Defence Ministry debating deal with U.S. over NMD

By Atul Aneja

NEW DELHI, MAY 12. The Defence Ministry is actively debating the terms of a possible deal with the Bush administration for supporting its concept of a new international security architecture.

Highly-placed sources in the Government here pointed out that the internal debate in the ministry on a possible quid pro quo with the U.S. essentially revolves around four issues.

First, the ministry is veering round to the view that India should premise its support to the U.S. on the basis of access to its surveillance data. India's national security interests demand that it acquires the means to maintain an active vigilance on missile launching sites, especially of adversaries and potential foes. That would mean establishing an up-link with the key nodes of the U.S. global surveillance network.

Second, in dealing with the U.S., India, however, should declare that it is not in its interest to become a frontline state vis-a- vis China. Not surprisingly, this view has been factored in the argument that India should have access not just to regional, but to U.S. international surveillance regime.

Third, India should make it categorical that support for core U.S. international security interests can come only with the easing of controls over the transfer of ``critical technology.'' The transfer of critical technology may be possible even without the formal lifting of the post-Pokhran sanctions regime.

Fourth, any support to the U.S. must be predicated on India's entry into an expanded U.N. Security Council, the touchstone to New Delhi's formal recognition as a part of the international ``big league.''

The debate within the ministry has been triggered by the U.S. administration's decision to evolve a new international security framework. Essentially, the U.S. is internally debating the creation of a smaller but more lethal missile arsenal, which is based entirely on its own soil and is linked to an elaborate space based surveillance system. With satellites playing a key role for surveillance as well as communication, it is also contemplating positioning space-based weapons which can destroy them. These weapons will target space-based communication and surveillance infrastructure of potential adversaries.

The evolving U.S. plans could be implemented only by scrapping the 1972 Anti Ballistic Missile Treaty, the heart of existing international security border. The ABM treaty forbids research and testing of more advanced defensive systems, which the U.S. now wishes to acquire.

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