India, U.S. oppose all variants of terrorism

By P. S. Suryanarayana

WASHINGTON, NOV. 9. The United States and India today made common cause in the fight against all forms of international terrorism, but there was no immediate indication about how and when the two big democracies might, if at all, harmonise their separate strategic compulsions for this purpose.

In a brief media event after their latest summit, both the U.S. President, Mr. George W. Bush, and the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, expressed their opposition to terrorism in all its political and other manifestations. Mr. Bush sought to mollify official India's concerns by declaring that there is but ``one universal law'' of anti-terror.

Characterising the politics of terrorism and murder as ``evil'', Mr. Bush said that Mr. Vajpayee fully ``understands'' the importance of combating all variants of terrorism. This was about the only indication immediately after the summit that the two countries were beginning to acknowledge the totality of the anti- terror fight. Yet, there were no hint of any common denominator in regard to India's concerns about Pakistan-encouraged cross- border terrorism.

The only common denominator, insofar as it could be ascertained in the afterglow of the summit, was the statement by Mr. Bush. He said: ``Our (international) coalition is strong because leaders such as the Prime Minister (Mr. Vajpayee) fully understand that we must reject terrorism in all its form and murder and all its causes in order for the world to be peaceful.'' This was some prime-time symphony of sentiments.

The White House spokesman later characterised the Bush-Vajpayee summit as a positive exercise. Mr. Bush himself indicated that he would visit India as soon as possible in response to Mr. Vajpayee's invitation. The President appreciated the ``candid discussion'' that he held with Mr. Vajpayee.

Claiming that the existing international coalition against terror was stronger than ever before, Mr. Bush said that it was now time for action and not sympathies over the past terrorist atrocities. While the two leaders discussed international terrorism in their one-on-one meeting, they discussed over lunch other issues such as a new joint cyber-terrorism initiative and bilateral cooperation, including a civilian space programme.

Mr. Bush's friendly gesture signalled the search for a sustainable new beginning in the U.S.-India relationship. With the ongoing U.S.-led ``campaign' against international terrorism serving as the evolving context, the task of the two leaders was not only cut out but also much broader in scope.

Mr. Vajpayee's style at the substantive summit with Mr. Bush, their first in interpersonal diplomacy, has been influenced, however marginally or otherwise, by a parallel diplomatic voyage that the Pakistan President and Chief Executive, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, has presently undertaken. Gen. Musharraf appears to have made headway in his political efforts to checkmate India by portraying Pakistan as a necessary component of the solution to global terrorism and not really a part of the problem itself. This nuanced aspect added a new twist to official India's own efforts to join the big league of the emerging international ``coalition'' against terror in the specific context of Mr. Bush's invitation to Mr. Vajpayee for these latest talks in Washington.

On the bilateral front itself, Mr. Bush had, while inviting Mr. Vajpayee, made clear his intentions of enlarging the scope of the relationship. Military and economic ties apart, cooperation on global issues, too, has come to be recognised by both sides as a desirable exercise. The transition of Indo-U.S. ties from a state of estranged democracies to a mode of engaged democracies is now being addressed from other perspectives as well, including that of global partnership. But the issues at stake are complex, despite the new American effort in public diplomacy to project India as a strategic kin.

Post-Taliban Govt.

PTI reports:

Mr. Vajpayee said the interests of countries neighbouring Afghanistan should be kept in mind in determining a post-Taliban dispensation in that country. New Delhi has held that the new set-up in Kabul must not export terrorism or extremist ideology in the interest of stability of the region.

Mr. Vajpayee and Mr. Bush also agreed to make joint efforts for reconstruction and rehabilitation of the war-ravaged country. Mr. Bush said his administration was committed to developing a fundamentally different relationship with India, one based upon trust, one based on mutual values.

``Trade with India is going to be an important part of our growth in the future. India has got a fantastic ability to grow because her greatest export is intelligence and brain power, as our country has learnt over the last decade,'' Mr. Bush said.

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