Date:11/05/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/05/11/stories/2003051103020800.htm

National

Cong. opposes move for strategic ties with Israel

By Our Special Correspondent

The Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, welcoming the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, Richard Armitage, in New Delhi on Saturday. — Photo: Anu Pushkarna

NEW DELHI MAY 10. The visiting United States Deputy Secretary of State, Richard Armitage, met the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, for over 40 minutes this morning. Also present at the meeting were Natwar Singh and Christina Rocca.

The two sides discussed a wide range of issues, including the developments in Pakistan, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka. According to the Congress spokesperson, Ms. Gandhi told the visiting dignitary that there was a consensus in the country on foreign policy as evident from the parliamentary resolution on Iraq.

In a separate development, the Congress took serious objection to Brajesh Mishra's suggestion for strategic partnership among India, the U.S. and Israel. " We need not have a strategic partnership with Israel'' said the party spokesperson Jaipal Reddy.

The party cautioned the Government not to upset the national consensus that existed on foreign policy. "We don't agree that Israel faces the same problem as we do, its qualitatively different, we have strong reservations about its policy towards the Middle East'' he said.

The Congress believes that Mr. Mishra was testing the ground for such an idea. "We do not believe that he could have said all this without the clearance or the knowledge of the Prime Minister '' said Mr. Reddy. This idea was first mooted by the Union Home Minister, L. K. Advani, soon after the developments of September 11 . Mr. Reddy said " this obsession with Israel is both perverse and strange''. He also felt that the Government had greatly erred by mooting such an idea at a time when Israel was facing international criticism over its policy in the Middle East.