'U.S. defence supplies may now be released'

WASHINGTON, NOV. 10. Defence supplies held up under various pre- and- post 1998 U.S. nuclear non-proliferation laws may now be released as a result of the first face-to-face talks between the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, and the U.S. President, Mr. George W. Bush, the External Affairs Minister, Mr. Jaswant Singh, said today.

He expected this to happen at the Defence Policy Group meeting in Delhi in December. The way was also now clear for supply of additional defence items ``which we believe are needed for defence preparedness of the armed forces of the country''. He cited terrorism, Afghanistan and military and defence cooperation as three main components of the joint statement issued at the end of the first summit between the two leaders.

On Mr. Vajpayee's U.S. visit, Mr. Singh said ``I will say without any hesitation it has been a total success''. ``The objectives we had set for ourselves - the U.S. and India - have been fully and adequately realised,'' he said and pointed out the Senate had welcomed the visit.

Asked about the `chemistry' between Mr. Bush and Mr. Vajpayee, Mr. Singh said he could only give his subjective view but thought the meeting was ``extremely warm, very candid, full of mutual regard, with the conversation marked by goodwill, candour and trust''.

On the need for expanding the six-plus-two formula to include India for discussing Afghanistan (group of countries around Kabul plus the U.S. and Russia), Mr. Singh said if the group had succeeded, there would not have been the present problem. India's experience with Afghanistan was not recent. Apart from its historical experience, India's national security had suffered for 20 years as a result of Afghan-origin narcotics production and terrorism. Therefore, in the future post-conflict dispensation, India's vital stake must be heeded, Mr. Singh said. The six-plus- two was not adequate to meet the requirements of the future.

Pakistan's cross-border terrorism was adequately addressed in the joint statement which referred to all manifestations of terrorism. Asked whether ``the U.S. acknowledges the right of India to hit back or make retaliatory strikes'' to counter Pakistani cross-border terrorism, he said: ``please understand this is not a right or a dispensation or grant from anybody. If India exercises restraint, it is a restraint out of self-will. Nobody need grant India the right to retaliate because it is an inherent right of a sovereign country in the exercise of its sovereign will. It is not a hand-out or dispensation''.

India's fight against terrorism did not begin on September 11, 2001 (when terrorists struck in New York and Washington). Its resolution did not depend on crutches, he said, adding the fight was based on values. In fighting terrorism, India made no distinction between acceptable and unacceptable terrorism, Mr. Singh said. If Pakistan continued to pursue the path of terrorism, after terrorist activities from Afghanistan were stopped that was Islamabad's determination, he said. ``That is for Pakistan to decide and India will certainly respond adequately and in proper fashion should that situation ever come about.''

- PTI

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : International
Previous : Bangladesh Govt. shakes up administration
Next     : Osama angry with Musharraf for supporting U.S.