India-US Strategic News and Discussion

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 25 Feb 2011 09:54

Another Runaway General: Army Deploys Psy-Ops on U.S. Senators

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/ne ... print=true

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 26 Feb 2011 09:24

TSA officer pleads guilty to stealing from (pre-dominantly Indian female) passengers

Well...so much for TFTA security.

vera_k · Post by **vera_k** » 26 Feb 2011 23:22

I found ...

Very strategic news for all

Cosmo_R · Post by **Cosmo_R** » 27 Feb 2011 00:30

vera_k wrote:I found ...

Very strategic news for all

This circumscription will be circumvented

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 27 Feb 2011 09:48

http://www.indianembassy.org/prdetail16 ... andquot%3B

Keynote Address by Ambassador Meera Shankar at Emory University’s Emerging India Summit on 24th February 2011 "Why India Matters"

PS: Summit Program:
http://international.emory.edu/eis/Program/index.html

joshvajohn · Post by **joshvajohn** » 01 Mar 2011 21:51

Water conservation emerging area for Indo-US partnership: US
http://news.in.msn.com/national/article ... id=4980481

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 01 Mar 2011 22:32

JJ, How is that a strategic news? It can be in the Tech forum in the economy threaad.

CRamS · Post by **CRamS** » 02 Mar 2011 06:49

A_Gupta wrote:http://www.indianembassy.org/prdetail16 ... andquot%3B

Keynote Address by Ambassador Meera Shankar at Emory University’s Emerging India Summit on 24th February 2011 "Why India Matters"

PS: Summit Program:
http://international.emory.edu/eis/Program/index.html

What kind of a title "india matters" is that? So the default position is that India does not matter, and MeeraJi has to proclaim otherwise?

VikramS · Post by **VikramS** » 02 Mar 2011 07:45

CRamS wrote:
A_Gupta wrote:http://www.indianembassy.org/prdetail16 ... andquot%3B

Keynote Address by Ambassador Meera Shankar at Emory University’s Emerging India Summit on 24th February 2011 "Why India Matters"

PS: Summit Program:
http://international.emory.edu/eis/Program/index.html
What kind of a title "india matters" is that? So the default position is that India does not matter, and MeeraJi has to proclaim otherwise?

You forgot the Why; think of it as a re-education camp.

arun · Post by **arun** » 02 Mar 2011 08:26

X Posted from the Mumbai Terrorist Attack thread.

Report that the US is going subvert the course of justice for Indian’s by granting sovereign immunity to ISI head in the 26/11 court case launched in the US in return for the release of US “Diplomat” “Raymond Davis”.

While the US will have no compunctions of selling Indian’s down the river by offering such a deal, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan would be stupid to accept the bargain if such is indeed the case as it is very unlikely that the US will ever get to have custody of the ISI head who will no doubt remain safely within the borders of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan:

Mumbai attack: US links cover for ISI chief to Davis case

vera_k · Post by **vera_k** » 02 Mar 2011 10:21

New wrinkle in Nath case.

US court summons Congress party on 1984 riots case

joshvajohn · Post by **joshvajohn** » 02 Mar 2011 16:58

US seeks India help to deal with North Korea
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/us-se ... ea/756701/

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 02 Mar 2011 20:53

Inida has no relations with NoKo. On the other hand front lying al lie TSP is the NokO source for nukes. And PRC is the main source of support to NoKo.

US would be better served in getting them to help. Asking India to help is a sing of doing nothing.

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 03 Mar 2011 09:27

Reporters, scholars, and patriots

http://walt.foreignpolicy.com/posts/201 ... d_patriots

For a book I am writing, I interviewed a dozen or so senior American national security journalists to get a sense of when and why they do or don't publish national security secrets. They gave me different answers, but they all agreed that they tried to avoid publishing information that harms U.S. national security with no corresponding public benefit. Some of them expressly ascribed this attitude to "patriotism" or "jingoism" or to being American citizens or working for American publications. This sense of attachment to country is what leads the American press to worry about the implications for U.S. national security of publication, to seek the government's input, to weigh these implications in the balance, and sometimes to self-censor."

