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Journalism of Courage
Two days after US Secretary of State Colin Powell conferred on Pakistan the status of a major non-NATO ally—on March 20, his deputy Richard Armitage told New Delhi that Washington was willing to offer it the same status provided India was interested in that label.
Sources said this message was conveyed to Lalit Mansingh, India’s Ambassador to the US, at an official function where President George W Bush was also present.
The US assurance has been now passed on to South Block. For the record, an MEA spokesperson said today: ‘‘We have never given any consideration to that kind of a relationship with the US.’’
Armitage is learnt to have assured Singh that US Secretary of State Colin Powell’s visit to Islamabad was not timed to announce Pakistan as a non-NATO ally of the US. He assured Singh that the status was being granted in response to Pakistan’s request made last year.
New Delhi was quick to voice disappointment over being kept in the dark on the US move during Powell’s visit and said it had ‘‘significant implications’’ for Indo-US relations.
However, India has been informed that the status would neither result in access to F-16 fighter planes for Pakistan nor a change in licensing norms. What it would bring for Islamabad is military training at a lower cost and limited relaxation in buying some special kind of military equipment.
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Growing maturity in
ties: Mulford |
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• NEW DELHI: US Ambassador David Mulford on Tuesday said the decision to accord non-NATO ally status to Pakistan was one of the ‘‘more recent examples’’ of the ‘‘increasing maturity’’ in Indo-US ties. ‘‘United States will continue to build relationships with India and Pakistan. Each of these relationships stands on its own merits.’’ He told a CII meeting: ‘‘Those who attack our societies, be it in New York, Washington, Mumbai, New Delhi or Jammu & Kashmir, must be stopped.’’ — ENS |
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Powell also attempted to dispel these worries when he called up External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha on March 21 when he is reported to have assured Sinha that it was not his intention to spring a surprise on India.
PTI adds from Washington: Defending US efforts to firm up strong ties with Pakistan in the battle against Al-Qaeda, Powell told the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks on the US: ‘‘Pakistan had vital interests in Afghanistan and was deeply suspicious of Indian intentions there…Their mutual fears and suspicions threatened to boil over into nuclear conflict. The situation was very delicate and dangerous and any effort to effect change had to be calibrated very carefully to avoid misperception…We knew also that achieving sustainable new relations with Pakistan meant moving more aggressively to strengthen and shape our relationship with India.’’
