarticl ... z2gVFT0sVw

[Philip]

As can be seen from the first few details given,naval items are on the list,because the US wants to integrate the IN into its order of battle in the future.Commonality of armament and systems would allow the US to network with IN assets.The advanced naval helicopters are providing a key role in NCW.A recent item said that the saving grace of the new LCS was the helo and helo drone tasked for anti-ship/sub,mine countermeasures,etc. The IN's helo requirements is huge,around 100 multi-role helicopters a very lucrative deal which will pit the US against the Europeans and the NH-90. The IN needs a larger gun for its larger surface combatants and acquiring a reliable 8" gun would be welcome. However,larger Russian guns are also available and too much of "masala" from diverse sources on IN warships can pose an integration problem between the various weapons and sensors.A tri-service LR SAM is an interesting thought,but where would that leave B-8 and our very own Akash? In fact,not exploiting and developing Akash into a tri-service system is a real mystery when we advocate indigenisation.A pity that there is no info about co-development of UCAVs.There is huge scope here.

US domestic woes.A lesson in the making for us too?

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world ... 52115.html

America’s power failure: 800,000 face weeks of unpaid lay-offs as politicians in the world’s most advanced democracy force partial shutdown of government over Obamacare .

Has the United States been more divided in living memory?
Rupert Cornwell

Washington
Tuesday 01 October 2013

Related articles

Obama calls for quick end to 'Republican shutdown' as Congress fails to strike deal

Q&A: US shutdown - all you need to know about the crisis in America

US shutdown: ‘I don’t understand it, there’s no excuse for this is there?’

The US shutdown isn’t serious, but the reasons behind it are

Having no budget is bad enough, but there could be so much worse to come

And so – absurdly, shamefully and almost incomprehensibly – it has come to this. The legislature of the richest, most powerful country on earth, that likes to present itself as a model of democracy and good sense, has failed in its basic task of providing funds to keep the federal government running.

Of course, not everything will shut. The US military will not be affected, and those, like air traffic controllers and prison guards who perform vital services, will remain on the job. In many parts of the country, the impact will be little felt, at least to begin with. But for 800,000 federal workers deemed less essential, days or weeks of unpaid lay-offs beckon. How on earth did it come to this?

President Obama was left to rail against the "ideological crusade" against Obamacare, vowing not to "give in to the reckless demands by some in the Republican Party to deny affordable health insurance to millions of hard-working Americans".

In some respects, what is happening in Washington DC is not unusual. America has a presidential system, not a parliamentary one like Britain. Here, the annual federal budget the White House sends Congress is merely an opening gambit. On Capitol Hill, the process restarts from scratch. If control of Congress is divided, as now, no budget may be passed at all.

Indeed the last time a budget was enacted fully and on schedule, with separate appropriation bills for government departments, was in 1997. But recently the deadlock has worsened. An overall spending bill has not been approved for three years. Stopgap “continuing resolutions” (CR), which keep government open while the Republican-controlled House and the majority-Democrat Senate bicker, have been the norm. At midnight on Monday the latest CR ran out. Congress could not agree on a new one.

Nor is a shutdown without precedent. The last – and at 21 days the longest – occurred in 1995-96, during Bill Clinton’s first term. Indeed it was during that enforced idleness that the President began his fateful dalliance with Monica Lewinsky. But when it was over, no serious economic damage was done. This time, however, things look different.

Back then, the economy was strong. Today, recovery from the 2008 financial crisis is still fragile. At the very least, the closure and the accompanying lay-offs will reduce consumer confidence and spending. And in a deeper sense, the impasse reflects an ever more polarised and dysfunctional political system, where compromise is a dirty word.

Both sides are to blame. But the root of the problem, beyond argument, is a Republican party that is losing touch with reality. Even its control of the House of Representatives is a distortion. In the Congressional vote in 2012, Democratic candidates polled half a million more votes. But thanks to gerrymandering by Republican-run state legislatures, the GOP ensured itself a majority.

Gerrymandering, in turn, has led to safer seats, in which the danger to an incumbent is – increasingly – less the general election in which he faces a Democrat, than a possible challenge from a more conservative fellow Republican in the primary. That in turn has pushed the Congressional party further to the right, allowing the minority Tea Party faction to make the running. More centrist, pragmatic members fear to make deals with Democrats that will be held against them by the hardline activists who dominate primary voting.

The 1995-96 crisis ended when the Republican Senate leader Bob Dole went on the chamber floor and declared in so many words: “Enough.” Dole was about to launch a White House bid, and was anxious to project himself as a moderate and problem-solver. How different now.