CRamS · Post by **CRamS** » 03 Mar 2011 11:31

Breaking news from ToILet: India has arrived as a global superpower of the 21st century.

VinodTK · Post by **VinodTK** » 04 Mar 2011 06:14

Indo-US Defence Policy Group meeting begins in Washington

Defence secretary Pradeep Kumar led the 9-member Indian delegation, while the US side is led by Michele Flournoy, undersecretary of defence for policy affairs.

During the meeting, the two sides would review the defence ties and discuss issues including the situation in the region in particular in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The Indian side is likely to raise the issue of procurement of M-777 ULH from the US through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route for the artillery, which has not inducted a new gun for the last 25 years.

vera_k · Post by **vera_k** » 05 Mar 2011 09:49

India will open Atlanta consulate

India had reportedly sought approval for two consulates and received the nod for one – forcing them to choose between Atlanta and Seattle.

What's in Atlanta or Georgia? Must be something important for a secular government to prefer a communal state over another secular state.

devesh · Post by **devesh** » 06 Mar 2011 06:04

really....so all Southern states are "communal" and the pure East/West coast states are full of enlightened secularism? i hope you were being sarcastic.

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 07 Mar 2011 09:45

American idol: India preps for Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin's trip is part of a much larger trend: India goes gaga for American politics. | AP Photo Close
By KASIE HUNT | 3/6/11 7:06 AM EST

Sarah Palin’s trip to India this month might seem out of the blue, but it’s one piece of a much larger trend: The world’s largest democracy goes gaga for American politics.

Most Americans couldn’t even name the Indian prime minister, but the press in India covers minute details of the American political scene.

Its top news magazine devoted an entire issue to President Barack Obama’s November state visit to India. One major newspaper headlined a story, “Tea Party time in the US,” about the 2010 midterm elections. The main New Delhi TV station ran a piece on Palin’s use of the phrase “blood libel” after the January shootings in Tucson, Ariz., and covered her daughter Bristol’s engagement to Levi Johnston.

“The U.S. figures in the Indian imagination and psyche in a very different manner to every other foreign country, and that’s why there’s a fascination with American politicians,” said Harsh Bhasin, a former Indian consul general in New York who’s now a professor at SUNY Stony Brook.

Diplomatic affairs — particularly America’s relationship with Pakistan, India’s regional rival — drive some of the focus and make Secretary of State Hillary Clinton a closely watched figure. But the interest is near-fanatical for the handful of Indian-American politicians who’ve succeeded at the highest levels of U.S. politics — particularly Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and newly elected South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, both Republicans.

The interest comes because millions of Indians who have emigrated to the United States over the past four decades tend to be high-achieving doctors, lawyers, businesspeople, and now politicians — creating successful careers in the states and leaving behind millions of middle-class relatives in India who now have a personal connection to America.

And now, American politicians of both parties are starting to repay some of that interest here.

Palin’s visit allows her to build some foreign-policy cred with a visit to a friendly ally — and score some points with Indian-American voters in the States. Obama’s first state dinner was for India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. And strategists, Democrats and Republicans alike, are increasingly trying to build support with Indian-American voters and donors — who come from one of the fastest-growing, and most affluent, groups in the country, more than 2.5 million strong.

“Basically, the growing clout of Indian-Americans in relation to their numbers here is a subject of growing interest in India,” said Chidanand Rajghatta, the longtime Washington correspondent for The Times of India. And that clout is more pronounced, he said, because “most Indians who come here or are in the U.S., first generation or second generation, they are the top of the top, the elites.”

