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Indo-U.S. dialogue on Pakistan?
This is a long article but well worth a read.India has many good reasons to complain about apparent American double standards in the war against terrorism... But it needs the U.S. in making Pakistan adopt a new political course. THE UNITED States cannot force India into an engagement with Pakistan that it does not want. And New Delhi cannot engineer a change in Islamabad's behaviour without help from Washington. These two simple realities and their common stake in a moderate and modernising Pakistan demand a substantive conversation between the Indian Government and the Bush administration before a dialogue between New Delhi and Islamabad could begin. If New Delhi and Washington do not arrive at a shared approach on Pakistan, it is inevitable that the subcontinent will drift towards a renewed military confrontation this summer. An important casualty of this confrontation could be the upward trend in Indo-U.S. relations that has been seen under the Bush administration. The Pakistan factor is once again clouding Indo-U.S. relations, amid growing frustrations in both New Delhi and Washington. In India, there is rising disenchantment at the American unwillingness or inability to deliver Pakistan on cross-border terrorism. This is compounded by renewed calls from Washington for a dialogue with Pakistan. New Delhi says it stood down in the military confrontation with Islamabad last summer following assurances from the highest level in Washington that the Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, had promised to put an end to infiltration of terrorists on a permanent basis. Having failed to get Gen. Musharraf to keep his promise, the Government argues, the U.S. has no business to push India into an engagement with Pakistan. Posted by: rg117 2003-04-19 |
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