'U.S., India were in constant touch'

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON, DEC. 31. The level of cooperation and interaction over the hijacking incident between New Delhi and Washington was high; and one of the main issues was how to go about the problem given the fact that Washington, too, did not have relations with the Taliban in Afghanistan, the Indian Ambassador Mr. Naresh Chandra said here today.

The interactions between the U.S. and India were critical in the sense that Washington did have a role to play vis-a-vis its friends in the immediate region and elsewhere. There was also a certain amount of coordination that could be worked out given past experiences, the Indian diplomat here noted during a meeting with mediapersons. From the point of view of India, it was necessary to put out relevant information as the U.S. is the media capital of the world.

Top Indian diplomats had been in close touch with senior officials of the Clinton administration right through the hijacking crisis. For instance, Mr. Chandra had at least three meetings with the Deputy Secretary of State, Mr. Strobe Talbott, as also meetings with the Under-Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Mr. Thomas Pickering, and the Senior Director for Near East and South Asia at the National Security Council, Mr. Bruce Riedel.

Beside the specifics of the immediate issue, senior officials from India and the U.S. had looked at ways in which how this scourge of terrorism could be tackled. The United States, Mr. Chandra said, was very supportive of the efforts of the Indian Government and the administration had been in constant touch in both New Delhi and Washington. The attitude was one of being ``cautious and helpful'' knowing full well that it could not rush in with ``help'' which could not be rendered, it was pointed out.

Asked if there was a particular reason for the ``silence'' on the part of the administration for three days before a statement was put out by the State Department, and an identical message from the White House, Mr. Chandra maintained that there was no special reason for the delay. Getting a statement cleared in a holiday period had to be reckoned with, as also the fact that there were no briefing schedules during this period.

By the same token, the Clinton administration was not too keen on broadcasting that an American national was on board. Neither could India have done anything ``special'', it was pointed out.

Clinton visit on

The hijacking will not have an impact on the visit of the President, Mr. Bill Clinton, to India as has been suggested in a section of the media here. The India visit stands and a formal announcement is likely sometime next month. ``I would be surprised if the hijacking had an impact (on the visit),'' Mr. Chandra remarked.

Senior diplomats have been making the point that the entire hijacking would have to be seen both in the immediate context as also in the larger and overall environment. The fact that groups like the Harkat-ul Ansar and the Harkat-ul Mujahideen ``flourish'' in Pakistan could not go unnoticed; and the initial induction of the ``Sikh factor'' was sinister and diabolical and intended to throw one off the scent. The hijacking and the subsequent negotiations were all very well-rehearsed, it has been maintained in some quarters.

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Section  : International
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