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| India-Pakistan |
| US defends IndiaÂ’s missile test, nuke program |
| 2006-07-11 |
| The Bush administration on Monday offered an unprecedented defense and rationalization of IndiaÂ’s missile test and nuclear program, attesting to the growing close ties between the two countries in what is a far cry from the days when any such military exertion by New Delhi would drive Washington ballistic. The weekend test of Agni- III, since acknowledged to be a failure, was the subject of probing questions both at the White House and State Department briefings, in the context of US anger against North KoreaÂ’s missile infractions last week. But administration officials dismissed comparisons between the two events while disclosing that India had notified the United States and Pakistan about the tests. ''There is a significant difference and a noteworthy difference between India and North Korea. India has pursued its program in such a way as not to be a threat of provocation to its neighbors. In that regard, it informed the United States in advance, and as it has by agreement, also notified the Pakistanis. It did it in a transparent and non-threatening way,'' White House spokesman Tony Snow said. Snow also used to occasion to suo motu address U.S views on IndiaÂ’s nuclear program, saying it began in 1958 and New Delhi has had nuclear devices since 1974. ''It began testing missiles in 1983, and had the first successful launch in 1988. Whatever one may think, India has embarked upon a nuclear program,'' he explained. Such a neutral, non-judgmental assessment was unheard of well into the late 1990s when any test by India was seen as endangering neighborhood security, challenging US-led arms control regimes, and would invite rebuke. But given the changing geo-politics and security architecture, administration officials chose to downplay IndiaÂ’s test, pointing out that unlike in the case of North Korea, it had not evoked diplomatic concern or protest in the neighborhood. ''North Korea, meanwhile, not only defied the express wishes of its neighbors and others in the neighborhood, it also fired missiles as a provocation, without warning, to others, and therefore, has created the diplomatic activity that you now see. So those are the significant differences between the two,'' Snow said. When senior wire service correspondent Helen Thomas suggested that the US appeared to be acquiescing to IndiaÂ’s missile test ''in a very contradictory way,'' Snow retorted, ''You may think it's contradictory, Helen. You're wrong.'' Asked if IndiaÂ’s missile test could affect the passage of the U.S-India nuclear deal in Congress, Snow said he did not think so. ''Again, the auspices under which is was conducted, making sure that everybody was notified in advance, are the sort of things that provide reassurance to people on the Hill,'' he said. Over at the State Department, there were similar explanations about IndiaÂ’s test and the difference with North Korea. ''Look, I wouldn't try to draw any equivalence between India, the world's largest multiethnic democracy, and North Korea, a closed totalitarian state,'' Spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made no mention of the test in her address to Indian-American physicians and hoteliers, but the most piercing observation about USÂ’ new assessment of India came from Congressman Gary Ackerman. ''If you wanted to be treated like India, be like India.'' Ackerman told a luncheon meeting noting that unlike Iran, North Korea or Pakistan, India is not a state sponsor of terrorism, has not proliferated its weapons or technologies of mass destruction and above all is a ''true democracy.'' The message was evidently aimed at Pakistan, which has repeatedly insisted that it wants to be treated on par with India. But Pakistan's foreign minister Khurshid Kasuri, who met Rice at the State Department shortly before she address the Indian-American gathering, also made no mention of Islamabad's familiar peeves. The US defense of India's missile tests will go some way towards soothing New Delhi's wounded pride following the back-to-back disasters involving Agni-III and Insat4C this weekend. |
| Posted by:john |
| #7 So China, you won't control North Korea, huh? Two can play this game and the Indians live right next door. |
| Posted by: whitecollar redneck 2006-07-11 22:16 |
| #6 Clowns? We're not talking about Maddy Albright, Xbalanke. Even though they may look alike. Try to stay on topic. ;) |
| Posted by: Darrell 2006-07-11 17:22 |
| #5 Ouch !! ISRO had insured neither the Rs 96 crore INSAT-4C satellite, carried by the Rs 160-crore GSLV, nor the rocket. "We don't go for insurance for home launches," an official said. The 55-million-dollar INSAT-4A, put in space by an Ariane rocket from French Guyana a few months ago, was insured by with a premium of around 16 million dollars. Had ISRO opted for insuring the GSLV (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle), the premium for the rocket would have been anywhere between 20 to 80 per cent of its cost, depending on factors like the rocket's past record. |
| Posted by: john 2006-07-11 17:20 |
| #4 Helen is often wrong... and she is always ugly. and always ill-mannered. A good circus has to have some clowns. |
| Posted by: Xbalanke 2006-07-11 17:08 |
| #3 and always ill-mannered. |
| Posted by: Darrell 2006-07-11 16:36 |
| #2 and she is always ugly. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2006-07-11 16:08 |
| #1 senior wire service correspondent Helen Thomas suggested that the US appeared to be acquiescing to IndiaÂ’s missile test ''in a very contradictory way,'' Snow retorted, ''You may think it's contradictory, Helen. You're wrong.'' Helen is often wrong... |
| Posted by: john 2006-07-11 15:41 |