The current Republican leader, who might be expected to lead efforts to secure an agreement, is Mitch McConnell of Kentucky (pictured). But Mr McConnell is not running for president. Instead, he is most worried about a potential primary challenge from the right, as he seeks a sixth Senate term in 2014. A display of pragmatism might doom him.

Back then, too, the Republican House was led by Newt Gingrich, then at the height of his powers, who got on well with Bill Clinton, despite their ideological differences. John Boehner, today’s Speaker, is no Gingrich. Instinctively he is a deal-maker, but his priority is to avoid a confrontation with the Tea Party that could cost him his job.

Polarisation has also broken down old conventions on Capitol Hill. The Senate and House used to be completely separate, even rival, entities – but no longer. One extraordinary feature of this crisis has been the spectacle of Ted Cruz, the firebrand Republican first-term senator from Texas, organising House conservatives in their resistance.

Which leads to a third difference with 1995-96. That shutdown was a dispute about fiscal policy, the eternal debate over taxes and spending. This one is about policy, namely President Obama’s 2010 health reform, whose delay (and ultimately demise) Republicans seek as the price of a new CR.

The classic definition of insanity is to go on doing the same thing, and expect a different outcome. And so it is now. The Republican House has passed 40-odd resolutions to overturn Obamacare, and each time the Democratic Senate has said, no. Now it is trying again, and the outcome – utterly predictably – is the same.

What happens next is anyone’s guess. The public blame the Republicans for the shutdown; even the US Chamber of Commerce, normally a staunch ally, has expressed displeasure at the party’s tactics. For his part, President Obama vows not to give an inch. So, however, do the Republicans.

Something, sooner or later, will have to give. Perhaps public fury will shame Congress into a deal. But don’t bank on it. Even before this debacle, Congress’s approval rating was barely 10 per cent, making it marginally less popular than colonoscopies or communists. The institution, it would appear, is beyond shame. Just possibly, the crisis could provoke a rupture within Republican ranks. But again, don’t bank on it.

And this could be merely a warm-up. On 17 October, the US will hit its federal borrowing ceiling and unless Congress authorises an increase, could default on some debt, risking chaos in global markets. Absurd, shameful, incomprehensible? Indeed. But that’s the American way of government in this autumn of 2013.

[Sagar G]

Talking of mouth platitudes

Among the advances made possible through DTI, Carter said, involved export controls. "We have demonstrated repeatedly that we can release sensitive technology to India," Carter said.

[Philip]

Yes, I do recall how sensitive tech was "sanctioned" by the US for the LCA,cryogenic engine,defence labs,etc.!

http://www.theguardian.com/business/201 ... al-economy

US shutdown: what does it mean for markets and the global economy?
Q&A: The dollar is down and a prolonged crisis could damage consumer spending, confidence and China's attitude to US debt

US shutdown: what does it mean for markets and the global economy?

Q&A: the dollar is down and a prolonged crisis could damage consumer spending, confidence and China's attitude to US debt

Heather Stewart
theguardian.com, Tuesday 1 October 2013

Link to video: How will the US government shutdown affect the global economy?
How have financial markets reacted to news of the shutdown?

US markets were closed by the time the formal notices started going out late on Monday night ordering government agencies to suspend their activities – the so-called shutdown.

But on international markets overnight and on Tuesday morning, the dollar has lost around half a percent of its value, pushing the pound up to $1.6238 – the highest level since 3 January 2013. The euro has risen to $1.357, the highest level since early February.

However, international stock markets were largely unmoved by the crisis – French and German shares, for example, were up around 0.5% – with most investors expecting the shutdown to be short-lived, and the impact largely confined to the US.

Some analysts said investors may also be reasoning that the crisis could delay the so-called "tapering" of the Federal Reserve's recession-busting policy of quantitative easing, which helps inflate share prices by pumping cheap money into financial markets.

Ilya Spivak, currency strategist at Daily FX, said: "The somewhat counter-intuitive response seems to reflect investors' continued pre-occupation with the direction of US monetary policy. Filtered through this prism, the shutdown and its negative implications for US growth are seen as delaying a move to 'taper' QE asset purchases, which seems to be driving a swell in risk appetite."
So does that mean it's just a little local difficulty for the Americans?

Yes and no. The direct economic hit may be relatively small: analysts at the ratings agency Moody's suggest a week-long outage could cut a relatively manageable 0.3% off GDP. But a serious knock to confidence could rattle consumers and investors at a crucial time.