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/03 ... z1Fsz412gj

devesh · Post by **devesh** » 07 Mar 2011 10:52

it's a publicity stunt which will be used to beef up Palin's resume for 2012. nothing more, nothing less.

vera_k · Post by **vera_k** » 07 Mar 2011 11:12

devesh wrote:really....so all Southern states are "communal" and the pure East/West coast states are full of enlightened secularism? i hope you were being sarcastic.

Just describing American politics in language familiar to Indians.

CRamS · Post by **CRamS** » 07 Mar 2011 14:10

devesh wrote:it's a publicity stunt which will be used to beef up Palin's resume for 2012. nothing more, nothing less.

Question remains thougjh as to why Indians would go bersek about US political celebraties, especially from the tea party Nazis. Do they even know what the tea part thinks of them?

arun · Post by **arun** » 07 Mar 2011 21:09

X Posted.

The BBC World Service along with Globe Scan and PIPA has released a poll on views about the influence of countries, namely if it is positive or negative.

India has done not too badly:

The ranking of India by the different countries polled, including the US, is here:

Read it all:

Positive Views of Brazil on the Rise in 2011 BBC Country Rating Poll

devesh · Post by **devesh** » 08 Mar 2011 06:08

i think its sufficient to post the above in one thread.

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 08 Mar 2011 09:59

vera_k wrote:India will open Atlanta consulate

India had reportedly sought approval for two consulates and received the nod for one – forcing them to choose between Atlanta and Seattle.
What's in Atlanta or Georgia? Must be something important for a secular government to prefer a communal state over another secular state.

This has got to be the most ignorant and stupid statements posted here in quite a while.

CGI - Houston services Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas. Another CGI - Atlanta would reduce the workload of CGI - Houston which process tens of thousands of all sorts of applications/services in a month. They are swamped. If you look at US ports, some of the busiest ports are in Texas and Louisiana due to the oil and gas industry. India has lots of gas and Indian companies are exploring for oil in different places - the demand is only increasing. There is the need for exploration equipment and services from these states plus trade for marine industrial equipment. It makes far more sense than Seattle.

krisna · Post by **krisna** » 10 Mar 2011 06:07

Court Affidavit Exposes 18 Years of Chevron's Unethical Conduct in $9.5 Billion Ecuador Lawsuit

A new 42-page sworn affidavit, backed by hundreds of pages of exhibits, has outlined in stunning detail Chevron's 18-year effort to undermine the Ecuador court that recently awarded a $9.5 billion judgment against the company for dumping billions of gallons of toxic waste into the rainforest of the South American nation and creating what locals call the "Amazon Chernobyl".

The lawsuit accuses the oil giant of deliberately and unlawfully discharging more than 18 billion gallons of toxic waste into Amazon waterways, decimating indigenous groups and poisoning an area the size of Rhode Island with what experts believe is the worst oil-related contamination on the planet. It also accuses the company of committing a sham remediation in the 1990s and other acts of fraud to cover up its misconduct. The magnitude of the dumping dwarfs the size of the BP Gulf spill, according to the plaintiffs.

An Ecuadorian court, after an arduous eight-year trial hampered by Chevron's delay tactics, found on Feb. 14 that that the oil giant was guilty and ordered it to pay approximately $9.5 billion to remediate the damage. Both sides have appealed the decision, with the plaintiffs claiming the amount is too low to provide adequate compensation in light of BP's estimated liability of $60b to $100b for the Gulf spill.
"It is crystal clear that Chevron wanted this case to be heard in Ecuador because it believed that the Ecuadorian judiciary was too weak to handle these claims," wrote Saenz in his affidavit.

The affidavit was submitted by the plaintiffs because under U.S. law a party with "unclean hands" does not have the right to seek the type of injunctive relief requested by Chevron to prevent enforcement of the Ecuador judgment. Chevron has removed all assets from Ecuador and has claimed it will not pay the judgment, even though years ago it had promised U.S. courts it would be abide by the Ecuador court's decision as a condition of the case being transferred to Ecuador.
In any event, the Ecuadorian plaintiffs have said the U.S. court has no jurisdiction over them and that after appeals they will retain the option of enforcing the judgment in any of dozens of countries around the world where Chevron has assets

Great going Ecuador. Hope other countries also take hope from their fight against MNCs.

