In NY, Musharraf shows attack is best defence

In an interview to the New York Times published today, he has defended himself against the charge that Pakistan is not doing enough to root out the Al Qaeda in Afghanistan. Then, in talks with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Musharraf has offered to build a fence along the Pak-Afghan border to prevent further incursions by the Al Qaeda and Taliban into Afghanistan.

And, following the recent meeting between the Pak foreign minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri and his Israeli counterpart, Silvan Shalom, Musharraf is addressing the American Jewish Congress this week. An ‘‘accidental’’ meeting between Musharraf and the Israeli PM Ariel Sharon has not been ruled out. Finally, to counter the perception that Pakistan is callous about rape and violence against women, Musharraf is addressing an audience of Pakistani American women at Columbia University.

Fall in Manhattan

Balmy weather and glittering skyscrapers make Manhattan a fine place to be in early fall. But for New Yorkers, September is the cruelest month when it comes to traffic. As cavalcades of presidents, prime ministers, and tin pot dictators from around the world jostle for space during the annual UN jamboree in the third week of September, traffic in mid-town Manhattan goes haywire.

After 9/11, security arrangements for visiting leaders as well as President George W Bush, who shows up here this time every year, have become so much tighter making navigation amidst New York’s skyscrapers a nightmare. Manhattan businessmen, however, are not complaining. Even the crummiest of the hotels charge the earth as visiting delegations scramble for accommodation at the heart of the town.

American conservatives might not much care for the UN. But it always has been a good business proposition for New Yorkers. This was recognised at its very inception, 60 years ago, when the Rockefellers ‘‘gifted’’ land on the First Avenue to the UN. As a result, what was once a dump on the eastern edge of Manhattan has now become one of the trendiest locations.

Now bilateral rules

The ostensible reason for PM Manmohan Singh’s visit to New York is to join the 60th session of the United Nations General Assembly and speak at the summit to promote Millennium Summit goals. But for all practical purposes, business at the UN has become a sideshow for visiting Indian PMs in recent years.

There was a time when Indian foreign policy was mostly about rhetoric at the UN and the non-aligned gatherings. Not any longer. As bilateral engagements with the US President and the Pakistani leaders become an annual feature during New York visits, the bilateral has overtaken the multilateral in Indian diplomacy.

This time, at the multilateral setting, to which the PMO gives time grudgingly, no one expects Singh’s speech on developmental issues to a sleepy UNGA on Thursday to set the East River afire. More closely watched will be his remarks on Wednesday at the launch of the UN Democracy Fund, where he will be flanked by President Bush and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.