The US recovery remains fragile, as the Fed stressed last month when it decided to continue buying $85bn (£52bn)-a-month worth of bonds, instead of "tapering" QE.

A major wobble, throwing the spotlight back on to the health of the US public finances, is the last thing the nascent upturn needs; and it could also exacerbate markets' anxiety in the run-up to the potentially fraught debate over raising the government's budget ceiling in mid-October.
How will the UK be affected?

If the shutdown is short-lived, probably very little; if it is prolonged, then the uptick in sterling could continue, and a stronger pound is the last thing George Osborne wants as he tries to rebalance the economy towards exports, so that Britain can "pay its way in the world".

There is also a risk that as investors turn their minds to the dangers of debt-burdened developed economies struggling to generate a sustainable upturn, they start to scrutinise the policies of other such states – including the UK.

George Osborne's grim pledge in his Conservative party conference speech that austerity will continue until 2020 may partly have been aimed at reminding international markets that the UK system is different to America's, and he has no intention of being diverted from his deficit-cutting course.
What about the rest of the world?

Any prolonged shutdown would rapidly start to hit US consumer spending, as hundreds of thousands of public sector workers are furloughed; and that will crimp America's demand for imports from the rest of the world.

At the margins, weaker investor confidence, and the dollar depreciation that has so far been the main financial impact of the shutdown, could also slow the flood of capital into the US that was one of the key trends in international markets over the summer.

The switch from riskier markets to the perceived safety of America drove up exchange rates and bond yields in many emerging economies, forcing central banks in several countries, including India and Brazil, to take emergency action.

A renewed sense of crisis in the US is likely to stem that flow, particularly after the Fed had already raised questions about the health of the US economy when it declined to "taper" QE in September.
What will China think?

Beijing's attitude is the key to one of the more subtle potential implications of this latest budgetary wrangle.

China holds a mountain of US assets, mostly Treasury bonds, effectively IOUs from Washington – the by-product of running huge trade surpluses over the past decade and a deliberate policy to keep the Chinese currency, the yuan, cheap.

However, Chinese politicians have repeatedly expressed concern over recent years about the growing risks of this large exposure to the US, as Washington has appeared increasingly unable to bring tax-and-spending policy under control. When the US was stripped of its AAA credit rating by Standard & Poors in August 2011, after a previous partisan wrangle over raising the government's debt ceiling – not a problem suffered in autocratic single-party states – China reacted with fury. Xinhua, the official news agency, said: "The days when the debt-ridden Uncle Sam could leisurely squander unlimited overseas borrowing appear to be numbered. To cure its addiction to debts, the US has to re-establish the common sense principle that one should live within its means."

Since then China has deliberately moved towards making the yuan more convertible on international markets, which would allow it to appreciate, and reduce the need to pile up potentially risky US debts – a policy that in the long term could remove the biggest buyer of US debt from the markets, potentially making it far more costly for America to borrow.

Simon Derrick, of BNY Mellon, suggested the lack of outraged comment over the current budget impasse may suggest "the Chinese government has already made its mind up about what it needs to do and sees little point in complaining any further".

[RamaY]

Talking of mouth platitudes

Among the advances made possible through DTI, Carter said, involved export controls. "We have demonstrated repeatedly that we can release sensitive technology to India," Carter said.

They did release MMS, David Hedly and recently NSA snooping stuff

[nvishal]

Purchase of javelin has been shelved.

There are no plans for joint development.

[svinayak]

Range Rover VS Biker Gang - NYC Road Rage [FULL]

[pankajs]

Ash Carter: Email Me If You’re Stuck On Your Arms Sale To India

WASHINGTON: You just met me, and this is crazy, but my address is [email protected], so email me maybe. That, in essence, was Deputy Secretary of Defense Ash Carter‘s response this morning when asked how US defense firms could get Pentagon help exporting weapons and related products to the notoriously opaque and bureaucratic Indian government, which Washington has been assiduously wooing.

“It is frustrating,” Cart acknowledged this morning at the liberal Center for American Progress. “Those of you who are doing business there, I encourage you to be in touch with us, directly in touch with me,” Carter told the audience. “I’ll work these problems. None of these things is too small.”

“Don’t get frustrated,” he urged industry, after repeatedly emphasizing that “the US and India are destined to be partners” because of their common democratic values. “We have got history on our side,” Carter said, “and what we have to do is remove of some of these picayune obstacles.”

But US keeps making proposals to co-produce or even co-develop weapons systems in India, and the Indians are so far sitting on them, I said skeptically when the floor opened for questions and answers.