[related to US MNC and could not find global environmental thread]

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 10 Mar 2011 06:40

Acquisition of US combat aircraft will indicate direction of ties: Roemer

U.S. Ambassador Timothy J. Roemer said: “This becomes the next logical step in building this relationship. This will be a very important indicator of where this relationship goes in the 21st century.” He was addressing an international conference on ‘America and Asia: Perspectives on Peace, Security and Development,' organised by the American Studies Programme of the Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Asked whether the bilateral ties could be affected if the aircraft deal was to be awarded to other companies, Mr. Roemer felt that the deal could be the logical step, and the U.S. was seeking to elevate India to be a global partner across the board.

Mr. Roemer said he was optimistic about what President Barack Obama said during his visit to India last year on supporting India for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council and taking India off the entities list.

The quid-pro-quo are being neatly laid on the table.

somnath · Post by **somnath** » 10 Mar 2011 06:44

SSridhar wrote:The quid-pro-quo are being neatly laid on the table.

Its not a bad deal if the MRCA contract goes to the US in lieu of

1. UNSC membership
2. Endgame in Af that retains India's options there
3. Same treatment on critical tech, incl dual-use that is afforded to UK..Which is NOT just about the entities list, which anyways is pretty much diluted out already for India...

Cosmo_R · Post by **Cosmo_R** » 10 Mar 2011 07:23

SSridhar wrote:Acquisition of US combat aircraft will indicate direction of ties: Roemer
U.S. Ambassador Timothy J. Roemer said: “This becomes the next logical step in building this relationship. This will be a very important indicator of where this relationship goes in the 21st century.” He was addressing an international conference on ‘America and Asia: Perspectives on Peace, Security and Development,' organised by the American Studies Programme of the Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Asked whether the bilateral ties could be affected if the aircraft deal was to be awarded to other companies, Mr. Roemer felt that the deal could be the logical step, and the U.S. was seeking to elevate India to be a global partner across the board.

Mr. Roemer said he was optimistic about what President Barack Obama said during his visit to India last year on supporting India for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council and taking India off the entities list.
The quid-pro-quo are being neatly laid on the table.

What direction is Roemer talking about? A bulwark against China? Not interested. A partner in detoxifying Pakiland? Interested. Maybe TR should be asked by Indian media specifically what he means. Not that I'm holding my breath: "Sirjee Ambassadorji, how can India aspire to become strategic partner and UNSC member? Will US give us this if we buy F/A 122?"

You know, the thing that rankles is still the stupidity and 0/0 vision of netas from HF-24 onwards --the lack of imagination. The Russians did not not invent the A-Bomb, they stole it via espionage. We still can't build our own 155m howitzer even with people like RB (RIP). And it's not the individuals at DRDO/ADA/LRDE whatever, it's the blind men of Hindoostan who always succumb it seems, to wailing about 'fractured polity' and 'coalition politics'.

If it was only stupidity and not interleaved with arrogance, I could live with it. But it's both. And the Roemers can issue these veiled threats. ...

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 10 Mar 2011 09:53

somnath wrote:
SSridhar wrote:The quid-pro-quo are being neatly laid on the table.
Its not a bad deal if the MRCA contract goes to the US in lieu of

1. UNSC membership
2. Endgame in Af that retains India's options there
3. Same treatment on critical tech, incl dual-use that is afforded to UK..Which is NOT just about the entities list, which anyways is pretty much diluted out already for India...

How can you say that?

The devil is in the detail of the contract. If the F/A-18 by end-user agreement, or technically, is incapable of delivering non-US munitions, then it doesn't do the IAF any good. The MMRCA contract would then be a bribe of $10 billion USD to Boeing and the US govt. for the items you listed. The IAF would still need an MMRCA that met its needs and would have to buy soon again or there would be gaping holes in India's air defense.

