A boost to Indo-U.S. defence ties

By Sandeep Dikshit

NEW DELHI, SEPT. 24. India' defence ties with the U.S. are expected to look up following the decision to lift sanctions. But no immediate spectacular results are anticipated, according to senior Defence Ministry officials.

Although sanctions were creating problems for substantial contacts in bilateral military ties, the two countries had continued with exchanges at other levels. A consequential fall- out of the removal of sanctions would be the reactivation of the Defence Policy Group (DPG) which envisages closer contacts between the Defence Secretaries of the two countries aimed at creating closer military ties. An important sub-group of the DPG called the Joint Technology Group may also resume its role of facilitating increased military sales and technological cooperation, they added.

India is counting on the signing of the GSOMIA (General Security of Military Information Agreement) which is an administrative pre-requisite for the resumption of the DPG. The GSOMIA ensures that visiting military officers of both countries maintain the confidentiality of information and military systems they are familiarised with. Officials said a time-frame of six months had been set and the GSOMIA may be concluded by the end of this year or the first quarter of 2002.

Although sanctions will give an impetus to higher level exchanges, the two countries had all along been working on creating bridges between their armed forces through greater involvement in training programmes. The invitation to over 100 officers of the Indian defence forces to train in American military training institutes represented a ``quantum jump,'' noted senior officials. India was also looking forward to the resumption of joint ``Malabar naval exercises'' which were discontinued in 1998.

But in the area of defence development and research, officials did not expect the waiver of sanctions to lead to very substantial benefits. Their lack of enthusiasm was due to constraints that would persist on American exports of dual-use technology items (which could be used for developing nuclear weapons and missiles). The U.S. might continue with the restrictions on business with 151 Indian firms (pared from the original list of 212 companies) although officials said that efforts were on to further reduce the list.

Specifically, India could gain in four defence related areas due to the lifting of the sanctions. It might receive the flight control systems of the light combat aircraft (LCA) that had been sent to the U.S. for evaluation but were impounded after the Pokhran tests. The U.S. was also expected to permit its companies to export weapon locating radars as well as engines for the advanced light helicopter. The ban on servicing of the Navy's Sea-King helicopters in the U.K. was also likely to be lifted.

Washington was also poised to allow the export of components for the advanced jet trainer (AJT). But this permission might become irrelevant because New Delhi was exploring alternatives from Brazil, Italy and Russia as it was not satisfied with the price offered for the short-listed British Hawk AJT. ``The components will be acquired from the U.S. only if negotiations take a positive turn on prices,'' explained senior Defence Ministry officials.

Senior officials, admitted that in the immediate context, Pakistan would gain more from the waiver of sanctions. But that was because India was able to come out with alternatives. ``Experience has shown that the squeeze on foreign technology had improved our efforts to indigenise,'' said a senior official from the defence research establishment.

Moreover, India also benefitted from two Presidential waivers in October 1999 and March 2000, which were not extended to Pakistan. The U.S. also adopted a benign approach to New Delhi's request for credit from multilateral institutions by abstaining from voting. In contrast, Islamabad attracted new sanctions in October 1999 following the military takeover which affected aid from the U.S., its military education and training programme and military sales financing arrangement with the U.S.

A Foreign Office spokesperson later pointed out that India had never ``refracted its relationship'' with the U.S. through U.S.- Pak ties. ``The sanctions did not impact on our well-being and we wish the people of Pakistan well. We would not like to critique on how the lifting of sanctions would impact Pakistan.''

Essential point missed

The Foreign Office today reacted sharply to reports in the western media which suggested that the lifting of sanctions was a ``reward'' for India's whole-hearted support to the U.S. after the September 11 bombings.

``In our view, besides being an offensive and patronising way of describing India's principled and decades-long stand against terrorism, such reports completely miss the essential point of building an international coalition against terrorism,'' said an Foreign Office spokesperson.

``Through such attacks (in the media), you cannot fight terrorism. We want to it make it abundantly clear that India has been engaged in a war against terrorism for well over two decades now. Over 53,000 families of innocents are the sufferers of this terrorism in India,'' she added.

``We say to this media channels that please recognise that a nation of one billion people needs no rewards for the stand that it takes on issues of principles. The only recompense is the widest possible international coalition against terrorism and eradication of this evil from our lives.''

The spokesperson also added that New Delhi had never regarded its relationship with the U.S. through the ``constricted prism'' of U.S.-Pak relations. To do so would be to diminish the continuing validity and importance of Indo-U.S. relations. Asked to comment on the timing of the lifting of sanctions, she said India had expected it all along. At the same time, she said the country welcomed the doing away of restrictive economic measures. ``The lifting of sanctions would enable us to focus on building bilateral ties in a healthy manner.''

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