Not so, insisted Carter, who was just in New Delhi two weeks ago. “On this trip I put forward quite a large number of them. I’m not prepared to say what they are, because I want my Indian colleagues to have a chance to take look at them.” One proposal he has made public was for the US and India to co-develop the next generation of the Javelin anti-tank missile, but Carter made clear there are many more offers that have flown under the radar.

“It is not true that they turned down proposals,” he continued. “There are a large number of things that they’re sifting through. It is true that there’s a lot of bureaucracy on both sides.” (Especially, he failed to add, on the Indian side).

“Now it’s in India’s court,” Carter said. As for the specific co-production proposals the US made eight months ago — for maritime helicopters, warship cannon, anti-tank mines, and missiles — he said that “I don’t want to get into things that violate their confidence, but I think they are giving very serious consideration to some of the proposals that we have put forward last year. These are things where they have to consider whether they met their military requirements and whether they have the budget to pay for it, so it takes a little time for them to figure that out. But they haven’t turned it down.”

(Note that none of this refutes the proposition that India hasn’t said yes to anything yet. Indeed, given a democracy and a bureaucracy even more cumbersome than ours, New Delhi’s unlikely to give a definite answer any time soon. They still are showing uncertainty about actually signing the contract to buy French Rafale fighters that they officially selected for their air force a year and a half ago).

Carter laid out a host of steps the US government is taking — with himself at the helm — to ease defense trade and technology transfer between the US and India. In the eight short years since the US and India signed their 2005 defense cooperation agreement, he said, there’s been great progress both on arms sales, such as C-130 and C-17 transport aircraft, and on military exercises, such as the annual wargames off the Malabar Islands. Admittedly, this is progress from a very low base, the US having imposed sanctions on India for its 1998 nuclear test that cut arms sales to zero.

The Obama administration is working on an overhaul of the entire export control system, which is painfully slow and occasionally arbitrary. (“The export control system is the most important and serious really boring subject one can possibly talk about,” he said).

But for New Delhi specifically, “we have demonstrated repeatedly that we can release sensitive technologies to India,” Carter said. “Recognizing there will always be some technologies we will keep to ourselves, we changed our culture regarding transfer to India in the Department of Defense from a culture of a presumptive ‘no’ to a culture of a presumptive ‘yes.’”

To help the US-India arms trade, said Carter, Defense, State, and Commerce are working to streamline export control rules, end-use monitoring (i.e. making sure the weapons aren’t resold to bad guys), and developing proposals for co-production and co-development. The US has added India to the so-called “Group of Eight” countries that get special treatment for export licenses under the Strategic Trade Authorization system.

Where once companies doing US-India defense deals had to sign the contract before the government would rule on whether the technology transfers involved were legal — a “Catch-22,” Carter said — the government is now offering legally non-binding “advisory opinions” to companies while they’r still finalizing the contract. The US is also pre-vetting US proposals to compete in Indian competitions even before the New Delhi issues an official request for proposals (RFP). Overall, Carter said, “[we're] trying to better anticipate Indian requirements and streamlining our licensing processes [to] make us competitive for every sale.”

Finally, the US is providing financial incentives for US researchers seeking Indian partners for science and technology products, Carter said: “This is an approach we’ve only ever taken with the United Kingdom and Australia.”

Meanwhile, as the US government is removing the strings it historically attaches to defense exports, Washington is also lobbying New Delhi to loosen its restrictions on imports, such as local co-production and offset requirements.

“It’s hard work,” Carter summed up, “and you’ve probably glazed your eyes over with some of that export control stuff — it’s incredibly tedious. [But] what keeps us all going… is the destiny that I talked about.”

[Sagar G]

“the US and India are destined to be partners” because of their common democratic values. “We have got history on our side,” Carter said, “and what we have to do is remove of some of these picayune obstacles.”

"Common democratic values" what does that even mean ??? And "history on our side", which history is he talking about ??? The one where it sent it's forces to threaten India to keep it from doing what was just ??? Or the one where US stole the hard work of our scientists and made them leave empty handed ??? Or the one where it pressurised Russia to not give us the Cryo tech ??? Or the one where it spearheaded technology denial regime against India ??? Or the one where it imposed sanctions on us post Pokhran ??? Or the one where it looked away conveniently the other way when China was supplying nuclear tech to Pakistan ??? Or the one where it supplies (and still does) arms to Pakistan so as to keep "regional balance" ???

How much history does this Mr. Mouth Platitudes wants us to forget before we start buying his BS ???