It would be better to waste that $10 billion USD on NREGA, rather than the F/A-18 and the IAF buy what it needs to accomplish its mission.

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 10 Mar 2011 10:34

Mort Walker wrote:
How can you say that?

The devil is in the detail of the contract. If the F/A-18 by end-user agreement, or technically, is incapable of delivering non-US munitions, then it doesn't do the IAF any good. The MMRCA contract would then be a bribe of $10 billion USD to Boeing and the US govt. for the items you listed. The IAF would still need an MMRCA that met its needs and would have to buy soon again or there would be gaping holes in India's air defense.

It would be better to waste that $10 billion USD on NREGA, rather than the F/A-18 and the IAF buy what it needs to accomplish its mission.

How can even India do this kind of thing when there is no guarantee. of UNSC or other goodies. Only naive people believe in this kind of news report.

RajeshA · Post by **RajeshA** » 10 Mar 2011 13:48

SSridhar wrote:Acquisition of US combat aircraft will indicate direction of ties: Roemer

The quid-pro-quo are being neatly laid on the table.

Its an empty threat! America has increasingly fewer options and partners in Asia!

GCC Sheikhs are themselves losing confidence in USA to uphold their security, especially as they become ever more susceptible to these social-media based citizen revolutions, as well as their Shia minorities. The problems with Pakistan are well known. Iran is "axis-of-evil". There really aren't that many partners for USA west of Malacca straits!

India has the ability and leeway to lay down the terms on MMRCA purchase!

Pranav · Post by **Pranav** » 10 Mar 2011 17:12

SSridhar wrote:Acquisition of US combat aircraft will indicate direction of ties: Roemer

The biggest issue in such acquisitions is dealing with possible software/hardware Trojans.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 10 Mar 2011 20:14

Thomas Barnett's take on KS garu's last thoughts:

WSJ Term Sheet

Essentially he (Barnett) hopes to see a joint project to manage TSP failure between the three powers:US, China and India.

VinodTK · Post by **VinodTK** » 11 Mar 2011 00:48

India-U.S. defence meetings kick off

Reaffirming that the bilateral defence cooperation was an “important facet of the overall India-U.S. strategic partnership,” Mr. Kumar and Ms. Flournoy expressed satisfaction at the progress in this area, noting in particular the increasing number of joint exercises that the two armed forces held regularly. Additionally India’s procurement of defence equipment such as C-130J aircraft was an important aspect of this progress, officials said.

vera_k · Post by **vera_k** » 11 Mar 2011 09:31

India visa applications now require copies of birth certificates

India relaxes visa norms for US nationals

US nationals intending to visit India will not have to produce their birth certificates while applying for an Indian visa any more.

This would not have been done unless GoI believes the DC Headley episode will not be repeated. They must have received assurances in this regard.

JE Menon · Post by **JE Menon** » 11 Mar 2011 20:03

More likely it is for the names of parents

- posing a generational challenge for ISI in its terror operations worldwide.

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 12 Mar 2011 02:27

vera_k wrote:India visa applications now require copies of birth certificates

India relaxes visa norms for US nationals

US nationals intending to visit India will not have to produce their birth certificates while applying for an Indian visa any more.
This would not have been done unless GoI believes the DC Headley episode will not be repeated. They must have received assurances in this regard.

This made no sense since US nationals have a US passport which clearly states country of birth. The additional scrutiny would not have worked for DCH since he was born in the US.

pgbhat · Post by **pgbhat** » 12 Mar 2011 02:54

^ Plus if unkil wants to push some one into desh for clandestine ops, they can generate whatever guvarmund documentation that is required to be produced at the consulate.

darshan · Post by **darshan** » 12 Mar 2011 05:47

^Plus, you can get this stuff dime a dozen in India herself. So what is the point, GoI?