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Afghanistan

India has transferred 8 Mi-35 helicopters to Afghan Air Force: Pentagon

2019-07-15

[KhaamaPress] The Department of Defense or Pentagon has confirmed that India has transferred 8 Mi-35 gunship helicopters to the Afghan Air Force.

Pentagon released its latest report titled ’Enhancing security and Stability in Afghanistan’, stating that India has transferred a total of eight Mi-35 helicopters to the Afghan Air Force, four during 2015/2016 and four more during 2018.

The report further adds that "This aid marks a significant departure from India’s previous policy of providing only non-lethal military assistance. Pak sensitivities towards Indian involvement in the country ultimately limited the assistance."

Furthermore, Pentagon said "Additionally, the Indian military provides procurement and training support to help professionalize the Afghan military and to improve its vehicle maintenance capabilities."

The report also added that India has traditionally had strong ties with Afghanistan and remains the largest regional donor to the country ($3 billion since 2001).

According to Pentagon Indian aid to Afghanistan focuses primarily on four main categories: humanitarian assistance, major infrastructure projects, small and community-based projects, and education and capacity development.

Meanwhile,
...back at the Council of Boskone, Helmuth ordered the space pirate fleet to attack Zemblonia...
Pentagon said India desires a stable Afghanistan that does not harbor holy warriors who could target Indian interests and does not have close ties with Pakistain.

In addition, Pentagon said there are no reports indicating that India has taken any serious action during the reporting period that would affect the situation in Afghanistan.

However,
a hangover is the wrath of grapes...
Pentagon said in the 1990s, India supported the former Northern Alliance; and maintains contact with Afghan power brokers.

On the other hand, Pentagon said "In the event of a U.S. drawdown in Afghanistan, India likely will attempt to continue its support to Afghanistan and try to limit Taliban
Taliban

...Arabic for students...
, Pak, and Chinese influence. A significant deterioration of security conditions in Afghanistan, however, may adversely affect the ability of India to provide aid."

Posted by:trailing wife

Posted by: Dron66046 2019-07-15 23:40

#2 You’ve clearly been saving it all up for a while, Dron65066. It’s a good thing you found Rantburg before you exploded from the pressure.

Posted by: trailing wife 2019-07-15 21:49

#1 When our task forces in Afghanistan were shut down in '97 by weak willed and self absorbed administrations, the ISI ran amok from the NWFP along the northern hindukush for 10 years. Our policy with Afghanistan and Balochistan the fourth province of pakistain, and future independent state of the Baloch people was continued to be on the lines drawn arbitrarily for us by the inept, lazy R&AW an agency populated by political appointees from the police cadres superseding and often commandeering MI and foreign office resources and personnel, to largely no result. It was only after the proven ineptitude of the 'agents' whose work in the Registan periodically required taxpayer funded trips to Switzerland and Honolulu, that in 2002 the govt allowed the DIA to actively target ISI sponsored illicit trade and funding of the taliban, however once again, we were not to interfere with actual delivery of weapons, training grounds or recruitment. Meanwhile, the pakstain media went at the R&AW smearing it as a terror financing machine of mayhem, responsible for every blast and fatality in Afghanistan, that we were instigating revolt, we want their resources, we want to install a stooge in the democratic govt, we would rig the elections, we are assasinating mullahs left and right, blowing up mosques. Only those who've worked with us know what kind of demotivated imbeciles work foreign intelligence in India.

No Afghan actually believes the official Dawn and Tribune line. India is yugely popular with the citizens because of 1. The historic, cultural connect. 2. We never did them any wrong, despite our islamonausea and always support their desire for progressive reforms in society. It was said Indira Gandhi and Leonid Brezhnev had reached an understanding that New Delhi would educate the Afghans, promote progress in academia and provide an environment conducive to acceptance of socialism; while Moscow provides academics and doctrinaires for the eventual 'democracy' to come. Of course, that plan went to hell after '91. However, it left India and Afghanistan with strong civil society ties, cultural associations and exchanges. During this time, the Afghan people imbibed principles of working socialist democracy, the responsibilities of a Government and ideas of religious and scholastic liberty.

From early 2015, the Indian govt has invested moderately in infrastructure and education there, training engineers, agriculturists, funding schools, hosting their films, writers and artistes, etc. The US forces have actively protected and helped sustain these relations. Now, in the event of a pull out India would probably just step back and watch it all burn. far be it for India to lift a rifle, unless for posturing The situation in the sub-continent finally demands that we shed our 'India is a Dove of Peace' hubris and mobilize covert responses toward thwarting Pakistain's interference in negotiations of divvying up power in Afghanistan.

But of course, we won't.

It took 4 months for Turkey, which is already facing sanctions, to buy and receive their S400s from Russia. It took a year to negotiate the same trade for India, under no sanctions, and it'll take us another two to get even one system delivered.

I'm afraid one can only expect soft power support (in a rather non-committal sort of way) from allies like us.

India Aids the AAF with Russkie Armament

Posted by: Dron66046 2019-07-15 08:55

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